Paving apparatus

Claim 2

Paving apparatus comprising: a material hopper having an inclined load-supporting wall and sidewalls, said walls respectively having lower extremities mutually defining a material discharge opening; gate means connected to said hopper for selectively opening and closing said opening including a plurality of side-by-side sections thereby to provide openings of various widths; first means for selectively moving one section alone between open and closed positions; second means for moving a plurality of adjacent sections between open and closed positions simultaneously between their open and closed positions; and a screed adjustably mounted on said rear wall and extending rearwardly therefrom, said first moving means comprising an elongated relatively flexible lifting member having one end attached to said one of said gate sections, said second moving means comprising a member connected to one of said gate sections in a manner to engage the adjacent sections when said one section is being moved into said closed position whereby movement of said one section into its closed position simultaneously moves the adjacent sections into their closed positions.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one other elongated relatively flexible member having one end attached to a respective gate section, and means on said hopper for selectively engaging said flexible members thereby to hold said gate sections in said closed position thereof.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one of said walls is a rear wall, and further comprising a pair of wheels coaxially mounted adjacent the forward portion of said hopper, said screed normally supporting a substantial portion of the weight of said apparatus and the contents of said hopper, and further comprising means on said rear wall cooperatively engaging an abutment on said lifting member in said closed position of said one gate section plate member whereby further movement of said lifting member results in pivoting of said apparatus about said wheels thereby elevating said screed above said supporting surface.

Claim 5

Paving apparatus comprising: a material hopper having an inclined load-supporting wall and sidewalls, said walls respectively having lower extremities mutually defining a material discharge opening; means for heating said load-supporting wall; gate means connected to said hopper for selectively opening and closing said opening; a screed adjustably mounted on said rear wall and extending rearwardly therefrom; said load-supporting wall including a heating chamber therein, said heating means being positioned in said chamber, said heating means comprising at least one fluid fuel-burning nozzle positioned in said chamber; means for dividing said chamber into a plurality of sections, there being one of said nozzles respectively positioned in each Of said chamber sections, each of said chamber sections having a baffle therein further dividing each of said chamber sections into lower and upper portions, the respective nozzle being positioned in a lower chamber portion and being remotely located from said dividing means, each of said upper chamber portions having at least one opening therein remotely located from said dividing means for exhausting combustion gases therefrom.

Claim 6

Paving apparatus comprising: a material hopper having an inclined load-supporting wall and sidewalls, said walls respectively having lower extremities mutually defining a material discharge opening; means for heating said load-supporting wall; gate means connected to said hopper for selectively opening and closing said opening; a screed adjustably mounted on said rear wall and extending rearwardly therefrom; said load-supporting wall including a heating chamber therein, said heating means being positioned in said chamber, said heating means comprising at least one fluid fuel-burning nozzle positioned in said chamber; means for dividing said chamber into a plurality of sections, there being one of said nozzles respectively positioned in each Of said chamber sections, each of said chamber sections having a baffle therein further dividing each of said chamber sections into lower and upper portions, the respective nozzle being positioned in a lower chamber portion and being remotely located from said dividing means, each of said upper chamber portions having at least one opening therein remotely located from said dividing means for exhausting combustion gases therefrom.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein a wall joins said load-supporting wall to form a rear boundary of said chamber and the front boundary of said discharge opening, each of said nozzles being directed toward the interior surface of said wall.

