Device for spreading a bituminous coating from a film of determined width of the coating, and method for implementing same

Abstract

The device includes a unit for moving on the ground along a longitudinal direction of advance ( 32 ) and a spreading unit fed with bituminous coating by a feeding unit and adapted to spread during the displacement of the device the layer of bituminous coating over a determined width of the ground considered transversally to the direction of advance. The spreading unit is adapted to perform the rolling, the crumbling and the falling down to the ground of the bituminous coating.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A device for spreading a layer ( 4 ) of a bituminous coating on a ground ( 2 ) to be covered, including means for moving on said ground along a longitudinal direction of advance ( 32 ) and a spreading system fed with bituminous coating by feeding means and adapted to spread during the displacement of the device the layer of bituminous coating over a determined width of said ground considered transversally to the direction of advance, the spreading system being adapted to make above the ground a rolling of the bituminous coating and a crumbling of the rolled bituminous coating and the falling down to the ground of the crumbled bituminous coating, wherein the spreading system includes at least one crumbling-rolling sub-unit consisted of an extended roll and a rough cylinder, and wherein the extended roll is formed by an end part of an endless belt ( 8 ) extended between an upstream inner roll ( 10 ) and a downstream inner roll ( 9 ), the upstream and downstream inner rolls being parallel to the rough cylinder ( 12 ), the downstream inner roll ( 9 ) being opposite the cylinder ( 12 ), the belt ( 8 ) having a width substantially equal to the length of the cylinder, a bituminous coating film ( 6 ) of determined thickness (e) being made on the upper surface of the belt ( 8 ), said film being carried along towards the cylinder by said belt, said film being carried along toward the cylinder by said belt, the determined distance between the surfaces of the rough cylinder and of the belt passing over the downstream inner roll being lower than the determined thickness (e) of the bituminous coating film ( 6 ) made on the upper surface of the belt ( 8 ). 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 19 , wherein the spreading system is adapted to perform the projection, for its falling down to the ground, of the crumbled bituminous coating. 
     
     
         21 . The device according to  claim 20 , wherein the cylinder rotates, in absolute value, at a speed higher than the radial speed of the belt ( 8 ) passing on the downstream inner roll ( 9 ). 
     
     
         22 . The device according to  claim 19 , further comprising a distributing machine adapted to distribute bituminous coating at the entry of the spreading system. 
     
     
         23 . The device according to  claim 19 , wherein the bituminous coating film ( 6 ) of determined thickness (e) is made on the upper surface of the belt ( 8 ) by a levelling machine arranged upstream from said belt. 
     
     
         24 . The device according to  claim 23 , wherein the levelling machine includes a transverse levelling wall ( 22 ) whose lower end is substantially parallel to the upper surface of the belt ( 8 ) and whose levelling end is at an adjustable determined height from the upper surface of the belt. 
     
     
         25 . The device according to  claim 24 , wherein the belt section ( 8 ) arranged between the levelling wall ( 22 ) and the downstream inner roll ( 9 ) is equipped with a weighing belt system that allows to measure the mass of the coating vein that passes on the belt at said weighing belt system. 
     
     
         26 . The device according to  claim 24 , wherein the distributing machine ( 7 ) is arranged transversally above the belt ( 8 ) and upstream from the levelling wall ( 22 ), the distributing machine ( 7 ) being adapted to distribute bituminous coating upstream from the levelling wall over a determined width of the belt and over a height that is higher than the determined thickness (e) of the bituminous coating film ( 6 ) to be made. 
     
     
         27 . The device according to  claim 22 , wherein the distributing machine ( 7 ) includes, in a cage ( 15 ), a worm ( 20 ) for carrying along the bituminous coating over the width of the belt ( 8 ), the cage, closed by lateral walls, having no bottom so that the bituminous coating can be distributed over the upper surface of the belt and being open on the top for the feeding ( 11 ) of bituminous coating. 
     
     
         28 . The device according to  claim 27 , wherein the levelling wall ( 22 ) constitutes the downstream lateral wall of the cage ( 15 ) of the distributing machine ( 7 ), the distributing machine cage being located at an adjustable determined height from the upper surface of the belt. 
     
     
         29 . The device according to  claim 19 , further comprising a frame ( 16 ) carrying two crumbling-rolling sub-units ( 1   a ,  1   b ) each consisted of a rough cylinder ( 12 ) and an extended roll ( 8 ,  9 ,  10 ), the two sub-units ( 1   a ,  1   b ) being offset, on the one hand, laterally relative to each other, and on the other hand, in height relative to each other, the two crumbling-rolling sub-units being mobile in translation laterally against the carrying frame, so as to be able to move the two sub-units apart from each other or closer to each other, in overlap, along a lateral direction parallel to the lane width, and hence to increase or reduce the determined width of said ground on which the bituminous coating is spread. 
     
     
         30 . The device according to  claim 29 , further comprising one distributing machine ( 7 ) per crumbling-rolling sub-unit, the two distributing machines of the two sub-units carrying the bituminous coating in two opposite directions diverging over a width of each endless belt, wherein the distributing machine is fed with bituminous coating through a chute ( 31 ) in fixed position above the cage ( 15 ) of the distributing machine ( 7 ), and wherein the two chutes ( 31 ) for the two crumbling-rolling sub-units ( 1   a ,  1   b ) are arranged against the median axis of the device superimposable to the direction of advance ( 32 ). 
     
     
         31 . The device according to  claim 19 , wherein the device forms an automotive spreading machine, said spreading system being arranged at the rear of said machine, or being removably installed at the rear of an automotive machine ( 14 ), said automotive machine including from the front/upstream to the rear/downstream according to the direction of advance: a reserve ( 35 ) of bituminous coating, at least one line ( 30 ) for conveying the bituminous coating rearward and said spreading system. 
     
     
         32 . The device according to  claim 19 , wherein relief patterns ( 13 ) are substantially elongated over the length of the rough cylinder. 
     
     
         33 . The device according to  claim 32 , wherein the relief patterns ( 13 ) are essentially filiform and of a height comprised between 1 mm and 15 mm. 
     
     
         34 . A method for spreading a layer ( 4 ) of a bituminous coating over a ground ( 2 ) to be covered, wherein, in a first time, the bituminous coating is rolled to make a bituminous coating film ( 6 ) of determined thickness (e) over a determined width and remote above the ground, and, in a second time, said film is crumbled ( 5 ) and the bituminous coating of the crumbled film is made to fall down to the ground, wherein the bituminous coating film of determined thickness (e) is made over an upstream part of an extended roll ( 8 ,  9 ,  10 ) consisted of an endless belt ( 8 ) extended between an upstream inner roll ( 10 ) and a downstream inner roll ( 9 ), and wherein a rough cylinder ( 12 ) including relief patterns ( 13 ) is implemented opposite the downstream inner roll to crumble ( 5 ) the film ( 6 ) made on the endless belt ( 8 ). 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein a bituminous coating is used, which is chosen among: a hot coating having a fabrication temperature higher than 150° C., a warm coating having a fabrication temperature higher than 100° C. and lower than 150° C., a half-warm coating having a fabrication temperature between 85° C. and 100° C., a half-cold or cold coating having a fabrication temperature lower than 85° C. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein a bituminous coating is used, whose values d and D of the d/D ratio are chosen among: a value of 0-2-4 or 6.3 mm for d and a value of 4-6.3-10-14-20 mm for D.