GB2469165A

GB2469165A - Road repair using a heated road-penetrating template.

Info

Publication number: GB2469165A
Application number: GB1002263A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Taylor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-03-31
Filing date: 2010-02-11
Publication date: 2010-10-06
Also published as: GB201002263D0; GB0905508D0

Abstract

A heated template 11 is intended in use to sink into a road surface. It may have a circular, oval or rectangular cross-section. Depth stops 12 may be provided. An infra-red heater 4 and gas supply 2 may rest on the stops or on additional shoulders 13. The penetrating edge 14 may be tapered or serrated. The template may be mounted upon a vehicle. A recycling system may also be provided. The template may be removed from the heater and left in place during road removal and filling. Since the repair, preferably, has no corners, it is less likely to trigger further cracking.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REPAIRING ROADS

This invention relates generally to the repair of roads and more particularly to a method of repairing pot holes and other localised damage to road surfaces together with equipment for carrying out those repairs.

Tarmacadam roads are a preferred method of constructing highways which have been laid extensively in recent years. In general a tarmacadam road is constructed using a base material which is usually gravel or a similar sub structure and various upper courses which are finished with one or more top surface layers of tarmacadam. These top surface layers of tarmacadam usually consist of a gravel or stone aggregate which is bound together with a bituminous bonding agent.

Roads constructed in this manner are usually trouble free but inevitably the passage of time coupled to the constant traffic loading and changing weather conditions eventually cause the road surface to deteriorate. The surface eventually becomes brittle in places, the binding agent becomes less efficient and eventually releases some of the aggregate in the surface coating and eventually potholes appear.

It is also common for deterioration in the surface coating to take the form of visible cracks in the surface and these cracks can also eventually develop into potholes.

Surface cracks can also be more pronounced and occur more frequently in locations where things like drain covers have been sited, more particularly when those drain covers are rectangular when these cracks often emanate from the corners of these objects.

The repair of roads has therefore become an important activity for local authorities in recent years. But carrying out these repairs can be a very expensive process.

In recent years many improvements in surface repair technology have been introduced. More particularly a system known as "hot in place recycling" has been adopted in many parts of the world. Ths system is commonly referred to as HIR.

Hot in place recycling, is a method of repairing asphalt surface using an infrared heating process. The surface, once heated is raked and then combined with new fresh asphalt or other suitable material.

This HIR system of road repair is often combined with the use of a vehicle which is adapted to carry suitable equipment and in particular heating equipment for use on the road surface. This heating equipment is permanently fixed to the vehicle and is either mounted under the vehicle chassis or in a way which will allow it to swing away from the road surface when not in use.

The surface of the road is often prepared in advance with any poor surface material being removed by conventional manual techniques or vehicular mounted equipment may be used to remove the existing surface. Once the surface has been prepared then the vehicle mounted heater is brought over the surface to be repaired and the surface is heated and treated with new fresh asphalt or other suitable material.

This system is a considerable cost saving on preciously existing techniques but nevertheless is often brought down by poor process control and operator error.

The present invention seeks to simplify the existing processes and improve the quality of the repair, particularly for potholes and around drain covers and the like. The present invention employs, preferably, but not exclusively, a repair process with produces a round or oval repair which does not have corners which typify other processes which are known in the art.

The present invention is also a template based system consisting of a portable heating system with accompanying template for cutting the road surface and accurately measuring the amount of repair material required. In use the said template my have a lower edge shaped to assist in cutting into the road surface and surface protrusions to assist in preventing excessive penetration into the road surface. The present invention also includes an alternate vehicle mounted system employing a template and accompanying heaters together with electronic positioning means.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a template for cutting into the road surface. The shape of this template is in the form of a short tube consisting of a single side wall formed into a closed curve and includes circular and oval shapes. This template is positioned over the area to be repaired and heat is applied allowing the template to sink into the road surface

to a suitable depth.

According to a second feature of the first aspect of the invention the depth to which the template penetrates the road surface is determined by depth stops mounted upon the said template, preferably but not exclusively on the outside of the template.

According to a third feature of the first aspect of the invention the said template is designed to receive a portable heater and is equipped with shoulders upon which in use the said portable heater rests.

Heat may then be applied and then removed and the template left in place whilst any unwanted surface material is removed and new material is added within the area enclosed by the template.

According to a fourth feature of the first aspect of the invention the side wall of the template is extended, in use, upwards, to allow the inside of the template to act as a measure for the correct quantity of new material to be added to the road. New material is added until it is level with the side wall of the template.

The template is then removed and the new material is flattened down by conventional techniques.

According to a fifth feature of the first aspect of the invention the lower surface, in use, of the template has a serrated edge to assist in penetration into the road surface.

According to a sixth feature of the first aspect of the invention the shoulders mentioned in the third feature may be outside the sidewall of the template and may also be combined with the depth stops mentioned in the second feature.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a portable infra red heater with primarily but not exclusively a self contained gas supply.

According to a second feature of the second aspect of the invention the said heater is adapted to engage with the template described in the first aspect.

According to a third feature of the second aspect of the invention the said heater may be adapted to engage either inside or outside the perimeter of the template described in the first aspect.

The weight of the said heater, particularly when assisted by the self contained gas supply, also helps the template to sink into the road surface when the surface is heated.

