GROUND COMPACTOR

Abstract

A ground compactor for compacting ground material (10), comprising at least one compactor roller (22) rotatable on a machine frame about a roller rotation axis (W) substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal direction (L) of the compactor and a vertical direction (H) of the compactor and extending substantially in a transverse direction (Q) of the compactor, with an edge processing device (24) associated therewith for processing a side edge (38) of compacted ground material (10), wherein the edge processing device (24) comprises an edge processing disk (26) rotatably supported on a disk carrier (30) about an edge processing rotation axis (K), characterized in that the edge processing rotation axis (K) is set or can be set at a first angle of incidence (W1) with respect to the transverse direction (Q) of the compactor in the longitudinal direction (L) of the compactor.

Description

The present invention relates to a ground compactor for compacting ground material, such as asphalt material, comprising at least one compactor roller rotatable on a machine frame about a roller rotation axis which is substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the compactor and a vertical direction of the compactor, and substantially extending in a transverse direction of the compactor, with an edge processing device associated therewith for processing a side edge of compacted ground material, wherein the edge processing device comprises an edge processing disk supported on a disk carrier so as to be rotatable about an edge processing rotation axis.

A ground compactor of this type is known from DE 29 27 883 A1. In this ground compactor, the edge processing rotation axis lies in a plane spanned by the transverse direction of the compactor and the vertical direction of the compactor and can be adjusted in this plane, i.e. positioned at different angles of incidence with respect to the transverse direction of the compactor. This makes it possible to vary the angle of inclination of a side edge of the compacted ground processed with the edge processing disk by pressing the ground material.

A ground compactor is known from EP 3 926 096 A1, in which an edge processing device with an edge processing disk rotatable about an edge processing rotation axis is associated with a compactor roller. The edge processing rotation axis is oriented parallel to the rotation axis of the compactor roller. In order to remove ground material separated by the edge processing disk during processing of a side edge of the compacted ground from the processed side edge, a cuttings deflector arranged behind the edge processing disk with respect to a compactor working movement direction is associated with the edge processing disk.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a ground compactor with improved edge processing characteristics.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a ground compactor for compacting ground material, comprising at least one compactor roller rotatable on a machine frame about a rotation axis which is substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the compactor and a vertical direction of the compactor, and which substantially extends in a transverse direction of the compactor, with an edge processing device associated therewith for processing a side edge of compacted ground material, wherein the edge processing device comprises an edge processing disk supported on a disk carrier so as to be rotatable about an edge processing rotation axis.

The ground compactor according to the invention is characterized in that the edge processing rotation axis is set or can be set at a first angle of incidence with respect to the transverse direction of the compactor in the longitudinal direction of the compactor.

By positioning the edge processing rotation axis at such a first angle of incidence, it is basically ensured that the edge processing rotation axis does not lie in a plane spanned by the transverse direction of the compactor and the vertical direction of the compactor. This orientation achieves two advantages that significantly improve the edge processing characteristics. Firstly, the side of the edge processing disk facing away from the side edge of the ground material to be processed generates a deflecting effect, which deflects ground material separated from the region of the side edge during edge processing laterally in the direction away from the side edge. The edge processing disk itself therefore acts as a plow or deflector during its edge processing operation. On the other hand, this setting of the edge processing rotation axis in the transition from the side edge of the ground material processed by the edge processing disk to a surface of the ground material positioned laterally next to the region of the side edge produces a curved transition formed by the circular curvature of the outer peripheral rim of the edge processing disk. The radius of curvature of this curved transition increases as the first angle of incidence increases. A sharp-edged, for example right-angled transition from the side edge to the adjacent, essentially horizontally oriented surface of the ground material can thus be avoided. As a result, when ground material, for example asphalt material, is applied to this region in a subsequent process, a complete connection is achieved, especially in the region where the side edge merges into the horizontally oriented surface, and the formation of cavities not filled with ground material applied in this further work process is avoided.

A sufficiently strong deflecting effect and a sufficiently large radius of curvature in the transition region between the processed side edge and an adjoining region of the ground material can be achieved, for example, if the first angle of incidence is in the range of 5°-15°.

In order to be able to set the positioning of the ground processing disk to adapt to the height of the side edge to be processed, for example, it is proposed that the first angle of incidence can be changed.

For efficient deflection of ground material separated during processing of the side edge, it is proposed that the edge processing rotation axis, starting from the disk carrier, is set in the direction away from the at least one compactor roller with the first angle of incidence with respect to the transverse direction of the compactor in a direction of compactor working movement that is essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the compactor.

The aforementioned effect of the edge processing disk when processing a side edge of ground material to deflect separated ground material and to create a rounded transition can be supported by the fact that the edge processing rotation axis is set or can be set at a second angle of incidence with respect to the transverse direction of the compactor in the vertical direction of the compactor. This setting with the second angle of incidence can in particular also influence the geometry or the inclination of the processed side edge.

The second angle of incidence can be in the range of 25°-35°, for example.

To increase the variability when carrying out such a processing, it is advantageous if the second angle of incidence can be changed.

To obtain a downwardly and outwardly inclined side edge, it is proposed that the edge processing rotation axis, starting from the disk carrier, is set in the direction away from the at least one compactor roller with the second angle of incidence with respect to the compactor transverse direction in a compactor downward direction essentially parallel to the compactor vertical direction.

A processing characteristic that remains constant in the processing direction can be ensured by the fact that the edge processing disk is supported on the disk carrier in a radially inner region relative to the edge processing rotation axis around the edge processing rotation axis and has a circular outer peripheral rim that is concentric with the edge processing rotation axis.

On an edge processing side facing the at least one compactor roller, the edge processing disk can have an edge processing surface that is non-orthogonal at least in regions with respect to the edge processing rotation axis. With such a geometry, it is possible to produce a correspondingly defined geometry of a side edge.

Furthermore, the edge processing disk can have a deflecting surface that is non-orthogonal at least in regions with respect to the edge processing rotation axis on a deflecting side facing away from the at least one compactor roller. With such a geometry, the deflecting effect generated on the deflecting side can be reinforced.

In particular, it may be provided that the edge processing surface is convexly curved at least in regions and/or that the deflecting surface is concavely curved at least in regions.

In a design that is particularly easy to implement in terms of construction and particularly advantageous both in terms of processing the side edge and in terms of deflecting separated ground material, it can be provided that the edge processing disk has essentially the same thickness between the edge processing surface and the deflecting surface in all peripheral and radial regions. Such an edge processing disk can, for example, be provided as a sheet metal forming part with an essentially constant thickness. In conjunction with the setting of the edge processing rotation axis with the first angle of incidence, it can thus be achieved in particular that the edge processing process is a cutting processing process that removes superfluous ground material and not a pressing process that strongly influences the density of the processed ground material in the region of the side edge.

A scraper that overlaps the edge processing disk on its edge processing side facing the compactor roller and/or on its deflecting side facing away from the compactor roller for scraping off ground material adhering to the edge processing disk can be associated with the edge processing disk.

The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. In particular:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a ground compactor with a compactor roller and an edge processing device associated therewith;

FIG. 2 shows a detailed perspective view of the compactor roller with the edge processing device;

FIG. 3 shows a view of the compactor roller with the edge processing device from above as viewed in direction III in FIGS. 2 and 4;

FIG. 4 shows a view of the compactor roller with the edge processing device from the front as viewed in direction IV in FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged detail V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows an edge processing disk of the edge processing device with an associated scraper in section in FIG. 6a) and in axial view in FIG. 6b).

