Patent Application
20170130422
The present disclosure relates to a moldboard rail, and in particular, to a moldboard rail cleaner.
Many work machines, such as a motor grader, utilize a moldboard or blade to manipulate an underlying surface as the work machine travels thereon. To provide increased utility to the work machine, the moldboard can slide axially to several positions along a moldboard axis. Typically, a hydraulic actuator moves the moldboard along the moldboard axis to a location desired by a user. The moldboard is often held in alignment with the moldboard axis by one or more linear rails that are coupled to the moldboard on at least one surface and slidably coupled to the work machine through a tilt-frame housing along a different surface. Further, one or more wear inserts are often positioned in the tilt-frame housing to provide a contact surface for the linear rail as the moldboard moves along the moldboard axis. The pressure at which the wear insert presses against the contact surface is adjustable to hold the moldboard in alignment with a tilt frame assembly while allowing the linear rail to slide thereon.
Over time, the wear inserts become worn down along the contact surface. More specifically, debris is often positioned along the contact surface between the wear insert and the linear rail. As the moldboard is moved from one position along the moldboard axis to another, the linear rail slides along the contact surface and the debris disposed between the linear rail and the wear insert will cause the wear insert to degrade. The degradation of the wear insert may require monitoring, adjustment, or replacement of the wear insert to ensure optimal alignment of the moldboard relative to the work machine overall.
One embodiment is a moldboard rail cleaner for removing debris from a rail of a work machine, comprising a tilt frame housing defining a first cavity; a wear insert positioned within the first cavity and adapted to slide along the rail as the rail moves along a rail axis; a sub-housing coupled to the tilt frame housing and defining a second cavity; and a wiper disposed at least partially within the second cavity, the sub-housing configured to bias the wiper into contact with the rail.
Another embodiment is a moldboard rail cleaning apparatus for a work machine, comprising a moldboard coupled to a moldboard rail, the moldboard rail defining a rail axis; a tilt frame housing coupled to the work machine and defining a first cavity, a first side, and a second side; a wear insert disposed within the first cavity; a sub-housing coupled to the first or second side of the tilt frame housing and defining a sub-housing cavity; and a wiper disposed at least partially within the sub-housing cavity; wherein, the wiper defines a wiping surface that contacts a portion of the moldboard rail.
Yet another embodiment is a work machine, comprising a frame coupled to one or more wheels; an implement coupled to the frame for performing a work operation, the implement defining an implement axis; at least one rail coupled to the implement; at least one housing having a first side and a second side and coupling the rail to the frame; at least one sub-housing coupled to the housing and defining a second cavity; at least one wiper disposed partially within the second cavity; and an actuator coupled between the frame and the implement, the actuator adapted to move the implement along the implement axis; wherein, when the implement moves along the implement axis, the sub-housing is adapted to remove any coarse particulate disposed along the rail and the wiper is adapted to remove any fine particulate disposed along the rail.
The above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure and the manner of obtaining them will become more apparent and the disclosure itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of the embodiments of the disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference numerals are used to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
The embodiments of the present disclosure described below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the present disclosure.
Referring to
The work machine 100 in
In one aspect of the present disclosure, the plurality of controls may be manipulated by the user to control the location of the moldboard 112. The plurality of controls 110 may be switches, levers, push buttons, a steering wheel, and any other similar control mechanism and this disclosure is not limited to any one. In the nonexclusive embodiment of
Referring now to
The frame housing 206 may be coupled to a tilt frame member 208 that is pivotally coupled to the chassis 102 on one end, and slideably coupled to the outermost edge 212 of the respective rail 202 on the other end. In this embodiment, the frame housing 206 may maintain the angular orientation of the moldboard 112 while simultaneously allowing the moldboard 112 to slide along a rail axis 214 via the respective rail 202.
