US20230116589A1 - System and method of material evacuation in mill chamber - Google Patents
System and method of material evacuation in mill chamber Download PDFInfo
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- US20230116589A1 US20230116589A1 US17/498,407 US202117498407A US2023116589A1 US 20230116589 A1 US20230116589 A1 US 20230116589A1 US 202117498407 A US202117498407 A US 202117498407A US 2023116589 A1 US2023116589 A1 US 2023116589A1
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- Prior art keywords
- auger
- work machine
- mill chamber
- augers
- conveyor belt
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
- E01C—CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR
- E01C23/00—Auxiliary devices or arrangements for constructing, repairing, reconditioning, or taking-up road or like surfaces
- E01C23/06—Devices or arrangements for working the finished surface; Devices for repairing or reconditioning the surface of damaged paving; Recycling in place or on the road
- E01C23/08—Devices or arrangements for working the finished surface; Devices for repairing or reconditioning the surface of damaged paving; Recycling in place or on the road for roughening or patterning; for removing the surface down to a predetermined depth high spots or material bonded to the surface, e.g. markings; for maintaining earth roads, clay courts or like surfaces by means of surface working tools, e.g. scarifiers, levelling blades
- E01C23/085—Devices or arrangements for working the finished surface; Devices for repairing or reconditioning the surface of damaged paving; Recycling in place or on the road for roughening or patterning; for removing the surface down to a predetermined depth high spots or material bonded to the surface, e.g. markings; for maintaining earth roads, clay courts or like surfaces by means of surface working tools, e.g. scarifiers, levelling blades using power-driven tools, e.g. vibratory tools
- E01C23/088—Rotary tools, e.g. milling drums
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
- E01C—CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR
- E01C23/00—Auxiliary devices or arrangements for constructing, repairing, reconditioning, or taking-up road or like surfaces
- E01C23/06—Devices or arrangements for working the finished surface; Devices for repairing or reconditioning the surface of damaged paving; Recycling in place or on the road
- E01C23/12—Devices or arrangements for working the finished surface; Devices for repairing or reconditioning the surface of damaged paving; Recycling in place or on the road for taking-up, tearing-up, or full-depth breaking-up paving, e.g. sett extractor
- E01C23/122—Devices or arrangements for working the finished surface; Devices for repairing or reconditioning the surface of damaged paving; Recycling in place or on the road for taking-up, tearing-up, or full-depth breaking-up paving, e.g. sett extractor with power-driven tools, e.g. oscillated hammer apparatus
- E01C23/127—Devices or arrangements for working the finished surface; Devices for repairing or reconditioning the surface of damaged paving; Recycling in place or on the road for taking-up, tearing-up, or full-depth breaking-up paving, e.g. sett extractor with power-driven tools, e.g. oscillated hammer apparatus rotary, e.g. rotary hammers
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G33/00—Screw or rotary spiral conveyors
- B65G33/08—Screw or rotary spiral conveyors for fluent solid materials
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates generally to milling machines, and, more specifically, to material evacuation in mill chambers of milling machines.
- Asphalt-surfaced roadways are built to facilitate vehicular travel. Depending upon usage density, base conditions, temperature variation, moisture levels, and/or physical age, the surfaces of roadways eventually become misshapen and unable to support wheel loads. In order to rehabilitate the roadways for continued vehicular use, spent asphalt is removed in preparation for resurfacing.
- Cold planers sometimes also called road planers, pavement profilers, milling machines, etc., are used for scarifying, removing, mixing or reclaiming material from roadway and similar surfaces.
- These machines typically have a rotatable cutter, fitted with cutting tools, to break up the surface of the roadway.
- the rotatable cutter is enclosed within a housing that helps contain discharge of the cut roadway material as it is broken and deposited onto a conveyor for removal.
- tailings and pieces of asphalt or pavement are often left behind. These tailings must be swept or shoveled by human or machine, which is time consuming and, consequently, costly at a construction site. If left on the cut surface, tailings may be picked up by vehicle wheels and flung onto other vehicles, causing damage to vehicles and other machines. Further, laying asphalt or other paving material on top of an unclean surface, with tailings and debris still present for example, will cause the newly laid pavement or asphalt to deteriorate at a much faster rate than normal.