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a ground compactor 12 used for compacting ground material 10. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the ground compactor 12 comprises drive wheels 16 on a rear carriage 14, which wheels, driven by a drive unit provided on the rear carriage 14, move the ground compactor 12 in a longitudinal compactor direction L on the ground material 10 to be compacted. An operator stand 18 is also provided on the rear carriage 14. A front carriage 20 is hingedly connected to the rear carriage 14, on which a compactor roller 22 is rotatably supported about a roller rotation axis D which is orthogonal to the drawing plane of FIG. 1 and to the longitudinal direction L of the compactor, which essentially corresponds to a horizontal direction, and to a vertical direction H of the compactor, which essentially corresponds to a vertical direction. The roller rotation axis D thus extends essentially in the compactor transverse direction Q. In association with the compactor roller 22, an edge processing device generally designated 24 is provided on at least one axial end region thereof. The edge processing device 24 can be used to process a side edge region of the ground material 10 compacted by the ground compactor 12, in particular asphalt material, in order to achieve a defined, smooth lateral termination of the compacted ground material 10.

It should be noted that the ground compactor 12 can be constructed differently than shown in FIG. 1. This could, for example, also comprise a compactor roller on the rear carriage 14, which roller can likewise be associated with an edge processing device on at least one axial end region of the same. If such a ground compactor, which is for example pivot-steered, has two compactor rollers supported on a machine frame by means of a steering pivot at a distance from each other in the longitudinal direction L of the compactor, an edge processing device can for example be assigned to one of the compactor rollers at one of its axial end regions, while an edge processing device is associated with the other of the two compactor rollers at the other axial end, so that an edge processing device is provided on each side region of the ground compactor.

The structure of such an edge processing device 24 is described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.

The edge processing device 24 comprises an edge processing disk 26, which is supported in a central region 28 thereof on a disk carrier 30 so as to be rotatable about an edge processing rotation axis K and has a circular outer peripheral rim 32 concentric with the edge processing rotation axis K.

The disk carrier 30 is fixed to a swivel arm 34, which in turn can be swiveled about a swivel axis, for example parallel to the roller rotation axis D of the compactor roller 22, on a suspension element rotatably supporting the compactor roller 22 on the front carriage 20. The swiveling of the swivel arm 34 can be effected, for example, by a piston/cylinder device 36. By swiveling the swivel arm 34, the edge processing device 24 can be pivoted between its active position shown in FIG. 2, in which the edge processing disk 26 is positioned for processing or producing a smoothly cut side edge 38 of the ground material 10, and a raised passive position, in which the edge processing disk 26 is positioned above the ground material 10 and thus does not interact with it.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate that in the edge processing device 24, the edge processing disk 26 is positioned in such a way that the edge processing rotation axis K is not parallel to the roller rotation axis D, particularly in the active position. FIG. 3 illustrates that when the compactor roller 22 or the edge processing device 24 is viewed from above in the compactor vertical direction H, which is essentially orthogonal to the compactor vertical direction H and the compactor longitudinal direction L, the edge processing rotation axis K is set at a first angle of incidence W1 in the compactor longitudinal direction L with respect to the compactor transverse direction Q. The edge processing rotation axis K therefore does not lie in a plane spanned by the compactor transverse direction Q and the compactor vertical direction H, but is, starting from the disk carrier 30, positioned with respect to such a plane or the compactor transverse direction Q in a compactor working movement direction A that is essentially parallel to the compactor longitudinal direction L. During an edge processing operation by means of the edge processing device 24, the ground compactor 12 moves in the compactor working movement direction A. The edge processing rotation axis K is thus set forward in relation to the compactor working direction of movement A, starting from the disk carrier 30.

By this setting of the edge processing rotation axis K at the first angle of incidence W1, as can be seen in FIG. 4, such a positioning of the edge processing disk 26, which is basically shell-like or dome-shaped, is achieved that its deflecting side 40, which is oriented away from the compactor roller 22, or a concavely curved deflecting surface 42 formed on the deflecting side 40, opens forwards in accordance with the first angle of incidence W1. At the same time, the edge processing disk 26 is in contact with the ground material 10 on its edge processing side 44 facing the compactor roller with a convexly curved edge processing surface 46 formed on the edge processing side 44 in the radially outer region, in order to thereby process the side edge 38 through processing, by cutting or separating ground material 10 in the region of the side edge 38.

