Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.

Nicholas Bernard Johnson

Ryan S Hutar

Craig T Hedstrom

Eric Steven Engelmann

Jameson Michael Smieja

Nathaniel S Doy

Jason William Muir

Lee M Hogan

Nathan L Mashek

Matthew-David S Frantz

Conwell K Rife, Jr

Kevin James Magee

Roger Allen Hedlund

Dustin William Sondreal

Mario Persano

A milling machine can include a frame, a milling assembly including a cutting rotor and a rotor housing coupled to the frame, the cutting rotor including a rotor shell positioned around a spindle, and a first axial alignment feature on one of the rotor shell or the spindle, the first axial alignment feature including a physical feature on a surface of the rotor shell or the spindle, the physical feature being positioned and configured to contact an opposing flat surface of the opposing rotor shell or spindle so as to guide the rotor shell and the spindle into a co-axial alignment as the rotor shell is loaded axially onto the spindle.

Quick change rotor alignment feature

In some implementations, an ejection paddle may include a paddle body having an ejection surface and a mounting surface opposite the ejection surface, and a wear region projecting from the ejection surface and extending along a top edge of the paddle body and at least a portion of a first side edge and a second side edge of the paddle body. The paddle body may be recessed relative to the wear region.

Ejection paddle

A tool, for removing a cutting bit from a rotor of a rotor assembly of a machine, includes one or more input interfaces and one or more lighting units. The one or more input interfaces are configured to be actuated to perform one or more functions associated with removing the cutting bit from the rotor. The one or more lighting units are configured to be activated upon the actuation of the one or more input interfaces to illuminate at least a portion of the rotor assembly when performing the one or more functions associated with removing the cutting bit from the rotor.

Rotor bit extraction tool with a lighting unit

A retention system for retaining a milling drum to a driveshaft of a milling assembly. The driveshaft is powered to drive the milling drum about an axis. The retention system includes a retention member coupled to the driveshaft between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the retention member restricts a disengagement between an engagement surface of the driveshaft and a mating surface of the milling drum, inhibiting a release of the milling drum from the driveshaft along the axis. In the second position, the retention member provides clearance for the disengagement of the engagement surface and the mating surface, facilitating the release of the milling drum from the driveshaft along the axis.

Retention system for retaining milling drums

An adjustable pitch rotor for a milling machine includes an inner drum and an outer shell formed by first and second outer shell portions. Drum cutting assemblies with cutting bits extend outward from outer surfaces of the outer shell portions, with each of the cutting bits being longitudinally spaced from longitudinally adjacent cutting bits on their respective outer shell portions by a pitch distance. In a first pitch configuration, each cutting bit may be longitudinally aligned with a corresponding cutting bit on the other outer shell portion so that grooves milled in a work surface by the rotor are spaced by the pitch distance. In a second pitch configuration, each of the cutting bits may be longitudinally spaced from longitudinally adjacent cutting bits of the other outer shell portion by one-half the pitch distance to mill grooves in the work surface that are spaced by one-half the pitch distance.

Adjustable pitch rotor for milling applications

A system for transferring torque from a driveshaft to a milling drum mountable on the driveshaft. The system includes a first coupler removably coupled to the driveshaft to co-rotate with the driveshaft. The first coupler defines an engagement surface. Also, the system includes a second coupler removably coupled to the milling drum. The second coupler defines a mating surface engageable with the engagement surface of the first coupler to engage the second coupler to the first coupler and transfer torque from the driveshaft to the milling drum.

System for transferring torque from driveshafts to milling drums

A milling machine can include a frame; a milling assembly coupled to the frame and including a drum housing and a cutting rotor located within the drum housing, the cutting rotor including a plurality of cutting bits configured to cut into a surface to define a cut surface; and a secondary edge cutter separate from the plurality of cutting bits and located to cut an edge of the cut surface such that the edge of the cut surface cut by the secondary edge cutter defines a sharper edge than the edge of the cut surface cut by the plurality of cutting bits.

Rotating edge cutter for cold planers

A method of removing cutting bits from a milling work machine includes engaging a cutting bit connected to a rotary drum of the machine with a bit removal tool, actuating the bit removal tool to disconnect the bit from the machine, sensing a plurality of characteristics of removing the bit from the machine, and determining that the bit has been disconnected from the machine based on the sensed characteristics.

Systems and methods for counting work machine bit removal

A milling rotor of a milling machine can include a drum, cutting teeth, and a centering ring. The drum can extend along a longitudinal axis and can define an inner surface and an opposing outer surface. The drum can be securable to a drive assembly of the milling machine to allow the drum to rotate therewith. The cutting teeth can be connected to the outer surface of the drum and can be configured to engage pavement. The centering ring can be connected to the inner surface of the drum and can include a centering interface and an alignment interface. The centering interface can extend radially inward and can be engageable with a centering flange of the drive assembly to center the milling rotor with respect to the drive assembly. The alignment interface can be adjacent the centering interface and can extend radially inward of the centering interface.

Milling drum with alignment interface

A work machine including a frame, a plurality of ground engaging mechanisms, a conveyor assembly and a mill chamber. The conveyor assembly including a conveyor belt. The mill chamber including an auger and a rotor, the rotor having a plurality of teeth.

System and method of material evacuation in mill chamber

A mobile milling machine includes a cutting rotor disposed along a rotor drum delineating a drum rotation axis and accommodated in a rotor chamber delineated by chamber enclosure. To rotatably support the rotor drum with respect to the chamber enclosure, the rotor drum can include a bearing end and the chamber enclosure can include a bearing bore that are adapted to form a drum bearing assembly. The drum bearing assembly may include a bearing hub and a bushing configured to make a sliding frictional contact along complementary taper surfaces. The floating bushing may be floatingly retained in a chamber door of the chamber enclosure.

Milling machine with drum bearing assembly

A tool holder insertion device includes a frame extending from a proximal end to a distal end, the frame including first and second longitudinal arms extending between the distal end and the proximal end. The frame also includes a distal transverse arm connected to respective distal ends of the first and second longitudinal arms, a proximal transverse arm opposite the distal transverse arm, and an internal space extending from the distal transverse arm, the internal space forming an insertion opening. The tool holder insertion device also includes a drive assembly fixed to the frame, the drive assembly including a pushing surface that is movable within the internal space toward the distal end of the frame.

Tool holder installation device and system

A method of adjusting milling properties of a rotor for a milling machine includes accessing the rotor. The rotor includes a drum and a plurality of cutting assemblies, and each cutting assembly includes a tool block, a tool holder, and a cutting bit. The method also includes adjusting a rotational orientation of a plurality of cutting bits and tool holders relative to the corresponding tool blocks, and enclosing the rotor.

Milling systems and methods for a milling machine

A mobile machine having a machine frame with a lateral outer wall, an operator station having an outer side edge, an actuating system configured to move the operator station between a retracted position and a fully extended position that is laterally outward of the retracted position, wherein in the fully extended position, the outer side edge is a first distance outward of the lateral outer wall, a moveable component moveable between a first position and a second position, a sensor configured to send a signal indicative of the moveable component being in the first position, and a controller configured to limit the distance the operator station may move laterally outward of the retracted position to a second distance in response to receiving the signal from the sensor, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance.

Movable operator station movement limiting system

A rotor position indicator system may include a side plate and a first rotor width indicator plate. The side plate may be positioned on a side of an earth moving milling machine, and the first rotor width indicator plate may be inset on an external face of the side plate. The first rotor width indicator plate may include a plurality of markings, with each marking corresponding to a rotor position.

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Dayton, MN, United States of America

Nicholas Bernard Johnson