CONSTRUCTION MACHINE

Abstract

A construction machine comprising a main frame, a blade carrier frame, and a slewing ring arrangement comprising a blade which is mounted thereon, wherein the slewing ring arrangement comprises a toothed ring which is connected to a drive pinion which rotates and which is connected to a drive motor which is mounted on the blade carrier frame, the toothed ring having a guide ring, which is guided by a plurality of slide bearing shoes which are arranged over the circumference thereof and which are mounted on the blade carrier frame, wherein wear linings which are in sliding contact with the guide ring are arranged between the slide bearing shoes and the guide ring. An indicator device is provided, a change in a distance of the toothed ring radially to a second rotational axis being able to be detected thereby.

Claims

1. A construction machine for operating on a ground surface, the construction machine comprising: a main frame; a blade carrier frame coupled to the main frame; and a slewing ring arrangement rotatably coupled about a first rotational axis relative to the blade carrier frame, the slewing ring arrangement comprising a blade configured for grading the ground surface, and a toothed ring coupled to a drive pinion, which rotates about a second rotational axis, and which is coupled to a drive motor which is coupled to the blade carrier frame, the toothed ring having a guide ring, which encloses the first rotational axis, and which extends in the axial direction to the first rotational axis, and which is guided by a plurality of slide bearing shoes, which are arranged over the circumference thereof, and which are coupled to the blade carrier frame, and which is fixed axially and radially to the first rotational axis, wherein at least one wear lining, which is in sliding contact with the guide ring is arranged between the slide bearing shoes and the guide ring, and wherein an indicator device is provided to detect a change in a distance of the toothed ring radially to the second rotational axis.

2. The construction machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicator device comprises a distance sensor.

3. The construction machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a display device is provided, a detected change in the distance being able to be displayed thereby in at least one of an audible or visible manner.

4. The construction machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicator device comprises a wear marking.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The detailed description of the drawings refers to the accompanying figures in which:

[0014] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a motor grader,

[0015] FIG. 2 shows a schematic exploded drawing of a blade carrier frame comprising a slewing ring arrangement and a blade of the motor grader of FIG. 1,

[0016] FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the upper face of the slewing ring arrangement of FIG. 2,

[0017] FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of the lower face of the slewing ring arrangement of FIGS. 2 and 3,

[0018] FIG. 5 shows a schematic side view of the lower face of the slewing ring arrangement of FIGS. 2 to 4,

[0019] FIG. 6 shows a schematic perspective partial view of the lower face of the slewing ring arrangement of FIGS. 2 to 5 in enlarged form, and

[0020] FIG. 7 shows a schematic partial side view of the lower face of the slewing ring arrangement of FIGS. 2 to 6 in enlarged form.

[0021] Before any embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Further embodiments of the invention may include any combination of features from one or more dependent claims, and such features may be incorporated, collectively or separately, into any independent claim.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] An exemplary embodiment of a construction machine 10 in the form of a motor grader is shown with reference to FIG. 1. The construction machine 10 may be used, amongst other things, in the context of an industry such as mining, road building, landscaping or a similar industry.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1 the construction machine 10 comprises a frame 11 with a front frame region 12 and a rear frame region 14, wherein the front frame region 12 is borne on a pair of front wheels 16 and the rear frame region 14 is borne on a right-hand and left-hand tandem set of rear wheels 18. A driver's cab 20 is arranged on the rear frame region 14 and comprises different control elements for the construction machine which are arranged such that they are located within reach of a seated operator. By way of example, a steering wheel 22 and a lever assembly 24 are shown as control elements. The driver's cab 20 also comprises a display or a monitor (not shown) for displaying information, an alarm, a warning signal or a different type of message which is to be displayed.

[0024] A drive motor 26 which delivers the power for all of the driven components of the construction machine 10 is arranged on the rear frame region 14 and drives, amongst other things, the rear wheels 18 via a gearbox, not shown, at various selected speeds in the forward or reverse mode.

[0025] A movable blade carrier frame 28 is attached to a front region of the front frame region 12, the front end thereof being connected via a ball joint arrangement 30 to the front frame region 12. As can be seen particularly clearly from FIG. 2, the blade carrier frame 28 has a right-hand and a left-hand blade carrier frame arm 32 and 34 which, starting from the ball joint arrangement 30, run apart at a spread angle and extend in opposing right-hand and left-hand rear blade carrier frame regions 32a and 34a. The left-hand and right-hand blade carrier frame regions 32a and 34a are suspended on a raised central portion 35 of the front frame region 12 via right-hand and left-hand adjustable (extendable and retractable) hydraulic cylinders 36, 38. The right-hand and left-hand extendable and retractable hydraulic cylinders 36 or 38 lift or lower the right-hand and left-hand rear blade carrier frame regions 32a and 34a of the blade carrier frame 28. A side shifter linkage arrangement 40 which comprises an extendable and retractable hydraulic adjusting member 42 extends between the raised central portion 35 of the front frame 12 and a rear position of the blade carrier frame 28.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the right-hand and left-hand rear blade carrier frame regions 32a and 34a of the blade carrier frame 28 are connected to a carrier plate 44. A slewing ring arrangement 46 which is rotatable relative to the blade carrier frame 28 or relative to the carrier plate 44 being coupled thereto. The slewing ring arrangement 46 is connected in turn to a working implement in the form of a blade 48 (or a grader plate) and couples the working implement or the blade 48 to the blade carrier frame 28.

