Vacuum system for milling machine

• US 6,733,086 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roadtec Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RI Properties, Inc.
• Inventors: McSharry, Chris, Campbell, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bagnell, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stephenson, Daniel P
• Application Number:
  US10/099,197
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 299/39.2, 299/64, 299/1.5, 451/456, 451/453, 451/87
• US Class Current: 299/64
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/088 Rotary tools, e.g. milling drums for forming recesses to receive marking materials E01C23/0946
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 2301/50 Methods or devices for preventing dust by spraying or sucking

Abstract

A vacuum system is mounted on a portable milling machine for extracting material cut by the milling drum of the machine from the surface of a roadway. The milling machine includes a frame, a propulsion system for advancing the machine across a surface to be milled, a milling drum mounted on the frame for rotation about its axis, and a conveyor for conveying material cut by the milling drum away from the drum. The vacuum system includes a vacuum pump having an air inlet and an air outlet and a nozzle mounted behind the milling drum having an opening for receiving material cut from the surface by the drum. The vacuum system also includes a material collector having an inlet, an air outlet and a material outlet. The collector is adapted for collecting material entrained in air by the pump through the collector inlet and for discharging such material through the material outlet onto the conveyor. The vacuum system also includes a first conduit and a second conduit. The first conduit connects the nozzle and the inlet of the material collector, and the second conduit connects the air, outlet of the material collector and the air inlet of the pump.

Claims

1. A portable milling machine comprising:

(a) a frame;

(b) a propulsion system for advancing the machine across a surface to be milled;

(c) a milling drum mounted on the frame for rotation about its axis, which drum is adapted for cutting material from the surface in the path of the machine;

(d) a conveyor for conveying material cut by the milling drum away from the drum;

(e) a vacuum system for extracting material cut by the milling drum from the surface, said vacuum system comprising;

(i) a vacuum pump having an air inlet and an air outlet;

(ii) a nozzle mounted behind the milling drum, said nozzle having an opening which is adapted to receive material cut from the surface by the drum, wherein the nozzle opening is defined by a front nozzle plate and a rear nozzle plate, each of which has an upper side and a lower side and wherein the lower side front nozzle plate is mounted substantially at the elevation of the roadway behind the milling drum;

(iii) a material collector having an inlet, an air outlet and a material outlet, which collector is adapted for collecting material entrained in air by the pump through the collector inlet and for discharging such material through the material outlet onto the conveyor;

(iv) a first conduit connecting the nozzle and the inlet of the material collector;

(v) a second conduit connecting the air outlet of the material collector and the air inlet of the pump.

2. The milling machine of claim 1 wherein the nozzle opening extends substantially the length of the milling drum.

3. The milling machine of claim 1 wherein the material collector comprises a cyclone which includes:

(a) an air outlet;

(b) a conduit which connects the air outlet to the air inlet of the vacuum pump;

(c) a material outlet;

(d) an inlet;

(e) a conduit which connects the inlet to the nozzle;

(f) a valve for selectively directing a flow of air from the nozzle through the cyclone to the inlet of the pump.

4. The milling machine of claim 1 wherein the lower side of the rear nozzle plate is mounted at an elevation higher than that of the lower side of the front nozzle plate.

5. The milling machine of claim 1 which includes:

(a) a moldboard that is mounted behind the milling drum and extends substantially the length of the milling drum;

(b) a front nozzle plate having an upper side and a lower side and which is mounted on the moldboard so as to extend substantially the length of the moldboard with the lower side located substantially at the elevation of the surface of the roadway behind the milling drum;

(c) a rear nozzle plate that is pivotally mounted with respect to the moldboard behind the front nozzle plate so as to form a gap between the lower side of the front nozzle plate and the lower side of the rear nozzle plate;

(d) a pair of side sealing plates which are mounted on the moldboard in front of the front nozzle plate and adapted to be laterally adjustable so as to seal between the ends of the moldboard and the sides of the cut made by the milling drum.

6. The milling machine of claim 5 which includes a hydraulic actuator that is mounted between the moldboard and one of the side sealing plates and adapted to move the side sealing plate laterally with respect to the moldboard.

7. The milling machine of claim 5 wherein the upper side of the rear nozzle plate is pivotally mounted with respect to the moldboard.

8. The milling machine of claim 7 which includes a hydraulic actuator that is adapted to move the lower side of the rear nozzle plate away from the lower side of the front nozzle plate.

9. The milling machine of claim 7 which includes a stop mechanism that is adapted to limit the distance that the lower side of the rear nozzle plate moves away from the lower side of the front nozzle plate.

10. A portable milling machine comprising:

(a) a frame;

(b) a propulsion system for advancing the machine across a surface to be milled;

(c) a milling drum mounted on the frame for rotation about its axis, which drum is adapted for cutting material from the surface in the path of the machine;

(d) a vacuum system for extracting material cut by the milling drum from the surface, said vacuum system comprising;

(i) a vacuum pump having an air inlet and an air outlet;

(ii) a nozzle mounted behind the milling drum, said nozzle having an opening which is adapted to receive material cut from the surface by the drum;

a material collector having an inlet, an air outlet and a material outlets, which collector is adapted for collecting material entrained in air by the pump through the collector inlet and for discharging such material through the material outlet onto the conveyor;

a first conduit connecting the nozzle and the inlet of the material collector;

a second conduit connecting the air outlet of the material collector and the air inlet of the pump;

(e) a first conveyor and a second conveyor, with each of such conveyors having an input end and an output end, said input end of the first conveyor being located adjacent to the milling drum and said output end of the first conveyor being located above the input end of the second conveyor, said first conveyor being adapted for conveying material cut by the milling drum away from the drum to the second conveyor and said second conveyor being adapted for conveying material away from the machine;

(f) a shroud which is mounted on the frame so as to partially enclose the output end of the first conveyor and the input end of the second conveyor;

(g) a third conduit having a first end and a second end, said first end being mounted on the shroud and said second end being mounted to the material collector;

(h) a fan which is mounted in fluid communication with the third conduit and adapted for propelling air from outside the shroud into and through the shroud and through the third conduit for discharge from the second end thereof.

11. A vacuum system for a portable milling machine which includes:

(a) a frame;

(b) a propulsion system for advancing the machine across a surface to be milled;

(c) a milling drum mounted on the frame for rotation about its axis, which drum is adapted for cutting material from the surface in the path of the machine;

(d) a moldboard that is mounted behind the milling drum and extends substantially the length of the milling drum;

(e) a first conveyor and a second conveyor, with each of such conveyors having an input end and an output end, said input end of the first conveyor being located adjacent to the milling drum and said output end of the first conveyor being located above the input end of the second conveyor, said first conveyor being adapted for conveying material cut by the milling drum away from the drum to the second conveyor and said second conveyor being adapted for conveying material away from the machine;

said vacuum system comprising;

(f) a vacuum pump having an air inlet and an air outlet;

(g) a front nozzle plate having an upper side and a lower side and which is mounted on the moldboard so as to extend substantially the length of the moldboard with the lower side located substantially at the elevation of the roadway behind the milling drum;

(h) a rear nozzle plate having an upper side and a lower side and which is pivotally mounted with respect to the moldboard behind the front nozzle plate so as to form a gap between the lower side of the front nozzle plate and the lower side of the rear nozzle plate;

(i) a pair of side sealing plates which are mounted on the moldboard in front of the front nozzle plate and adapted to be laterally adjustable so as to seal between the ends of the moldboard and the sides of the cut made by the milling drum;

(j) a material collector having an inlet, an air outlet and a material outlet, which collector is adapted for collecting material entrained in air by the pump and for discharging such material onto the conveyor;

(k) a first conduit connecting the nozzle and the inlet of the material collector;

(l) a second conduit connecting the air outlet of the material collector and the air inlet of the pump.

12. The vacuum system of claim 11 which includes:

(a) a shroud which is mounted on the frame so as to partially enclose the output end of the first conveyor and the input end of the second conveyor;

(b) a third conduit having a first end and a second end, said first end being mounted on the shroud and said second end being mounted to the material collector;

(c) a fan which is mounted in the third conduit and adapted for propelling air from outside the shroud into and through the shroud and through the third conduit for discharge from the second end thereof.

13. The vacuum system of claim 11 which includes a hydraulic actuator that is mounted between the moldboard and one of the side sealing plates and adapted to move the side sealing plate laterally with respect to the moldboard.

14. The vacuum system of claim 11 wherein the upper side of the rear nozzle plate is pivotally mounted with respect to the moldboard.

15. The vacuum system of claim 11 which includes a hydraulic actuator that is adapted to move the lower side of the rear nozzle plate away from the lower side of the front nozzle plate.

16. The vacuum system of claim 11 which includes a stop mechanism that is adapted to limit the distance that the lower side of the rear nozzle plate moves away from the lower side of the front nozzle plate.

17. The vacuum system of claim 11 wherein the lower side of front nozzle plate is mounted substantially at the elevation of the surface of the roadway behind the milling drum.

18. The vacuum system of claim 17 wherein the lower side of the rear nozzle plate is mounted at an elevation higher than that of the lower side of the front nozzle plate.