Screw conveyor system for a milling machine

Abstract

A main conveyor for a cold milling machine may include a housing and a spiral distributor, the spiral distributor being at least partially disposed within the housing and configured to rotate. The spiral distributor may include a shaft and spiral blades disposed on the shaft. The spiral blades may have a pitch configured to move debris to an auxiliary conveyor during rotation of the spiral distributor. The main conveyor may further include a motor configured to rotate the shaft of the spiral distributor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates in general to milling machines, and, for example, to cold milling machines having a milling material removal system. Background Technology

[0002] Various construction machinery includes conveying systems. For example, a cold milling machine is a construction machine that mechanically mills and removes material (e.g., asphalt or concrete) from a surface. A cold milling machine includes a rotating drum equipped with cutting tools that engage the surface to produce milled material. A cold milling machine may further include mechanisms for controlling the depth and width of material removal and a conveying system for transporting the milled material away from the machine. Another type of construction machinery that includes a conveying system for moving material is a paver, such as an asphalt paver. A paver can use a conveying system to move asphalt from a hopper to a screed assembly, allowing the asphalt to be compacted on the paving surface.

[0003] Conveying systems used with construction machinery may include conveyor belts attached to rollers driven by one or more motors. Conveying systems are subject to normal wear and tear, and over time, the conveyor belts, rollers, and / or motors may require repair or replacement. Repairing or replacing parts of a conveying system typically requires disassembling portions of the construction machinery, which can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, resulting in extended downtime at the construction site.

[0004] U.S. Patent No. 11,273,752 ('752 Patent) discloses that when the milling drum rotates and the cold milling machine moves forward, the cutting tool impacts, breaks, and strips the road surface at the work site. To remove the broken material, a conveyor is provided inside the cold milling machine, from a position near the milling drum to a position where the material can be unloaded into the trailer of a trailer truck. Relative to a paver, to transport material between the hopper and the screed, the '752 Patent discloses an internal continuous conveyor that can be longitudinally positioned between the front and rear sections of the paver. The conveyor may include a belt that travels continuously in a closed loop within the paver. In embodiments, an auger distributor may be used instead of or as a supplement to a conveyor. While the '752 Patent discloses some benefits, the milling material removal system and / or main conveyor of this disclosure offer other advantages. Summary of the Invention

[0005] A main conveyor for a cold milling machine may include: a housing; a spiral distributor at least partially disposed within the housing and configured to rotate, wherein the spiral distributor includes a shaft and spiral blades disposed on the shaft, wherein the spiral blades have a pitch configured to move debris to an auxiliary conveyor during rotation of the spiral distributor; and a motor configured to rotate the shaft of the spiral distributor.

[0006] A milling material removal system for a cold milling machine may include a milling drum; a main conveyor having: a first housing having a first end adjacent to the milling drum and a second end opposite to the first end; a first auger distributor disposed within the first housing; and a first motor configured to rotate the first auger distributor; and an auxiliary conveyor having a feed end adjacent to the second end of the first housing of the main conveyor and a discharge end opposite to the feed end, wherein the main conveyor is configured to remove milling material from the milling drum and move it toward the auxiliary conveyor, and wherein the auxiliary conveyor is configured to remove the milling material from the second end of the main conveyor and move it toward the discharge end of the auxiliary conveyor.

[0007] One method may include: aligning an opening in the housing of a first main conveyor of a cold milling machine with an opening in the pivot arm of a shielding device; and inserting a hinge rod through the opening in the pivot arm of the shielding device and through the opening in the housing of the first main conveyor, wherein the hinge rod rotatably attaches the first main conveyor to the pivot arm of the shielding device. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a side view of an example cold milling machine used to remove milled material from the work site.

[0009] Figure 2 and Figure 3 Example side and front views of the main conveyor attached to the milling drum are shown respectively.

[0010] Figure 4 This is an example front view of the spiral feeder and housing.

[0011] Figure 5 An example side view of an auxiliary conveyor with a screw feeder is shown.

[0012] Figure 6 An example side view of an auxiliary conveyor with a chute is shown.

[0013] Figure 7 An example top view of a main conveyor or auxiliary conveyor with multiple screw feeders is shown.

[0014] Figure 8 An example flowchart is shown that is associated with the main conveyor of a cold milling machine. Detailed Implementation

[0015] This disclosure relates to a milling material removal system suitable for any machinery used to remove milling material from a work site via a main conveyor, an auxiliary conveyor, and / or a combination thereof. For example, the machinery could be a milling machine or a cold milling machine.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a side view of an example cold milling machine 100 used for removing milled material from a work site. The cold milling machine 100 may include a frame 105 supported by one or more traction devices 110, a milling drum 115 rotatably supported below the bottom of the frame 105, and an engine 120 mounted to the frame 105 and configured to drive the traction devices 110 and the milling drum 115. The traction device 110 may include wheels or tracks connected to actuators 125 adapted to controllably raise and lower the frame 105 relative to the ground. Raising and lowering the frame 105 can be used to change the milling depth of the milling drum 115 on the work surface 175. The same or different actuators 125 may be used to steer the cold milling machine 100 and / or adjust the travel speed of the traction device 110 (e.g., accelerate or brake the traction device 110). The conveying system 130 can be connected to the frame 105 at the front end and is configured to transport materials from the milling drum 115 to containers (such as waiting transport vehicles).

[0017] The frame 105 can support the operator station 135. The operator station 135 can be located on the side of the cold milling machine 100 opposite to the milling drum 115. The operator station 135 can accommodate a control console 140, which has any number of interface devices for controlling the cold milling machine 100.

[0018] The conveying system 130 may include a main conveyor 145 adjacent to the milling drum 115. The main conveyor 145 may be configured to receive milled material from the milling drum 115 at its feed end and to supply the milled material to an auxiliary conveyor 150 at its discharge end. The auxiliary conveyor 150 may receive the milled material via a flexible hopper 155 positioned below the main conveyor 145 and may distribute the milled material into transport vehicles at an elevated discharge end 160 of the auxiliary conveyor 150. The flexible hopper 155 may be connected to (e.g., fixed to, attached to, fastened to, formed part of, or attached to) the auxiliary conveyor 150 at its feed end 165. The flexible hopper 155 may include one or more flexible supports, skirts, or hopper welds for receiving milled material, and may be able to extend or retract as needed depending on the amount of material being conveyed and / or as needed depending on the configuration of the main conveyor 145 relative to the auxiliary conveyor 150. The feed end 165 may be configured to be located below the discharge end of the main conveyor 145, such that material conveyed from the discharge end of the main conveyor falls into the flexible hopper 155 and the feed end 165 of the auxiliary conveyor.

[0019] The auxiliary conveyor 150 can be rotatably attached to the frame 105 at the feed end 165, allowing the auxiliary conveyor 150 to rotate vertically, and the height at which the milled material leaves the auxiliary conveyor 150 at the discharge end 160 can be adjusted. Alternatively, the auxiliary conveyor 150 can be rotatably attached to the frame 105 at the feed end 165, allowing the second conveyor to rotate horizontally, and the direction in which the milled material leaves the auxiliary conveyor 150 can be adjusted relative to the travel direction of the cold milling machine 100 or the main conveyor 145.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, the main conveyor 145 may include a screw feeder configured to move milling material from the milling drum 115 to the auxiliary conveyor 150. The auxiliary conveyor 150 may include a belt supported by one or more roller assemblies and driven by a motor. For example, the motor may include a hydraulic motor or an electric motor, etc. Alternatively, as discussed in more detail below, the auxiliary conveyor 150 may include a screw feeder to move milling material to a transport truck. The auxiliary conveyor 150 may include a cover 170 to prevent debris from falling and / or accumulating on the belt or other components of the second conveyor.

[0021] As indicated above, Figure 1 This is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from the one provided. Figure 1 The example described.

[0022] Figure 2 and Figure 3 Example side and front views of the main conveyor 145 attached to the milling drum 115 are shown respectively. Figures 2 to 3 As shown, the milling drum 115 may include a cutting chamber 200 partially surrounding the cutting tool 205, a baffle device 210 disposed on the cutting chamber 200, a main hopper 215 disposed on the baffle device 210, and a pivot arm 220 disposed on the baffle device 210. The main conveyor 145 may include a housing 225, a screw feeder 230, and a support bearing 235.

[0023] The cutting tool 205 can be configured to mill the working surface 175 and load the milled material into the main hopper 215. The baffle plate 210 can be configured to rest on the working surface 175 during milling operations. The baffle plate 210 can be configured to move vertically while the cutting tool 205 is milling the working surface 175. For example, during milling of the working surface 175, the top area of ​​the working surface 175 may break and be loaded into the main hopper 215, which may cause the baffle plate 210 to move downwards. As the cold milling machine 100 moves to different areas of the working surface 175 (e.g., areas of the working surface 175 that have not yet been milled), the baffle plate 210 can move upwards, such that the baffle plate 210 is positioned at the top of the working surface 175. While the baffle plate 210 moves vertically, the housing 225 of the main conveyor 145 can rotate about a pivot point 240 in the pivot arm 220. For example, in Figure 2 In the illustrated orientation, when milling the working surface 175, the main conveyor 145 can rotate counterclockwise about the pivot point 240, and when the cold milling machine 100 moves to a different area of ​​the working surface 175 that has not yet been milled, the main conveyor can rotate clockwise. The housing 225 can be connected to the pivot arm 220 via a hinge rod 245 that extends through an opening in the pivot arm 220 and the housing 225.

