Post Falls Highway District: Swing Sweep
Problem: When sweeping streets, two passes are required per lane to fully clean the pavement. This requires either two brooms with operators or one sweeper taking twice as long to clean the road.
Solution: The district’s primary sweeper is a front mounted broom attached to a mower tractor. The tractor has a three point hitch and rear hydraulics that were not being used. A tow behind broom was designed and built that utilizes the tractor hydraulics for power and has the ability to swing to the right side of the tractor far enough to eliminate the need for a second pass or eliminate the need for a second broom. This sweeper cleans one lane in one pass with one piece of equipment and one operator. The hydraulic hood allows the operator to control the placement of the sweepings. Either leaving them on the shoulder or casting them completely off the road. Once sweeping is completed the swing sweep swings in behind the tractor and pulls like a trailer.
Labor, Equipment, Materials: We started with a tow behind sweeper purchased at an ITD local agency sale. We also bought a scrapped Heston Hydroswing Swather. Parts from both units were utilized along with a specially designed articulation joint and a hydraulic actuated hood to make the swing sweep.
Expenses: The swing sweep was built in 2005 and took approximately 400 hours to design and build at a labor cost of $8,721. Parts and material including the tow behind sweeper and swather totaled $7,730. Total cost was $16,451.
Savings: Since putting the swing sweep to work the Post Falls Highway District has virtually eliminated the need for a second sweeper or two passes per lane. This cuts the sweeping time in half for most rural areas. It also provides a cleaner, safer driving surface in half the time it would otherwise take. The district has partnered with the crew and is currently in the patent process.
You can find a video of the Swing Sweep in action at the link below: