US 12,486,626 B2
Quick change rotor alignment feature
Craig T. Hedstrom, Mounds View, MN (US); Nicholas B. Johnson, Dayton, MN (US); Ryan Hutar, Plymouth, MN (US); Eric S. Engelmann, Delano, MN (US); and Mario Persano, Poggio Renatico (IT)
Assigned to Caterpillar Paving Products Inc., Brooklyn Park, MN (US)
Filed by Caterpillar Paving Products Inc., Brooklyn Park, MN (US)
Filed on Jul. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/223,713.
Prior Publication US 2025/0027279 A1, Jan. 23, 2025
Int. Cl. E01C 23/088 (2006.01); E01C 23/12 (2006.01)
CPC E01C 23/088 (2013.01) [E01C 23/127 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A milling machine comprising:
a frame;
a milling assembly including a cutting rotor and a rotor housing coupled to the frame, the cutting rotor including a rotor shell positioned around a spindle; and
a first axial alignment feature on one of the rotor shell or the spindle, the first axial alignment feature including a physical feature on a surface of the rotor shell or the spindle, the physical feature being positioned and configured to contact an opposing flat surface of the opposing rotor shell or spindle so as to guide the rotor shell and the spindle into a co-axial alignment as the rotor shell is loaded axially onto the spindle.
 
17. A method of connecting a rotor shell to a spindle of a milling machine, the method comprising:
loading a rotor shell over a spindle from an installation side of the milling machine;
co-axially aligning the rotor shell and the spindle by moving the rotor shell relative to the spindle using axial alignment features on at least one of the rotor shell or the spindle; and
assembling the rotor shell to the spindle, wherein, after assembly of the rotor shell to the spindle, the axial alignment features are not in supporting contact with a surface of the opposing rotor shell or the spindle;
wherein the axial alignment feature is on an inner surface of the rotor shell and is located at a non-drive side of the rotor shell, wherein the axial alignment feature includes a plurality of tapered surfaces positioned around a circumference of the inner surface that contact an opposing flat outer surface of the spindle to physically align the rotor shell and the spindle to be in co-axial alignment when the rotor shell is fully assembled upon the spindle.