This processing operation of the ground material 10 by means of the edge processing disk 26 set at the first angle of incidence W1 leads to two significant advantages. On the one hand, the edge processing disk 26, which also rotates about the edge processing rotation axis K during edge processing, acts with its concavely curved deflecting surface 42 as a deflector or plow for the ground material 10 separated in the region of the side edge 38 and guides it outwards, i.e. laterally in the direction away from the compactor roller 22. This effect is particularly efficient due to the shell-like structure of the edge processing disk 26 with preferably the same thickness in all regions, in that in the lowest region of the edge processing disk 26 in the height direction, i.e. where it is in contact with the ground material 10 for processing the side edge 38, the edge processing surface 42 is approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the compactor or to the compactor working movement direction A. Against the compactor working movement direction A, the deflecting surface 42 curves outwards away from the compactor roller 22, so that when moving the ground compactor 12 and thus also the entire edge processing device 24 in the compactor working movement direction A, separated ground material 10 is moved away in the direction away from the already processed side edge 38 by the deflecting surface 42, which is curved outwards in the respective lower region, i.e. away from the compactor roller 22.

A second effect of setting the edge processing disk 26 at the first angle of incidence W1 is that, due to the circular geometry of the outer peripheral rim 32, a curvilinear transition with a radius R is formed in the transition from the side edge 38 to an adjacent, essentially horizontally oriented surface region 48 of the ground material 10. The radius R increases with increasing first angle of incidence W1.

By creating this curved transition between the side edge 38 and the adjoining surface region 48 of the ground material 10, a sharp-edged, for example right-angled transition is avoided. This leads to the particular advantage that if ground material, for example asphalt material, is to be deployed in this region, i.e. adjacent to the side edge 38 or in the surface region 48, in a further processing process, the formation of a cavity not filled with this material is avoided in this transition region.

The effects introduced by setting the edge processing rotation axis K at the first angle of incidence W1 can then be used even more efficiently if the edge processing rotation axis K is additionally also set at a second angle of incidence W2, starting from the disk carrier 30, with respect to the compactor transverse direction Q in the compactor vertical direction H, downwards, i.e. in a compactor downward direction U that is essentially parallel to the compactor vertical direction H. This setting also at the second angle of incidence W2 thus achieves an orientation of the edge processing rotation axis K such that it lies neither in an essentially horizontally oriented plane spanned by the compactor transverse direction Q and the compactor longitudinal direction L, nor in an essentially vertically oriented plane spanned by the compactor transverse direction Q and the compactor vertical direction H.

Since, in the edge processing device 24 described above, the edge processing disk 26, which is designed in the form of a plate or bowl, for example with such a structure also in the form of a truncated cone, also assumes the function of a lateral deflector for separated ground material 10, there is a fundamental risk that this ground material 10, for example provided by asphalt material, will adhere to the edge processing disk 26, in particular the deflecting surface 42 thereof. To avoid this, a scraper 50, shown in principle in FIG. 6, can be associated with the edge processing disk 26. This scraper can, for example, be fixed to the disk carrier 30 and can engage over the edge processing disk 26, in particular in its radially outer region on the deflecting side 40 and/or the edge processing side 44, at least in the radially outer region, i.e. the region which primarily comes into contact with the ground processing material 10, from radially outside to radially inside. Ground material 10 adhering to the edge processing disk 26 is scraped off by the scraper 50, falls down and is then deflected to the side.

In the embodiment shown, the ground processing disk 26 is supported by the disk carrier 30 in a defined, unchangeable manner with regard to the angles of incidence W1, W2. In an alternative embodiment, the disk carrier could be constructed with two parts that can be moved or adjusted relative to one another, so that at least one of the angles of incidence W1, W2 is variable. The radius R and the deflection effect can be influenced primarily by changing the first angle of incidence W1. By changing the second angle of incidence W2, primarily the inclination of the side edge 38 can be influenced.

Finally, it should be pointed out that in the directional information indicated above, the longitudinal direction of the compactor L was considered in particular taking into account a ground compactor 10 moving in a straight line. In the case of a ground compactor 10 traveling in a curve, the longitudinal direction of the compactor L can be considered, for example, as the direction of extension orthogonal to the vertical direction of the compactor H and to the transverse direction of the compactor Q, which is also orthogonal to a roller rotation axis D considered in each case in conjunction with an edge processing device 24.

Claims

1. A ground compactor for compacting ground material (10), comprising at least one compactor roller (22) rotatable on a machine frame about a roller rotation axis (W) substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal direction (L) of the compactor and a vertical direction (H) of the compactor and extending substantially in a transverse direction (Q) of the compactor, with an edge processing device (24) associated therewith for processing a side edge (38) of compacted ground material (10), wherein the edge processing device (24) comprises an edge processing disk (26) supported on a disk carrier (30) for rotation about an edge processing rotation axis (K), characterized in that the edge processing rotation axis (K) is set or can be set at a first angle of incidence (W1) with respect to the transverse direction (Q) of the compactor in the longitudinal direction (L) of the compactor.

2. The ground compactor according to claim 1, characterized in that the first angle of incidence (W1) is in the range of 5°-15°.

3. The ground compactor according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first angle of incidence (W1) is variable.

4. The ground compactor according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the edge processing rotation axis (K), starting from the disk carrier (30), is set in the direction away from the at least one compactor roller (22) at the first angle of incidence (W1) with respect to the compactor transverse direction (Q) in a compactor working movement direction (A) essentially parallel to the compactor longitudinal direction (L).

5. A ground compactor according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the edge processing rotation axis (K) is set or can be set at a second angle of incidence (W2) with respect to the compactor transverse direction (Q) in the compactor vertical direction (H).

6. The ground compactor according to claim 5, characterized in that the second angle of incidence (W2) is in the range of 25°-35°.

7. The ground compactor according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the second angle of incidence (W2) is variable.

8. The ground compactor according to claim 1, characterized in that the edge processing rotation axis (K), starting from the disk carrier (30), is set in the direction away from the at least one compactor roller (32) at the second angle of incidence (W2) with respect to the compactor transverse direction (Q) in a compactor downward direction (U) essentially parallel to the compactor vertical direction (H).

9. A ground compactor according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that the edge processing disk (26) is supported on the disk carrier (30) in a radially inner region (28) with respect to the edge processing rotation axis (K) so as to be rotatable about the edge processing rotation axis (K) and has a circular outer peripheral rim (32) concentric with the edge processing rotation axis (K).

10. A ground compactor according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that the edge processing disk (26) has, on an edge processing side (44) facing the at least one compactor roller (22), an edge processing surface (46) which is non-orthogonal with respect to the edge processing rotation axis (K) at least in regions, or/and in that the edge processing disk (26) has, on a deflecting side (40) facing away from the at least one compactor roller (22), a deflecting surface (42) which is non-orthogonal with respect to the edge processing rotation axis (K) at least in regions.

11. The ground compactor according to claim 10, characterized in that the edge processing surface (46) is convexly curved at least in regions, or/and in that the deflecting surface (42) is concavely curved at least in regions.

12. The ground compactor according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the edge processing disk (26) has substantially the same thickness between the edge processing surface (46) and the deflecting surface (42) in all peripheral regions and radial regions.

13. The ground compactor according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that a scraper (50) for scraping off ground material (10) adhering to the edge processing disk (26) and overlapping it on its edge processing side (44) facing the compactor roller (22) and/or on its deflecting side (40) facing away from the compactor roller (22), is associated with the edge processing disk (26).