WEIGHING SYSTEM FOR LOADS MANIPULATED BY LIFTING EQUIPMENT

• US 20150323377A1
• Filed: 11/19/2013
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Forest AB (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Forest AB (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Inventors: BERG, Karl
• Granted Patent: US 9,708,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/16 Applications of indicating, registering, or weighing devices in crane hooks B66C1/40; in safety gear B66C15/00; weighing-apparatus G01G; remote indicating in general G08
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 3/005 Grab supports, e.g. articulations; Oscillation dampers; Orientation B66C3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 3/04 Tine grabs
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/3677 allowing movement, e.g. rotation or translation, of the tool around or along another axis as the movement implied by the boom or arms, e.g. for tilting buckets
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/3681 Rotators
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/006 Pivot joint assemblies in general F16C11/04
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/18 having electrical weight-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0009 Force sensors associated with a bearing testing of bearings G01M13/04

Abstract

A system includes: a detection means that detecting the weight of the load that is being manipulated is integrated into a load-sensitive guide pin that forms part of the axle bearing and that can output a signal that is proportional to the effect that is caused by the load, a power source to provide driving power for the load-sensitive guide pin, a sensor cable for the transfer of a driving voltage from the power source to the load-sensitive guide pin, a calculation means that is in signal-transfer connection with the load-sensitive guide pin in order to calculate the weight of the load that corresponds to the signal from the load-sensitive guide pin.

Claims

1. A system for the calculation of the weight of a load that is manipulated with the aid of lifting equipment which includes a crane arm that comprises a first end with which it is intended that the crane arm is to be mounted such that it can rotate on a crane-support unit, for example a wheeled vehicle chassis that can be driven, and a second end with an end part fixed attached to it which, through a jointed connector that includes an axle bearing, allows the load to rotate freely around a defined axis of rotation relative to the crane arm,

the system includes:

a detector that detecting the weight of the load that is being manipulated by the crane arm is integrated into a load-sensitive guide pin that forms part of the axle bearing that is a component of the jointed connection and which guide pin can output a signal that is proportional to the effect that is caused by the load,

a power source to provide driving power for the load-sensitive guide pin,

a sensor cable for the transfer of a driving voltage from the power source to the load-sensitive guide pin in order to drive the same,

a calculation unit that is in signal-transfer connection with the load-sensitive guide pin and that is arranged to calculate the weight of the load that corresponds to the signal from the load-sensitive guide pin,

wherein the jointed connection comprises;

a connecting link provided with shanks which, comprised of meeting fork shanks that fit one inside the other, form a free suspension by which the load can swing in a cardan manner around two mutually perpendicular axes relative the crane arm,

the detector comprises;

a load-sensitive guide pin which can output a signal that corresponds to the force that is proportional to the effect that is caused by the load, wherein

the load-sensitive guide pin is a component of one of the axle bearings of the connecting link.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the connecting link comprises an “

open joint”

, the axle bearing of which is defined by two joints located at a distance from each other along the joint axle line of the axis of rotation, where each joint comprises a guide pin of which at least one guide pin in the axle bearing is of load-sensitive type.

3. The system according to claim 1, whereby the sensor cable for the supply of power to the load-sensitive guide pin extends in a compartment that is limited in the direction of the axis of rotation between the two joints.

4. The system according to claim 1, whereby the power source is supported at the crane-support unit and that the sensor cable is arranged to extend along the crane arm from the crane-support unit to the load-sensitive guide pin in order to supply power to the same.

5. The system according to claim 1, whereby the sensor cable has the tasks both of providing the load-sensitive guide pin with driving voltage from a power source located at a distance and of leading an output signal to the calculation unit for calculation of the weight of the load.

6. The system according to claim 1, comprising a number of guide pins which are pairwise acting in the axle bearing and each of which is of load-sensitive type.

7. The system according to claim 1, whereby each load-sensitive measurement pin has a connector to which it is intended that a sensor cable be connected, and which connector is located, or facing in towards the compartment that is limited between the two joints of the axle bearing in the “

open joint”

.

8. The system according to claim 1, whereby the sensor cable demonstrates a protective outer cover of a rubber material that resists wear.

9. The system according to claim 1, whereby each guide pin demonstrates load-sensitive load surfaces that are used as bearing surfaces for glide bearings bushes that are mounted in circular openings or holes in the meeting fork-shaped parts of the axle bearing.

10. A load-sensitive jointed connector between a crane arm point and a cross-piece connected to it in a jointed manner that allows the load to be rotated or tilted freely relative to the crane arm around an axis of rotation, comprising a detector that detecting the weight of the load that is being manipulated by the crane arm is integrated into a load-sensitive guide pin that forms part of the axle bearing that is a component of the jointed connection and which guide pin can output a signal that is proportional to the effect that is caused by the load, wherein the jointed connector between the crane arm and the load is designed as a connecting link provided with shanks which, comprised of meeting fork shanks that fit one inside the other, form a free suspension by which the load can swing in a cardan manner around two mutually perpendicular axes relative the crane arm, that the detector comprises a load-sensitive guide pin which can output a signal that corresponds to the force that is proportional to the effect that is caused by the load, wherein the load-sensitive guide pin is a component of one of the axle bearings of the connecting link.

11. The load-sensitive jointed connector according to claim 10, comprising an “

open joint”

defined by two joints located at a distance from each other along the joint axle line of the axis of rotation, that each joint comprises a combination of a guide pin and a meeting fork-shaped part with opposing circular holes or openings into which a respective guide pin has been inserted whereby at least one of the said guide pins in the axle bearing is a load-sensitive guide pin.