Drum housing for a working drum of a construction machine or mining machine, construction machine or mining machine, as well as method for monitoring the condition of a working drum of a construction machine or mining machine

Abstract

In a drum housing for a working drum of a construction machine or mining machine, said working drum being provided with tools and rotating about a drum axis, with a housing shell which at least partially encloses the circumference of the working drum, and with at least one inspection opening for a monitoring device arranged in the housing shell, wherein said monitoring device inspects the condition of the working drum or the tools thereof, it is provided for the following features to be achieved: a closing mechanism is arranged on the outside of the housing shell, said closing mechanism enabling closure of the at least one inspection opening.

Claims

1. A construction machine apparatus, comprising: a working drum including working tools, the working drum having a circumference and being rotatable about a drum axis, the drum axis defining a longitudinal direction of the working drum; a drum housing at least partially enclosing the circumference of the working drum; at least one sensor to inspect the working tools; and a protective barrier extending between the drum and the at least one sensor to protect the at least one sensor from milled material during working operation of the working drum; wherein the at least one sensor is arranged relative to the drum housing such that the at least one sensor does not protrude past the protective barrier into the drum housing to inspect the working tools.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the at least one sensor includes a plurality of sensors arranged behind one another in the longitudinal direction of the working drum.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the protective barrier includes a plurality of plate structures arranged next to one another across a width of the working drum.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein: the drum housing includes vertical walls; and the protective barrier extends in the longitudinal direction of the working drum between the vertical walls.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the protective barrier includes a plurality of plate structures arranged next to one another across a width of the working drum.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the at least one sensor does not have to be demounted during working operation of the working drum.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the drum housing includes vertical walls; and the protective barrier extends in the longitudinal direction of the working drum between the vertical walls.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the protective barrier is supported radially outward from the working drum.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the protective barrier comprises a housing shell of the drum housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the protective barrier includes a support structure having an opening therein closed by at least one plate structure.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the protective barrier and the at least one sensor are arranged radially outward from an upper quadrant of the circumference of the working drum.

12. A construction machine apparatus, comprising: a working drum including working tools, the working drum having a circumference and being rotatable about a drum axis, the drum axis defining a longitudinal direction of the working drum; a drum housing at least partially enclosing the circumference of the working drum; at least one sensor arranged relative to the drum housing to inspect the working tools; and a protective barrier extending between the drum and the at least one sensor to protect the at least one sensor from milled material during working operation of the working drum; wherein the protective barrier and the at least one sensor are configured such that during inspection of the working tools a sensing beam passing between the at least one sensor and the working tools passes through the protective barrier.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: the at least one sensor includes a plurality of sensors arranged next to one another in the longitudinal direction of the working drum; the protective barrier includes a plurality of plate or sheet structures arranged next to one another in the longitudinal direction of the working drum; the sensors do not protrude past the protective barrier into the drum housing; and the sensors do not have to be demounted during working operation of the working drum.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: the at least one sensor includes a plurality of sensors arranged next to one another in the longitudinal direction of the working drum.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: the protective barrier includes a plurality of plate or sheet structures arranged next to one another in the longitudinal direction of the working drum.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: the sensors do not protrude past the protective barrier into the drum housing.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: the sensors do not have to be demounted during working operation of the working drum.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: the protective barrier includes a plurality of plate structures arranged next to one another across a width of the working drum.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: the protective barrier includes a support structure having an opening therein closed by at least one plate structure.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: the protective barrier and the at least one sensor are arranged radially outward from an upper quadrant of the circumference of the working drum.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, one embodiment of the invention is explained in greater detail with reference to the drawings.

(2) The following is shown:

(3) FIG. 1 an example of a construction machine in the design of a road milling machine,

(4) FIG. 2 a drum housing with monitoring device in accordance with prior art,

(5) FIG. 3 the monitoring device directed at the working drum in accordance with the prior art,

(6) FIG. 4a a top view of the housing shell of the drum housing with a closing mechanism in closed position, and

(7) FIG. 4b a closing mechanism in opened position,

(8) FIG. 5a a cross-section through the inspection openings in the housing shell in closed position of the closing mechanism,

(9) FIG. 5b a cross-section in accordance with FIG. 5a in opened position of the closing mechanism, and

(10) FIG. 6a a side view of the closing mechanism in circumferential direction of the drum housing in closed position, and

