Soil working roller

Abstract

A soil working roller for a soil processing machine, in particular a soil compactor, comprising a roller shell (44) extending longitudinally in a direction of a roller axis of rotation (D) and delimiting a roller interior (26), at least one ballast unit (46, 48) arranged in the roller interior (26), characterized in that each ballast unit (46, 48) comprises at least one ballast element (54) supported with respect of the roller shell (24) by means of an elastic suspension assembly (58), wherein the at least one ballast element (54) is permanently coupled to the roller shell (24) by the suspension assembly (58) and is movable with respect to the roller shell in the radial direction, axial direction, and circumferential direction, and/or a plurality of ballast units (46, 48) is provided in the roller interior (26) arranged in series in the circumferential direction, wherein each ballast unit (46, 48) comprises at least one ballast element supported with respect to the roller shell (24) by means of an elastic suspension assembly (58).

Claims

1. A soil working roller for a soil processing machine, comprising: a roller shell extending longitudinally in a direction of a roller axis of rotation and delimiting a roller interior, at least one ballast unit arranged in the roller interior, wherein each ballast unit comprises at least one ballast element supported with respect of the roller shell by an elastic suspension assembly, wherein the at least one ballast element is permanently coupled to the roller shell by the suspension assembly and is movable with respect to the roller shell in the radial direction, axial direction, and circumferential direction, and/or a plurality of ballast units is provided in the roller interior arranged in series in the circumferential direction, wherein each ballast unit comprises at least one ballast element supported with respect to the roller shell the elastic suspension assembly.

2. The soil working roller according to claim 1, wherein for at least one ballast unit, the at least one ballast element extends longitudinally in the direction of the roller axis of rotation and/or has a circular ring segment-like cross-sectional contour.

3. The soil working roller according to claim 2, wherein for at least one ballast unit, the suspension assembly at each axial end of the at least one ballast element comprises a suspension unit fixed with respect to the at least one ballast element and/or with respect to the roller shell.

4. The soil working roller according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the suspension units comprise at least one suspension element fixed with respect to the at least one ballast element and the roller shell.

5. The soil working roller according to claim 4, wherein at least one suspension element is constructed using elastomeric material.

6. The soil working roller according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the suspension units comprise a plurality of suspension elements.

7. The soil working roller according to claim 6, wherein at least one suspension element is constructed using elastomeric material.

8. The soil working roller according to claim 1, wherein for at least one ballast unit, the suspension assembly at each axial end of the at least one ballast element comprises a suspension unit fixed with respect to the at least one ballast element and/or with respect to the roller shell.

9. The soil working roller according to claim 8, wherein support elements are provided axially spaced apart from one another on the roller shell, and that for at least one ballast unit, each of the two suspension units is fixed with respect to the roller shell via one of the support elements.

10. The soil working roller according to claim 9, wherein the at least one unbalanced mass assembly comprises an unbalanced shaft, rotatable about the axis of unbalance, and at least one unbalanced mass supported on the unbalanced shaft and having a center of mass eccentric with respect to the axis of unbalance, and wherein the unbalanced shaft is rotatably supported on the support elements.

11. The soil working roller according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the suspension units comprise at least one suspension element fixed with respect to the at least one ballast element and the roller shell.

12. The soil working roller according to claim 11, wherein at least one suspension element is constructed using elastomeric material.

13. The soil working roller according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the suspension units comprise a plurality of suspension elements.

14. The soil working roller according to claim 13, wherein at least one suspension element is constructed using elastomeric material.

15. The soil working roller according to claim 14, wherein the elastomeric material is a rubber material.

16. The soil working roller according to claim 1, wherein an orbiting mass device is provided with at least one unbalanced mass assembly, arranged in the roller interior and rotatable about an axis of unbalance.

17. The soil working roller according to claim 16, wherein the at least one unbalanced mass assembly comprises an unbalanced shaft, rotatable about the axis of unbalance, and at least one unbalanced mass supported on the unbalanced shaft and having a center of mass eccentric with respect to the axis of unbalance.

18. The soil working roller according to claim 16, wherein the axis of unbalance corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the roller, and/or the orbiting mass device comprises an unbalanced drive assigned to the at least one unbalanced mass assembly.

19. A soil processing machine, comprising at least one soil working roller, comprising: a roller shell extending longitudinally in a direction of a roller axis of rotation and delimiting a roller interior, at least one ballast unit arranged in the roller interior, wherein each ballast unit comprises at least one ballast element supported with respect of the roller shell by an elastic suspension assembly, wherein the at least one ballast element is permanently coupled to the roller shell by the suspension assembly and is movable with respect to the roller shell in the radial direction, axial direction, and circumferential direction, and/or a plurality of ballast units is provided in the roller interior arranged in series in the circumferential direction, wherein each ballast unit comprises at least one ballast element supported with respect to the roller shell the elastic suspension assembly.

20. The soil processing machine of claim 19, wherein the soil processing machine comprises a soil compactor.

Description

(1) The present invention is subsequently described in detail with reference to the appended figures. As shown in:

(2) FIG. 1 a side view of a soil compactor providing a soil processing machine;

(3) FIG. 2 a longitudinal sectional view of a soil working roller, cut along a roller axis of rotation;

(4) FIG. 3 a cross-sectional view of the soil working roller depicted in FIG. 2 along a line III-Ill in FIG. 2.

(5) In FIG. 1, a soil processing machine 10 designed as a soil compactor is depicted in a side view. Soil processing machine 10 comprises a rear section 12 and a front section 14 pivotable about an approximately vertical axis with respect to rear section 12. A cabin 16 for an operator, a drive assembly (not shown), and drive wheels 18 on both sides of the drive assembly are provided on rear section 12. Front section 14 comprises a roller frame 20, on which a soil working roller 22, a compacting roller in the case of the configuration of soil processing machine 10 as a soil compactor, is rotatable about a roller axis of rotation orthogonal to the drawing plane of FIG. 1.

(6) Soil working roller 22 is depicted in a longitudinal section, thus cut along roller axis of rotation D, in FIG. 2. Soil working roller 22 comprises a roller shell 24, which extends longitudinally in the direction of roller axis of rotation D and substantially cylindrically surrounds the same. Roller shell 24, generally constructed form metal material, surrounds a roller interior 26. Two disk-shaped support elements 30, 32 are arranged in roller interior 26 spaced axially apart from one another on an inner circumferential surface 28 of roller shell 24 and fixedly connected to roller shell 24 by welding. These two disks providing support elements 30, 32, also designated as round blanks, are arranged symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal center of roller shell 24 and support in their central area an unbalanced shaft 34 of an orbiting mass device, generally designated with 36, rotatable about roller axis of rotation D. Thus, roller axis of rotation D also forms an axis of unbalance U.

(7) Orbiting mass device 36 further comprises an unbalanced mass assembly 38, which is fixedly connected to unbalanced shaft 34, for example, rotationally fixedly, thus for mutual rotation about axis of unbalance U or roller axis of rotation D, and which has two unbalanced masses 40, 42 arranged axially spaced apart from one another in the depicted example. Unbalanced masses 40, 42 provide as a whole a center of mass of unbalanced mass assembly 38 lying eccentrically with respect to axis of unbalance U. To generate a rotation of unbalanced shaft 34 about axis of unbalance U, an unbalanced drive 44 is provided, which may be designed, for example, as a hydraulic motor or as an electric motor. By rotating unbalanced shaft 34 about axis of unbalance U or roller axis of rotation D, an acceleration, orthogonally directed at roller axis of rotation D, generally designated as vibration, is exerted on compactor roller 22 or roller shell 24.

(8) In order to be able to efficiently use the volume available in roller interior 26, a plurality of ballast units 46, 48, 50, 52 is provided in roller interior 26 of soil working roller 22. As illustrated in FIG. 3, two ballast units 46, 48 and two ballast units 50, 52 thereby lie diametrically opposite one another with respect to roller axis of rotation D, so that a center of mass lying on roller axis of rotation D is provided by ballast units 46, 48, 50, 52, and imbalances generated in rotational operation are prevented by ballast units 46, 48, 50, 52.

(9) Ballast elements 54 of ballast units 46, 48, 50, 52 each have a circular ring segment-like cross-sectional contour and form as a whole an annular structure of ballast elements 54 surrounding roller axis of rotation D, wherein an intermediate space 56 is formed in each case in the circumferential direction between directly adjacent ballast elements 54.

