MADE OF TARMAC OR SIMILAR SOLID MATERIALS

BACKGROUND ART

The methods and/ or procedures currently commonly carried out for the repair of road floorings, in particular tarmac, comprise the execution - usually according to a predefined sequence - of various processing operations. For example, according to the most common methods, the road flooring, at one or more holes and/ or low areas and/ or subsiding areas, is first milled usually with a stand-alone milling machine, wherein then the debris resulting from the milling is removed and loaded onto means of transport, wherein finally the portion of flooring previously milled and from which the debris was removed, is renewed, for example by means of laying a new tarmac layer.

The methods according to the prior art briefly summarized above, result in a series or plurality of problems and/ or drawbacks which the Applicant intends to overcome by means of the present invention. For example, a first problem is related to the fact that even the removal of the debris resulting from the milling of the portion or strip of flooring previously milled requires the use of a specific piece of equipment or alternatively, the manual removal of the debris. In particular, the problems related to the mechanized removal of the debris with the aforesaid specific pieces of equipment arise from the fact that buckets of known type may not be used for the removal of the debris and loading onto means of transport, the width of the bucket in many cases being larger than the strip of previously milled flooring. And in any case, even in the case of milled strip or portion with width greater than or in any case compatible with the one of the bucket, the removal of the debris from the portion or strip is in any case difficult, for example due to the irregularities of the bottom of the portion or strip. An example of bucket according to the prior art is in particular depicted in figures 1 and 2, the bucket 100 therein depicted being in particular of the so-called "four-in- one" type and therefore inclusive of a shell shaped so as to collect bulk materials from the ground such as debris (according to essentially known operations and therefore not described in detail for the sake of conciseness), said shell comprising in particular a first half- shell 102 and a second half- shell 101 rotatably constrained to the first half-shell 102 and therefore being rotatable between the closed position in figure 1 and the open position in figure 2. Buckets of the "four-in-one" type depicted in figures 1 and 2 allow the facilitated loading of even small quantities of bulk material, wherein first the material is accumulated with the bucket set in closed position and then it is conveyed and loaded into the shell by switching the half-shell 101 from the open position in figure 2 to the closed one in figure 1. However, as anticipated above, the width of bucket 100, in particular the extension thereof in the direction transverse to the symmetry plane of machinery 200, usually is greater than the width of a common milling machine and therefore of the strip (the bucket usually also being wider than machinery 200) whereby the debris resulting from the milling within the milled portion or strip of flooring may not be piled up or even collected by means of the bucket which contrarily, may be lowered to the greatest extent up to coming in contact with the flooring at the sides of the milled portion, and therefore without any possibility of involving or engaging the material within the strip. Hence therefore the need to use a specific piece of equipment for removing the debris, or alternatively for manually removing the material.

The same holds true for the execution of other processing operations, such as for example, the distribution of renewal materials in the portion of milled surface freed from the debris, wherein according to the known methods, said processing operations each requires the use of a specific piece of equipment designed for the purpose.

From that disclosed above, it is moreover apparent that increasing the number of specific pieces of equipment results in significant problems both of economic and of logistics type. From an economical viewpoint, the required availability of various pieces of equipment results in significant investments and also management costs and/or just as significant maintenance costs. From a logistics viewpoint, increasing the number of pieces of equipment that is required to be available results in both transport problems (from the logistics base to the site and vice versa and / or from one site to another) but also and especially in the need to prepare very large sites designed to allow both the storage or housing and the movement and maneuvering of the various pieces of equipment, with evident and obvious problems arising from the unavoidable limitations to road traffic, and therefore problems of gridlocks and lengthy wait times for vehicles. It indeed is apparent that a narrower site which for example, only partially occupies one traffic lane, in addition to possibly the shoulder, and for a length of only a few tens of meters, induces gridlocks and much longer wait times (especially on very busy roads with a high traffic density) than a site which only occupies the shoulder and possibly for a shorter length.

It is therefore the main object of the present invention to overcome or at least minimize the drawbacks encountered in the repair and / or renewal of floorings, in particular of road floorings, according to the methods of the prior known art. In particular, one object of the present invention is to make available a bucket with improved versatility designed to be used both according to usual methods (as true bucket, possibly of the "four-in-one" kind) but also to allow at least the accumulation of bulk materials in situations of limited space in which the use of a bucket according to the prior art would not be possible, in particular in portions of floorings with sizes that are incompatible with the ones of a bucket according to the prior art, thereby avoiding the use of a specific piece of equipment for removing the debris. Moreover, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a bucket of the aforesaid type and at least a piece of equipment shaped so as to be engaged by the bucket (and therefore fixed to the bucket and moved by the bucket itself), thereby taking advantage of the potential of the bucket not only for usual operations intended for the bucket, but also for the use of various pieces of equipment. Finally, it is a further object of the present invention to propose a method and / or process for the repair and / or renewal of solid floorings, for example of road floorings, which requires the use of a reduced number of pieces of equipment and therefore the arrangement of sites which are not very voluminous and which can be prepared and positioned in a facilitated and quick manner, and therefore such as to only marginally affect road traffic for short periods of time. Moreover, the method according to the present invention shall allow the repair and/ or renewal operations of said floorings to be speeded up and simplified.

