TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The technical field relates to the field of paving systems, apparatuses, devices to be used for roads or the like. More particularly, the technical field relates to a multifunctional spreading device configured to perform lateral spreading of aggregate materials.

BACKGROUND

[0002] In the field of paving devices, several apparatus models, types and designs are known to dispense and scrape aggregate material on a ground surface, to lay down the aggregate material on the ground and to perform paving or the like. Known devices commonly include a hopper receiving the aggregate to be spread, an aggregate conveying assembly receiving the aggregate from the hopper and conveying the aggregate towards the surface to be covered and to spread the aggregate thereon, and a screed assembly configured to further spread the aggregate and to smooth out the upper surface of the layer of aggregate material being laid out.

[0003] In known devices, the design, configuration, components and/or functioning of the hopper, aggregate conveying assembly and/or screed assembly however tend to result in a device suffering from several drawbacks limiting the efficiency of the device and/or adaptability of the device to different use and/or conditions.

[0004] Indeed, known devices are commonly designed to spread and lay down a specific type of aggregate material (e.g., dirt, gravel, asphalt, etc.), using a specific aggregate conveying assembly adapted to the corresponding aggregate material. This limits the possible use of the device, with distinct devices being commonly required, for example to dispense gravel and asphalt. Indeed, a belt conveyor is normally used as aggregate conveying assembly for spreading dirt or gravel in devices used to spread this kind of aggregate, while an auger is normally used as aggregate conveying assembly for spreading asphalt in devices used to spread asphalt aggregate. [0005] Moreover, in known paving devices, the flow of aggregate material towards an outlet of the hopper can be variable or unstable, which is undesirable as a constant flow is desired to allow the device to spread a constant flow of aggregate material onto the ground surface.

[0006] The screed assemblies of known devices typically offer a limited opening span (/.e., the gap between the distal end of the screed and the main body of the device), thereby limiting the maximal width of the layer of aggregate being laid on the ground. Moreover, known devices tend to offer complex crown adjustable mechanisms to adjust the configuration of the screeding plate positioned at the bottom of the screed, increasing production costs and risks of device failure.

[0007] In view of the above, there is a need for an improved spreading device for which, by virtue of its design and/or components, would be able to overcome or at least minimize some of the above-discussed prior art concerns.

SUMMARY

[0008] In accordance with one aspect, there is provided a multifunctional spreading device for spreading aggregate material. The device comprises a main body, a conveying assembly and a screed assembly. The main body comprises a hopper and a conveying assembly receiving cavity. The hopper is sized and shaped to receive the aggregate material and includes a first lateral hopper wall, a second lateral hopper wall, a front hopper wall and a rear hopper wall. The front hopper wall and rear hopper wall extend between the first and second lateral walls at opposed ends of the hopper. Each one of the first lateral hopper wall, second lateral hopper wall, front hopper wall and rear hopper wall has a lower end and a hopper outlet is defined between the lower ends of the first lateral hopper wall, the second lateral hopper wall, the front hopper wall and the rear hopper wall. The conveying assembly receiving cavity is defined below the hopper outlet and receives the aggregate material discharged from the hopper outlet. It is defined between a first side wall and a second side wall each having a support structure projecting therefrom towards the inside of the conveying assembly receiving cavity. The conveying assembly has an outer frame sized and shaped to fit within the conveying assembly receiving cavity and including opposed frame walls spaced apart from one another. The opposed frame walls each include an abutment member projecting outwardly therefrom, the abutment members each being configured to abut onto the corresponding support structure of the first and second side wall defining the conveying assembly receiving cavity to support the conveying assembly inside the conveying assembly receiving cavity. The screed assembly is mounted to the main body and extend laterally therefrom to engage and smooth aggregate material being discharged from the conveying assembly.

[0009] In an embodiment, the conveying assembly includes at least one of an auger assembly and a conveyor assembly.

[0010] In an embodiment, each support structure includes a series of roller cams mounted to the corresponding one of the first side wall and a second side wall.

[0011] In an embodiment, the series of roller cams are arranged in a substantially horizontal row.

[0012] In an embodiment, the front hopper wall of the hopper is selectively pivotable between a lowered configuration and a raised configuration.

[0013] In an embodiment, a lower section of the front hopper wall is connected to a frame of the main body by at least one hinge, with at least one linear actuator being mounted between the frame of the main body and a rear surface of the front hopper wall.