(11) FIG. 6b a side view of the closing mechanism in circumferential direction of the drum housing in opened position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) FIG. 1 shows an example of a construction machine 2 in the design of a road milling machine for milling ground surfaces or traffic surfaces. The road milling machine comprises a chassis with, for example, four crawler track units 7, which supports the machine frame 3 of the road milling machine. It is understood that the crawler track units 7 may be substituted wholly or in part by wheel units. A working drum 8 rotating about a drum axis 6 is supported in the machine frame 3 in the design of a milling drum fitted with tools 4, said milling drum extending transversely to the direction of travel of the construction machine 2. The working drum 8 is partially enclosed by a drum housing 1. Setting of the milling depth is preferably effected by means of the height adjustment of the crawler track units 7 via lifting columns 11 but may also be effected by a height-adjustable working drum 8 in a height-adjustable drum housing 1.

(13) It is understood that the construction machine 2 with a working drum 8 and a drum housing 1 may also consist of other machines such as, for example, soil stabilizers, cold recyclers, recycling machines, surface miners.

(14) FIG. 2 shows a monitoring device from DE 10 2008 45 470 (US 2010/0076697), mounted at a drum housing 1 and comprising a sensor device 14, for example, an inspection camera, and a light source 16. The inspection camera 14 protrudes, with a barrel, through the drum housing 1 into the mixing chamber enclosing the working drum 8 within the drum housing 1.

(15) FIG. 3 shows the working drum 8 fitted with tools 4 from DE 10 2008 045 470 (US 2010/0076697), wherein the replaceable tools 4 are mounted in toolholders 5. The arrangement of the inspection camera 14 and the illuminating device 16 is illustrated schematically. It is understood that the illuminating device 16 illuminates the working drum 8 to be inspected, or the tools 4 and toolholders 5 thereof, respectively, in that area in which the sensor device 14 in the design of an inspection camera captures the objects to be monitored. The illuminating device 16 can be dispensed with if sufficient light is available for condition monitoring (inspection). The monitoring device may alternatively consist of, for example, an ultrasonic sensor or, for example, a scanner, preferably a laser scanner.

(16) With respect to an inspection procedure to be performed, reference is made to DE 10 2008 045 470 (US 2010/0076697), the full disclosure content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

(17) FIGS. 4a, 4b show a top view of an embodiment of the present invention including a housing shell 10 of the drum housing 1, said housing shell 10 enclosing the circumference of the working drum 8.

(18) In the housing shell 10, inspection openings 18, 20 apparent from FIG. 4b and FIG. 5b are provided, which are to permit measuring beams or light beams 15, respectively, of the monitoring device 14, 16 to pass through during the inspection of the working drum 8 and the tools 4 and toolholders 5 thereof. A closing mechanism 22 is arranged on the outside of the housing shell 10 apparent from FIG. 4a, said closing mechanism 22 enabling closure of the inspection openings 18, 20. In the event of a very large working width of the working drum 8, for example, 2.50 meters and more, several monitoring devices 14, 16 may be arranged behind one another in longitudinal direction of the working drum 8. The closing mechanism 22 is shown in closed state in FIG. 4a, and in opened state in FIG. 4b.

(19) The closing mechanism 22 comprises a first drive mechanism 40 which is capable, on the circumference of the housing shell 10 in circumferential direction and transversely to the drum axis 6, of moving a support plate 28 from a closed position as it is depicted in FIG. 4a of the working drum 8 into an opened position as it is shown in FIG. 4b. For example, the first drive mechanism 40 includes a piston cylinder unit.

(20) On the bottom side of the support plates 28, insert elements 24, 26 are mounted which, as is most evident from FIGS. 5a and 5b, are capable of engaging with the inspection openings 18, 20 in the housing shell 10 in a preferable positive-fitting fashion. The support plates 28 are guided laterally so that they can be transferred from the closed position into the opened position and vice versa without jamming.

(21) When moved into the closed position, the support plate 28 is shifted, starting from the position in FIGS. 4b and 5b, into the position as it is depicted in FIGS. 4a and 5a. At the end of the path of travel of the first drive mechanism 40, the front leading edge 60 of the support plate 28 when seen in the direction of movement knocks against two wedge-shaped limit stops 58 arranged at a distance from one another, the wedged shape of which pushes the support plate 28, with the insert elements 24, 26 attached thereto, radially inwards so that the insert elements 24, 26 are pushed downwards into the corresponding inspection openings 18, 20. To this effect, the leading edge 60 of the support plate 28 may be provided with a slanted edge adapted to the wedged shape of the limit stops 58. The position of the support plate 28 with the insert elements 24 and 26 in closed position is most evident in FIG. 5a.

