Asphalt paving involves depositing a mat of paving material such as hot asphalt on a bed and then compacting the asphalt to a uniform thickness and consistency. Compactors use different configurations for the compacting process. Some compactors use a steel drum with vibrators. Other compactors use separate wheels, while others use a combination of separate wheels and drums.
During compaction, the compacting member can tend to collect pieces of the material being compacted on its ground-engaging surface via adhesion between the material being compacted and the compacting member. Pneumatic and vibratory asphalt compactors distribute water or other fluids on the tire and drum surface to help prevent asphalt material from sticking to them. When material does stick to the tire or drum, it can produce indentations in the road surface with every rotation or possibly cause more material to be pulled up from the asphalt mat. These indentations or holes in the road surface are undesirable. Often the machine operator does not see the material stuck to the tire or drum until it has caused multiple indentations.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,367,042 is entitled, “Machine Alert When Stopping on Hot Asphalt” and is directed to an alert system in equipment used in an asphalt paving environment, such as a compactor, that signals an operator when the equipment is stopped on hot asphalt, potentially over-compacting the area where the equipment is located. The alert system includes a surface temperature sensor so that the alert is only activated when there is a risk of over-compaction because the asphalt is still above a threshold temperature. The alert system may also include a timer so that the operator is not signaled during routine stopping associated with changing direction during compacting operations.
It will be appreciated that this background description has been created by the inventors to aid the reader, and is not to be taken as an indication that any of the indicated problems were themselves appreciated in the art. While the described principles can, in some aspects and embodiments, alleviate the problems inherent in other systems, it will be appreciated that the scope of the protected innovation is defined by the attached claims, and not by the ability of any disclosed feature to solve any specific problem noted herein.