- 113 publication Prior attempts to gather and convey pavement cuttings are disclosed in US Patent Publication 2006/0216113 (hereinafter the “113 publication”).
- the '113 publication discloses a spreader planer road construction machine having a trimmer, auger and conveyor belt.
- the trimmer provides a fine cut to cement surfaces and a reclaimer assembly, including a horizontally disposed auger, transfer the cutting to a pivoting conveyor, which deposits the cuttings behind the machine.
- a work machine may include a frame, a plurality of ground engaging mechanisms, a conveyor assembly, and a mill chamber.
- the conveyor assembly may include a conveyor belt.
- the mill chamber may include an auger and a rotor.
- the rotor may have a plurality of teeth.
- a mill chamber assembly for a work machine may include a plurality of side plates, a milling rotor, a first auger, and a second auger.
- the milling rotor may have a plurality of teeth.
- the first auger may be rotatably coupled to one of the plurality of side plates, and may have a helical twist in a first rotational direction.
- the second auger may be rotatably coupled to one of the plurality of side plates, and may have a helical twist in a second direction.
- the first auger and the second auger may be positioned forward of the milling rotor in a direction of travel of the work machine.
- a method of operating a work machine may have a milling rotor and an auger, and the auger may be positioned ahead of the milling rotor in the direction of travel of the work machine.
- the method may include positioning the milling rotor and the auger proximate a pavement surface; rotating the milling rotor and the auger; milling a portion of the pavement surface; generating tailings; driving, by the auger, the tailings toward a conveyor belt; and conveying, by the conveyor belt, the tailings away from the work machine.
- FIG. 1 is a side view of a work machine having a material evacuation system constructed in accordance with the present disclosure.
- FIG. 2 is a partial side perspective view of a portion of a work machine constructed in accordance with the present disclosure.
- FIG. 3 is a partial rear view of a portion of a work machine constructed in accordance with the present disclosure.
- FIG. 4 is a side cutaway view of a portion of a work machine constructed in accordance with the present disclosure.
- FIG. 5 is a side elevated perspective view of an auger of a work machine constructed in accordance with the present disclosure.
- FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a series of steps for removing a surface of pavement using a work machine constructed in accordance with a method of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a work machine 10 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- the work machine 10 may be a cold planer milling machine used to remove a paving surface, such as asphalt or concrete.
- the work machine 10 may include a frame 12 supported by one or more ground engaging devices 14 , a milling rotor 16 and a pair of augers 18 , 20 rotationally supported under the frame, and an engine 22 mounted to the frame and configured to drive at least the ground engaging devices. While the work machine 10 is illustrated with track type ground engaging devices 14 , the work machine 10 may alternatively be wheels or other traction device.
- rotatably-mounted milling rotor 16 may be connected to the work machine, although not illustrated.
- rotatably-mounted milling rotor 16 may be utilized for a variety of tasks, and thus the term “rotor” will refer to and encompass milling heads, cutting barrels, rotors, and rotatably-mounted rollers, among others.
- the milling rotor 16 may be rotatably supported on the frame 12 and configured for powered rotation relative to the frame.
- the milling rotor 16 may have a generally cylindrical shape and include at least one cutting tool or tooth disposed peripherally along an outer surface of the milling rotor. In this way, the cutting tools or teeth perform cuts as the rotor rotates and the work machine 10 advances in a forward direction along a working surface to be milled.
- the ground engaging devices 14 may be connected to actuators 24 that may be adapted to raise and lower the frame 12 relative to a ground or work surface. In this respect, raising and lowering the frame 12 may also function to vary a height and consequently a penetration depth of the milling rotor 16 into the ground surface.
- one or more additional actuators may be associated with the milling rotor 16 and configured to adjust the height of the milling rotor with respect to the work surface, independent of, or in conjunction with, the actuators 24 .
