Control system for a paving machine

• US 10,494,772 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2018
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Sarl (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Sarl (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boston, Timothy, Fontana, Andrea
• Primary Examiner(s): Addie, Raymond W
• Application Number:
  US15/976,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20190345677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 404101, 404111, 404118, 404 72, 404 8405
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/004 comprising sensors for monitoring the delivery, e.g. by displaying the sensed value or generating an alarm B05B12/08 takes precedence; registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus in general G07C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/008 integrated in or attached to a discharge apparatus, e.g. a spray gun
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/081 responsive to the weight of a reservoir or container for liquid or other fluent material; responsive to level or volume of liquid or other fluent material in a reservoir or container
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/085 responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged B05B1/3006, B05B1/323, B05B7/1254 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/10 responsive to temperature or viscosity of liquid or other fluent material discharged
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/02 performed by spraying
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/174 Apparatus with pump-discharge
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/176 Spraying or throwing elements, e.g. nozzles; Arrangement thereof or supporting structures therefor, e.g. spray-bars
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/48 for laying-down the materials and consolidating them, or finishing the surface , e.g. slip forms therefor, forming kerbs or gutters in a continuous operation in situ E01C19/002, E01C23/065 take precedence; devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path E01C19/004

Abstract

A paving system includes a paving machine, a controller, and a control panel. The paving machine includes a machine frame, a drive assembly, and a paving material delivery assembly, which includes a hopper, a conveyor assembly, an auger, and a screed. The paving machine also includes an emulsion fluid delivery assembly, including a tank of emulsion fluid and a spray bar including a plurality of nozzles. The controller is wired or wirelessly coupled to the tank and the spray bar to control at least one of a temperature, pressure, or delivery rate of the emulsion fluid through the nozzles.

Claims

1. A paving system, comprising

a paving machine, including

a machine frame;

a drive assembly,

a paving material delivery assembly, including a hopper, a conveyor assembly, an auger, and a screed;

an emulsion fluid delivery assembly, including a tank of emulsion fluid and a spray bar including a plurality of nozzles; and

a controller and a control panel, wherein the controller is wired or wirelessly coupled to the tank and the spray bar to control at least one of a temperature or a pressure of the emulsion fluid through the nozzles, and

wherein the controller is connected to the drive assembly of the paving machine to receive information regarding a direction of the paving machine, and wherein the controller is configured to automatically modify a spray pattern of the emulsion fluid by controlling the activation of individual nozzles based on the information received regarding the direction of the paving machine.

2. The paving system of claim 1, wherein the spray bar is positioned on an underside of the machine frame between at least two tracks and fluidly coupled to the tank to deliver the emulsion fluid to a ground surface.

3. The paving system of claim 1, wherein each nozzle is coupled to a nozzle controller, and wherein each nozzle controller is wired or wirelessly coupled to the controller to control the opening and closing of a valve in each nozzle to control the delivery of emulsion fluid through each nozzle.

4. The paving system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operably coupled to one or more sensors within the emulsion fluid delivery assembly in order to measure and display at least one of a compressor pressure, an emulsion tank level, or a temperature of the emulsion fluid in the tank, and wherein the controller is configured to indicate unsafe pressures, temperatures, or other conditions on the control panel based on the measurements of the one or more sensors.

5. The paving machine of claim 1, further including:

a supply of cleaning fluid, wherein the controller is operable to control the delivery of the cleaning fluid through the emulsion fluid delivery assembly; and

an air compressor, wherein the controller is operable to control the delivery of compressed air to the nozzles or through the emulsion fluid delivery assembly.

6. The paving system of claim 1, further including one or more heaters positioned within the tank, and wherein the controller is operable to control the activation of the one or more heaters.

7. The paving system of claim 6, further including one or more pumps positioned at least partially within the tank to control the delivery of the emulsion fluid, and wherein the controller is operable to control the activation of the one or more pumps.

8. The paving system of claim 1, further including one or more spray elements positioned on the machine frame, wherein the spray elements are positioned between tracks and the auger, and wherein the one or more spray elements are fluidly connected to the tank.