According to a fourth feature of the second aspect of the invention the said heater may be adapted to engage either inside or outside the perimeter of the template described in the first aspect and also be equipped with means for controlling the depth of engagement.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle upon which is mounted a plurality of heaters in combination with a template as described in the first aspect.

According to a second feature of the third aspect of the invention there is provided an electronic positioning system which controls the exact position of the template over the road surface either automatically of by informing the vehicle driver of the position.

According to a third feature of the third aspect of the invention the said vehicle is equipped with recycling means in order to prepare used materials for re use.

According to a fourth feature of the third aspect of the invention the said vehicle is equipped with road sweeping means The invention will now be more particularly described by way of example, with reference to the attached drawings in which: -Figure 1 Is a view of the infra red portable heater Figure 2 Shows the template Figure 3 Is a side view of the portable heater.

Figure 4 Is an illustration of a typical vehicle showing various pieces of equipment.

Figure 5 Is an illustration of a typical vehicle showing the positions of various pieces of equipment Figure 6 Is an illustration of a re-cycling machine Referring now to figure 1, the portable infra red heater I consists of a gas cylinder 2 mounted within a chamber 3 at the bottom of which is the infra red heater housing.

A further sectional view of the heater is seen in figure 3. Layers 5 and 7 are insulation, layer 8 is the combustion chamber, layer 9 is an optional layer of fine mesh and layer 10 is the skirt in which there are vent holes 15. Gas supply pipe is seen at 6 and the actual burners are shown at 16.

The template is shown in figure 2. This preferred version is circular but it may be any suitable shape including oval or rectangular. The vertical side walls 11, have a serrated edge at the bottom in this example though any suitable edge form may be used including a tapered edge to make the edge sharper.

Depth stops 12 are shown on the outside of the template but if the template is mounted on a vehicle then depth stops may not be included depending on the control system for lowering the template.

The heater may be fitted inside of outside the template though the preferred version has the heater fitted outside. This avoids the need for inside engagement shoulders 13 because the heater, when fitted to the outside of the template would engage with the depth stops 12. However if the depth stops 12 were not at the correct position for engaging the heater then additional shoulders 13 would be added to the outside surface.

It should also be noted that engagement depth between the heater and the template may be controlled by a feature on the heater itself and not the template.

Referring now to figure 4, a vehicle is shown suitably adapted for use with this system of road repair. Heaters I 8, are mounted at the rear of the chassis and a template 11 is mounted underneath the heaters. The heaters may be raised or lowered and the template can be detached and left in or on the road surface.

The heaters shown in the drawings, particularly but not exclusively in figure 5 at 18 are shown as a rounded form but in other embodiments of the present invention various different shapes are used including a square. This relates only to the shape of the heater and not to the shape of the template 11, which remains round or oval in shape.

Figure 5 shows a typical layout though the invention is not confined to this particular layout. Hot boxes 22 and a storage box 21 are mounted near to the cab. Portable infra red heaters I are stored at the side and spare gas cylinders 20, are also present. A storage tank 23 is located along the chassis and a recycling mixer is seen at 19.

Positioning of the template over the pothole may be controlled by electronic and means and if so the sensors for this positioning system may be mounted at positions 24.

Finally a re-cycling mixer is shown in figure 6. The main drum 25 is supplied with tar from pipes 26. Rotation of the drum is controlled by electric motor 27 and emptying of the mixer drum is controlled by wheel 28. The base of the unit contains a hot material chamber 31 and a heater base 30 together with a hatch 29. A half lid 32, may be added which provides additional operator safety and helps retain the heat. Also a round rake (not illustrated) may be used which is shaped to match the profile of the template. A scarifier may also be used (not illustrated) which consists of a flat plate with surface projection on one side which, in use, would help in the process of removing the existing road surface.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A template for cutting into a road surface characterised by the shape of this template being in the form of a short tube consisting of a single side wall formed into a closed curve which shape includes circular and oval forms.
2. A template according to claim I with depth stops mounted upon the said template.
3. A template according to any previous claim which is equipped with shoulders which in use are intended to receive a heating device.
4. A template according to any previous claim in which the length of the side wall is extended so that in use when the template has sunk into the road surface there is sufficient of the side wall extending above the road surface to act as a measure for the correct amount of material to be added to the road surface.
5. A template according to any previous claim in which in use the lower edge is shaped so as to assist the penetration of the template into the road surface.
6. A template according to claims 2 or 3 where the said shoulders and depth stops may be one and the same.
7. A template according to any previous claim which is equipped with an infra red heater and gas supply.
8. A template according to claim 7 where the said heater may engage with with the inside or the outside of the template.
9. A method of repairing a road surface in which a template according to claim I is positioned over an area to be repaired and following the application of heat the said template is caused or allowed to sink into the road surface to a suitable depth.
IO.A template according to any previous claim which in use is moveably mounted upon a vehicle in combination with a plurality of heaters.
11.A template according to claim 10 wherein the said vehicle is equipped with an electronic positioning system.
12.A template according to claims 10 or II in which the said vehicle is equipped with means for preparing used materials for re use.
13.A template according to claims 10, 11 or 12 in which the said vehicle is equipped with road sweeping means.
14. A template as shown in any of the accompanying drawings.