Patent ID: 11866891
Assignee: CATERPILLAR PAVING PRODUCTS INC.
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC E  B | IPC B  E

Claim 10:
11. An adjustable pitch rotor for a milling machine, comprising:
an inner drum having a hollow cylindrical shape and an inner drum outer surface;
an outer shell comprising:
a first outer shell portion disposed on the inner drum outer surface and having a first set of drum cutting assemblies having first cutting bits extending outward from a first shell portion outer surface, wherein each of the first cutting bits is longitudinally spaced from longitudinally adjacent first cutting bits by a pitch distance, and
a second outer shell portion disposed on the inner drum outer surface and having a second set of drum cutting assemblies having second cutting bits extending outward from a second shell portion outer surface, wherein each of the second cutting bits is longitudinally spaced from longitudinally adjacent second cutting bits by the pitch distance; and
a shell adjustment mechanism engaging the first outer shell portion and the second outer shell portion, wherein the shell adjustment mechanism is operable to move the first outer shell portion and the second outer shell portion longitudinally relative to each other,
wherein, when the shell adjustment mechanism moves the first outer shell portion and the second outer shell portion to a first pitch configuration, each of the first cutting bits is longitudinally aligned with a corresponding one of the second cutting bits such that first grooves milled in a work surface by the adjustable pitch rotor are spaced by the pitch distance, and
wherein, when the shell adjustment mechanism moves the first outer shell portion and the second outer shell portion to a second pitch configuration, each of the first cutting bits is longitudinally spaced from longitudinally adjacent second cutting bits by one-half of the pitch distance such that second grooves milled in the work surface by the adjustable pitch rotor are spaced by one-half of the pitch distance.