Payload monitor
First Claim
1. An apparatus for measuring and indicating the weight of a payload carried by a work vehicle, the work vehicle having at least one front and rear strut disposed in supporting relation to a load carrying portion of the work vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- means for separately sensing the pressures of said front and rear struts and delivering signals respectively responsive to the magnitude of said front and rear strut pressures;
means for modifying said front and rear strut pressure signals by applying respective unique correction factors thereto, summing the resultant modified signals, and delivering a control signal responsive to the magnitude of the sum of said modified signals;
means for receiving said control signal and delivering an indication of the magnitude of the work vehicle payload in response to the magnitude of said control signal; and
means for recording the magnitude of the control signal as an indication of actual current payload in response to the magnitude of said control signal changing by less than a preselected magnitude during a first preselected duration of time.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus determines the payload carried in a work vehicle by periodically measuring the pressure of a fluid contained within front and rear suspension struts. The struts are connected in supporting relation between a load carrying portion and a ground engaging portion of the vehicle such that a pressure differential between a loaded and unloaded vehicle can be shown to be indicative of the magnitude of the payload. Moreover, the pressures are a function of the geometry of a suspension means which interconnects the load carrying portion and the ground engaging portion.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An apparatus for measuring and indicating the weight of a payload carried by a work vehicle, the work vehicle having at least one front and rear strut disposed in supporting relation to a load carrying portion of the work vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
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means for separately sensing the pressures of said front and rear struts and delivering signals respectively responsive to the magnitude of said front and rear strut pressures; means for modifying said front and rear strut pressure signals by applying respective unique correction factors thereto, summing the resultant modified signals, and delivering a control signal responsive to the magnitude of the sum of said modified signals; means for receiving said control signal and delivering an indication of the magnitude of the work vehicle payload in response to the magnitude of said control signal; and means for recording the magnitude of the control signal as an indication of actual current payload in response to the magnitude of said control signal changing by less than a preselected magnitude during a first preselected duration of time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for measuring and indicating the weight of a payload carried by a work vehicle, the work vehicle having a frame, a rear axle housing, at least one front and rear strut, and an A-frame moment arm, said A-frame moment arm having a first end portion pivotally connected to said frame and a second end portion fixedly connected to said rear axle housing, said rear strut having a first end portion pivotally connected to said frame and a second end portion pivotally connected to the second end portion of said A-frame moment arm, said apparatus comprising:
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means for separately sensing the pressures of said front and rear struts and delivering signals respectively responsive to the magnitude of said front and rear strut pressures; means for modifying said front and rear strut pressure signals by separate preselected unique correction factors, summing the resultant modified signals, and delivering a control signal responsive to the magnitude of the sum of said modified signals; said rear strut pressure correction factor being a function of the length of said A-frame moment arm and the horizontal distance between the center of said rear axle housing and the first end portion of said A-frame moment arm; and means for receiving said control signal and delivering an indication of the magnitude of the work vehicle payload in response to the magnitude of said control signal. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification