Device for controlling the pressure upon the ground of a screed unit of vibrating finishing machine for road paving

Claim 1

Device for automatically controlling the pressure exerted on road paving material by an extensible screed of a finishing machine, said screed comprising a hydraulically laterally extensible member (5) connected to symmetric elements (4) having bottom surfaces (6) that engage the ground when extended, such that the overall width of the extensible screed is determined by the position of the screed symmetric sections (4), said device comprising: hydraulic actuators (24) controlling the motion of said symmetric members (4) and said extensible members (5) and capable of lifting said screed; an electro-hydraulic circuit for regulating pressure of hydraulic fluid circulated within said actuator for varying the vertical position of said screed and means responsive to the amount of lateral extension of said extensible member (5) to adjust the pressure in said circuit for keeping constant the pressure per unit of area of said bottom surfaces (6) of said screed on said road paving material, said circuit keeping said pressure per unit of area constant independently of the overall width of the extensible screed, said electro-hydraulic circuit further comprising a hydraulic circuit for circulating said hydraulic fluid and an electric circuit for transmitting signals which act upon said hydraulic circuit to adjust the pressure of said fluid in said actuators, said hydraulic circuit comprising a tank (18) for said hydraulic fluid, a suction pipe (19) and a pump (40) for drawing fluid from said tank, a filter (20) for filtering fluid delivered from said pump, a high pressure delivery pipe (21) for conveying fluid from said filter, a maximum pressure regulator (26) for said high pressure delivery pipe (21) which regulates the pressure and which has a return tube to discharge fluid back into said tank (18) via a return pipe (31), said high pressure delivery pipe (21) also being connected to a distributor faucet (22), said faucet delivering fluid into a first delivery pipe (23) or a second delivery pipe (29), said first delivery pipe (23) having a non-return valve (44) and an accumulator chamber (28), said second delivery pipe (29) being connected to a priority valve (41), said priority valve functioning to channel a predetermined amount of fluid into a third delivery pipe (30) and to discharge an excess of fluid into said return pipe (31), said fluid from said third delivery pipe (30) flowing to a pressure regulating valve (45) and an electro-pressure gauge (46) and said fluid from said first delivery pipe (23) flowing to said actuators (24).