# US 12,110,642 B2 · Mobile milling machine with adjustable liquid spray system

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- Number: US 12,110,642 B2
- Document ID: US12110642B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/731,793
- Filed: 2022-04-28
- Published: 2023-11-02
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2022-04-28
- Assignees: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.
- Applicants: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.
- Inventors: Timothy J. Sturos; Rolf af Klinteberg; Robert E. Carr
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110642B2

## CPC

- E01C 23/088: Rotary tools, e.g. milling drums {(for forming recesses to receive marking materials E01C23/0946)}
- B05B 1/202: {comprising inserted outlet elements}
- B05B 1/30: designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages {(B05B11/0094 takes precedence)}
- B05B 9/0413: {with reciprocating pumps, e.g. membrane pump, piston pump, bellow pump (B05B9/0409 takes precedence)}
- B05B 9/0423: {for supplying liquid or other fluent material to several spraying apparatus}
- B05B 12/084: {responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material already sprayed on the target, e.g. coating thickness, weight or pattern}
- E01C 23/127: {rotary, e.g. rotary hammers}
- E01C 2301/50: Methods or devices for preventing dust by spraying or sucking
- E01C: CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR (forming roads or like surfaces by compacting or grading snow or ice E01H)
- B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D)

## Abstract

A mobile milling machine can be equipped with a liquid spray system to introduce a liquid spray into a rotor enclosure to reduce the temperature of a plurality of cutting tools disposed on a rotatable cutting rotor. The liquid spray system can be associated with one or more surface wetness sensors to estimate the wetness of the work surface after the milling operation. The wetness of the work surface can be used to adjust the spray quantity of the liquid spray introduced by the liquid spray system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A mobile milling machine comprising:
a machine frame supported on a plurality of propulsion devices for travel over a work surface;
a cutting rotor supported by the machine frame and rotatable about a rotor axis for milling the work surface, the cutting rotor includes a cylindrical drum and a plurality of cutting tools exteriorly disposed on the cylindrical drum;
a rotor enclosure attached to the machine frame and accommodating the cutting rotor therein;
a liquid spray system disposed in the rotor enclosure and including a plurality of spray nozzles configured to spray a liquid toward the cutting rotor;
a surface wetness sensor disposed rearward of a rearward propulsion device and operatively associated with the liquid spray system; and
an electronic controller in electronic communication with the surface wetness sensor and the liquid spray system, the electronic controller in cooperation with the surface wetness sensor is configured to determine a wetness of the work surface rearward of the cutting rotor after milling the work surface, the electronic controller programmed to compare the wetness of the work surface as determined after milling with an acceptable dryness quantity and to adjust a spray quantity of the liquid delivered by the liquid spray system toward the cutting rotor if the wetness of the work surface as determined after milling exceeds the acceptable dryness quantity.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The mobile milling machine of claim 1, wherein the surface wetness sensor is one or more of an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, and a conductivity sensor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The mobile milling machine of claim 2, wherein the machine frame includes a front end and a rear end, and the surface wetness sensor is disposed on the machine frame rearward of the cutting rotor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The mobile milling machine of claim 1, wherein the surface wetness sensor is disposed on a moldboard of the rotor enclosure.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The mobile milling machine of claim 1, wherein the liquid spray system includes a variable volume pump and the electronic controller adjusts the variable volume pump to adjust the spray quantity of the liquid.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The mobile milling machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spray nozzles are adjustable spray nozzles and the electronic controller adjusts the adjustable spray nozzles to adjust the spray quantity of the liquid.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The mobile milling machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spray nozzles are disposed along one or more spray bars that are aligned generally parallel with the rotor axis.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The mobile milling machine of claim 7, wherein the one or more spray bars are generally coextensive with the cylindrical drum.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The mobile milling machine of claim 8, wherein the one or more spray bars are segmented into a plurality of spray zones and the surface wetness sensor includes a plurality of surface wetness sensors with at least one of each of the plurality of surface wetness sensors operatively aligned with at least one of each of the plurality of spray zones.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The mobile milling machine of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to determine a temperature of the plurality of cutting tools and the electronic controller in electronic communication with the temperature sensor.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The mobile milling machine of claim 1, wherein the surface wetness sensor and the electronic controller determines the wetness of the work surface through direct contact.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The mobile milling machine of claim 1, wherein the surface wetness sensor and the electronic controller determines the wetness of the work surface without direct contact.

### Claim 13

A method of operating a mobile milling machine having a cutting rotor accommodated in a rotor enclosure, the method comprising:
spraying a liquid within the rotor enclosure from a plurality of spray nozzles during a milling operation to mill a work surface;
determining a wetness of the work surface rearward of the cutting rotor after milling with a surface wetness sensor in cooperation with an electronic controller;
comparing the wetness of the work surface as determined after milling with an acceptable dryness level associated with the work surface, wherein the acceptable dryness level is based at least in part on a distance between the mobile milling machine and a second mobile machine; and
adjusting a spray quantity of the liquid if the wetness of the work surface as determined after milling exceeds the acceptable dryness level.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the surface wetness sensor and the electronic controller determines the wetness of the work surface through direct contact.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the surface wetness sensor and the electronic controller determines the wetness of the work surface without direct contact.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
determining a temperature of a plurality of cutting tools disposed exteriorly on the cutting rotor; and
comparing the temperature of the plurality of cutting tools as determined with a rated operating temperature of the cutting tools.

### Claim 17

A mobile milling machine comprising:
a machine frame supported on a plurality of propulsion devices for travel over a work surface;
a cutting rotor supported by the machine frame and rotatable about a rotor axis for milling the work surface, the cutting rotor includes a cylindrical drum and a plurality of cutting tools exteriorly disposed on the cylindrical drum;
a rotor enclosure attached to the machine frame and accommodating the cutting rotor therein;
a liquid spray system disposed in the rotor enclosure and including a plurality of spray nozzles configured to spray a liquid toward the cutting rotor, the plurality of spray nozzles disposed along one or more spray bars aligned generally parallel with the rotor axis and that are segmented into a plurality of spray zones;
a plurality of surface wetness sensors operatively associated with the liquid spray system and with at least one of each of the plurality of surface wetness sensors aligned with at least one of each of the plurality of spray zones; and
an electronic controller in electronic communication with the plurality of surface wetness sensors and the liquid spray system, the electronic controller in cooperation with the plurality of surface wetness sensors configured to determine a wetness of the work surface rearward of the cutting rotor after milling the work surface, the electronic controller programmed to adjust a spray quantity of the liquid delivered by the liquid spray system toward the cutting rotor based on the wetness of the work surface as determined after milling.