Pavement laying and finishing apparatus

Claim 1

IN A COMBINED MACHINE FOR FINISHING THE SURFACE OF A PAVEMENT SLAB, A SPREADING UNIT COMPRISING A SPREADER FRAME ADAPTED TO SPAN AND TO MOVE ALONG THE SIDE OF A SLAB OF PAVEMENT BEING LAID BETWEEN SPACED CONFINING SIDE FORMS, WHEELS ARRANGED IN TANDEM RELATIONSHIP AT EACH SIDE OF SAID SPREADER FRAME IN POSITION TO ENGAGE AND SUPPORT SAID FRAME UPON THE SIDE FORMS RESPECTIVELY, A SPREADER CARRIED BY SAID SPREADER FRAME IN POSITION TO ENGAGE AND SPREAD PAVING MATERIAL IN PLASTIC CONDITION THAT HAS BEEN DEPOSITED BETWEEN THE FORMS AHEAD OF SAID MACHINE, A STRIKE-OFF CARRIED BY SAID SPREADER FRAME IN POSITION TO STRIKE OFF THE SPREAD PLASTIC MATERIAL AS SAID MACHINE MOVES ALONG THEREBY TO DEFINE THE SLAB, A VIBRATOR CARRIED BY SAID SPREADER FRAME IN POSITION TO VIBRATE AND CONSOLIDATE THE PLASTIC MATERIAL OF THE SLAB, A FINISHING UNIT COMPRISING A FINISHER FRAME INCLUDING A SCREED FRAME AND A FLOAT FRAME SAID FINISHER FRAME BEING ADAPTED TO SPAN THE SLAB SITE AND TO FOLLOW SAID SPREADING UNIT IN MOVING ALONG SLAB SITE, SIDE BEAM EXTENSIONS ARRANGED AT EACH SIDE OF SAID FINISHER FRAME IN A MANNER TO EXTEND FORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY THEREFROM, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE FORWARD ENDS OF SAID FORWARD SIDE BEAM EXTENSIONS TO THE RESPECTIVE SIDE OF SAID SPREADER FRAME AT POSITIONS THEREON MIDWAY BETWEEN SAID TANDEM ARRANGED WHEELS FOR EQUALIZING ACTION, A BOGIE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO EACH OF THE REARWARDLY EXTENDING ENDS OF SAID REARWARD SIDE BEAM EXTENSIONS, WHEELS ARRANGED ON EACH OF SAID BOGIES IN TANDEM RELATIONSHIP AT EQUAL DISTANCES FROM SAID PIVOTAL CONNECTION FOR EQUALIZING ACTION, A FIRST TRANSVERSE RECIPROCATING SCREED SUPPORTED BENEATH SAID SCREED FRAME IN POSITION TO ENGAGE AND PRELIMINARILY LEVEL THE SURFACE OF THE SLAB, A SECOND TRANSVERSE RECIPROCATING SCREED SUPPORTED BENEATH SAID SCREED FRAME BEHIND SAID FIRST SCREED IN POSITION TO ENGAGE AND FINALLY LEVEL THE SURFACE OF THE SLAB, SAID SECOND SCREEN BEING DISPOSED MIDWAY BETWEEN SAID FORWARD PIVOTAL SUPPORTING CONNECTIONS AND SAID REARWARD PIVOTAL SUPPORTING CONNECTIONS OF SAID SIDE BEAM EXTENSIONS THEREBY LYING IN THE LONGITUDINAL POSITION ON SAID FINISHING UNIT LEAST AFFECTED BY VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID WHEELS IN PASSING OVER IRREGULARITIES IN THE SIDE FORMS, POWER OPERATED MEANS CONNECTED TO EFFECT RECIPROCATION OF SAID SCREEDS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS RESPECTIVELY, AND A FLOAT PAN SUSPENDED BENEATH SAID FLOAT FRAME BEHIND SAID SCREEDS IN POSITION TO FLOAT AND SMOOTH THE LEVELED SURFACE OF THE SLAT AS SAID MACHINE MOVES ALONG THE SLAB SITE, THE ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT AS SAID COMBINED MACHINE ADVANCES ALONG THE FORMS AND PAVING MATERIAL IN PLASTIC CONDITION IS DEPOSITED CONTINUOUSLY BETWEEN THE FORMS AHEAD OF SAID MACHINE, THE PAVING MATERIAL IS SPREAD, LEVELED AND SMOOTHED TO FORM THE PAVEMENT SLAB, THE FINAL LEVELING ACTION TAKING PLACE MIDWAY BETWEEN SUPPORTING BOGIES FOR LEAST INFLUENCE BY IRREGULARITIES IN THE FORMS.