RADIO CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MOBILE AERIAL PLATFORMS

• US 3,774,217 A
• Filed: 02/21/1973
• Issued: 11/20/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Triplex Acquisition Corporation
• Original Assignee: John F. Wiehe Jr, Robert B. Bonner
• Inventors: Bonner, Robert B., Wiehe, John F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US05/334,284
• Time in Patent Office: 272 Days
• Field of Search: 343/225 340/163,171 212/8,35 182/148 318/16
• US Class Current: 340/12.5
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/40 Applications of devices for transmitting control pulses; Applications of remote control devices control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 2700/088 Remote control of electric cranes
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 11/046 of the telescoping type

Abstract

This invention is directed to an improved control system for articulated scaffoldings or mobile aerial towers employing a plurality of hydraulic actuators and an improved electric hydraulic control for operation of the same from a remote source through a portable transmitter and receiver combination. The transmitter includes a plurality of control handles and associated logic equipment to convert analogue directional and speed control signals into binary digital form for transmission by the transmitter on a modulated carrier frequency. The receiver which is mounted at the base of the tower receives the transmission and demodulates the signals converting them from binary digital form to analogue form for the purpose of proportionately energizing control valves operating the hydraulic motor for directional and speed controls of the motor. Included in this system is a bypass control for isolating the hydraulic system whenever the transmitter or receiver is inoperative or any type power failure may be experienced to insure against accidental or undesired movement of the hydraulic actuators thereof. Power is applied to the transmitter with operation of any of the manual controls and with reception of the signal at the receiver, the bypass control is opened allowing hydraulic fluid to flow to the motors for control purposes. The improved control system includes provision for manual override control on the control valves from the receiver site.

Claims

1. A mobile aerial tower comprising, a mobile platform, an articulated boom mounted on the platform, hydraulic motors connected to parts of said boom for orienting the same in at least two axes of movement, a hydraulic pressure source for operating said hydraulic motors carred by the mobile platform and connected respectively to each of said hydraulic motors, control valve means positioned in the connection between the source and each of said motors for reversibly operating said hydraulic motors bidirectionally and with varying speeds of movement, said control valve means having control coils means therein, a radio transmitting controller means including a radiating transmitter for operating said motors from said mobile platform with a connectionless type of coupling including a plurality of switches each adapted to selectively control one of said hydraulic motors with the switches having a plurality of switch positions to either side of a reference position for directional and variable speed control of said motors, encoder means included in said transmitting controller means to translate switch position into a pulsed binary code signal, means including clock means for gating said signals to said radiating transmitter and antenna in a predetermined sequence, said transmitting controller means including means to energize said transmitter with operation of any of said switches from said reference position, and receiver means carried by said platform and including demodulator means and clock means responsive to the signals from said transmitter to detect the pulsed code signals and to convert the pulsed code signals into current flow in said control coil means of said control valves in a direction and magnitude corresponding to respective switch position in the transmitting controller means to provide operation of the motors in accord with the switch position.

2. The mobile aerial tower of claim 1 and including an additional boom element having a personnel carrying basket at the extremity of the same connected to the boom, and additional hydraulic motor for orienting said additional boom element and the basket thereon with respect to the articulated boom about at least one axis of movement.

3. The mobile aerial tower of claim 2 and including manual override means for each of said motors positioned on said platform and selectively connected to said control coil means of said control valve for said respective hydraulic motors to energize said control coil means and operate said motors independent of the trans-mitter.

4. The mobile aerial tower of claim 2 and including bypass valve means positioned in the connection between the hydraulic source and the hydraulic motors of the articulated boom and boom element and adapted to bypass flow of hydraulic fluid from the source to said motors, said bypass valve means being operative with operation of said receiver means to connect the source of hydraulic fluid to said motors to be controlled by the associated valve means.

5. The mobile aerial tower of claim 4 and including additional means in the manual override means of the receiver for operating the bypass valve to connect the source of hydraulic fluid to said motor independent of the receiver with operation of the manual override means.

6. The mobile aerial tower of claim 1 in which the transmitter includes with the means to energize the transmitter means upon operation of any of said switches, additional means to transmit an address code in sequence with the pulsed code signals to the receiver means, and means in the receiver demodulator means responsive to the address code to permit demodulation of the pulsed code signals upon receipt of a proper address code.

