Grader-Mounted Roller Compacts Loose Gravel

Grader-Mounted Roller Compacts Loose Gravel MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Earth Movers 27-2-16 Carolyn and Wayne Mehew, Del Bonita, Alberta, are avid Harley Davidson riders, so they dreaded whenever the road grader headed down their gravel country road, because of the loose gravel that would be left behind. Carolyn says Wayne started saying the road maintenance people needed to use a roller on the gravel. She suggested maybe they could just hang a roller on the grader. Wayne went to his shop and began work on the idea. At the same time, they applied for a patent on the idea. Once that was granted, they formed a company and applied for a research and development grant from the Canadian government to help fine-tune their prototype. Carolyn says their neighbors liked the idea as much as they did, figuring rolling the gravel roads would eliminate a lot of dust and maybe even some of the gravel damage to paint and windshields. They got their county road maintenance officials to test the roller on one grader. They figured they needed a rain-softened road to use the roller, but the weather refused to cooperate and in the end, they wet down the road in front of the Mehews' home and tested the roller there. Wayne says it takes about an hour to mount the roller and about half that time to remove it. Because the roller is designed for easy attachment or detachment, the Mehews say the grader operator can smooth new gravel or build a new roadbed and then put on the roller and compact his work. They're working on a transport cart that will allow it to be towed from worksite to worksite behind the grader. Because the Mehews aren't in the manufacturing business, their WC Roller patent is for sale. Contact them by phone, mail or through their Website for details. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Wayne and Carolyn Mehew, General Delivery, Del Bonita, Alberta, Canada T0K 0S0 (phfax 403 758-3567; E-mail: wcmehew@telusplanet. net; Website: www.wcroller.com).

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