Slip form paver equipment

Abstract

A slipform paver apparatus for controlling edge collapse in a newly formed concrete structure formed by a slipform paver. The edge height sensor generates an edge height signal corresponding to an edge height of the newly formed concrete structure to detect a collapse degree of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure behind the slipform paver mold. The controller receives the edge height signal, determines whether any collapse of the newly formed concrete structure edge exceeds a set collapse limit, and automatically controls the actuator assembly to adjust the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold floor relative to the interior portion of the mold floor in response at least in part to the edge height signal, and the edge height of the newly formed concrete structure is adjusted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to equipment for slipform paving, and more particularly to equipment for controlling the edge slump of newly formed concrete structures. Background Art

[0002] Figures 1-7 A prior art slipform paver is illustrated, and the manner in which the prior art addresses the problem of controlling edge slump in slipformed concrete structures is shown. In Figure 1 is shown a slipform paver equipment, generally designated by reference numeral 10. As Figure 2 schematically shown therein, the equipment 10 is configured to move across the ground surface 14 in the paving direction 12 for spreading, leveling, and processing concrete into a newly formed concrete structure 16 having a generally upwardly exposed concrete surface 18 and terminating in lateral concrete side edges (such as 20).

[0003] The slipform paver equipment 10 includes a main frame 22 and a slipform paver mold 24 supported from the main frame 22. A left side mold assembly 26 and a right side mold assembly 28 are connected to the slipform paver mold 24 such that the slipform paver mold 24 is closed on the left and right sides to form lateral concrete side edges 20 of the finished concrete structure 16 and the like. As Figure 3 best seen in, one or more trailing side molds 44 may follow each of the side mold assemblies 26 and 28.

[0004] The main frame 22 is supported from the ground surface by a plurality of ground engaging units (such as 30). In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of ground engaging units are tracked ground engaging units 30. Each ground engaging unit 30 is connected to the main frame 22 by a lift column (such as 32) attached to a swing arm (such as 34). An operator platform 36 is located on the main frame 22. A plow or spreader device 38 is supported from the main frame 22 in front of the slipform paver mold 24. An array of vibrators 25 is also provided in front of the mold 24 to assist in consolidating the concrete material to be formed. Behind the slipform paver mold 24, a dowel bar inserter device 40 may be provided. Behind the dowel bar inserter device 40, an oscillating beam 41 and a super screed device 42 may be provided.

[0005] Figure 4A Shown is a schematic cross-section of the newly formed concrete structure 16 taken along Figure 2 centerline 4-4. Assuming the top surface 18 is horizontal, then in an ideal situation, each lateral edge (such as 46) of the concrete structure 16 is at the same elevation as the remainder of the top surface 18. However, due to the physical properties of the newly formed concrete structure which has not yet hardened, some "slump" may occur near the edges of the concrete structure 16, which inFigure 4B is schematically illustrated. In Figure 4B , due to the collapse, the elevation of the edge 46 has dropped by a distance 48. The practice in the prior art is to manually measure the distance 48 by placing a long straight edge 50 (such as a 2 by 4 board) on the top surface 18 so that it protrudes above the edge 46, and measuring the distance 48 with a ruler or a tape measure. The typical engineering specifications suitable for allowing the degree of collapse are that if the edge 46 is a free edge of a finished structure, the distance 48 should not be greater than 3 / 8 inch (1 cm). If the edge 46 is to be connected by another slab poured near the structure 16, then the distance 48 can be limited to not greater than 1 / 4 inch (6 mm). These specifications can vary depending on the requirements of the specific structure 16 created. These specifications may also vary depending on the national standards applicable in the country of use.

[0006] In addition, in the field of airport runway paving, higher flatness requirements exist because airport paving requires both longitudinal flatness and transverse flatness. For this reason, many countries still stipulate the use of a fixed paving form for airport operations rather than slipform paving.

[0007] The problem of collapse depends on many factors. The "wetness" of the concrete mixture for slipforming is an important factor, and the speed at which the structure 16 is formed is also an important factor. A wetter concrete mixture is more prone to collapse. The faster the slipform paver moves to form the structure, the greater the likelihood of collapse of the finished structure. Another factor is the distance behind the slipform mold 24, where the sidewall 20 of the structure 16 is supported by a physical support such as the trailing side form 44. The longer the distance that the newly formed structure 16 is supported by the trailing side form 44, the less collapse will occur as the trailing slipform 44 moves past the formed structure 16. Other factors include whether the vibration of the concrete by the vibrator 25 is appropriate.

[0008] Prior art slipform pavers include manually adjustable mold bases that allow the structure 16 to initially be formed with an excess of concrete material in the lateral edge portions of the structure 16 to offset the expected collapse of the concrete. Figures 5-7 Illustrated is such a prior art mechanism previously used by the applicant of the present utility model.

[0009] Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of the left end portion of the slipform mold 24. The mold 24 includes a mold frame 52 that is structurally attached to the main frame 22 of the equipment 10. The left side plate assembly 26 can be seen, and the left side guide plate 54 can also be seen, which helps to guide the unformed concrete material into the mold 24. The mold 24 includes a mold base plate 56 that forms the top surface 18 of the concrete structure 16. The base plate 56 is designed to have a small area 58 that is more flexible than the rest of the base plate ( Figure 5(circled in). This relatively flexible region 58 is created by providing stiffening gussets 60 and 62 in other parts of the base plate 56 but not in the region 58. The relatively flexible region 58 divides the base plate 56 into a lateral edge portion 56a ( Figure 7 ) of the base plate 56 and an inner portion 56b ( Figure 7 ) of the base plate 56.

[0010] Mounted within the die frame 52 is an actuator assembly 63 that includes an actuator shaft 64 rotatable about its longitudinal axis. An actuator input arm 66 extends radially from the shaft 64. A conventional "dumb" hydraulic cylinder 68 has one end 70 connected to the die frame 52 and the other end 72 connected to the outer end of the actuator input arm 66. A series of shorter actuator output arms 74 are distributed along the length of the shaft 64. Each actuator output arm 74 is connected by an actuator link 76 to one of the stiffening gussets 60 at a pivot connection 77 near the lateral outer edge 78 of the base plate 56. In other prior art systems, one or more hydraulic cylinders have been directly connected to the lateral edge portion 56a without having the shaft 64 and other associated components between the actuator and the lateral edge portion 56a.

[0011] The lateral outer edge 78 of the base plate 56 is free to move vertically relative to the side die assembly 26. Figure 5 and Figure 6 shows the lateral edge portion 56a of the base plate 56 aligned with the inner portion 56b of the base plate 56, so there is no camber correction. In Figure 7 , the hydraulic actuator 68 has been extended to rotate the shaft 64 slightly in a clockwise direction to pull up the link 76 and lift the lateral edge portion 56a and cause the lateral edge portion 56a to rotate about an axis generally located at the center of the flexible region 58. When adjusted as Figure 7 shown, the die 24 will form a structure 16 that immediately exits the die 24 with a raised edge 46. Subsequently, after the structure 16 collapses, the height of the edge 46 is manually inspected as Figure 4B seen, and the manual adjustment and measurement process is repeated until the camber is properly adjusted. This process of inspection and adjustment continues during the paving operation because factors such as paving speed and the moisture content of the concrete delivered to the paving site may change over time.

[0012] There is a continuing need for improvements in these processes. Summary of the Utility Model

[0013] In a first embodiment, a slipform paver device is configured to move across a ground surface in a paving direction for forming a newly formed concrete structure from concrete. The device includes a main frame and a slipform paver mold supported by the main frame. The slipform paver mold includes a mold bottom plate configured to form a top surface of the newly formed concrete structure, the mold bottom plate including an inner portion and a lateral edge portion, the lateral edge portion being vertically deflectable relative to the inner portion. The mold further includes at least one side mold assembly configured to enclose the slipform paver mold on at least one side adjacent to the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate, and the mold further includes an actuator assembly connected to the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate for vertically deflecting the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to the inner portion of the mold bottom plate. At least one edge height sensor is configured to generate an edge height signal corresponding to the edge height of the newly formed concrete structure and thereby detect a collapse of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure behind the slipform paver mold. A controller is communicatively coupled to the at least one edge height sensor and the actuator assembly. The controller is configured to receive the edge height signal, determine whether any collapse of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure exceeds a set collapse degree limit, and at least partially in response to the edge height signal automatically control the actuator assembly to adjust the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to the inner portion of the mold bottom plate and thereby adjust the height of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure such that any collapse of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure is within the set collapse degree limit.

[0014] At least one edge height sensor may be configured to detect a change in height of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure relative to the main frame or relative to any other part of the slipform paver device having a constant height relative to the main frame.

[0015] At least one edge height sensor may be configured to detect a difference in height of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure relative to the height of the inner portion of the newly formed concrete structure.

[0016] At least one edge height sensor may include a sensor array extending transversely to the paving direction.

[0017] The sensor array may extend substantially perpendicular to the paving direction.

[0018] At least one edge height sensor may include a scanning sensor configured to scan along a scanning direction extending transversely to the paving direction.

[0019] The scanning sensor may be oriented to scan substantially perpendicular to the paving direction.

[0020] The slipform paver equipment may include at least one trailing side plate that trails behind at least one side mold assembly, where at least one edge height sensor is located behind at least one trailing side plate.

[0021] The slipform paver equipment may include an actuator assembly position sensor configured to detect the position of the actuator assembly.

[0022] The controller may be configured to: when determining that the slump exceeds the set slump limit, raise the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to the inner portion of the mold bottom plate by a first increment; after raising the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate by the first increment, after a predetermined time interval has elapsed or after the slipform paver equipment has traveled a predetermined distance, determine again whether the edge slump of the newly formed concrete structure exceeds the set slump limit; if it is determined that the slump still exceeds the set slump limit, raise the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to the inner portion of the mold bottom plate by another increment.

[0023] The predetermined time interval may be at least a time sufficient for the distance traveled by the slipform paver equipment to be equal to the distance of at least one edge height sensor behind the slipform paver mold.

[0024] The actuator assembly may include an intelligent hydraulic cylinder that includes an integrated extension sensor for detecting the extension value of the intelligent hydraulic cylinder, and the integrated extension sensor is the actuator assembly position sensor.

[0025] The actuator assembly position sensor may also include any form of intelligent linear actuator or intelligent rotary actuator. In addition, "dumb" actuators may be used, and the actuator position sensor may be separated from the actuator.

[0026] The controller may be configured to: determine at least partially based on the edge height signal the required change in the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to the inner portion of the mold bottom plate to correct the slump of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure behind the slipform paver mold; and instruct the actuator assembly to effect a change in the actuator assembly position corresponding to the required change in the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to the inner portion of the mold bottom plate.

[0027] The controller may also be configured to, in the case where the slump of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure still exceeds the set slump limit after the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to the inner portion of the mold bottom plate has been adjusted to or exceeds a predetermined limit, send a warning to the operator of the slipform paver equipment.

[0028] The controller can also be configured to reduce the vibration frequency of one or more vibrators in the vibrator array in front of the slipform mold in the case where, after adjusting the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold base plate to or exceeding a predetermined limit, the slump of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure still exceeds the set slump limit.

[0029] In another embodiment, a method of operating a slipform paving device may include: monitoring the height of the lateral edge of a newly formed concrete structure formed by the slipform paver device with at least one edge height sensor; automatically determining by a controller whether any slump of the lateral edge of the newly formed concrete structure exceeds a set slump limit; if any slump of the lateral edge of the newly formed concrete structure exceeds the set slump limit, automatically adjusting by the controller the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold base plate of the slipform paver device relative to the inner portion of the mold base plate, thereby adjusting the height of the lateral edge of the newly formed concrete structure, so that any slump of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure is within the set slump limit.

[0030] The monitoring step may further include detecting a change in the height of the lateral edge of the newly formed concrete structure relative to the main frame of the slipform paver device or relative to any part of the slipform device supported at a constant position relative to the main frame.

[0031] The monitoring step may further include detecting a height difference of the lateral edge of the newly formed concrete structure relative to the inner portion of the newly formed concrete structure.

[0032] The automatic adjustment step may include adjusting an actuator assembly connected to the lateral edge portion of the mold base plate.

[0033] The automatic adjustment step may include detecting the position of the actuator assembly with an actuator assembly position sensor.

[0034] The automatic adjustment step may include: when determining that the slump exceeds the set slump limit, raising the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold base plate relative to the inner portion of the mold base plate by a first increment; after raising the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold base plate by the first increment, after a predetermined time interval or after the slipform paver device travels a predetermined distance, determining again whether the slump of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure exceeds the set slump limit; if the determined slump still exceeds the set slump limit, raising the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold base plate relative to the inner portion of the mold base plate by another increment.

[0035] In the above method, the predetermined time interval may be at least a time sufficient for the distance traveled by the slipform paver device to be equal to the distance of at least one edge height sensor behind the mold base plate.

[0036] In another embodiment, the automatic adjustment step may include: determining a required height change of a lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to an inner portion of the mold bottom plate based at least in part on an edge height signal from at least one edge height sensor to correct the degree of slump of an edge of the newly formed concrete structure; instructing an actuator assembly to effect a change in the position of the actuator assembly corresponding to the required height change of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to the inner portion of the mold bottom plate.

[0037] The method may further include automatically sending a warning to an operator of the slipform paver equipment in the case where, after adjusting the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to the inner portion of the mold bottom plate beyond a predetermined limit, the degree of slump of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure still exceeds a set slump limit.

[0038] The method may further include automatically reducing the vibration frequency of one or more vibrators of the slipform paver equipment in front of the slipform mold in the case where, after adjusting the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate to or beyond a predetermined limit, the degree of slump of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure still exceeds a set slump limit, so as to reduce the energy input by one or more vibrators adjacent to the outer lateral edge of the slipform mold.

[0039] Many objects, features, and advantages of the embodiments described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Description of the Drawings

[0040] Figure 1 is a right front perspective view of a prior art plug-in slipform paver equipment. It should be noted that the terms left and right are used herein from the perspective of a driver operating the slipform paver equipment and facing forward along the paving direction.

[0041] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a left elevation view of the prior art slipform paver equipment.

[0042] Figure 3 is Figure 1 and Figure 2 a left front perspective view of the prior art slipform paver mold, wherein the left and right side mold assemblies include a plurality of trailing side molds.

[0043] Figure 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ideal newly formed concrete structure of the prior art, showing an edge portion of the finished concrete structure and an inner portion of the newly formed concrete structure.

[0044] Figure 4B Illustrates a prior art technique for manually measuring the degree of slump of an edge of a newly formed concrete structure.

[0045] Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of the left - hand portion of a prior - art concrete mold, showing an actuator assembly for adjusting the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to the inner portion of the mold bottom plate.

[0046] Figure 6 is Figure 5 a rear elevation view of the prior - art structure as seen in , where the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate is at the same height level as the inner portion of the mold bottom plate.

[0047] Figure 7 is similar to Figure 6 but where the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate is higher than the height of the inner portion of the mold bottom plate in order to raise the resulting edge height of the finished concrete structure compared to the edge height that would be produced by the arrangement of Figure 6

[0048] Figure 8 is a schematic side elevation view of a slip - form paver device incorporating the present utility model.

[0049] Figure 9 is a schematic view of an edge - height sensor, which includes a single non - contact sensor focused on the edge of the newly formed concrete structure.

[0050] Figure 10 is a schematic view of an edge - height sensor, which includes a sensor array extending transversely to the paving direction.

[0051] Figure 11 is a schematic view of an edge - height sensor including a scanning sensor configured to scan in a scanning direction extending transversely to the paving direction.

[0052] Figure 12 is a schematic view of an edge - height sensor including a sensor array similar to Figure 10 mounted on the slip - form paver mold and parallel to the rear edge of the slip - form paver mold so that the orientation of the sensor array can be adjusted with any camber adjustment in the slip - form paver mold.

[0053] Figure 13 is Figure 8 a schematic view of the controller system of the paver of .

[0054] Figure 14 is a first flow chart showing the basic process by which the actuator is automatically controlled in response to an edge - height signal to adjust the mold bottom plate and thereby adjust the slump of the finished concrete.

[0055] Figure 15It is a further flowchart illustrating an "iterative" process for automatic control.

[0056] Figure 16 It is a further flowchart illustrating a "determination" process for automatic control.

[0057] Figure 17 It is a schematic diagram of an alternative actuator assembly position sensor arrangement, including an inclination sensor placed on the slipform mold bottom plate.

[0058] Figure 18 It is a schematic diagram of an alternative actuator assembly using a rotary actuator.

[0059] Figure 19 It is a schematic diagram of an alternative actuator assembly using a hydraulic cylinder actuator directly connected to the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate.

[0060] Figure 20 It is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a newly formed concrete slab, illustrating the edge collapse phenomenon. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0061] Figure 8 It is a schematic side elevation view of the slipform paver device 100 of the present utility model. The components of the slipform paver device 100 that are substantially the same as the corresponding components of the Figures 1-7 prior art device have the same part numbers as those used in Figures 1-7 and will not be further described.

[0062] The slipform paver device 100 eliminates the above-mentioned laborious manual setting, manual slump measurement, and manual adjustment processes regarding Figures 1-7 . A sensor system capable of automatically detecting and measuring the edge slump of the finished concrete structure is provided, as well as a controller configured to automatically adjust the deflection of the lateral edge portion 56a of the mold bottom plate 56 to correct any detected slump.

[0063] The slipform paver device 100 includes a main frame 22 and a slipform paver mold 102 supported by the main frame 22. The mold 102 includes a mold frame 52, a mold bottom plate 56, and side mold assemblies 24 and 26, generally as shown in Figures 5-7 .

[0064] The mold 102 includes a variant actuator assembly 104 as shown in Figure 13 . The actuator assembly 104 includes an actuator shaft 64, an actuator input arm 66, an actuator output arm 74, and a connecting rod 76, generally as described above regarding Figures 5-7As described above. A "smart" hydraulic cylinder actuator 106 is connected between the die frame 52 and the actuator input arm 66 to replace the prior art "dumb" hydraulic cylinder 68. The smart hydraulic cylinder actuator 106 includes an integrated extension sensor 108 that generates a position signal 108S indicating the extension position of the smart hydraulic cylinder actuator 106 and thus indicating the position of each link in the actuator assembly 104 and the position of the lateral edge portion 56a of the die base 56 relative to the inner portion 56b.

[0065] The integrated extension sensor 108 may be referred to as the actuator assembly position sensor 108, which is configured to detect the position of the actuator assembly 104. Other embodiments of the actuator assembly position sensor 108 may be used in addition to the integrated extension sensor of the smart hydraulic cylinder. For example, the actuator assembly position sensor is in the form of a rotational position sensor on the actuator shaft 64, which can provide similar position information representing the position of the entire actuator assembly 104 and the lateral edge portion 56a of the die base 56. When such a rotational position sensor is used, the smart hydraulic cylinder actuator 106 may be replaced by a conventional dumb hydraulic cylinder that does not include an integrated extension sensor.

[0066] Alternatively, the actuator assembly position sensor 108 may be mounted on the lateral edge portion 56a and directly measure the position of the lateral edge portion 56a relative to the inner portion 56b, which position will correspond to the position of the actuator assembly 104. For example, as Figure 17 schematically shown, the actuator assembly position sensor 108 may include a first inclinometer sensor 108a mounted on the lateral edge portion 56a of the base plate 56 and a second inclinometer sensor 108b mounted on the inner portion 56b of the base plate 56. Alternatively, the second inclinometer sensor 108b may be mounted on the machine frame 22 or any other component fixed relative to the machine frame 22. By comparing the inclination signals from the sensors 108a and 108b, the controller 132 can determine the angle of the lateral edge portion 56a relative to the inner portion 56b, and then based on the known geometry of the base plate 56, the controller 132 can determine the position of the lateral edge portion 56a and thus the position of the actuator assembly 104.

[0067] An alternative embodiment of the actuator assembly 104 is schematically shown in Figure 18 as 104a. The actuator assembly 104a replaces the hydraulic smart cylinder actuator 106 with a rotary actuator 106a that directly drives the shaft 64.

[0068] Another alternative embodiment of the actuator assembly 104 is schematically shown in Figure 19Shown in [the figure] as 104b. The actuator assembly 104b includes one or more hydraulic smart cylinders 106 directly connected between the lateral edge portion 56a and the mold frame 52.

[0069] The slipform paver device 100 further includes at least one edge height sensor 110 configured to generate an edge height signal 110S corresponding to the height of the edge 46 of the newly formed concrete structure 16, and thus to detect the degree of collapse of the edge 46 of the newly formed concrete structure 16 behind the slipform paver mold 102.

[0070] As Figure 9 Schematically shown, in the broadest sense, the at least one edge height sensor can be a single non-contact sensor 110a that points to the edge 46 and is supported from the machine frame 22 (or other component that is held at a fixed height relative to the machine frame 22, such as the slipform mold 24). The sensor 110a can alternatively be supported from the side mold 26, the vibrating beam 41, or the super screed beam 42. Such a sensor 110a can be calibrated to represent a reading of a perfect non-collapsing edge 46 and then can detect a change from that calibrated value. The sensor 110a can be an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a laser sensor, or any other suitable non-contact sensing device.

[0071] Figure 10 and Figure 11 Schematically shows two further embodiments of the height sensor 110.

[0072] Figure 10 Schematically shows the edge height sensor 110 in the embodiment 110b, including an array 112 of individual sensor elements such as 112a, 112b, 112c, etc., which is arranged along the length of a sensor support 114 extending transversely to the paving direction 12. In Figure 10 [the figure], the paving direction 12 is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing and extends into the plane of the drawing. Preferably, the array 112 is substantially parallel to the rear edge 164 of the slipform mold 24 (see Figure 12) extends and can also be described as being substantially perpendicular to the paving direction 12. Preferably, the array 112 of sensor elements includes at least two of the respective sensor elements disposed above the inner portion 116 of the concrete structure 16 at a sufficient distance from the edge 46 such that any collapse of the edge 46 does not affect the top surface 18 along the inner portion 116. This allows the use of height readings from the sensor elements 112b, 112c, 112d above the inner portion 116 to determine the profile of the top surface 18 and the line 118 that projects above the edge 46. Then, the data from the sensor element 112a above the edge 46 can be used to determine the relative distance to the edge 46. Based on the known dimensions of the array 112 and the lateral distances between the array elements 112a, 112b, etc., the distance 48 by which the edge 46 has collapsed below the projection line 118 can be calculated. The sensor elements 112a, 112b, etc. can be ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors, laser sensors, or any other suitable non-contact sensing device.

[0073] Similarly, as Figure 11 schematically shown, the edge height sensor 110 can be in the form of a scanning sensor 110c configured to scan the top profile of the concrete structure 16 along a scanning direction 120 that is transverse to the paving direction 12. Preferably, the scanning direction 120 extends substantially perpendicular to the paving direction 12. The scanning sensor 110c should be configured to scan across the portion 122 of the concrete structure that extends up to the inner collapsed portion 116. The scanning sensor 110b can be, for example, a laser scanner, an infrared scanner, an imaging camera, or any other suitable scanning sensor technology.

[0074] Thus, the sensor 110b or 110c is configured to detect the difference 48 in height of the edge 46 of the finished concrete structure relative to the inner portion 116 of the finished concrete structure 16.

[0075] It should be appreciated that the figures Figure 4B and Figures 9-12 illustrating the edge collapse discussed above are simplified schematic diagrams, and the actual collapsed concrete slab may not have such a distinct edge 46 as shown. This is because the collapse typically also involves some lateral collapse of the lateral concrete sides 20 of the slab 18, causing the edge 46 to become blurred or rounded. Figure 20A figure showing a more realistic collapsed concrete slab is presented. The ideal non-collapsed slab profile is shown by a dashed line, where the top surface is shown as 18', the side is shown as 20', and the edge is shown as 46'. The actual collapsed profile is shown by a solid line, where the edge 46 is somewhat rounded, and where the side 20 collapses laterally outward from the desired profile 20'. The various embodiments of the edge height sensor 110 discussed above do not need to precisely point to the position of the desired edge 46' or the actual edge 46, but can point to an adjacent part of the slab. As long as the edge height sensor 110 is observing the deformation of the slab caused by the collapse of the adjacent edge 46, the resulting edge height signal can be said to correspond to the edge height of the newly formed concrete structure. For example, the edge height sensor can see the slab a short distance laterally inward from the ideal position of the edge 46.

[0076] And, using Figure 10 the multi-sensor embodiment of Figure 11 or the scanning sensor embodiment of

[0077] It is noted that although Figure 10 and Figure 11 illustrate that the newly formed concrete structure 16 has a horizontal top surface 18 on the inner part 116, the same technique for measuring the distance 48 will apply to a crowned (or raised) surface having a lateral slope transverse to the paving direction. In the case of a newly formed laterally sloping surface, the projection line 118 will have a slope equal to the lateral slope of the top surface 18 of the inner part 116 of the newly formed concrete structure 16.

[0078] Figure 12 An alternative embodiment for dealing with the problems presented by a crowned top surface 18 having a crown 162 is schematically shown. This embodiment orients the sensor 110b or 110c such that the array 112 or the scan lines of the scanning sensor 110c are oriented substantially parallel to the rear edge 164 of the bottom plate 56 of the slipform mold 24. This should include having an array 112 or a scanning sensor 110c that is oriented at the same lateral slope as the rear edge 164 of the bottom plate 56 of the slipform mold 24 that forms the crowned surface 18. For the array 112, this arrangement is schematically illustrated in Figure 12In the middle, and can be achieved by installing the array 112 on the slipform mold 24, such that the array 112 extends parallel to the rear edge of the bottom plate 56. Then, if the crown setting of the mold 24 is adjusted, the orientation of the array 112 is adjusted along with the mold.

[0079] Figure 8 Schematically shows several alternative positions for the edge height sensor 110. The first possible position immediately behind the mold 102 is indicated as 110.1. The second position behind any trailing side plate such as 44 (see Figure 3 ) is designated as 110.2, and such a sensor can be supported from the rear portion of the machine frame 22. It is even possible that the edge height sensor 110 can be located on a separate vehicle, such as, for example, in position 110.3, where the edge height sensor 110 is located on the texture curing machine 154 following the slipform paver 100. Generally speaking, the edge height sensor 110 should be located behind the position where the side 20 of the newly formed concrete structure 16 is no longer supported by the side plate assembly 26 or 28 or by the trailing side mold 44. In addition, it may be desirable to position the edge height sensor 110 at a sufficient distance behind such a support of the side 20 to allow time for any "collapse" to occur. In addition, more than one edge height sensor 110 can be provided at more than one of the positions described above.

[0080] Control system:

[0081] As Figure 13 Schematically shown, the machine 100 includes a control system 130, which includes a controller 132. The controller 132 can be part of the machine control system of the slipform paver 100 or a separate control module. The controller 132 can be installed, for example, in the control panel located at the operator station 36. The controller 132 is configured to receive input signals from various sensors. The signals transmitted from various sensors to the controller 132 are Figure 13 schematically represented in the figure by a line connecting the sensor to the controller, which line has an arrow indicating the signal flow from the sensor to the controller 132.

[0082] For example, the extension signal 108S from the extension sensor 108 will be received by the controller 132 so that the controller 132 can monitor and control the extension of the hydraulic smart cylinder 106 (which drives the actuator assembly 104). In addition, the edge height signal 110S will be received from the edge height sensor 110, so that the controller 132 can determine whether any degree of collapse of the edge 46 of the finished concrete structure 16 exceeds a set collapse limit.

[0083] Similarly, the controller 132 will generate control signals for controlling the operation of the various actuators described above, and the control signals are Figure 13is schematically represented by lines in the graphical description connecting the controller 202 to the various actuators, the lines having arrows indicating the flow of command signals from the controller 202 to the respective actuators. It will be understood that, to control a hydraulic cylinder type actuator, such as the hydraulic smart cylinder 106, the controller 132 will send an electrical signal 106S to the electro / mechanical control valve 134 which controls the flow of hydraulic fluid from the pump 136 to the hydraulic cylinder 106 and back from the hydraulic cylinder 106 to the tank 138. As further explained below, the controller 132 can automatically control the hydraulic cylinder 106 at least in part in response to the edge height signal 110S to adjust the height of the lateral edge portion 56a of the mold base plate 56 relative to the inner portion 56b of the mold base plate 56 and thereby adjust the height of the edge 46 of the finished concrete structure 16.

[0084] The controller 132 includes or may be associated with a processor 140, a computer-readable medium 142, a database 144, and a control panel 146 or input / output module having a display 148. An input / output device 150, such as a keyboard, a joystick, or other user interface, is provided so that an operator can input instructions to the controller. It should be understood that the controller 132 described herein can be a single controller having all of the described functions, or it can include multiple controllers, where the described functions are distributed among the multiple controllers.

[0085] The various operations, steps, or algorithms described in connection with the controller 132 can be embodied directly in hardware, in a computer program product 152 such as a software module executed by the processor 140, or in a combination of both. The computer program product 152 can reside in a RAM memory, a flash memory, a ROM memory, an EPROM memory, an EEPROM memory, a register, a hard disk, a removable disk, or any other form of computer-readable medium 142 known in the art. An exemplary computer-readable medium 142 can be coupled to the processor 140 such that the processor can read information from and write information to the memory / storage medium. Optionally, the medium can be integrated into the processor. The processor and the medium can reside in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC can reside in a user terminal. Optionally, the processor and the medium can reside in the user terminal as discrete components.

[0086] The term "processor" as used herein can refer at least to general-purpose or special-purpose processing devices and / or logic as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, including but not limited to microprocessors, microcontrollers, state machines, etc. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in combination with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0087] In some embodiments, the data storage in the computer-readable medium 142 and / or the database 144 may include database services, cloud databases, and the like. In various embodiments, the computing network may include cloud servers and, in some embodiments, may be part of a cloud application, where various functions as disclosed herein are distributed among the computing network and other distributed computing devices. Any or all of the distributed computing devices may be implemented as at least one of an on-vehicle controller, a server device, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a smart phone, or any other electronic device capable of executing instructions. The processor (e.g., microprocessor) of the device may be a general-purpose hardware processor, a special-purpose hardware processor, or a combination thereof.

[0088] In particular, the controller 132 may be programmed to receive an extension signal 110S from the extension sensor 110 of the hydraulic smart cylinder 106 and send a control signal 106S to control the extension of the hydraulic smart cylinder 106 in at least partial response to the corresponding extension signal 110S.

[0089] The controller 132 may be configured by combining the extension sensor 110 or other actuator position sensors and the proper operation of the hydraulic smart cylinder 106 or other actuators, and may be properly programmed via software instructions in the software 152 to: receive an edge height signal 110S; determine whether the collapse degree of the edge 46 of the newly formed concrete structure 16 exceeds a set collapse degree limit; automatically control the actuator assembly 104 at least partially in response to the edge height signal 110S so as to adjust the height of the lateral edge portion 56a of the mold bottom plate 56 relative to the inner portion 56b of the mold bottom plate 56, and thereby adjust the height of the edge 46 of the newly formed concrete structure 16 such that any collapse degree 48 of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure is within the set collapse limit.

[0090] Flowcharts:

[0091] Figure 14 A basic control method:

[0092] Figures 14-16 A number of flowcharts are provided that summarize the ways in which the controller 132 may be configured via programming of the software 152 to provide the functions described herein.

[0093] Figure 14A flowchart showing the basic process 200 adapted to start from block 202 is presented. At step 204, the controller 132 is provided with a set slump limit value that defines the maximum allowable distance 48 that permits the edge 46 of the finished concrete structure 16 to slump. For example, the set slump limit value can be 3 / 8 inch (1 cm) or 1 / 4 inch (6 mm) or other values suitable for the current work. The set slump limit value can be input by the operator of the paver 100 via the operator interface 150, or it can also be a default value pre-programmed in the controller 132.

[0094] At step 206, the controller 132 may receive an edge height signal 110S from one or more edge height sensors 110.

[0095] At step 208, the controller 132 may determine the actual distance 48 by which the edge 46 of the newly formed concrete structure 16 has slumped. This can be accomplished with any embodiment of the at least one edge height sensor 110 described above.

[0096] In one embodiment as shown in Figure 9 the distance 48 can be detected as the height difference between a calibrated "zero slump" edge position 46' and the actually detected edge position 46.

[0097] In other embodiments schematically shown in Figure 10 , Figure 11 and Figure 12 the distance 48 can be determined by determining the heights of two or more points on the interior portion 116 of the newly formed concrete structure and projecting imaginary lines 118 through these points, and then determining the distance 48 from the imaginary lines 118 to the actual edge 46.

