Machine train composed of road milling machine and road finisher, and method for operating road milling machine and road finisher

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11629463-B2
Application number	US-202117539395-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2021
Priority date	May 26, 2017
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A machine train is composed of a road milling machine that travels in front and a road finisher that travels behind. The road milling machine has a profile data determining device configured so that a sequence of height profile data describing the height of the road surface in the longitudinal direction is determined while the road milling machine advances. For transmission of the height profile data, a data transmission device is provided on the road milling machine and a data receiving device is provided on the road finisher. To change the position of the screed, the road finisher has a levelling device that comprises at least one actuator and a control unit, which is configured so that the control unit generates a control signal for controlling the at least one actuator in accordance with a height profile data set.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A machine train comprising:
a road milling machine comprising a first machine frame supported by a first set of crawler tracks or wheels and a milling drum arranged on the first machine frame and configured to mill away material from a road surface, wherein the first set of crawler tracks or wheels of the road milling machine are fastened via lifting columns to the first machine frame;
a road finisher that travels behind the road milling machine in a traveling direction and comprises a second machine frame which is supported by a second set of crawler tracks or wheels and on which are arranged a reservoir for material to be laid and a screed for laying material, wherein a position of the screed is adjustable in relation to a reference line or reference surface;
at least a first sensor and at least a second sensor positioned on respective first and second sides of the milling drum as seen in a working direction, wherein one of the first sensor and second sensor is configured to measure a distance of a reference point on the road milling machine to a surface on its respective side of the milling drum, and wherein the other one of the first sensor and second sensor is configured to generate a sequence of distance data on its respective side of the milling drum;
a transverse incline sensor positioned in association with the road milling machine and configured to measure a transverse incline of the first machine frame;
a controller for the road milling machine, configured to
generate height profile data based on the sequence of distance data from the other one of the first and second sensor, and
control the lifting columns such that when the road milling machine advances, the milling depth on the respective side of the one of the first sensor and the second sensor and the measured transverse incline of the first machine frame when the road milling machine advances are kept substantially constant, regardless of the condition of the ground surface,
wherein the distance data from the other one of the first and second sensor changes with movement of the road milling machine in a manner corresponding to a profile of unprocessed road surface, and
wherein the generated height profile data accordingly changes with movement of the road milling machine in a manner corresponding to the profile of the unprocessed road surface; and

a data transmission device configured to transmit the height profile data to the road finisher.

2. The machine train of claim 1 , wherein the road finisher further comprises a data receiving device configured to receive the height profile data.

3. The machine train of claim 1 , wherein the road finisher comprises at least one actuator for changing the position of the screed, and a second controller that is configured to generate a control signal for controlling the at least one actuator in accordance with a height profile data set obtained from the height profile data.

4. The machine train of claim 3 , wherein the at least one actuator is controlled to change the position of the screed in accordance with the height profile data to level off uneven areas in the profile of the road surface.

5. The machine train of claim 3 , wherein the second controller is configured to assess the height profile data statistically in order to obtain the height profile data set.

6. The machine train of claim 5 , wherein the second controller is configured so that assessing the height profile data statistically comprises one or more of taking an average value and discarding height profile data lying outside predetermined boundary ranges.

7. The machine train of claim 3 , wherein the first controller is configured to assess the height profile data statistically in order to obtain the height profile data set.

8. The machine train of claim 3 , wherein the road milling machine comprises a device for determining spatial data, and the first controller is configured to determine spatial height profile data from the height profile data.

9. A method of operating a road milling machine that travels in front and comprises a first machine frame supported by crawler tracks or wheels and a milling drum arranged on the first machine frame that is for milling away material from a road surface, wherein the crawler tracks or wheels are fastened to the first machine frame via lifting columns, and a road finisher that travels behind and comprises a second machine frame which is supported by crawler tracks or wheels and on which are arranged a reservoir for material to be laid and a screed for laying material, wherein a position of the screed is adjustable in relation to a reference line or reference surface, the method comprising:
measuring a distance of a reference point on the road milling machine to a surface of unprocessed ground on a first side of the milling drum as seen in a working direction;
determining a sequence of distance data in accordance with measured distances of the reference point on the road milling machine to a surface of unprocessed ground on a second side of the milling drum as seen in a working direction;
measuring transverse inclines of the first machine frame while the road milling machine advances;
generating height profile data based on the sequence of distance data;
controlling the lifting columns such that when the road milling machine advances, a milling depth on the first side of the milling drum as seen in the working direction and a transverse incline of the first machine frame are controlled to respective target values, regardless of a ground surface condition, wherein the measured distances of the reference point on the road milling machine to the surface of unprocessed ground on the second side of the milling drum change with movement of the road milling machine in a manner corresponding to a profile of unprocessed road surface, and wherein the height profile data accordingly changes with movement of the road milling machine in a manner corresponding to the profile of the unprocessed road surface; and
transmitting the height profile data with a data transmission device to the road finisher.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving the height profile data by a data receiving device of the road finisher.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising controlling at least one actuator on the road finisher in order to change the position of the screed in accordance with a height profile data set obtained from the height profile data.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising statistically assessing the height profile data in order to obtain the height profile data set, wherein the statistical assessment of the height profile data comprises taking an average value and/or discarding height profile data lying outside predetermined boundary ranges.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising obtaining spatial height profile data from the height profile data.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the screed of the road finisher is controlled in accordance with the height profile data to level off uneven areas in the profile of the road surface.

15. A machine train comprising:
a road milling machine for milling away material from a road surface, comprising:
a first machine frame supported by a first set of tracks or wheels,
a milling drum arranged on the first machine frame,
wherein the first set of tracks or wheels are fastened via lifting columns to the first machine frame,
a first sensor configured to measure a distance of a reference point on the road milling machine to a surface of unprocessed ground on a first side of the milling drum as seen in a working direction

Assignees

• Wirtgen Gmbh

Inventors

• Menzenbach Christoph
• Müller René
• Barimani Cyrus

Classifications

• 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

• E01C19/4866

  with solely non-vibratory or non-percussive pressing or smoothing means for consolidating or finishing (E01C19/4886 takes precedence; combined with rollers E01C19/488) · CPC title

• E01C19/48

  for laying-down the materials and consolidating them, or finishing the surface {, e.g. slip forms therefor, forming kerbs or gutters in a continuous operation in situ (E01C19/002, E01C23/065 take precedence; devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path E01C19/004)} · CPC title

• E01C23/088 Primary

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

• E01C19/004

  Devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path (for graders or bulldozers E02F3/841; for other soil-shifting machines E02F9/2045) · CPC title