US 2019/0136468 A1Published application

System for disabling milling drum of milling machine

AssigneeRoadtec, Inc.

InventorsTodd Avans, James H. Bevill, David Swearingen

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Abstract

A milling machine for milling a roadway surface includes a frame and a milling drum that is mounted for rotation with respect to the frame. A primary drum drive assembly is operatively attached to the milling drum and adapted to rotate the milling drum, and a ground-engaging drive assembly that is adapted to drive the milling machine along the roadway surface. A lifting column is attached at its upper end to the frame and at its lower end to the ground-engaging drive assembly. The lifting column includes a linear actuator which can be operated to raise and lower the frame of the machine with respect to the roadway surface. A sensor that is associated with the lifting column is adapted to determine if the lifting column is not supporting a portion of the weight of the milling machine sufficient to insure that the milling drum is not supporting any part of the weight of the milling machine. A controller is operatively attached to the primary drum drive assembly and to the sensor. The controller is adapted to receive from the sensor a signal indicating that the lifting column is not supporting the portion of the weight of the milling machine that is sufficient to insure that the milling drum is not supporting any part of the weight of the milling machine, and upon receipt of such signal, to stop the rotation of the milling drum.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A milling machine for milling a roadway surface, said milling machine having a milling machine weight and further comprising:

(a) a frame;
(b) a milling assembly comprising:
(i) a drum housing that is attached to the frame;
(ii) a milling drum that is mounted within the milling drum housing and adapted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis;
(iii) a primary drum drive assembly that is operatively attached to the milling drum and adapted to rotate the milling drum;
(c) a ground-engaging drive assembly that is adapted to drive the milling machine along the roadway surface;
(d) a lifting column that is attached at its upper end to the frame and at its lower end to the ground-engaging drive assembly, said lifting column including a linear actuator which can be operated to raise and lower the frame of the machine with respect to the roadway surface;
(e) a sensor that is:
(i) associated with the lifting column;
(ii) adapted to determine if the lifting column is not supporting a portion of the weight of the milling machine sufficient to insure that the milling drum is not supporting any part of the weight of the milling machine;
(iii) adapted to generate a signal indicating that the lifting column is not supporting the portion of the weight of the milling machine sufficient to insure that the milling drum is not supporting any part of the weight of the milling machine;
(f) a controller that is:
(i) operatively attached to the primary drum drive assembly;
(ii) adapted to control the primary drum drive assembly in order to stop the rotation of the milling drum;
(iii) operatively attached to the sensor;
(iv) adapted to receive the signal indicating that the lifting column is not supporting the portion of the weight of the milling machine sufficient to insure that the milling drum is not supporting any part of the weight of the milling machine;
(v) adapted to stop the rotation of the milling drum when the signal received from the sensor indicates that the lifting column is not supporting the portion of the weight of the milling machine sufficient to insure that the milling drum is not supporting any part of the weight of the milling machine.

14 more elements

A milling machine for milling a roadway surface, said milling machine having a milling machine weight and further comprising:

(a) a frame;
(b) a milling assembly comprising:
(i) a drum housing that is attached to the frame;
(ii) a milling drum that is mounted within the milling drum housing and adapted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis;
(c) a primary drum drive assembly that is operatively attached to the milling drum and adapted to rotate the milling drum within the drum housing;
(d) a ground-engaging drive assembly that is adapted to drive the milling machine along the roadway surface;
(e) a lifting column that is attached at its upper end to the frame and at its lower end to the ground-engaging drive assembly, said lifting column:
(i) being adapted to support a portion of the weight of the milling machine which is sufficient to insure that the milling drum is not supporting any part of the weight of the milling machine;
(ii) including a linear actuator which can be operated to raise and lower the frame of the machine with respect to the roadway surface;
(f) a load cell sensor that is:
(i) associated with the lifting column;
(ii) adapted to measure a load or strain on the lifting column;
(iii) adapted to generate a signal indicative of the load or strain measured by the load cell sensor;
(g) a controller that is:
(i) operatively attached to the primary drum drive assembly;
(ii) adapted to control the primary drum drive assembly in order to stop the rotation of the milling drum;
(iii) operatively attached to the load cell sensor;
(iv) adapted to receive the signal indicative of the load or strain measured by the load cell sensor from the load cell sensor;
(v) adapted to stop the rotation of the milling drum when the signal received from the load cell sensor indicates that that the lifting column is not supporting the portion of the weight of the milling machine that is sufficient to insure that the milling drum is not supporting any part of the weight of the milling machine.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/139,273Filed 24 Sep 2018
Priority: 7 Nov 2017
Published: 9 May 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

E01C 23/088
Using power-driven tools, e.g. vibratory tools: rotary tools, e.g. milling drums
G01G 19/12
For incorporation in vehicles: having electrical weight-sensitive devices
G01L 1/22
By measuring variations in ohmic resistance of solid materials or of electrically-conductive fluids ; by making use of electrokinetic cells,…
G01L 1/2225
The supports being of the column type, e.g. cylindric, adapted for measuring a force along a single direction: the direction being perpendicular…