Patent Application
20070280801
The invention will be described in relation to its use as an apparatus for leveling an insulating material installed on a roof or other structure or for the purpose of leveling or providing a slope. The apparatus can be used in new or retrofit construction type projects as to either level or slope a surface.
In the example embodiment shown in the figures, milling is accomplished by a rotatable cylindrical milling device 100 having an outer milling surface 102. In the embodiment shown, the outer milling surface comprises a plurality of rows of cutting teeth 104 on the outer circumferential surface thereof. Such teeth are preferably provided by a cutting chain 88, secured about the outer circumference, aligned in said plurality of rows. Shown schematically in
As the device is rotated about its axis (defined by line A-A), driven by a motor 106, as will be discussed below, the device is brought into engagement with a substrate S at a selected slope angle and depth for milling a desired slope onto a roof or the like, and is moved along track 12 to define a milling run. The details of the track 12 and support structure 21 for the track are set out below. The milling device can be moved along the milling run by pulling, pushing, by a motorized gear or hydraulic cable device or any other known manner.
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The lower frame 100 is connected to an upper mounting assembly 101 by means of a pair of vertically adjustable legs 111 positioned at each end of the milling device. The legs are mounted to the lower frame each by a mounting bracket 114. In the example shown, each mounting bracket 114 is bolted to the front 136 and rear wall 138 of the frame. In the example shown, the legs 111 are mounted to an upper frame member 116 of the upper mounting assembly 120 which itself is attached to bottom plate 45 of the upper mounting assembly 120. The bottom plate 45 is mounted to an upper plate 39 in a manner described in detail below. To adjust the slope angle and depth of the milling device against substrate S, relative vertical alignment of the device may be achieved by electronically activated height adjustment of the vertical legs 111. The vertical legs 111 illustrated are of a retractable-extendable telescoping piston-type, however it should be understood that any suitable expandable and retractable leg form may be utilized. Electronic activation is provided by an electronic controller 122 which activates an extendable-retractable piston on each leg 111 to adjust the vertical height thereof. Control means is provided by an electronic control box system 122 connected to each leg by electronic wiring or the like, the user activation portion of which is preferably detachably mountable on the lower frame. Control may also be provided by wireless remote control. It should be understood that in accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the vertical adjustment of the legs may be achieved manually in any known manner, such as for example by hydraulic adjustable piston, or mechanically such as with a retractable telescoping post in a mating sleeve each having a plurality of mating holes into which a locking pin may be inserted to secure the post such that it extends from the sleeve at varying lengths.
Preferably, a vertical stabilizer bar 130 is mounted between upper mounting assembly (in the example mounted to upper frame member 116 of the upper mounting assembly 120) and the lower frame 110, preferably mounted to the front wall 138 at a central location between opposite ends 100a and 100b of the milling device 100. While one bar is shown, the device may include more than one bar. Other stabilizing devices could be utilized to connect the upper and lower frame if desired.
The stabilizer bar 130 is mounted to each of the upper frame member 116 and front wall 138 of lower frame by means of vertically oriented bracket 140, secured thereto, the bracket 140 sized to allow selective sliding engagement of the bar 130 relative to the upper frame member 116 and the lower frame 110.
Once slope angle and depth is adjusted by relative vertical adjustment of vertical legs 111, the stabilizer bar 130 is tightened into locking engagement in each bracket 140, preferably by quick locking means 142. In the example shown, quick locking means 142 is provided by a wing nut, which is threadably engaged in an opening 144 in the bracket and may be advanced until engaging the stabilizer bar 130 to securely fasten it in position within the bracket. Any suitable quick locking means may be provided, such as a through pin or bolt or the like. Once secured in place, the stabilizer bar 130 is designed to provide additional stability to the apparatus, necessitated by grinding forces from the milling device of this embodiment as it is pulled along the milling run.
In the embodiment shown, as the milling device operates along the milling run against a substrate S, and is moved along the track 12, forces from engagement of the milling device as it rotates against the substrate S, in part caused by the slight angle of the milling teeth 104 rows, tend to pull the device laterally to the direction of rotation of the device 100 as it is advanced along the guide track 12. In the illustration shown in
Preferably, the operator of the machine moves the device along the track defining a milling run, for example by means of a cable (not shown) attached to the stabilizer bar 130. The milling device can be driven along the milling run by manual pulling, manual pushing, by a motorized gear, electronic, air or hydraulic motor or any other known manner.
