U.S. patent application number 09/746995 was filed with the patent office on 2001-05-10 for grout preparation and dispensing apparatus for integrated pavement marking.
This patent application is currently assigned to Interstate Highway Construction. Invention is credited to Crosby, Jack L., Edwards, John L., Huffman, Brian D., Hunsicker, Robert P., Randall, Roger D., Schaeffer, James Kenyon, Svaldi, Paul, Urbas, Michael E..
Application Number | 20010001030 09/746995 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22180696 |
Filed Date | 2001-05-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010001030 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schaeffer, James Kenyon ; et
al. |
May 10, 2001 |
Grout preparation and dispensing apparatus for integrated pavement
marking
Abstract
Apparatus and methods are provided for filling a groove in a
pavement with a groove filling grout. The present invention is
particularly useful for forming long-lasting pavement markings,
such as lane striping.
Inventors: |
Schaeffer, James Kenyon;
(Englewood, CO) ; Randall, Roger D.; (Parker,
CO) ; Edwards, John L.; (Franktown, CO) ;
Huffman, Brian D.; (Windsor, CO) ; Crosby, Jack
L.; (Brighton, CO) ; Svaldi, Paul; (Golden,
CO) ; Hunsicker, Robert P.; (Largo, FL) ;
Urbas, Michael E.; (Cleveland Heights, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Joseph E. Kovarik
SHERIDAN ROSS P.C.
Suite 1200
1560 Broadway
Denver
CO
80202-5141
US
|
Assignee: |
Interstate Highway
Construction
|
Family ID: |
22180696 |
Appl. No.: |
09/746995 |
Filed: |
December 21, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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09746995 |
Dec 21, 2000 |
|
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|
09302831 |
Apr 30, 1999 |
|
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60083786 |
May 1, 1998 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
404/75 ; 404/102;
404/108 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E01C 19/47 20130101;
E01C 23/0993 20130101; E01C 23/24 20130101; B28C 9/04 20130101;
E01C 23/166 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
404/75 ; 404/102;
404/108 |
International
Class: |
E01C 019/42; E01C
019/18 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A grout dispensing apparatus comprising: (a) a grout hopper for
storing grout; (b) a material gate having open and closed positions
operatively connected to said grout hopper for dispensing the grout
from said grout hopper into a pavement groove when said material
gate is in the open position; (c) a side form for confining the
grout substantially within side boundaries of the pavement groove;
and (d) an extrusion pan for leveling the grout in the pavement
groove.
2. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said grout
hopper further comprises a grout-hopper vibrator for vibrating said
grout hopper.
3. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said grout
hopper further comprises a grout-hopper grout agitator for
maintaining homogeneity of said grout in said grout hopper.
4. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a
smoothing plate for smoothing the grout surface in the pavement
groove.
5. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a
smoothing-plate vibrator operatively connected to said smoothing
plate for vibrating said smoothing plate.
6. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a
visibility-enhancing agent applying device for applying and
embedding a visibility-enhancing agent on the grout surface in the
pavement groove.
7. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a
warning device operatively connected to said visibility-enhancing
agent applying device for alerting the operator when the
visibility-enhancing agent is not being properly applied or
dispensed by the visibility-enhancing agent applying device.
8. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a
grout-surface air spray device for removing non-embedded
visibility-enhancing agent from the grout surface and for further
embedding the visibility-enhancing agent into the grout
surface.
9. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a
curing-agent applying device for applying a curing agent onto the
grout surface in the pavement groove.
10. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a
rollable support system.
11. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 10, wherein said
rollable support system comprises a longitudinal bogey averaging
system and a transversal bogey averaging system.
12. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a
groove clearing air spray device for clearing the pavement groove
of particles.
13. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 12, further comprising
a mist spray device for spraying water mist into the pavement
groove.
14. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a
grout preparation apparatus operatively connected to said grout
dispensing apparatus, wherein said grout preparation apparatus
comprises: (a) a product hopper for storing a dry particulate
material; (b) a product dispensing device for dispensing at least a
portion of the dry particulate material from said product hopper;
(c) a grout mixer operatively connected to said product-dispensing
device for mixing the dry particulate material with water to
produce the grout; (d) a surge hopper operatively connected to said
grout mixer for storing the grout; and (e) a surge hopper grout
agitator for agitating the grout in said surge hopper.
15. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 14, further comprising
a grout temperature sensor for determining the temperatures of the
grout in said surge hopper.
16. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 15, further comprising
a dry product temperature sensor for determining the temperatures
of the dry particulate material, and a product heater operatively
connected to said product temperature sensor and said grout
temperature sensor for heating the dry particulate material.
17. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 15, wherein said grout
preparation apparatus further comprises a water storage device
operatively connected to said grout mixer for storing water, and
wherein said grout mixer comprises a water inlet operatively
connected to said water storage device for supplying water to said
grout mixer.
18. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 17, wherein said grout
preparation apparatus further comprises a water temperature sensor
for determining the temperature of water in said water storage
device, and a water heater operatively connected to said water
temperature sensor and to said grout temperature sensor for heating
water.
19. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 15, wherein said grout
mixer further comprises an additive inlet for adding an additive to
said grout mixer, and wherein the addition of the additive is
operatively connected to said grout temperature sensor.
20. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 14, wherein said
product hopper further comprises a product hopper vibrator for
vibrating said product hopper and an air pad for injecting air into
said product hopper.
21. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 14, further comprising
a surge-hopper grout level sensor, wherein said surge-hopper grout
level sensor is operatively connected to said grout mixer and said
product dispensing device for controlling the production of
grout.
22. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 14, wherein said grout
preparation apparatus further comprises a grout dispensing device
for dispensing the grout from said surge hopper to said grout
hopper.
23. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 22, wherein said grout
hopper comprises a grout-hopper grout level sensor operatively
connected to said grout dispensing device for controlling said
grout dispensing device.
24. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 14, further comprising
a self-propulsion device having an engine for self-propulsion,
wherein said self-propulsion device is operatively connected to
said grout preparation apparatus and said grout dispensing
apparatus.
25. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 24, wherein said
self-propulsion device further comprises: (a) a control panel for
controlling operations of said self-propulsion device, said grout
preparation apparatus and said grout dispensing apparatus, and (b)
a swing arm, wherein said control panel is operatively connected to
said swing arm, and wherein said swing arm allows placement of said
control panel on the right side or the left side of said
self-propulsion device.
26. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 25, wherein said grout
dispensing apparatus is removably attached to said self-propulsion
device, and wherein said grout dispensing apparatus can be attached
on the right or the left side of said self-propulsion device.
27. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 26, further comprising
a lifting mechanism for lifting said grout dispensing apparatus off
of a pavement surface.
28. The grout dispensing apparatus of claim 26, further comprising
a guiding device for guiding said grout dispensing apparatus into a
proper pavement groove filling position.
29. A grout preparation apparatus comprising: (a) a product hopper
for storing a dry particulate material; (b) a product dispensing
device for dispensing at least a portion of the dry particulate
material from said product hopper; (c) a grout mixer operatively
connected to said product-dispensing device for mixing the dry
particulate material with a liquid to produce the grout; and (d) a
surge hopper operatively connected to said grout mixer for storing
the grout.
30. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 29, wherein said
product hopper comprises a product-hopper vibrator for vibrating
said product hopper.
31. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 29, wherein said
product hopper comprises a product-hopper air pad in the interior
of said product hopper for providing air flow into said product
hopper to reduce the amount of agglomerate formation of the dry
particulate material.
32. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 29, further comprising
a grout temperature sensor for determining the temperature of the
grout in said surge hopper.
33. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 32, further comprising
a product temperature sensor for determining the temperature of the
dry particulate material.
34. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 33, further comprising
a product heater operatively connected to said product temperature
sensor and said grout temperature sensor for heating the dry
particulate material.
35. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 32, further comprising
a liquid storage device operatively connected to said grout mixer
for storing liquid and wherein said grout mixer further comprises a
liquid inlet operatively connected to said liquid storage device
for supplying liquid to said grout mixer.
36. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 35, further comprising
a liquid temperature sensor for determining the temperature of the
liquid in said liquid storage device.
37. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 36, further comprising
a liquid heater operatively connected to said liquid temperature
sensor and said grout temperature sensor for heating the
liquid.
38. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 32, further comprising
an additive inlet for adding an additive to said grout mixer,
wherein the addition of the additive is operatively connected to
said grout temperature sensor.
39. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 29, wherein said
product dispensing device comprises a dry product feed auger and a
metering auger.
40. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 29, wherein said surge
hopper comprises a surge-hopper grout agitator for maintaining
homogeneity of the grout in said surge hopper.
41. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 29, wherein said surge
hopper comprises a surge-hopper grout level sensor, wherein said
surge-hopper grout level sensor is operatively connected to said
grout mixer and said product dispensing device for controlling the
production of grout.
42. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 41, wherein said
surge-hopper grout level sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.
43. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 29, further comprising
a self-propulsion device having an engine for self-propulsion
operatively connected to said grout preparation apparatus.
44. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 40, wherein said
self-propulsion device further comprises: (a) a control panel for
controlling operations of said self-propulsion device and said
grout preparation apparatus, and (b) a swing arm, wherein said
control panel is operatively connected to said swing arm, and
wherein said swing arm allows placement of said control panel on
the right side or the left side of said self-propulsion device.
45. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 44, further comprising
a grout dispensing apparatus operatively connected to said control
panel and said group preparation apparatus, wherein said grout
dispensing apparatus comprises: (a) a grout hopper for storing
grout; (b) a grout hopper grout agitator for agitating the grout in
said grout hopper; (c) a material gate having open and closed
positions operatively connected to said grout hopper for dispensing
the grout from said grout hopper into a pavement groove when said
material gate is in the open position; (d) a side form for
confining the grout substantially within side boundaries of the
pavement groove; and (e) an extrusion pan for leveling the grout in
the pavement groove.
46. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 45, further comprising
a grout hopper vibrator for vibrating said grout hopper.
47. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 45, further comprising
a smoothing plate for smoothing the grout surface in the pavement
groove and a smoothing-plate vibrator operatively connected to said
smoothing plate for vibrating said smoothing plate.
48. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 45, wherein said grout
dispensing apparatus further comprises a rollable support system,
wherein said rollable support system comprises a longitudinal bogey
averaging system and a transversal bogey averaging system.
49. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 45, wherein said grout
dispensing apparatus further comprises a lifting mechanism for
lifting said grout dispensing apparatus off of a pavement surface
and a guiding device for guiding said grout dispensing apparatus
into a proper pavement groove filling position.
50. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 45, further
comprising: a visibility-enhancing agent applying device for
applying and embedding a visibility-enhancing agent onto the grout
surface in the pavement groove; and a grout-surface air spray
device for removing non-embedded visibility-enhancing agent from
the grout surface in the pavement groove and for further embedding
the visibility-enhancing agent into the grout surface.
51. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 45, further comprising
a curing-agent applying device for applying a curing agent onto the
grout surface in the pavement groove.
52. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 45, wherein said grout
dispensing apparatus is removably attached to said self-propulsion
device, and wherein said grout dispensing apparatus can be attached
on the right or the left side of said self-propulsion device.
53. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 45, wherein said grout
preparation apparatus further comprises a grout dispensing device
for dispensing the grout from said surge hopper to said grout
hopper.
54. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 53, wherein said grout
dispensing device is operatively connected to a grout spray device
for spraying the grout onto a pavement surface.
55. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 53, wherein said grout
dispensing device is a peristaltic pump.
56. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 53, wherein said grout
hopper comprises a grout-hopper grout level sensor operatively
connected to said grout dispensing device for controlling said
grout dispensing device.
57. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 45, further comprising
a groove clearing air-spray device for clearing the pavement groove
of particles.
58. The grout preparation apparatus of claim 57, further comprising
a mist-spray device for spraying water mist into the pavement
groove.
59. A self-propulsion device comprising: (a) an engine for
self-propulsion; (b) a control panel operatively connected to said
engine; (c) a swing arm, wherein said swing arm allows placement of
said control panel on the right side or the left side of said
self-propulsion device; and (d) at least one of a grout preparation
apparatus and a grout dispersing apparatus.
60. The self-propulsion device of claim 59, wherein said control
panel comprises a speed control dial for controlling the speed of
said self-propulsion device.
61. The self-propulsion device of claim 59, wherein said control
panel comprises a steering device for controlling the direction of
travel of said self-propulsion device.
62. The self-propulsion device of claim 59, further comprising a
grout preparation apparatus operatively connected to said control
panel, wherein said grout preparation apparatus comprises: (a) a
product hopper for storing a dry particulate material; (b) a
product dispensing auger for dispensing at least a portion of the
dry particulate material from said product hopper; (c) a grout
mixer operatively connected to said product-dispensing device for
mixing the dry particulate material with water to produce the
grout; (d) a surge hopper operatively connected to said grout mixer
for storing the grout; and (e) a surge hopper grout agitator for
agitating the grout in said surge hopper.
63. The self-propulsion device of claim 62, further comprising a
grout temperature sensor for determining the temperatures of the
grout in said surge hopper.
64. The self-propulsion device of claim 63, further comprising a
dry product temperature sensor for determining the temperatures of
the dry particulate material, and a product heater operatively
connected to said product temperature sensor and said grout
temperature sensor for heating the dry particulate material.
65. The self-propulsion device of claim 63, wherein said grout
preparation apparatus further comprises a water storage device
operatively connected to said grout mixer for storing water, and
wherein said grout mixer comprises a water inlet operatively
connected to said water storage device for supplying water to said
grout mixer.
66. The self-propulsion device of claim 65, wherein said water
storage device comprises a water temperature sensor for determining
the temperature of water in said water storage device and a water
heater operatively connected to said water temperature sensor and
to said grout temperature sensor for heating water.
67. The self-propulsion device of claim 63, wherein said grout
mixer further comprises an additive inlet operatively connected to
said grout temperature sensor for adding the additive to said grout
mixer.
68. The self-propulsion device of claim 62, wherein said surge
hopper comprises a surge-hopper grout level sensor, wherein said
surge-hopper grout level sensor is operatively connected to said
grout mixer and said product dispensing device for controlling the
production of grout.
69. The self-propulsion device of claim 62, further comprising a
grout dispensing apparatus operatively connected to said control
panel and to said grout preparation apparatus, wherein said grout
dispensing apparatus comprises: (a) a grout hopper for storing
grout; (b) a grout hopper grout agitator for agitating the grout in
said grout hopper; (c) a material gate having open and closed
positions operatively connected to said grout hopper for dispensing
the grout from said grout hopper into a pavement groove when said
material gate is in the open position; (d) a side form for
confining the grout substantially within side boundaries of the
pavement groove; and (e) an extrusion pan for leveling the grout in
the pavement groove.
70. The self-propulsion device of claim 69, wherein said grout
preparation apparatus further comprises a peristaltic pump for
dispensing the grout from said surge hopper to said grout
hopper.
71. The self-propulsion device of claim 70, wherein said grout
hopper comprises a grout-hopper grout level sensor operatively
connected to said grout dispensing device for controlling said
peristaltic pump.
72. The self-propulsion device of claim 69, wherein said grout
hopper further comprises a grout hopper vibrator for vibrating said
grout hopper.
73. The self-propulsion device of claim 69, further comprising a
smoothing plate for smoothing the grout surface in the pavement
groove and a smoothing-plate vibrator operatively connected to said
smoothing plate for vibrating said smoothing plate.
74. The self-propulsion device of claim 69, wherein said grout
dispensing apparatus further comprises a rollable support system
having a longitudinal suspension system and a transversal
suspension system.
75. The self-propulsion device of claim 69, further comprising a
lifting mechanism for lifting said grout dispensing apparatus off
of a pavement surface and a guiding device for guiding the grout
dispensing apparatus into a proper pavement groove filling
position.
76. The self-propulsion device of claim 69, further comprising a
visibility-enhancing agent applying device for applying and
embedding a visibility-enhancing agent onto the grout surface in
the pavement groove.
77. The self-propulsion device of claim 76, further comprising a
grout-surface air spray device for removing non-embedded
visibility-enhancing agent from the grout surface in the pavement
groove and for further embedding the visibility-enhancing agent
into the grout surface.
78. The self-propulsion device of claim 69, further comprising a
curing-agent spray device for spraying a curing agent onto the
grout surface in the pavement groove.
79. The self-propulsion device of claim 69, wherein said grout
dispensing apparatus is removably attached to said self-propulsion
device, and wherein said grout dispensing apparatus can be attached
on the right or the left side of said self-propulsion device.
80. The self-propulsion device of claim 69, further comprising a
groove clearing air spray device for clearing the pavement groove
of particles.
81. The self-propulsion device of claim 69, further comprising a
mist spray device for spraying water mist onto the pavement
groove.
82. A pavement groove filling apparatus comprising: (a) a grout
preparation apparatus, wherein said grout preparation apparatus
comprises: (i) a product hopper for storing a dry particulate
material, (ii) a grout mixer operatively connected to said product
hopper for mixing at least a portion of the dry particulate
material with water to produce the grout, (iii) a product
dispensing device for dispensing at least a portion of the dry
particulate material from said product hopper to said grout mixer,
and (iv) a surge hopper operatively connected to said grout mixer
for storing the grout; and (b) a grout dispensing apparatus
operatively connected to said grout preparation apparatus, wherein
said grout dispensing apparatus comprises: (i) a grout hopper for
storing the grout, (ii) a material gate having open and closed
positions operatively connected to said grout hopper for dispensing
the grout from said grout hopper into a pavement groove when said
material gate is in the open position, (iii) a side form for
confining the grout substantially within side boundaries of the
pavement groove, and (iv) an extrusion pan for leveling the grout
in the pavement groove.
83. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 82, further
comprising a self-propulsion device having an engine for
self-propulsion and a swing arm, wherein said swing arm comprises a
control panel for controlling operations of said self-propulsion
device, said grout preparation apparatus and said grout dispensing
apparatus, and wherein said swing arm allows placement of said
control panel on the right side or the left side of said
self-propulsion device.
84. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 83, wherein said
grout dispensing apparatus is removably attached to said
self-propulsion device, and wherein said grout dispensing apparatus
can be attached on the right side or the left side of said
self-propulsion device.
85. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 82, further
comprising a grout temperature sensor for determining the
temperature of the grout in said surge hopper.
86. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 85, further
comprising a product temperature sensor for determining the
temperature of the dry particulate material and a product heater
operatively connected to said product temperature sensor and to
said grout temperature sensor for heating the dry particulate
material.
87. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 85, further
comprising a water storage device operatively connected to said
grout mixer for storing water and a water inlet operatively
connected to said water storage device and said grout mixer for
supplying water to said grout mixer.
88. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 87, further
comprising a water temperature sensor for determining the
temperature of water in said water storage device and a water
heater operatively connected to said water temperature sensor and
to said grout temperature sensor for heating water.
89. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 85, wherein said
grout mixer further comprises an additive inlet for adding the
additive to said grout mixer, wherein said additive inlet is
operatively connected to said grout temperature sensor.
90. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 82, wherein said
surge hopper comprises a surge-hopper grout level sensor
operatively connected to said grout mixer for controlling the
production of grout.
91. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 82, wherein said
grout preparation apparatus further comprises a grout dispensing
device for dispensing the grout from said surge hopper to said
grout hopper.
92. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 91, wherein said
grout dispensing device is a peristaltic pump.
93. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 91, wherein said
grout hopper comprises a grout-hopper grout level sensor
operatively connected to said grout dispensing device for
controlling said grout dispensing device.
94. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 82, wherein said
grout dispensing apparatus further comprises a smoothing plate for
smoothing the grout surface in the pavement groove, and wherein
said smoothing plate is operatively connected to a smoothing-plate
vibrator which vibrates said smoothing plate.
95. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 82, wherein said
grout dispensing apparatus further comprises a rollable support
system, wherein said rollable support system comprises a
longitudinal bogey averaging system and a transversal bogey
averaging system.
96. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 95, further
comprising a lifting mechanism for lifting said grout dispensing
apparatus off of a pavement surface and a guiding device for
guiding said grout dispensing apparatus into a proper pavement
groove filling position.
97. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 82, further
comprising a visibility-enhancing agent applying device for
applying and embedding a visibility-enhancing agent onto the grout
surface in the pavement groove.
98. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 97, further
comprising a grout-surface air spray device for removing
non-embedded visibility-enhancing agent from the grout surface in
the pavement groove and for further embedding the
visibility-enhancing agent into the grout surface.
99. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 82, further
comprising a curing-agent applying device for applying a curing
agent onto the grout surface in the pavement groove.
100. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 82, further
comprising a groove clearing air spray device for clearing the
pavement groove of particles.
101. The pavement groove filling apparatus of claim 82, further
comprising a mist spray device for spraying water mist onto the
pavement groove.
102. A self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus comprising:
(a) an engine for self-propulsion; (b) a groove clearing air spray
device for clearing the pavement groove of particles; (c) a mist
spray device for spraying water mist onto the pavement groove; (d)
a product hopper for storing a dry particulate material; (e) a
product dispensing device comprising a dry product feed auger and a
metering auger for dispensing at least a portion of the dry
particulate material from said product hopper; (f) a water storage
device; (g) an additive storage device; (h) a grout mixer
operatively connected to said product dispensing device for mixing
the dry particulate material with water to produce the grout; (i) a
water inlet operatively connected to said water storage device for
adding water to said grout mixer; (j) an additive inlet operatively
connected to said additive storage device for adding an additive to
said grout mixer; (k) a surge hopper operatively connected to said
grout mixer for storing the grout; (1) a surge hopper grout
agitator for agitating the grout in said surge hopper; (m) a grout
dispensing device operatively connected to said surge hopper for
dispensing the grout from said surge hopper; (n) a grout hopper
operatively connected to said grout dispensing device for storing
the grout; (o) a grout hopper grout agitator for maintaining
homogeneity of the grout in said grout hopper; (p) a material gate
having open and closed positions operatively connected to said
grout hopper for dispensing the grout from said grout hopper into a
pavement groove when said material gate is in the open position;
(q) a side form for confining the grout substantially within side
boundaries of the pavement groove; (r) an extrusion pan for
leveling the grout in the pavement groove; (s) a smoothing plate
for smoothing the grout surface in the pavement groove; and (t) a
guiding device for guiding said grout hopper and said material gate
into a proper pavement groove filling position.
103. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
102, further comprising a control panel operatively connected to
said engine.
104. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
103, further comprising a swing arm, wherein said swing arm allows
placement of said control panel on the right side or the left side
of said self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus.
105. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
102, wherein said product hopper comprises a product hopper
vibrator for vibrating said product hopper and a product-hopper air
pad in the interior of said product hopper for providing air flow
into said product hopper to reduce the amount of agglomerate
formation of the dry particulate material.
106. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
102, further comprising a grout temperature sensor for determining
the temperature of grout in said surge hopper.
107. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
106, further comprising a product temperature sensor for
determining the product of the dry particulate material and a
product heater operatively connected to said product temperature
sensor and to said grout temperature sensor for heating the dry
particulate material.
108. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
106, further comprising a water temperature sensor and a water
heater operatively connected to said water temperature sensor and
said grout temperature sensor for heating water.
109. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
102, wherein said surge hopper comprises a surge-hopper grout level
sensor, wherein said surge-hopper grout level sensor is operatively
connected to said grout mixer, said additive inlet, said water
inlet and said product dispensing device for controlling the
production of grout.
110. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
102, wherein said grout hopper comprises a grout-hopper vibrator
for vibrating said grout hopper.
111. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
102, further comprising a smoothing-plate vibrator operatively
connected to said smoothing plate for vibrating said smoothing
plate.
112. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
102, further comprising a visibility-enhancing agent applying
device for applying and embedding a visibility-enhancing agent onto
the grout surface in the pavement groove.
113. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
112, further comprising a grout-surface air spray device for
removing non-embedded visibility-enhancing agent from the grout
surface in the pavement groove and for further embedding the
visibility-enhancing agent into the grout surface.
114. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
102, further comprising a curing-agent spray device for spraying a
curing agent onto the grout surface in the pavement groove.
115. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
102, further comprising a rollable support system operatively
connected to said grout hopper, said material gate, said side form,
said extrusion pan and said smoothing plate.
116. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
115, wherein said rollable support system comprises a longitudinal
bogey averaging system and a transversal bogey averaging
system.
117. The self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of claim
116, further comprising a lifting mechanism for lifting said
rollable support system off of a pavement surface.
118. A method for making a long-lasting pavement marking comprising
the steps of: (a) removing a portion of the pavement to create a
pavement groove; (b) placing grout in the pavement groove; (c)
leveling the grout in the pavement groove to substantially the same
level as the pavement; and (d) embedding a visibility-enhancing
agent in the grout.
119. The method of claim 118, further comprising clearing the
pavement groove of debris before said step (b).
120. The method of claim 118, further comprising applying water to
the pavement groove before said step (b).
121. The method of claim 118, wherein the grout is placed in the
pavement groove using the apparatus of claim 1.
122. The method of claim 121, further comprising aligning the side
forms into the pavement groove.
123. The method of claim 118, wherein the visibility-enhancing
agent is selected from the group consisting of beads, glasses,
ceramics, metals, and mixtures thereof.
124. The method of claim 118, further comprising applying a grout
curing agent after said step (d).
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
1. This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional
application Ser. No. 60/083,786, filed May 1, 1998, which is
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
2. The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods
for pavement marking and, in particular, to apparatus and methods
for forming long-lasting pavement marking by filling a groove in
the pavement with marking grout.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
3. Currently, most concrete or asphalt pavements are painted or
taped to form pavement markings, such as lane striping, turn
arrows, etc. Due to poor wear resistance, these methods necessitate
frequent renewal by reapplying the tape or re-painting the marking
at considerable expense and effort.
4. Another method for marking pavements is to permanently attach a
reflective element to the pavement. Because these reflectors
typically-protrude significantly above the surface of the pavement,
they can not be used in areas where snow removal is required. Such
protruding elements also disrupt the flat surface of the
pavement.
5. Still another method involves creating an indentation on a soft
concrete road surface, filling the indentation with white mortar
and finishing the surface to provide pavement stripes or other
marks.
6. In spite of these methods, there remains a need for an apparatus
and a method for providing a long-lasting pavement marking. It
would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus which are
efficient, and involve a minimal amount of manual labor. It would
be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus for forming
pavement markings which are highly mechanized and automated. It
would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus for forming
pavement markings which include feedback control of various
operations. It would be advantageous to provide a method and
apparatus for forming pavement markings which are relatively quick
in that a high amount of marking can be formed in a limited amount
of time. It would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus
for forming pavement markings which are long lasting relative to
paint and tape. It would be advantageous to provide a method and
apparatus for forming pavement markings on a formed surface, such
as cured concrete or compacted asphalt. It would advantageous to
provide a method and apparatus for forming pavement markings which
are applicable under various weather conditions. It would be
advantageous to provide a method and apparatus for forming pavement
markings which results in a relatively smooth pavement surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
7. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for
forming long-lasting pavement markings. In particular, the present
invention provides a pavement groove filling method and apparatus
which can be used for forming long-lasting markings on
pavement.
8. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a
grout dispensing apparatus is provided. The grout dispensing
apparatus includes a grout hopper for storing grout, an material
gate having open and closed positions operatively connected to the
grout hopper for dispensing the grout from the grout hopper into a
pavement groove when the material gate is in the open position, a
side form for confining the grout substantially within the side
boundaries of the pavement groove, and a strike-off pan for
leveling the grout in the pavement groove.
9. In preferred embodiments, the grout dispensing apparatus can
include one or more of the following:
10. a grout-hopper vibrator for vibrating the grout hopper;
11. a grout-hopper grout agitator for maintaining homogeneity of
the grout in the grout hopper;
12. a smoothing plate for smoothing the grout surface in the
pavement groove;
13. a smoothing-plate vibrator operatively connected to the
smoothing plate for vibrating the smoothing plate;
14. a visibility-enhancing agent application device for spraying
and/or embedding a visibility-enhancing agent on the grout surface
in the pavement groove;
15. a grout-surface air spray device for removing non-embedded
visibility-enhancing agent from the grout surface in the pavement
groove;
16. a curing-agent application device for spraying a curing agent
onto the grout surface in the pavement groove;
17. a rollable support system having a longitudinal and/or
transversal suspension system;
18. a lifting mechanism for lifting the grout dispensing apparatus
off from a pavement surface and returning the apparatus to the
pavement surface; and/or
19. a guiding device for guiding the grout dispensing apparatus
into a proper position to fill the pavement groove.
20. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention,
a grout preparation apparatus is provided. The grout preparation
apparatus includes a product hopper for storing a dry particulate
material, a product dispensing device for dispensing at least a
portion of the dry particulate material from the product hopper, a
grout mixer operatively connected to the product-dispensing device
for mixing the dry particulate material with a liquid to produce
the grout, and a surge hopper operatively connected to the grout
mixer for storing the grout. Preferably, the grout preparation
apparatus is operatively connected with a grout dispensing
apparatus.
21. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the grout
preparation apparatus can include one or more of the following:
22. a product-hopper vibrator for vibrating the product hopper;
23. a product-hopper air pad located in the interior of the product
hopper for providing air flow into the product hopper to reduce the
amount of agglomeration formation by the dry particulate
material;
24. a product temperature sensor for determining the temperature of
the dry particulate material;
25. a product heater operatively connected to the product
temperature sensor for heating the dry particulate material;
26. a product dispensing device in the form of an auger;
27. a liquid storage device operatively connected to the grout
mixer for storing liquid;
28. a liquid inlet operatively connected to the liquid storage
device for supplying liquid to the grout mixer;
29. a temperature sensor for determining the temperature of the
liquid in the liquid storage device;
30. a liquid heater operatively connected to the liquid temperature
sensor for heating the liquid;
31. a surge-hopper grout agitator for maintaining homogeneity of
the grout in the surge hopper;
32. a surge-hopper grout level sensor, wherein the surge-hopper
grout level sensor is operatively connected to the grout mixer for
controlling the production of grout; and/or
33. an ultrasonic surge-hopper grout level sensor.
