Process and apparatus for monitoring of vehicle crawler chains of a vehicle during driving
First Claim
1. A process for monitoring at least one vehicle crawler chain for malfunctions during a driving operation with respect to an unacceptable change of pitch of links of the crawler chain so as to impair the driving operation, comprising the steps of monitoring an actual running sound of said crawler chain, triggering a defect signal for said crawler chain, when said unacceptable change of pitch occurs during the driving operation, due to said defect signal exceeding a median running sound of an intact crawler chain, assigning to the median running sound a threshold pitch of the crawler chain to trigger the defect signal, and emitting a warning signal when a given signal frequency associated with the unacceptable change of pitch is above the threshold pitch, wherein the given signal frequency is determined by generating a number of n-pulsed for each tooth of the driving gear which correspond to each pitch of the crawler chain, counting the thus generated pulses to obtain a count, starting the counting again at one, when a value is reached which corresponds to n-times the number of all the pitches of the crawler chain, using the count for determining the rotating position of the pitches of the crawler chain, and adding up separately for each of the links of the crawler chain the number of said defect signals during a given time period.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process and apparatus monitors vehicle crawler chains for malfunctions during the driving operation. In particular, the process and apparatus monitors unacceptable changes of the pitch of the crawler chain which impairs the driving operation. The actual running sound of a crawler chain is sensed and is compared with the median running sound. When the actual running sound exceeds the median running sound by more than a given percentage and this excess occurs in the case of at least one chain link with a frequency that is higher than a given frequency, a warning signal is emitted to the driver.
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Citations
9 Claims
- 1. A process for monitoring at least one vehicle crawler chain for malfunctions during a driving operation with respect to an unacceptable change of pitch of links of the crawler chain so as to impair the driving operation, comprising the steps of monitoring an actual running sound of said crawler chain, triggering a defect signal for said crawler chain, when said unacceptable change of pitch occurs during the driving operation, due to said defect signal exceeding a median running sound of an intact crawler chain, assigning to the median running sound a threshold pitch of the crawler chain to trigger the defect signal, and emitting a warning signal when a given signal frequency associated with the unacceptable change of pitch is above the threshold pitch, wherein the given signal frequency is determined by generating a number of n-pulsed for each tooth of the driving gear which correspond to each pitch of the crawler chain, counting the thus generated pulses to obtain a count, starting the counting again at one, when a value is reached which corresponds to n-times the number of all the pitches of the crawler chain, using the count for determining the rotating position of the pitches of the crawler chain, and adding up separately for each of the links of the crawler chain the number of said defect signals during a given time period.
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3. A device for monitoring crawler chains of a vehicle to determine an unacceptable change of pitch of the crawler chains which impair driving of the vehicle, comprising a rotary pulse generator having an inductive sensor mounted on an edge of an end power take-off housing and a pulse ring firmly connected to a drive shaft of the driving gear around which the crawler chains pass, and the pulse ring for each tooth of the driving gear having at least one of an integral number of pulse members, the longitudinal axis of the inductive sensor being arranged in a radial plane extending perpendicularly to an axis of the drive shaft so as to intersect therewith, and the inductive sensor is spaced by a short distance opposite the pulse members.
- 4. A device for monitoring a crawler chain of a vehicle to determine an unacceptable pitch of the crawler chain which impairs driving of the vehicle, comprising a swing acceleration sensor operatively arranged on an end power take-off housing for a driving gear to sense a signal corresponding to an actual running sound of the crawler chain, an analysis circuit arranged to filter portions out of the signal of the actual running sound which exceed a medial running sound, and a monitoring device operatively associated with the analysis circuit to emit a defect signal when a frequency associated with the unacceptable pitch of the crawler chain exceeds a given frequency associated with the median running sound and to determine a rotating position of pitches of the chain from a signal of a rotary pulse generator connected to the driving gear, wherein the swing acceleration sensor is arranged on a rib of the end power take-off housing inside a housing recess and has an axis of highest sensitivity aligned such that the median running sound causes a maximum signal in the swing acceleration sensor.
Specification