[0014] In an embodiment, the screed assembly includes a screed plate including an attachment plate and a foldable plate extending below the attachment plate, each one of the attachment plate and foldable plate having a substantially vertical forward section and a substantially horizontal rearward section extending rearwardly from the substantially vertical forward section. The screed plate further includes folding actuators extending between the substantially horizontal rearward sections of the attachment plate and the foldable plate, at opposed longitudinal end sections thereof, to perform mechanical deformation of the foldable plate. [0015] In an embodiment, the substantially vertical forward section of the foldable plate includes substantially vertical cut outs extending substantially along the width of the substantially vertical forward section.

[0016] In accordance with another aspect, there is also provided a multifunctional spreading device for spreading aggregate material. The device includes a main body including a hopper sized and shaped to receive the aggregate material, the hopper including a first lateral hopper wall, a second lateral hopper wall, a front hopper wall and a rear hopper wall. The front hopper wall and rear hopper wall extend between the first and second lateral walls at opposed ends of the hopper, with each one of the first lateral hopper wall, second lateral hopper wall, front hopper wall and rear hopper wall having a lower end. A hopper outlet is defined between the lower ends of the first lateral hopper wall, the second lateral hopper wall, the front hopper wall, and the rear hopper wall. The device also includes a conveying assembly positioned below the hopper outlet and receiving the aggregate material discharged from the hopper outlet. The conveying assembly extends along a longitudinal axis of the main body and conveys the aggregate material towards a discharged end thereof, to discharge the aggregate material onto a ground surface. The device further includes a screed assembly mounted to the main body and extending laterally therefrom, the screed assembly including a screed plate engaging and smoothing the aggregate material being discharged from the conveying assembly. The screed plate includes an attachment plate and a foldable plate extending below the attachment plate, with the screed plate further including folding actuators extending between the attachment plate and the foldable plate, at opposed longitudinal end sections thereof, to perform mechanical deformation of the foldable plate.

[0017] In an embodiment, each one of the attachment plate and the foldable plate have a substantially vertical forward section and a substantially horizontal rearward section extending rearwardly from the substantially vertical forward section, with the folding actuators extending between the substantially horizontal rearward section of the attachment plate and the foldable plate. [0018] In an embodiment, the substantially vertical forward section of the foldable plate includes substantially vertical cut outs extending substantially along the width of the substantially vertical forward section.

[0019] In an embodiment, the folding actuators are linear actuators and include at least one of a manual linear motion actuator and a hydraulic cylinder.

[0020] In an embodiment, the main body further includes a conveying assembly receiving cavity defined below the hopper outlet and receiving the aggregate material discharged from the hopper outlet, the conveying assembly receiving cavity being defined between a first side wall and a second side wall each having a support structure projecting therefrom towards the inside of the conveying assembly receiving cavity. The conveying assembly also includes an outer frame, sized and shaped to fit within the conveying assembly receiving cavity, the outer frame including opposed frame walls spaced apart from one another and each including an abutment member projecting outwardly therefrom. The abutment members each are configured to abut onto the corresponding support structure of the first and second side wall defining the conveying assembly receiving cavity to support the conveying assembly inside the conveying assembly receiving cavity.

[0021] In an embodiment, the conveying assembly includes at least one of an auger assembly and a conveyor assembly.

[0022] In an embodiment, each support structure includes a series of roller cams mounted to the corresponding one of the first side wall and a second side wall.

[0023] In an embodiment, the series of roller cams are arranged in a substantially horizontal row.

[0024] In an embodiment, the front hopper wall of the hopper is selectively pivotable between a lowered configuration and a raised configuration.

[0025] In an embodiment, a lower section of the front hopper wall is connected to a frame of the main body by at least one hinge, with at least one linear actuator being mounted between the frame of the main body and a rear surface of the front hopper wall. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Other objects, advantages and characteristics will become more apparent upon reading the following non-restrictive description of embodiments thereof, given for the purpose of exemplification only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0027] Figure 1 is an isometric front view of the multifunctional spreading device, in accordance with an embodiment.

[0028] Figure 2 is an isometric rear view of the multifunctional spreading device of Figure 1.

[0029] Figures 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of the multifunctional spreading device of Figure 1 , taken along lines C-C in Figure 1 , with Figure 3A showing the front wall of the hopper in the lowered configuration and Figure 3B showing the front wall of the hopper in the raised configuration.

[0030] Figures 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the multifunctional spreading device of Figure 1 , taken along lines B-B in Figure 1 , with Figure 4A showing the device with the aggregate conveying assembly removed from the conveying assembly receiving cavity and Figure 4B showing the device with an auger assembly mounted in the conveying assembly receiving cavity.

[0031] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the multifunctional spreading device of Figure 1 , taken along lines A-A in Figure 1 .

[0032] Figure 6 is an isometric view of a portion of the components of the main body of the multifunctional spreading device of Figure 1 , showing the conveying assembly receiving cavity, thereof.

[0033] Figure 7 is an isometric view of an auger assembly to be used in the multifunctional spreading device as aggregate conveying assembly.

[0034] Figure 8 is an isometric view of a conveyor assembly to be used in the multifunctional spreading device as aggregate conveying assembly. [0035] Figures 9A and 9B are respectively a front and a rear isometric view of the screed assembly of the multifunctional spreading device of Figure 1.

[0036] Figures 10A and 10B are respectively an isometric view and a rear view of a screed assembly with the screeding plate including a mechanically foldable plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In the following description, the same numerical references refer to similar elements. The embodiments, geometrical configurations, materials mentioned and/or dimensions shown in the figures or described in the present description are embodiments only, given solely for exemplification purposes.

[0038] Although the embodiments of the multifunctional spreading device include certain components as explained and illustrated herein, not all of these components are essential and thus should not be taken in their restrictive sense. It is to be understood, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art, that other suitable components and cooperation thereinbetween, as well as other suitable geometrical configurations, can be used for the multifunctional spreading device, as will be briefly explained herein and as can be easily inferred herefrom by a person skilled in the art.

[0039] To provide a more concise description, some of the quantitative and qualitative expressions given herein can be qualified with the terms such as "about" and "substantially". It is understood that whether the terms "about" and "substantially" are used explicitly or not, every quantity or qualification given herein is meant to refer to an actual given value or qualification, and it is also meant to refer to the approximation to such given value or qualification that would reasonably be inferred based on the ordinary skill in the art, including approximations due to the experimental and/or measurement conditions for such given value.

[0040] In accordance with the embodiments described in more details below, there is provided a multifunctional spreading device 10 configured to dispense a layer of aggregate material laterally from a main body 20 of the device, for paving of a ground section. [0041] The multifunctional spreading device 10 includes a main body 20 having a rigid frame and defining a hopper 30. The multifunctional spreading device 10 also includes an aggregate conveying assembly 40 moving aggregate material received in the hopper 30 to a ground section to be paved, and a screed assembly 50 smoothing and shaping the aggregate material discharged on the ground by the aggregate conveying assembly 40.

[0042] Referring generally to Figures 1 and 2, in the embodiment shown, the multifunctional spreading device 10 includes a mounting plate 22, at the rear section of the main body 20, for mounting the multifunctional spreading device 10 to a powered vehicle (not shown), such as, for example and without being limitative, a skid steer loader or the like. In an embodiment, the mounting plate 22 is engageable to a complementary attachment plate (not shown) mounted to the powered vehicle, with the mounting plate 22 being secured to the complementary attachment plate (not shown), when they are engaged with one another, to securely attach the multifunctional spreading device 10 to the powered vehicle. In an embodiment, the powered vehicle can include a hydraulic drive system, with the hydraulic components of the multifunctional spreading device 10 being connectable to the hydraulic drive system of the powered vehicle to provide hydraulic power to the hydraulic components of the multifunctional spreading device 10, for operation thereof.