[0024] The main conveyor 145 may include a screw feeder 230. The screw feeder 230 may include a shaft 250 and screw blades 255 disposed on the shaft 250. The shaft 250 may be attached to the housing 225 via a support bearing 235. Additionally, the shaft 250 may be rotated by a motor 260. The screw blades 255 may have a pitch configured to move debris (e.g., milling material) from the main hopper 215 to the auxiliary conveyor 150. For example, the screw blades 255 may include two or more helical segments individually attached to the shaft 250, and these helical segments may include curved blades defining the pitch of the screw blades 255.

[0025] As indicated above, Figures 2 to 3 This is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from the one provided. Figures 2 to 3 The example described.

[0026] Figure 4 This is an example front view of the screw feeder 230 and the housing 225. (See example...) Figure 4 The illustrated screw feeder 230 and housing 225 can be incorporated into the main conveyor 145, the auxiliary conveyor 150, or both. The screw feeder 230 may include a shaft 250 and screw blades 255, as discussed above. The screw blades 255 may include two or more screw segments 405 individually attached to the shaft 250. At least a portion of the screw segment 405 may have an overlap with at least a portion of the housing 225. The curvatures are approximately equal. Curvature. For example, such as Figure 4 As shown, within a given angle θ around the center of axis 250, The curvature formed by the distance from the outer periphery of the helical segment 405 to the center of the shaft 250 and the distance from a portion of the bottom surface 410 of the housing 225 to the center of the shaft 250. They can be approximately equal (e.g., with a deviation within 30%). By utilizing the same or similar curvature, the gap 415 between the bottom surface 410 of the housing 225 and the helical section 405 can be minimized. This reduces the amount of milling material that cannot be pushed by the helical feeder 230 (e.g., the helical feeder 230 will move milling material greater than the gap 415). As indicated above, Figure 4 This is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from the one provided. Figure 4 The example described.

[0027] Figure 5 An example side view of an auxiliary conveyor 150 with a screw feeder is shown. Figure 5 As shown, the auxiliary conveyor 150 may include a housing 500, a screw feeder 505 disposed within the housing 500, and a motor 510 configured to rotate the screw feeder 505 of the auxiliary conveyor 150. When included in the cold milling machine 100, the auxiliary conveyor 150 may have a feed end 165 adjacent to a second end of the housing 225 of the main conveyor 145. Additionally, the auxiliary conveyor 150 may have a discharge end 160 opposite to the feed end 165.

[0028] The auxiliary conveyor 150 may include a hopper 525 disposed on the housing 500. The hopper 525 may be related to the above description. Figure 1The flexible hopper 155 discussed may be the same as or different from the hopper, which can be configured to receive milled material from the main conveyor 145 and load the milled material into the housing 500 of the auxiliary conveyor 150. The screw feeder 505 of the auxiliary conveyor 150 may include a shaft 250 and screw blades 255. A motor 510 can rotate the shaft 250, which in turn can rotate the screw blades 255 and move the milled material from the feed end 165 of the housing 500 of the auxiliary conveyor 150 to the discharge end 160 of the housing 500 of the auxiliary conveyor 150.

[0029] like Figure 5 As shown, the housing 500 of the auxiliary conveyor 150 can be divided into a first section 530 and a second section 535. The second section 535 can be disposed on or adjacent to the first section 530. The first section 530 can be located at the feed end of the auxiliary conveyor 150, and the second section 535 can be located at the discharge end of the auxiliary conveyor 150. Each of the first section 530 and the second section 535 includes a separate screw distributor and a motor (shown as screw distributors 505A and 505B and motors 510A and 510B, respectively) to rotate the screw distributor 505. The first section 530 and the second section 535 can be non-collinear with respect to each other. For example, the second section 535 can extend relative to the first section 530 at an angle θ, and this angle θ can be greater than 0 degrees and less than 180 degrees. Additionally, a hinge 540 can be disposed between the first section 530 and the second section 535. Hinge 540 allows the second segment 535 to rotate relative to the first segment 530, for example, to fold the second segment 535. Folding the second segment 535 can reduce the height and / or width of the cold milling machine 100, which can make the cold milling machine 100 easier to transport between work sites.