In consideration of the objects summarized above, the present invention is based on the general consideration according to which the same objects may be achieved by making a bucket of known type switchable between two configurations, wherein in one configuration the bucket is usable substantially according to known methods and for usual and habitual objects, but that in the second configuration, at least allows accumulating bulk materials positioned at a lower level than the one of the original surface of the flooring, such as for example the debris generated by the milling of a strip of flooring which is narrower than the bucket itself.

Moreover, the present invention is based on the further consideration according to which further advantages may be obtained by taking advantage of the switching possibility of the bucket between the two configurations to fasten pieces of equipment to the bucket itself, the aforesaid pieces of equipment, once fixed and constrained to the bucket, therefore being movable and / or operable by means of moving the bucket, for example by means of machinery of known type.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

On the basis of the considerations disclosed above and in consideration of the problems and/ or drawbacks encountered in the pieces of equipment and in the processing methods of known type, according to a first embodiment, the object of the present invention is a bucket for moving earth, debris, and bulk materials in general designed to be applied to and moved by means of a main piece of machinery for said moving of earth and / or debris and / or bulk materials in general, said bucket comprising a main body or shell shaped so as to define an internal space designed to contain earth, debris, and bulk materials in general, wherein said main body or shell comprises a bottom wall, which is adapted to be dragged over the ground or over a similar surface and is delimited at the front by a fixed front blade; said bucket comprising at least one mobile blade, which may be translated with respect to said bottom wall between a first end-of-travel position and a second end-of-travel position, wherein in a third intermediate position between said first and second end-of-travel positions said at least one mobile blade projects beyond the overall dimensions of said main body or shell underneath said bottom wall.

According to one embodiment, said main body or shell comprises a rear wall extending from said bottom wall on the opposite side with respect to said fixed front blade, wherein said at least one mobile blade is constrained to said rear wall and may be translated with respect to said rear wall.

According to one embodiment, said bottom wall comprises at least one first through slit, wherein in said first position, said at least one mobile blade is substantially housed in said internal space defined by said main body or shell, and wherein said at least one mobile blade is mobile and may be translated through said at least one through slit.

According to one embodiment, said rear wall comprises at least one second through slit, wherein said at least one mobile blade is constrained to said rear wall by constraint means which extend through said second through slit.

According to one embodiment, said second through slit has an oblong conformation, wherein the longitudinal extension of said second slit defines the maximum range of said at least one mobile blade between said first and second end-of-travel positions.

According to one embodiment, said bucket comprises a mobile contrast and movement plate positioned on the opposite side of said rear wall with respect to said at least one mobile blade, wherein said mobile plate is rigidly constrained to said at least one mobile blade by said constraint means which extend through said at least one second through slit.

According to one embodiment, said bucket comprises movement means for moving said at least one mobile blade between said first and second end-of- travel positions.

According to one embodiment, said movement means comprise an alternately extensible and retractable jack, wherein the extension or retraction of said jack results in the translation of said at least one blade from said first position to said second position, whereas the retraction or extension, respectively, of said jack results in the translation of said at least one blade from said second position to said first position.

According to one embodiment, said jack is of a hydraulic or pneumatic or electric or manual type.

According to one embodiment, said bucket comprises at least two mobile blades which may each be translated with respect to said bottom wall between a first end-of-travel position and a second end-of-travel position, wherein in a third intermediate position between said first and second end- of-travel positions, each of said at least two mobile blades projects beyond the overall dimensions of said main body or shell underneath said bottom wall.

According to one embodiment, in said first end-of-travel position, each of said at least two mobile blades is substantially housed in said internal space defined by said main body or shell, wherein each of said at least two mobile blades is mobile and may be translated through said at least one through slit.

According to one embodiment, said at least two mobile blades are each mobile respectively between their own first position and their own second position independently of one another.

According to one embodiment, said main body or shell comprises two half- bodies or half-shells, wherein said two half-bodies or half-shells are constrained together in a rotatable manner. According to one embodiment, said bucket is of the so-called four-in-one type, wherein said main half-bodies or half-shells are constrained together by means of a rotatable constraint that defines an axis of rotation substantially parallel to said fixed front blade.

The object of the present invention is also a machine for moving earth, debris and bulk materials generally equipped with a bucket according to one of the embodiments summarized above.

Again on the basis of the considerations disclosed above and in consideration of the problems and / or drawbacks encountered in the pieces of equipment and in the processing methods of known type, according to a further embodiment, the object of the present invention is a kit or combined system of pieces of equipment, in particular for the repair and / or renewal of floorings, such as solid floorings made of tarmac or similar solid materials, said kit comprising a bucket for moving earth, debris, and bulk materials in general designed to be applied to and moved by means of a main piece of machinery for said moving of earth and / or debris and / or bulk materials in general, said bucket comprising a main body or shell shaped so as to define an internal space designed to contain earth, debris, and bulk materials in general, wherein said main body or shell comprises a bottom wall, which is adapted to be dragged over the ground or over a similar surface and is delimited at the front by a fixed front blade, said kit or combined system comprising a second piece of equipment; wherein said bucket comprises at least one mobile blade, which may be translated with respect to said bottom wall between a first end-of-travel position and a second end-of-travel position, wherein in a third intermediate position between said first and second end-of-travel positions said at least one mobile blade projects beyond the overall dimensions of said main body or shell, and wherein said second piece of equipment defines an engagement seat designed to be engaged by said bucket so as to at least partially house said bottom wall of said bucket and to be engaged by said at least one mobile blade in said third intermediate position. According to one embodiment, said engagement seat of said second piece of equipment comprises a first front end portion designed to be engaged by said fixed blade of said bucket and a second rear portion designed to be engaged by said at least one mobile blade in said third intermediate position.

According to one embodiment, said at least one mobile blade, in said third intermediate position, projects beyond the overall dimensions of said main body or shell underneath said bottom wall, wherein said engagement seat comprises a bottom wall and a top wall radiused together at said first end portion, and wherein said at least one mobile blade, in said third intermediate position, engages said bottom wall.

According to one embodiment, said bottom wall of said engagement seat defines a projection which extends towards said top wall, wherein said at least one mobile blade, in said third intermediate position, engages said projection.

According to one embodiment, said main body or shell comprises a rear wall extending from said bottom wall on the opposite side with respect to said fixed front blade, wherein said at least one mobile blade is constrained to said rear wall and may be translated with respect to said rear wall, and wherein, with said engagement seat engaged by said bucket, said bottom wall of said bucket is completely housed between said first end portion and said at least one projection.

According to one embodiment, with said at least one mobile blade in said third intermediate position, said second piece of equipment is fixed to said bucket by contrast between said at least one mobile blade and said bottom wall and between said bottom wall and said top wall.

According to one embodiment, said bottom wall comprises at least one first through slit, wherein in said first position said at least one mobile blade is substantially housed in said internal space defined by said main body or shell, and wherein said at least one mobile blade is mobile and may be translated through said at least one through slit. According to one embodiment, said rear wall comprises at least one second through slit, wherein said at least one mobile blade is constrained to said rear wall by constraint means, which extend through said second through slit, and wherein said second through slit has an oblong conformation, and wherein the longitudinal extension of said second slit defines the maximum range of said at least one mobile blade between said first and second end- of-travel positions.

According to one embodiment, said bucket comprises a mobile contrast and movement plate positioned on the opposite side of said rear wall with respect to said at least one mobile blade, wherein said mobile plate is rigidly constrained to said at least one mobile blade by said constraint means, which extend through said at least one second through slit, wherein said bucket comprises movement means for moving said at least one mobile plate, wherein the movement of said at least one mobile plate results in the movement of said at least one mobile blade between said first and second end-of-travel positions.

According to one embodiment, said movement means comprise an alternately extensible and retractable jack, for example of a hydraulic type, wherein the extension or retraction of said jack results in the translation of said at least one blade from said first position to said second position, whereas the retraction or extension, respectively, of said jack results in the translation of said at least one blade from said second position to said first position.

According to one embodiment, said bucket comprises at least two mobile blades, which may each be translated with respect to said bottom wall between a first end-of-travel position and a second end-of-travel position, wherein in a third intermediate position between said first and second end- of-travel positions each of said at least two mobile blades projects beyond the overall dimensions of said main body or shell, wherein in said first end- of-travel position each of said at least two mobile blades is substantially housed in said internal space defined by said main body or shell, and wherein said at least two mobile blades are each mobile respectively between their own first position and their own second position independently of one another.

According to one embodiment, said bucket is of the so-called four-in-one type, wherein therefore said main body or shell comprises two half-bodies or half- shells constrained together by means of a rotatable constraint that defines an axis of rotation substantially parallel to said fixed front blade. According to one embodiment, said second piece of equipment is designed for the distribution of bulk materials.

According to one embodiment, said second piece of equipment is designed for the distribution of bulk materials such as lime, cement, sand, gravel and similar materials.