[0098] At step 210, it is determined whether the actual slump calculated in step 208 exceeds the set slump value provided in step 204.

[0099] If the actual slump calculated in step 208 does not exceed the set slump value, the process returns to step 206 and continues to monitor the edge height signal 110S.

[0100] If the actual slump determined in step 208 exceeds the set slump value, proceed to step 212, where the controller 132 automatically controls the hydraulic smart cylinder 106 of the actuator assembly at least in part in response to the edge height signal 110S to adjust the height of the lateral edge portion 56a of the mold bottom plate 56 relative to the interior portion 56b of the mold bottom plate 56, thereby adjusting the height of the edge 46 of the finished concrete structure 16.

[0101] In Figure 15 and Figure 16The flowchart in FIG. summarizes two examples of ways in which the automatic control of step 212 can be performed. Figure 15 The method of Figure 15 will be referred to herein as the "iterative" control method. Figure 16 The method of Figure 16 will be referred to herein as the "deterministic" control method.

[0102] Figure 15 I. Iterative control:

[0103] Figure 15 FIG. illustrates an iterative control implementation of step 212. In a first sub-step 212.1, after determining that the slump 48 exceeds a set slump limit, the controller 132 instructs the hydraulic smart cylinder 106 to raise the height of the lateral edge portion 56a of the mold bottom plate 56 relative to the inner portion 56b of the mold bottom plate 56 by a first increment, such as 0.1 inches (2.5 millimeters). Any increment can be selected. The control of the movement of the lateral edge portion 56a is based on the control of the extension of the hydraulic smart cylinder 106, the extension of which is known from the extension signal 108S from the extension sensor 108. Based on the known geometry of the actuator assembly 104 and the bottom plate 56, the controller 132 can provide a correlation between the extension of the hydraulic smart cylinder 106 and the height of the lateral edge portion 56a of the mold bottom plate 56.

[0104] Step 212.2 represents a predetermined time interval after the height of the lateral edge portion 56a of the mold bottom plate 56 has been raised by the first increment. The controller 132 can receive a travel speed signal 156S from the speed sensor 156. The controller 132 can receive a signal 158S of the elapsed time from the internal clock 158. The predetermined time interval should be at least sufficient for the slipform paver device 100 to travel a distance equal to the distance of at least one height sensor 110 behind the slipform paver mold 24. Alternatively, instead of monitoring the travel speed and the elapsed time, the controller can monitor the distance traveled by the paver 10 after the height of the lateral edge portion 56a has been raised. The distance traveled can be monitored by an odometer 160 as shown in the adaptability in Figure 13 The odometer 160 sends a signal 160S representing the distance traveled to the controller 132. The odometer 160 can be a mechanically driven odometer, or it can be based on GNSS or GPS signals.

[0105] In step 212.3, after the predetermined time interval of step 212.2 or after traveling a predetermined distance, a further determination is made to again determine whether the slump 48 of the edge 46 of the finished concrete structure 16 exceeds the set slump limit. If the slump 48 still exceeds the set slump limit, the process returns to step 212.1 and a further incremental adjustment is made to the height of the lateral edge portion 56a of the mold bottom plate 56.

[0106] If the slump 48 is now less than the set slump limit, the process returns to step 206 and returns to monitoring the edge height signal 110S.

[0107] Figure 16 A determination control

[0108] Figure 16 Shows the determination control implementation of step 212. In the first sub-step 212.4, after determining that the slump 48 exceeds the set slump limit, the controller 132 determines the required height change of the edge 46 of the finished concrete structure. This can be calculated by comparing the distance 48 and the set slump limit. Further adjustments may be added. For example, if the calculated distance 48 exceeds the set slump limit by 0.2 inches (5 mm), the controller may determine that the actuator should be adjusted so as to raise the height of the edge 46 by 0.4 inches (10 mm), thereby reducing the slump to well below the set slump limit.

[0109] Then in step 212.5, the controller 132 determines the expected total change in the height of the lateral edge portion 56a of the mold bottom plate 56 required to cause the required correction in the height of the edge 46 of the concrete structure 16. For example, such determination can be based on a look-up table of historical information of a specific slipform paver device 100, which shows the previous measured values of the collapse of the edge 46 caused by one or more variables, including actuator position, wetness of the concrete mixture, paving speed, and any other relevant available information.

[0110] At step 212.6, the controller 132 then guides the determined change in the height of the lateral edge portion 56a of the mold bottom plate 56 via the extension change of the hydraulic smart cylinder 106.

[0111] Step 212.7 again represents after a predetermined time interval or after traveling a predetermined distance after the height of the lateral edge portion 56a of the mold bottom plate 56 has changed. The predetermined time interval should be at least sufficient for the distance traveled by the slipform paver device 100 to be equal to the distance of at least one height sensor 110 behind the slipform paver mold 24.

[0112] In step 212.8, after a predetermined time interval or after traveling a predetermined distance in step 212.6, a further determination is made to again determine whether the slump 48 of the edge 46 of the finished concrete structure 16 exceeds the set slump limit. If the slump 48 still exceeds the set slump limit, the process returns to step 212.4 and further determines whether the height of the edge 46 of the finished concrete structure needs to be further changed.

[0113] If the slump 48 is now less than the set slump limit, the process returns to step 206 and returns to monitoring the edge height signal 110S.

[0114] When the automatic slump control system cannot keep the detected slump within the set slump limit, another feature that can be provided by the controller 132 is an operator warning. For example, if the actuator assembly 104 has raised the lateral edge portion 56a to the maximum possible value and excessive slump is still detected, the controller 132 can send an audible or visual warning to the operator on the operator platform 36.

