Road construction device and method for modifying a road construction device

Abstract

A road construction device is configured to act as a spreading device for spreading road construction material and is configured to be attached to a working machine. The road construction device includes a front frame and a rear frame joined together and configured to form a feed reservoir, a mouth formed in the feed reservoir, a spreading blade arranged on the rear frame, lateral guides attached between the front frame and the rear frame on either side of the feed reservoir, adjustment actuators for adjusting a distance between the spreading blade and a surface of a road, and an attachment member attached to the rear frame. The road construction device is configured to be used, instead of for spreading road construction material, as an edge-filling device, and further includes edge-filling equipment configured to be supported by the road construction device instead of the lateral guide.

1 . A road construction device which is configured to act as a spreading device for spreading road construction material and which is configured to be attached to a working machine, wherein the road construction device includes
 a front frame and a rear frame joined together and configured so as to form a feed reservoir for the road construction material,   a mouth formed in the feed reservoir from which the road construction material is fed under the rear frame,   a spreading blade arranged on the rear frame for delimiting the road construction material exiting the mouth so as to form a layer on a surface of a road,   lateral guides attached between the front frame and the rear frame on either side of the feed reservoir in order to delimit a lateral spread of the road construction material to a selected width,   adjustment actuators for adjusting a distance between the spreading blade and the surface of the road, and   an attachment member attached to the rear frame for attaching the road construction device to a working machine,   wherein   the road construction device is configured to be used alternatively, instead of for spreading road construction material, as an edge-filling device, and the road construction device further includes edge-filling equipment configured to be supported on the road construction device instead of a lateral guide, wherein the edge-filling apparatus includes   a conveyor for conveying road construction material from the feed reservoir to one side of the road construction device, wherein the conveyor is configured to be removably arranged at the bottom of the feed reservoir, advantageously so as to block the mouth.   
     
     
         2 . The road construction device according to  claim 1 , wherein, when the road construction device is used as an edge-filling apparatus, a hopper is arranged in the feed reservoir, wherein the conveyor is attached to the floor of the hopper. 
     
     
         3 . The road construction device according to  claim 1 , wherein there is always a lateral guide on one side of the road construction device between the front frame and the rear frame. 
     
     
         4 . The road construction device according to  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor is a conveyor belt or a vibratory conveyor. 
     
     
         5 . The road construction device according to  claim 1 , wherein the front frame and the rear frame are essentially symmetrical in a lateral direction. 
     
     
         6 . The road construction device according to  claim 1 , wherein the road construction device comprises supporting wheels attached to the front frame. 
     
     
         7 . The road construction device according to  claim 1 , wherein the road construction device comprises second supporting wheels attached to the rear frame. 
     
     
         8 . The road construction device according to  claim 1 , wherein both ends of the conveyor extend in a selected position outside the feed reservoir. 
     
     
         9 . The road construction device according to  claim 1 , wherein the road construction device comprises a bumper arranged on the front frame. 
     
     
         10 . The road construction device according to  claim 1 , wherein the road construction device comprises a hooking member arranged on the bumper. 
     
     
         11 . The road construction device according to  claim 1 , wherein the edge-filling apparatus further includes an edge-filling wing for levelling the road building material on a side of the road construction device, wherein the edge-filling wing can be arranged on a side of the feed reservoir, advantageously in place of the lateral guide. 
     
     
         12 . The road construction device according to  claim 11 , wherein the lateral guide is attached, when the road construction device is used as a spreading device, and the conveyor and the edge-filling wing are attached, when the road construction device is used as an edge-filling device, to the front frame or to the rear frame by lateral shifting devices, which comprise a sliding bar and a hydraulic cylinder configured to move the sliding bar in a lateral direction. 
     
     
         13 . The road construction device according to  claim 12 , wherein the edge-filling wing is arranged on a lateral shifting device by means of a vertical sliding bar, on which a hydraulic cylinder configured to move the edge-filling wing in a vertical direction is arranged, wherein the vertical sliding bar is attached in an articulated manner to the lateral shifting device so as to be adjustable by means of a hydraulic cylinder. 
     
     
         14 . The road construction device according to  claim 13 , wherein the edge-filling wing comprises a frame element, an extending element and an end element, wherein the frame element is attached in articulated manner to the vertical sliding bar so as to be adjustable by means of a hydraulic cylinder, the frame element and extending element are configured to be moved relative to each other by means of a hydraulic cylinder, and the end element is attached in an articulated manner to the extending element so as to be adjustable by means of a hydraulic cylinder. 
     
     
         15 . The road construction device according to  claim 1 , wherein the length of the edge-filling wing can be adjusted in a range of 1.5-3.0 m, advantageously 1.7-2.5 m. 
     
     
         16 . The road construction device according to  claim 1 , wherein the road construction device comprises measuring means for determining at least the height, width and inclination of the edge-filling wing. 
     
     
         17 . The road construction device according to  claim 1 , wherein the edge-filling equipment further includes an extension conveyor for conveying road construction material on a side of the road construction device, wherein the extension conveyor can be arranged on a side of the feed reservoir, advantageously in place of the lateral guide. 
     
     
         18 . The road construction device according to  claim 17 , wherein the extension conveyor is configured as an extension of the conveyor so that the road construction material is configured to fall from the conveyor onto the extension conveyor. 
     
     
         19 . A method for modifying a road construction device, in which method a spreading device for spreading road construction material is modified, wherein the spreading device for spreading construction material includes
 a front frame and a rear frame joined together and configured so as to form a feed reservoir for the road construction material,   a mouth formed in the feed reservoir from which the road construction material is fed under the rear frame,   a spreading blade arranged on the rear frame for delimiting the road construction material exiting the mouth so as to form a layer on a surface of a road,   lateral guides attached between the front frame and the rear frame on the sides of the feed reservoir for delimiting a lateral spread of the road construction material to a selected width,   adjustment actuators for adjusting a distance between the spreading blade and the surface of the road, and   an attachment member attached to the rear frame for attaching the road construction device to a working machine,   wherein   the spreading device for spreading road construction material is modified to act as an edge-filling device by performing the following steps:   removing at least one lateral guide, and   installing a conveyor in the feed reservoir which transports the road construction material fed into the feed reservoir to one side of the road construction device, advantageously in such a manner that the conveyor blocks the mouth.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein, when the road construction device is used as an edge-filling device, a hopper is also installed in the feed reservoir and the conveyor is attached to the hopper. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein, when the road construction device is used as an edge-filling device, the road construction device is additionally equipped with an edge-filling wing, wherein the edge-filling wing is attached on a side of the road construction device, advantageously in place of the lateral guide, in order to level the road construction material on that side of the road construction device. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein, when the road construction device is used as an edge-filling device, the road construction device is additionally equipped with an extension conveyor, wherein the extension conveyor is attached on a side of the road construction device, advantageously in place of the lateral guide, in order to transport the road construction material on that side of the road construction device.