According to one embodiment, said second piece of equipment comprises rotary dosing means for dispensing said bulk materials, and driving means for driving in rotation said dosing means.

According to one embodiment, said driving means comprise at least one wheel designed to be driven in rotation by contact with a flooring.

According to one embodiment, said kit or system comprises machinery designed to be equipped with a bucket according to one of the embodiments summarized above.

Again on the basis of the considerations disclosed above and in consideration of the problems and / or drawbacks encountered in the pieces of equipment and in the processing methods of known type, according to a further embodiment, the object of the present invention is a method for the repair and / or renewal of solid floorings, such as for example floorings made of tarmac or similar materials, at holes, subsiding areas, or the like, said method comprising the milling of a portion of said flooring, the at least partial removal of the debris resulting from the milling and the renewal of said portion of flooring, wherein the removal of the debris is executed using a bucket for moving earth, debris, and bulk materials in general moved by means of a main piece of machinery, said bucket comprising a main body or shell shaped so as to define an internal space designed to contain earth, debris, and bulk materials in general, wherein said main body or shell comprises a bottom wall, which is adapted to be dragged over said flooring and is delimited at the front by a fixed front blade, said bucket comprising at least one mobile blade, which may be translated with respect to said bottom wall between a first end-of-travel position and a second end-of-travel position, wherein in a third intermediate position between said first and second end-of-travel positions said at least one mobile blade projects beyond the overall dimensions of said main body or shell underneath said bottom wall, and wherein said debris is at least partially piled up or accumulated by translation of said bucket with respect to said flooring and by means of said at least one mobile blade in said third intermediate position and designed to engage the debris within the milled portion of said flooring.

According to one embodiment, said bucket comprises at least two mobile blades, which may each be translated with respect to said bottom wall between a first end-of-travel position and a second end-of-travel position, wherein in said third intermediate position, each of said at least two mobile blades projects beyond the overall dimensions of said main body or shell underneath said bottom wall, and wherein said debris is at least partially piled up or accumulated by translation of said bucket with respect to said flooring and by means of at least one of said two mobile blades in said third intermediate position and designed to engage the debris within the milled portion of said flooring.

According to one embodiment, said debris is at least partially piled up or accumulated by translation of said bucket with respect to said flooring with both said two mobile blades said third intermediate position and designed to engage the debris within the milled portion of said flooring.

According to one embodiment, said bucket is of the four-in-one type, wherein therefore said main shell or body comprises a first rotary half-body or half-shell constrained to a second half-body or half-shell fixed by means of a rotatable constraint which defines an axis of rotation substantially parallel to said fixed front blade, wherein said debris at least partially piled up or accumulated is loaded at least partially into said bucket by rotating said rotary half-shell or half-body.

According to one embodiment, the renewal of said portion of flooring comprises the distribution of powder cement or similar bonding material, in said portion of flooring.

According to one embodiment, said distribution of powder cement or similar bonding material is executed using a first piece of equipment designed for the distribution of solid bulk materials that defines an engagement seat designed to be engaged by said bucket so as to at least partially house said bottom wall of said bucket and to be engaged by said at least one mobile blade in said third intermediate position, said second piece of equipment being fixed to said bucket by contrast for the purpose, between said bottom wall and said at least one mobile blade and said engagement seat.

According to one embodiment, said engagement seat comprises a bottom wall and a top wall radiused together at a first end portion, wherein said at least one mobile blade, in said third intermediate position, engages said bottom wall.

According to one embodiment, said bottom wall of said engagement seat defines a projection which extends towards said top wall, wherein said at least one mobile blade, in said third intermediate position, engages said projection, and wherein with said at least one mobile blade in said third intermediate position, said first piece of equipment is fixed to said bucket by contrast between said bottom wall and said top wall and between said at least one mobile blade and said projection.

According to one embodiment, said second piece of equipment comprises dosing means for dispensing said bulk materials, which for example but not exclusively are rotary, and driving means for driving in rotation said dosing means, wherein said driving means comprise at least one wheel designed to be driven in rotation by contact with a flooring.

According to one embodiment, the renewal of said portion of flooring comprises the further milling of said portion of flooring with possible distribution of water into said portion of flooring. According to one embodiment, said method comprises leveling the bottom of said portion of flooring by translation of said bucket with respect to said flooring and by means of said at least one mobile blade in said third intermediate position.

According to one embodiment, the renewal of said portion of flooring comprises the distribution of bitumen emulsion and/ or liquid bitumen and / or similar material, in said portion of flooring.

According to one embodiment, said distribution of tar emulsion is executed using a second piece of equipment designed for the distribution of liquid materials and/or fluids that defines an engagement seat designed to be engaged by said bucket so as to at least partially house said bottom wall of said bucket and to be engaged by said at least one mobile blade in said third intermediate position, said second piece of equipment being fixed to said bucket by contrast for the purpose, between said bottom wall, said at least one mobile blade and said engagement seat.