[0027] The blade carrier frame 28 may be lifted, lowered or inclined by the right-hand and left-hand lifting linkage arrangements 36 and 38 on its rear region, which in turn lifts, lowers or tilts the blade 48 relative to the surface. The hydraulic adjusting member 42 of the side shifter linkage arrangement 40 displaces the blade carrier frame 28 and the blade 48 to the right or left or adjusts the blade carrier frame 28 to the side relative to the raised central portion 35 of the front frame region 12.

[0028] As shown in detail in FIGS. 3 to 7, the slewing ring arrangement 46 comprises a toothed ring 52 which is configured with an internal toothing 50 and which is connected on the circumference thereof to a guide ring 54. The toothed ring 52 and guide ring 54 have a common rotational axis 55 about which the toothed ring 52 or the guide ring 54 may be rotated. A working implement carrier 56 to which the working implement is coupled extends out of the guide ring 54. Moreover, the slewing ring arrangement 46 comprises a plurality of slide bearing shoes 58 which are distributed over the circumference of the guide ring 54. The slide bearing shoes 58 are fixedly connected, for example screwed, to the carrier plate 44. The slide bearing shoes 58 in each case have a first (radial) slide bearing surface 60 in the radial direction to the rotational axis 55 and a second (axial) slide bearing surface 62 in the axial direction to the rotational axis 55. The slide bearing shoes 58 slide along an inner surface 64 of the guide ring 54 on the first slide bearing surfaces 60, wherein radial wear linings 66 are arranged between the first slide bearing surfaces 60 and the inner surface 64 of the guide ring 54. The slide bearing shoes 58 slide along a lower front face 68 of the toothed ring 52 on the second slide bearing surfaces 62, wherein lower axial wear linings 70 are arranged between the second slide bearing surfaces 62 and the lower front face 68 of the toothed ring 52. The guide ring 54, which is fixedly connected to the toothed ring 52, is guided in the radial direction to the rotational axis 55 via the first slide bearing surfaces 60 or via the radial wear linings 66 arranged thereon and thus the toothed ring 52 is radially fixed relative to the carrier plate 44. The toothed ring 52 is fixed at the bottom relative to the carrier plate 44 in an axial direction to the rotational axis 55 via the second slide bearing surfaces 62 or via the axial wear linings 70 arranged thereon. Additionally, upper axial wear linings 74 are arranged on an upper front face 72 of the toothed ring 52, the toothed ring 52 being fixed at the top relative to the carrier plate 44 axially to the rotational axis 55 by said upper axial wear linings. The toothed ring 52 is thus fixed relative to the carrier plate 44 in the axial direction and radial direction to the rotational axis 55 and may be rotated or twisted in the circumferential direction 76 thereof about the rotational axis 55.

[0029] The slewing ring arrangement 46 further comprises a drive pinion 78 which rotates about a rotational axis 80. The drive pinion 78 has an external toothing 82 which engages in the internal toothing 50 of the slewing ring 52. The drive pinion 78 is driven via a drive motor 84 which is mounted on the carrier plate 44. The drive motor 84 may be configured, for example, as a hydraulic motor or electric motor.

[0030] Moreover, the indicator device is provided to indicate and display a change in the distance between the rotational axis 80 of the drive pinion 78 and the internal toothing 50 of the toothed ring. The indicator device comprises a tactile sensor or distance sensor 86 which is mounted on the carrier plate 44 and which is directly in contact with the internal toothing of the toothed ring 52 or is operatively connected thereto in a different manner and detects a change in the location of the toothed ring 52 relative to the carrier plate 44 and thus also relative to the rotational axis 80 of the drive pinion 78. In other words, with a change in the location of the toothed ring 52 relative to the carrier plate 44 and thus also relative to the rotational axis 80 of the drive pinion 78, a sensor signal or a change in the sensor signal is generated. The corresponding signal or the corresponding change in the signal is detected by a control unit (not shown) and is displayed on a display device or a monitor in the driver's cab 20 in the known manner.

[0031] If a distance between the distance sensor 86 and the toothed ring or internal toothing 50 of the toothed ring 52 were to change beyond a predeterminable level, a signaling audible or visible warning signal is generated, said warning signal being output or displayed via a display device or monitor.

[0032] The indicator device may also alternatively comprise a simple wear marking 88 which is arranged, for example, on the lower face of the carrier plate 44, so that with a change in the distance caused by the displacement of the toothed ring beyond a predeterminable level by the radial displacement of the toothed ring 52 relative to the rotational axis 80 of the drive pinion 78, the current wear may be identified or is displayed by this wear marking 88. Thus, in the case of excessive wear, with a two-dimensional wear marking 88, the tooth tips 89 of the internal toothing 50 may run outside the two-dimensional wear marking 88 when the toothed ring 52 is moved. However, if the tooth tips 89 pass through the two-dimensional wear marking 88 (as shown in FIG. 7), the wear is still within the permitted tolerance. By visually inspecting the toothed ring 52 and the relative position thereof to the wear marking 88, an operator is able to note the wear and carry out or arrange corresponding adjustments and/or a renewal of the wear linings.