CN-114619398-B - System and method for counting work machine bit removal

Abstract

A method of removing a cutting bit from a milling work machine includes engaging a cutting bit coupled to a rotating 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 the bit removed from the machine, and determining that the bit has been disconnected from the machine based on the sensed characteristics.

Inventors

• N.B. Jansen
• SMIEJA JAMESON MICHAEL

Assignees

• 卡特彼勒路面机械公司
• 卡特彼勒路面机械公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260421

Application Date

20211203

Priority Date

20201211

Claims (17)

1. 1. A method of removing a cutting bit from a work machine, the method comprising: Engaging a cutting bit connected to a rotating drum of the machine with a movable bit removal structure of a bit removal tool; actuating the bit removal tool to disconnect the bit from the machine by displacing the movable bit removal structure; sensing a displacement distance of the movable bit removal structure with an encoder of the bit removal tool, and Determining that the drill bit has been disconnected from the machine based on the sensed displacement distance of the movable drill bit removal structure.
2. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: determining that the drill bit has been disconnected from the machine includes determining that the sensed distance is greater than or equal to a threshold distance.
3. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The threshold distance is greater than or equal to a predetermined dimension of the drill bit.
4. 4. A method according to claim 3, wherein: the predetermined dimension of the drill bit is the length of the shank of the drill bit.
5. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The digital count of the electronic bit removal counter is incremented by 1 after determining that the bit has been disconnected from the machine.
6. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The digital count is sent to an output device connected to, adjacent to, or remote from the work machine.
7. 7. A method of removing a cutting bit from a work machine, the method comprising: engaging a cutting bit attached to a rotating drum of a work machine with a movable bit removal structure of a bit removal tool; actuating the bit removal tool to disconnect the bit from the machine by displacing the movable bit removal structure; sensing a connection between the drill bit and a bit holder of the machine with a sensor of the bit removal tool, and Determining that the drill bit has been disconnected from the machine based on the sensed connection between the drill bit and the drill bit holder of the machine.
8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein: Sensing the connection between the drill bit and the drill bit holder includes sensing at least one of a resistance and a conductance between the drill bit and the drill bit holder.
9. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein: Determining that the drill bit has been disconnected from the machine includes at least one of: Determining that the sensed resistance is greater than or equal to a threshold resistance, and It is determined that the sensed conductance is approximately equal to zero.
10. 10. The method of claim 7, further comprising: The digital count of the electronic bit removal counter is incremented by 1 after determining that the bit has been disconnected from the machine.
11. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: The digital count is sent to an output device connected to, adjacent to, or remote from the work machine.
12. 12. A system for removing a cutting bit from a work machine, the system comprising: a bit removal tool, comprising: a movable bit removal structure configured to engage a cutting bit connected to the work machine; an actuator operably connected and configured to displace the bit removal structure to remove the bit from the machine, and An encoder that senses a displacement distance of the actuator, the displacement distance of the actuator being indicative of a distance the bit removable structure is displaced by the actuator, and A controller communicatively connected to the encoder and configured to determine that the drill bit has been disconnected from the machine based at least on determining that the sensed displacement distance is greater than or equal to a threshold distance.
13. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein: the threshold distance is greater than or equal to a length of a shank of the drill bit.
14. 14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a load sensor communicatively connected to the controller and configured to sense a load on the bit removal structure, and wherein: the controller determines that the drill bit has been disconnected from the machine based on determining that the sensed load is greater than or equal to the threshold load.
15. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein: The actuator is a hydraulic actuator; the load sensor is a pressure sensor that senses a pressure of a hydraulic system connected to the hydraulic actuator, and The controller determines that the drill bit has been disconnected from the machine based on determining that the sensed pressure is greater than or equal to the threshold pressure.
16. 16. The system of claim 14, wherein: The actuator is an electric actuator; The load sensor is a current or voltage sensor that senses the current or voltage of an electric drive system connected to the electric actuator, and The controller determines that the drill bit has been disconnected from the machine based on determining that the sensed current or voltage is greater than or equal to a threshold current or voltage.
17. 17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a timer communicatively connected to the controller and configured to sense a duration to remove the drill bit from the machine, and wherein: the controller determines that the drill bit has been disconnected from the machine based on determining that the sensed duration is greater than or equal to a predetermined drill bit removal cycle time.

Description

System and method for counting work machine bit removal Technical Field The present invention relates generally, but not by way of limitation, to work machines for building, repairing, stabilizing or removing roadways or similar surfaces. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices, systems and methods for counting cutting bits removed from the rotor of such machines. Background Paving machines (such as cold planers and rotary mixing machines) include a rotor that cuts or mixes ground or asphalt. The rotor includes a bit mounted on a bit holder at an outer surface of the rotor such that the bit engages the ground when the rotor is lowered. This cutting action wears out the drill bit rapidly, requiring frequent replacement, in some examples every few hours. Operators and owners of such work machines may benefit from methods and systems for detecting and recording cutting bit consumption. U.S. publication No. 2019/0184534A1, entitled "tool for mounting and/or dismounting a drill bit from a drill bit holder system of a milling machine", discloses a tool for mounting and/or dismounting a drill bit to and/or from a drill bit holder system of a milling machine, in particular a road milling machine, having at least one actuator by means of which the mounting and/or dismounting of a drill bit is actuated. Disclosure of Invention As work machines and associated systems become increasingly digital and capable of using various data communication systems, the industry has seen an impetus to provide more machine diagnostic information to machine operators and owners. Machine diagnostic information and other data may be used for service information, product support machine troubleshooting, machine general trend, or even predictive wear analysis. For example, capturing and communicating data related to machine parts worn in use may be employed to provide guidance when the parts need to be replaced even before failure, which in turn may reduce machine downtime. Rotor bits for various types of work machines may represent the largest volume consumable part on such machines. As a result, machine operators and owners may benefit from devices and systems that accurately detect and record drill bit consumption. Once this element of machine operation is detected and recorded, the resulting data may be associated with various relevant parameters, including, for example, tracking bit consumption by the job site and/or by an operator. In one example, a method of removing a cutting bit from a milling work machine includes engaging a cutting bit coupled to a rotating 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 the bit removed from the machine, and determining that the bit has been disconnected from the machine based on the sensed characteristics. In one example, a system for removing a cutting bit from a work machine includes a bit removal tool and a controller. The bit removal tool includes a movable bit removal structure configured to engage a cutting bit connected to a work machine, an actuator operably connected and configured to displace the bit removal structure to remove the bit from the machine, and an encoder that senses a displacement distance of the actuator. The displacement distance of the actuator indicates the distance that the movable bit removal structure is displaced by the actuator. The controller is communicatively connected to the linear encoder and configured to determine that the drill bit has been disconnected from the machine based at least on determining that the sensed displacement distance is greater than or equal to a threshold distance. These and other examples and features of the present devices, systems, and methods are set forth in part in the detailed description that follows. This summary is intended to provide an overview of the subject matter of the present patent application. It is not intended to provide an exclusive or exhaustive removal of the invention. The detailed description is included to provide further information regarding the present patent application. Drawings In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. The same numbers with different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The accompanying drawings illustrate generally, by way of example and not by way of limitation, the various embodiments discussed herein. FIG. 1A schematically illustrates an example rotor bit removal system according to this invention. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional elevation view of the example bit removal tool of FIG. 1A. FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method of counting the number of rotor bits removed from a work machine according to an example of the present disclosure. Detailed Description FIG. 1A schematically illustrates an example rotor bit removal system 100