According to one embodiment, said engagement seat comprises a bottom wall and a top wall radiused together at a first end portion, wherein said at least one mobile blade, in said third intermediate position, engages said bottom wall.

According to one embodiment, said bottom wall of said engagement seat defines a projection which extends towards said top wall, wherein said at least one mobile blade, in said third intermediate position, engages said projection, and wherein with said at least one mobile blade in said third intermediate position, said second piece of equipment is fixed to said bucket by contrast between said at least one mobile blade and said bottom wall and between said bottom wall and said top wall.

According to one embodiment, the renewal of said portion of flooring comprises the spreading, in said portion of flooring, of a tarmac surface of thickness conforming with the depth of said portion of flooring, and the possible compacting of said tarmac surface, for example by means of a vibrating roller. Further possible embodiments of the piece of equipment and of the machinery according to the present invention are defined in the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is clarified below by means of the description of certain embodiments thereof as depicted in the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted that the present invention in any case is not limited to the embodiments depicted in the drawings; contrarily, all those variants or modifications of the embodiments depicted and described later, which are clear, obvious and apparent to persons skilled in the art, fall within the scope or are the object of the present invention. In particular, in the accompanying drawings:

figures 1 and 2 each show a side view of machinery equipped with a bucket according to the prior art;

figures 3 show (partial sectional) side and perspective views of a bucket according to one embodiment of the present invention;

figures 4 show a rear view and perspective views of a bucket according to one embodiment of the present invention;

figures 5 show side views and a front view of machinery equipped with a bucket according to one embodiment of the present invention;

figures 6 show a side view and a front view of machinery equipped with a bucket according to one embodiment of the present invention;

figures 7 show a side view and a front view of machinery equipped with a bucket according to one embodiment of the present invention;

figures 8 show a side view and a front view of machinery equipped with a bucket according to one embodiment of the present invention;

figures 9 show a side view and a front view of machinery equipped with a bucket according to one embodiment of the present invention;

figures 10 show side views of a bucket and a piece of equipment of a combined system according to one embodiment of the present invention; figures 1 1 to 13 show (also partial sectional) perspective views of a piece of equipment of a combined system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is particularly and effectively applied in the repair and/ or renewal of road floorings; this therefore is the reason why the present invention is described below with particular reference to the application thereof in the case of the repair of road floorings.

The possible applications of the present invention in any case are not limited to the case of the repair of road floorings; contrarily, the present invention effectively and conveniently is also applied for example for moving pieces of equipment intended to execute various activities and/or processing operations.

Bucket 100 according to the embodiments depicted in figures 5 to 10 is shown applied to a main piece of machinery (in the specific but non-limiting case, a skid-loader), in particular by means of a connection interface 103 constrained to the mobile pantograph 201 of machine 200 by means of substantially known methods and therefore not described in detail. The bucket 100 as depicted is of the so-called "four-in-one" type, wherein therefore the shell G of bucket 100 comprises a first mobile half-shell 101 rotatably constrained to a fixed half-shell shell 102, the half-shell 101 being rotatable with respect to the half- shell 102 about an axis of rotation X substantially parallel to the fixed front blade 105 of the half-shell 101. It is in any case worth noting that the innovative features of the bucket according to the present invention described in detail later are not peculiar of a bucket of the "four-in-one" type, rather can be made and implemented on a bucket of any kind, in particular also on a bucket with a single main shell. Shell G obviously is designed and intended to contain bulk materials such as for example, gravel, sand, debris, in any case similar bulk materials, and therefore to collect said materials, for the loading and unloading or in any case moving operations of said materials typical of a bucket of the type depicted. For this purpose, bucket 100 is connected to the main hydraulic circuit of machine 200, wherein in particular the "four- in-one" bucket depicted in the drawings comprises an alternately extensible and retractable hydraulic jack 104 for switching the mobile half-shell 101 between the open position in figure 2 and the closed position in figure 1. Referring now to drawings 3 and 4, the fixed half-shell 102 comprises a rear wall 1 1 1, while the mobile half-shell 101 comprises a bottom wall 108 which, with the half- shell 102 in closed position, is radiused with the rear wall 1 1 1, wherein obviously when shell G is a single piece, the walls 1 1 1 and 108 are constrained together in a rigid manner. There are arranged, on the rear wall 1 1 1, two mobile blades 106, each which may be translated on the rear wall 1 1 1 between a first end position (retracted) in figure 3a and an end position (advanced or extended) in figure 3b. Each of the two mobile blades 106 is rigidly fixed to a corresponding mobile sheet 1 14 arranged on the rear wall 1 1 1 but on the opposite side with respect to the corresponding mobile blade 106. In particular, each of the mobile blades 106 is rigidly fixed to the corresponding mobile plate 1 14 by means of constraint means 1 15 (for example, bolts and respective nuts or in any case similar constraint means) which extend through a through slit 109, the through slits 109 being made in the rear wall 1 1 1. Each of the through slits 109 moreover has oblong and elongated shape, wherein the longitudinal extension of the through slits 109 defines the range of the mobile plates 1 14 and therefore of the relative mobile sheets 106 between the first and second end-of- travel positions depicted in figures 3a and 3b respectively. In order to move the mobile plates 1 14 according to the methods described above, bucket 100 comprises movement means 1 13, in particular a first hydraulic jack 1 13 for moving a mobile plate 1 14 and a second hydraulic jack 113 for moving the other mobile plate 1 14, wherein the extension or lengthening and shortening of the jacks 1 13 translates into the return of the respective mobile plate 1 14 (and therefore of the respective blade or mobile sheet 106) towards the retracted position in figure 3a and into the exit or extension of the respective mobile plate 1 14 (and therefore of the respective blade or mobile sheet 106) towards the advanced or extended position in figure 3b, respectively. Obviously, in the specific case of hydraulic jacks 1 13, the same may be connected to the main hydraulic circuit of machinery 200, the connection being capable of being both shared (for the simultaneous movement of the plates 1 14 and of the sheets 106) and alternatively, independent, for independently moving the two plates 1 14 (and therefore the two blades or sheets 106). Just as obviously, within the scope of the present invention, alternatively to the hydraulic jacks 1 13, jacks of different type may be provided, for example pneumatic or also manual or also electric. The drawings also depict indicators 1 10 in particular for informing an operator driving machine 200 of the actual position of the mobile blades 106.

The two mobile sheets 106 are designed to be translated according to the methods described, through a through slit 107 made in the bottom wall 108, in particular in the case of shell G in a single piece, and therefore of bottom wall 108 integral with the rear wall 1 1 1, wherein in any case, in the case of shell G of the "four-in-one" type, the bottom wall 108 may be shaped for the purpose so as to define, in the closed position, a gap 107 designed to allow the translation of the mobile blades 106.

A further peculiarity of bucket 100 according to the present invention relates to the fact that the mobile blades 106, in the extended position thereof (figure 3b), extend beyond the overall dimensions of shell G, in particular underneath the bottom wall 108, while contrarily, in the retracted position thereof (figure 3a), the two blades 106 are positioned within the overall dimensions of shell G, in particular substantially within the internal space defined by shell G intended to contain the materials to be moved by means of bucket 100.

With reference to figures 5 to 9, examples of use and application of bucket 100 according to the present invention are described later, wherein in figures 5 to 9, component and/or characteristic parts of bucket 100 according to the present invention described above with reference to other drawings, are identified by the same reference numerals. Letter P in figures 5 to 9 identifies a flooring (for example but not necessarily, a tarmac road flooring), while reference PI identifies a portion or strip of flooring P subjected to processing, for example a portion or strip PI at holes or subsiding areas of flooring P in which the tarmac was milled or ground and is to be removed.

As anticipated above, the width of the milling machines commonly used to mill or grind the tarmac is significantly less than the one of buckets of the type according to the present invention; it is therefore apparent that debris M resulting from the milling, which remains confined in portion PI and underneath the level of the original surface S of flooring P, may not be removed from portion PI by means of a bucket of known type, the bucket indeed, as depicted in figures 1 and 2, may be at most resting on the surface S of flooring P, and therefore in absolutely unsuitable position to engage and collect material M in and from portion PI, respectively. The bucket according to the present invention allows this limitation of buckets according to the prior art to be overcome. Indeed, as depicted, with bucket 100 resting on the original surface S of flooring P, the material M in portion PI may be engaged by at least one of the mobile blades 106 (one or more according to the width of the strip PI) in intermediate position between the retracted position in figure 3a and the extended position in figure 3b, according to the actual depth of portion PI (figures 5b and 5c). Thereby, by dragging bucket 100 over the original surface S, by means of the advancement and/or retraction of machine 200, material M may be engaged by means of one or both the mobile blades 106 and therefore accumulated and pushed outside the milled portion PI, and then collected by means of bucket 100 itself according to habitual and variable operations depending thereon whether or not the bucket is of the type with shell G in a single piece or, as depicted, of the "four-in-one" type. Figures 5, 6 and 9 relate to the case in which the width of portion PI requires the use, and therefore the extension, of one mobile blade 106 alone (the width of the portion or strip PI being only slightly greater than the one of a mobile blade 106), while figures 7 and 8 relate to the case in which the width of the strip PI is such as to require the use and the extension of the two mobile blades 106, like when the strip PI is processed by means of two contiguous passages with the milling machine.

