A portable device is shown for transporting asphalt repair materials for use in repairing potholes in asphalt pavements. The device has a body with a hopper compartment for transporting and dispensing asphalt mix materials. A pair of electric heaters are submerged in a heating chamber located below the hopper compartment for heating the asphalt mix. Tack oils are held and dispensed from a separate tack oil tank.

A salt spreader for distributing a material includes a bucket including a front surface, a rear surface, and first and second side surfaces. The front and rear surfaces tend toward one another at a base of the bucket, and the bucket includes first and second ejection ports in the base. The salt spreader further includes a separator positioned in a center of the bucket parallel to the first and second side surfaces, and first and second covers within the bucket extending downwardly from the first and second side surfaces, respectively, toward the separator.

A vehicle mounted spreader for spreading materials such as sand, salt, or other granular chemicals onto snow and ice covered paved surfaces comprises a material container for containing the material to be spread, a liquid container for containing liquid with which to pre-wet the material, a spinner for spreading the pre-wet material, an auger for conveying the material to the spinner, a liquid applicator for applying liquid to the material to pre-wet the material, and a paddle mixer mounted to an end of the auger adjacent the liquid applicator for mixing the liquid and the material.

A continuous asphalt mix system for using a microwave heating vessel at the point of production that includes a microwave energy suppression tunnel with one or more mesh flaps for substantially reducing or preventing the leakage of microwave energy from a microwave system, while having a continuous flow of product through the vessel and suppression tunnels. The suppression tunnels are installed on the inlet and/or the outlet side of the system and are sized to suppress leakage.

A salt spreader for distributing a material includes a bucket including a front surface, a rear surface, and first and second side surfaces. The front and rear surfaces tend toward one another at a base of the bucket, and the bucket includes first and second ejection ports in the base. The salt spreader further includes a separator positioned in a center of the bucket parallel to the first and second side surfaces, and first and second covers within the bucket extending downwardly from the first and second side surfaces, respectively, toward the separator.

A continuous asphalt mix system for using a microwave heating vessel at the point of production that includes a microwave energy suppression tunnel with one or more mesh flaps for substantially reducing or preventing the leakage of microwave energy from a microwave system, while having a continuous flow of product through the vessel and suppression tunnels. The suppression tunnels are installed on the inlet and/or the outlet side of the system and are sized to suppress leakage.

A continuous asphalt mix system for using a microwave heating vessel at the point of production that includes a microwave energy suppression tunnel with one or more mesh flaps for substantially reducing or preventing the leakage of microwave energy from a microwave system, while having a continuous flow of product through the vessel and suppression tunnels. The suppression tunnels are installed on the inlet and/or the outlet side of the system and are sized to suppress leakage.

A method of controlling a DC motor that includes the step of providing a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal to the DC motor. The PWM signal provides a voltage to operate the DC motor. The method also includes the steps of measuring a voltage generated by the DC motor when the PWM signal is off. In more particular embodiments, the method includes measuring a current being supplied to the DC motor when the PWM signal is off. The method may further require determining a motor speed of the DC motor based on the measured voltage. The method further includes controlling the DC motor to maintain a relatively constant motor speed with varying loads on the DC motor.

A material spreader is mountable to a rearwardly projecting bumper of a vehicle for conveying and spreading material, the vehicle including a rearwardly projecting hitch receiver. The material spreader includes a hopper for holding material to be spread, a frame supporting the hopper and having a forwardly projecting hitch mount configured for coupling to the rearwardly projecting hitch receiver of the vehicle, and a support member having an underside for resting atop a top surface of the bumper, the support member being movable vertically relative to the frame. A tie down is connected to the support member and the frame for urging the support member and the hitch mount towards one another to effect a clamping action on the receiver and the bumper. The material spreader also includes a dual hinged lid and a gear box for driving a spinner and an auger.

A spreader assembly for spreading sand or salt comprised of a molded, double-walled hopper having a bin portion and leg portions. The hopper has an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the inner wall has a front end section and opposing side sections. The end sections and the side sections define a media-holding chamber within the bin portion of the hopper. The chamber has a generally rectangular upper portion, a funnel-shaped lower portion and a bottom having an opening extending through the bin portion. The funnel-shaped lower portion of the chamber slopes toward the opening. The outer wall of the hopper defines the leg portions, and the leg portions are dimensioned to extend below the opening in the bin portion.