US 2011/0236129 A1 · Adjustable Bolster Swing Legs for Mounting and Aligning and Reorienting Crawlers for Slipform Paving Machines

Abstract

A paving machine which is configured to move in a paving direction for spreading, leveling and finishing concrete into a form having a generally upwardly exposed, finished concrete surface and terminating in lateral concrete sides. The paving machine has a main frame, including a center module, bolsters laterally movably connected to respective lateral sides of the center module for changing a spacing between the bolsters, and a crawler track associated with respective aft and forward ends of the bolsters. A bolster swing leg for each crawler track supports an upright jacking column secured to the swing leg proximate a free end thereof. A worm gear drive between the jacking column and the crawler track permits rotational movements of the crawler track and the jacking column about an upright axis. A hinge bracket is interposed between each swing leg and an associated surface of the bolsters and includes a fixed, upright pivot shaft that pivotally engages the swing leg to enable pivotal movements of the swing leg about an upright axis in a substantially horizontal plane. The hinge bracket further includes a pivot pin that is laterally spaced from and fixed in relation to the pivot shaft. A length-adjustable holder capable of being held at a fixed length has a first end pivotally engaging the pivot pin on the hinge bracket and a second end that pivotally engages the swing leg. The holder permits pivotal motions of the swing leg about the hinge pin when it is in its length-adjustable configuration and prevents substantially any motion of the swing leg when the holder is in its fixed-length configuration. A feedback loop cooperates with angular position transducers and automatically keeps the crawler tracks oriented in the paving direction of the machine when the swing legs move in a horizontal plane relative to a remainder of the paving machine. The paving machine can be reconfigured between its paving orientation and a road transport orientation by activating the crawlers to move the swing legs and the crawlers into a narrowed transport configuration.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A paving machine configured to move in a paving direction for spreading, leveling and finishing concrete into a form having a generally upwardly exposed, finished concrete surface and terminating in lateral concrete sides, the paving machine comprising

a main frame including a center module,
a bolster laterally movably connected to respective lateral sides of the center module for changing a spacing between the bolsters,
a crawler track for respective aft and forward ends of the bolsters,
a bolster swing leg for each crawler track, an upright jacking column secured to the swing leg proximate a free end thereof, and a rotary connection between the jacking column and the crawler track permitting relative rotational movements of the crawler track and the jacking column about an upright axis,
a hinge bracket interposed between each swing leg and an associated surface of the bolsters and including an upright pivot shaft that engages the swing leg permits pivotal movements of the swing leg relative to the hinge bracket about an upright axis in a substantially horizontal plane, the hinge bracket including a pivot connection point that is laterally spaced from and fixed in relation to the pivot shaft, and
a length-adjustable holder capable of being held at a fixed length having a first end pivotally engaging the pivot connection point and a second end pivotally engaging the swing leg, the holder permitting pivotal motions of the swing leg about the hinge pin when in its length-adjustable configuration and preventing substantially any motion of the swing leg when the holder is in its fixed-length configuration.

3 more elements

a main frame including a center module having a forward end, an aft end and lateral sides therebetween,
a bolster laterally movably connected to respective lateral sides of the center module and being movable relative thereto in a lateral direction that is transverse to the paving direction,
an upright pivot shaft fixedly attached to at least one end of each bolster,
first and second crawler tracks connected to the upright pivot shafts, and a bolster swing leg that engages the pivot shaft, is pivotable relative to an axis thereof, and has a free end to which the crawler track is attached so that the swing legs can be pivoted about the axis of the pivot shaft for moving the swing legs relative to the bolster in a substantially horizontal plane,
an angular crawler track adjuster for changing an angular, rotational inclination between the crawler track and the associated bolster swing leg in the substantially horizontal plane for keeping the crawler tracks parallel to the paving direction in response to changes in its angular orientation resulting from pivotal movements of the swing leg about the axis of the pivot shaft,
an adjustable-length holder having a first end that is pivotable about a pivot connection that is in a fixed position relative to the pivot shaft and a second end that is pivotally attached to the swing leg at a location spaced from the pivot shaft, and
at least one additional crawler track and associated jacking column connected with the main frame, the at least one additional crawler track being rotationally movable relative to the associated jacking column about an upright axis for directionally aligning the at least one additional crawler track with the first and second crawler tracks.

4 more elements

A method for reconfiguring a paving machine between a paving orientation in which the paving machine can move in a paving direction for spreading, leveling and finishing concrete into a form having a generally upwardly exposed, finished concrete surface and a transport orientation in which the paving machine has a reduced width relative to its paving orientation for transporting the paving machine over standard highways subject to highway width limits,

the paving machine having
a main frame including a center module having a forward end, an aft end and lateral sides therebetween,
a bolster laterally movably connected to respective lateral sides of the center module and being movable relative thereto in a lateral direction that is transverse to the paving direction,
an upright pivot shaft fixedly attached to at least one end of each bolster,
first and second, power-driven crawler tracks for moving the paving machine relative to the ground and connected to the upright pivot shaft, and a bolster swing leg that engages the pivot shaft, is pivotable relative to an axis thereof, and has a free end to which the crawler track is attached so that the swing legs can be pivoted about the axis of the pivot shaft for moving the swing legs relative to the bolster in a substantially horizontal plane,
an angular crawler track adjuster for changing an angular, rotational inclination between the crawler track and the associated bolster swing leg in the substantially horizontal plane, and
a holder having a first end that is pivotable about a pivot connection that is in fixed position relative to the pivot shaft and a second end that is pivotally attached to the swing leg at a location spaced from the pivot shaft for maintaining the crawler track and the swing leg in their paving orientations,
the method comprising
activating the crawlers and changing an angular position of the crawler tracks in which the crawler tracks face in the paving direction to an angular position in which the crawler tracks are substantially transverse to the paving direction while maintaining the associated bolster swing leg in its paving orientation,
thereafter deactivating the holder to permit pivotal movement of the swing leg relative to the upright pivot shaft,
activating the crawler while it is in its position transverse to the paving direction to pivotally move the swing leg from its paving orientation to a transport orientation in which the swing leg is substantially transverse to the paving direction,
thereafter again activating the crawler to move it into its paving orientation relative to the paving machine and thereby into a transport orientation relative to the main frame, and
thereafter activating the crawlers to move the paving machine with the crawlers onto a transport vehicle.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Adjustable Bolster Swing Legs for Mounting and Aligning and Reorienting Crawlers for Slipform Paving Machines

Life of this patent

Adjustable Bolster Swing Legs for Mounting and Aligning and Reorienting Crawlers for Slipform Paving Machines

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14