(22) If the closed inspection openings 18, 20 are to be released for an inspection, the closing mechanism 22 is moved in opposite direction by way of the drive mechanism 40 moving the support plate 28 towards itself. The inspection openings, namely the first opening 18 for the sensor device 14 and the second opening 20 for the light source 16, each comprise slanted surfaces 21 on the side facing away from the limit stops 58, said slanted surfaces 21 running, for example, at an angle of 45 degrees to the surface of the housing shell 10. The insert elements 24, 26 comprise slanted surfaces 23 complementary thereto so that, when the first drive mechanism exerts a tensile force on the support plate 28, the slanted surfaces 23 glide on top of the slanted surfaces 21 and, in doing so, lift the support plate while transferring it into its opened position at the same time.

(23) In the end position of the opened position as evident from FIG. 5b, the inspection openings, i.e. in detail, the inspection openings 18 and 20, are released so that the inspection camera 14 can inspect the working drum 8 or the tools 4 or toolholders 5, respectively, thereof through the inspection opening 18. A light source may illuminate the objects to be examined through the inspection opening 20. To ensure that the light can pass through, the support plate comprises at least one opening 32 which is adapted to the inspection opening 20.

(24) The closing mechanism 22 may additionally be provided with a locking mechanism 36 which is evident in particular from FIGS. 4a, 4b, 6a and 6b.

(25) Similar to FIGS. 4a, 4b, FIGS. 6a, 6b show the locking mechanism 36 in locked state and in a state in which the support plate 28 is released. The locking mechanism 36 comprises a second drive mechanism 44 which runs transversely, orthogonally in the embodiment of the invention, to the first drive mechanism 40. The locking mechanism 36 causes the support plate 28 to be lockable, in closed position of the closing mechanism 22, in radial direction.

(26) The locking mechanism 36 comprises two plate-shaped devices 64 supported at the drum housing 1, said devices 64 resting, in the locked position, with one free end on the support plate 28 while the other end is supported in a pocket 67 in a bracket 66 mounted at the drum housing 1. The plate-shaped devices are each connected, via a joint 45, with the second drive mechanism 44.

(27) To this effect, the drum housing 1 comprises partition walls 62 projecting orthogonally from the housing shell 10, said partition walls 62 serving the purpose, among other things, of stiffening the drum housing 1. Furthermore, the drum housing 1 has frontal outer walls. As is most evident from FIGS. 6a and 6b, brackets 66 are mounted at the partition walls 62 or at the outer walls respectively, said brackets 66 forming a pocket 67 in which the plate-shaped device 64 is received with one end. The plate-shaped device 64 is supported in the pocket 67 in an articulated fashion and can be pivoted about a small angle by means of the second drive mechanism 44. In the released position depicted in FIG. 6b, the plate-shaped device 64 rests, on both sides, at a partition wall 62 or a frontal outer wall respectively, by way of the second drive mechanism 44 being transferred into its extended position. In this case, the plate-shaped devices 64 do not rest on the support plate 28, consequently releasing the latter in radial direction so that the support plate 28, when operating the first drive mechanism 40, can be lifted towards the opened position in order for the insert elements 24, 26 to be able to come out of the inspection openings 18, 20 and release the inspection openings for an inspection to be performed.

(28) This position is also apparent in FIG. 4b in top view.

(29) In the closed position depicted in FIGS. 4a and 6a, the plate-shaped devices 64 are moved towards one another by contraction of the second drive mechanism 44. When the support plate 28 on the housing shell 10 is in the closed position, the plate-shaped devices 64 can rest themselves, at their radially inner end, on the support plate 28 whereby the latter is supported in radial direction. Owing to the rigid radial support of the support plate 28, no shocks occurring during the milling operation can be transferred to the insert elements 24, 26 to the drive mechanisms 40, 44 as the drive mechanisms 40, 44 do not need to absorb any forces whatsoever and the support plate 28 is locked with the drum housing 1 in a positive-fitting manner or is locked at the drum housing 1.

(30) Although the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific illustrative embodiments thereof, it is not intended that the invention be limited to those illustrative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that variations and modifications can be made without departing from the true scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow. It is therefore intended to include within the invention all such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.