9. The paving system of claim 8, wherein the control panel includes a layout of nozzle indicators indicative of the positioning of the nozzles on the spray bar and the spray elements.

10. The paving system of claim 9, wherein the control panel includes one or more nozzle controls, wherein the nozzle controls are coupled to sets of nozzles and spray elements, and wherein the nozzle controls are operable to activate or deactivate the delivery of emulsion fluid through the sets of nozzles and spray elements.

11. The paving system of claim 10, wherein each nozzle indicator is operable to activate or deactivate the delivery of emulsion fluid through each individual nozzle and spray element.

12. The paving system of claim 9, wherein the controller is coupled to the drive assembly of the paving machine to receive information regarding a speed of the paving machine, and wherein the controller is configured to automatically modify the spray pattern of the emulsion fluid by controlling the activation of individual nozzles based on the information received regarding speed of the paving machine.

13. The paving machine of claim 1, wherein the control panel is mounted to a rear of the machine frame and is positioned at an operator position on the screed.

14. The paving machine of claim 13, wherein the control panel is removably mounted on the machine frame.

15. An emulsion fluid delivery and control system for a paving machine, comprising

a tank of emulsion fluid, including at least one pump and one or more heaters;

a spray bar fluidly connected to the tank and including a plurality of nozzles, wherein the nozzles are coupled to a nozzle controller and include a pneumatically controlled valve;

a controller, wherein the controller is wired or wirelessly coupled to the tank to control at least one of a temperature, pressure, or delivery rate of the emulsion fluid to the spray bar, and wherein the controller is wired or wirelessly coupled to the plurality of nozzles to control the activation and deactivation of each nozzle; and

a control panel that is connected to the controller and includes a plurality of nozzle indicators, wherein each nozzle indicator is coupled to a respective nozzle,

wherein the control panel includes one or more nozzle controls, wherein the nozzle controls are coupled to sets of nozzles, and wherein the nozzle controls are operable to activate or deactivate the delivery of emulsion fluid through the sets of nozzles, and

wherein each nozzle indicator is operable to activate or deactivate the delivery of emulsion fluid through each respective nozzle.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the control panel includes a layout of the nozzle indicators indicative of the positioning of the respective nozzles on the spray bar.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to be coupled to a drive assembly of the paving machine to receive information regarding a speed or a direction of the paving machine, and wherein the controller is configured to automatically modify the spray pattern of the emulsion fluid from the nozzles by controlling the activation of individual nozzles based on the information received regarding speed or direction of the paving machine.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is operably coupled to one or more sensors in order to measure and display at least one of a pump pressure, an emulsion tank level, or a temperature of the emulsion fluid in the tank, and wherein the controller is configured to indicate unsafe pressures, temperatures, or other conditions on the control panel based on the measurements of the one or more sensors.

19. A method of operating a paving machine, comprising:

activating a drive assembly of the paving machine, wherein the drive assembly includes at least one drive wheel, one or more idlers, and at least one track;

delivering an emulsion fluid to a ground surface, wherein the emulsion fluid is stored in a tank on the paving machine, and wherein the tank is fluidly coupled to at least one spray bar positioned between the at least one drive wheel and one or more idlers; and

delivering paving material to the ground surface, wherein the paving material is transferred from a hopper to a rear of the paving machine by a conveyor assembly, and wherein the paving material is spread on the ground surface by one or more augers and a screed,

wherein the delivery of the emulsion fluid through the at least one spray bar is controlled by a controller, wherein the controller is connected to a control panel to indicate and receive user input to control the status of at least the delivery of the emulsion fluid through the nozzles, wherein the controller is connected to the drive assembly to receive information regarding a direction of the paving machine, and wherein the controller is configured to automatically modify the spray pattern of the emulsion fluid by controlling the activation of nozzles based on the received information regarding the direction of the paving machine.

20. The method of claim 19, further including controlling the delivery of emulsion fluid through one or more sets of nozzles via one or more nozzle controls on the control panel, and controlling the delivery of emulsion fluid through individual nozzles via respective nozzle indicators.