Now referring to
The frame mount 302 may extend away from the tilt frame member 208 and define a first cavity 304 within a portion of the frame mount 302 that is parallel to the rail axis 214 when the frame mount 302 is coupled to the tilt frame member 208. In one embodiment, the first cavity 304 maybe positioned along the frame mount 302 at a location aligned with the respective rail 202. In this embodiment, a wear insert 306 may be sized to correspond with the first cavity 304 to become disposed therein. The wear insert 306 may also be shaped to partially encompass and contact a portion of the outermost edge 212 of the respective rail 202. In one non-exclusive embodiment, the wear insert 306 may have a cross-section with a V-shaped channel. When the frame housing 206 is coupled to the tilt frame member 208 with the wear insert 306 positioned within the first cavity 304, the outermost edge 212 of the respective rail 202 may be positioned within the V-shaped channel, In this configuration, the rail 202 can slide along the wear insert 306 axially along the rail axis 214 while substantially maintaining the angular alignment of the moldboard 112 relative to the tilt frame member 208.
In another embodiment, the engagement between the wear insert 306 and the respective rail 202 may affect the accuracy in which the moldboard 112 may be maneuvered. Accordingly, the wear insert 306 may be adjustable within the first cavity through at least one adjusting mechanism 308. The adjusting mechanism 308 may provide a method for adjusting the location of the wear insert 306 within the first cavity 304. In one non-exclusive example, the adjustment mechanism 308 may be a screw that passes through a threaded passage (not shown) into a portion of the first cavity 304. The screw may be advanced through the threaded passage until it contacts a portion of the wear insert 306, thereby moving the wear insert closer to the respective rail 202. In this embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 308 allows the user to ensure the appropriate pressure is applied to the rail 202 through the wear insert 306.
The frame mount 302 may also provide a coupling location for a sub-housing 310. The sub-housing 310 may be removeably coupled to the frame mount 302 at a first side 312 and/or a second side 314 positioned along the rail axis 214. Further, the sub-housing 310 may partially define a second cavity 402 (
In the above embodiment, the wiper 316 may be positioned within the second cavity 402 such that the wiper 316 can slide axially along an apply axis 318. The apply axis 318 may be perpendicular to the respective rail axis 214 and the wiper 316 may travel towards, or away from, the outermost edge 212 of the respective rail 202 along the apply axis 318. In another embodiment, at least one spring 320 may be positioned in the second cavity 402 between the wiper 316 and the sub-housing 310. More specifically, the spring 320 may be positioned within the second cavity 402 to apply a biasing force to the wiper 316 along the apply axis 318 towards the respective rail 202. In this embodiment, the spring 320 may substantially maintain contact between the wiper 316 and the respective rail 202.
While at least one spring 320 has been described above, in another embodiment two springs 320 may be used. Further, the spring 320 may be a plurality of different types, and this disclosure is not limited to any one type. More specifically, the biasing force produced by the spring 320 may be produced through a coil spring, a hydraulic or pneumatic pressure between the wiper 316 and the sub-housing 310, a weight positioned to provide a force on the wiper 316 towards the rail 202, or any other similar device or method for providing a biasing force.
Similar to the wear insert 306, the wiper 316 may also have a cross section that defines a V-shaped channel that corresponds with the shape of the respective rail 202. The spring 320 may continuously force the wiper 316 onto the adjacent surface of the respective rail 202 along the outermost edge 212.
Referring now to
Now referring to
In another embodiment, the ramped surface 502 may also have a leading nose (not particularly shown) that is axially farther from the sub-housing 310 than remaining portions of the ramped surface 502. In this embodiment, the ramped surface 502 may dispel coarse debris both away from the center of the rail 202 and off the sides of the rail 202.
A ridge 508 is also shown in
The adjustment mechanism 308 is more clearly shown in
Similarly, the relationship between the wiper 316, the sub housing 310, and the rail 202 is more clearly shown in
In another embodiment, the spring 320 may press the wiper 316 against the rail 202 with sufficient force to allow the wiper 316 to remove fine debris when the rail 202 slides therealong. In the nonexclusive example shown in
While the above teachings have described a sub-housing assembly with a wiper at a specific location on the moldboard assembly 200, the teachings of this disclosure apply to any location along a rail that may require a cleaning function. More specifically, in another embodiment, a work machine may have a frame and an implement that can slide along an implement axis relative to the frame. The implement may have two rails coupled thereto. Each rail may be coupled to the frame, or to a sub-frame, through two different tilt frame mounts. Further, each tilt frame mount may have a sub-housing and wiper positioned on either side of the tilt frame mount along the respective rail. In this embodiment, the work machine may have four separate tilt frame mounts and eight separate sub-housings and wipers.
In another embodiment, positioning the sub-housing 310 and wiper 316 along the first side 312 and the second side 314 of the frame mount 302 may prevent debris from causing premature wear on the wear insert 306 and thereby reduce the frequency of adjustments. More specifically, if debris becomes positioned between the wear insert 306 and the rail 202 as the rail 202 moves axially along the rail axis 214, the debris may degrade the wear insert 306. By positioning the sub-housing 310 and wiper 316 at each the first side 312 and the second side 314 of each frame mount 302, both coarse debris and fine debris may be removed from the rail 202 prior to the rail 202 sliding along the wear insert 306 as described in more detail above. In this configuration, the wear insert 306 may be more resilient to wear as the rail 202 slides thereunder.
In another embodiment, the wiper 316 may apply a conditioner to the rail 202 as it cleans the fine debris therefrom. In one non-exclusive example, the wiper 316 may be composed of a material that conditions the rail 202 to slide more easily along the wear insert 306. The wiper 316 may be made of bronze, brass, Molybdenum disulfide-filled nylon, nylon 6/6, UHMW Polyethylene, aluminum-bronze, or any other similar material. However, other materials are also considered herein and this disclosure should not be limited to any one particular material for the wiper 316.
In yet another embodiment, the wiper 316 may have at least one striation positioned along a surface of the wiper 316 that contacts the rail 202. The striation may be a recessed portion of the wiper 316 that extends diagonally relative to the rail axis along the surface of the wiper 316. The striation may form an area along the surface that allows any fine debris encountered on the rail 202 to accumulate and be removed from the rail 202. While striations have been described above, many different formations within the surface of the wiper 316 are also considered herein. In one non-limiting example, channels, streaks, angled surfaces, and any other discontinuity may be defined along the surface of the wiper 316 to further facilitate the removal of debris.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the wiper 316 may be easily replaced. In this embodiment, the sub-housing 310 is removeably coupled to the frame mount 302 through one or more fasteners (not particularly shown). The one or more fasteners can be any type of fastener known in the art, and this disclosure is not limited to any one. As one non-exclusive example, the fasteners may be bolts that correspond with threaded receivers defined in the frame mount 302. In this configuration, the fasteners can be accessed and removed when the moldboard assembly 200 is fully assembled (i.e., the fasteners can be removed without removing any other components of the moldboard assembly 200). Once the fasteners are removed, the user may remove the sub-housing 310, the wiper 316, and the spring 320 from the frame mount 302.
The above embodiment may allow for substantially easy replacement and service of the wiper 316, spring 320, and/or sub-housing 310. The easy serviceability may result in shorter downtime of the work machine 100 due to repairs. Further, the durability of the wear insert 306 may be increased because the more easily replaced wiper 316 and sub-housing 310 remove the potentially damaging debris.
While the rail 202 is described and shown as having edges, the rail 202 can have a plurality of different cross-sectional shapes and this disclosure should not be limited to any one. More specifically, in another embodiment, the rail may be substantially cylindrical in shape with a circular cross-section. In yet another example, the rail may have a triangular cross section. A person skilled in the relevant art understands that many different rail shapes can incorporate the teachings of this disclosure.
In another non-exclusive embodiment, the wear insert may be integrally formed with the wiper. In this embodiment, there may not be a ridge 508 of the sub-housing 310 and the wear insert may extend into the second cavity 402. Further, the sub-housing 310 may have an opening instead of the ramped surface 502. Further still, the wear insert may extend partially through the opening and terminate at a ramped end as described above for the sub-housing 310.
In yet another embodiment, the wear insert could be chamfered on either end and extend slightly past ridge 508. This embodiment could also permit a gap in a mating recess of the wiper between the wiper and the wear insert to expel dirt. Further, the chamfered ends of the wear insert could expel away dirt disposed in the gap between the wear insert and the wiper.
While embodiments incorporating the principles of the present disclosure have been described hereinabove, the present disclosure is not limited to the described embodiments. Instead, this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
