Positioning assembly for placing steerable drive in multiple positions with respect to milling machine housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9951484-B2
Application number	US-201615187146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2016
Priority date	Jun 20, 2016
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A milling machine includes a frame, a housing, a milling drum mounted on the frame within the housing and a drive assembly. A positioning assembly is provided for moving the drive assembly between a first position which is laterally outside the periphery of the machine housing and a second position which is laterally inside the periphery of the machine housing, and for locking the drive assembly in at least the first and second positions without requiring the operator to manually manipulate a locking pin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A milling machine for milling a surface of a roadway, said milling machine comprising:
(A) a frame;
(B) a housing;
(C) a milling drum mounted on the frame within the housing;
(D) a drive assembly comprising a drive mechanism;
(E) a positioning assembly for moving the drive assembly between a first drive assembly position which is laterally outside the housing and a second drive assembly position which is laterally inside the housing, said positioning assembly comprising:
(1) a frame portion that is attached to the frame, said frame portion comprising:
(a) a first frame locking component that is associated with the first drive assembly position for the drive assembly;
(b) a second frame locking component that is associated with the second drive assembly position for the drive assembly;
(c) a vertical pivot pin;

(2) a pivot assembly that is pivotally mounted on the pivot pin of the frame portion and is adapted to move vertically on the pivot pin, said pivot assembly further comprising:
(a) an elevating actuator that is adapted to move the drive mechanism, between a contact position on the surface on which the machine is placed for operation and a non-contact position that is off the surface on which the machine is placed for operation;
(b) a pivot locking component that is adapted to cooperate with the first frame locking component of the frame portion and alternatively with the second frame locking component of the frame portion;
(c) a locking actuator that is adapted to move the pivot assembly vertically on the pivot pin of the frame portion between a locking elevation and an unlocking elevation;

(3) a positioning actuator that is adapted to pivot the pivot assembly on the pivot pin with respect to the frame portion between a first pivot position in which the first frame locking component of the frame portion is aligned with the pivot locking component and a second pivot position in which the second frame locking component is aligned with the pivot locking component;

wherein the positioning assembly is configured and arranged so that:
(F) the drive assembly is in the first drive assembly position when the first frame locking component is aligned with the pivot locking component; and
(G) actuation of the locking actuator to move the pivot assembly from the unlocking elevation to the locking elevation when the first frame locking component is aligned with the pivot locking component will lock the pivot assembly to the frame portion with the drive assembly in the first drive assembly position; and
(H) actuation of the locking actuator to move the pivot assembly from the locking elevation to the unlocking elevation when the first frame locking component is aligned with the pivot locking component will unlock the pivot assembly from the frame portion with the drive assembly in the first drive assembly position; and
(I) the drive assembly is in the second drive assembly position when the second frame locking component is aligned with the pivot locking component; and
(J) actuation of the locking actuator to move the pivot assembly from the unlocking elevation to the locking elevation when the second frame locking component is aligned with the pivot locking component will lock the pivot assembly to the frame portion with the drive assembly in the second drive assembly position; and
(K) actuation of the locking actuator to move the pivot assembly from the locking elevation to the unlocking elevation when the second frame locking component is aligned with the pivot locking component will unlock the pivot assembly from the frame portion with the drive assembly in the second drive assembly position.

2. The milling machine of claim 1 wherein:
(A) the pivot assembly has a pivot arm, said pivot arm having a ball socket insert and a ball having a central bore;
(B) the positioning actuator is attached to the frame of the milling machine and has a rod with a clevis having holes that are adapted to be aligned with the central bore in the ball;
(C) a pin is placed through the holes in the clevis and the central bore of the ball to secure the rod of the positioning actuator to the pivot arm of the pivot assembly in such a manner as to permit the rod to move to accommodate vertical movement of the pivot assembly on the pivot pin of the frame portion between the locking elevation and the unlocking elevation.

3. The milling machine of claim 1 wherein:
(A) the drive assembly includes an inner tube that is attached to the drive mechanism;
(B) the pivot assembly includes an outer tube that is adapted to receive the inner tube of the drive assembly and to be in sliding engagement therewith;
(C) the elevating actuator moves the drive mechanism, between a contact position on the surface on which the machine is placed for operation and a non-contact position that is off the surface on which the machine is placed for operation, by moving the inner tube of the drive assembly vertically with respect to the outer tube.

4. The milling machine of claim 3 which includes a steering knuckle comprising:
(A) a steering tube that is disposed over and attached to the inner tube of the drive assembly below the outer tube of the pivot assembly, said steering tube being adapted to rotate with respect to the outer tube of the pivot assembly;
(B) a steering arm that is attached to the steering tube;
(C) a steering actuator that is attached between the steering arm and the frame of the milling machine and adapted to rotate the steering tube with respect to the outer tube of the pivot assembly.

5. The milling machine of claim 4 wherein the positioning assembly is configured so that:
(A) when the pivot assembly is locked to the frame portion in the first drive assembly position, the steering actuator cannot be operated to rotate the steering tube with respect to the outer tube of the pivot assembly;
(B) when the pivot assembly is unlocked and the drive assembly is moved between the first drive assembly position and the second drive assembly position, the steering actuator can be used to change the orientation of the drive mechanism as the drive assembly is moved between the first and second drive assembly positions.

6. The milling machine of claim 1 wherein:
(A) the frame portion of the positioning assembly comprises a C-shaped frame portion having an upper frame plate and a lower frame plate;
(B) the pivot pin is mounted between the upper frame plate and the lower frame plate;
(C) the first frame locking component of the frame portion comprises a first positioning boss that is located on the underside of the upper frame plate;
(D) the second frame locking component of the frame portion comprises a second positioning boss that is located on the underside of the upper frame plate;
(E) the pivot assembly comprises an upper pivot plate and a lower pivot plate;
(F) the pivot locking component of the pivot assembly comprises a recess in the upper pivot plate that is adapted to receive the first positioning boss, and alternatively, the second positioning boss;
(G) the positioning actuator is adapted to pivot the pivot assembly on the pivot pin with respect to the frame portion between the first pivot position in which the first positioning boss is aligned with the recess in the upper pivot plate and the second pivot position in which the second positioning boss is aligned with the recess in the upper pivot plate;
(H) the locking actuator is adapted to move the pivot assembly vertically on the pivot pin of the frame portion between the unlocking elevation in which the lower pivot plate is adjacent to the lower frame plate and the locking elevation in which the upper pivot plate is adjacent to the upper frame plate;
wherein the positioning assembly is configured and arranged

Assignees

• Roadtec Inc

Inventors

• Musil Joseph E
• Bevill James H

Classifications

• E01C23/088 Primary

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

• B60G2300/40

  Variable track or wheelbase vehicles · CPC title

• B60G2300/09

  Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators · CPC title

• B60G2204/4604

  mechanically, e.g. using a hook as anticreep mechanism · CPC title

• B60G2204/46

  Means for locking the suspension · CPC title