[0043] The main body 20 of the multifunctional spreading device 10 includes a hopper 30 sized and shaped to receive aggregate material. For example, and without limitative, the aggregate material can be provided to the hopper, from a dump truck (not shown) located in front of the main body 20 of the multifunctional spreading device 10 and unloading the aggregate material from its bed, through tilting of the bed. Hence, the size and shape of the hopper can be adapted to match the width of the bed of the dump truck, to prevent the spilling of aggregate material dumped from the dump truck. In an embodiment, the main body 20 includes engagement rollers 24 extending substantially horizontally at a front of the main body 20 and positioned to engage with rear tires of the dump truck when the dump truck is positioned to dump the aggregate material in the hopper 24. [0044] In the embodiment shown, the hopper 30 includes a first lateral hopper wall 31 and a second lateral hopper wall 32 distal from one another and extending substantially vertically at opposed lateral ends of the hopper 30. In the embodiment shown, the hopper 30 also includes a front hopper wall 33 and a rear hopper wall 34 distal from one another. The front hopper wall 33 and rear hopper wall 34 extend between the first and second lateral walls 31 , 32, at opposed ends of the hopper 30. Each one of the first lateral wall 31 , the second lateral wall 32, the front hopper wall

33 and the rear hopper wall 34, has a lower end 31a, 32a, 33a, 34a and an upper end 31 b, 32b, 33b, 34b, with a hopper outlet 35 being defined between the lower ends 31a, 32a, 33a, 34a of the first lateral wall 31 , the second lateral wall 32, the front hopper wall 33 and the rear hopper wall 34. In an embodiment, the hopper outlet 35 is rectangular and extends longitudinally at a bottom of the hopper 30.

[0045] In the embodiment shown, the front hopper wall 33 and rear hopper wall

34 include at least a lower section angled inwardly to guide aggregate material dumped into the hopper 30 towards the outlet 35 of the hopper 30. In more details, the front hopper wall 33 is completely angled inwardly and the rear hopper wall 34 includes a lower section 34’ angled inwardly and a substantially vertical upper section 34”. The first and second lateral walls 31 , 32, the front hopper wall 33 and the rear hopper wall 34 are also sized to prevent spillage of aggregate being loaded in the hopper 30 (/.e., have a sufficient height and width to retain the aggregate material in the hopper 30 as it is being guided towards the outlet 35 and prevent the spilling thereof over the upper ends 31 b, 32b, 33b, 34b of the first lateral wall 31 , the second lateral wall 32, the front hopper wall 33 and/or the rear hopper wall 34). In an embodiment, the upper ends 31 b, 32b, 34b of the first and second lateral walls 31 , 32 and the rear hopper wall 34 can extend vertically higher than the upper end 33b of the front hopper wall 33, to ease the dumping of aggregate material in the hopper 30, from a dump truck positioned forward of the front hopper wall 33, while maximizing the retention capabilities of the hopper 30.

[0046] One skilled in the art will understand that, in alternative embodiments (not shown) the configuration of the walls of the hopper 34 could differ from the embodiment shown. For example, and without being limitative, the size, shape, configuration and/or angulation of at least one of the first and second lateral walls 31 , 32, front hopper wall 33 and rear hopper wall 34 (or a section thereof) could be different from the embodiment shown, while still providing the desired receptacle for retaining the aggregate material and moving the aggregate material dumped into the hopper 30 towards the outlet 35 of the hopper 30.

[0047] Referring now to Figures 3A and 3B, in an embodiment, the front hopper wall 33 of the hopper 30 is selectively pivotable, to vary the inclination thereof and therefore vary the flow of the aggregate material supported on the surface of the front hopper wall 33, towards the hopper outlet 35 (and the aggregate conveying assembly 40). Figure 3A shows the device 10 with the front hopper wall 33 in the lowered configuration, while Figure 3B shows the device 10 with the front hopper wall 33 in the raised configuration. One skilled in the art will understand that, in an alternative embodiment, only a portion of the front hopper wall 33 of the hopper 30 could be pivotable.

[0048] To allow the pivoting of the front hopper wall 33, in an embodiment, the front hopper wall 33 is connected to the main body 20 by hinges 36 attached between a front section of the rear face of the front hopper wall 33 and the frame of the main body 20. The hinged connection allows the front hopper wall 33 to pivot about a wall pivot point 35.

[0049] In the embodiment shown, linear actuators 37 are also mounted between the frame of the main body 20 and a rear surface of an upper section of the front hopper wall 33, with the action of the linear actuators 37 causing the front hopper wall 33 to pivot with regards to the main body 20. In an embodiment, the linear actuators 37 are hydraulic cylinders, connectable to the hydraulic system of the powered vehicle to which the multifunctional spreading device 10 is mounted, to provide the required hydraulic power for operation thereof. One skilled in the art will however understand that, in alternative embodiments, the linear actuators 37 could be other types of linear actuators, rotational actuators, or the like.

