The present invention relates to an improved screeding apparatus and novel components particularly suited for use with screeding apparatus.
Screeding machines known in the art are used to level large areas of poured, uncured concrete, such as roads or large floors found in warehouses or department stores. These screeding machines are typically very large and heavy. Due to their weight, they are typically restricted to use on the ground floor of most buildings.
The weight of many screeding devices also affects their design in that some screeding machines are supported by wheels which run adjacent to the area being screeded. With such designs, screeding machines can generally work along a predetermined path and are not particularly suited for screeding smaller areas off the predetermined path. Other screeding machines have been designed to be driven through poured concrete while supporting a screed behind the wheels in order to displace excess concrete and to level the concrete surface.
Those skilled in the concrete art will also appreciate that poured concrete is quite often strengthened, for example, by reinforcement bars, commonly known as rebar. The strength of the rebar limits the weight of a screeding machine since the rebar could be damaged by excessive weight.
Since, large multi-story buildings, such as department stores and office buildings, commonly have concrete floors, it would be very desirable to provide a screeding machine which is relatively light and easily maneuverable.
It would also be desirable to provide a screeding apparatus which can pass through poured, uncured concrete in order to maximize the areas that can be screeded.
One aspect of the present invention comprises a novel screeding apparatus which is designed to be driven through poured, uncured concrete.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a screeding apparatus is provided with novel wheels which can be moved through concrete after screeding and without requiring the re-screeding of the areas through which the wheels have passed.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a screeding apparatus is provided with at least one open frame wheel and at least one vibrator for vibrating at least one wheel as the wheel passes through uncured concrete. According to one preferred embodiment of this invention, the vibrating mechanism is adjustable in order to increase the force and/or frequency of the vibration applied to the wheel. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9copen framexe2x80x9d is used to indicate that concrete can flow substantially freely around or through the wheel. For example, according to some of the illustrated wheel embodiments, uncured concrete can flow at least partially in a direction perpendicular to the path of travel of the screeding machine.
These and other advantageous aspects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and accompanying figures.