Geographic surface altering implement control system

• US 5,499,684 A
• Filed: 08/16/1994
• Issued: 03/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Stratton, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nicholson, Eric K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WARNICK IV, SPENCER K
• Application Number:
  US08/291,263
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 172/4, 172/4.5, 172/812, 172/824, 172/826, 37/382, 37/414, 364/424.07, 91/520
• US Class Current: 172/4.5
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/004 Devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path for graders or bulldozers E02F3/841; for other soil-shifting machines E02F9/2045
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/845 using mechanical sensors to determine the blade position, e.g. inclinometers, gyroscopes, pendulums
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool

Abstract

A tilt angle control system has first and second sensors for sensing the position of the rod end portion of first and second lift jacks. A controller calculates an actual tilt angle of an implement connected to the rod end portions of the lift jacks based on a difference in the amount of extension relative to a baseline. A display device displays the actual and desired tilt angles. The controller compares the actual tilt angle to a desired tilt angle and actuates a fluid operated system to move one of the first and second jacks in response to a difference between the desired and actual tilt angles. An inclinometer sensed angle of the machine relative to a horizontal plane is added to the actual tilt angle to correct the actual tilt angle of the implement. The tilt angle control system is particularly suited for use on a bulldozer.

Claims

1. A tilt angle control system for a geographic surface altering implement, comprising:

a frame;

first and second fluid operated lift jacks each having first and second end portions and each being connected at said first end portion to said frame and at said second end portion to said implement, said second end portion of the first and second lift jacks being spaced from each other a preselected distance at the implement connection, said second end portion of the first and second lift jacks being movable relative to the first end portion of the first and second lift jacks, respectively, and said implement being movable relative to the frame in response to movement of at least one of the lift jacks second end portion;

first sensing means for sensing the position of the second end portion of the first lift jack relative to the first end portion of the first lift jack and delivering a responsive first position signal;

second sensing means for sensing the position of the second end portion of the second lift jack relative to the first end portion of the second lift jack and delivering a responsive second position signal;

control means for receiving said first and second position signals, determining a magnitude of difference between the relative positions of the second end portion of the first and second lift jacks, calculating a tilt angle based on the relative difference, and delivering a calculated tilt angle signal.

2. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 1, including display means for receiving said tilt angle signal and indicating a corresponding tilt angle of said implement relative to a predetermined baseline.

3. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said display means pictorially displaying said implement at said corresponding tilt angle relative to the predetermined baseline.

4. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 1, including:

command means for delivering a selected one of a plurality of implement tilt command signals;

said control means receiving said one implement tilt command signal and delivering a responsive implement tilt control signal;

valve means for receiving said implement tilt control signal and responsively delivering pressurized fluid flow; and

tilt jack means for receiving said pressurized fluid flow and tilting said implement in response to receiving said pressurized fluid flow, said tilt jack means being connected to said implement.

5. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 4, including display means for receiving said tilt angle signal and indicating a corresponding tilt angle of said implement relative to a predetermined baseline during tilting movement of said implement.

6. A tilt angle control system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said tilt jack means includes first and second spaced apart extensible tilt jacks connected to and between said frame and implement, said valve means being connected to said first and second tilt jacks and being movable between a first position at which fluid flow is delivered from said valve means to said first tilt jack to extend said first tilt jack and tilt said implement in a first direction, and a second position at which fluid flow is delivered by said valve means to said second tilt jack to extend said second tilt jack and tilt said implement in a second direction, said valve means being movable to one of the first and second positions in response to receiving said one implement tilt control signal.

7. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said selected one implement tilt command signal defines a desired implement tilt angle, said control means comparing the desired implement tilt angle to the calculated tilt angle and stopping the delivery of said implement tilt control signal in response to said calculated and desired implement tilt angles being substantially equal, said valve means stopping delivery of pressurized fluid flow to said tilt jack means in response to said calculated and desired implement angles being substantially equal.

8. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said tilt jack means includes first and second spaced apart tilt jacks, said command means includes a joystick controller having a joystick pivotally movable to a plurality of different positions, said command means delivering a different implement tilt command signal at each of said different positions of said joystick, said valve means controlling the relative speed and direction of movement of the first and second tilt jacks as a function of the position of the joystick.

9. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first and second signals delivered by said first and second sensing means being a function of the magnitude of the distance between the first and second end portions of the first and second lift jacks, respectively.

10. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 9, wherein the control means calculates the tilt angle of the implement in accordance with the following equation:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">θ

=Arctan(T.sub.1 -T.sub.2)/D

where;

θ

=The tilt angle;

T₁ =The magnitude of the distance between the first and second end portions of the first lift jack;

T₂ =The magnitude of the distance between the first and second end portions of the second lift jack; and

D₁ =The distance between the second end portions of the first and second lift jacks.

11. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said implement tilt command signal being one of an analog or digital signal.

12. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said predetermined baseline is a horizontal line.

13. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first and second sensing means each include a linear variable differential transformer connected to a respective one of said first and second lift jacks.

14. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 1, including a third sensing means for sensing an angle of the frame relative to the horizontal and delivering a responsive frame angle signal, said control means combining the frame angle and the tilt angle and delivering a responsive corrected tilt angle signal.

15. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 14, including display means for receiving said corrected tilt angle signal and indicating a corrected tilt angle of said implement relative to a predetermined baseline.

16. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 1, including:

selector means for selecting a desired implement tilt angle relative to a predetermined baseline;

switch means for selecting one of a display and control mode of operation, said control means comparing said calculated tilt angle to a predetermined desired tilt angle in response to said switch means selecting said control mode of operation and delivering an implement tilt control signal in response to said desired and calculated tilt angle values being at a different magnitude;

valve means for receiving said implement tilt control signal and responsively delivering pressurized fluid flow;

tilt jack means for receiving said pressurized fluid flow and tilting said implement in response to receiving said pressurized fluid flow, said tilt jack means being connected to said implement.

17. A tilt angle control system for a geographic surface altering implement, comprising:

a frame;

first and second fluid operated lift jacks each having first and second end portions and each being connected at said first end portion to said frame and at said second end portion to said implement, said second end portion of the first and second lift jacks being spaced from each other a preselected distance at the implement connection, said second end portion of the first and second lift jacks being movable relative to the first end portion of the first and second lift jacks, respectively, and said implement being movable relative to the frame in response to movement of at least one of the lift jacks second end portion;

first sensing means for sensing the position of the second end portion of the first lift jack relative to the first end portion of the first lift jack and delivering a responsive first position signal;

second sensing means for sensing the position of the second end portion of the second lift jack relative to the first end portion of the second lift jack and delivering a responsive second position signal;

third sensing means for sensing an angle of the frame relative to the horizontal and delivering a responsive frame angle signal;

control means for receiving said frame angle signal, said first position signal, and second position signal, determining a magnitude of difference between the relative positions of the second end portion of the first and second lift jacks based on said first and second position signals, calculating a tilt angle based on the magnitude of difference and the preselected distance at the implement connection, combining the frame angle and the tilt angle and delivering a responsive corrected tilt angle signal representative of a corrected implement tilt angle.

18. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 17, including display means for receiving said corrected tilt angle signal and indicating a corrected tilt angle of said implement relative to a predetermined baseline.

19. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 18, wherein said predetermined baseline represents a horizontal plane.

20. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 17, including:

command means for delivering a selected one of a plurality of implement tilt command signals;

said control means receiving said selected one implement tilt command signal and delivering a responsive implement tilt control signal;

valve means for receiving said implement tilt control signal and responsively delivering pressurized fluid flow; and

tilt jack means for receiving said pressurized fluid flow and tilting said implement in response to receiving said pressurized fluid flow, said tilt jack means being connected to said implement.

21. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 20, including display means for receiving said tilt angle signal and indicating a corresponding tilt angle of said implement relative to a predetermined baseline during tilting movement of said implement.

22. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 20, wherein said selected one implement tilt command signal defines a desired implement tilt angle, said control means comparing the desired implement tilt angle to the corrected implement tilt angle and stopping the delivery of said implement tilt control signal in response to the desired and corrected implement tilt angles being substantially the same, said valve means preventing the delivery of pressurized fluid flow to said tilt jack means in response to said desired and corrected implement tilt angles being substantially equal.

23. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 20, wherein said tilt jack means includes first and second spaced apart tilt jacks, said command means includes a joystick pivotally movable to a plurality of different positions, said command means being connected to said control means and being adapted to deliver the selected one of the plurality of different tilt command signals at a selected one of the plurality of joystick positions, said valve means receiving said selected one tilt command signal and controlling the relative speed and direction of movement of the first and second tilt jacks as a function of the selected position of joystick.

24. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 17, wherein said first and second sensing means each include a linear variable differential transformer connected to a respective one of said first and second lift jacks.

25. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 17, wherein said third sensing means includes an inclinometer mounted on said frame and connected to said control means.

26. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 20, wherein said command means including a joystick control pivotally moveable to one of a plurality of positions, said joystick control delivering said one of a plurality of tilt command signals at said one position.

27. A tilt angle control system, as set forth in claim 17, including:

means for selecting a desired implement tilt angle relative to a predetermined baseline;

switch means for selecting one of a display and control mode of operation and delivering a responsive signal, said control means receiving said one signal comparing said corrected tilt angle to a predetermined desired tilt angle in response to said switch means selecting said control mode of operation and delivering an implement tilt control signal in response to said desired and corrected tilt angles being at a different magnitude;

valve means for receiving said implement tilt control signal and responsively delivering pressurized fluid flow;

tilt jack means for receiving said pressurized fluid flow and tilting said implement in response to receiving said pressurized fluid flow, said tilt jack means being connected to said implement.