Selective position control system and method

• US 20050173137A1
• Filed: 02/10/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gregg Nathan Buchl
• Original Assignee: Gregg Nathan Buchl
• Inventors: Buchl, Gregg Nathan
• Granted Patent: US 7,543,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 172/400
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/32 operated by hydraulic or pneumatic means without automatic control

Abstract

A Selective Position Control system and method is disclosed. The system includes a Processor, a Remote Control, a Solenoid Valve in conjunction with interacting valving, a Potentiometer or Ultra-Sonic device, and necessary wiring. The system interfaces with the tractor'"'"'s manual hydraulic lever operations which raise or lower equipment by effecting cylinder extensions or retractions. The system is separate from the tractor hydraulic system but interfaces by energizing a Solenoid Valve that stops oil flow and causes the manually detented tractor hydraulic valve to center from a working position. The system'"'"'s Processor establishes two programmable Toggle switch settings, one typically slaved to the other. The system accommodates other manually activated positions, up or down, from programmed positions, with return to set points of programmed positions. The Remote Control incorporates a Toggle device with three positions, an up/down Rocker switch, a Set switch and an LED readout.

Claims

1. ) A manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system for establishing a set position of a device above the ground as the device is moved across a surface, the selective depth control system comprising:

a. a toggle input device for specifying a plurality of position settings;

b. a device position sensor for determining a measured device position; and

c. a hydraulic position control system having a programmable ground zero position and a programmable maximum depth position for the device, the hydraulic position control system maintains the current position corresponding to the measured device position within a specified position within a specified position window around a set position programmed relative to the ground-zero and maximum-depth position;

d. wherein the toggle input device comprises;

e. a working position that places the set position at a programmed position;

f. a shallow position that places the set position at a minimum deployed depth;

g. a zero position that places the remote solenoid in a permanent de-energized mode

2. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 1 wherein the toggle input device further comprises a widow size control input for specifying a size for the position window used by the hydraulic control system.

3. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 1, wherein the device position sensor is a potentiometer-based system.

4. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 1, wherein the device position sensor is an ultra-sonic transducer-based system.

5. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 1, wherein the toggle input device further comprises:

a. a set switch for setting the programmed position used when the toggle is in its current position to a new position of the device; and

b. an up/down rocker switch for adjusting the current position of the device.

6. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 5, wherein the shallow deployed depth corresponds to a programmable position having a default position 1.5 inches deeper than the ground-zero position.

7. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 5, wherein the function of shallow position is slaved to the function of the working position in that a manual raise function of the hydraulic power source will move the set position from the programmed working position automatically to the set position of the shallow position.

8. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 5, wherein the programmed working position corresponds to a programmable position having a default position 3.0 inches deeper than the ground-zero position.

9. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 1, wherein the manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system further comprises a device position display unit comprising a numeric LED display element.

10. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 9, wherein the numeric LED display element shows depth in inches with a decimal point to show 1/10 of an inch.

11. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic control system further comprises a remote two-way, two position, normally open solenoid valve.

12. ) A manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system for establishing a set position of a device above the ground as the device is moved across a surface, the selective depth control system comprising:

a. a processor based unit; and

b. a remote control unit; and

,

c. a three position toggle input device.

13. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 12, wherein the function of shallow position is not slaved to the function of the working position thereby having its own programmable depth, and in that a manual raise function of the hydraulic power source will move the set position from the shallow position to a full raise position.

14. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 12, wherein the function of the working position is slaved to the function of the shallow position in that a manual raise function of the hydraulic power source will move the set position from the shallow programmed position automatically to the set position of the working position.

15. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 12, wherein the function of the working position and the shallow position are not slaved and a manual raise function of the hydraulic power source will move the set position from the working position and shallow position to a full raise position.

16. ) A manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system for establishing a set position of a device above the ground as the device is moved across a surface, the selective depth control system comprising:

a. an input device for specifying a plurality of position settings;

b. a device position sensor;

c. a processor control unit;

d. a console control unit;

e. a device position display unit; and

f. one or more hydraulic manifolds having a solenoid valve.

17. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 16, wherein a hydraulic manifold includes a Rebound Valve having a plurality of hydraulic connections, the rebound valve comprising a counter-balance valve coupled to a first solenoid activated valve, and a pressure reducing and relieving valve and a check valve;

wherein,

a. the counter balance valve is configured to prevent air ingestion, to act as a check valve for cylinder retraction, and to act as a relief valve against over pressurization at the master cylinder; and

b. the pressure reducing and relieving valve is configured to provide an adjustable and controlled pressure in the rod side of the outer slave circuit to protect against effects of compression and decompression, to provide for ingest and exhaust of hydraulic oil in order to meet hydraulic fluid requirements caused by draft and draft relief forces, and to restrict the exhaust of hydraulic oil to dampen cylinder movement; and

c. the check valve is configured to operate in conjunction with the pressure reducing and relieving valve to stabilize the positions of the hydraulic cylinders by keeping the cylinders under pressure.

18. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 16 wherein a hydraulic manifold includes a counter-balance valve coupled to a first solenoid activated valve and a check valve;

wherein,

a. the counter-balance valve is configured to prevent air ingestion, to act as a check valve for cylinder retraction, and to act as a relief valve against over pressurization at the master cylinder; and

b. the check valve is configured to operated in conjunction with the counter-balance valve by keeping the cylinders under pressure.

19. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 16 wherein a hydraulic manifold includes a counter-balance valve coupled to a first solenoid activated valve;

wherein, the counter-balance valve is configured to prevent air ingestion, to act as a check valve for cylinder retraction, and to act as a relief valve against over pressurization at the master cylinder.

20. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 16, wherein the hydraulic position control system comprise a parallel series cylinder set.

21. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 16, wherein the hydraulic position control system comprise a series cylinder set.

22. ) The manual electro-hydraulic selective depth control system according to claim 16, wherein the hydraulic position control system comprises a single cylinder.