Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
249 words
Apparatus for surfacing a road, comprising: a vehicle including main wheels, a main frame supported on said main wheels, a cutter support mounted to the main frame for movement toward and away from the road, and a traction wheel support associated with the main frame for movement toward and away from the road independently of the main wheels; a road surfacing mechanism including cutter means mounted on said cutter support, cutter actuator means connected between said main frame and said cutter support for urging said cutter means downwardly against the road and raising said cutter means from contact with the road, and depth control means for controlling the cutting depth of said cutter means; a propulsion mechanism including traction wheels mounted on said traction wheel support, traction wheel actuator means connected between said main frame and said traction wheel support for urging said traction wheels downwardly against the road and raising said traction wheels from contact with the road, and means for driving said traction wheels to move the vehicle in a preselected direction of travel when the traction wheels are in contact with the road; and means for controlling said cutter actuator means to selectively raise and lower said cutter means and to urge said cutter means against the road at a first preselected variable pressure, and for independently controlling said traction wheel actuator means to selectively raise and lower said traction wheels and to urge said traction wheels against the road at a second preselected variable pressure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
249 words
Apparatus for surfacing a road, comprising: a vehicle including main wheels, a main frame supported on said main wheels, a cutter support mounted to the main frame for movement toward and away from the road, and a traction wheel support associated with the main frame for movement toward and away from the road independently of the main wheels; a road surfacing mechanism including cutter means mounted on said cutter support, cutter actuator means connected between said main frame and said cutter support for urging said cutter means downwardly against the road and raising said cutter means from contact with the road, and depth control means for controlling the cutting depth of said cutter means; a propulsion mechanism including traction wheels mounted on said traction wheel support, traction wheel actuator means connected between said main frame and said traction wheel support for urging said traction wheels downwardly against the road and raising said traction wheels from contact with the road, and means for driving said traction wheels to move the vehicle in a preselected direction of travel when the traction wheels are in contact with the road; and means for controlling said cutter actuator means to selectively raise and lower said cutter means and to urge said cutter means against the road at a first preselected variable pressure, and for independently controlling said traction wheel actuator means to selectively raise and lower said traction wheels and to urge said traction wheels against the road at a second preselected variable pressure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: said surfacing cutter means comprises rotary cutter means, and said surfacing mechanism comprises engine means mounted on said cutter support for driving said cutter means, whereby the weight of said engine means acts downwardly on said cutter means and traction wheels.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
121 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said main frame includes: a front main frame portion having front and rear ends supported by said main wheels and supporting said surfacing and propulsion mechanisms; a rear main frame portion supporting said water tank and having front and rear ends, said rear end of the rear main frame being supported by said main wheels; coupling means pivotally connecting the front end of said rear main frame portion to, and supporting the front end of said rear main frame portion on, the rear end of said front main frame portion; and the apparatus further comprises a water tank mounted on said rear main frame portion for containing water to cool and lubricate said cutter means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: said vehicle includes means for attachment to a towing vehicle for towing said road surfacing machine from one location to another with said cutter means and traction wheels elevated out of contact with the road.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
85 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said cutter support is hinged to said main frame to swing substantially vertically relative to said main frame; said traction wheel support is hinged to said cutter support to swing substantially vertically relative to said cutter support; and said cutter actuator means comprises at least one hydraulic actuator connected between said main frame and said cutter support and said traction wheel actuator means comprises at least one hydraulic actuator connected between said main frame and said traction wheel support.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 5, wherein: said control means includes adjustable pressure regulating means for adjusting and maintaining the pressure of hydraulic fluid supplied to both said actuator means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein: said pressure regulating means comprise separate pressure regulating means for said cutter actuator means and said traction wheel actuator means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
111 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein: said cutter support and said traction wheel support each extend lengthwise of said machine and have front and rear ends relative to the direction of travel of the machine along the road to be surfaced; said cutter support is hinged at its front end to said main frame and said traction wheel supports is situated rearwardly of said cutter support and is hinged at its front end to the rear end of said cutter support; and each of said hydraulic actuators is connected between said main frame and either the rear end of said cutter supports or the rear end of said traction wheel support.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
81 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein: the main frame has a front end and a rear end; and the apparatus further comprises means on said main frame for spraying water onto said cutter means to cool and lubricate said cutter means, including a water tank disposed adjacent to the rear end of the main frame so that its weight acts downwardly on said cutter means and said traction wheels through said cutter actuator means and said traction wheel actuator means, respectively.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
98 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said main frame includes: a front main frame portion having front and rear ends supported by said main wheels and supporting said surfacing and propulsion mechanisms; a rear main frame portion supporting said water tank and having front and rear ends, said rear end of the rear main frame portion being supported by said main wheels; and coupling means pivotally connecting the front end of said rear main frame portion to, and supporting the front end of said rear main frame portion on, the rear end of said front main frame portion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein: said control means includes adjustable pressure regulating means for adjusting and maintaining the pressure of hydraulic fluid supplied to both said actuator means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein: said pressure regulating means comprise separate pressure regulating means for said cutter actuator means and said traction wheel actuator means.