In the example shown, the milling device rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of travel of the milling device (i.e. in the direction of arrow Q in
In an example of a milling run, the operator moves the device along track in a direction in a forward motion, with the device oriented in direction D. The depth and angle of the milling device may be adjusted as the device moves along the milling run by height adjustable vertical legs 120. As the device gets to end of run in direction A, the device is rotated about axis C-C, 180 degrees and is fixed in place by rod 551, then the device is moved back in the opposite direction to D, parallel thereto, creating a milled path adjacent and partially overlapping the initial run in direction D. By adjusting the depth and angle as the device is pulled along this adjacent run, the desired slope or trough or leveling may be formed. In the example embodiments shown, the milling device can mill from 1/16 inches to 4 inches or more in a single pass.
Further embodiments of aspects of the invention are described as follows: The apparatus 10 comprises a track, such as a ladder 12 along which the milling device 100 may move. The track 12 with two parallel rails 16 and 17 along which are spaced a plurality of rungs 18, which preferably are tubes extending through the rails 16 and 17. The track 12 total assembly is supported above the substrate roof insulation by means of a plurality of adjustable support structures 21, which comprise upright members 22, each being supported by a base 23, and a cross member 24 which is sized to extend through a tubular rung 18 of the track 12 and be slidably height adjustable along the upright members 22.
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In the embodiment shown, the upright member 22 is hinged to the base 23 and is securable at an angle to the base 23 by means of a bolt 30 and nut 31. This hinged relationship allows the base 23 to be oriented and provide support along the slope of a roof surface with the upright member 22 vertical.
In an alternate embodiment shown in
In a further alternate embodiment, not shown, but contemplated by an aspect of the invention, the milling device is carried by a mounting unit having a plurality of support wheels positioned outside of the milling device. Positioning of the wheels outside of the milling device allows the milling device to be rotated about vertical axis C. The milling device may be mounted to hang from the mounting unit in a similar manner as discussed above, to allow for adjustment of depth and angle of slope (i.e. for example with upper and lower frames connected by vertically adjustable legs). It could be mounted by other suitable means. However, the milling device does not move along a track in this embodiment, rather, it is fixed to the mounting unit and the mounting unit itself moves along the milling run itself, along its wheels. Preferably this mounting unit has 4 wheels positioned at outer corners of the unit. This allows easy transport and relocation of the device to various sites on a roof.
An example method for facilitating the assembly of the track 12 and support structures 21 is as follows. The cross members 24 are disassembled from the upright members 22, and a sleeve 171 is unscrewed from one end. The free ends of the cross members 24 are passed through rungs 18 and then reattached to the threaded sleeve 171 of attachment piece 160. The cross members 24 are spaced along the track 12 sufficiently close to one another to provide adequate support and stability to the apparatus as fully assembled. Typically, the cross members 24 are spaced 3 to 5 feet apart. Each rung 18 has a bolt 32 threaded through it for engaging and securing the cross member 24 to the rung 18. The track 12 having the cross members 24 extending through rungs 18 is then suspended above the substrate such as roof insulation by affixing each cross member 24 to a pair of upright members 22. The slope angle of the track 12 can be set at this stage of the assembly of the apparatus. However, it may also be achieved to allow such adjustment by means of adjustable vertical legs 111, in the manner discussed above.
In the example shown, and as discussed above, the milling device 100 is suspended from the elevated track 12 by mounting assembly, which as discussed above comprises upper mounting assembly 120 attached to lower frame 110 by means of vertically adjustable legs 111, In the embodiment shown, the upper mounting assembly 120 comprises rail engaging rollers 37 each of which is mounted on a shaft 38 fixed in a top plate 39 (seen in
It is to be understood that while but several embodiments of the present invention have been herein shown and described, it will be understood that various changes in size and shape of parts may be made. It will be evident that these modifications, and others which may be obvious to persons of ordinary skill in the art, may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, which is accordingly limited only by the claims appended hereto, purposively construed.