[0115] The controller 132 can also adjust other machine parameters that affect the slump of the edge 46 of the concrete structure 16. For example, the controller 132 can reduce the energy input to the vibrator 25 adjacent to the outer edge of the slipform mold 24 side by reducing the vibration frequency of the vibrator, thereby reducing the liquefaction of the concrete material in this area and reducing the tendency of the concrete to slump after leaving the mold 24. The controller 132 can monitor the vibration frequency of the vibrator 25 by receiving the frequency signal 27S from the vibrator frequency sensor 27 (see Figure 13 ). The controller 132 can send a command signal 25S to the vibrator 25. For example, the controller can be programmed such that if the actuator assembly 104 has raised the lateral edge portion 56a to the maximum possible value, or reaches or exceeds some other preset value, and excessive slump is still detected, the controller 132 can send the control signal 25S to the vibrator 25, instructing the external vibrator to reduce its vibration frequency. This control can be a closed-loop control similar to that used above for adjusting the position of the actuator assembly 104, that is, it can be an iterative process, or it can also be a deterministic process.

[0116] Thus, it can be seen that the devices and methods of the present disclosure easily achieve the purposes and advantages mentioned and those inherent therein. Although certain preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described for the purposes of this field, many changes can be made by those skilled in the art to the arrangement and construction of the components and steps, and these changes are covered within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Each disclosed feature or embodiment can be combined with any other disclosed feature or embodiment.

Claims

1. A slipform paver apparatus configured to move across a ground surface in a paving direction to form concrete into a newly formed concrete structure, characterized in that The slipform paver equipment comprises: Main frame; A slipform paver mould, which is supported by a main frame and comprises: a mold base configured to form a top surface of the newly formed concrete structure, the mold base comprising an inner portion and lateral edge portions, the lateral edge portions being deflectable up and down relative to the inner portion; at least one sideform assembly configured to close the slipform paver mold on at least one side adjacent to a lateral edge portion of the mold floor; and an actuator assembly connected to the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate for deflecting the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate up and down relative to the interior portion of the mold bottom plate; at least one edge height sensor configured to generate an edge height signal corresponding to the height of an edge of the newly formed concrete structure to detect collapse of an edge of the newly formed concrete structure behind the slipform paver mold; and a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one edge height sensor and the actuator assembly, the controller being configured to: receiving edge height signals; Determine whether the collapse of the edges of the newly formed concrete structure exceeds the established collapse limit; and The actuator assembly is automatically controlled at least in part in response to the edge height signal to adjust the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold base relative to the inner portion of the mold base, thereby adjusting the height of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure so that any collapse of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure is within the set collapse limit.

2. The slipform paving machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least one edge height sensor is configured to detect a change in height of an edge of a newly formed concrete structure relative to the main frame.

3. The slipform paving machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one edge height sensor is configured to detect a difference in height of an edge of the newly formed concrete structure relative to a height of an interior portion of the newly formed concrete structure.

4. The slipform paving machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The at least one edge height sensor comprises a sensor array extending transverse to the paving direction.

5. The slipform paving machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sensor array extends substantially perpendicular to the paving direction.

6. The slipform paving machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The at least one edge height sensor comprises a scanning sensor configured to scan along a scanning direction extending transversely to the paving direction.

7. The slipform paving machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The scanning sensor is configured such that the scanning direction extends substantially perpendicular to the paving direction.

8. The slipform paving machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: Further including: at least one trailing side panel trailing behind the at least one side molding assembly; and At least one edge height sensor is located behind the at least one trailing side panel.

9. The slipform paving machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: Further including: An actuator assembly position sensor is configured to detect a position of the actuator assembly.

10. The slipform paving machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: The controller is configured to: After determining that the collapse exceeds the set collapse limit, raising the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to the inner portion of the mold bottom plate by a first increment; After the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold base plate is increased by the first increment, after a predetermined time interval has passed or after the slipform paver equipment has traveled a predetermined distance, determining again whether the collapse of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure exceeds a set collapse limit; as well as If it is determined that the collapse still exceeds the set collapse limit, the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to the inner portion of the mold bottom plate is raised by another increment.

11. The slipform paving machine according to claim 10, characterized in that: The predetermined time interval is a time at least sufficient for the slipform paving machine apparatus to travel a distance equal to the distance of at least one edge height sensor behind the slipform paving machine mould.

12. The slipform paving machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: The actuator assembly comprises an intelligent hydraulic cylinder comprising an integrated extension sensor for detecting an extension value of the intelligent hydraulic cylinder, the integrated extension sensor being the actuator assembly position sensor.

13. The slipform paving machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: The controller is configured to: determining a desired change in height of a lateral edge portion of the mold floor relative to an interior portion of the mold floor to correct for collapse of an edge of a newly formed concrete structure behind a slipform paver mold based at least in part on the edge height signal; and The actuator assembly is instructed to cause a change in the position of the actuator assembly that corresponds to a desired change in the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate relative to the interior portion of the mold bottom plate.

14. The slipform paving machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is also configured to send a warning to an operator of the slipform paver equipment if the collapse of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure still exceeds the set collapse limit after the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold base plate relative to the inner portion of the mold base plate is adjusted to or exceeds a predetermined limit.

15. The slipform paving machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The apparatus also includes an array of vibrators located in front of the slide form; and When the collapse of the edge of the newly formed concrete structure still exceeds the set collapse limit after the height of the lateral edge portion of the mold bottom plate is adjusted to or exceeds the predetermined limit, the controller is further configured to reduce the vibration frequency of the one or more vibrators.

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