Automatic Four-Leg Leveling for Cold Planers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing road milling machines lack an automated system to account for their operational status when leveling, requiring manual and time-consuming adjustments of individual legs for stability and depth control.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where a controller receives operational status signals to automatically adjust the length of multiple legs simultaneously, extending or retracting them to maintain level positioning, ensuring stability and precise depth control during both milling and non-milling operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual adjustment of individual legs is used for leveling, then machine stability can be achieved, but setup time and operational efficiency are significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual leg adjustments into a single automated control system. The controller receives a single level command signal and simultaneously coordinates all four legs to extend or retract together, merging what would otherwise require four separate manual adjustment operations into one automated action, thereby reducing setup time while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the machine to automatically level itself without requiring manual intervention for each leg adjustment. The controller monitors the operational status and automatically commands the legs to extend or retract as needed, allowing the machine to self-correct its levelness based on real-time conditions, thus eliminating time-consuming manual adjustments.
2Productivity
If all legs are extended or retracted simultaneously, then leveling speed is improved, but the complexity of the control system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller serves multiple functions: it monitors operational status, determines when leveling is needed, commands simultaneous leg extension/retraction, and tracks levelness achievement. This multi-functional controller simplifies the overall system architecture compared to having separate control mechanisms for each leg, achieving fast simultaneous adjustment without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback through the level command signal that indicates whether the machine is level or needs adjustment. The controller uses this feedback to determine when to activate the legs and when to maintain their current position, enabling automated simultaneous adjustment without requiring complex continuous monitoring of each individual leg position.
3Productivity
If automated control is implemented for leg adjustment, then operational efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated control system enables the machine to self-regulate its levelness based on operational status signals. The controller automatically determines when leveling actions are needed and executes the appropriate leg extensions or retractions without requiring manual intervention, thereby improving operational efficiency while keeping the control logic relatively simple and rule-based.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system merges the functions of monitoring operational status, determining leveling needs, and executing leg adjustments into a single integrated controller. This consolidation improves operational efficiency by automating the entire process while actually reducing overall system complexity compared to having separate control mechanisms for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for leveling of a machine on a surface, and a machine for the same, is disclosed. The method may comprise equalizing the legs of the machine prior to extending or retracting the legs of the machine to raise or lower the machine during non-milling operational status. The method may also comprise extending or retracting the legs during milling operational status while maintaining the relative lengths of each leg.