GB2394245A

GB2394245A - Milling head for a marking remover

Info

Publication number: GB2394245A
Application number: GB0324221A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Robert Scurlock
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-10-16
Filing date: 2003-10-16
Publication date: 2004-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2023-10-16
Also published as: GB2394245B; GB0324221D0; GB0224024D0

Abstract

The milling head, primarily for use removing white lines etc. from roads, comprises a drum 10 that has a central axis of rotation 11 and an outer surface which includes a number of equi-angularly spaced lands that provide support surfaces extending parallel to the central axis of rotation, each of the support surfaces being formed with a row of tapped holes that extend parallel to the central axis of rotation. A plurality of cutters 14 are formed with throughbores such that they can be bolted to the drum with bolts 16 that pass through the throughbores and into the tapped holes in the drum. A plurality of spacers can be positioned between adjacent cutters and are also formed with throughbores so that they can also be bolted to the drum by bolts in the same fashion, with the cutters having a width that is either equal to the width of a spacer or a multiple of the width of a spacer. Also claimed is a marker removal that includes the milling head and which includes a filter system for cleaning air used to entrain dust and debris prior to releasing it back to the atmosphere.

Description

MEANS FOR THE REMOVAL OF ROAD MARKINGS

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to means for the removal of road markings such as white lines. I In British Patent Specification No. 2 363 416, to which

reference should be made, there is described means for removing a marking from a road surface, which means includes a unit for mounting on the front of a vehicle having a suction hose for creating a flow of air (and dust and debris entrained in the air flow) into a storage chamber, said unit comprising a milling head that is arranged for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis extending transversely of the direction of travel of the vehicle, said flow of air passing over the milling head such that the debris generated by the cutting action of the milling head on the road surface is entrained in said air flow for passage into the storage chamber, the milling head being driven by means of a motor positioned above the milling head and contained, in use, within said air flow.

Such road marking removing means is hereinafter referred to for convenience as "a marking remover as defined".

In the particular arrangement described in Patent Specification No. 2 363 416, the milling head carries a plurality of

rows of replaceable tungsten-tipped cutters arranged to exert a cutting action on the road surface, and the direction of rotation of the milling head is such that, when it strikes the road surface, each respective cutter is moving forwardly relative to the road surface and away from the vehicle so that the debris generated by the cutting action of the cutters on the road surface is projected forwardly away from the vehicle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of milling head for a marking remover as defined.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved form of marking remover as defined.

Summarv of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a milling head for a marking remover as defined, the milling head comprising a drum having a central axis of rotation and an outer surface that includes a plurality of equi-angularly spaced lands that provide support surfaces extending parallel to the central axis of rotation, each of the support surfaces being formed with a row of tapped holes, with the row of tapped holes in

each support surface extending parallel to the central axis of rotation, a plurality of cutters formed with throughbores such that the cutters can be bolted to the drum by means of bolts that pass through the throughbores in the cutters and enter the tapped holes in the drum, and a plurality of optional spacers which, if used, can be positioned between adjacent cutters, the spacers being formed with throughbores such that the spacers can be bolted to the drum by means of bolts that pass through the throughbores in the spacers and enter the tapped holes in the drum, the cutters having a width that is either equal to the width of a spacer or a multiple of the width of a spacer.

The arrangement is thus such that the user of the marking remover as defined has a number of options concerning the particular arrangement of cutters that he wishes to use. For example, the cutters may be arranged side-by-side without any spacers between them. Alternatively, a single spacer (or a pair of spacers) may be located between each adjacent pair of cutters.

Each cutter preferably has a width that is equal to twice the width of a spacer and each cutter preferably has two throughbores with the spacing between the axes of the two throughbores equal to the width of a spacer.

The cutters may have carbide tips, case-hardened tips, diamond tips, titanium tips or the like.

The faces of the lands in which the rows of tapped holes are formed may extend radially of the axis of the drum. The faces of the lands may alternatively be raked.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a marking remover as defined that includes a milling head as set out above.

The arrangement is preferably such that the air exiting from the storage chamber is caused to pass through a filter system before exhausting to atmosphere.! The filter system preferably includes a washable foam pad that acts as a pre-cleaner and a plurality of fine filter pads that removes particulate material having a diameter in excess of 5 microns. Brief Descrintion of the Drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a drum of a milling head, Figure 2 is a plan view of the drum, Figure 3 is a side view of a replaceable cutter, Figure 4 is a front view of the cutter of Figure 3,

Figure 4a is a side view of a bolt used to secure the replaceable cutter of Figures 3 and 4 to the drum, Figure 5 is a side view of a milling head, Figures 5a and 5b show two possible methods of mounting the replaceable cutters on the drum of the milling head, Figure 6 is a plan view of an alternative design of milling head showing the cutters mounted on the drum so as to have a negative rake, and Figure 7 is a detail side view of the milling head shown in Figure 6.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

The milling head shown in the drawings is intended to form part of a machine as described in British Patent Specification No. 2

363 416, to which reference should be made.