Claim 8

Paving apparatus comprising: a material hopper having an inclined load-supporting wall and sidewalls, said walls respectively having lower extremities mutually defining a material discharge opening; means for heating said load-supporting wall; gate means connected to said hopper for selectively opening and closing said opening including a plurality of side-by-side sections thereby to provide openings of various widths; first means for selectively moving one section alone between open and closed positions; second means for simultaneously moving a plurality of selected adjacent sections between their open and closed positions; a screed adjustably mounted on said hopper and extending rearwardly therefrom; means extending forwardly from said hopper for selectively engaging a part of a conventional vehicle thereby to move said apparatus both in a forward and rearward direction; means for actuating said engaging means between an upper engaging position and a lower disengaged position, said actuating means including means for biasing said engaging means toward said upper engaging position; a bottom wall spaced below said load-supporting wall, and back and forward walls joining said other wall to said front wall and defining therewith and with the sidewalls of said hopper a first heating chamber, first means for dividing said first chamber into sections, second means for dividing each of said first chamber sections into upper and lower portions, said second means providing a connection between said portions, said load-supporting wall heating means comprising a fluid fuel-burning nozzle positioned in the lower portion of each of said first chamber sections remote from the connection between the respective portions, said bottom wall having openings therein respectively communicating with the upper portion of each of said first chamber sections remote from the connection between the respective portions for exhausting combustion gases therefrom whereby the combustion gases from each of said nozzles traverse both portions of the respective first chamber section; each of said gate means sections comprising a plate member mounted on one of said walls for pivotal movement between an upper closed position and a lower open position; said screed including a bottom material-compacting wall, a top wall spaced from said bottom wall, and respectively spaced back and forward walls and end walls mutually defining a second heating chamber, third means for dividing said second chamber into sections, fourth means for dividing each of said second chamber sections into portions which communicate adjacent one of said third dividing means and the respective end wall, a fluid-burning nozzle positioned in one portion of each of said second chamber sections remote from the communication between the respective portions, one of said forward and backwalls of said screed having openings therein respectively communicating with the other portion of each of said second chamber sections remote from the communication between the respective portions for exhausting combustion gases therefrom whereby the combustion gases from each of said last-named nozzles traverses both portions of the respective second chamber section, and a fluid fuel tank mounted on the rear surface of said backwall and coupled to all of said nozzles for supplying fuel thereto.

Claim 9

Paving apparatus comprising: a material hopper having an inclined load-supporting wall and sidewalls, said walls respectively having lower extremities mutually defining a material discharge opening; means for heating said load-supporting wall; gate means connected to said hopper for selectively opening and closing said opening including a plurality of side-by-side sections thereby to provide openings of various widths; first means for selectively moving one section alone between open and closed positions; second means for simultaneously moving a plurality of selected adjacent sections between their open and closed positions; a screed adjustably mounted on said hopper and extending rearwardly therefrom; means extending forwardly from said hopper for selectively engaging a part of a conventional vehicle thereby to move said apparatus both in a forward and rearward direction; means for actuating said engaging means between an upper engaging position and a lower disengaged position, said actuating means including means for biasing said engaging means toward said upper engaging position; a bottom wall spaced below said load-supporting wall, and back and forward walls joining said other wall to said front wall and defining therewith and with the sidewalls of said hopper a first heating chamber, first means for dividing said first chamber into sections, second means for dividing each of said first chamber sections into upper and lower portions, said second means providing a connection between said portions, said load-supporting wall heating means comprising a fluid fuel-burning nozzle positioned in the lower portion of each of said first chamber sections remote from the connection between the respective portions, said bottom wall having openings therein respectively communicating with the upper portion of each of said first chamber sections remote from the connection between the respective portions for exhausting combustion gases therefrom whereby the combustion gases from each of said nozzles traverse both portions of the respective first chamber section; each of said gate means sections comprising a plate member mounted on one of said walls for pivotal movement between an upper closed position and a lower open position; said screed including a bottom material-compacting wall, a top wall spaced from said bottom wall, and respectively spaced back and forward walls and end walls mutually defining a second heating chamber, third means for dividing said second chamber into sections, fourth means for dividing each of said second chamber sections into portions which communicate adjacent one of said third dividing means and the respective end wall, a fluid-burning nozzle positioned in one portion of each of said second chamber sections remote from the communication between the respective portions, one of said forward and backwalls of said screed having openings therein respectively communicating with the other portion of each of said second chamber sections remote from the communication between the respective portions for exhausting combustion gases therefrom whereby the combustion gases from each of said last-named nozzles traverses both portions of the respective second chamber section, and a fluid fuel tank mounted on the rear surface of said backwall and coupled to all of said nozzles for supplying fuel thereto.