- each auger 18 , 20 may also be connected to one or more additional actuators (not shown), such that the height of the augers may be adjusted independently of, or in conjunction with the actuators 24 .
- the frame 12 of the presently illustrated work machine 10 may also support an operator cab 26 .
- the work machine 10 may be an autonomous machine, a semiautonomous machine, a remotely operated machine, or a remotely supervised machine, among others.
- the operator cab 26 may include one or more control devices 28 that a user or operator may use to maneuver and control the work machine 10 .
- the control devices 28 may include one or more joysticks, pedals, levers, buttons, steering wheels, or any other suitable control device or interface (or any of various combinations thereof) configured to be actuated or otherwise engaged to effectuate control of the work machine 10 .
- the control devices 28 may further include a control panel for displaying visual data pertaining to the components and/or the current operation of the work machine 10 to the operator stationed within the operator cab 26 .
- a conveyor system 30 may be connected at a front or leading end 32 of the frame 12 , and may include a conveyor belt 34 configured to transport material away from milling rotor 16 and into a waiting haul vehicle or container, for example.
- the milling rotor 16 and augers 18 , 20 may be housed within a mill chamber 36 which may help contain material removed by the milling rotor from the ground or roadway surface.
- the mill chamber 36 generally includes at least a chamber wrapper plate 44 (a portion of which is illustrated in FIGS. 2 - 4 ) and a pair of side plates 46 .
- the milling rotor 16 is not shown, but it should be understood that the milling rotor may be installed within, and extending between, illustrated apertures 38 , 40 .
- the augers 18 , 20 may be positioned in front of the milling rotor 16 in the direction of travel of the work machine 10 . However, in other embodiments, the augers 18 , 20 may be positioned behind the milling rotor 16 , or sets of augers may be positioned both in front of, and behind, the milling rotor.
- each auger 18 , 20 may rotate in the direction of the arrow 42 in a clockwise direction.
- Each auger 18 , 20 may be helical or corkscrew in shape, and rotate to transport material from the outer edges and corners of the mill chamber 36 toward the center of the mill chamber and to deposit the material onto the conveyor belt 34 .
- each auger 18 , 20 may have a directionally opposite helical twist structure.
- the auger 18 positioned on one side of the work machine 10 may employ a counter-clockwise helical twist from a certain perspective
- the auger 20 positioned on an opposite side of the work machine 10 may employ a clockwise helical twist from the same perspective.
- the auger 18 positioned on one side of the work machine may employ a clockwise helical twist
- the auger 20 positioned on the opposite side of the work machine may employ a counter-clockwise helical twist.
- Each auger 18 , 20 may be constructed from a metal, metal alloy, or other material able to withstand abrasion.
- the milling rotor 16 may also rotate in a counter-clockwise direction as the work machine 10 travels in a forward direction.
- the milling rotor 16 and the augers 18 , 20 may rotate at the same speed, or differing speeds depending on settings and controls established by the operator of the work machine 10 .
- the milling rotor 16 and the augers 18 , 20 may be rotated and raised or lowered by a hydraulic system, or other suitable power source.
- Each auger 18 , 20 may include a shaft 48 rotatably coupled to an electric or hydraulic driver at a first end 50 , as well as a second free end 52 opposite the first end.
- the augers 18 , 20 may be dimensioned such that the free ends 52 of the augers 18 , 20 are spaced apart to allow for material to be driven into the center of the mill chamber 36 and onto the conveyor belt 34 through an opening 54 in a front wall 56 of the mill chamber.
- a pair of flaps 58 extending rearwardly from the front wall 56 , toward the augers 18 , 20 may be positioned on each side of the opening 54 to further facilitate direction of material toward the conveyor belt 34 .
- a pair of guard plates 60 may be fixed to each side plate 46 and extend away from the side plate toward a center of the mill chamber 36 .
- Each guard plate 60 may be formed from a relatively flat portion 62 and a curved portion 64 that may be welded or otherwise fixed together.
- the guard plate 60 may be made of steel or other wear resistant metal.
