Hopper cleanout

Abstract

Disclosed is an example material transfer vehicle comprising a feeder having a hydraulic motor, a chain actuated by the hydraulic motor, and loading hopper configured to provide material to the chain; a sensor configured to detect a presence of a truck; and an electronic control module, wherein the electronic control module is configured to automatically increase a speed at which the chain is actuated when the sensor detects a presence of a truck.

What I claim is: 
     
         1 . A material transfer vehicle comprising:
 a loading hopper configured to receive asphalt from a truck;   a sensor configured to detect the truck when the truck is in front of the loading hopper; and   at least one controller configured to receive data from the sensor and automatically steer the material transfer vehicle based on the data.   
     
     
         2 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect a bed of the truck and the at least one controller is configured to automatically steer the material transfer vehicle to align the loading hopper with bed of the truck. 
     
     
         3 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one controller aligns a center of the loading hopper with a center of the bed of the dump truck. 
     
     
         4 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one controller aligns a center of the loading hopper with a center of the bed of the truck within preset bounds. 
     
     
         5 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is at least one of a radar, ultrasonic, laser, optical, proximity sensor, and a GPS based sensor. 
     
     
         6 . A material transfer vehicle comprising:
 a windrow head configured to receive a windrow of asphalt from the ground;   a first conveyor configured to receive the asphalt from the windrow head;   a sensor configured to detect the windrow in front of the windrow head; and   at least one controller configured to receive data from the sensor and autosteer the material transfer vehicle based on the data.   
     
     
         7 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one controller autosteers the material transfer vehicle to align the windrow of asphalt with the windrow head. 
     
     
         8 . A material transfer vehicle comprising:
 a sensor configured to detect an object; and   at least one controller configured to receive data from the sensor and provide autosteer commands to align the material transfer vehicle with the object.   
     
     
         9 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the object is a windrow of asphalt. 
     
     
         10 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a windrow head configured to receive the windrow of asphalt;   a first conveyor configured to receive the asphalt from the windrow head.   
     
     
         11 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the object is a truck. 
     
     
         12 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a loading hopper configured to receive asphalt from a truck;   a hopper conveyor configured to receive the asphalt from the loading hopper; and   a conveyor configured to receive asphalt from the storage hopper.   
     
     
         13 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect a bed of the dump truck and the at least one controller is configured to autosteer the material transfer vehicle to align the loading hopper with bed of the truck. 
     
     
         14 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one controller aligns a center of the loading hopper with a center of the bed of the truck. 
     
     
         15 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one controller aligns a middle of the loading hopper with a middle of the bed of the dump truck within preset bounds. 
     
     
         16 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the sensor is at least one of a radar, ultrasonic, laser, optical, proximity sensor, and a GPS based sensor. 
     
     
         17 . A material transfer vehicle comprising:
 a loading hopper configured to receive asphalt from a truck;   a hopper conveyor configured to receive the asphalt from the loading hopper;   a sensor configured to detect the truck when the truck is in front of the loading hopper; and   at least one controller configured to receive data from the sensor and control at last one light based on the data received from the sensor.   
     
     
         18 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 17 , wherein at least one controller is configured to turn the at least one light green when the at least one controller determines it is acceptable for the truck to back up to the loading hopper. 
     
     
         19 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 17 , wherein at least one controller is configured to turn the at least one light red when the at least one controller determines it is not acceptable for the truck to back up to the loading hopper. 
     
     
         20 . The material transfer vehicle of  claim 17 , wherein at least one controller is configured to cycle the at least one light when the at least one controller determines a bed of the truck may be raised.