System and method for managing speed of cold planer conveyor belt

A method of retrofitting a cold planer to include a system for accurately determining and controlling a real-time speed of movement of a conveyor belt of the cold planer configured for transferring material from a milling cutter of the cold planer to a haul vehicle, the conveyor belt being supported in an endless loop around a plurality of roller assemblies and driven by a motor and associated head pulley shaft rotatably supported in a central axial bore through a belt head tensioner block configured for adjusting a tension of the conveyor belt, and operatively connected to a belt head pulley and a belt head roller assembly at a distal end of the conveyor belt, the method comprising:

• disassembling the belt head tensioner block, motor, and associated head pulley shaft from the belt head pulley and belt head roller assembly at the distal end of the conveyor belt;
• machining a recess in an outer peripheral surface of the belt head tensioner block for mounting a speed sensor in a fixed position radially outward from the central axial bore through the belt head tensioner block;
• mounting the speed sensor in the recess on the belt head tensioner block;
• installing a speed ring gear around the head pulley shaft and fixing the speed ring gear to the head pulley shaft;
• and
• reassembling the motor and head pulley shaft to the belt head tensioner block, belt head pulley and belt head roller assembly such that the speed ring gear is positioned within the central axial bore through the belt head tensioner block and teeth of the speed ring gear are positioned radially inward from the speed sensor such that rotation of the head pulley shaft causes the speed sensor to generate a signal indicative of the speed of rotation of the head pulley shaft, belt head pulley, and belt head roller assembly.

A cold planer, comprising:

• a frame;
• a milling drum connected to the frame;
• a conveyor pivotally connected to the frame and configured to load milled material into a haul vehicle;
• one or more sensors located onboard the cold planer and configured to generate data regarding at least one of cold planer operating parameters and milled material transferred from the cold planer to the haul vehicle;
• and
• a conveyor belt speed management system for determining and controlling a speed of a conveyor belt of the conveyor configured for transferring material milled from a source of the material by the milling drum to a haul vehicle, the system comprising:
• a motor and associated head pulley shaft operatively coupled to a conveyor belt head pulley configured for driving the conveyor belt;
• the motor being connected to a conveyor belt tensioner block configured to enable adjustment of a tension in the conveyor belt, and the head pulley shaft being rotatably supported within the conveyor belt tensioner block;
• a speed ring gear being mounted on the head pulley shaft and located at least partially within a bore through the conveyor belt tensioner block, the speed ring gear including a plurality of teeth around an outer circumference thereof;
• a speed sensor mounted on the conveyor belt tensioner block in a position radially outward from the teeth of the speed ring gear as the speed ring gear and head pulley shaft rotate within the bore through the belt tensioner block;
• the speed sensor being configured to generate signals indicative of the speed of rotation of the head pulley shaft and speed ring gear;
• and
• a system controller in electronic communication with the speed sensor and configured to:
• determine a speed of the conveyor belt from the speed of rotation of the head pulley shaft and speed ring gear, and
• control the speed of the conveyor belt to control an amount and rate of transfer of material along the conveyor belt from the source of material to the haul vehicle during a time period.