[0030] As indicated above, Figure 5 This is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from the one provided. Figure 5 The example described.

[0031] Figure 6 An example side view of an auxiliary conveyor 150 with a chute 600 is shown. The chute 600 may be located at the discharge end of the auxiliary conveyor 150. If the auxiliary conveyor 150 includes multiple sections (e.g., as described above relative to...), Figure 5 The first segment 530 and the second segment 535 discussed above, then the chute 600 can be located in the segment furthest from the main conveyor 145 (e.g., Figure 5 The second section (535) is located at the discharge end. The chute 600 can tilt towards a transport truck, garbage bin, or other container used to receive milled material. As indicated above, Figure 6 This is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from the one provided. Figure 6 The example described.

[0032] Figure 7 An example top view of a main conveyor 145 or an auxiliary conveyor 150 with multiple screw feeders is shown. For example, as... Figure 7 As shown, the housing 700 of the main conveyor 145 or auxiliary conveyor 150 may include two or more auger distributors adjacent to each other, rather than having a single auger distributor (e.g., a single shaft 250 with multiple helical segments). For example, the housing 700 may include a first shaft 250A having a first helical blade 255A and a second shaft 250B having a second helical blade 255B. The first shaft 250A and the second shaft 250B may be arranged parallel to each other in the housing 700. The helical segments of the first helical blade 255A and the helical segments of the second helical blade 255B may be offset from each other, which may allow the first helical blades 255A and the second helical blades 255B of different auger distributors to be at least partially nested, thereby reducing the amount of milled material (e.g., milling material) falling between the auger distributors. Figure 1 The quantity shown above. Figure 7 This is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from the one provided. Figure 7 The example described.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of an example process 800 associated with the main conveyor of a cold milling machine (e.g., cold milling machine 100). Figure 8 As shown, process 800 may include: aligning the opening of the housing of the first main conveyor of the cold milling machine with the opening of the pivot arm of the shielding device (box 810); and inserting a hinge rod through the opening in the pivot arm of the shielding device and through the opening in the housing of the first main conveyor (box 820). As discussed above, the hinge rod rotatably attaches the first main conveyor to the pivot arm of the shielding device. Process 800 may further include: removing the hinge rod from the housing of the first main conveyor and the pivot arm of the shielding device; separating the first main conveyor from the shielding device; aligning the opening of the housing of the second main conveyor with the opening in the pivot arm of the shielding device; and inserting the hinge rod through the opening in the pivot arm of the shielding device and through the opening in the housing of the second main conveyor. Although Figure 8 An example block of process 800 is shown, but in some implementations, process 800 may include... Figure 8 The boxes depicted may be fewer, different, or arranged differently compared to additional boxes. Alternatively, two or more boxes in process 800 may be executed in parallel.

[0034] Industrial applicability A cold milling machine 100, featuring the main conveyor 145 and auxiliary conveyor 150 discussed above, can be used to remove milled material from the work site. As discussed above, the conveying system 130 (e.g., the main conveyor 145 and / or auxiliary conveyor 150) can be incorporated into a screw distributor (e.g., screw distributor 230 and / or screw distributor 505) instead of a conveyor belt and pulleys. When the conveyor belt and pulleys are replaced by a screw distributor, maintenance of the conveying system 130 can be performed more quickly, reducing downtime and construction delays. For example, when the conveying system 130 uses a screw distributor, the main conveyor 145 can be removed and maintained by removing the hinge rod 245 extending through the housing 225 of the pivot arm 220 and the main conveyor 145. Therefore, the main conveyor 145 can be maintained and replaced without disassembling the conveyor belt and rollers.

[0035] The foregoing disclosure provides examples and descriptions, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations can be made based on the foregoing disclosure, or can be derived from practice of implementations. Furthermore, any implementations described herein can be combined unless the foregoing disclosure expressly provides a reason why one or more implementations cannot be combined. Even if specific combinations of features are listed in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of various implementations. While each dependent claim listed below may directly depend on only one claim, the disclosure of various embodiments includes each dependent claim combined with each other claim in the group of claims.

[0036] As used herein, the terms “a,” “an,” and “a group” are intended to include one or more items and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Furthermore, as used herein, the article “the” is intended to include one or more items associated with the article “the” and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “at least partially based on,” unless otherwise expressly stated. Additionally, as used herein, the term “or,” when used serially, is intended to be inclusive and may be used interchangeably with “and / or” unless otherwise expressly stated (e.g., if used in combination with “any one” or “only one of”). Further, for ease of description, spatially relative terms such as “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” etc., may be used herein to describe the relationship of an element or feature to other elements or features as shown in the figures. In addition to the orientations depicted in the figures, spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of devices, apparatuses, and / or elements in use or operation. Devices may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or otherwise), and the spatially relative descriptions used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

Claims

1. A main conveyor for a cold milling machine, the main conveyor comprising: case; A spiral distributor, which is at least partially disposed within the housing and configured to rotate. The spiral distributor includes a shaft and spiral blades, with the spiral blades mounted on the shaft. The spiral blades have a pitch that is configured to move debris to an auxiliary conveyor during rotation of the spiral distributor; and An electric motor configured to rotate the shaft of the screw feeder.

2. The main conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to be attached to the shielding device.

3. The main conveyor of claim 1, wherein the housing defines one or more openings for receiving a hinge rod, and wherein the housing is configured to rotate about the hinge rod.

4. The main conveyor of claim 1, wherein the helical blade comprises two or more helical segments individually attached to the shaft.

5. The main conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a circular bottom surface.

6. The main conveyor according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the bottom surface of the housing and at least a portion of the outer periphery of the helical blades have the same curvature.

7. A milling material removal system for a cold milling machine, the milling material removal system comprising: Milling drum; The main conveyor has: A first housing having a first end near the milling drum and a second end opposite to the first end. The first spiral distributor is disposed inside the first housing, and A first motor, configured to rotate the first spiral distributor; and An auxiliary conveyor having a feed end adjacent to the second end of the first housing of the main conveyor and a discharge end opposite to the feed end. The main conveyor is configured to remove the milling material from the milling drum and move it to the auxiliary conveyor, and The auxiliary conveyor is configured to remove the milled material from the second end of the main conveyor and move it toward the discharge end of the auxiliary conveyor.

8. The milling material removal system according to claim 7, wherein the auxiliary conveyor comprises: Second shell; The second spiral distributor is disposed inside the second housing. and The second motor is configured to rotate the second spiral feeder.

9. The milling material removal system of claim 8, wherein the second housing comprises a first segment and a second segment, the second segment being disposed on or adjacent to the first segment, and wherein the second segment is not collinear with respect to the first segment.

10. The milling material removal system of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary conveyor includes a hinge operatively connected to a first section of the second housing and a second section of the second housing.

11. The milling material removal system according to claim 8, wherein the second spiral distributor is disposed in the first section of the second housing. The auxiliary conveyor includes a third spiral distributor, which is mounted on a third shaft in the second section. The auxiliary conveyor further includes a third motor configured to rotate the third shaft.

12. The milling material removal system according to claim 7, wherein the auxiliary conveyor comprises: One or more rollers; A conveyor belt is disposed on one or more rollers; and A second motor is configured to rotate the one or more rollers.

13. The milling material removal system of claim 7, wherein the main conveyor extends relative to the ground at a first angle, and the auxiliary conveyor extends relative to the ground at a second angle, wherein the first angle is different from the second angle.

14. The milling material removal system of claim 7, further comprising a baffle device, wherein the first housing of the main conveyor is rotatably attached to the baffle device via a hinge rod.

15. The milling material removal system of claim 7, further comprising a baffle device, wherein the first housing is removably attached to the baffle device.

16. The milling material removal system of claim 7, further comprising a first hopper disposed on or adjacent to the first housing and configured to receive the milling material from the milling drum.

17. The milling material removal system of claim 16, further comprising a second hopper disposed on or adjacent to the auxiliary conveyor and configured to receive the milling material from the main conveyor.

18. The milling material removal system of claim 7, wherein the discharge end of the auxiliary conveyor includes a chute configured to discharge the milling material.

19. A method comprising: Align the opening of the housing of the first main conveyor of the cold milling machine with the opening of the pivot arm of the guard plate device; as well as Insert the hinge rod through the opening in the pivot arm of the shielding device and through the opening in the housing of the first main conveyor. The hinge rod rotatably attaches the first main conveyor to the pivot arm of the shielding device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: Remove the hinge rod from the housing of the first main conveyor and the pivot arm of the shielding device; Separate the first main conveyor from the protective plate device; Align the opening of the housing of the second main conveyor with the opening of the pivot arm of the shielding device; as well as The hinge rod is inserted through the opening in the pivot arm of the shielding device and through the opening in the housing of the second main conveyor.

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