- the curved portion 64 and the flat portion 62 maybe be individually replaceable in the event of wear or damage.
- the teachings of the present disclosure may find applicability in many industries including, but not limited to, construction and paving equipment.
- the present disclosure may be beneficial to cold planer machines.
- the present disclosure provides a cold planer milling machine with at least one auger that directs tailings and other debris away from the side plates of the mill chamber of the milling machine and onto a conveyor belt, thereby removing unwanted paving material and preventing uneven, incomplete or partial distribution of new paving material.
- a series of steps 100 involved in milling the ground surface is illustrated in a flowchart format in FIG. 6 .
- a first step 100 the milling rotor 16 and the augers 18 , 20 may be lowered into a position for milling a surface of pavement. While this step may be accomplished by an operator of the work machine 10 , it is also contemplated that this step may be accomplished autonomously or semi-autonomously.
- the pavement surface may be asphalt, other paving materials such as concrete, gravel, or brick are also considered.
- an operator of the work machine 10 may provide power, such that the milling rotor and augers begin rotating (step 104 ). More specifically, the operator of the work machine 10 may set a rotational direction of the milling rotor 16 and the augers 18 , 20 . This may be accomplished manually, or by using the input devices 28 in the operator cab 26 . During operation, the milling rotor 16 and the augers 18 , 20 may rotate in the same direction. In one embodiment, the milling rotor 16 and the augers 18 , 20 may rotate in an up-cut rotational direction, or counter-clockwise when viewing the work machine from the side illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 , or clockwise when viewing the work machine from the side illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- the work machine 10 may move in a forward direction to begin milling the pavement surface (step 106 ).
- the teeth of the milling rotor 16 may be angled such that the teeth dig in a downward direction into the pavement, rotate toward the front end 32 of the work machine 10 , and tear or carry up the broken pavement pieces, generally directing them toward the conveyor belt 34 to be carried away from the work machine.
- a portion of the paving material, tailings or debris, may be thrown or tossed within the mill chamber 36 .
- the rotating augers 18 , 20 drive the material back toward the center of the mill chamber 36 , and ultimately onto the conveyor belt 34 . This material is then carried away on the conveyor belt 34 toward a waiting vehicle or other location.
Abstract
A work machine including a frame, a plurality of ground engaging mechanisms, a conveyor assembly and a mill chamber. The conveyor assembly including a conveyor belt. The mill chamber including an auger and a rotor, the rotor having a plurality of teeth.
Description
- The present disclosure relates generally to milling machines, and, more specifically, to material evacuation in mill chambers of milling machines.
- Asphalt-surfaced roadways are built to facilitate vehicular travel. Depending upon usage density, base conditions, temperature variation, moisture levels, and/or physical age, the surfaces of roadways eventually become misshapen and unable to support wheel loads. In order to rehabilitate the roadways for continued vehicular use, spent asphalt is removed in preparation for resurfacing. Cold planers, sometimes also called road planers, pavement profilers, milling machines, etc., are used for scarifying, removing, mixing or reclaiming material from roadway and similar surfaces.
- These machines typically have a rotatable cutter, fitted with cutting tools, to break up the surface of the roadway. The rotatable cutter is enclosed within a housing that helps contain discharge of the cut roadway material as it is broken and deposited onto a conveyor for removal. As the cold planer moves along a surface, however, tailings and pieces of asphalt or pavement are often left behind. These tailings must be swept or shoveled by human or machine, which is time consuming and, consequently, costly at a construction site. If left on the cut surface, tailings may be picked up by vehicle wheels and flung onto other vehicles, causing damage to vehicles and other machines. Further, laying asphalt or other paving material on top of an unclean surface, with tailings and debris still present for example, will cause the newly laid pavement or asphalt to deteriorate at a much faster rate than normal.
- Prior attempts to gather and convey pavement cuttings are disclosed in US Patent Publication 2006/0216113 (hereinafter the “113 publication”). In particular, the '113 publication discloses a spreader planer road construction machine having a trimmer, auger and conveyor belt. The trimmer provides a fine cut to cement surfaces and a reclaimer assembly, including a horizontally disposed auger, transfer the cutting to a pivoting conveyor, which deposits the cuttings behind the machine.
