Edge slump control
AssigneeWirtgen GmbH
InventorMichael Engels
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for controlling edge slump in newly formed concrete structures formed by a slip form paving machine. An edge height sensor generates an edge height signal corresponding to a height of an edge of the newly formed concrete structure to thereby detect a slumping of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure behind a slip form paver mold. A controller receives the edge height signal, determines whether any slumping of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure exceeds a set slump limit, and automatically controls an actuator assembly at least in part in response to the edge height signal to adjust the height of a lateral edge portion of a mold bottom plate relative to an interior portion of the mold bottom plate and thereby adjust the height of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure.
Claims25
A slip form paver apparatus configured to move in a paving direction across a ground surface for forming concrete into a newly formed concrete structure, the slip form paver apparatus comprising:
- a main frame;
- a slip form paver mold supported from the main frame and including:
- a mold bottom plate configured to form a top surface of the newly formed concrete structure, the mold bottom plate including an interior portion and a lateral edge portion, the lateral edge portion being deflectable up and down relative to the interior portion;
- at least one side form assembly configured to close the slip form paver mold on at least one lateral side adjacent the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate;
- and
- an actuator assembly connected to the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate for deflecting the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate up and down relative to the interior portion of the mold bottom plate;
- at least one edge height sensor configured to generate an edge height signal corresponding to a height of an edge of the newly formed concrete structure and to thereby detect a slumping of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure behind the slip form paver mold;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one edge height sensor and to the actuator assembly, the controller being configured to:
- receive the edge height signal;
- determine whether any slumping of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure exceeds a set slump limit;
- and
- automatically control the actuator assembly at least in part in response to the edge height signal to adjust the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to the interior portion of the mold bottom plate and thereby adjust the height of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure so that any slumping of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure is within the set slump limit.
A method of operating a slip form paver apparatus, comprising:
- monitoring a height of a lateral edge of a newly formed concrete structure formed by the slip form paver apparatus with at least one edge height sensor;
- automatically determining with a controller whether any slumping of the lateral edge of the newly formed concrete structure exceeds a set slump limit;
- and
- automatically adjusting with the controller a height of a lateral edge portion of a mold bottom plate of the slip form paver apparatus relative to an interior portion of the mold bottom plate if any slumping of the lateral edge of the newly formed concrete structure exceeds the set slump limit and thereby adjusting the height of the lateral edge of the newly formed concrete structure so that any slumping of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure is within the set slump limit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.