Pavement Milling Sled with Segmented Runners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pavement milling assemblies struggle to retain milled material effectively, leading to waste and inefficient reuse due to material escape and difficulty in controlling milling depth over uneven surfaces, exacerbated by mechanical issues in propelling vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A pavement milling sled with laterally-separated runners and a milling frame that confines milled material within a milling region, utilizing a rotating drum to pulverize and deposit material rearward, with adjustable discharge baffles and a guard plate to prevent escape and maintain consistent milling depth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a support wheel is used to uphold the front end of the milling assembly, then the milling depth can be controlled, but the control precision is poor because the wheel loses contact with the pavement surface on uneven surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The single support wheel is divided into multiple runners (at least two) that are laterally separated. Each runner independently contacts the pavement surface, providing multiple points of support. This segmentation ensures that even if one runner loses contact on uneven surfaces, the others maintain contact, thereby improving both reliability and control precision of milling depth.
2Loss of substance
If the milling depth is increased to retain all milled material, then material retention is improved, but the complexity of the milling assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing milling depth in the vertical dimension, the invention introduces a horizontal containment dimension by adding sidewalls that enclose the milled material laterally. This creates a three-dimensional containment space within the milling assembly, allowing material retention without requiring excessive vertical depth, thus avoiding increased structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sidewalls are positioned at specific locations around the milling region to provide targeted containment. The discharge baffle is strategically placed to control material egress at the rear. These localized structural additions provide effective material retention with minimal overall complexity increase.
3Loss of substance
If manual collection and reprocessing of escaped material is performed, then material waste is reduced, but the productivity and cost efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The milling assembly is designed to automatically retain and process milled material through its built-in containment structures (sidewalls, discharge baffle, and adjustable exit gate). The system self-manages material containment and discharge without requiring external manual intervention or supplemental equipment, thereby eliminating the need for manual collection and reprocessing operations.
4Loss of substance
If the discharge baffle is positioned close to the floor to retain material, then material retention is improved, but the adjustability for different milling depths is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge baffle's vertical position is made adjustable through a mechanism that allows it to be moved relative to the floor. This dynamic positioning capability enables the baffle to be adjusted closer to the floor for better material retention when needed, while also being positioned higher to accommodate different milling depths and material discharge requirements, thus providing both retention effectiveness and operational versatility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures that milled material is fully pulverized and retained, allowing for precise control of milling depth and reducing waste, enhancing the efficiency of the milling process and material reuse.
Implementation Method 1
Rotation of the milling drum dislodges pavement located in the path of forward travel of the sled below the floor of the sled, pulverizes dislodged pavement
Implementation Method 2
The lower faces of the runners are substantially coplanar and thereby define a floor of the sled
Data Source
AI summary
A pavement milling sled upholds a rotating pavement milling drum during travel over pavement preselected for milling. Coplanar lower faces of laterally-separated left and right runners configured for sliding travel on the surface of the pavement define a sled floor. A milling frame mounted between the runners circumscribes a milling region, wherein rotation of the milling drum dislodges pavement located in the path the sled below the sled floor, pulverizes dislodged pavement, and deposits pulverized pavement to the rear of the sled. Left and right milling region sidewalls extend upwardly from the sled floor on opposite sides of the milling region. A guard plate is secured between the milling region sidewalls forward of the milling region at a distance above the sled floor. A discharge baffle extends between the milling region sidewalls at the back of the milling region in close proximity to the sled floor. The discharge baffle includes a rear wall separated from the floor extending upwardly between the milling region sidewalls at the back of the milling region, and a vertically-adjustable pulverized pavement exit gate depending from the rear wall. Milling region sidewalls project forward of the guard plate forming opposed sidewalls of an entry scoop having a mouth located at the front of the sled, a roofing plate bridging between the sidewalls of the entry scoop at a distance above the floor of the sled, and a downwardly depending pivotable admission flap mounted across the mouth of the entry scoop.