Automotive milling machine, as well as method for discharging milled material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9809937-B2
Application number	US-201514827573-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2015
Priority date	Aug 22, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

In an automotive milling machine, comprising a machine frame, comprising a controller for the travelling and milling operation, comprising a working drum, comprising a transport conveyor, where the transport conveyor is slewable, relative to the machine frame, about a first axis extending essentially horizontally under an elevation angle, and sideways about a second axis extending orthogonally to the first axis under a slewing angle, where the transport conveyor discharges the milled material onto a loading surface of a transport vehicle at a specified conveying speed, and where the controller continuously controls positioning of the milled material automatically via, as a minimum, the slewing angle of the transport conveyor, it is provided for the following features to be achieved: the controller specifies and monitors limit values for a maximum permissible slewing angle range for slewing the transport conveyor variable in accordance with the current operating situation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automotive milling machine for milling off milled material and discharging the milled material onto a loading surface of a transport vehicle, the milling machine comprising:
a machine frame;
a working drum supported from the machine frame for milling off the milled material;
a transport conveyor arranged to receive the milled material milled off by the working drum and to discharge the milled material onto the loading surface of the transport vehicle at a conveying speed, the transport conveyor being mounted on the machine frame to be pivotable relative to the machine frame about an essentially horizontal first axis to define an elevation angle, and the transport conveyor being pivotable sideways about a second axis extending orthogonally to the first axis to define a slewing angle;
at least one detector configured to continuously detect a position of the loading surface relative to the machine frame or the transport conveyor as seen in the direction of transport; and
a controller connected to the at least one detector and configured to automatically control positioning of the milled material on the loading surface of the transport vehicle by controlling, via associated piston-cylinder units, at least the slewing angle of the transport conveyor relative to a longitudinal center line of the machine frame,
the controller being configured to specify and monitor limit values for a maximum permissible slewing angle range for slewing the transport conveyor, wherein the specified limit values are unsymmetrical in relation to the longitudinal center line of the machine frame in accordance with a determined non-contaminable space on one side of the machine frame and the transport vehicle.

2. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to specify the limit values for the maximum permissible slewing angle range dynamically in accordance with a current bend radius when the milling machine is cornering.

3. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to specify the limit values for the maximum permissible slewing angle range relative to at least one of the machine frame and a current position of the transport conveyor.

4. The automotive milling machine of claim 3 , wherein:
the controller is configured to specify the limit values for the maximum permissible slewing angle range relative to both of the machine frame and the current position of the transport conveyor; and
the controller is configured to specify a first larger maximum slewing angle range relative to the machine frame, and a second narrower maximum slewing angle range relative to the current position of the transport conveyor.

5. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller includes a detection and control unit configured to control the positioning of the milled material on the loading surface of the transport vehicle by controlling the slewing angle of the transport conveyor and at least one of the elevation angle and the conveying speed, the detection and control unit being further configured to specify the limit values for the maximum permissible slewing angle range in accordance with at least one of:
a relative position of the machine frame and the transport conveyor to one another;
the elevation angle;
the conveying speed;
a current steering angle of the milling machine; and
a distance between the milling machine and the transport vehicle.

6. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to receive an information signal about an absence of working space next to the transport vehicle and to reduce the maximum permissible slewing angle range in a direction of at least one side of the transport vehicle in response to the information signal.

7. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured such that the maximum permissible slewing angle range is exceedable in response to a manual control command input to the controller.

8. The automotive milling machine of claim 7 , wherein:
the controller is configured such that the manual control command is executable repeatedly after a predetermined lapse of time.

9. The automotive milling machine of claim 7 , wherein:
the controller is configured such that the manual control command is executable repeatedly after a predetermined distance traveled.

10. The automotive milling machine of claim 7 , wherein:
the controller is configured such that an angular amount by which the maximum permissible slewing angle range is exceedable in response to the manual control command input is limited.

11. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to automatically specify the limit values for the maximum permissible slewing angle range in accordance with at least one of:
the detected position of the loading surface;
the elevation angle;
the conveying speed;
a current steering angle of the milling machine; and
a distance between the milling machine and the transport vehicle.

12. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to vary the maximum permissible slewing angle range in accordance with an intermittent operation of the transport vehicle.

13. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to vary the maximum permissible slewing angle range in accordance with a distance between the milling machine and the transport vehicle.

14. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to detect a predetermined zone on the loading surface and to vary the maximum permissible slewing angle range in accordance with the predetermined zone on the loading surface.

15. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to detect a loading condition on the loading surface and to vary the maximum permissible slewing angle range in accordance with the loading condition on the loading surface.

16. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 in combination with at least one transport vehicle movable independently of the milling machine and positionable relative to the milling machine such that the milled material worked off by the milling machine is dischargeable onto the transport vehicle.

17. A method of discharging worked-off milled material of an automotive milling machine onto a loading surface of a transport vehicle, the method comprising:
(a) working off milled material with a working drum of the milling machine;
(b) transporting the milled material from the working drum with a transport conveyor and discharging the milled material from the transport conveyor onto the loading surface of the transport vehicle at a conveying speed, the transport conveyor being slewable sideways relative to a longitudinal center line of a machine frame of the milling machine to adjust a slewing angle of the transport conveyor, and the transport conveyor having an adjustable elevation angle to adjust a discharge height of the transport conveyor;
(c) automatically controlling positioning of the milled material on the loading surface of the transport vehicle by controlling at least the slewing angle of the transport conveyor; and
(d) specifying a maximum permissible slewing angle range and monitoring the slewing angle to maintain the slewing angle within the maximum permissible slewing angle range, wherein the specified maximum permissible slewing angle range is unsymmetrical in relation to the longitudinal center lin

Assignees

• Wirtgen Gmbh

Inventors

• Berning Christian
• Winkels Sebastian
• Kroell Harald
• Krista Tobias

Classifications

• B65G67/24

  Unloading land vehicles · CPC title

• E01C23/088 Primary

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

• E01C23/127

  rotary, e.g. rotary hammers · CPC title

• B65G41/002

  Pivotably mounted · CPC title

• 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