7. The mobile aerial tower of claims 6 and including means in the transmitter means to provide a sync signal with operation of any of said switches in sequence with the address code and pulsed code signals, means in the receiver means responsive to the sync signal and conditioning the demodulating means to respond to the address signal and the pulsed code signals with a proper synchronization of signals from the transmitter means.

8. The mobile aerial tower of claim 7 in which the transmitter means and receiver means include holding registers for the sync, address and pulsed code signals, and including additional means responsive to the absence of operation of any of the switches to clear the registers of the signals therein.

9. The mobile aerial tower of claim 8 in which the transmitter means and receiver means include oscillator type clock means and binary counters which synchronize the demodulated signals in the transmitter and receiver means in proper sequence to convert the signals and provide the current flow to the control coil means of the valves.

10. The mobile aerial tower of claim 9 in which the transmitter means and receiver means include respectively adjustable means for transmitting and receiving signals on any one of a selected plurality of frequencies.

11. The mobile aerial tower of claim 10 in which the receiver means on the platform includes a converter responsive to the pulsed code signals and including a resistance network with switching means for selectively connecting portions of the network with the energizing coil means of the control valve means and to a fixed electric source to variably energize the coil means in predetermined directions and with a variable current to selectively control the direction and speed of rotation of the motor means.

12. The mobile aerial tower of claim 1 in which the control coil means in a single control coil for each valve.

13. The mobile aerial tower of claim 1 in which the control coil means is a pair of coils for each control valve means with one of said coils being connected to the receiver means and the other of said coils being connected to the manual override means.

14. A mobile structure comprising, a mobile platform, a structure mounted on the platform and including a plurality of parts each movable relative to one another in directions transverse to one another, a plurality of hydraulic motors connected to the parts of the structure for orienting the same about said respective axes of movement, hydraulic pressure source carried by said platform for operating the respective hydraulic motors, hydraulic connection means extending between the hydraulic source and the respective hydraulic motors, control valve means positioned in the hydraulic connection means between the hydraulic source and said motors for reversibly operating said hydraulic motors With varying speeds of movement, the control valve means having control coil means thereon for operating the control valve means, a portable radio transmitter and controller for operating said motors from a point remote from the mobile platform through controllable energization of said control coil means of the control valve means, said radio transmitting controller including a plurality of switches each adapted to selectively control one of said motors, an analogue to digital converter operated by said switches to translate switch position into binary pulsed code signals, means including clock means for gating said signals to the radiating transmitter in a predetermined sequence, receiver means carried by the platform and including demodulator means and clock means responsive to the signals from the transmitter to detect the pulsed code signals, and converter means having switching means and a resistance network included with the receiver means and responsive to the demodulator means for converting the pulsed code signals into analogue type signals and operating said switching means and said resistance network to provide a variable current flow to the control coil means of the control valves in a direction and magnitude corresponding to the switch position in the transmitting controller.

15. The articulated structure of claim 14 and including manual override means positioned in said receiver means and connected to the control coil means of each of the control valve means for the respective hydraulic motors to energize the control coil means and the bypass valve means independent of operation of the receiver.

16. The articulated structure of claim 14 in which the transmitter includes circuit means and a portable battery source included therewith upon operation of any of the switch means.

17. The articulated structure of claim 16 in which the transmitter includes additional means for generating an address code and a sync code in the form of pulsed code signals with operation of any of the switches turning on the transmitter and in which the receiver means includes in the demodulator means means responsive to the sync code and address code to condition response for the demodulator means to demodulate the remainder of the pulsed signals.

18. The articulated structure of claim 17 in which the transmission by the transmitter with operation of any of the switches provides a series of pulsed code signals in a predetermined spacing and timing to provide a message of a predetermined time length which is repeated with continued operation of any of the switches and in which the message is of the same time length irrespective of the number of switches operated.

19. The articulated structure of claim 18 in which the transmitter includes converter means for translating a switch position upon operation thereof to pulsed coded binary signals and in which the receiver means includes the demodulator and converter which converts the pulsed code binary signals to analogue type signals through operation of the switching means in a resistance network to provide for variable magnitude and direction of current flow through the control valves of the hydraulic motor.

20. The mobile articulated structure of claim 15 and including bypass valve means positioned in the connection between the hydraulic source and respective hydraulic motors of the structure to bypass flow of hydraulic fluid from the source to said motors and seal the hydraulic lines such as to maintain the motors in their last operating condition, and means responsive to presence of signals in the receiver means to operate said bypass valve means to connect the hydraulic fluid source to said motors through said control valve means.