초록 ▼

Asphaltic concrete constituents (13) or the like deposited in a windrow (14a) along a surface (12) to be paved are molded into a preliminary narrow layer (14b) of greater height than the final layer (14d) of pavement to be formed on the surface and are then heated by directing microwave energy into

Asphaltic concrete constituents (13) or the like deposited in a windrow (14a) along a surface (12) to be paved are molded into a preliminary narrow layer (14b) of greater height than the final layer (14d) of pavement to be formed on the surface and are then heated by directing microwave energy into the preliminary layer. The heated preliminary layer is then spread out to form the final thinner layer of paving material for smoothing and compaction. Molding means (37) for the preliminary layer and microwave heating means (38) may be carried on a vehicle (16) which travels along the windrow. The vehicle may also carry mixing, spreading and compaction means (39, 92, 89) or some or all of these elements may be on a separate paver vehicle. The method and apparatus reduces an unproductive dissipation of energy, which can occur if microwave heating is performed with the paving materials spread out in the relatively thin final layer, by avoiding unnecessarily deep penetration of the microwave energy into the underlying surface that is to be paved. Auxiliary heating means (79), preferably using thermal energy recovered from the exhaust of engines (28) which drive the electrical generators (29) that energize the microwave sources (52), may be used to preheat portions of the surface adjoining the portion overlain by the preliminary layer.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for paving a strip of surface with paving materials which require heating in which microwave energy is used to generate heat internally within said materials, comprising: depositing said materials in a windrow extending along said strip of surface, forming successive portions of said materi

A method for paving a strip of surface with paving materials which require heating in which microwave energy is used to generate heat internally within said materials, comprising: depositing said materials in a windrow extending along said strip of surface, forming successive portions of said materials into a preliminary layer of uniform thickness while traveling along said windrow including reducing energy wastage from unnecessarily deep generation of heat by forming said preliminary layer to be of lesser width and greater thickness than the final layer of paving materials to be formed on said strip of surface, including fixing said height of said preliminary layer to control the depth of penetration of said microwave energy relative to said surface, heating said paving materials by microwave irradiation of said preliminary layer while traveling along said strip of surface and while suppressing the escape of microwave energy in upward and outward directions, mixing the microwave heated materials of said preliminary layer on said surface while traveling therealong, spreading the heated and mixed materials of said preliminary layer laterally while traveling along said strip of surface to form said final layer of paving materials thereon, and compacting said final layer of materials on said surface while said materials are still in a heated condition.