Earth moving conveyor system

Abstract

A system for the removal of material from a roadbed includes a movable vehicle equipped with a cutting plate having a cutting edge for scraping material from the roadbed to thereby form debris material. A first conveyor system for conveying the debris material away from the cutting edge is placed above the cutting plate and delivers the debris material to a second conveyor system which deposits the debris material laterally from a distal end of the second conveyor to a location remote from the movable vehicle.

1 . A system for the removal of material from a roadbed, the system comprising:
 a movable vehicle;   a cutting plate having a cutting edge for scraping material from the roadbed to thereby form debris material;   a first conveyor system for conveying the debris material away from the cutting edge; and   a second conveyor system capable of receiving the debris material from the first conveyor system and operable to deposit the debris material laterally from a distal end of the second conveyor to a location remote from the movable vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cutting plate further comprises a top surface capable of transporting the debris material from the cutting edge to the first conveyor system. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sloped feeder plate located behind the cutting edge creating a passageway between the feeder plate and the first conveyor system in order to direct the debris material more effectively to the second conveyor system.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second conveyor system is capable of operating in a reverse direction, and wherein the second conveyor system is capable of being adjusted laterally in order to select which lateral direction to discharge the debris material from the movable vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the distal end of the second conveyor system can extend at least eight feet from the vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second conveyor system is oriented orthogonally to the first conveyor system. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cutting edge of the cutting plate extends forwardly of the first conveyor assembly, and wherein substantially all of the first conveyor system is located above the cutting plate. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first conveyor assembly scrapes debris material from the top surface of the cutting plate. 
     
     
         9 . A roadbed debris removal assembly comprising:
 a cutting plate having a cutting edge for removing a quantity of debris material from a roadbed   a first conveyor system having a first distal end located proximately above the cutting edge, the first conveyor system being configured to transport the debris material away from the cutting edge and being arranged so as to have a predetermined slope to a second distal end;   a feeder plate having a sloped surface being parallel to the predetermined slope of the first conveyor system so as to create a debris material removal channel between the feeder plate and the first conveyor system in order to direct the debris material away from the cutting edge; and   a second conveyor system capable of receiving the earth material debris from the first conveyor system and being capable of transporting the debris material laterally away from a location where the cutting edge removes the debris material.   
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the cutting plate further comprises an upper surface capable of conveying debris material removed from the roadbed by the cutting edge. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the first conveyor assembly further comprises:
 raised contours operable to contact the top surface of the cutting plate and the sloped surface of the feeder plate in order to scrape debris from the top surface of the cutting plate and the sloped surface of the feeder plate.   
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 wherein the second conveyor assembly is capable of operating in a two directions.   
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 the first and second conveyors being orthogonal to one another; and   an adjustment assembly configured to laterally adjust the second conveyor system relative to the cutting edge in order to select which lateral direction to discharge the debris material in relation to the cutting edge.   
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the second conveyor system has a distal end discharging debris material, and wherein the lateral adjustment of the second conveyor can displace the distal end at least 8 feet. 
     
     
         15 . A method of providing a uniform roadbed surface comprising:
 engaging an area of earth with an elongated cutting plate having a cutting edge;   removing a quantity of debris material using the cutting edge;   directing the debris material to a first location remote from the cutting edge using a first conveyor assembly and a feeder plate;   receiving the debris material at the first location onto a second conveyor assembly; and   operating the second conveyor assembly to transport the debris material to a second location further remote from the cutting edge.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the elongated cutting plate has a top surface capable of holding debris material, and after removing the quantity of debris material using the cutting edge, the debris material is deposited onto the top surface of the cutting plate. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 scraping debris material from the top surface of the cutting plate using the first conveyor assembly.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 positioning the second conveyor assembly orthogonally to the first conveyor system.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 adjusting the second conveyor in a lateral direction to adjust the distance from the cutting edge that the debris material is discharged from the conveyor.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 operating the second conveyor in an opposite direction;   adjusting the second conveyor to extend in an opposite lateral direction; and   discharging debris material from the second conveyor in an opposite lateral direction.