초록 ▼

A four track paver is disclosed having a frame which telescopes for transport to reduce the dimension of the machine in the direction of paving machine travel. A rectilinear tractor frame is provided. The frame includes four crawler tracks, one at each corner of the frame. The crawler tracks are dir

A four track paver is disclosed having a frame which telescopes for transport to reduce the dimension of the machine in the direction of paving machine travel. A rectilinear tractor frame is provided. The frame includes four crawler tracks, one at each corner of the frame. The crawler tracks are directly supported on a hydraulic cylinder and mounted for pivotal movement about the axis of the hydraulic cylinder. The frame telescopes at side bolsters between the leading and trailing crawler tracks at the sides of the machine. When expanded, the paving machine has the full dimension required for paving. When contracted, the paving machine has a profile allowing convenient transport. Most importantly, such expansion and contraction of the machine in the direction of paving travel does not require substantial time for disassembly. As a consequence, a convenient method of loading and off loading to a hauling flatbed trailer exists. With the frame contracted at the side bolsters and the tracks pivoted parallel to the pavement spanning dimension of the frame, both frame and paving kit are elevated and a transporting flatbed trailer moved under the paver. Supports are installed to relieve the paving kit from the full weight of the frame, and the tracks lifted. There results a four track paver profile transportable within the maximum load width envelope which can be legally transported on a highway without a pilot car (in the U.S.A. this is 12′or 3.657 M) with minimal machine disassembly for transport.

대표청구항 ▼

In a four track paver for paving along a paving path over ground, the four track paver comprising: a rectilinear frame having two sides extending parallel to the paving path of the paver, two spanning members extending normal to the paving path of the paver with four corners joining the sides and sp

In a four track paver for paving along a paving path over ground, the four track paver comprising: a rectilinear frame having two sides extending parallel to the paving path of the paver, two spanning members extending normal to the paving path of the paver with four corners joining the sides and spanning members; four crawler tracks with one crawler track adjoining each of the four corners of the rectilinear frame, each crawler track being centrally pivotal to one of the four corners of the rectilinear frame to pivot at least 90°with respect to the frame corner from a position parallel to the paving path to a direction normal to the paving path; hydraulic cylinders fastened between the crawler tracks and frame for raising and lowering the rectilinear frame relative to the crawler tracks; a paving kit suspended from the rectilinear frame below the rectilinear frame and between the sides for finishing concrete on the ground in front of the paver; each side of the rectilinear frame extending parallel to the paving path of the paver is a side bolster including first and second telescoping members to enable the rectilinear frame to expand and contract along the paving path. A process for configuring a four track paver for transport from a configuration for paving along a paving path over ground, the four track paver having, a rectilinear frame having two sides extending parallel to the paving path of the paver, two spanning members extending normal to the paving path of the paver along a longitudinal axis with four corners joining the sides and spanning members; four crawler tracks with one crawler track adjoining each of the four corners of the rectilinear frame; hydraulic cylinders fastened between the crawler tracks and frame for raising and lowering the rectilinear frame relative to the crawler tracks; a paving kit suspended from the rectilinear frame below the rectilinear frame and between the sides for finishing concrete on the ground in front of the paver; and, each side of the rectilinear frame including first and second telescoping members to enable the rectilinear frame to expand and contract along the paving path; the process of preparing the paver for transport including the steps of: elevating the frame relative to the crawler tracks to lift the paving kit free of the ground; providing a flat bed transport having a transportable dimension slightly exceeding a width of the flat bed; placing the flat bed transport between the paving kit and ground; lowering the kit and frame for support from the flat bed transport; raising the crawler tracks from the ground and above the flat bed transport; and, after the raising step reducing the lengths of the sides of the frame by contracting the first and second telescoping members to bring the crawler tracks within a transportable dimension of the flat bed transport.