- In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a work machine is disclosed. The work machine may include a frame, a plurality of ground engaging mechanisms, a conveyor assembly, and a mill chamber. The conveyor assembly may include a conveyor belt. The mill chamber may include an auger and a rotor. The rotor may have a plurality of teeth.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a mill chamber assembly for a work machine is disclosed. The mill chamber may include a plurality of side plates, a milling rotor, a first auger, and a second auger. The milling rotor may have a plurality of teeth. The first auger may be rotatably coupled to one of the plurality of side plates, and may have a helical twist in a first rotational direction. The second auger may be rotatably coupled to one of the plurality of side plates, and may have a helical twist in a second direction. The first auger and the second auger may be positioned forward of the milling rotor in a direction of travel of the work machine.
- In accordance with yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of operating a work machine is disclosed. The work machine may have a milling rotor and an auger, and the auger may be positioned ahead of the milling rotor in the direction of travel of the work machine. The method may include positioning the milling rotor and the auger proximate a pavement surface; rotating the milling rotor and the auger; milling a portion of the pavement surface; generating tailings; driving, by the auger, the tailings toward a conveyor belt; and conveying, by the conveyor belt, the tailings away from the work machine.
- These and other aspect and features of the present disclosure will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a side view of a work machine having a material evacuation system constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. -
FIG. 2 is a partial side perspective view of a portion of a work machine constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. -
FIG. 3 is a partial rear view of a portion of a work machine constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. -
FIG. 4 is a side cutaway view of a portion of a work machine constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. -
FIG. 5 is a side elevated perspective view of an auger of a work machine constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. -
FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a series of steps for removing a surface of pavement using a work machine constructed in accordance with a method of the present disclosure. - Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments or features, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, corresponding or similar reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or corresponding parts.
-
FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of awork machine 10, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Thework machine 10, as illustrated, may be a cold planer milling machine used to remove a paving surface, such as asphalt or concrete. Thework machine 10 may include aframe 12 supported by one or more groundengaging devices 14, amilling rotor 16 and a pair ofaugers engine 22 mounted to the frame and configured to drive at least the ground engaging devices. While thework machine 10 is illustrated with track type groundengaging devices 14, thework machine 10 may alternatively be wheels or other traction device. Furthermore, while thework machine 10 is illustrated with a single rotatably-mountedmilling rotor 16, two or more rotors may be connected to the work machine, although not illustrated. Such a rotatably-mountedmilling rotor 16 may be utilized for a variety of tasks, and thus the term “rotor” will refer to and encompass milling heads, cutting barrels, rotors, and rotatably-mounted rollers, among others. - While not illustrated, the
milling rotor 16 may be rotatably supported on theframe 12 and configured for powered rotation relative to the frame. Themilling rotor 16 may have a generally cylindrical shape and include at least one cutting tool or tooth disposed peripherally along an outer surface of the milling rotor. In this way, the cutting tools or teeth perform cuts as the rotor rotates and thework machine 10 advances in a forward direction along a working surface to be milled. - The ground
engaging devices 14 may be connected toactuators 24 that may be adapted to raise and lower theframe 12 relative to a ground or work surface. In this respect, raising and lowering theframe 12 may also function to vary a height and consequently a penetration depth of themilling rotor 16 into the ground surface. In an embodiment, one or more additional actuators (not shown) may be associated with themilling rotor 16 and configured to adjust the height of the milling rotor with respect to the work surface, independent of, or in conjunction with, theactuators 24. In a similar manner, eachauger actuators 24. - The
