Method and apparatus for controlling the slope of a blade on a motorgrader
First Claim
1. A control system for controlling the position of an adjustably movable tool having a working edge carried by a vehicle in order to maintain a desired cross slope angle of a surface being worked by the vehicle comprising:
- input means for selecting a desired cross slope angle of the surface being worked;
slope sensor means for determining a sensed parallel slope angle of the tool parallel to its working edge and relative to horizontal, and a perpendicular slope angle of said tool perpendicular to its working edge and relative to horizontal;
tool angle measuring means located on the vehicle out of contact with said surface for measuring an angle of rotation of said tool relative to the direction of travel of said tool; and
processor means connected to said input means, said slope sensor means and said tool angle measuring means for controlling said sensed parallel slope angle of said tool to maintain said desired cross slope angle of said surface.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus is provided for controlling the parallel blade slope angle of a blade in order to maintain a desired cross slope during normal operation of a motorgrader regardless of whether the motorgrader is turning, the front wheels are side-tilted or the blade supporting A-frame is side-shifted. The present invention controls the cross slope angle cut by the blade of a motorgrader by substantially continuously sensing the perpendicular slope angle of the blade by means of a slope sensor and the angle of rotation of the blade relative to the direction of the travel by means of a noncontact sensor. The sensed angles are used to calculate the parallel slope angle of the blade relative to horizontal which is required to maintain a desired cross slope angle. The parallel slope angle is sensed by means of the slope sensor and controlled such that it is maintained substantially equal to the calculated parallel slope angle to thereby define the desired cross slope angle set by an operator.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A control system for controlling the position of an adjustably movable tool having a working edge carried by a vehicle in order to maintain a desired cross slope angle of a surface being worked by the vehicle comprising:
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input means for selecting a desired cross slope angle of the surface being worked; slope sensor means for determining a sensed parallel slope angle of the tool parallel to its working edge and relative to horizontal, and a perpendicular slope angle of said tool perpendicular to its working edge and relative to horizontal; tool angle measuring means located on the vehicle out of contact with said surface for measuring an angle of rotation of said tool relative to the direction of travel of said tool; and processor means connected to said input means, said slope sensor means and said tool angle measuring means for controlling said sensed parallel slope angle of said tool to maintain said desired cross slope angle of said surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. In a motorgrader having a blade with a cutting edge supported upon a ring unit, the blade and the ring unit being rotatable about a generally vertical axis and being mounted for adjustment of the elevations of the ends of the blade to define a sensed parallel slope angle of the blade relative to horizontal, apparatus for controlling a cross slope angle of a surface being worked by the motorgrader comprising:
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input means for selecting a desired cross slope angle of the surface being worked; slope sensor means for determining the sensed parallel slope angle of the blade parallel to its cutting edge and relative to horizontal, and a perpendicular slope angle of said blade perpendicular to its cutting edge and relative to horizontal; blade angle measuring means located on the motorgrader out of contact with said surface for measuring an angle of rotation of said blade relative to the direction of travel of said blade; and processor means connected to said input means, said slope sensor means and said blade angle measuring means for controlling said sensed parallel slope angle of said blade to maintain said desired cross slope angle of said surface. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In a motorgrader having a blade with a cutting edge supported upon a ring unit, the blade and the ring unit being rotatable about a generally vertical axis and being mounted for adjustment of the elevations of the ends of the blade to define an actual parallel slope angle of the blade relative to horizontal, a method for controlling a cross slope angle of a surface being worked by the motorgrader comprising the steps of:
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selecting a desired cross slope angle; sensing the actual parallel slope angle of the blade parallel to its cutting edge and relative to horizontal; sensing a perpendicular slope angle of said blade perpendicular to its cutting edge and relative to horizontal; providing angle measuring means mounted onto said motorgrader out of contact with said surface; measuring an angle of rotation of said blade relative to the direction of travel of said blade with said angle measuring means, controlling said actual parallel slope angle of said blade as a function of the desired cross slope, the perpendicular slope angle of said blade and the angle of rotation of said blade relative to the direction of travel of said blade to maintain said desired cross slope angle of said surface being worked by said motorgrader. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification