Seam sealer apparatus and method of sealing seams on an asphalt road

Abstract

Seam sealer for sealing seams in an asphalt paving operation has electric heaters and heats a seam area that includes a narrow strip of previously laid-down asphalt and a narrow strip of the road surface to be paved. A temperature sensor senses temperature of the seam area. A control system adjusts energy level supplied to the heaters, to obtain a pre-determined temperature on the road surface. The pre-determined temperature is close to the temperature of the fresh hot asphalt to be applied. An asphalt paver travels behind the seam sealer and applies fresh hot asphalt to the road surface still to be paved, overlapping it onto the previously laid down asphalt in the seam area. The fresh hot asphalt and the previously laid down asphalt form a molten mass, which is subsequently pressed to a smooth, fused and finished road surface by a road roller.

1 . Apparatus for sealing a seam on an asphalt roadway, said apparatus comprising:
 a power generator;   a series of electric heaters;   a temperature sensor for sensing temperature on a road surface; and   a control system for controlling heat output of said series of heaters;   wherein said power generator supplies power to said series of electric heaters, said control system, and said temperature sensor;   wherein said control system receives a temperature input from said temperature sensor, compares said temperature input with a pre-determined value and adjusts said power supplied to said heaters by said power generator, so as to achieve and maintain a temperature that corresponds to said pre-determined value.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said heaters in said series of heaters are positioned at varying heights relative to said road surface. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said series of heaters includes at least two infrared heaters and wherein a first infrared heater is a first distance from said road surface and a second infrared heater is a second distance from said road surface. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein at least one heater in said series of heaters comprises a set of heaters that includes two or more individual heaters. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said power generator is a diesel-fueled generator. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said temperature sensor is a laser temperature sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an additional sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said additional sensor is a GPS receiver. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said additional sensor is a motion sensor. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method of sealing a seam in a roadway, comprising the steps of:
 heating a previously laid section of roadway with a plurality of heating units;   placing a new section of roadway in substantial proximity to the preheated roadway;   creating a molten mass between the preheated and new section of roadways; and   applying a force to the molten mass to create a seamless section of roadway.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each heating unit comprises an infrared electric heater. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of:
 applying a pre-determined quantity of heat by said plurality of heating units, wherein each subsequent heating unit of said plurality applies a greater quantity of heat than the previous heating unit.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
 positioning each heating unit of said plurality a pre-determined distance from the roadway, wherein each subsequent heating unit is positioned a smaller distance from the roadway than the previous heating unit.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein each heating unit is disposed to be individually calibrated in relation to the distance of each heating unit from the roadway. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a power supply for each heating unit; and   providing a control system for monitoring the power supply to each heating unit.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of:
 selecting a temperature level in the control system to provide for the power supply of each heating.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the step of:
 providing a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the roadway.   
     
     
         22 . A method of sealing a seam in a roadway, comprising the steps of:
 heating a previously laid section of roadway with a plurality of heating units within a singular heating cycle;   placing a new section of roadway in substantial proximity to the preheated roadway, wherein a portion of the new section is disposed to overlap with a portion of the previously laid section;   creating a molten mass between the preheated and new section of roadways; and   applying a force to the molten mass to create a seamless section of roadway.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein each heating unit comprises an infrared electric heater. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising the step of:
 applying a pre-determined quantity of heat by said plurality of heating units, wherein each subsequent heating unit of said plurality applies a greater quantity of heat than the previous heating unit.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising the step of:
 positioning each heating unit a pre-determined distance from the roadway, wherein each subsequent heating unit is positioned a smaller distance from the roadway than the previous heating unit.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein each heating unit is disposed to be individually calibrated in relation to the distance of each heating unit from the roadway. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a power supply for each heating unit; and   providing a control system for monitoring the power supply to each heating unit.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the step of:
 selecting a temperature level in the control system to provide for the power supply of each heating.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising the step of:
 providing a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the roadway.