Sensor mounting system for road milling machine

• US 8,764,118 B1
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Power Systems Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Power Systems Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Krishnamoorthy, Sundararajan, Ramasamy, Arul Kumar, Miller, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Bagnell, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODWIN, MICHAEL ALAN
• Application Number:
  US13/714,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20140167486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 299/1.5, 299/36.1, 299/39.1, 299/39.4, 299/39.6
• US Class Current: 299/1.5
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/004 Devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path for graders or bulldozers E02F3/841; for other soil-shifting machines E02F9/2045
• 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 23/127 rotary, e.g. rotary hammers

Abstract

A road milling machine includes a sensor mounting system having a first mounting member, which is attached to a first machine component and supports a portion of a position sensor, and a second mounting member attached to a second machine component having a pivotable attachment to a machine frame. An extension member has a first end attached to the second mounting member and a second end including an attachment flange. A unitary ski member has a first end attached to another portion of the position sensor and a second end pivotably attached to the attachment flange. The unitary ski member includes a ground engaging surface that is positioned inboard relative to first and second side plates, which flank a rotor, and has a pivot movement compensation curve. A controller is configured for determining a milling depth of the rotor from measurements obtained by the position sensor.

Claims

1. A road milling machine, comprising:

a machine frame carried by a plurality of ground engaging members;

a rotor supported by the machine frame and oriented perpendicularly relative to a longitudinal centerline of the road milling machine for treating a ground surface;

first and second side plates arranged at opposite side ends of the rotor;

a sensor mounting system including;

a first mounting member attached to a first machine component and supporting a first portion of a first position sensor;

a second mounting member attached to a second machine component having a pivotable attachment to the machine frame;

an extension member having a first end attached to the second mounting member and a second end including an attachment flange; and

a unitary ski member having a first end attached to a second portion of the first position sensor and a second end pivotably attached to the attachment flange, wherein the unitary ski member includes a ground engaging surface that is positioned inboard relative to the first and second side plates, and the ground engaging surface has a pivot movement compensation curve; and

a controller configured for determining a milling depth of the rotor from measurements obtained by the first position sensor.

2. The road milling machine of claim 1, wherein the first mounting member is attached to the first machine component at a first mounting location and the second mounting member is attached to the second machine component at a second mounting location that is forward of the first mounting location relative to a forward travel direction of the road milling machine, wherein the second mounting location is inwardly spaced from the first mounting location relative to the longitudinal centerline, and wherein the extension member extends perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal centerline.

3. The road milling machine of claim 2, wherein the second machine component is an anti-slab device;

and

the anti-slab device is positioned forward of the rotor relative to the forward travel direction.

4. The road milling machine of claim 2, wherein the first position sensor is a wire rope sensor.

5. The road milling machine of claim 4, further including a locking pin positioned through the attachment flange and configured to maintain a raised position of the unitary ski member.

6. The road milling machine of claim 4, wherein the second end of the extension member includes an elongate tube extending through an opening through the attachment flange, and wherein an extended portion of the elongate tube is configured to restrict pivotable movement of the unitary ski member.

7. The road milling machine of claim 2, wherein the first position sensor is a position sensing cylinder.

8. The road milling machine of claim 1, further including a second position sensor laterally spaced from the first position sensor relative to the longitudinal centerline and positioned inboard relative to the first and second side plates.

9. The road milling machine of claim 1, further including a second position sensor positioned outboard relative to the first and second side plates.

10. A sensor mounting system for a road milling machine, comprising:

a first mounting member configured for attachment to a first machine component of the road milling machine and configured to support a first portion of a first position sensor;

a second mounting member configured for attachment to a second machine component having a pivotable attachment to a machine frame of the road milling machine,

an extension member having a first end configured for attachment to the second mounting member such that the extension member extends perpendicularly relative to a longitudinal centerline of the road milling machine, and a second end configured for attachment to an attachment flange; and

a unitary ski member having a first end configured for attachment to a

second portion of the first position sensor and a second end configured for pivotable attachment to the attachment flange, wherein the unitary ski member includes a ground engaging surface that is positioned inboard relative to first and second side plates that flank a rotor of the road milling machine, and the ground engaging surface has a pivot movement compensation curve.

11. The sensor mounting system of claim 10, wherein the first position sensor is a wire rope sensor.

12. The sensor mounting system of claim 11, wherein the unitary ski member includes a hook for receiving a wire of the wire rope sensor.

13. The sensor mounting system of claim 12, further including a locking pin positioned through the attachment flange and configured to maintain a raised position of the unitary ski member.

14. The sensor mounting system of claim 12, wherein the second end of the extension member includes an elongate tube extending through an opening through the attachment flange, and wherein an extended portion of the elongate tube is configured to restrict pivotable movement of the unitary ski member.

15. The sensor mounting system of claim 10, wherein the first position sensor is a position sensing cylinder.

16. A method for measuring a milling depth of a road milling machine having a sensor mounting system, the sensor mounting system including:

a first mounting member attached to a first machine component of the road milling machine and supporting a first portion of a first position sensor;

a second mounting member attached to a second machine component having a pivotable attachment to a machine frame;

an extension member having a first end attached to the second mounting member and a second end including an attachment flange; and

a unitary ski member having a first end attached to a second portion of the first position sensor at a first ski attachment location and a second end pivotably attached to the attachment flange at a second ski attachment location, wherein the unitary ski member includes a ground engaging surface positioned inboard relative to first and second side plates that flank a rotor of the road milling machine, the method comprising steps of;

moving the road milling machine, via a plurality of ground engaging members, in a forward travel direction along a ground surface;

lowering the rotor supported on the machine frame to a predetermined milling depth to treat the ground surface;

contacting the ground surface to be treated with the ground engaging surface of the unitary ski member at a first position along a pivot movement compensation curve of the ground engaging surface, wherein the first position is a predetermined distance from the first ski attachment location;

determining, via a controller, a first milling depth of the rotor from measurements obtained by the first position sensor responsive to contacting the ground surface at the first position;

pivoting the second ski attachment location relative to the machine frame;

contacting the ground surface to be treated with the ground engaging surface of the unitary ski member at a second position along the pivot movement compensation curve, wherein the second position is also the predetermined distance from the first ski attachment location; and

determining, via the controller, a second milling depth of the rotor from measurements obtained by the first position sensor responsive to contacting the ground surface at the second position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of pivoting the second ski attachment location relative to the machine frame includes pivoting the second machine component relative to the machine frame.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of pivoting the second machine component relative to the machine frame includes pivoting an anti-slab device relative to the machine frame, wherein the anti-slab device is positioned forward of the rotor relative to the forward travel direction.

19. The method of claim 16, further including determining the first milling depth and the second milling depth using a wire rope sensor.

20. The method of claim 16, further including determining the first milling depth and the second milling depth using a position sensing cylinder.