Eccentric Runner Support for Precise Road Milling Depth

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing milling and scarifying equipment fail to precisely adjust the position of support runners with respect to the center of rotation of the cutter, leading to variations in working depth and allowing debris to escape through openings, complicating the use of accessories like fluid tanks.

Innovation Solution

The excavating assembly is designed to rotate about the physical axis of the cutter, ensuring precise movement, with a closed support structure to contain debris and provide space for accessories, and allows connection to vehicles like skid loaders with operator access.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the runners are positioned according to the slope of the terrain with translation or roto-translation mechanisms, then the runners can adhere to the ground and prevent partial touching, but the position of the runners cannot be precisely adjusted with respect to the physical center of rotation of the cutter

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverunner ground adherenceVSAvoidrunner position relative to cutter center

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical translation or roto-translation mechanisms with a purely rotational mechanism. The runners are constrained to rotate only about the vertical axis passing through the cutter's physical center of rotation, eliminating the need for guides, slots, or partitions that enable linear movement. This substitution achieves precise positioning relative to the cutter center while maintaining reliable ground adherence through the rotational motion alone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If guides or slots are used to enable runner translation or roto-translation, then the runners can adjust position, but large openings are created that act as passageways for dust and debris to escape

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverunner position adjustmentVSAvoiddebris ejection

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the guides and slots that were previously used to enable runner translation or roto-translation. By eliminating these components entirely, the large openings that acted as passageways for dust and debris are closed off. The runners achieve position adjustment through pure rotation about the cutter center without requiring any linear guidance structures that would create harmful openings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If numerous levers and actuators are used to enable relative movement between runners and cutter, then the runners can be positioned, but accessories like fluid tanks cannot be easily positioned

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverunner positioningVSAvoidassembly structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the numerous levers and actuators that were previously required to enable relative movement between runners and cutter. By eliminating these complex positioning mechanisms, the assembly structure is simplified, creating available space that allows accessories like fluid tanks to be easily positioned and installed on the equipment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Adaptability or versatility

If the assembly rotates about a virtual axis through roto-translation, then the runners can move relative to the cutter, but the movement is not precise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverunner movementVSAvoidmilling depth control

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the virtual axis roto-translation mechanism with a pure rotational mechanism about the physical center of the cutter. This substitution ensures that the runners move in a precise circular path centered on the cutter axis, providing accurate milling depth control while maintaining the ability to adjust runner position through rotational movement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12565743B2Excavating assembly for milling a road surface or ground

Publication Date: 2026.03.03 SIMEX SRL

AI summary

An excavating assembly for milling and/or scarifying a road surface or ground has a support structure that delimits a compartment housing a cutter rotatable about a cutter axis and a cutter movement unit. A support element, separate from the support structure, rests on the road surface or ground during milling operations. The cutter has a cutter axle extension protruding from the support structure, extending the cutter axis. The support element has an eccentric plate seat rotatably housing an eccentric plate to allow the eccentric plate to rotate about a support element axis. The eccentric plate has a cutter axle extension seat freely and rotatably housing the cutter axle extension. The cutter axis, as extended by the cutter axle extension, is eccentric with respect to the support element axis, defining a predetermined eccentricity. An eccentric plate movement unit, connected to the eccentric plate, moves the eccentric plate about the support element axis.