Planer and Method for Producing Rumble Strips

Abstract

A road planer for road milling or road planning operations implements a control system for forming a plurality of rumble strips in a work surface. The control system may receive a plurality of variables from an operator interface related to the desired configuration for the rumble strips including a depth-of-depression variable, a length-of-depression variable, and a distance-between-depressions variable. The control system may also determine one or more parameters regarding the operational status of the road planer. The control system processes the variables and/or parameters to adjust a height adjustment mechanism of the road planer thereby engaging and disengaging a cutting rotor with the work surface to from the rumble strips.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A road planer for planning a work surface specially configured for forming a plurality of rumble strips, the road planer comprising:
 a frame supported on a plurality of ground-engaging components by a height adjustment mechanism for raising and lowering the frame with respect to the plurality of ground-engaging components;   a cutting rotor rotatably mounted to the frame, the cutting rotor including a plurality of cutting tools;   a power source operatively associated with the cutting rotor for rotating the cutting rotor with respect to the frame and operatively associated with at least one of the plurality of ground-engaging components for propelling the road planer; and   an electronic control unit including an operator interface, the electronic control unit programmed with a control system adapted to receive via the operator interface a plurality of variables including a) a depth-of-depression variable; b) a length-of-depression variable; and c) a distance-between-depressions variable, the electronic control unit further configured to operate the height adjustment mechanism in accordance with the plurality of variables.   
     
     
         2 . The road planer of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to receive a number-of-depressions variable. 
     
     
         3 . The road planer of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to receive a profile-of-depression variable. 
     
     
         4 . The road planer of  claim 3 , wherein the profile-of-depression variable causes the height adjustment mechanism to raise and lower the frame in accordance with one of a curved profile and a trapezoidal profile. 
     
     
         5 . The road planer of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to determine one or more parameters regarding operational status of the road planer. 
     
     
         6 . The road planer of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more parameters includes a travel speed of the road planer. 
     
     
         7 . The road planer of  claim 1 , wherein the height adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of adjustable struts each operatively associated with one of the plurality of ground-engaging components. 
     
     
         8 . The road planer of  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of adjustable struts is adjustable independently of each other. 
     
     
         9 . The road planer of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of ground-engaging components are selected from the group consisting of track assemblies and wheels. 
     
     
         10 . The road planer of  claim 1 , where in the electronic control unit is further configured with a road planning module adapted to receive a depth-of-cut variable, the electronic control unit further configured to operate the height adjustment mechanism in accordance with the depth-of-cut variable for planning the work surface. 
     
     
         11 . A method of forming rumble strips in a work surface with a road planer, the method comprising:
 loading a rumble strip forming module in an electronic control unit operatively associated with the road planer upon receiving an activation signal activating the rumble strip forming module;   receiving via an operator interface associated with the electronic control unit a plurality of variables including a) a depth-of-depression variable; b) a length-of-depression variable; and c) a distance-between-depressions variable;   rotating a cutting rotor rotatably mounted to a frame of the road planer; and   adjusting a height adjustment mechanism to raise and lower a frame of the road planer with respect to the work surface in accordance with the plurality of variables.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving a number-of-depressions variable. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving a profile-of-depression variable. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining one or more parameters about operational status of the road planer, the one or more parameters including a travel speed of the road planer. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising selecting a milled cut mode whereby the road planer continuously travels during the step of adjusting the height adjustment mechanism. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising selecting a depression cut mode whereby the road planer temporally stops during the step of adjusting the height adjustment mechanism. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising steps of:
 activating a road planning module in the electronic control unit;   receiving a depth-of-cut variable via the operator interface; and   adjusting the height adjustment mechanism in accordance with the depth-of-cut variable.   
     
     
         18 . A computer executable control system for forming rumble strips with a road planer, the control system comprising:
 a data structure adapted to receive a plurality of variables from an operator interface relating to the rumble strips, the plurality of variables including a) a depth-of-depression variable; b) a length-of-depression variable; and c) a distance-between-depressions variable; and   computer executable instructions for controlling a height adjustment mechanism on the road planer in accordance with the plurality of variables received in the data structure.   
     
     
         19 . The computer executable control system of  claim 18 , further comprising computer executable instructions for determining one or more parameters regarding operational status of the road planer, and a computer executable algorithm for processing the plurality of variables with the one or more parameters. 
     
     
         20 . The computer executable control system of  claim 19 , wherein the computer executable algorithm determines a travel output of the road planer corresponding to at least one of the length-of-depression variable and the distance-between-depressions variable.