Apparatus and method for on-board measuring of the load carried by a truck body

• US 4,630,227 A
• Filed: 04/27/1984
• Issued: 12/16/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LeRoy G Hagenbuch
• Original Assignee: LeRoy G Hagenbuch
• Inventors: Hagenbuch, LeRoy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US06/604,739
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 364/567, 364/568, 364/466, 364/424, 364/558, 177/136, 177/141, 177/211, 73/862.58
• US Class Current: 702/174
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/11 Mounting of sensors thereon
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/026 Heavy duty trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/60 Load
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/61 Load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/042 Monitoring means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/0422 involving data transmission, e.g. via satellite or GPS; for data monitoring, telemetry or platooning purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/08 for incorporation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for accurately measuring the weight of a load carried by a truck body which is pivotally mounted on a truck frame. With the truck body in its lowered position, the apparatus is located along an interface between the truck frame with the load carried by the truck body. In order to measure the weight of the load, the apparatus includes pressure sensors which communicate the entire weight of the load to the truck frame. The pressure sensors provide an electrical signal proportional to the pressure exerted by the load on the apparatus. This electrical signal is processed to calculate the weight of the load carried in the truck body. By providing a pressure sensing apparatus at an interface between the load and truck frame, the weight on the load carried by the truck body can be continually monitored without interrupting the loading, hauling and dumping routine.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sensing an indication of the weight of a load carried by a truck body which is pivotally mounted on a truck frame, said apparatus comprising:

a truck frame including a hinge assembly;

a truck body pivotally mounted to said truck frame at said hinge assembly, said truck body being pivotally movable on said frame between a lowered position and a raised position;

a substantial length of the surface of said truck frame serving as a support surface for said truck body in its lowered position;

at least one fluid-filled tubing assembly mounted on said substantial length of the surface of said truck frame and forming a continuous interface between said substantial length and a mating portion of said truck body, thereby transferring at least a portion of the weight of said truck body to said frame in a substantially even and continuous distribution along said substantial length; and

a pressure sensor assembly in communication with the fluid in said at least one fluid-filled tubing for providing a pressure measurement indicative of the weight of the truck body and its load transferred to said frame along said interface.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said truck body is composed of upper and lower sections with said fluid-filled tubing positioned between upper and lower sections so that said tubing fully supports the weight of said load on said lower section when said truck body is in its lowered position.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hinge assembly includes means for decoupling said body and frame at said assembly when said truck body is in its lowered position thereby causing the entire weight of said truck body to be communicated to said truck frame by way of said fluid-filled tubing assembly.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one fluid-filled tubing assembly includes fluid-filled tubing supported on said substantial length and covered by a shield, said shield covering said tubing in a manner to (1) allow the transfer of the weight of said truck body to said tubing and (2) allow uninhibited deformation of said tubing in response to the weight of said truck body.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said shield includes a predetermined area of contact between said shield and said at least one fluid-filled tubing, thereby accurately providing a pressure within said tubing that is linearly related to the weight of said truck body.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hinge assembly has body and frame portions and also includes means for decoupling said body and frame portions when said truck body is moved to its lowered position such that the entire weight of said truck body is communicated to said truck frame through said fluid-filled tubing assembly.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pressure sensor assembly provides an electrical signal to a processor on board said truck, said processor responding to said electrical signal to provide the truck operator with an indication of the weight of the truck.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 including a dump sensor mounted to said truck and responsive to the pivoting of said truck body so as to provide said processor with a signal indicative of the dumping of a load by said truck.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said processor includes means responsive to said signal from said dump sensor for determining the elapsed time between successive dump signals.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 including a gear shift sensor for sensing changes in the gears of said truck and providing an electrical signal to said processor in order for the processor to record the gear shifted from, the weight of the load and the time in the previous gear.

11. A method for measuring the weight of a load carried by a truck body pivotally mounted to a truck frame, said truck body being pivoted between lowered and raised positions, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning at least one length of fluid-filled tubing between said truck frame and the load carried by said truck body;

positioning said truck body at its lowered position;

supporting a predetermined portion of the weight of said load on said truck frame and through said fluid-filled tubing such that said tubing continuously and uniformly distributes the weight of said load along at least a substantial portion of the length of said truck frame;

measuring the fluid pressure in said fluid-filled tubing;

converting at least said fluid pressure measurement to a weight value indicative of the entire weight of said load; and

indicating to the truck operator the entire weight of the truck'"'"'s load.

12. An apparatus for the on-board sensing of the load carried in a truck body which is pivotally mounted to a truck frame, said apparatus comprising;

a hinge assembly mounted on said truck frame and coupled to said truck body so as to allow said truck body to pivot between lowered and raised positions;

support means mounted on elongated beams of said truck frame;

said hinge assembly including means for decoupling said body and frame at said assembly when said truck body is in its lowered position, thereby causing the entire weight of said truck body to be communicated to said truck frame by way of said support means;

said support means supporting the entire weight of the truck body in its lowered position in such a manner as to evenly and continuously distribute the entire weight along said interface with none of the weight of the body transferred to the truck frame via said hinge assembly;

said support means includes at least one elongated, inverted U-shaped member and fluid-filled elongated tubings sandwiched between said elongated beams and said U-shaped member, and said elongated inverted U-shaped member serving to shield and protect said fluid-filled elongated tubings from direct contact with a surface of said body; and

at least one pressure sensor in communication with the fluid in said fluid-filled elongated tubing for measuring the pressure therein and thereby provide an indication of the weight of the truck body.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 12 including a sensor processing unit for determining the weight of the load carried by said truck body from the pressure measured by said pressure sensor.