ROAD CONSTRUCTION MACHINE, PARTICULARLY A PAVING MACHINE OR CHARGING MACHINE

Abstract

A road building machine wherein the danger of material falling out as the supply container is loaded is avoided. For this it is proposed that the container halves each have at least one shield which can be moved away as the container halves are folded up. Road building machines, more particularly road pavers and feeders are supplied with road building material from trucks, and, in order to receive the road building material the road building machines have supply containers with two movable container halves, and, when the supply container is filled, the invention helps prevents road building material from falling out from the supply container.

Claims

1. A road building machine, more particularly a road paver (10) or feeder, comprising: a chassis (25) with a preferably driven undercarriage (12); at least one supply container (14) assigned to the chassis (25) for receiving road building material, wherein the supply container (14) has two container halves (20, 21) which can be unfolded and folded up relative to one another; and at least one conveyor (24) for discharging the road building material from the supply container (14); wherein the container halves (20, 21) each have at least one shield (34, 35) which can be moved away as the container halves (20, 21) are folded up.

2. The road building machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one shield (34, 35) are each arranged on a side wall (29, 30) facing the chassis (25), more particularly an outside surface (47, 48) of the side wall (29, 30) of the container halves (20, 21), wherein the at least one shield (34, 35) are connected freely movable to the container halves (20, 21), preferably movable transversely to the production direction (13) of the road building machine.

3. The road building machine as claimed in one of claim 2, wherein as the container halves (20, 21) are unfolded, the at least one shield (34, 35) is movable into areas projecting beyond the side walls (29, 30) of the container halves (20, 21) and/or as the container halves (20, 21) are folded up can be moved out from these areas, wherein the at least one shield (34, 35) are suspended from the container halves (20, 21), more particularly by a corner region, to swing about an axis (36, 37).

4. The road building machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least two bolts (38, 39), more particularly two static bolts (38, 39), wherein the bolts (38, 39) are arranged on the chassis (25) or a chassis wall (31) wherein at least one of the bolts (38, 39) is assigned to each of the at least one shield (34, 35).

5. The road building machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bolts (38, 39) are arranged on the chassis wall (31) so that the at least one shield (34, 35) moves into contact with the bolts (38, 39) at least as the container halves (20, 21) are unfolded, and the at least one shield (34, 35) is movable by the bolts (38, 39) out from a suspended position into a position resting on the bolts (38, 39).

6. The road building machine as claimed in claim 2, further comprising at least one stop (57, 58) arranged on the side walls (29, 30), more particularly on outside surfaces (55, 56) of the side walls (29, 30), of the container halves (20, 21).

7. The road building machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one stop (57, 58) is arranged on the outside surfaces (55, 56) of the container halves (20, 21) so that as the container halves (20, 21) are folded up the at least one shield (34, 35) moves into contact with the at least one stop (57, 58) and the at least one shield (34, 35) can thus be brought into a suspended starting position.

8. The road building machine as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an additional stop (54) arranged on the chassis (25) or a chassis wall (31) and in the folded-up state of the container halves (20, 21) serves as a spacer between the at least one shield (34, 35), more particularly restricts the pendulum movement of the at least one shield (34, 35).

9. The road building machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the each of the at least one shield (34, 35) has on at least one side edge (40, 41, 42) a border (46, 47, 48) which is configured so that as the container halves (20, 21) unfold and fold up the edges of the borders (46, 47, 48) lie in a common plane with the edges of rails (32, 33) which are arranged on the container halves (20, 21).

10. The road building machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one shield (34, 35) is arranged along the side walls (29, 30) of the container halves (20, 21), more particularly the borders (46, 47, 48) of the at least one shield (34, 35), relative to the rails (32, 33) of the container halves (20, 21) so that as the container halves (20, 21) unfold and fold up no interspaces are formed between the at least one shield (34, 35) and the side walls (29, 30) as well as between the borders (46, 47, 48), the rails (32, 33) and the chassis wall (31).

11. A road building machine, more particularly a road paver (10) or feeder, comprising: a chassis (25) with a preferably driven undercarriage (12); at least one supply container (14) assigned to the chassis (25) for receiving road building material, wherein the supply container (14) has two container halves (20, 21) which can be unfolded and folded up relative to one another; at least one conveyor (24) for discharging the road building material from the supply container (14); and, at least two shields mounted rotatably on a chassis wall (31) facing the supply container (14), wherein at least one of the at least two shields is assigned to each container half (20, 21).

12. The road building machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least two shields are suspended freely movable on the chassis wall (31) swinging about an axis transversely to a production direction (13) of the road building machine, wherein as the container halves (20, 21) are unfolded the at least two shields are movable from a first position into a second position relative to the side walls (29, 30) of the supply container (14).

13. The road building machine as claimed in claim 12, further comprising at least two bolts, more particularly two static bolts, wherein the bolts are arranged on the container halves (20, 21) or on the side walls (29, 30) of the container halves (20, 21), wherein each of the at least two shields is assigned at least one of the bolts, wherein the bolts are arranged on the side walls (29, 30) so that at least as the container halves (20, 21) are unfolded the at least two shields move into contact with the bolts (38, 39) and the at least two shields are movable from a first position into a second position by the bolts (38, 39).

14. The road building machine as claimed in claim 11, further comprising at least one stop arranged on the chassis (25) or the chassis wall (31) and when the container halves (20, 21) are folded up together serves as a spacer between the at least two shields, more particularly restricts the pendulum movement of the at least two shields.

15. The road building machine as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least two shields each have on at least one side edge a border which is configured so that as the container halves (20, 21) unfold and fold up the edges of the borders lie in a common plane with the edges of rails which are arranged on the container halves (20, 21), preferably so that the at least two shields are arranged along the side walls (29, 30) of the container halves (20, 21), more particularly the borders of the at least two shields, relative to the rails of the container halves (20, 21) so that as the container halves (20, 21) unfold and fold up no interspaces are formed between the at least two shields and the side walls (29, 30) as well as between the borders, the rails and the chassis wall (31).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] A preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be explained in further detail below with reference to the drawing. In the drawings:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a road paver,

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a supply container,

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a perspective rear view of the supply container,

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a side wall of a container half,

[0029] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the side wall of the container half,

[0030] FIG. 6 shows a section through a container half in the unfolded position, and

[0031] FIG. 7 shows a section through the supply container in the folded-up position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] The present invention is directed to a road building machine, more particularly a road paver 10 or feeder having a chassis (25) with a preferably driven undercarriage (12), with at least one supply container (14) assigned to the chassis (25) for receiving road building material, wherein the supply container (14) has two container halves (20, 21) which can be unfolded and folded up relative to one another, and with at least one conveyor (24) for discharging the road building material from the supply container (14). Even if a road paver 10 is shown in FIG. 1, the subject of the invention, more particularly the subjects of FIGS. 2 to 7, can likewise be transferred to a feeder, not shown. Using the illustration of the road paver 10 in FIG. 1 a description is only provided by way of example as to how the invention is connected to the manufacturing process of a road covering.

[0033] The road paver 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 serves to produce road coverings. The road paver 10 preferably serves to produce so-called blacktop, namely road coverings of asphalt. The road paver 10 can however also be used to produce road coverings of other materials, such as by way of example concrete.

[0034] The road paver 10 is a self-drive vehicle. For this it has a central drive unit 11 which has by way of example an internal combustion engine which has hydraulic pumps for supplying hydraulic motors and where applicable a generator for producing energy for electrical drives or heaters.

[0035] The road paver 10 furthermore has a drive undercarriage 12 which in the illustrated exemplary embodiment is configured as a caterpillar track mechanism. The road paver 10 can however also be provided with a wheel/roller carriage. The drive undercarriage 12 is driven by the drive unit 11 so that the road paver moves forwards in the production direction 13 to produce the road covering.

[0036] Seen in the production direction 13 a trough-like supply container 14, also called a bunker, is arranged in front of the drive undercarriage 12. The supply container 14 holds a supply of the material which serves to produce the road covering. The still hot road building material is transported from the supply container 14 by a conveying unit 24, formed by way of example as a scraper conveyor, against the production direction 13 to the rear end 15 of the road paver 10. The rear end 15 of the road paver 10 is located behind the drive undercarriage 12 and the drive unit 11, seen in the production direction 13.