[0050] Hence, in operation, a quantity of aggregate material can be dumped into the hopper 30, with the front hopper wall 33 in the lowered configuration (thereby allowing the bed of the dump truck to be placed above the hopper 30 for dumping the aggregate material). To provide a continuous flow of aggregate material in the hopper 30, during a time period, the dump truck can continuously deliver aggregate material as the device 10 is moved forward, for example by continuously moving the dump truck in front of the device 10, at a speed similar to the speed of the device 10, with the bed of the dump truck placed above the hopper 30.

[0051] When the continuous flow of aggregate material into the hopper is ceased and as material flows through the hopper outlet 35 and less aggregate material remains in the hopper 30, the front hopper wall 33 can be gradually pivoted towards the raised configuration by activation of the linear actuators 37, to favor the flow of the aggregate material towards the hopper outlet 35 and therefore maintain a substantially constant flow therethrough.

[0052] Referring to Figures 4A to 8, the multifunctional spreading device 10 also includes an aggregate conveying assembly 40 operating to move the aggregate material towards the ground to be covered with the aggregate material. The aggregate conveying assembly 40 is positioned below the hopper 30, to receive the aggregate material discharged from the hopper outlet 35 and move the aggregate material towards a discharge end 49 of the aggregate conveying assembly 40 where the aggregate material is continuously discharged onto the ground, to be engaged by the screed assembly 50 and be shaped thereby to form a layer of aggregate. As can be seen in the Figures, the discharge end 49 of the aggregate conveying assembly 40 is located on one side of the main body 20 of the multifunctional spreading device 10, such that the aggregate material is dispensed along a side thereof, for the paving of a ground section located beside the main body 20, while allowing the skid steer to move the multifunctional spreading device 10 forwardly and staying clear of the newly laid aggregate material.

[0053] In an embodiment, the aggregate conveying assembly 40 is connectable to the hydraulic system of the powered vehicle to which the multifunctional spreading device 10 is mounted to provide the required hydraulic power for operation thereof.

[0054] As better shown in Figures 4A to 6, in the embodiment shown, the multifunctional spreading device 10 is configured to allow easy substitution of aggregate conveying assemblies 40 mounted thereon (/.e., to allow the aggregate conveying assembly 40 to be easily swapped for a different one by a user). The easy substitution of aggregate conveying assemblies 40 allows the multifunctional spreading device 10 to be easily adapted to include the aggregate conveying assembly 40 which is most suitable for the corresponding type of aggregate to be spread using the device 10. For example, and without being limitative, the multifunctional spreading device 10 can be provided with a conveyor assembly 40” mounted thereon for spreading aggregate material such as gravel or the like and the multifunctional spreading device 10 can be provided with an auger assembly 40’ mounted thereon for spreading thicker aggregate material such as asphalt aggregate or the like.

[0055] In order to provide the easy substitution of aggregate conveying assemblies 40, the main body 20 includes a conveying assembly receiving cavity 25 being defined below the hopper outlet 35, and being sized, shaped and configured for easy insertion/removal of an aggregate conveying assembly 40 therein. The conveying assembly receiving cavity 25 is defined by a first side wall 25a, a second side wall 25b and a bottom wall 25c. The first side wall 25a and second side wall 25b are spaced apart from one another, with the bottom wall 25c extending therebetween at a bottom of the conveying assembly receiving cavity 25. A lateral opening 27 is defined at one end of the conveying assembly receiving cavity 25 to allow insertion of the aggregate conveying assembly 40. One skilled in the art will understand that, in an alternative embodiment, the bottom wall 25c could be omitted. The first side wall 25a and second side wall 25b are each provided with a support structure 26 including a series of roller cams 26a mounted to the corresponding wall 25a, 25b and engageable with an abutment member of the corresponding aggregate conveying assembly 40, when the aggregate conveying assembly 40 is inserted into the conveying assembly receiving cavity 25, to support the aggregate conveying assembly 40. For each series of roller cams 26a of the corresponding wall 25a, 25b, the roller cams 26a are arranged in a substantially horizontal row of roller cams 26a. One skilled in the art will understand that, in alternative embodiments, a support structure different than the roller cams, such as, for example and without being limitative a support rail, could be used.

