Automated Excavation Machine
First Claim
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1. An excavation method, comprising:
- (a) providing an excavator, the excavator comprising a boom;
a cutter head, mounted on the boom, for excavating in situ material; and
a body, wherein the boom is rotatably mounted on the body and includes first and second swing actuators to effect rotation of the boom; and
(b) rotating the boom in a first direction through a first angle of rotation, wherein;
(b1) when the boom is at a first angle of rotation, the first swing actuator is at the first swing actuator'"'"'s minimum stroke and the second swing actuator is not at the second swing actuator'"'"'s minimum or maximum stroke;
(b2) when the boom is at a second angle of rotation different from the first angle, the second swing actuator is at the second swing actuator'"'"'s minimum stroke and the first swing actuator is not at the first swing actuator'"'"'s maximum or minimum stroke;
(b3) when the boom is at a third angle of rotation different from the first and second angles, a first longitudinal axis of the first swing actuator intersects a second longitudinal axis of the second swing actuator within an angle of rotation of the boom; and
(b4) when the boom is at a fourth angle of rotation different from the first, second, and third angles, the first longitudinal axis of the first swing actuator intersects the second longitudinal axis of the second swing actuator outside of the angle of rotation of the boom.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to an excavator that is operable in manual and automatic modes and uses state machines to effect unit operations, rotationally offset swing actuators to rotate boom and cutter head, a fail safe hydraulic system to maintain gripper pressure in the event of a malfunction of the hydraulic system, differing position and pressure control functions in the hydraulic actuators, a kinematic module to effect pitch and roll adjustments, a cutting face profile generator to generate a profile of the excavation face, and an optimization module to realize a high degree of optimization of excavator operation.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An excavation method, comprising:
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(a) providing an excavator, the excavator comprising a boom;
a cutter head, mounted on the boom, for excavating in situ material; and
a body, wherein the boom is rotatably mounted on the body and includes first and second swing actuators to effect rotation of the boom; and(b) rotating the boom in a first direction through a first angle of rotation, wherein; (b1) when the boom is at a first angle of rotation, the first swing actuator is at the first swing actuator'"'"'s minimum stroke and the second swing actuator is not at the second swing actuator'"'"'s minimum or maximum stroke; (b2) when the boom is at a second angle of rotation different from the first angle, the second swing actuator is at the second swing actuator'"'"'s minimum stroke and the first swing actuator is not at the first swing actuator'"'"'s maximum or minimum stroke; (b3) when the boom is at a third angle of rotation different from the first and second angles, a first longitudinal axis of the first swing actuator intersects a second longitudinal axis of the second swing actuator within an angle of rotation of the boom; and (b4) when the boom is at a fourth angle of rotation different from the first, second, and third angles, the first longitudinal axis of the first swing actuator intersects the second longitudinal axis of the second swing actuator outside of the angle of rotation of the boom. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An excavation method, comprising:
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providing an excavator comprising a cutter head for excavating in situ material, a body engaging the cutter head, and a plurality of grippers for applying pressure against opposing surfaces of an excavation to maintain the body in a selected position and orientation; manually positioning the excavator in a selected first position adjacent to an excavation face; comparing selected excavator sensed parameters against predetermined values to confirm that the excavator is properly configured; commencing an automated first excavation sequence in which a first set of grippers engage opposing excavation surfaces of the excavation to maintain the body in a selected position and the excavator excavates material from the excavation face; when a thrust actuator engaging the cutter head is extended a predetermined distance, commencing an automated repositioning sequence to reposition the excavator to a second position adjacent to the excavation face, wherein, in the automated repositioning sequence a second set of grippers, but not the first set of grippers, engage the opposing excavation surfaces; and when the excavator is in the second position, confirming that the excavator is properly configured for an automated second excavation sequence; and when properly configured, commencing an automated second excavation sequence. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An excavation method, comprising:
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providing an excavator comprising a cutter head for excavating in situ material, a body engaging the cutter head, and a plurality of grippers for applying pressure against opposing surfaces of an excavation to maintain the body in a selected position and orientation; manually positioning the excavator in a selected first position adjacent to an excavation face; comparing selected excavator sensed parameters against predetermined values to confirm that the excavator is properly configured; commencing an automated first excavation sequence in which a first set of grippers engage opposing excavation surfaces of the excavation to maintain the body in a selected position and the excavator excavates material from the excavation face; when a thrust actuator engaging the cutter head is extended a predetermined distance, commencing an automated repositioning sequence to reposition the excavator to a second position adjacent to the excavation face, wherein, in the automated repositioning sequence a second set of grippers, but not the first set of grippers, engage the opposing excavation surfaces; and when the excavator is in the second position, confirming that the excavator is properly configured for an automated second excavation sequence; and when properly configured, commencing an automated second excavation sequence; and wherein the cutter head is mounted on a boom and comprises one or more excavating devices and the thrust actuator operatively engages at least one variable orifice valve for supplying hydraulic fluid to the at least one thrust actuator and further comprising; monitoring a parameter that is at least one of (a) a thrust force applied on the cutter head by the at least one thrust actuator, (b) a force on a cutter;
(c) a speed at which the boom is rotating, and (d) a swing torque by the boom; andwhen the parameter exceeds a selected threshold, opening the at least one variable orifice valve a selected amount to relieve the pressure in the at least one thrust actuator, wherein the selected amount is a function of at least one of the following; (i) the amount by which the cutter force exceeds a selected value; (ii) the speed at which the cutter force is increasing; (iii) an amount of time that the selected value has been exceeded; (iv) the amount by which the difference between a commanded boom rotational speed and an actual boom rotational speed exceeds a selected value; (v) the speed at which the speed difference is increasing; (vi) the amount by which the swing torque exceeds a selected value; and (v) the speed at which the swing torque is increasing. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification