Milling Machine with Adjustable Rotor Enclosure
AssigneeCaterpillar Paving Products Inc.
InventorsJason W. Muir, Derek P. Nieuwsma, Nathaniel S. Doy, Matthew-David S. Frantz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A milling machine includes a cutting rotor accommodated in a rotor enclosure having side plates that are vertically adjustable with respect to a machine frame. To adjust the vertical elevation of the side plates, a plurality of sensors is mounted on the machine frame and associated with an electronic controller that measures and processes the vertical distance between the side plates and work surface. The electronic controller operates a hydraulic system to adjust the vertical distance between the side plates and the work surface. To accommodate changes in work surface topography, the hydraulic system includes a float circuit with an accumulator.
Claims20
A milling machine comprising:
- a machine frame supported on a plurality of propulsion components for travel over a work surface, the machine frame defining a first lateral side and a second lateral side;
- a cutting rotor rotatably supported by the machine frame for milling a work surface, the cutting rotor shaped as a cylindrical drum defining a rotor axis perpendicular to the first lateral side and second lateral side;
- a rotor enclosure supported on the machine frame to accommodate the cutting rotor, the rotor enclosure including a first side plate aligned with the first lateral side and a second side plate aligned with the second lateral side, the first side plate and the second side plate vertically movable with respect to the machine frame;
- a plurality of sensors mounted to the machine frame and arranged to sense a location of the work surface with respect the machine frame;
- a hydraulic system including a first hydraulic actuator operatively associated with the first side plate and a second hydraulic actuator operatively associated with the second side plate, the hydraulic system configured to raise and lower the first side plate and the second side plate with respect to the machine frame;
- and
- an electronic controller in electronic communication with the plurality of sensors and operatively associated with the hydraulic system, the electronic controller programmed with a plate elevation control system adapted to operate the hydraulic system to raise at least one of the first side plate and the second side plate if a vertical distance between the machine frame and the work surface decreases and to lower at least one of the first side plate and the second side plate if the vertical distance between the vertical distance and the machine frame increases.
A method of operating a milling machine including a cutting rotor rotatably supported on a machine frame of the milling machine, the method comprising:
- sensing a vertical distance between the machine frame and a work surface via a plurality of sensors mounted to the machine frame;
- operating a hydraulic system to cause a side plate of a rotor enclosure accommodating the cutting rotor to rise with respect to the machine frame if the vertical distance between the machine frame and the work surface decreases;
- and
- operating the hydraulic system to cause the side plate of the rotor enclosure accommodating the cutting rotor to lower with respect to the machine frame if the vertical distance between the machine frame and the work surface increases.
A control system for a milling machine having a cutting rotor accommodated in a rotor enclosure for milling a work surface, the control system comprising:
- a plurality of sensors mounted to a machine frame of the milling machine, the plurality of sensors sensing and generating sensor data indicative of a location of the work surface with respect to the machine frame;
- a hydraulic system including at least a first hydraulic actuator operatively associated with a first side plate of the rotor enclosure and a second hydraulic actuator operatively associated with a second side plate of the rotor enclosure, the first and second hydraulic actuators configured to vertically raise and lower the first side plate and the second side plate with respect to the machine frame;
- an electronic controller programmed with a plate elevation control system adapted to receive the sensor data communicated from the plurality of sensors, process the sensor data to determine a vertical distance between the work surface and at least one of the first side plate and the second side plate, and to operate the hydraulic system to raise at least one of the first side plate and second side plate if the vertical distance decrease and to lower at least one of the first side plate and the second side plate if the vertical distance increases.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.