[0037] At the rear end 15 of the road paver 10 there is a spreading auger 16 and at a distance behind this a paving screed 17. The spreading auger 16 and the paving screed 17 are capable of moving up and down. For this purpose the paving screed 17 is suspended from support arms 18. The support arms 18 are mounted for pivotable movement on the drive undercarriage 12 of the road paver 10. Hydraulic cylinders or the like pivot the support arms 18 in order to lift and lower the paving screed 17.

[0038] In order to supply the road paver 10 or supply container 14 with road building material a truck (not shown) backs up against the end 19 of the road paver 10 and pours the road building material into the supply container 14. So that the sump capacity of the supply container 14 has maximum size, two container halves 20, 21 of the supply container 14 are unfolded (FIG. 2). The container halves 20, 21 then turn about axes of rotation 22, 23 which are arranged above the drive undercarriage 12. The area between the container halves 20, 21 and the axes of rotation 22, 23 provides a free view of the conveying unit 24 which is configured by way of example as a scraper conveyor. As already mentioned above, the road building material in the case of a road paver 10 is supplied to the paving screed 17 through this conveying unit 24. In the event that the supply container 14 is assigned to a feeder, the conveying unit 24 supplies the road building material to a further conveyor or directly into a supply container 14 of a further road building machine.

[0039] Both the drive unit 11, the drive undercarriage 12, the support arms 18 and also the supply container 14 are assigned to the vehicle chassis or also chassis 25 of the road paver 10.

[0040] The container halves 20, 21 together enclose a receptacle space 26 for the road building material. The individual container halves 20, 21 each have a base 27, 28 which is connected both to the axes of rotation 22, 23, and also each to two further side walls. The side walls 29, 30 positioned in the production direction 13 at the rear parts of the container halves 20, 21 directly border a chassis wall 31. The side walls 29, 30 are configured so that when folding up the receptacle space 26 can be minimized without the side walls 29, 30 colliding with one another.

[0041] So that no road building material falls between the side walls 29, 30 and the chassis wall 31, the side walls 29, 30 are assigned rails 32, 33. These rails 32, 33 can be moved in the production direction 13 so that they form a sealing contact with the chassis wall 31. The rails 32, 33 serve moreover to scrape off road building material which is adhering to the chassis wall 31 as the container halves 20, 21 are folded up.

[0042] According to the invention the side walls 29, 30 have shields 34, 35. These shields 34, 35 can be configured as plate-like flaps or as simple plates. The shields 34, 35 illustrated here have a triangular shape but can also have any other polygonal or any geometric shape.

[0043] According to the present invention the shields 34, 35 can be mounted both on the side walls 29, 30 of the supply container 14 and also on a chassis wall 31 of the chassis 25. The embodiment is shown below by way of example in which the shields 34, 35 are installed on the side walls 29, 30.

[0044] FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the container halves 20, 21, seen in the production direction 13. It can be seen here that the shields 34, 35 are attached to the side walls 29, 30 movably, or rotatably about the axes 36, 37. According to the present invention the shields 34, 35 shown here are assigned to the side walls 29, 30 so that they are freely movable, more particularly swinging about the axes 36, 37. When the container halves 20, 21 are in their unfolded position as shown in FIG. 3, the shields 34, 35 are held in their horizontal position by bolts 38, 39 (not shown). In this position the shields 34, 35 just cover an otherwise free area between the side walls 29, 30 and the chassis wall 31. The shields 34, 35 thus prevent that in the unfolded state of the container halves 20, 21 or when receiving road building material this material falls down through the otherwise free opening between the side walls 29, 30 and the chassis wall 31, onto the substratum or the road paver 10.

[0045] So that the shields 34, 35 in the position illustrated in FIG. 3 form a sealing action relative to the chassis wall 31, each side edge 40, 41, 42 of the shield 34 as well as each side edge 43, 44, 45 of the shield 35 are each assigned a border 46, 47, 48 and 49, 50, 51 respectively. The borders 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 are measured just so that their widths together with the widths of the edges 52, 53 of the side walls 29, 30 correspond to the widths of the rails 32, 33. The rails 32, 33 together with the borders 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 of the shields 34, 35 thus form a sealing edge or a scraper edge in respect of the chassis wall 31 (FIG. 4, FIG. 5). It is however also conceivable according to the invention that the shields 34, 35 have only one, two or more than three corresponding borders which undertake a similar function in interaction with the chassis wall 31 as the exemplary embodiment illustrated here.

[0046] Particularly when the container halves 20, 21 are being folded up the rails 32, 33 and the borders 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 are moved along the chassis wall 31 and thus clean the chassis wall 31 of any road building material which may be remaining thereon. The road building material is properly scraped away from the rails 32, 33 and the borders 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51.

[0047] In the folded-up state of the container halves 20, 21 the receptacle space 26 of the supply container 14 is minimized. This position of the container halves 20, 21 is furthermore particularly suitable for transporting the road paver 10 owing to the shorter width of the road paver 10 transversly to the production direction 13. In this position which is shown in FIG. 7 the shields 34, 35 hang downwards, held by the axes 36, 37. The side edges 40, 43 of the shields 34, 35 can be aligned parallel to the edges 52, 53 of the side walls 29, 30. The borders 46, 49 of the shields 34, 35 are in this position aligned opposite one another and are only separated from one another by a stop 54 which is arranged centrally on the chassis wall 31. This stop 54 has the result that the side edges 40, 43 of the shields 34, 35 do not contact one another and possibly become stuck to one another by residual road building material.

[0048] A stop 57, 58 is located on each of the outer faces 55, 56 of the side walls 29, 30. These stops 57, 58 on the side walls 29, 30 of the container halves 20, 21 slide the shields 34, 35 into their hanging position as the container halves 20, 21 are folded up so that the shields 34, 35 are fixed in their basic position illustrated in FIG. 7 by the stops 57, 58 and the stop 54. Thus as the container halves 20, 21 fold up the shields 34, 35 are only moved by the influence of the stops 57, 58 and gravity. It is however also conceivable that the shields 34, 35 are moved from their horizontal position into the hanging position—and back again—through drives, such as by way of example mechanical, electrical, hydraulic or other drives.

[0049] As the container halves 20, 21 are unfolded the shields 34, 35 again follow the effect of gravity and rotate about the axes 36, 37. So that the shields 34, 35 pass into the horizontal position illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 in order to avoid the loss of road building material, the chassis wall 31 is assigned the bolts 38, 39 already mentioned. During unfolding, the side edges of the shields 34, 35 move into contact with the bolts 38, 39. As the container halves 20, 21 continue to unfold, the shields 34, 35 are drawn over the bolts 38, 39 and are thus pushed or pivoted into their horizontal position illustrated by way of example in FIG. 6. Also with this movement no additional drives are necessary—but conceivable.

[0050] Thus as the container halves 20, 21 unfold, a previously free area between the side walls 29, 30 and the chassis wall 31 is closed by the shields 34, 35 and as the container halves 21, 22 fold up the shields are moved away so that the edges 52, 53 of the container halves 20, 21 are drawn together.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0051] 10 Road paver [0052] 11 Drive unit [0053] 12 Drive undercarriage [0054] 13 Production direction [0055] 14 Supply container [0056] 15 Rear end [0057] 16 Spreading auger [0058] 17 Paving screed [0059] 18 Support arm [0060] 19 Front end [0061] 20 Container half [0062] 21 Container half [0063] 22 Axis of rotation [0064] 23 Axis of rotation [0065] 24 Conveying unit [0066] 25 Chassis [0067] 26 Receptacle space [0068] 27 Base [0069] 28 Base [0070] 29 Side wall [0071] 30 Side wall [0072] 31 Chassis wall [0073] 32 Rail [0074] 33 Rail [0075] 34 Shield [0076] 35 Shield [0077] 36 Axis [0078] 37 Axis [0079] 38 Bolt [0080] 39 Bolt [0081] 40 Side edge [0082] 41 Side edge [0083] 42 Side edge [0084] 43 Side edge [0085] 44 Side edge [0086] 45 Side edge [0087] 46 Border [0088] 47 Border [0089] 48 Border [0090] 49 Border [0091] 50 Border [0092] 51 Border [0093] 52 Edge [0094] 53 Edge [0095] 54 Stop [0096] 55 Outside surface [0097] 56 Outside surface [0098] 57 Stop [0099] 58 Stop