Apparatus and method for measuring accelerating drum

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9206564-B2
Application number	US-201414264585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2014
Priority date	Apr 29, 2014
Publication date	Dec 8, 2015
Grant date	Dec 8, 2015

Abstract

A drum assembly for a vibratory compactor and method of retrofitting a vibratory compactor to measure the acceleration and/or vibratory movement of a drum rotatably mounted on the frame of the vibratory compactor. The drum assembly may comprise a drum including a shell, a mounting wall disposed inside the drum and a bulkhead disposed inside the drum and attached to the shell, a first bearing disposed between the frame and the mounting wall, a second bearing, a sensor, and a strap. The first bearing may include an inner race fixedly mounted to the frame. The second bearing may comprise a hub and a bearing shaft circumscribed by the hub and mounted to the bulkhead of the drum. The strap may be attached to the inner race and the hub.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drum assembly of a vibratory compactor having a frame, the drum assembly comprising:
a drum rotatably mounted on the frame, the drum including:
a shell;
a mounting wall disposed inside the drum; and
a bulkhead disposed inside the drum and attached to the shell;

a first bearing disposed between the frame and the mounting wall, the first bearing including a first bearing inner race fixedly mounted to the frame;
a second bearing comprising a hub and a bearing shaft circumscribed by the hub and mounted to the bulkhead of the drum, the bearing shaft rotatable with the drum;
a sensor mounted to the hub, the sensor configured to measure an acceleration of the drum; and
a strap having a first end and a second end, the first end attached to the first bearing inner race, and the second end attached to the hub, the strap configured to allow movement of the hub with respect to the first bearing inner race; whereby vibrations from the hub to the frame are reduced.

2. The drum assembly of claim 1 , wherein the strap is flexible.

3. The drum assembly of claim 1 , wherein the strap is wire mesh.

4. The drum assembly of claim 1 , wherein the strap is made of an elastomeric material.

5. The drum assembly of claim 1 , wherein the strap is a cord.

6. The drum assembly of claim 1 , wherein rotational movement of the hub with respect to the first bearing inner race is in a range of about −30 degrees from a vertical axis V to about 30 degrees from the vertical axis V.

7. The drum assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is mounted indirectly to the hub.

8. The drum assembly of claim 1 , wherein rotational movement of the hub with respect to the first bearing inner race is in a range of about −10 degrees from a vertical axis V to about 10 degrees from the vertical axis V.

9. A method of retrofitting a vibratory compactor having a drum with a sensor configured to measure an acceleration of the drum, the vibratory compactor including a frame, a drum rotatably mounted on the frame, a first bearing mounted on the frame, the first bearing including a first bearing inner race that is stationary relative to the drum, and a second bearing mounted inside the drum, the method comprising:
mounting the sensor to a portion of the second bearing;
attaching a first end of a strap to the first bearing inner race and a second end of the strap to the portion of the second bearing, wherein the strap is flexible;
restricting with the strap a rotational movement of the portion of the second bearing; and
placing a communication path between the sensor and a controller mounted on the vibratory compactor whereby the strap minimizes a rotational movement of the sensor to allow the sensor to make a more accurate measure of the acceleration of the drum.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the strap is wire mesh.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the strap is made of an elastomeric material.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the strap is configured to allow rotational movement of the portion of the second bearing with respect to the first bearing inner race.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the rotational movement of the portion of the second bearing with respect to the first bearing inner race is in a range of about −30 degrees from a vertical axis V to about 30 degrees from the vertical axis V.

14. A vibratory compactor comprising:
a frame;
a drum rotatably mounted on the frame, the drum including:
a shell;
a mounting wall disposed inside the shell; and
a bulkhead attached to the shell;

a vibratory motor mounted to the frame;
a drive shaft operably connected to the vibratory motor, the drive shaft extending through the bulkhead;
a first bearing disposed between the frame and the mounting wall, the first bearing including:
a first bearing outer race mounted to the mounting wall and rotatable with the drum; and
a first bearing inner race mounted to the frame, the first bearing inner race stationary with respect to the first bearing outer race;

a second bearing disposed between the mounting wall and the bulkhead and radially circumscribing the drive shaft, the second bearing comprising:
a hub; and
a bearing shaft circumscribed by the hub and mounted to the bulkhead of the drum and rotatable with the drum;

a mounting member fixedly attached to the hub;
a sensor mounted to the mounting member, the sensor configured to measure an acceleration of the drum; and
a strap having a first end and a second end, the first end attached to the first bearing inner race, and the second end attached to the hub, the strap is configured to allow a rotational movement of the hub with respect to the first bearing inner race whereby the strap minimizes a rotational movement of the sensor to allow the sensor to make a more accurate measure of the acceleration of the drum.

15. The vibratory compactor of claim 14 , wherein the strap is a wire mesh strap.

16. The vibratory compactor of claim 15 , wherein the strap is an elastic cord.

17. The vibratory compactor of claim 14 , wherein the rotational movement of the hub with respect to the first bearing inner race is in a range of about −30 degrees from a vertical axis V to about 30 degrees from the vertical axis V.

18. The vibratory compactor of claim 14 , wherein the rotational movement of the hub with respect to the first bearing inner race is in a range of about −10 degrees from a vertical axis V to about 10 degrees from the vertical axis V.

19. The vibratory compactor of claim 14 , wherein the drum is a solid drum.

20. The vibratory compactor of claim 14 , further including a bracket, wherein the bulkhead is disposed between the second bearing and the bracket.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Paving Prod

Inventors

• Marsolek John L
• Renard Jeffrey A
• Moriarity Brian G
• Lehtola Joseph A

Classifications

• E01C19/28

  Vibrated rollers or rollers subjected to impacts, e.g. hammering blows ({E01C19/235, } E01C19/29, {E01C19/41} take precedence; {combined with non-vibrated elastically-deformable rolling elements E01C19/233}) · CPC title

• E01C19/286 Primary

  Vibration or impact-imparting means; Arrangement, mounting or adjustment thereof; Construction or mounting of the rolling elements, transmission or drive thereto, e.g. to vibrator mounted inside the roll (E01C19/287 and E01C19/288 take precedence) · CPC title