[0056] The aggregate conveying assembly 40 includes an outer frame, sized and shaped to fit within the conveying assembly receiving cavity 25. The outer frame 42 provides an outer shell for the aggregate conveying assembly 40 and includes opposed frame walls 42a, 42b, spaced apart from one another and each including an abutment member 44 projecting outwardly from the corresponding frame wall 42a, 42b. In the embodiment shown, the abutment members 44 project from the frame wall 42a, 42b, at upper ends thereof and extend continuously, substantially along the length of the frame walls 42a, 42b. The abutment members 44 are sized and shaped to abut onto the roller cams 26a, when the aggregate conveying assembly 40 is inserted into the conveying assembly receiving cavity 25, to support the aggregate conveying assembly 40 inside the conveying assembly receiving cavity 25. One skilled in the art would understand that, in alternative embodiments, the abutment members 44 could be different from the embodiment shown, while still providing the desired support of the aggregate conveying assembly 40.

[0057] Hence, to insert an aggregate conveying assembly 40 into the conveying assembly receiving cavity 25, a first end of the aggregate conveying assembly 40 can simply be inserted into the lateral opening 27, with the abutment members 44 engaging the roller cams 26a and the aggregate conveying assembly 40 can simply be pushed into the conveying assembly receiving cavity 25, with the abutment members 44 moving along the series of roller cams 26a. Inversely, to remove an aggregate conveying assembly 40 from the conveying assembly receiving cavity 25, the aggregate conveying assembly 40 can simply be pulled from the lateral opening 27, with the abutment members 44 moving along the series of roller cams 26a.

[0058] Referring to Figures 7 and 8, two embodiments of aggregate conveying assemblies 40 are shown.

[0059] Figure 7 shows an embodiment where the aggregate conveying assembly 40 is an auger assembly 40’, with an auger 45 being provided inside the outer frame 42 and being rotatable to move aggregate material loaded onto the auger assembly 40’ longitudinally toward the discharge end 49 thereof. In the embodiment shown, the auger assembly 40’ includes a motor cover wall 47, covering a motor (not shown) of the auger assembly 40’ and tilted towards the auger 45.

[0060] Figure 8 shows an embodiment where the aggregate conveying assembly 40 is a conveyor assembly 40”, with a conveyor 46 being provided inside the outer frame 42 and being movable to transfer the aggregate material loaded onto the conveyor 46 longitudinally toward the discharge end 49 of the conveyor assembly 40”.

[0061] Now referring to Figures 2, 9A and 9B, the screed assembly 50 is mounted to the main body 20 and extends laterally therefrom, such that aggregate material discharged from the discharge end 49 of the aggregate conveying assembly 40 can be engaged and smoothed by the screeding plate 52 of the screed assembly 50. In other words, in operation, the multifunctional spreading device 10 is propelled forward and simultaneously operates to lay aggregate material on the ground by discharging the material from the discharge end 49 of the aggregate conveying assembly 40, with the screed assembly 50 being located on the discharged side of the main body 20, to engage the discharged material and form a levelled layer thereof.

[0062] The screed assembly 50 includes an attachment structure 54 for mounting the screed assembly 50 to the main body, a main panel 51 , a screed plate 52 positioned along the length of the lower end of the main panel 51 and a distal barrier 56 extending substantially perpendicular to the main panel 51 , at a distal end thereof.

[0063] In the embodiment shown, the attachment structure 53 of the screed assembly 50 includes guide rails 54 extending longitudinally along the screed assembly 50, behind the main panel 51 , and spanning substantially the length of the screed assembly 50. The guide rails 54 are slidingly engageable with guide sleeves 28 extending longitudinally at a rear section of the main body 20 and also spanning substantially the length of the main body 20. Therefore, the guide rails 54 can be slid inside the guide sleeves 28, to move the screed assembly 50 laterally with regard to the main body 20 and adjust the position thereof, while providing a rigid connection between the screed assembly 50 and the main body 20. It will be understood that the guide rails 54 and guide sleeves 28 can include gliding components, cam rollers, or the like, to reduce the friction between the components and facilitate the lateral movement of the screed assembly 50.

[0064] In an embodiment, the guide sleeves 28 are angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the main body 20 (e.g., an angle of between about 1 ° to 10° being defined between the longitudinal axis of the main body 20 and the guide sleeves 28), thereby favouring aggregate material scattering towards the distal barrier 56 as the screed assembly 50 moves, to form wider uniform layers of aggregate material.