(10) Each of ballast units 46, 48, 50, 52 has an elastic suspension assembly 58 assigned to their ballast element 54. Ballast elements 54 are supported or suspended via these elastic suspension assemblies 58 in their two axial end areas 60, 62 on support elements 30, 32. Each suspension assembly 58, assigned to a ballast element 54 of a respective ballast unit 46, 48, 50, 52, comprises in each case a suspension unit 64, 66 assigned to each of the two axial end areas 60, 62 of ballast elements 54. Ballast elements 54 are supported or suspended via these suspension units 64, 66 on support elements 30, 32. Each of suspension units 64, 66 comprises in the depicted exemplary embodiment two suspension elements 68, 70 made form elastic material, for example, rubber material, and arranged spaced circumferentially apart from one another. These suspension elements, designed as material blocks, are, for example, fixedly connected, for example by screwing, to axial end areas 60, 62 of a respectively assigned ballast element 54 on the one side and to respective support parts 72, 74 on the other side, which may be fixedly connected, likewise by screwing, to assigned support elements 30, 32 on the other side. Unlike, for example, unbalanced shaft 34, ballast elements 54 of ballast units 46, 48, 50, 52 are therefore basically not supported to be rotatable in interior 26 of soil working roller 22.

(11) Radially inward of the connection of ballast units 46, 48, 50, 52 to support elements 30, 32, a substantially cylindrical inner housing 76 surrounding roller axis of rotation D may be provided, and said housing may be connected to support elements 30, 32, for example by welding, in order to delimit a spatial area 78, radially outside of this inner housing 76 and between the same and roller shell 24, for accommodating ballast units 46, 48, 50, 52, and to delimit a spatial area 80 within inner housing 76 for accommodating unbalanced shaft 34 with unbalanced mass assemblies 38 thereon.

(12) Each ballast unit 46, 48, 50, 52 forms, with its ballast element 54 and suspension units 64, 66, elastically supporting the same with respect to roller shell 24 via support elements 30, an oscillation system, in which, due the elastic deformability of suspension elements 68, 70, each ballast element 54 may basically move, with respect to roller shell 24, in every spatial direction, thus both in the direction of roller axis of rotation D as well as radially with respect to roller axis of rotation D and also in the circumferential direction about roller axis of rotation D. Thus, a decoupling is achieved between ballast elements 54 and roller shell 24, in particular also with respect to the periodic movement, in particular a vibration of roller shell 24, generated by orbiting mass device 36, so that ballast elements 54 do not oscillate with roller shell 24, but instead increase the total mass of soil working roller 22 by exploiting the volume available in roller interior 26 by lowering the center of gravity of a soil processing machine having this type of soil working roller 22. Ballast elements 54 are not visible from outside, so that demands on the visual appearance do not exist per se, and the visual field of the operator sitting in cabin 16 is not impaired. Ballast elements 54 may be constructed from inexpensive materials, e.g., concrete and/or steel. Suspension elements may be used, for example, for suspension elements 68, 70, which are also used in a similar way in order to elastically suspend this type of soil working roller 10 with respect to roller frame 22. Reference is made to the fact that a suspension of this type is not depicted in FIGS. 1 to 3; however, it may be provided axially on both sides of support elements 30, 32 or it may be coupled to these support elements 30, 32 via respective rotary decoupling bearings.

(13) Because intermediate space 56, depicted in FIG. 3, is formed between ballast elements 54 of ballast units 46, 48, 50, 52, there is no risk that directly adjacent ballast elements 54 strike against one another during the occurrence of a relative movement of ballast elements 54 with respect to roller shell 24. In order to prevent an excessive movement or an excessive oscillation excitation during this relative movement in each oscillation system provided by a ballast unit 46, 48, 50, 52 of this type, it is advantageous to select the mass of ballast elements 54 on the one hand and the stiffness of suspension units 64, 66 on the other hand such that the resonance frequency of the oscillation systems thus constructed does not lie in a frequency range which corresponds to the oscillation frequency provided by orbiting mass device 36 for displacing soil working roller 22 into oscillation, in particular vibration, during operation. It may preferably be ensured that the resonance frequency of these oscillation systems comprising respective ballast units 46, 48, 50, 52 lies above or below the excitation frequency generated by orbiting mass device 36 or an excitation frequency range assigned to the same.