34. Preferably, the grout preparation apparatus further includes a
grout dispensing device for dispensing the grout from the surge
hopper to the grout hopper of a grout dispensing apparatus. The
grout dispensing device can be a peristaltic pump. The grout hopper
can include a grout-hopper grout level sensor operatively connected
to the grout dispensing device for controlling the grout dispensing
device. The grout preparation apparatus and/or the grout dispensing
apparatus can further include a groove clearing air spray device
for clearing the pavement groove of debris and/or a mist spray
device for spraying water mist into the pavement groove.
35. In another embodiment of the present invention, a
self-propulsion device is provided. The self-propulsion device
includes an engine for self-propulsion, a control panel operatively
connected to the engine, a swing arm, wherein the swing arm allows
placement of the control panel on the right side or the left side
of the self-propulsion device, and a grout dispensing apparatus
and/or a grout preparation apparatus.
36. Preferably, the self-propulsion device includes a speed control
dial for controlling the speed of the self-propulsion device and/or
a steering device for controlling the direction of travel of the
self-propulsion device.
37. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention,
a method for making a long-lasting pavement marking is provided.
The method includes the steps of removing a portion of the pavement
to create a pavement groove, placing grout in the pavement groove,
leveling the grout in the pavement groove to substantially the same
level as the pavement, and embedding a visibility-enhancing agent
in the grout. Preferably, the pavement groove is cleared of debris
before placing the grout in the groove. Air can be applied to the
pavement groove to assist in the removal of debris. Preferably a
grout curing agent is applied to aid in the curing of the grout
once it is placed in the groove.
38. The present invention provides one or more of the following
advantages:
39. a method and apparatus which are efficient, and involve a
minimal amount of manual labor;
40. a method and apparatus for forming pavement markings which are
highly mechanized and automated;
41. a method and apparatus for forming pavement markings which
include feedback control of various operations;
42. a method and apparatus for forming pavement markings which are
relatively quick in that a high amount of marking can be formed in
a limited amount of time;
43. a method and apparatus for forming pavement markings which are
long lasting relative to paint and tape;
44. a method and apparatus for forming pavement markings on a cured
surface, such as cured concrete or compacted asphalt;
45. a method and apparatus for forming pavement markings which are
applicable under various weather conditions; and/or
46. a method and apparatus which results in a pavement having a
relatively smooth surface after the formation of the pavement
markings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
47. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a
self-propelled pavement groove filling apparatus of the present
invention with a grout dispensing apparatus removably attached to a
self-propulsion device;
48. FIG. 2 is a top view of one embodiment of a self-propelled
pavement groove filling apparatus of the present invention with a
grout dispensing apparatus removably attached to a self-propulsion
device;
49. FIG. 3 is a side view of one embodiment of a self-propelled
pavement groove filling apparatus of the present invention with a
grout dispensing apparatus removably attached to a self-propulsion
device;
50. FIG. 4 is a front view of a grout preparation apparatus of the
present invention showing a dry product hopper and a grout
mixer;
51. FIG. 5 is a top view of a grout preparation apparatus of the
present invention showing a dry product hopper and a grout
mixer;
52. FIG. 6 is a side view of a grout preparation apparatus of the
present invention showing a dry product hopper and a grout
mixer;
53. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a grout dispensing apparatus of
the present invention;
54. FIG. 8 is a top view of a grout dispensing apparatus of the
present invention;
55. FIG. 9 is a bottom view of a grout dispensing apparatus of the
present invention;
56. FIG. 10 is an end view of a grout dispensing apparatus of the
present invention;
57. FIG. 11 is a side view of a grout dispensing apparatus of the
present invention;
58. FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a grout hopper of the present
invention; and
59. FIG. 13 is an exploded view of an extrusion pan of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
60. Unless otherwise stated, the following terms will have the
following meanings as used in the present application.
61. A "hopper" refers to any receptacle for the storage of
material. Preferably, the hopper is funnel- or conical-shaped.
62. A "pavement" refers to any paved surface, preferably asphalt or
concrete. Although the pavement need not be completely cured, it
should be sufficiently cured or compacted to enable the pavement
treatment apparatus of the present invention to be placed on the
pavement surface without causing undesired indentations. Exemplary
pavements include, but are not limited to, roads; highways; parking
lots; sidewalks; airport runways, aprons, taxiways and access
routes; and floors.
63. A "groove" refers to any channel or depression in a pavement.
Preferably, the groove has side walls which are relatively
perpendicular to the pavement surface, and a bottom surface which
is relatively parallel to the pavement surface, but at a lower
level than the pavement surface. Due to the preferred method of
forming the groove, the bottom surface of the groove is generally
of a rough, uneven texture. Preferably, the depth of the groove is
from about 0.1 cm to about 1.5 cm, more preferably from about 0.2
cm to about 1 cm, and most preferably from about 0.3 cm to about
0.7 cm. The groove can be of any width suitable for the desired
application. For example, the width for lane striping will be
approximately 10 cm, while the width of a turn signal may be 1
meter or more.
64. A "long-lasting pavement marking" refers to a pavement marking
which lasts at least about 10 years under normal usage, preferably
at least about 20 years, more preferably at least about 30 years,
and most preferably for the duration of a useful life of the
pavement.
65. "Grout" refers to any flowable material, and is preferably a
mixture of a liquid, such as water, and a dry particulate material,
such as cement. Preferably the grout is a flowable viscous paste
which can be poured into a groove and sets to form a hard
long-lasting solid.
66. "Homogeneity" of grout refers to a mixture of dry particulate
material and a liquid where the dry particulate material is
substantially evenly mixed with the liquid, producing a
substantially homogeneous mixture.
67. A "leveled grout" refers to a grout which has been placed in a
groove where the height of the grout is substantially equal to the
adjacent pavement surface level.
68. The present invention will be described with regard to the
accompanying drawings which assist in illustrating various features
of the invention. In this regard, the present invention generally
relates to a pavement groove filling apparatus and a method for
forming a long-lasting pavement marking.
69. One embodiment of a pavement groove filling apparatus is
generally illustrated in FIG. 1. The pavement groove filling
apparatus 10 includes a grout dispensing apparatus 100 and a grout
preparation apparatus 200. The grout dispensing apparatus 100 can
be permanently attached to the grout preparation apparatus 200, or
it can be removably attached. Preferably, the grout dispensing
apparatus 100 is removably attached to the grout preparation
apparatus 200. In this manner, the grout dispensing apparatus 100
can be positioned on either the left side or the right side of the
grout preparation apparatus 200.
70. The grout preparation apparatus 200 includes a product hopper
204, a grout mixer 208, and a surge hopper 212. In operation, a dry
particulate material (e.g., a dry precursor of the groove filling
material) is placed in the product hopper 204 until needed.
Preferably, the product hopper 204 is large enough to hold a
sufficient amount of the dry particulate material to avoid frequent
or relatively continual addition of the dry material to the product
hopper 204. Preferably, the dry product hopper 204 contains a sight
window or a sight tube to allow visual determination of the amount
of dry particulate material present in the dry product hopper
204.
71. The dry particulate material in the product hopper 204 is
dispensed into the grout mixer 208 and is mixed with a liquid,
preferably water, to produce grout. The amount of water added to
the grout mixer 208 is controlled by the amount of dry particulate
material added to the grout mixer 208. It should be appreciated
that depending on a particular condition one or more additives may
also be added, in which case the grout mixer 208 can be operatively
connected to an additive inlet (not shown). Preferably, the
additive is added separately from the water or the dry particulate
material. Exemplary additives added include water reducers, grout
retardants and/or grout accelerants. Water reducers reduce the
amount of water required to produce the grout, thus maintaining the
ultimate set strength of the grout, without decreasing the
workability of the grout. Grout retardants increase the amount of
time required for the grout to set, and grout accelerants reduce
the amount of time required for the grout to set.
72. Dispensing of the dry particulate material is performed by a
mechanical means, such as a pump or an auger. Typically a dry
product dispensing auger 216 is used to dispense (or deliver) a
relatively precise amount of the dry groove filling material to the
grout mixer 208. Preferably, the dry product dispensing auger 216
includes, a dry product feed auger 220, which is located on the
bottom of the product hopper 204, and a metering auger 224, which
dispenses the dry particulate material to the grout mixer 208. In
operation, the meter auger 224 has been found to be very precise in
metering a constant and continuous amount of dry material to the
grout mixer 208.
73. The product hopper 204 can include a product hopper vibrator
(not shown) for vibrating the product hopper 204. This vibration of
the product hopper 204 ensures that substantially all the dry
material will fall to the bottom of the product hopper 204, where
it is transported to the grout mixer 208 as needed, without too
much adhering to the side walls of the product hopper 204. In
addition, vibrating the product hopper 204 can also prevent
formation of agglomerates.
74. Under some conditions, such as when a relatively high amount of
moisture is present, the dry particulate material may clump, i.e.,
cake or form agglomerates. This clumping of the dry particulate
material is undesirable because it can lead to a non-homogeneous
grout. To reduce the amount of caking, the product hopper 204 can
include an air pad (not shown) located in the interior of the
product hopper 204. The air pad injects air into the product hopper
204. In particular, the air pad injects air into the dry
particulate material. Without being bound by any theory, it is
believed that the injection of air reduces caking of the material
by keeping the particulate material dry. Moreover, the air flow
creates a particulate material disturbance which may cause some of
the agglomerates to break-up. As stated above, the product hopper
vibrator can also provide a constant moving motion to the dry
particulate material, thereby reducing the amount of agglomerate
formation. The air pad is made of a material having a porous
structure to allow air flow into the product hopper 204. However,
the pores in the air pad are preferably smaller than the particle
size of the dry particulate material to prevent particles from
entering the air pad and restricting air flow.
