Cold Planer Implement Drive Train Protection System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016168807-A1
Application number	US-201414572191-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2014
Priority date	Dec 16, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of protecting a drive train from sudden shocks in a machine having a rotatably-mounted implement selectively couplable to a driver by the drive train includes sensing the movement of teeth of an annular toothed surface of the input pulley to monitor the rotational speed of the input pulley, and disengaging the clutch if a programmable controller identifies at least one of a rapid deceleration of a speed of the input pulley, and a difference between the speed of the input pulley, and a calculated speed provided to the input pulley by the input belt from the driver.

First claim

We claim:

1 . In a machine having a rotatably-mounted implement and including a drive train coupled to a driver and the implement, the drive train including an implement drive gearbox coupled to the implement to provide rotary movement, the driver being selectively couplable by at least one clutch to provide rotary movement to the implement by at least one input belt providing rotary movement to an input pulley coupled to provide rotary movement to the implement drive gearbox, a method implemented by a programmable controller, of protecting the drive train from sudden shocks, the method comprising:
sensing the movement of teeth of an annular toothed surface of the input pulley to monitor a rotational speed of the input pulley, providing a signal indicative of the speed of the input pulley to the programmable controller, identifying at least one of
a rapid deceleration of the speed of the input pulley, and
a difference between the speed of the input pulley, and a calculated speed provided to the input pulley by the input belt from the driver,
disengaging the at least one clutch associated with the drive train when at least one of the following occurs
the rapid deceleration of the speed of the input pulley is identified, and
the difference between the speed of the input pulley and the calculated speed is in excess of a discrepancy threshold.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the input pulley includes a ring including the annular toothed surface secured to a wheel and annular toothed surface includes a plurality of teeth and valleys of substantially equal length, the sensor sensing the movement of the teeth past the sensor.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying a rapid deceleration of the speed of the input pulley includes comparing a sensed speed of the input pulley with a sensed speed of the input pulley at an earlier time to determine the speed is decreasing.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the step of identifying a rapid deceleration of the speed of the input pulley further includes determining a deceleration rate.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the step of identifying a rapid deceleration of the speed of the input pulley further includes comparing the deceleration rate to a deceleration threshold, and disengaging the at least one clutch if the deceleration rate exceeds the deceleration threshold.

6 . The method of claim 1 further including determining if the clutch is engaged.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying a difference includes converting an engine speed to provide the calculated input pulley speed.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein the step of identifying a difference includes comparing the speed of the input pulley as sensed by the sensor with the calculated speed.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the step of identifying a difference includes determining whether the speed of the input pulley as sensed by the sensor is less than a threshold percentage of the calculated speed.

10 . The method of claim 1 further including determining if at least one of the following is maintained other than at a debounce time or in excess of a set debounce time period:
a rapid deceleration of the speed of the input pulley, and
a difference between the speed of the input pulley, and a calculated speed provided to the input pulley by the input belt from the driver.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the step of disengaging at least one clutch occurs only at other than the debounce time or if the identification step occurs for a period longer than the set debounce time period.

12 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions facilitating performing a method, implemented by a programmable controller, of protecting from sudden shocks a drive train in a machine having a rotatably-mounted implement selectively coupled to a driver by the drive train including at least one clutch, the drive train including an implement drive gearbox coupled to the implement to provide rotary movement, the driver being selectively couplable to provide rotary movement to the implement by at least one input belt providing rotary movement to an input pulley coupled to provide rotary movement to the implement drive gearbox, the method comprising:
sensing the movement of teeth of an annular toothed surface of the input pulley to monitor a rotational speed of the input pulley, providing a signal indicative of the speed of the input pulley to the programmable controller, identifying at least one of
a rapid deceleration of the speed of the input pulley, and
a difference between the speed of the input pulley, and a calculated speed provided to the input pulley by the input belt from the driver,
disengaging the at least one clutch associated with the drive train when at least one of the following occurs
the rapid deceleration of the speed of the input pulley is identified, and
the difference between the speed of the input pulley and the calculated speed is in excess of a discrepancy threshold.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the step of identifying a rapid deceleration of the speed of the input pulley includes comparing the sensed speed of the input pulley with a sensed speed of the input pulley at an earlier time to determine the speed is decreasing.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the step of identifying a rapid deceleration of the speed of the input pulley further includes determining a deceleration rate.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the step of identifying a rapid deceleration of the speed of the input pulley further includes comparing the deceleration rate to a deceleration threshold, and disengaging the at least one clutch if the deceleration rate exceeds the deceleration threshold.

16 . The method of claim 12 wherein the step of identifying a difference includes converting the engine speed to determine the calculated input pulley speed.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the step of identifying a difference includes comparing the speed of the input pulley as sensed by the sensor with the calculated input pulley speed.

18 . The method of claim 17 wherein the step of identifying a difference includes determining whether the speed of the input pulley as sensed by the sensor is less than a threshold percentage of the calculated speed.

19 . The method of claim 12 further including determining if at least one of the following is maintained other than at a debounce time or in excess of a set debounce time period:
a rapid deceleration of the speed of the input pulley, and
a difference between the speed of the input pulley, and a calculated speed provided to the input pulley by the input belt from the driver.

20 . A cold planer comprising
a driver, a rotor, a drive train coupled to the driver and the rotor, the drive train including
an implement drive gearbox coupled to the rotor to provide rotary movement,
an input pulley coupled to provide rotary movement to the implement drive gearbox, the input pulley including an annular toothed surface,
an input belt disposed to provide rotary movement to the input pulley, and
at least one clutch selectively engagable to provide rotary movement to the input belt and the input pulley from the driver, and disengagable to disengage the input pulley from the driver,
at least one sensor disposed to sense the movement of the toothed surface and provide a signal indicative of a rotational speed of the input pulley based upon the movement

Assignees

• Caterpillar Paving Prod

Inventors

• Schafer Benjamin T
• Killion Daniel H
• Wernlund Zachary J

Classifications

• F16H55/36

  Pulleys (with features essential for adjustment F16H55/52) · CPC title

• E01C23/088 Primary

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

• F16H7/02

  with belts; with V-belts · CPC title

• F16H2035/106

  Monitoring of overload · CPC title

• F16H35/10

  Arrangements or devices for absorbing overload or preventing damage by overload · CPC title