It is also worth noting that as depicted, material M, under the push of one or both the two mobile blades 106, is pushed outside portion PI, at least partly over surface S at the sides of portion PI, from where it may be collected by means of bucket 100, in particular by means of shell G.

It has therefore been shown that for the removal of material M from portion PI, bucket 100 according to the present invention allows the need to be obviated of arranging a specific piece of equipment, for example, a piece of suction equipment, or in any case of resorting to the manual removal of material M.

With reference to figures 10 to 13, further possibilities of use of bucket 100 according to the present invention, in combination with a piece of equipment 300 according to the present invention, are described later.

As depicted, in the specific (but non-limiting) case of the piece of equipment according to figures 1 1 to 13, a piece of equipment designed for the distribution of bulk solid materials C, e.g. lime or cement, is involved. It is indeed worth noting that, as described in detail later, the operations of renewal of the road surface provide the distribution, in the previously milled portion PI and from which the debris M was removed, of lime, cement and/or similar bonding materials.

For this purpose, the piece of equipment 300, later also defined as "lime spreader" comprises a container or hopper 301 with a cover 310, the container 301 being intended to contain the materials C to be distributed. A through slit of longitudinal extension substantially equal to the width of container 301 is formed on the bottom of container 301 (figure 13), wherein, there are prepared rotary dosing means 302 at the through slit 31 1, in the specific case consisting of a drum with a plurality of blades that extend outwards from the drum itself, wherein therefore the rotation of the means 302 allows the exit of material C through slit 31 1. The driving in rotation of the means 302 is obtained by means of driving in rotation of the wheels 304 and of a drive (not depicted) interposed between at least one of the wheels 304, wherein therefore the rotation speed of the means 302 depends on the drive ratio between the at least one wheel 304 and the means 302, and wherein the rotation of the wheels 304 is obtained simply by means of translation (by thrust and/or traction) of the piece of equipment 300 with the wheels 304 in contact with the ground, for example with the surface S of flooring P or also with the surface of portion PI previously freed of debris M resulting from the milling. The piece of equipment 300 may obviously be manually pushed and/or pulled, for example by acting on handle 312. However, the piece of equipment 300 according to the present invention is shaped so as to be moved (pushed and/or pulled with the wheels 304 in contact with the ground, for example with surface S) by means of the above- described bucket according to the present invention.

For this purpose, the piece of equipment 300 is shaped so as to define a housing and engagement portion 305 intended to be engaged by bucket 100, in particular so as to at least partially house the bottom wall 108 of shell G (with the half-shell 101 in closed position in case of "four-in-one" type of shell). In particular, the engagement portion 305 is defined by a bottom wall 307 and by a top wall 308 (for example, the bottom wall of container 301), the walls 307 and 308 being radiused at an end portion 306 of the engagement portion 305 designed in particular to be engaged by the front fixed blade 105 of bucket 100. The mutual engagement methods of the piece of equipment 300 and of bucket 100, and therefore of fastening or rigidly constraining the piece of equipment 300 to bucket 100, may be summarized as follows.

Bucket 100 is progressively moved close to the piece of equipment 300 so as to progressively insert the bottom wall 108 of bucket 100 into the engagement and housing portion 305 of the piece of equipment 300 (figure 10a); then, with the end portion 306 engaged by the front blade 105 of bucket 100, and with the bottom wall 108 substantially housed between said end portion 306 and a projection 309 that extends from wall 108 towards the top wall 308, one or both the mobile blades 106 (according to the width of the piece of equipment 300) are switched from the retracted position into an intermediate position in which they engage the bottom wall

307, in particular projection 309 at the connection with surface 307 (figure 10b). At this point, bucket 100, in particular the bottom wall 108, cannot come out of the portion or engagement and housing seat 305, and the piece of equipment 300 is rigidly constrained to bucket 100 by contrast between the parts engaged together, in particular between blade 105 and the end portion 306, between the bottom wall 108 of shell G and the bottom wall

308, and between one or both the mobile blades 106 and the bottom wall 307 or projection 309.

At this point, the advancement and/ or retraction of bucket 100 (by means of machine 200) with the wheels 304 of the piece of equipment 300 in contact with the ground, for example with the original surface S or with the one of portion PI, are translated into the driving in rotation of the dosing means 302 and therefore into the distribution of material C contained in distributor 301, for example as anticipated, lime and/or cement and/or similar bonding materials.