75. In some cases, the preparation of grout is temperature
sensitive. Thus, depending on the ambient temperature, it may be
desirable to heat the dry particulate material in order to form a
proper grout within the residence time in the grout mixer 208.
Therefore, the product hopper 204, the dry product feed auger 220
and/or the metering auger 224 can also include a heating element,
i.e., a product heater, (not shown) to preheat the dry particulate
material to a desired temperature range. Alternatively, the feed
auger 220 and/or the metering auger 224 itself can be heated to
heat the dry particulate material. Moreover, the product hopper 204
can further include a temperature sensor (not shown) for
determining the temperature of the dry particulate material.
Preferably the temperature sensor is located near the transition
point from the dry product dispensing device 216 to the grout mixer
208. Preferably, the heating element and the temperature sensor are
operatively connected so that the dry particulate material can be
heated to predetermined or pre-set temperature range automatically.
This automatic heating of the dry particulate material can be
achieved by connecting both the heating element and the temperature
sensor to a computer or a similar control device.
76. The dry particulate material which is dispensed from the
product hopper 204 into the grout mixer 208 is then mixed with
water and, if desired, one or more additives to produce grout. The
grout mixer 208 can be any device which can mix a solid material
with a liquid to produce grout or other type mixture, such as an
auger, a rotatable drum, a stirrer or other similar mechanical
devices. Preferably, the grout mixer is an auger capable of
maintaining continuous flow of grout to the surge hopper 212.
77. The grout preparation apparatus 200 can also include a water
tank 228 for storing water (or other liquid) which is mixed with
the dry particulate material to produce grout. The grout
preparation apparatus 200 can also include a water heater (not
shown) for heating the water that is supplied to the grout mixer
208. As with heating the dry particulate material when the ambient
temperature is low, heating the water that is added to the grout
mixer 208 provides a production of grout having desired
characteristics. The water heater can be operatively connected to
the dry product temperature sensor and/or a grout temperature
sensor (not shown) for preheating water depending on the
temperature of the dry particulate material and/or the grout.
Alternatively, the water tank 228 can also include a separate water
temperature sensor (not shown) for determining the water
temperature and for controlling the water heater. In other words,
the temperatures of the dry material, the water and/or the
resulting grout can all be monitored, and the temperatures of the
dry material and the water can be controlled by suitable devices to
provide a desired grout temperature.
78. Water is introduced to the grout mixer 208 through a liquid
inlet (not shown) located near the introduction point of the dry
particulate material. When one or more additives are used in the
preparation of grout, the additives can be added separately through
an additive inlet (not shown). When the grout mixer is an auger,
both the dry particulate material and water are introduced near the
initial or inlet portion of the auger. Preferably, the grout mixer
208 is an auger containing a reflux section to increase the
residence time of the grout, such as an auger model number LSA40
manufactured by Cemen Tech (Indianola, Iowa). A "reflux section"
refers to a portion of the grout mixer 208 where forward motion of
the grout toward the surge hopper 212 is substantially reduced and
the mixing of the grout is increased. The ratio of water to the dry
particulate material is important in making a grout with good
physical and chemical properties. The liquid inlet in the grout
mixer 208 can include a control valve (not shown) which can be
adjusted manually or automatically (e.g., via a computer or other
similar control devices) to provide a proper amount of water to the
grout mixer 208. Preferably, the control valve provides water to
the grout mixer 208 through the liquid inlet to within 5% accuracy,
preferably within about 2% accuracy, and more preferably within
about 0.5% accuracy. As the auger (i.e., the grout mixer 208) mixes
the dry particulate material, water and additives (if desired or
necessary) to produce grout, the grout travels from one end of the
grout mixer 208 to the other. The auger can also provide a shearing
action which facilitates mixing of the dry particulate material and
water. The auger can also provide the action necessary to activate
any additive (e.g., polymers) which may be added separately or are
present in the dry particulate material. Use of polymers in a grout
preparation is discussed in detail below. Although only one product
hopper 204 is shown in the figures, it will be appreciated that if
separate additives are used, an additive hopper (not shown) may
also be present to dispense such additives to the grout mixer 208.
The grout is then dispensed from the grout mixer 208 and is placed
into the surge hopper 212.
79. The grout preparation apparatus 200 can also include a grout
temperature sensor (not shown) for determining the temperature of
the grout and controlling the addition of additives to the grout
mixer 208. Moreover, the grout temperature sensor can also be
operatively connected to other devices such as the dry product
heater and/or the water heater. Typically, the grout temperature
sensor determines the temperature of the grout in the surge hopper
212.
80. During the start of operation of the grout preparation
apparatus 200, it may be necessary to adjust the flow rate of water
and/or the dry particulate material to produce grout having a
proper physical characteristics such as consistency, flowability,
etc. and proper chemical characteristic, such as setting time, etc.
To prevent grout having undesired physical or chemical
characteristics from being placed into the surge hopper 212, the
grout mixer 208 is preferably designed to be movable so that it can
be moved, e.g., swung, away from the surge hopper 212. In this
manner, at the start of the operation, the grout mixer 208 is swung
away from the surge hopper and the flow rate of water, the flow
rate of the dry particulate material (and any additives), the
temperature of water and/or the temperature of the dry particulate
material are adjusted until the grout having desired
characteristics is produced, at which time the grout mixer 208 is
placed in position such that the grout in the grout mixer 208 is
dispensed into the surge hopper 212.
81. In order to prevent the grout in the surge hopper 212 from
setting, the surge hopper 212 can include a surge hopper grout
agitator 232. The grout agitator 232 stirs the grout in the surge
hopper 212 to maintain homogeneity of the grout. Any device that
stirs the grout can be used as a surge hopper grout agitator 232
including an auger, a stirrer and a rotating drum where the surge
hopper itself rotates to agitate the grout. Preferably, the surge
hopper grout agitator 232 is a mechanical stirrer.
82. The rate of grout production depends on the rate of grout use
for a particular application. For example, in a pavement lane
marking operation where a total of about 20 meters in length of
about 10 cm wide and about 0.6 cm deep groove is filled per minute,
the grout mixer 208 is generally operated at a rate of from about 5
liter (L) per minute (L/min) to about 20 L/min of grout production,
more preferably from about 10 L/min to about 17 L/min, and most
preferably at about 15 L/min. While it may be possible that the
rate of grout use can be higher than the rate of grout production
for limited periods of time, typically the rate of grout production
is equal to or higher than the rate of grout use. When the rate of
production is greater than the rate of use, the amount of grout in
the surge hopper 212 will increase. One way of preventing the grout
in the surge hopper 212 from overflowing is to manually turn off
the grout mixer 208. This requires constant monitoring or the grout
level by the operator. While manually turning the grout mixer 208
on and off can be used to prevent the grout overflow in the surge
hopper 212, it is preferred that the grout production be controlled
automatically, e.g., based on the grout level in the surge hopper
212. This automation of the grout production reduces the
probability of having too much or too little grout in the surge
hopper 212.
83. One method of controlling the rate of grout production is to
include a surge hopper grout level sensor (not shown). Exemplary
sensors useful in determining the grout level in the surge hopper
212 include optical sensors, acoustic sensors, electromagnetic wave
sensors, mechanical sensors, and electrical sensors. Preferably,
the surge hopper grout level sensor is an ultrasonic sensor. An
example of an ultrasonic sensor which is useful in sensing the
grout level is a sonic sensor Model No. SON51K manufactured by Vega
Grieshaber KG (SchiTach, Germany) . The surge hopper grout level
sensor is operatively connected to the grout mixer 208 and controls
the grout mixer 208. Preferably, the surge hopper grout level
sensor is also operatively connected to and controls the dry
product vibrator and the dry product dispensing device 216. Thus,
when the surge hopper grout level sensor detects that the grout
level in the surge hopper 212 is below a particular level it turns
on the product hopper vibrator, the dry product dispensing device
216, the grout mixer 208, the liquid inlet and other devices which
may be present and required (see below) to produce more grout. When
the surge hopper grout level sensor detects that the grout level in
the surge hopper 212 is above a certain level it can turn-off the
product hopper vibrator, the dry product dispensing device 216 and
the grout mixer 208. In addition other devices which may be present
and operating, such as the dry product vibrator, the air pad, the
water inlet, and/or the liquid additive inlet, can also be
turned-off by the control system which is operatively connected to
the surge hopper grout level sensor. Preferably, there is a delay
in turning off the grout mixer 208 relative to all other devices
such that substantially all the grout in the grout mixer 208 is
dispensed from the grout mixer 208. The delay time for turning off
the grout mixer 208 is at least as long as the residence time of
the grout in the grout mixer 208, which is typically about 2
minutes. Preferably the delay time is at least about 10 seconds
longer than the average residence time of the grout in the grout
mixer 208, more preferably at least about 20 seconds longer than
the average residence time of the grout in the grout mixer 208, and
most preferably at least about 30 seconds longer than the average
residence time of the grout in the grout mixer 208.
84. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a grout
dispensing apparatus 100 which can be used alone or be operatively
connected to the grout preparation apparatus 200 described above.
When the grout dispensing apparatus 100 is used in conjunction with
the grout preparation apparatus 200, the grout preparation
apparatus can also include a grout dispensing device (not shown)
which dispenses grout from the surge hopper 212. Exemplary grout
dispensing devices include augers, slurry pumps, conveyors and
gravity slide type devices. In a particular embodiment of the
present invention, the grout dispensing device is a peristaltic
pump which dispenses grout from the surge hopper 212 through a
hose. Preferably the hose can be moved from one side of the grout
preparation apparatus 200 to the other side of the grout
preparation apparatus 200 to allow positioning of the grout
dispensing apparatus 100 on either side of the grout preparation
apparatus 200. In addition, the hose may be connected to a sprayer
device (not shown) for a spray-on application of the grout. In this
manner the grout can be simply sprayed onto a pavement surface. The
sprayed embodiment is especially useful on asphalt. Although a
sprayed mark does not last as long as grout applied to a pavement
groove, it can last about three years or more. This useful life is
about three times as long as paint, and is about the same length as
the useful life of asphalt.