frame 12 of the presently illustratedwork machine 10 may also support anoperator cab 26. In other embodiments, however, thework machine 10 may be an autonomous machine, a semiautonomous machine, a remotely operated machine, or a remotely supervised machine, among others. Theoperator cab 26 may include one ormore control devices 28 that a user or operator may use to maneuver and control thework machine 10. Thecontrol devices 28 may include one or more joysticks, pedals, levers, buttons, steering wheels, or any other suitable control device or interface (or any of various combinations thereof) configured to be actuated or otherwise engaged to effectuate control of thework machine 10. Thecontrol devices 28 may further include a control panel for displaying visual data pertaining to the components and/or the current operation of thework machine 10 to the operator stationed within theoperator cab 26. - A
conveyor system 30 may be connected at a front or leadingend 32 of theframe 12, and may include aconveyor belt 34 configured to transport material away frommilling rotor 16 and into a waiting haul vehicle or container, for example. Themilling rotor 16 andaugers mill chamber 36 which may help contain material removed by the milling rotor from the ground or roadway surface. - Referring now to
FIGS. 2-4 , a portion of themill chamber 36 is shown in more detail. Themill chamber 36 generally includes at least a chamber wrapper plate 44 (a portion of which is illustrated inFIGS. 2-4 ) and a pair ofside plates 46. In the depicted arrangement, themilling rotor 16 is not shown, but it should be understood that the milling rotor may be installed within, and extending between, illustratedapertures augers rotor 16 in the direction of travel of thework machine 10. However, in other embodiments, theaugers rotor 16, or sets of augers may be positioned both in front of, and behind, the milling rotor. - As the
work machine 10 travels in a forward direction (illustrated by arrow F inFIG. 2 ), theaugers arrow 42 in a clockwise direction. Eachauger mill chamber 36 toward the center of the mill chamber and to deposit the material onto theconveyor belt 34. To accomplish movement of material toward a center of themill chamber 36 and ultimately theconveyor belt 34, eachauger auger 18 positioned on one side of thework machine 10 employs a counter-clockwise helical twist from a certain perspective, then theauger 20 positioned on an opposite side of thework machine 10 may employ a clockwise helical twist from the same perspective. Alternatively, theauger 18 positioned on one side of the work machine may employ a clockwise helical twist, while theauger 20 positioned on the opposite side of the work machine may employ a counter-clockwise helical twist. Eachauger - The milling
rotor 16, while not illustrated inFIGS. 2-4 , may also rotate in a counter-clockwise direction as thework machine 10 travels in a forward direction. The millingrotor 16 and theaugers work machine 10. Furthermore, the millingrotor 16 and theaugers - Each
auger shaft 48 rotatably coupled to an electric or hydraulic driver at afirst end 50, as well as a secondfree end 52 opposite the first end. Theaugers augers mill chamber 36 and onto theconveyor belt 34 through anopening 54 in afront wall 56 of the mill chamber. A pair offlaps 58 extending rearwardly from thefront wall 56, toward theaugers opening 54 to further facilitate direction of material toward theconveyor belt 34. - With reference to
FIG. 5 , and continued reference toFIGS. 2-4 , a pair ofguard plates 60, one associated with eachauger side plate 46 and extend away from the side plate toward a center of themill chamber 36. Eachguard plate 60 may be formed from a relativelyflat portion 62 and acurved portion 64 that may be welded or otherwise fixed together. Theguard plate 60 may be made of steel or other wear resistant metal. Thecurved portion 64 and theflat portion 62 maybe be individually replaceable in the event of wear or damage. - In practice, the teachings of the present disclosure may find applicability in many industries including, but not limited to, construction and paving equipment. As one particular example, the present disclosure may be beneficial to cold planer machines. The present disclosure provides a cold planer milling machine with at least one auger that directs tailings and other debris away from the side plates of the mill chamber of the milling machine and onto a conveyor belt, thereby removing unwanted paving material and preventing uneven, incomplete or partial distribution of new paving material.