The milling head shown in Figures 1 to 5 comprises a drum 10 having a central axis of rotation 11 and an outer surface that includes a plurality of equi-angularly spaced lands 12. The lands 12 provide support surfaces extending parallel to the central axis of rotation 11. Each of the support surfaces is formed with a row of tapped holes 13, with the row of tapped holes 13 in each support surface extending parallel to the central axis of rotation 11. A

plurality of replaceable cutters 14 are provided and each cutter 14 is formed with a throughbore 15 such that the cutters 14 can be bolted to the drum 10 by means of bolts 16 that pass through the throughbores 15 in the cutters 14 and enter the tapped holes 13 in the drum 10.

As shown in Figure 3, the throughbores 15 can be countersunk and the heads of the bolts 16 are correspondingly countersunk. The heads of the bolts 16 may be formed with hexagonal sockets or may be of hexagonal cross-section, depending on the types of tools that will be used to tighten the bolts 16.

There are a plurality of optional spacers 17 (Figures 5a and 5b) which, if used, can be positioned between adjacent cutters 14, the spacers 17 being formed with throughbores such that the spacers 17 can be bolted to the drum 10 by means of bolts that pass through the throughbores in the spacers 17 and enter the tapped holes 13 in the drum 10.

As shown, the cutters 15 have a width that is equal to a multiple of the width of a spacer 17, e.g. twice the width of a spacer 1 7.

The arrangement is thus such that the user of the marking remover as defined has a number of options concerning the particular arrangement of cutters that he wishes to use. For example, the cutters may be arranged side-by-side without any

spacers between them. Alternatively, a single spacer 17 as shown in Figure 5a (or a pair of spacers 17 as shown in Figure 5b) may be located between each adjacent pair of cutters 14.

Each cutter 14 can have two throughbores with the spacing between the axes of the two throughbores equal to the width of a spacer 17. The cutters 14 may have carbide tips. Preferably, however, some at least of the cutters 14 have case-hardened tips, diamond tips, titanium tips or the like.

The faces of the lands 12 in which the rows of tapped holes 13 are formed may extend radially of the axis of the drum 10, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5. The faces of the lands 12 may alternatively be raked, as shown in Figures 6 and 7.

The debris obtained as a result of the cutting action passes with the air flow into a storage chamber and, after the debris has been removed from the air flow, the flow of air is passed through a filter system which removes solid particles having a diameter in excess of 5 microns before the air is exhausted to atmosphere.

The filter system includes a washable foam pad in the form of a panel that is installed within the vehicle body and acts as a pre-

cleaner. After pre-cleaning, the air is passed through fine filter pads that serve to effect the final filtering down to 5 microns. The fine filter pads are washable and are so mounted in the vehicle body that they can readily be replaced.

Claims

( Claims:

1. A milling head for a marking remover as defined, the milling head comprising a drum having a central axis of rotation and an outer surface that includes a plurality of equi-angularly spaced lands that provide support surfaces extending parallel to the central axis of rotation, each of the support surfaces being formed with a row of tapped holes, with the row of tapped holes in each support surface extending parallel to the central axis of rotation, a plurality of cutters formed with throughbores such that the cutters can be bolted to the drum by means of bolts that pass through the throughbores in the cutters and enter the tapped holes in the drum, and a plurality of optional spacers which, if used, can be positioned between adjacent cutters, the spacers being formed with throughbores such that the spacers can be bolted to the drum by means of bolts that pass through the throughbores in the spacers and enter the tapped holes in the drum, the cutters having a width that is either equal to the width of a spacer or a multiple of the width of a spacer.

2. A milling head as claimed in Claim 1, in which the cutters are arranged side-by-side without any spacers between them.

3. A milling head as claimed in Claim 1, in which a single spacer (or a pair of spacers) is located between each adjacent pair of cutters.

( l

4. A milling head as claimed in Claim 3, in which each cutter preferably has a width that is equal to twice the width of a spacer and each cutter has two throughbores with the spacing between the axes of the two throughbores equal to the width of a spacer.

5. A milling head as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the cutters have carbide tips, case-hardened tips, diamond tips or titanium tips.

6. A milling head as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the faces of the lands in which the rows of tapped holes are formed extend radially of the axis of the drum.

7. A milling head as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, in which the faces of the lands in which the rows of tapped holes are formed are raked.

8. A milling head for a marking remover as defined, the milling head being constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

9. A marking remover as defined that includes a milling head as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7.

10. A marking remover as claimed in Claim 9, which is so constructed that the air exiting from the storage chamber is caused to pass through a filter system before exhausting to atmosphere.

11. A marking remover as claimed in Claim 10, in which the filter system includes a washable foam pad that acts as a pre-

cleaner.

12. A marking remover as claimed in Claim 11, in which the filter system includes a plurality of fine filter pads that remove particulate material having a diameter in excess of 5 microns.

13. A marking remover substantially as hereinbefore described.