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An apparatus for contouring particulate material may include a frame and at least one drum rotatably mounted on the frame such that the drum rotates substantially freely with respect to the frame about a central longitudinal axis. The drum may have opposite inboard and outboard ends and an outer sur

An apparatus for contouring particulate material may include a frame and at least one drum rotatably mounted on the frame such that the drum rotates substantially freely with respect to the frame about a central longitudinal axis. The drum may have opposite inboard and outboard ends and an outer surface therebetween. At least one blade may extend about the drum and protrude outwardly from the outer surface of the drum, and the blade may have an outer edge with a radius measured from the central longitudinal axis in a plane oriented in perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the drum to the outer edge. The outer edge of the blade may have a helical shape and the radius of the outer edge may be less at the outboard end of the drum than the radius of the outer edge at the inboard end of the drum.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for contouring particulate material on a ground surface, the apparatus having a centerline corresponding to an axis along which the apparatus is moved for contouring, the apparatus comprising: a frame extending laterally with respect to the centerline;at least one drum rotatably moun

1. An apparatus for contouring particulate material on a ground surface, the apparatus having a centerline corresponding to an axis along which the apparatus is moved for contouring, the apparatus comprising: a frame extending laterally with respect to the centerline;at least one drum rotatably mounted on the frame such that the drum rotates with respect to the frame about a central longitudinal axis of the drum, the at least one drum having opposite inboard and outboard ends and an outer surface therebetween;at least two blades extending about the drum and protruding outwardly from the outer surface of the drum, the at least two blades each having an outer edge with a radius measured from the central longitudinal axis in a plane oriented in perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the drum to the outer edge;a plurality of traction members associated with the at least one drum, the traction members extending radially outwardly from the drum to engage the ground surface upon which the apparatus rests to cause rotation of the drum when the frame is moved with respect to the ground surface, the plurality of traction member being arranged in a circumferential circle along one said end of the drum, the traction members being spaced from the at least two blades;wherein the outer edges of the at least two blades each have a helical shape and the radius of the outer edge at the outboard end of the drum is less than the radius of the outer edge at the inboard end of the drum; andwherein the outer edges of all of the blades extend substantially parallel to each other in the helical shape to move the particulate material longitudinally with respect to the drum;wherein the drum is freely rotatable with respect to the frame such that contact between the apparatus and the ground surface as the frame is moved with respect to the ground surface causes the drum to rotate at a speed substantially corresponding to a speed of movement of the frame with respect to the ground surface. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outer edges of the at least two blades are substantially continuous between the inboard and outboard ends of the at least one drum; and wherein the radius of the outer edge of the at least two blades each taper substantially uniformly smaller from one of the ends of the drum to an other one of the ends of the drum. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outer surface of the at least one drum has a diameter and the diameter of the outer surface of the drum is less at the outboard end of the drum than the diameter of the outer surface at the inboard end of the drum. 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the diameter of the outer surface of the drum tapers smaller substantially continuously from the inboard end of the drum to the outboard end of the drum. 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one drum comprises a pair of drums extending in substantially opposite lateral directions with respect to the centerline of the apparatus. 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the frame includes a central frame portion and a pair of lateral frame portions extending laterally from the central frame portion, the frame portions having opposite outside ends and being pivotally mounted on the central frame, each of the drums being mounted on one of the lateral frame portions; wherein the frame additionally comprises a lift device mounted on the central frame portion and at least one of the lateral frame portions to selectively raise the outside end of that at least one lateral frame portion to thereby raise a portion of a said drum mounted on the at least one lateral frame portion. 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein all of the at least two blades have a helical shape. 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of traction members is located on the inboard end of the drum. 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein inner ends of each of the at least two blades are located toward the inboard end of the drum and outer ends of each of the at least two blades are located toward the outboard end of the drum, the at least one blade extending substantially continuously between the inner end and the outer end. 10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outer surface of the at least one drum is substantially continuous between the inboard and outboard ends of the drum. 11. An apparatus for contouring particulate material on a ground surface, the apparatus having a centerline corresponding to an axis along which the apparatus is moved for contouring, the apparatus comprising: a frame extending laterally with respect to the centerline;at least one drum rotatably mounted on the frame such that the drum rotates substantially freely with respect to the frame about a central longitudinal axis of the drum, the at least one drum having opposite inboard and outboard ends and an outer surface therebetween;at least two blades extending about the drum and protruding outwardly from the outer surface of the drum, the at least two blades each having an outer edge with a radius measured from the central longitudinal axis in a plane oriented in perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the drum to the outer edge;wherein the outer edges of the at least two blades each have a helical shape and the radius of the outer edge is less at the outboard end of the drum than the radius of the outer edge at the inboard end of the drum;wherein the outer edges of all of the blades extend substantially parallel to each other in the helical shape to move the particulate material longitudinally with respect to the drum;wherein the outer edges of the at least two blades each extend continuously from the inboard and of the at least one drum to the outboard end of the at least one drum;wherein the radius of the outer edge of the at least two blades each tapers substantially uniformly smaller from one of the ends of the drum to an other one of the ends of the drum;wherein all of the at least two blades have a helical shape;wherein inner ends of each of the at least two blades are located toward the inboard end of the drum and outer ends of each of the at least two blades are located toward the outboard end of the drum, the at least one blade extending substantially continuously between the inner end and the outer end;wherein the outer surface of the at least one drum has a diameter and the diameter of the outer surface of the drum is less at the outboard end of the drum than the diameter of the outer surface at the inboard end of the drum;wherein the diameter of the outer surface of the at least one drum tapers smaller substantially continuously from the inboard end of the drum to the outboard end of the drum;wherein the outer surface of the at least one drum is substantially continuous between the inboard and outboard ends of the drum.wherein the at least one drum comprises a pair of drums extending in substantially opposite lateral directions with respect to the centerline of the apparatus;wherein the frame includes a central frame portion and a pair of lateral frame portions extending laterally from the central frame portion, the frame portions having opposite outside ends and being pivotally mounted on the central frame, each of the drums being mounted on one of the lateral frame portions; andwherein the frame additionally comprises a lift device mounted on the central frame portion and at least one of the lateral frame portions to selectively raise the outside end of that at least one lateral frame portion to thereby raise a portion of a said drum mounted on the at least one lateral frame portion. 12. A system for contouring a road surface, the system comprising: an apparatus for contouring particulate material on the road surface, the apparatus having a centerline corresponding to an axis along which the apparatus is moved for contouring, the apparatus comprising: a frame extending laterally with respect to the centerline;a blade assembly rotatably mounted on the frame such that the blade assembly rotates with respect to the frame about a central longitudinal axis, the blade assembly including at least two blades each having an inner end relatively closer to the centerline and an outer end relatively further from the centerline, the at least two blades each having an outer edge with a radius measured from the central longitudinal axis in a plane oriented perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis to the outer edge;a plurality of traction members associated with the blade assembly, the traction members extending radially outwardly with respect to the central longitudinal axis to engage the ground surface upon which the apparatus rests to cause rotation of the blade assembly when the frame is moved with respect to the ground surface, the plurality of traction member being arranged in a circumferential circle along one said end of the blades of the blade assembly, the traction members being spaced from the at least two blades;wherein the outer edges of the at least two blades each have a helical shape and the radius of the outer edge at the outer end of the blade is less than the radius of the outer edge at the inner end of the blade;wherein the outer edges of all of the blades extend substantially parallel to each other in the helical shape to move the particulate material in a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the blade assembly:wherein the blade assembly is freely rotatable with respect to the frame such that contact between the apparatus and the ground surface as the frame is moved with respect to the ground surface passively causes the blade assembly to rotate at a speed substantially corresponding to a speed of movement of the frame with respect to the ground surface. 13. The system of claim 12 wherein the plurality of traction members is located on the inner end of the drum. 14. The system of claim 12 wherein the outer edges of the at least two blades are substantially continuous between the inner and outer ends of the at least two blades; and wherein the radius of the outer edge of each blade tapers substantially uniformly smaller from the inner end of the blade to the outer end of the blade. 15. The system of claim 12 wherein the apparatus additionally includes at least one drum rotatably mounted on the frame such that the drum rotates with respect to the frame about a central longitudinal axis of the drum, the at least one drum having opposite inboard and outboard ends and an outer surface therebetween, the at least two blades of the blade assembly being mounted on the at least one drum. 16. The system of claim 15 wherein the outer surface of the at least one drum is substantially conical with a diameter, and the diameter of the outer surface of the drum is less at the outboard end of the drum than the diameter of the outer surface at the inboard end of the drum. 17. The system of claim 15 wherein the diameter of the outer surface of the at least one drum tapers smaller substantially continuously from the inboard end of the drum to the outboard end of the drum. 18. The system of claim 12 wherein the frame includes a central frame portion and a pair of lateral frame portions extending laterally from the central frame portion, the frame portions having opposite outside ends and being pivotally mounted on the central frame; wherein the apparatus includes a pair of the blade assemblies, each of the blade assemblies being mounted on one of the lateral frame portions; andwherein the frame additionally comprises a lift device mounted on the central frame portion and at least one of the lateral frame portions to selectively raise the outside end of that at least one lateral frame portion to thereby raise a portion of a said blade assembly mounted on the at least one lateral frame portion. 19. The system of claim 12 additionally comprising a vehicle, the apparatus being removably hitched to the vehicle such that movement of the vehicle across the road surface produces corresponding movement of the apparatus across the road surface. 20. The system of claim 19 wherein the plurality of traction members is located on the inner end of the drum; wherein the outer edges of the at least two blades are substantially continuous between the inner and outer ends of the at least two blades;wherein the radius of the outer edge of each blade tapers substantially uniformly smaller from the inner end of the blade to the outer end of the blade;wherein the frame includes a central frame portion and a pair of lateral frame portions extending laterally from the central frame portion, the frame portions having opposite outside ends and being pivotally mounted on the central frame;wherein the apparatus includes a pair of the blade assemblies, each of the blade assemblies being mounted on one of the lateral frame portions; andwherein the frame additionally comprises a lift device mounted on the central frame portion and at least one of the lateral frame portions to selectively raise the outside end of that at least one lateral frame portion to thereby raise a portion of a said blade assembly mounted on the at least one lateral frame portion.