Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.

Jacob Ryan Ellwein

James Arthur DeLong

Toby Andrew Frelich

John Eron Jorgensen

Luke Edward Graham

Tobin Dale Rasmusson

Ronald D Wilson

Mark A Tarvin

Steven Paul Goutermont

Mauro Dal Cero

A system, apparatus, and method can control one or more screed extensions or extenders of a paving machine. Such control can include identifying a location of an undesirable surface condition of a mat paved on a base by the paving machine using data from one or more sensors associated with a screed extension; characterizing the undesirable surface condition of the mat; and adjusting a height and/or an angle of attack of an extension plate of the screed extension to prevent future occurrences of the undesirable surface condition responsive to the identification and characterization of the undesirable surface condition. The location of the undesirable surface condition can represent a start of the undesirable surface condition in a transverse direction of the paving machine and can be associated with either an interface between the screed extension and a main screed or outward of the interface, along a length of the extension plate of the screed extension.

System, apparatus, and method for controlling screed extender of paving machine

A paving machine may include a frame, a screed, sensor devices, and a control unit. The screed may include a main section, a first extension, and a second extension. The sensor devices may output a first sensor signal corresponding to a position of the first extension and a second sensor signal corresponding to a position of the second extension. The control unit may receive the first and second sensor signals, determine a screed width based on the first and second sensor signals, receive location data corresponding to a location of the paving machine, determine locations of the first and second extensions based on the screed width and the location data, generate a boundary map based on the locations of the first and second extensions, and cause an action to be performed based on the boundary map.

Autowidth input for paving operations

A milling machine can include a frame; a cutting rotor coupled to the frame, the cutting rotor configured to be lowered a selected distance into a surface; and a controller, the controller being configured to control a plunge rate of the cutting rotor into the surface based on a measured density of the surface.

System and method for controlling plunge velocity for milling and reclaiming machines

A control system for controlling operation of a vibratory system and a tamper system of a paving machine includes a first input device, a second input device, and a controller. The first input device is operable to provide a first speed signal for operating the vibratory system at a desired first rotational speed. The second input device is operable to provide a second speed signal for operating the tamper system at a desired second rotational speed. The controller receives the first speed signal and the second speed signal from corresponding ones of the first and second input devices and compares the desired first rotational speed and the desired second rotational speed. Based on the comparison, the controller determines if the desired first and second rotational speeds lie within a pre-defined range from each other. Based on the determination, the controller modulates at least one of the first and second speed signals.

Control system for controlling operation of compaction systems of a paving machine

A system for automatically controlling operation of a milling drum on a cold planer includes an input device, a display device, a memory device configured to store a database of recommended plunge velocities at which a rotating milling drum having particular operational characteristics should be lowered into a pavement surface to break up and remove pavement material for various depths of cut to be achieved by the milling drum, and a processor in communication with the input device, the display device, and the memory device. The processor may be configured to receive, via the input device, a signal indicative of a particular depth of cut desired by an operator of the cold planer, determine from the database at least one plunge velocity at which the rotating milling drum should be lowered into the pavement surface during a milling operation for achieving the particular depth of cut, display the at least one plunge velocity for the particular desired depth of cut on the display device, generate a command control signal indicative of the at least one determined plunge velocity, and communicate the command control signal to an actuator configured to regulate a rate of descent of the milling drum into the pavement surface.

Automatic control of plunge velocity based on depth of cut

A material feed system for a paving machine includes a first sensor assembly, a second sensor assembly, and a controller configured to independently operate each of a left material feed mechanism and a right material feed mechanism with respect to one another and, selectively, in a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, a speed of each of a left auger, a left conveyor, a right auger, and a right conveyor is automatically adjusted. In the second mode, the speed of at least one of the left auger, the left conveyor, the right auger, and the right conveyor is manually set by an operator input, one of the left material feed mechanism and the right material feed mechanism is operated in the first mode, and the other of the left material feed mechanism and the right material feed mechanism is simultaneously operated in the second mode.

Material feed system

A screed assembly for a paving machine, the screed assembly includes a screed frame, a screed plate attached to the screed frame, a wear plate attached to the screed frame, a tamper bar mounted to the screed frame and configured for up and down reciprocating motion relative to the screed frame, and an eccentric drive mechanism mounted on the screed frame and configured for driving the tamper bar up and down in a reciprocating manner relative to the screed frame. A bottom portion of the tamper bar is configured to slide along the wear plate, which is attached to the screed frame in between the screed frame and the reciprocating tamper bar. The tamper bar includes at least two intersecting chamfered surfaces with different angles from each other and relative to the screed plate at a leading edge of the tamper bar facing in a direction of travel of the paving machine as the paving machine is applying paving material to a surface.

Tamper bar and wear plate for screed assembly of paving machine

The present disclosure is related to a paving machine including a tractor, a screed assembly coupled to the tractor, and an auger coupled to the tractor and disposed between the tractor and the screed assembly. The paving machine includes an actuator coupled to the auger and the tractor. The actuator is configured to move the auger relative to a ground surface. The paving machine includes a sensor coupled to the tractor and configured to detect an obstruction on the ground surface. The paving machine includes a controller in communication with the actuator and the sensor. The controller is configured to receive a signal from the sensor assembly indicative of the obstruction. The controller is further configured to control the actuator to raise the auger.

System and method for controlling auger of paving machine

A screed assembly for a paving machine may comprise a main screed and an extension screed configured to extend from the main screed to a fully-extended position. The extension screed may include a deflector and a material bypass prevention plate affixed to the extension screed. The material bypass prevention plate may have a projection that extends into and fills a space between the material bypass prevention plate and the main screed when the extension screed is in the fully-extended position.

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Oak Grove, MN, United States of America

Jacob Ryan Ellwein