[0065] In an embodiment (not shown) the attachment structure 53 could include a further guide rail (not shown) extending inwardly from the distal barrier 56, at a forward extremity thereof, and a corresponding guide rail could be provided in the main body 20 to receive a section of the further guide rail, to increase the rigidity of the attachment between the main body 20 and the screed assembly 50, thereby allowing the screed assembly 50 to be moved further away from the main body and produce wider layer of aggregate material.

[0066] In an embodiment, a linear actuator (not shown), extending substantially parallel to the guide sleeves 28 such as, for example and without being limitative, a hydraulic cylinder, could be provided between the main body 20 and the screed assembly 50 to control the position of the screed assembly 50, with regard to the main body 20 (/.e., adjusting how far the screed assembly 50 extends laterally away from the main body 20). One skilled in the art will understand that controlling the position of the screed assembly 50, with regard to the main body 20 thereby results in controlling the width of the layer of aggregate material being formed by the device 10. In an embodiment, a system (e.g., a hydraulic system of the like) could also be provided to adjust the vertical position of the screed assembly 50 with regard to the ground, and thereby vary the thickness of the layer of aggregate material being formed by the device 10.

[0067] The screed plate 52 is the section at the bottom of the screed assembly 50 for smoothing and shaping the aggregate material, to form the layer of aggregate. In an embodiment, the screed plate 52 is a rigid plate formed of rigid material, such as steel or the like, and can have a substantially flat lower surface and a substantially flat front surface.

[0068] Referring to Figures 10A and 10B, there is shown an alternative embodiment of the screed assembly 150 (with the attachment structure and distal barrier omitted), wherein the features are numbered with reference numerals in the 100 series which correspond to the reference numerals of the previous embodiment. In the embodiment shown, the screed plate 152 includes an attachment plate 152a and a foldable plate 152b extending below the attachment plate 152a. Each one of the attachment plate 152a and the foldable plate 152b are made of rigid material such as steel or the like, and are L shaped. The attachment plate 152a and the foldable plate 152b include a substantially vertical forward section 152a‘, 152b‘ and a substantially horizontal rearward section 152a", 152b" extending rearwardly perpendicularly from the corresponding substantially vertical forward section 152a‘, 152b’.

[0069] The screed plate 152 also includes linear folding actuators 157 extending between the substantially horizontal rearward section 152a", 152b" of the attachment plate 152a and the foldable plate 152b, at opposed longitudinal ends of the attachment plate 152a and the foldable plate 152b (/.e., at opposed end sections of the attachment plate 152a and the foldable plate 152b with regard to the longitudinal axis of the plates 152a, 152b). In the embodiment shown, the linear folding actuators 157 are manual linear cylinders. One skilled in the art will however understand that, in alternative embodiments, the linear folding actuators 157 could be hydraulic cylinders or another type of linear actuator, a rotational actuator, or the like.

[0070] The folding actuators allow mechanical deformation of the foldable plate 152b, such that the foldable plate 152b is crown adjustable. The mechanical deformation is provided by the action of the folding actuators 157 pushing a corresponding section of the foldable plate 152b downwardly away from the attachment plate 152a or pulling a corresponding section of the foldable plate 152b upwardly towards the attachment plate 152a, thereby causing a mechanical folding of the foldable plate 152b. Hence, using the folding actuators 157, the foldable plate 152b can be molded in an angled, concave or convex shape, depending on the desired profile of the layer of aggregate material being formed.

[0071] In order to facilitate the bending of the foldable plate 152b, in an embodiment, the substantially vertical forward section 152b‘ of the foldable plate 152b can include substantially vertical cut outs 158 defining separate sections. In an embodiment, a covering band can also be provided 159 to cover the gap created between the end sections of the attachment plate 152a and the foldable plate 152b, when the end sections of the foldable plate 152b are folded in a concave configuration.

[0072] Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and illustrated herein. The embodiments of the invention described above are intended to be exemplary only. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the characteristics of the individual embodiments, and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the embodiments could be provided in any combination with the other embodiments disclosed herein. It is understood that the invention could be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein. Accordingly, while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind. The scope of the invention is therefore intended to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.