Paving Machine Swing Leg Reorientation for Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for reorienting swing legs of self-propelled construction machines for transport are inefficient, requiring individual track raising and realignment, and often necessitate steering adjustments, which can be cumbersome and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A method involving rotating ground engaging units relative to their swing legs without pivoting the legs, synchronously driving multiple units to reorient the machine frame, and then pivoting the swing legs to align with the transport direction, allowing the machine to be efficiently positioned on a transport vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If individual tracks are raised off the ground one at a time and swing legs are manually pivoted for transport, then the machine can be repositioned for transport, but the process becomes time-consuming and requires realignment of steering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the swing leg pivoting function with the ground engaging unit rotation capability. By integrating these functions, the system can reorient the machine for transport by rotating ground engaging units relative to swing legs while the swing legs remain fixed, eliminating the need for separate manual pivoting and realignment operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground engaging units are capable of self-rotation relative to their respective swing legs through their own drive mechanisms. This self-service capability allows the units to reorient themselves without requiring external manual intervention for track raising and leg pivoting, significantly reducing operational time and complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If swing legs are pivoted one at a time to transport orientation, then the machine can be prepared for transport, but the complexity of the repositioning process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ground engaging units serve multiple functions: they provide propulsion during paving operations and can independently rotate to enable frame reorientation for transport. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated pivoting mechanisms, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the dynamic rotation capability of the ground engaging units during movement to achieve frame reorientation. By allowing the units to rotate dynamically relative to fixed swing legs during the transport preparation process, the system simplifies the control mechanism compared to static pivoting operations.
3Speed
If the machine frame is spun on the ground by rotating ground engaging units, then rapid reorientation is achieved, but the swing legs must remain fixed relative to the frame
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the reorientation function between the ground engaging units (which rotate) and the swing legs (which remain fixed). This segmentation allows the frame to spin rapidly on the ground through unit rotation while the swing legs maintain their fixed attachment to the frame, achieving both speed and operational simplicity.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
A self-propelled paving machine (10) includes a plurality of swing legs (14A,14B,14C,14D), each swing leg being supported from a ground surface by an associated crawler track (16A,16B,16C,16D) steerably connected to an outer end of its associated swing leg. The machine may be re-oriented from a paving orientation to a transport orientation via a transport conversion mode (200 )of an automatic controller (78) configured to spin the paving in place on the ground through a re-orientation angle, then rotate each of the crawler tracks relative to its respective swing leg until each crawler track is primarily oriented in a transport direction (22) generally perpendicular to the paving direction (18), and then while moving the paving machine in the transport direction pivoting each of the swing legs relative to the frame (12) until each swing leg is oriented primarily in the transport direction. The paving machine may then be driven onto a transport vehicle (25).