Electric loader with excessive unwind preventive means

• US 3,943,306 A
• Filed: 04/04/1974
• Issued: 03/09/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kimura, Koichi, Aihara, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Noland, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US05/457,900
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 254/166, 254/174, 254/173, 254/173 A, 242/86.51, 242/86.61, 242/86.8, 242/158 R, 180/2 R, 191/12.2 R, 191/12.2 A
• US Class Current: 191/12.20R
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/00 Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/00 Component parts of dredgers or soil-shifting machines, not restricted to one of the kinds covered by groups E02F3/00 - E02F7/00 laying-out or take-up devices for trailing electric cables B66C
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/0858 Arrangement of component parts installed on superstructures not otherwise provided for, e.g. electric components, fenders, air-conditioning units E02F9/16, E02F9/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/02 using take-up reel or drum
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An electrically driven earth-moving or construction machine provided with an electric motor as a main motor and a reel assembly to wind or unwind a cable extending to the machine from an electric source away from the machine with the advance and reverse of the machine such that required power is supplied from the stationary electric source located outside the machine to the electric motor and means of suspending power supply to the electric motor when the cable wound on the reel is unwound to a given length with the advance of the machine whereby an accident which might otherwise be caused by the careless continuance of advance of the machine with the cable completely unwound.

Claims

1. In an electrically powered vehicle having a directional control lever with a forward and reverse position to select the direction of travel, and further having a reel assembly carrying a power cable, the power cable providing electrical energy to the vehicle from a remote power source to power the electric drive motor of the vehicle, the reel assembly being operable to wind and unwind the power cable while the vehicle is moving, and having sense means for determining when a predetermined length of cable has been unwound;

a power connection system comprising;

first switch means connected between the power source and said electric drive motor and operably connected to the sense means for automatically interrupting power to said electric drive motor in response to the sensing by the sense means when said predetermined length of cable has been unwound; and

second switch means connected between said power source and said electric drive motor and operably connected to the directional control lever for restoring power to the electric drive motor when the directional control lever is moved to its reverse position, said second switch means only being operable after said first switch means has interrupted the power to said drive motor to restore power thereto.

2. In an electrically powered vehicle having a directional control lever with a forward and reverse position to select the direction of travel, and further having a reel assembly carrying a power cable, the power cable providing electrical energy to the electric motor driving the vehicle from a remote power source, the reel assembly operable to wind and unwind the power cable while the vehicle is moving, and having sense means for determining when a predetermined length of cable has been unwound;

a power connection system comprising;

a main power connector switch means connected between the power source and the electric motor operable to control the power delivered from the remote power source to said electric motor; and

control means for opening and closing the main power connector switch means, having a first switch actuator means connected to the sense means operable to open said main power connector switch means when the sense means has determined a predetermined length of cable has been unwound and having a second switch actuator means connected to the directional control lever operable to close said main power connector switch means while the directional control lever is in the reverse position, said second switch actuator means only being operable after said first switch actuator means has interrupted the power to said electric motor to restore power thereto.

3. The power connection system set forth in claim 2 wherein the control means further includes a main switch means for positioning the first switch actuator means in a normally closed position and allowing the first switch actuator means to be responsive to the sense means.