Automotive milling machine, as well as method for discharging milled material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10590613-B2
Application number	US-201916246777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2019
Priority date	Aug 22, 2014
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

In an automotive milling machine, comprising a machine frame, comprising a controller for the travelling and milling operation, comprising a working drum, comprising a transport conveyor, where the transport conveyor is slewable, relative to the machine frame, about a first axis extending essentially horizontally under an elevation angle, and sideways about a second axis extending orthogonally to the first axis under a slewing angle, where the transport conveyor discharges the milled material onto a loading surface of a transport vehicle at a specified conveying speed, and where the controller continuously controls positioning of the milled material automatically via, as a minimum, the slewing angle of the transport conveyor, it is provided for the following features to be achieved: the controller specifies and monitors limit values for a maximum permissible slewing angle range for slewing the transport conveyor variable in accordance with the current operating situation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automotive milling machine for milling off milled material and discharging the milled material onto a loading surface of a transport vehicle, the milling machine comprising:
a machine frame having a longitudinal center line;
a working drum supported from the machine frame for milling off the milled material;
a transport conveyor arranged to receive the milled material milled off by the working drum and to discharge the milled material onto the loading surface of the transport vehicle in a parabolic trajectory in accordance with a conveying speed, an elevation angle, and a slewing angle; and
a controller configured to:
dynamically specify a first set of limit values for a maximum permissible slewing angle range relative to the longitudinal center line of the machine frame, and
dynamically specify a second set of limit values for a slewing angle range relative to a longitudinal center line of the transport conveyor, each of said limit values in the second set of limit values being within the maximum permissible slewing angle range relative to the longitudinal center line of the machine frame.

2. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , further comprising at least one detector configured to detect a position of the loading surface relative to the machine frame or the transport conveyor as seen in a direction of transport, and
wherein the controller is connected to the at least one detector and further configured to automatically control positioning of the milled material on the loading surface of the transport vehicle by adjusting one or more of:
the slewing angle of the transport conveyor;
the elevation angle of the transport conveyor; and
the conveying speed of the transport conveyor.

3. The automotive milling machine of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to perform a continuous positioning control for a point of impingement of the milled material on the loading surface.

4. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , further comprising at least one detector configured to detect a position of the loading surface relative to the machine frame or the transport conveyor as seen in a direction of transport, and
wherein the controller is connected to the at least one detector and further configured to perform a continuous positioning control for one or more of:
a position of a discharge end of the transport conveyor;
a point of impingement of the milled material on the loading surface; and
a conveying speed of the transport conveyor.

5. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , further comprising memory storing control data relating to parameters comprising one or more of: limit values for the maximum permissible slewing angle range relative to the longitudinal center line of the machine frame; limit values for the slewing angle range relative to the longitudinal center line of the transport conveyor; the elevation angle of the transport conveyor; and the conveying speed of the transport conveyor.

6. The automotive milling machine of claim 5 , wherein different control data are provided for operating conditions comprising one or more of:
different detected positions of the loading surface;
target point of impingement within the loading surface;
loading surfaces of different transport vehicles;
different loading conditions of the loading surface.

7. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured, upon alteration of a current position of the longitudinal center line of the transport conveyor relative to the longitudinal center line of the machine frame, to specify the altered current position of the longitudinal center line of the transport conveyor as a new initial position for a second specified slewing angle range.

8. The automotive milling machine of claim 7 , wherein:
the controller is configured to specify the altered current position of the longitudinal center line of the transport conveyor as the new initial position for a second specified slewing angle range after lapsing of a predetermined period of time or a distance travelled.

9. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to specify the limit values for the maximum permissible slewing angle range dynamically in accordance with a current bend radius when the milling machine is cornering.

10. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to receive an information signal about an absence of working space next to the transport vehicle and to reduce the maximum permissible slewing angle range in a direction of at least one side of the transport vehicle in response to the information signal.

11. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured such that the maximum permissible slewing angle range is exceedable in response to a manual control command input to the controller.

12. The automotive milling machine of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured such that the manual control command is executable repeatedly after one or more of: a predetermined lapse of time; and a predetermined distance travelled.

13. The automotive milling machine of claim 11 , wherein:
the controller is configured to limit an angular amount by which the maximum permissible slewing angle range is exceedable in response to the manual control command input.

14. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to vary the maximum permissible slewing angle range in accordance with one or more of: an intermittent operation of the transport vehicle; and a distance between the milling machine and the transport vehicle.

15. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to detect a predetermined zone on the loading surface and to vary the maximum permissible slewing angle range in accordance with the predetermined zone on the loading surface.

16. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to detect a loading condition on the loading surface and to vary the maximum permissible slewing angle range in accordance with the loading condition on the loading surface.

17. A method of discharging worked-off milled material of an automotive milling machine onto a loading surface of a transport vehicle, the method comprising:
discharging milled material via a transport conveyor onto the loading surface of the transport vehicle in accordance with adjustable parameters comprising a slewing angle relative to a longitudinal center line of a machine frame of the milling machine, an elevation, and a conveying speed;
dynamically specifying a first set of limit values for a maximum permissible slewing angle range relative to the longitudinal center line of the machine frame; and
dynamically specifying a second set of limit values for a slewing angle range relative to a longitudinal center line of the transport conveyor, each of said limit values in the second set of limit values being within the maximum permissible slewing angle range relative to the longitudinal center line of the machine frame.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
detecting a position of the loading surface relative to the machine frame or the transport conveyor as seen in a direction of transport; and
automatically controlling positioning of the milled material on the loading surface of the transport vehicle by adjusting one or more of: the slewing angle of the transport conveyor; the elevation angle of the transport conveyor; and t

Assignees

• Wirtgen Gmbh

Inventors

• Berning Christian
• Winkels Sebastian
• Kroell Harald
• Krista Tobias

Classifications

• B65G41/002

  Pivotably mounted · CPC title

• E01C23/127

  rotary, e.g. rotary hammers · CPC title

• B65G67/24

  Unloading land vehicles · CPC title

• E01C23/088 Primary

  Rotary tools, e.g. milling drums {(for forming recesses to receive marking materials E01C23/0946)} · CPC title

• E01C23/01

  Devices or auxiliary means for setting-out or checking the configuration of new surfacing, e.g. templates, screed {or reference line} supports (form rails E01C19/50); Applications of apparatus for measuring, indicating, or recording the surface configuration of existing surfacing, e.g. profilographs (E01C23/07 takes precedence; measuring roughness or irregularity in general G01B) · CPC title