Auxiliary drum drive assembly for milling machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10787775-B2
Application number	US-201916717762-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2019
Priority date	Jul 21, 2017
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

A milling machine for milling a surface of a roadway includes a frame and a milling assembly having a cutter drum that is mounted for rotation with respect to the frame. The cutter drum has a drive shaft on which a sheave is mounted. A primary drum drive assembly is adapted to rotate the cutter drum with respect to the frame. The primary drum drive assembly includes a drive belt that cooperates with the sheave on an input drive shaft for the cutter drum to rotate the cutter drum. A belt lift assembly may be operated to selectively disengage the drive belt from the sheave of the input drive shaft for the cutter drum, so that an auxiliary drum drive assembly comprising an auxiliary drive motor may be operated to rotate the cutter drum independently of the primary drum drive assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A milling machine for milling a surface of a roadway, said milling machine comprising:
(a) a frame;
(b) a drum housing that is attached to the frame;
(c) a primary drum drive assembly comprising a drive belt;
(d) a milling assembly that is mounted to the drum housing, said milling assembly comprising:
(i) a cutter drum that is mounted for rotation with respect to the drum housing;
(ii) an input drive shaft on which a sheave is mounted, said sheave being adapted to cooperate with the drive belt of the primary drum drive assembly so that said primary drum drive assembly may rotate said input drive shaft at an input speed of rotation;
(iii) an output drive shaft on which the cutter drum is mounted for rotation with respect to the drum housing;
(iv) a gear box which is operatively attached between the input drive shaft and the output drive shaft and is adapted to cause the output drive shaft to rotate at an output speed of rotation that is less than the input speed of rotation when the primary drum drive assembly is operated to rotate the input drive shaft at the input speed of rotation;

(e) a belt lift assembly that may be operated to selectively disengage the drive belt from the sheave on the input drive shaft;
(f) an auxiliary drum drive assembly comprising an auxiliary drive motor that is adapted to rotate the cutter drum with respect to the drum housing independently of the primary drum drive assembly at a speed of rotation that is less than the output speed of rotation which is obtained when the primary drum drive assembly is operated to rotate the input drive shaft at the input speed of rotation.

2. The milling machine of claim 1 which includes a controller:
(a) that is operatively connected to the primary drum drive assembly and to the auxiliary drum drive assembly;
(b) that permits operation of the auxiliary drum drive assembly only when the belt lift assembly has disengaged the drive belt from the sheave on the input drive shaft.

3. The milling machine of claim 2 which includes a control button that is operatively attached to the controller, said control button being selectively operated to cause the auxiliary drum drive assembly to move the cutter drum at a predetermined rate of rotation through an angle of rotation that is determined by engagement of the control button.

4. The milling machine of claim 2 :
(a) which includes a tensioning assembly comprising:
(i) a tensioning sheave that engages the drive belt of the primary drum drive assembly;
(ii) a tensioning actuator that is operatively attached to the tensioning sheave and adapted to move the tensioning sheave in order to adjust the tension of the drive belt;

(b) wherein the controller is operatively connected to the tensioning actuator and is adapted to cause the tensioning actuator to increase or decrease the tension of the drive belt.

5. The milling machine of claim 1 wherein:
(a) the cutter drum:
(i) includes a cutter assembly that extends substantially across the width of the drum housing;
(ii) has an inner surface;

(b) the auxiliary drum drive assembly comprises:
(i) a drive wheel that is operatively attached to the auxiliary drive motor and is adapted to frictionally engage the inner surface of the cutter drum;
(ii) a linear actuator that is mounted between the auxiliary drive motor and the drum housing, said linear actuator being adapted to move the auxiliary drum drive motor between an engaged position in which the drive wheel engages the inner surface of the cutter drum and a disengaged position in which the drive wheel does not engage the inner surface of the cutter drum.

6. The milling machine of claim 1 wherein:
(a) the drum housing includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall;
(b) the cutter drum includes a cutter assembly that does not extend substantially across the width of the drum housing, said cutter assembly including an offset portion adjacent to the first sidewall of the drum housing;
(c) the input drive shaft is mounted through the first sidewall of the drum housing and includes a first auxiliary pulley that is mounted inside the drum housing;
(d) the auxiliary drive motor is mounted through the first sidewall of the drum housing and comprises:
(i) an auxiliary drive motor shaft;
(ii) a second auxiliary pulley that is mounted on the auxiliary drive motor shaft inside the drum housing;
(iii) an auxiliary drive belt that is operatively attached between the first auxiliary pulley and the second auxiliary pulley.

7. The milling machine of claim 6 which is adapted to operate the auxiliary drive motor to transfer rotation from the auxiliary drive motor shaft to the input drive shaft when the auxiliary drum drive assembly is operated.

8. The milling machine of claim 6 :
(a) which is adapted to transfer rotation from the input drive shaft to the auxiliary drive motor shaft when the primary drum drive assembly is operated;
(b) wherein the auxiliary drive motor is adapted to act as a generator of electricity when the primary drum drive assembly is operated.

9. The milling machine of claim 1 wherein the belt lift assembly comprises:
(a) a belt lifter;
(b) means for moving the belt lifter between a first position which allows the drive belt to engage with the sheave on the input drive shaft and a second position which disengages the drive belt from the sheave on the input drive shaft.

10. The milling machine of claim 9 wherein the belt lift assembly comprises:
(a) a driven gear that is mounted for rotation on the outside of the gear box of the primary drum drive assembly;
(b) a belt lifter that is fixed to the driven gear;
(c) a belt lifter drive motor comprising a shaft having a drive gear mounted thereon, which drive gear is mated to the driven gear so that rotation of the drive gear by the drive motor causes the driven gear to move the belt lifter between a first position which is not in contact with the drive belt and a second position which lifts the drive belt out of contact with the sheave on the input drive shaft.

11. The milling machine of claim 10 wherein movement of the belt lifter from the first position to the second position interposes the belt lifter between the sheave on the input drive shaft and the drive belt.

12. The milling machine of claim 10 wherein the belt lifter is curved in an arc and has a length along its arc that is selected so that the belt lifter will not contact any part of the drive belt when the belt lifter is in the first position.

13. The milling machine of claim 10 wherein:
(a) the belt lift assembly includes a gear saddle that is fixed onto the gear box;
(b) the driven gear is rotationally mounted with respect to the gear saddle;
(c) the belt lifter is fixed to the driven gear;
(d) the sheave on the input drive shaft has a radius;
(e) the belt lifter is curved in an arc having a radius that is larger than the radius of the sheave on the input drive shaft.

14. The milling machine of claim 13 which includes a capture plate that is attached to the driven gear and is adapted to support the belt lifter on the driven gear.

15. The milling machine of claim 13 further comprising:
(a) a controller;
(b) a position sensor on the gear saddle, which position sensor is operatively attached to the controller;
(c) a first sensor hole on the driven gear that is positioned so as to align with the position sensor when the belt lifter is in the first position;
(d) a second sensor hole on the driven gear that is positioned so as to align with the position sensor when the belt lifter is in the second position.

Assignees

• Roadtec Inc

Inventors

• Avans Todd
• Bevill James H

Classifications

• E01C23/088 Primary

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

• F16H7/0827

  for disconnecting the drive · CPC title

• E01C23/127

  rotary, e.g. rotary hammers · CPC title