- A series of
steps 100 involved in milling the ground surface is illustrated in a flowchart format inFIG. 6 . As shown therein, in afirst step 100, the millingrotor 16 and theaugers work machine 10, it is also contemplated that this step may be accomplished autonomously or semi-autonomously. Further, while the pavement surface may be asphalt, other paving materials such as concrete, gravel, or brick are also considered. - Once the
augers rotor 16 is in position, an operator of thework machine 10 may provide power, such that the milling rotor and augers begin rotating (step 104). More specifically, the operator of thework machine 10 may set a rotational direction of the millingrotor 16 and theaugers input devices 28 in theoperator cab 26. During operation, the millingrotor 16 and theaugers rotor 16 and theaugers FIGS. 2 and 4 , or clockwise when viewing the work machine from the side illustrated inFIG. 1 . - While the
augers rotor 16 are rotating, thework machine 10 may move in a forward direction to begin milling the pavement surface (step 106). During operation, the teeth of the millingrotor 16 may be angled such that the teeth dig in a downward direction into the pavement, rotate toward thefront end 32 of thework machine 10, and tear or carry up the broken pavement pieces, generally directing them toward theconveyor belt 34 to be carried away from the work machine. - In a
step 108, a portion of the paving material, tailings or debris, may be thrown or tossed within themill chamber 36. As this paving material lands on theguard plates 60, the rotatingaugers mill chamber 36, and ultimately onto theconveyor belt 34. This material is then carried away on theconveyor belt 34 toward a waiting vehicle or other location. - While a series of steps and operations have been described herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that these steps and operations may be re-arranged, replaced, or eliminated, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the claims.
- Furthermore, while aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and assemblies without departing from the scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.
Claims (22)
1. A work machine, comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of ground engaging mechanisms;
a conveyor assembly including a conveyor belt;
a mill chamber, the mill chamber including a rotor, having a plurality of teeth and a front plate, the front plate defining an opening;
a first auger mounted on a first shaft, the first shaft having a first free end; and
a second auger mounted on a second shaft, the second shaft having a second free end, the first and second free ends being spaced apart and laterally flanking the opening.
2. (canceled)
3. (canceled)
4. The work machine of claim 1 , wherein the first and second augers are rotatably fixed within the mill chamber, and the first and second augers both rotate about a single axis.
5. The work machine of claim 1 , further including the conveyor belt positioned proximate the mill chamber at a front end of the work machine.
6. The work machine of claim 5 , wherein the first and second augers are positioned linearly between the rotor and the conveyor belt.
7. The work machine of claim 1 , wherein the mill chamber further includes a curved guard plate extending a length of the auger.
8. The work machine of claim 7 , wherein the guard plate is fixed to one of a plurality of side plates or the front plate, and is positioned between the first and second augers and a ground surface.
9. A mill chamber assembly for a work machine, the mill chamber including:
a plurality of side plates;
a front plate, the front plate defining an opening;
a milling rotor having a plurality of teeth;
a first auger rotatably coupled to one of the plurality of side plates, the first auger having a helical twist in a first rotational direction, the first auger further including a first shaft having a first free end; and
a second auger rotatably coupled to one of the plurality of side plates, the second auger having a helical twist in a second direction, the second auger further including a second shaft having a second free end;
the first auger and the second auger being positioned forward of the milling rotor in a direction of travel of the work machine, the first free end and the second free end being spaced apart and laterally flanking the opening.
10. The mill chamber assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first shaft extends axially through a center of the first auger, and the second shaft extends axially through a center of the second auger.
11. The mill chamber assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first shaft and the second shaft are aligned along a rotational axis.
12. The mill chamber assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first auger and the second auger rotate in the same rotational direction about the rotational axis.
13. The mill chamber assembly of claim 9 , further including a first guard plate fixed to one of the plurality of side plates and extending a length of the first auger, and a second guard plate fixed to one of the plurality of side plates and extending a length of the second auger.
14. The mill chamber assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first guard plate is positioned between the first auger and a pavement surface, and the second guard plate is positioned between the second auger and the pavement surface.
