Milling drum with alignment interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11674273-B2
Application number	US-202117495232-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2021
Priority date	Oct 6, 2021
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

A milling rotor of a milling machine can include a drum, cutting teeth, and a centering ring. The drum can extend along a longitudinal axis and can define an inner surface and an opposing outer surface. The drum can be securable to a drive assembly of the milling machine to allow the drum to rotate therewith. The cutting teeth can be connected to the outer surface of the drum and can be configured to engage pavement. The centering ring can be connected to the inner surface of the drum and can include a centering interface and an alignment interface. The centering interface can extend radially inward and can be engageable with a centering flange of the drive assembly to center the milling rotor with respect to the drive assembly. The alignment interface can be adjacent the centering interface and can extend radially inward of the centering interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A milling assembly of a work machine, the assembly comprising:
a drive assembly connected to a body of the work machine and drivable to rotate about a longitudinal axis by a motor of the work machine, the drive assembly including a centering flange on an outer surface thereof; and
a milling rotor releasably securable to the drive assembly, the milling rotor comprising:
a drum extending along the longitudinal axis, the drum defining an inner surface and an opposing outer surface, the drum securable to the drive assembly to allow the drum to rotate therewith;
a plurality of cutting teeth connected to the outer surface of the drum and configured to engage pavement; and
a centering ring connected to the inner surface of the drum, the centering ring comprising:
a centering interface facing radially inward and engageable with the centering flange to center the milling rotor with respect to the drive assembly; and
an alignment interface adjacent the centering interface and extending radially inward of the centering interface, the alignment interface engageable with the drive assembly to limit contact between the centering interface and the drive assembly during installation thereof,

wherein the drive assembly includes a tube extending along the longitudinal axis, the centering flange connected to the tube, and the alignment interface engageable with the tube during installation of the rotor, and
wherein the alignment interface is radially spaced away from the centering tube when the centering interface is engaged with the centering flange.

2. The milling assembly of claim 1 , wherein a first longitudinal end of the drum is releasably securable to the drive assembly.

3. The milling assembly of claim 2 , wherein the centering ring is located near a second longitudinal end of the drum, opposite the first longitudinal end.

4. The milling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the centering interface includes a plurality of centering bores engageable with a plurality of centering faces of the centering flange.

5. The milling assembly of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of centering bores includes five bores.

6. The milling assembly of claim 4 , wherein the alignment interface includes a first chamfer connecting the alignment interface to the plurality of centering bores and a second chamfer extending to an end of the centering ring.

7. The milling assembly of claim 4 , wherein the alignment interface is releasably securable to the centering interface.

8. The milling assembly of claim 1 , wherein a first longitudinal end of the drum is releasably securable to the drive assembly, and wherein the centering ring is located near a second longitudinal end of the drum, opposite the first longitudinal end.

9. A milling rotor of a milling machine, the milling rotor comprising:
a drum extending along a longitudinal axis and defining an inner surface and an opposing outer surface, the drum securable to a drive assembly of the milling machine to allow the drum to rotate therewith;
a plurality of cutting teeth connected to the outer surface of the drum and configured to engage pavement; and
a centering ring connected to the inner surface of the drum, the centering ring comprising:
a centering interface extending radially inward from the inner surface and engageable with a centering flange of the drive assembly to center the milling rotor with respect to the drive assembly; and
an alignment interface adjacent the centering interface and extending from the inner surface radially inward of the centering interface, the alignment interface engageable with the drive assembly to limit contact between the centering interface and the drive assembly during installation thereof,

wherein the drive assembly includes a tube extending along the longitudinal axis, the centering flange connected to the tube, and the alignment interface engageable with the tube during installation of the rotor,
wherein the alignment interface is radially spaced away from the tube when the centering interface is engaged with the centering flange,
wherein the centering interface includes a plurality of centering bores engageable with a plurality of centering faces of the centering flange, and
wherein the alignment interface includes a first chamfer connecting the alignment interface to the plurality of centering bores and a second chamfer extending to an end of the centering ring.

10. The milling rotor of claim 9 , wherein a first longitudinal end of the drum is releasably securable to the drive assembly.

11. The milling rotor of claim 10 , wherein the centering ring is located near a second longitudinal end of the drum, opposite the first longitudinal end.

12. The milling rotor of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of centering bores includes five bores.

13. The milling rotor of claim 9 , wherein the alignment interface is releasably securable to the centering interface.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Paving Products Inc

Inventors

• Hutar Ryan
• Hedstrom Craig T
• Johnson Nicholas B
• Engelmann Eric S

Classifications

• E01C23/127

  rotary, e.g. rotary hammers · CPC title

• E01C23/088 Primary

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