85. The grout dispensing apparatus 100 includes a grout hopper 104,
a side form 108, and a material gate 112. The grout hopper 104 is
operatively connected to a material gate 112 which has open and
closed positions. Opening and closing of the material gate 112 can
be achieved manually or by a mechanical device, such as a hydraulic
device, a gear device, a motor, a belt or a chain driven device,
and other suitable devices. In a particular embodiment of the
present invention, opening and closing of the material gate 112 is
achieved by a hydraulic device 114. In operation, grout is placed
in the grout hopper 104 and the grout dispensing apparatus 100 is
placed near a pavement groove and the side form 108 is inserted
into the pavement groove. For a pavement lane marking, the side
form 108 is typically from about 10 cm to about 35 cm in length,
preferably from about 15 cm to about 30 cm in length, and more
preferably from about 20 cm to about 25 cm in length. Preferably,
the grout dispensing apparatus 100 has two side forms, one for each
side boundary (i.e., side-walls) of the pavement groove. The side
forms 108 are designed to be inserted into the pavement groove such
that they are substantially near the side boundaries of the
pavement groove and fit relatively snugly against the side-walls of
the pavement groove. In this manner, the grout is confined to the
width of the pavement groove without spilling over onto the
adjacent pavement surface. The side forms 108 can be moved
vertically, for example, by a spring-load mechanism, to allow
adjustment to various pavement groove depths. Although the side
form 108 can be a variety of shapes, preferably the side form 108
is rectangular or a trapezoid-like shape. The distance between the
two side forms 108 is generally substantially equal to, but
slightly less than, the width of the pavement groove. While grout
dispensing apparatus having a particular distance between the side
forms 108 is generally used for a given pavement groove width, the
width of the grout dispensing apparatus 100 may be designed to be
adjustable such that it can be used in a variety of pavement groove
widths.
86. Preferably, the side forms 108 are guillotine-like, i.e., the
side forms 108 move vertically using a spring-loaded mechanism,
allowing the side forms 108 to be in a constant contact with the
pavement groove bottom surface. Since the side forms 108 contact
the grout, the side forms 108 are designed to prevent the grout
from adhering, i.e., sticking, and setting on the side forms 108.
There are many ways to prevent the grout from sticking and setting
on the side forms 108, including coating the side forms 108 with
non-sticking materials such as non-sticking ceramic materials,
using mechanical devices, such as scrapers, and using pressurized
air spray devices. In a particular embodiment of the present
invention, a constant stream of pressurized air on both sides of
each of the side forms 108 is used to maintain free vertical
movement of the side forms 108.
87. The pavement groove can be prepared by any suitable method,
including using a plurality of saw blades. One apparatus for
generating a pavement groove is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
5,857,453, entitled "Precision Slot Cutting Machine for Concrete
and Asphalt," issued to Caven et al., which is incorporated herein
by reference in its entirety. Briefly, the cutting machine includes
a plurality of saw blades. The number of saw blades in the cutting
machine is determined by the desired width of the pavement groove
to be generated. Saw blades are spaced apart in a manner consistent
with the desired texture of the bottom surface of the pavement
groove. A wide spacing of saw blades generally creates a relatively
rougher texture, and a narrow spacing of saw blades creates a
relatively smoother texture. Moreover, the spacing of saw blades
creates a groove with a corduroy-like textured bottom surface. A
corduroy-like textured bottom surface of a groove provides larger
surface area which allows for stronger bonding between the pavement
groove and the grout.
88. Prior to filling the pavement groove with grout, it is
important that the pavement groove be properly prepared so that a
strong and proper bonding occurs between the pavement groove and
the grout. For example, the pavement groove should be substantially
free of all loose debris or particles which may prevent a direct
formation of bonding between the pavement groove and the grout. To
ensure the pavement groove is substantially free of all loose
particles, the grout dispensing apparatus 100 can include a groove
clearing air spray device 116. The air pressure of the groove
clearing air spray device should be sufficiently high enough to
remove substantially all loose particles. To remove substantially
all relevant particles, an air flow of from about 850 L/min to
about 2150 L/min can be used, preferably an air flow of from about
1100 L/min to about 1850 L/min is used, and more preferably an air
flow of from about 1400 L/min to about 1700 L/min is used.
Generally, the air flow in the air spray device 116 is independent
of the speed of the grout dispensing apparatus 100 as long as the
air flow is sufficiently high enough to remove substantially all
loose particles.
89. A presence of moisture in the pavement groove provides a strong
bonding between the pavement groove and the grout. Therefore, the
grout dispensing apparatus 100 can also include an operatively
connected mist spray device 120 for spraying water mist into the
pavement groove. Formation of a strong and proper bond between the
grout and the pavement groove requires a relatively narrow range of
the pavement groove moisture content. Too much or too little
moisture in the pavement groove is detrimental to a strong bonding
between the pavement groove and the grout. Since the amount of
water applied to the pavement groove depends on the rate of water
sprayed by the mist spray device 120 (e.g., spray nozzle) and the
speed at which the mist spray device moves along the pavement
groove it is preferred that the rate of water spray be connected to
the forward travel speed of the grout dispensing apparatus 100 as
it moves along the pavement groove. In this manner, a relatively
constant amount of water mist is applied to each area of the
pavement groove.
90. After positioning the grout dispensing apparatus 100 near the
pavement groove and inserting the side forms 108 in the pavement
groove, the material gate 112 is opened to dispense the grout in
the grout hopper 104 into the pavement groove. The grout dispensing
apparatus 100 is then moved along the length of the pavement groove
until the pavement groove has been filled with the grout. As the
grout dispensing apparatus 100 moves along the pavement groove, the
extruded grout fills the pavement groove, is struck off by the
strike-off 124 and is leveled to the adjacent pavement surface
level by the extrusion pan 128.
91. The grout hopper 104 can include a grout hopper vibrator (not
shown) for vibrating the grout hopper. The vibration of the grout
hopper allows a smooth flow of the grout from the grout hopper into
the pavement groove. In addition, the vibration of the grout hopper
reduces the amount of grout which adheres to the side of the grout
hopper.
92. The grout hopper 104 can also include a grout hopper grout
agitator 132. The agitator 132 agitates (or stirs) the grout in the
grout hopper 104 to maintain homogeneity of the grout and prevent
the grout from setting. The agitator 132 can be a single unit or it
can have an agitator motor 136 which is removably attached to the
agitator shaft 140 by a belt, a chain, a gear or other drive
devices 144. Preferably, the agitator 132 contains a grout-hopper
side wall wiping device (not shown) to ensure agitation of all the
grout in the grout hopper 104.
93. The grout hopper 104 can also include a grout hopper grout
level sensor (not shown) . The sensor determines the amount of
grout in the grout hopper 104 and controls a device which dispenses
the grout into the grout hopper. The grout hopper grout level
sensor can be any of the grout level sensors similar to those
discussed above for the surge hopper grout level sensor. It should
be appreciated that when the grout dispensing apparatus 100 is used
alone, there is no need for the grout hopper grout level sensor.
However, when the grout dispensing apparatus 100 is connected to a
grout preparation apparatus 200 such as the one discussed above,
the grout hopper grout level sensor can be operatively connected to
the grout dispensing device (not shown) which is disclosed above.
In this manner, the amount of grout in the grout hopper 104 can be
adjusted automatically so that there is a sufficient amount of
grout in the grout hopper 104 when needed. In a particular
embodiment of the present invention, the grout hopper grout level
sensor is an optical sensor, specifically an analog photoelectric
sensor model number E3SA manufactured by Omron Corporation (Tokyo,
Japan).
94. The material gate 112 is generally located on the bottom of the
grout hopper 104 so that when the material gate 112 is in an open
position the grout flows into the pavement groove. Opening and
closing of the material gate 112 can be controlled by a hydraulic
means or any other method of opening and closing such a device. The
material gate 112 can be manually controlled. Alternatively, the
material gate 112 can be controlled automatically by connecting it
to a pavement groove sensor (not shown) which detects the presence
of a pavement groove near the material gate 112.
95. As discussed above, the grout dispensing apparatus 100
preferably contains two side forms 108 with the distance between
the side forms 108 being substantially equal to the width of the
pavement groove. The side forms 108 fit within the pavement groove
substantially on the side boundaries of the pavement groove. As the
grout is filled in the pavement groove the side forms 108 confine
the grout within the pavement groove. Additionally, the side forms
108 help to position the material gate 112 directly over the
pavement groove.
96. As the grout dispensing apparatus 100 travels along the length
of the pavement groove, the strike-off 124 limits the amount of the
grout flow into the pavement groove to the adjacent pavement
surface level and the extrusion pan 128 levels the grout that has
been placed in the pavement groove. The extrusion pan 128 can be a
bar of any suitable shape or a plate which levels the grout to the
adjacent pavement surface level. Preferably, the difference between
the height of the adjacent pavement surface and the leveled grout
is less than 1.5 mm, more preferably less than about 0.8 mm, and
most preferably less than about 0.4 mm.
97. The grout dispensing apparatus 100 can also include a smoothing
plate 148 to smooth out the surface of the grout that has been
filled and leveled in the pavement groove. The smoothing plate 148
can be any suitable shape. The grout dispensing apparatus 100 of
the present invention can also include a smoothing plate vibrator
(not shown) for vibrating the smoothing plate. Typically, the
smoothing plate vibrator is a pencil vibrator or a similar device.
The amplitude of vibration is less than about 1 mm, preferably less
than about 0.5 mm, and more preferably less than about 0.1 mm. The
frequency of vibration may be adjusted as is necessary to produce a
smooth leveled grout in the pavement groove. The vibration of the
smoothing plate 148 trowels the grout and pushes the grout against
the side wall of the groove, thereby reducing or eliminating any
channel that is formed due to the side forms 108. In addition, the
vibration of the smoothing plate 148 seals the surface of the grout
to provide desired performance qualities.