Obviously, the piece of equipment 300 may be released from bucket 100 by bringing one or both mobile blades 106 back into the retracted position (or in any case, the disengagement position from projection 309) and retracting the bucket with respect to the piece of equipment 300. Moreover, just as obviously, by means of the mutual engagement and disengagement methods of the piece of equipment 300 and of bucket 100 described, the piece of equipment 300 may also be easily loaded and unloaded onto and from, respectively, a means of transport, for example a truck or semi-trailer. It has therefore been shown how the combined system of the piece of equipment 300 and bucket 100 according to the present invention allows the problem to be obviated of arranging specific movement means for moving the lime spreader 300. Obviously according to the present invention, also various pieces of equipment may be moved by means of methods similar to the ones described above, for example a piece of equipment for the distribution of fluid materials or liquids, or also for example, a milling machine provided with an autonomous engine or with a pump or hydraulic motor which can be connected to the hydraulic circuit of machine 200, the pieces of equipment only requiring to be provided with an engagement portion corresponding to the engagement portion 305 described above with reference to the lime spam 300 for the purpose.

As anticipated and demonstrated by means of the description above, the present invention allows the repair and/ or renewal of floorings to be improved and simplified, in particular but not exclusively, of road floorings made of tarmac, at holes and/ or subsiding areas and/ or similar irregularities. For example, the present invention allows the facilitated removal of debris M from previously milled portions of flooring PI, and also the just as facilitated execution of operations and/or processing operations in the aforesaid portions PI .

A non-limiting example of repair and / or renewal of a road flooring P may comprise the following operations:

a) milling the tarmac surface of a portion PI of a flooring P at holes and/ or subsiding areas having predefined depth according to the original asphalt topping, which typically ranges between 50 and 100 mm;

b) removing debris M from portion PI (possibly comprising the load of material M and transferring to areas provided for the purpose, e.g. landfills);

renewal of the road and/ or flooring P surface in portion PI .

The milling and removal operations a) and b) of debris M are part of the preparation of portion PI, while the renewal of portion PI may for example, but not necessarily and/or exhaustively, comprise the following operations: c) distributing melted binding material in portion PI such as for example, cement and/or lime (for example, by means of the piece of equipment 300 described above);

d) further milling portion PI, for example to depth of about 25 cm, with remixing of the bedding material with the binding material (lime and/ or cement or others) and possible dosed distribution (for example, by means of electric pumps) of water;

e) compacting the new debris, for example with vibrating roller and / or vibrating plate;

f) leveling portion PI, in particular of the new debris before and/ or after the re-compaction, for example, by means of bucket 100;

g) distributing bitumen emulsion or similar products in portion PI, and therefore over the new debris;

h) hot picking melted tarmac from container and distributing the same in portion PI (for example, by means of bucket 100);

i) spreading the tarmac in portion PI at variable thickness according to the residual depth of portion PI and therefore so as to bring the surface of portion PI back to the level of the surface S of flooring P;

1) compacting the tarmac in portion PI to level the surface of portion PI and the original surface S of flooring P.

From that indicated above, it is apparent that:

operations b), f), h) and i) may be conveniently executed by means of bucket 100 according to the present invention, with one or both the mobile blades 106 in retracted or intermediate or extended position according to the needs and / or circumstances;

operations c), e), g) and 1) may be executed by means of the piece of equipment designed for the purpose to be engaged and moved by means of bucket 100 according to the methods described above concerning the piece of equipment 300. Finally, it is a possibility within the scope of the present invention, to execute the milling operations a) and/or d) by means of milling machines engaged and moved by means of bucket 100, also in this case according to methods similar to the ones described concerning the piece of equipment 300.

It has therefore been shown by the detailed description above of the embodiments of the present invention depicted in the drawings, that the present invention allows the preset objects to be reached and/or overcome, or at least the drawbacks typical of the solutions according to the known art, to be minimized.

In particular, the bucket according to the present invention allows the facilitated removal of debris M, wherein the bucket according to the present invention allows the engagement and movement of pieces of equipment shaped according to the present invention and therefore designed to be engaged and moved by and by means of said bucket 100.

Therefore, the present invention allows the number of pieces of equipment required to perform repair and / or renewal operations of the floorings to be permanently reduced, and also the aforesaid operations to be simplified and accelerated, thus reducing the volume of the roadbed by the relative sites both in terms of space and time, and therefore with apparent advantages in terms of reduced and contained impact on road traffic, and also in terms of both management and maintenance costs.

Although the present invention was clarified by means of a detailed description of the embodiments thereof depicted in the drawings, the present invention obviously is not limited to the embodiments described above and depicted in the drawings; to the contrary, all those variants of the embodiments described and depicted, which are clear, obvious and apparent to persons skilled in the art, fall within the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the case of the piece of equipment 300, the dosing means may be put in rotation by means of a different solution by the driving means (wheels) described with reference to the figures; dosing means which do not necessarily rotate may be provided.

And again, the bucket according to the present invention may be moved by means of any machinery, for example by means of an excavator or also a shovel loader.

The object of the present invention is therefore defined by the claims.