15. The mill chamber assembly of claim 9 , further including a mold board positioned behind the milling rotor.
16. The mill chamber assembly of claim 9 , wherein the opening is proximate the conveyor belt.
17. A method of operating a work machine, the work machine having a milling rotor and a first and second augers, the first and second augers being positioned ahead of the milling rotor in a direction of travel of the work machine, the method comprising:
positioning the milling rotor and the augers proximate a pavement surface;
spacing the first and second augers apart to laterally flank an opening to a conveyor belt
rotating the milling rotor and the first and second augers;
milling a portion of the pavement surface;
generating tailings;
driving, by the first and second augers, the tailings toward the conveyor belt; and
conveying, by the conveyor belt, the tailings away from the work machine.
18. (canceled)
19. The method of claim 17 , further including driving, by the first and second augers, the tailings toward a center of a mill chamber and onto the conveyor belt aligned in the center of the mill chamber.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein during the rotating, the milling rotor and each of the first and second augers rotate in the same direction and about the same axis.
21. The work machine of claim 1 , wherein the first and second augers are rotatably fixed within the mill chamber, and the height of each auger may be independently adjusted by an actuator independently connected to each auger.
22. The mill chamber assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first and second augers are rotatably fixed within the mill chamber, and the height of each auger may be independently adjusted by an actuator independently connected to each auger.
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US17/498,407 US11613855B1 (en) | 2021-10-11 | 2021-10-11 | System and method of material evacuation in mill chamber |
DE102022126170.0A DE102022126170A1 (en) | 2021-10-11 | 2022-10-10 | SYSTEM AND PROCEDURE FOR EMPTYING MATERIAL IN MILLING CHAMBER |
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US17/498,407 US11613855B1 (en) | 2021-10-11 | 2021-10-11 | System and method of material evacuation in mill chamber |
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US20230116589A1 true US20230116589A1 (en) | 2023-04-13 |
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MX2022000461A (en) | 2019-07-19 | 2022-03-02 | Laitram Llc | Multi-piece conveyor component including hygienic connection. |
Citations (4)
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US3946506A (en) * | 1972-02-14 | 1976-03-30 | Cmi Corporation | Trimmer type road construction apparatus with pivotally connected conveyor |
DE2847924C2 (en) * | 1978-11-04 | 1987-11-19 | Reinhard 5461 Windhagen De Wirtgen | |
EP0282381A1 (en) * | 1987-03-03 | 1988-09-14 | BEUGNET, Société anonyme dite | Road regeneration plant |
US5695256A (en) * | 1995-07-04 | 1997-12-09 | Ohkita Engineering Co., Ltd. | Road excavator with a rotary cutter |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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IT1280299B1 (en) | 1995-03-30 | 1998-01-08 | Bitelli Spa | IMPROVED SCARFING MACHINE FOR THE REMOVAL OF ROAD SURFACES |
US5850883A (en) | 1997-05-13 | 1998-12-22 | Schwartz; Darrel L | Windrow auger composter |
DE10202536A1 (en) | 2002-01-24 | 2003-08-21 | Juergen Schenk | Milling device for soil, rock, excavation or other material |
US20060216113A1 (en) | 2005-03-24 | 2006-09-28 | Richard Silbernagel | Road construction apparatus with pivotally connected trimmer |
WO2010045952A1 (en) | 2008-10-21 | 2010-04-29 | Marini S.P.A. | Road planer for milling road-surface |
-
2021
- 2021-10-11 US US17/498,407 patent/US11613855B1/en active Active
-
2022
- 2022-10-10 DE DE102022126170.0A patent/DE102022126170A1/en active Pending
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3946506A (en) * | 1972-02-14 | 1976-03-30 | Cmi Corporation | Trimmer type road construction apparatus with pivotally connected conveyor |
DE2847924C2 (en) * | 1978-11-04 | 1987-11-19 | Reinhard 5461 Windhagen De Wirtgen | |
EP0282381A1 (en) * | 1987-03-03 | 1988-09-14 | BEUGNET, Société anonyme dite | Road regeneration plant |
US5695256A (en) * | 1995-07-04 | 1997-12-09 | Ohkita Engineering Co., Ltd. | Road excavator with a rotary cutter |
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US11613855B1 (en) | 2023-03-28 |
DE102022126170A1 (en) | 2023-04-13 |
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