98. The grout dispensing apparatus 100 can also include a rollable
support system 152 such as wheels, tracks and/or skids for moving
the grout dispensing apparatus 100 easily along the pavement
surface. Preferably, the rollable support system 152 includes a
suspension system 156 to minimize the variation of the grout level
due to irregularities present in the pavement surface. Preferably,
the suspension system 156 is a longitudinal bogey averaging system
and a transversal bogey averaging system, which averages the
irregularities in the adjacent pavement surface. The bogey
averaging system allows the level of grout placed into the pavement
groove to be within about 1.5 mm relative to the adjacent pavement
surface, more preferably within about 0.8 mm, and most preferably
within about 0.4 mm.
99. As mentioned below, a visibility-enhancing agent (e.g., a
reflective agent) can be an integral mixture of the grout.
Alternatively, the visibility-enhancing agent can be embedded in
the grout surface in a separate step before the grout is completely
cured. To allow a separate step of embedding the
visibility-enhancing agent to an uncured grout, the grout
dispensing apparatus 100 of the present invention can have an
operatively connected visibility-enhancing agent applying device
160. Alternatively, the visibility-enhancing agent can be placed on
the uncured grout surface separately. Preferably, the particle size
of visibility-enhancing agent is at least about 600 microns and
more preferably at least about 850 microns. For such a small
particle size, it is preferred that the visibility-enhancing agent
be embedded on the grout surface by a visibility-enhancing agent
applying device 160. When the visibility-enhancing agent is applied
to the grout surface, preferably from about 25% to about 75% of the
visibility-enhancing agent is embedded in the grout surface, more
preferably from about 33% to about 66% of the visibility-enhancing
agent is embedded in the grout surface, and most preferably at
least about 50% of the visibility-enhancing agent is embedded in
the grout surface. The visibility-enhancing agent applying device
160 can be a spray nozzle, a simple gravity utilizing spreader or a
dropper, or any other devices which can apply and embed the
visibility-enhancing agent as prescribed above. When the
visibility-enhancing agent applying device 160 is operatively
connected to the grout dispensing apparatus 100, it is preferred
that a warning device (not shown), such as an indicator (e.g., a
light) or an alarm, be present to alert the operator if the
visibility-enhancing agent is not being properly applied or
dispensed by the visibility-enhancing agent applying device
160.
100. The grout dispensing apparatus 100 of the present invention
can also include an operatively connected grout-surface air spray
device 164 for further embedding and/or removing non-embedded
visibility-enhancing agent from the grout surface in the pavement
groove. Preferably the grout-surface air spray device 164 is an air
spray nozzle which produces a sufficient air spray pressure to
substantially remove all non-embedded visibility-enhancing agents
and to further embed the visibility-enhancing agents without
substantially affecting the grout surface. If the air spray
pressure is too high, it may disturb or cause an indentation in the
grout surface. Preferably, the pressure of air in the air spray
nozzle is adjustable so that the operator can change the air
pressure depending on particular conditions.
101. The newly poured grout is subject to a variety of
environmental conditions, such as rain, snow, heat and dust. To
allow the grout to cure properly, one can coat the newly poured
grout with a protective coating. Thus, the grout dispensing
apparatus 100 of the present invention can also include an
operatively connected curing-agent (or sealing-agent) applying
device 168 for applying a curing-agent (or sealing-agent) on the
grout. The curing-agent applying device 168 can be any device for
applying a curing-agent on the grout surface. Preferably, the
curing-agent applying device 168 sprays the curing agent on top of
the grout and/or the visibility-enhancing agent using a spray
nozzle. Sealing the grout and/or the visibility-enhancing agent
protects it from environment and allows the grout to cure
properly.
102. When the operations of the grout dispensing apparatus 100
(i.e., opening of the material gate 112) the visibility-enhancing
agent applying device 160, the grout-surface air spray device 164,
and/or the curing-agent applying device 168 are controlled by a
single device (e.g., a switch), there should be a sufficient delay
in starting the operation of the visibility-enhancing agent
applying device 160, the grout-surface air spray device 164, and/or
the curing-agent applying device 168 relative to the starting time
of the operation of the grout dispensing apparatus 100 to allow for
the time required for the visibility-enhancing agent applying
device 160, the grout-surface air spray device 164, and/or the
curing-agent applying device 168 to be in position over the grout
in the pavement groove. Similarly, there should be a delay time for
turning off the visibility-enhancing agent applying device 160, the
grout-surface air spray device 164, and/or the curing-agent
applying device 168 relative to the operation of the grout
dispensing apparatus 100 to allow the visibility-enhancing agent
applying device 160, the grout-surface air spray device 164, and/or
the curing-agent applying device 168 to cover the last few
centimeters of the grout that is dispensed into the pavement
groove.
103. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a
self-propulsion device 300, which can be operatively connected to
the grout preparation apparatus 200 and/or the grout dispensing
apparatus 100 discussed above. When the grout dispensing apparatus
100 is connected to the self-propulsion device 300 (or the grout
preparation apparatus 200), a grout dispensing apparatus lifting
device (not shown) can also be included for lifting the grout
dispensing apparatus 100 above the pavement surface, for example,
when it is not in use. Such lifting device can be a hydraulic
device, a pneumatic device, an electrical device, and/or a
mechanical device. Moreover, vertical and axial movements of the
grout dispensing apparatus 100 is independent of the self
propulsion device 300. This independent movement allows the grout
dispensing apparatus 100 to adapt to the contours on or near the
pavement groove independent of the contours experienced by the
self-propulsion device 300.
104. The self-propulsion device 300 (or the grout preparation
apparatus 200) can also include a guiding device (not shown) for
guiding the grout dispensing apparatus 100 into a proper position
to fill the pavement groove. In operation, the operator lowers the
grout dispensing apparatus 100 onto the pavement surface such that
the pavement groove is within the lateral movement leeway of the
grout dispensing apparatus 100 (discussed below) and positions the
grout dispensing apparatus 100 into a proper position for filling
the pavement groove using the guiding device.
105. The self-propulsion device 300 includes a self-propulsion
system for self-propulsion (not shown), a control panel 304, and a
swing arm 308. The self-propulsion system can be an electric
engine, such as a solar-powered engine and/or other battery
operated engines; a combustion engine, which uses diesel, gasoline,
natural gas, an alcohol or other fuel; or a combination thereof.
Other type engines can be used. These self-propulsion systems are
generally known to one skilled in the engine art. The speed of
travel of the self-propulsion device 300 can be controlled by a
variety of means, including by using a pedal, a variable resistor
and other known methods. However, because a constant and/or a fine
control of a pedal is relatively difficult, it is preferred that
the speed control device (not shown) of the self-propulsion device
300 is a variable resistor type control such as a knob, a lever or
any other suitable set control devices, more preferably the speed
control device is a variable resistor knob (i.e., a dial). In this
manner, the speed of travel can be controlled by turning, setting
or positioning the variable resistor to a particular position. This
provides a constant and repeatable speed of travel.
106. The control panel 304 of the self-propulsion device 300 is
attached to the swing arm 308 which allows the control panel 304 to
be positioned on either the left side or the right side of the
self-propulsion device 300. The control panel 304 includes a
variety of controls (not shown) which control the operations of the
self-propulsion device 300 and any other apparatus which may be
operatively connected to the self-propulsion device 300.
107. The control panel 304 also can include a steering mechanism
(not shown) for controlling the direction of travel of the
self-propulsion device 300. The self-propulsion device 300 of the
present invention preferably contains only one steering device
because the control panel 304 is attached to the swing arm 308,
which allows the steering device to be placed on the left side or
the right side. Thus, there is no need for a second steering
mechanism on the self-propulsion device 300.
108. The self-propulsion device 300 can also include other
attendant devices, such as a fuel tank, hydraulics, air compressors
or other pressure generators, pressurized cleaner for cleaning any
of the above described devices and other useful devices.
109. The above described apparatus can be used alone or in any
combination. Moreover, devices which are not manually controlled,
such as surge hopper grout agitator and grout hopper grout
agitator, have on, off and auto settings. These devices are
typically set to the auto position during operation. The on
position of these individual devices are generally used during
maintenance or cleaning operations. In addition, to prevent the
grout from adhering and setting on any of the devices which
contacts the grout, these devices can be coated, e.g., sprayed-on,
with a non-sticking material, such as non-sticking ceramic
materials.
110. In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the
pavement groove filling apparatus 10 is a self-propulsion pavement
groove filling apparatus, where the control panel 304 includes a
forward speed control device (e.g., a switch). The forward speed
control device (not shown) has at least three settings: pave, skip
and stop modes. When the forward speed control device is in the
pave mode, the groove clearing air spray device 116 and the mist
spray device 120 are turned on, and the self-propulsion pavement
groove filling apparatus accelerates to pave speed that is set by
the variable speed control device. When the forward speed control
is in the stop or the skip mode, the groove clearing air spray
device 116, the mist spray device 120, the visibility-enhancing
agent applying device 160, the grout surface air spray device 164
and the curing agent applying device 168 are turned off. In
addition, the material gate 112 is closed to prevent flow of grout
out of the grout hopper 104. However, in the stop mode, the
self-propulsion pavement groove filling apparatus stops any forward
motion, where as in the skip mode the self-propulsion pavement
groove filling apparatus accelerates to travel speed that is set by
the variable speed control device.
111. The control panel 304 can also include a temperature control
switch (not shown) . When the temperature control switch is in the
"on" position, temperatures of the dry particulate material, water
and the grout are determined by corresponding temperature sensors.
A computer or other similar control devices then controls the dry
product heater and the water heater to heat the dry particulate
material and/or the water, if necessary. In a particular embodiment
of the present invention, both of the heaters are operatively
connected to the dry product and the grout temperature sensors. In
addition, depending on the grout temperature, an additive may also
be added to the grout mixer 208.
112. A grout useful with the present invention has good flexural
strength, excellent bonding ability, good workability
characteristics, excellent abrasion resistance, and/or excellent
retro-reflectivity. There are many type of grouts including grouts
for cold temperature use and grouts for hot temperature use. In the
present invention, grout having an optimum temperature of use of
about 21.degree. C. is preferred. A useful grout is disclosed in
provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/083,960, entitled
"Integrated Marking Materials" by Sandra Sprouts, filed on May 1,
1998, and in corresponding U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______
entitled "Integrated Marking Materials" by Sandra Sprouts, filed on
______, 1999, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in
their entirety. The cementitious mixture (i.e., grout) can include
a cementitious binder. In a dry formulation, the cementitious
binder is a hydraulic cement, preferably a portland cement or quick
setting cementitious binder such as magnesium phosphate or
magnesium potassium phosphate cement, or any other suitable
hydraulic binder.
113. The grout can also include a variety of polymers to provide a
range of desired physical properties. For example, a grout can
include a polymeric cement modifier such as a polymeric resin.
Exemplary polymeric resins include, but are not limited to, resins
of acrylic, ethylene vinyl acetate, styrene-acrylic,
styrene-butadiene, polyvinyl acetate, vinyl versatate, vinyl
acetate, and blends, copolymers, or terpolymer of these resins. The
amount of polymeric cement modifier used should be sufficient to
compatablize the cementitious material with other material which
may be present in the dry particulate material such as the
retroreflective and reflective fillers, but it should not
unfavorably diminish the strength of the resulting material.
114. The dry particulate material can also contain other customary
components of cementitious mixtures, such as aggregate, including
fine aggregate or sand, and coarse aggregate, such as silica,
quartz, crushed rounded marble, glass spheres, granite, limestone,
calcite, feldspar, alluvial sands, other durable aggregate,
mixtures of aggregate and the like.
115. The dry particulate material can also contain a variety of
useful modifiers to control set time, enhance binding of the grout
to the groove, control shrinkage, enhance the strength of the
grout, or other desired modifiers. Such modifiers include, but are
not limited to, a dispersant, a plasticizer, a water reducer,
and/or one or more other common admixtures as needed for the
particular application and environment, such as an accelerator; an
air entrainer; a defoamer; fibers; an inert filler, such as calcium
carbonate, ceramic microspheres, mica, talc, silica flour,
diatomaceous earth, rice husk ash and the like; a natural clay; a
pozzolanic filler, such as fly ash, kaolin, silica fume, blast
furnace slag and the like; a retarder; a rheology modifier, such as
a water soluble polymer; a shrinkage compensating agent; a
synthetic clay; a suspending agent; a thickening agent; and the
like; and mixtures thereof. Suitable examples of these admixtures
are known to those skilled in the art, and representative examples
are listed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,209, which is incorporated by
reference herein in its entirety.
116. The dry particulate material can also include a coloring agent
such as an inorganic pigment, an organic pigment and/or an
inorganic/organic hybrid pigment, including any suitable dye or
colorant. Such pigments include but are not limited to, carbon
black, white latex, Hansa yellow (2-[4-methoxy-2-nitrophenyl)azo]
-N-(2-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxo butanamide), iron oxide, titanium
dioxide, zinc sulfate, zinc sulfides, LumiNova.TM., modified zinc
sulfide (United Minerals Corp.), Lithopone zinc sulfide/barium
sulfate, zinc oxide, titanates, nickel antimony titanates,
phthalocyanines, mixed phase spinels and oxides, and mixtures
thereof. The dry particulate material can be tailored in color and
consistency to meet specific aesthetic and/or design needs.
117. To enhance visibility at night or in other low light
conditions, the dry particulate material can also include a
visibility-enhancing agent such as retroreflective and/or
reflective agents. Exemplary visibility-enhancing agents include,
but are not limited to, glass beads, glass bubbles, glass spheres,
ceramic spheres, plastic beads, and the like, and mixtures thereof.
A visibility-enhancing agent can be placed as a top-coat or
broadcast layer for initial surface reflection characteristics. As
discussed in detail below, a visibility-enhancing agent can also be
included integrally in the grout so that its visibility-enhancing
property remains after the visibility-enhancing agents on the
surface of the pavement are worn off. The size of the
visibility-enhancing agent is selected to achieve the best
combination of retro-reflectivity and/or reflectivity and wear
characteristics for a particular pavement marking. Preferably, the
average top size of the visibility-enhancing agent is at least
about 600 microns (.mu.m), and more preferably at least about 850
.mu.m. It should be appreciated that the average top size of the
visibility-enhancing agent is limited only by availability and ease
of incorporation into and mixing with the other components of the
grout or its ability to be embedded into the top surface of the
grout.
118. A typical operation of the self-propulsion pavement groove
filling apparatus is illustrated as follows. An operator positions
the grout dispensing apparatus 100 and the control panel 304 on an
appropriate side of the self-propulsion device 300 for a given
construction application. The dry particulate material is placed
into the product hopper 204 and is heated to desired temperature
based on the temperature determined by the product temperature
sensor and the grout temperature sensor. The dry product dispensing
device 216, which is controlled by the surge hopper grout level
sensor, meters the dry particulate material from the product hopper
204 to the grout mixer 208. Water is injected into the grout mixer
208 through a liquid inlet. The injection of water is also
controlled by the surge hopper grout level sensor. However, the
rate of the amount of water added is controlled manually.
Preheating of water is based on the temperature of the dry
particulate material and the temperature of the grout as determined
by the dry product and the grout temperature sensors. Additives, if
needed, are also added into the grout mixer 208 based on the grout
temperature as determined by the grout temperature sensor. The rate
of additive addition (typically in mL/hr) to the grout mixer 208 is
typically controlled manually. Preferably, there is a warning
device, similar to those discussed above for the
visibility-enhancing agent applying device 160, which alerts the
operator when the additive inlet is open but there is insufficient
amount of additives being added to the grout mixer 208.
119. The grout mixer 208 mixes the materials to homogeneous
consistency and transfers the resulting grout to the surge hopper
212. The surge hopper grout agitator, which is manually controlled,
agitates grout in the surge hopper 212 to maintain homogeneity of
the grout.
120. The grout dispensing device, which is controlled by the grout
hopper grout level sensor, dispenses grout from the surge hopper
212 to the grout hopper 104 through a grout transfer hose. The
grout hopper grout agitator 132 agitates the grout in the grout
hopper 104 to maintain homogeneity of the grout.
121. The operator steers the self-propulsion device 300 using the
steering device to within about 30 cm range of the pavement groove
using a sighting mechanism. The grout dispensing apparatus 100 has
from about 10 cm to about 50 cm, preferably about 30 cm, of lateral
movement leeway independent from the self-propulsion device 300 to
allow the operator to position the grout dispensing apparatus 100
over the pavement groove independently of the position of the
self-propulsion device 300. The grout dispensing apparatus 100 is
then positioned near the pavement groove such that the side forms
108 are inserted into the pavement groove.
122. The material gate 112 is opened to allow flow of the grout
from the grout hopper 104 into the pavement groove. The operator
starts forward motion by selecting the pave mode from the control
panel 304, which automatically turns on the groove clearing air
spray device 116 and the mist spray device 120. The groove clearing
air spray device 116 directs compressed air into the pavement
groove ahead of the grout dispensing apparatus 100 to clear the
pavement groove of debris. Compressed air is at a constant pressure
regardless of the forward travel speed of the self-propulsion
device 300. The mist spray device 120 applies a mist of water into
the pavement groove in front of the grout dispensing apparatus 100.
Pressure of the water mist application is dependent on the forward
travel speed of the self-propulsion device 300.
123. Simultaneously, the self-propulsion device 300 moves forward
at travel speed, which is selected by the operator. Grout is placed
into the pavement groove, is confined to the pavement groove by the
side forms 108, is struck off by the strike-off 124, leveled by the
extrusion pan 128 and smoothed by the smoothing plate 148.
124. The visibility-enhancing agent applying device 160 applies
reflective beads onto the surface of the wet grout. The application
of the beads is started upon start of pave mode with about three
seconds delay, and the application of the beads is stopped about
three seconds after the pave mode is turned off.
125. The grout surface air spray device 164 sprays compressed air
onto the grout surface to flush away any excess beads that are not
embedded and to further embed the beads into the grout surface. The
spray of compressed air is started upon start of pave mode with
about three seconds delay and is stopped about three seconds after
the pave mode is turned off.
126. The curing-agent applying device 168 then sprays a grout
curing agent on the grout surface. The pressure of curing agent
spray is dependent on the speed of the self-propulsion device to
reduce or eliminate pooling of the curing agent. Spraying of the
curing agent is started upon start of pave mode with about three
seconds delay and is stopped about three seconds after the pave
mode is turned off.
127. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous changes
and modifications may be made to the preferred embodiments of the
invention and that such changes and modifications may be made
without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is therefore
intended that the appended claims cover all such equivalent
variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the
invention.
128. 10 Pavement groove filling apparatus
129. 100 grout dispensing apparatus
130. 104 grout hopper
131. 108 side forms
132. 112 material gate
133. 114 hydraulic device
134. 116 groove clearing air spray device
135. 120 mist spray device
136. 124 strike-off
137. 128 extrusion pan
138. 132 grout hopper grout agitator
139. 136 agitator motor
140. 140 agitator shaft
141. 144 belt, chain, gear or other drive devices
142. 148 smoothing plate
143. 152 roller support system
144. 156 suspension system
145. 160 visibility enhancing agent applying device
146. 164 grout surface air spray device
147. 168 curing agent applying device
148. 200 grout preparation apparatus
149. 204 product hopper
150. 208 grout mixer
151. 212 surge hopper
152. 216 dry product dispensing device
153. 220 dry product feed auger
154. 224 metering auger
155. 228 water tank
156. 232 surge hopper grout agitator
157. 300 self-propulsion device
158. 304 control panel
159. 308 swing arm
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