Patent US3929377A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3929377A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle-mounted hardened concrete grooving machine
Assignee: Cement and Concrete Association
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Filing: 1974-01-18
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Granted: 1975-12-30
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Expires: 1994-01-18
Abstract
Abstract A self-contained machine having two cutting heads, a debriscollection system and a ferrous-metal detection system is operable to groove or retexture highway pavements at the rate of 1600 square meters in an 8 hour working day. The cutting heads are driven transversely and in rotation by hydraulic motors along frames which (in use of the machine) extend over a lane width of the highway and which are jacked down onto the pavement surface. The generally dry debris cut from the pavement will be sucked through shrouds covering the cutting head and into the debriscollection system which will return substantially clean air to the ambient atmosphere. Ferrous metal objects like manhole covers will be detected and the cutting heads will be raised and lowered again automatically to avoid them.
Inventors
- 👤 John Weaver
- 👤 David Payne Maynard
- 👤 Rayner Walter Taylor
- 👤 William Richards Gilbe Bayliss
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 05:49
CPC Classifications
E; E01; E01C; E01C23/00; E01C23/06; E01C23/08; E01C23/085; E01C23/088; E01C2301/00; E01C2301/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
343 words
A vehicle constituting a self-contained roadway-grooving machine which comprises: a. a vehicle chassis and roadway-engaging wheels for enabling said vehicle to be moved longitudinally of the roadway; b. a supporting structure carried by said chassis comprising parallel tracks extending transversely both of said chassis and of said direction of movement of said vehicle along the roadway; c. cutter means movable along said tracks in engagement with the roadway surface and operable to form at least two parallel grooves simultaneously in said roadway by a dry cutting action, said grooves extending transversely of said roadway; d. roadway-surface cleaning means operable to pick up substantially all of the dry particulate material removed by said cutter means during the formation of said at least two grooves; e. said cleaning means comprising fan means and a deceleration chamber and an envelope all of which are interconnected by a pneumatic circuit said envelope enshrouding said cutter means and having a lower terminal edge closely adjacent to the roadway surface and said deceleration chamber being interposed in the pneumatic circuit between the fan means and the envelope; f. said fan having intake and output apertures and being operable to produce negative air pressure at its intake aperture in order to create an airflow under said lower terminal edge towards said output aperture for the purpose of entraining substantially all of the dry particulate material removed by said cutting action from said roadway; g. said pneumatic circuit including a manifold channel disposed above and parallel to said tracks on the supporting structure said channel being rigid and of inverted U-shape, the open bottom of said channel being closed by two elongated flexible flaps of elastomeric material, the upper portion of said envelope extending between said contacting portions of the flaps and said envelope moving along said channel as said cutter means moves along said tracks during groove formation, the resilience of the elastomeric material coupled with a negative air pressure within the channel ensuring an adequate degree of fluid-tightness between said flaps and around said upper portion of the envelope.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
343 words
A vehicle constituting a self-contained roadway-grooving machine which comprises: a. a vehicle chassis and roadway-engaging wheels for enabling said vehicle to be moved longitudinally of the roadway; b. a supporting structure carried by said chassis comprising parallel tracks extending transversely both of said chassis and of said direction of movement of said vehicle along the roadway; c. cutter means movable along said tracks in engagement with the roadway surface and operable to form at least two parallel grooves simultaneously in said roadway by a dry cutting action, said grooves extending transversely of said roadway; d. roadway-surface cleaning means operable to pick up substantially all of the dry particulate material removed by said cutter means during the formation of said at least two grooves; e. said cleaning means comprising fan means and a deceleration chamber and an envelope all of which are interconnected by a pneumatic circuit said envelope enshrouding said cutter means and having a lower terminal edge closely adjacent to the roadway surface and said deceleration chamber being interposed in the pneumatic circuit between the fan means and the envelope; f. said fan having intake and output apertures and being operable to produce negative air pressure at its intake aperture in order to create an airflow under said lower terminal edge towards said output aperture for the purpose of entraining substantially all of the dry particulate material removed by said cutting action from said roadway; g. said pneumatic circuit including a manifold channel disposed above and parallel to said tracks on the supporting structure said channel being rigid and of inverted U-shape, the open bottom of said channel being closed by two elongated flexible flaps of elastomeric material, the upper portion of said envelope extending between said contacting portions of the flaps and said envelope moving along said channel as said cutter means moves along said tracks during groove formation, the resilience of the elastomeric material coupled with a negative air pressure within the channel ensuring an adequate degree of fluid-tightness between said flaps and around said upper portion of the envelope.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
66 words
A vehicle constituting a roadway grooving machine according to claim 1 wherein is additionally provided a replaceable debris-collecting device supported by said chassis; and conveyor means associated with said deceleration chamber and drive means therefor, whereby air with entrained particulate material and entering said deceleration chamber decelerates and some of the entrained particulate material falls on said conveyor and is conveyed thereby to the debris-collecting device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A vehicle constituting a roadway grooving machine according to claim 1 wherein said cleaning means further includes a vortex chamber and means for centrifugally rotating debris-laden air in said vortex chamber to separate the debris from the air.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
84 words
A vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said supporting structure is detachably supported by said chassis in a first position transverse to the chassis and protruding from its side for the purpose of cutting said grooves over a pavement width which is greater than said overall width of the vehicle, and said supporting structure being removable from its first position and being detachably securable in a second position under and longitudinally of said chassis rendering said vehicle suitable for travel longitudinally along a roadway.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
84 words
A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein is provided means for detecting and signaling the presence of metal objects in the roadway carried by such chassis in advance of the cutter means, said supporting structure including means for selectively raising or lowering such cutting means with respect to said chassis and roadway surface in accordance with the presence or absence of metal objects as signaled by said detecting means in order selectively to disengage or to engage said cutter means with the roadway surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
112 words
A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein fluid-operated jacking means are mounted on said chassis at corresponding locations on opposite sides of the vehicle, said jacking means including rams displaceable vertically in relation to the chassis and each of which has a free end, spaced fixing locations on said supporting structure, the free end of one of said rams being detachably connectible to one said fixing locations and the free end of the other of said rams being detachably connectible to the other of said fixing locations, whereby said supporting structure can be raised and lowered to bring the groove-forming devices out of and into contact, respectively, with said pavement surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
81 words
A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cutter means are constituted by flails, rotatable support means for said flails, drive means operable to rotate said support means about an axis to cause said flails to hit said pavement surface, said flails being so connected to support means that they are free to recoil upon hitting said pavement surface and are capable of resuming their substantially radial dispositions with respect to said axis before they next hit said pavement surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
66 words
A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, which includes at least one prime mover, a first pump driven by said prime mover, a motor hydraulically connected to said first pump, two vehicle wheels connected to one another by a shaft, said motor being operatively connected to said shaft, and a supply of hydraulic fluid, whereby the said two vehicle wheels are driven by a hydrostatic transmission.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
64 words
A vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein said cutter means are carried by groove cutting devices, there being a second pump driven by said prime mover, a second motor hydraulically connected to said second pump, a second shaft, said second shaft being operatively connected to said groove cutting devices and to said second motor, whereby said devices are driven by a hydrostatic transmission.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
98 words
A vehicle as claimed in claim 8, which further includes a clutch, a single lever control unit for sequential actuation of at least two force transmitting devices, cable means connecting said control unit directly to a control lever of said motor, second cable means connecting said control unit to a control lever of said first pump by way of said clutch, the arrangement being such that said clutch is operable to set the first pump to zero swash and is thereafter releasable to stroke the first pump to give drive to said wheels by way of said shaft.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
A vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control unit is for use as a gear selector.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
194 words
A vehicle constituting a self-contained roadway-grooving machine which comprises: a. a vehicle chassis and roadway-engaging wheels for enabling said vehicle to be moved longitudinally of the roadway; b. a supporting structure carried by said chassis comprising a track extending transversely both of said chassis and of said direction of movement of said vehicle along the roadway; c. cutter means movable along said track in engagement with the roadway surface and operable to form a groove transversely of said roadway by a dry cutting action; d. roadway-surface cleaning means operable to pick up substantially all of the dry particulate material removed by said cutter means during the formation of said groove; e. said cleaning means comprising suction means including a manifold mounted on the chassis connected to an envelope enshrouding said cutter means and having a lower terminal edge closely adjacent to the roadway surface; f. said manifold having a slot disposed above and parallel to said track on the supporting structure, said slot being closed by flexible flaps, the upper portion of said envelope extending between said flaps and moving along said slot as said cutter means moves along said track during groove formation.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
194 words
A vehicle constituting a self-contained roadway-grooving machine which comprises: a. a vehicle chassis and roadway-engaging wheels for enabling said vehicle to be moved longitudinally of the roadway; b. a supporting structure carried by said chassis comprising a track extending transversely both of said chassis and of said direction of movement of said vehicle along the roadway; c. cutter means movable along said track in engagement with the roadway surface and operable to form a groove transversely of said roadway by a dry cutting action; d. roadway-surface cleaning means operable to pick up substantially all of the dry particulate material removed by said cutter means during the formation of said groove; e. said cleaning means comprising suction means including a manifold mounted on the chassis connected to an envelope enshrouding said cutter means and having a lower terminal edge closely adjacent to the roadway surface; f. said manifold having a slot disposed above and parallel to said track on the supporting structure, said slot being closed by flexible flaps, the upper portion of said envelope extending between said flaps and moving along said slot as said cutter means moves along said track during groove formation.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-12-29 | 1979-06-30 | 1979-12-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-12-29 | 1983-06-30 | 1983-12-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-12-29 | 1987-06-30 | 1987-12-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |