Radio controlled liquid monitor

• US 6,994,282 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2003
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Elkhart Brass Manufacturing Company Incorporated (Safe Fleet Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elkhart Brass Manufacturing Company Incorporated (Safe Fleet Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Trapp, James M., Boissonneault, Raymond A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dinh Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/405,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20040216902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 239/587.1, 239/587.2, 239/71, 239/73, 239/280, 169/24, 169/60, 169/52, 169/51, 285/277, 285/920
• US Class Current: 239/587.2
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 31/24 attached to ladders, poles, towers, or other structures with or without rotary heads
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 285/92 Remotely controlled

Abstract

A radio controlled liquid monitor, capable of rotation about a vertical axis through an infinite arc is disclosed. A rotatable body is rotatably mounted onto a base element for rotation about a vertical axis, and a discharge elbow is rotatably mounted on the rotatable body for rotation about a horizontal axis. A horizontal drive unit and a vertical drive unit operate on gears on the rotatable body and the elbow, to enable the rotatable body to rotate about a vertical axis, and the discharge elbow to rotate about a horizontal axis. A control module is attached to the rotatable body which receives radio control commands from an operator via a portable transmitter apparatus or a fixed transmitter apparatus. The control module and drive unit receive electrical power and control signals through a rotating connector positioned within the base element and rotatable body so that the control module and drive units receive electrical power and control signals regardless of the rotational position of the rotatable body.

Claims

1. An apparatus for conveying and directing a fluid to a desired location comprising:

a base element having a first hollow conduit formed therethrough, said first conduit having a first end and a second end, said first end adapted to be connected to a source of fluid;

a rotatable body rotatably mounted to said base element, said rotatable body having a second hollow conduit formed therethrough, said second conduit having a first end and a second end, said first end of said second conduit communicating with the second end of the first hollow conduit, said rotatable body capable of rotation about a vertical axis through an infinite arc; and

a discharge elbow rotatably mounted to said rotatable body, said discharge elbow having a third hollow conduit formed therethrough, said third conduit having first end and a second end, said first end of said third conduit communicates with said second end of said second conduit, said second end of said third conduit terminating at a discharge opening which directs discharge of the fluid in a desired direction, said discharge elbow being capable of rotation about a horizontal axis through an arc; and

a rotatable electrical connector comprising

a lower rotating connector attached to said base element and position within said first conduit; and

an upper rotating connector attached to said rotatable body and positioned within said second conduit, said upper and lower rotating connectors being engaged in a liquid tight manner to provide continuous electrical connection between said lower rotating connector and said upper rotating connector during rotation such that electrical connection is maintained throughout rotation of said rotatable body through an infinite arc.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a horizontal drive apparatus operably engaged with said rotatable body, said horizontal drive apparatus operable to rotate said rotatable body in response to control signals;

a vertical drive apparatus operably engaged with said discharge elbow, said vertical drive apparatus operable to rotate said discharge elbow in response to control signals.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a control module capable of receiving control signal commands, said control module operably connected to said horizontal drive apparatus and said vertical drive apparatus so that said control module may provide control signals to said horizontal drive apparatus and said vertical drive apparatus in response to receipt of radio control signal commands to control the rotation of said rotatable body and said discharge elbow.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

said control module is capable of receiving control signal commands through said rotatable electrical connector, said control module operably connected to said horizontal drive apparatus and said vertical drive apparatus so that said control module may provide control signals to said horizontal drive apparatus and said vertical drive apparatus in response to receipt of control signal commands.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said control module is capable of receiving radio control signal commands from a remote radio control signal transmitter.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a sensor attached to the rotatable body and in communication with said control module, said sensor capable of providing signals indicative of the limits of rotation of said discharge elbow to said control module so that said control module can operate to control said vertical drive apparatus to stop when it reaches one of said limits is reached.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a feedback encoder operably attached to said horizontal drive apparatus and in communication with said control module so that said control module may receive positional signals from said feedback encoder, and operate to control said horizontal drive apparatus to control the position of said rotatable body.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a portable radio control signal transmitter apparatus, operable to transmit radio control signal commands to said control module.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said portable radio control signal transmitter apparatus is operable to transmit security code signals to said control module, and said control module is adapted to act only on control signal commands containing said security code signals.

10. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a fixed radio control signal transmitter apparatus, operable to transmit radio control signal commands to said control module.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the fixed radio control signal transmitter apparatus is operable to transmit security code signals to said control module, and said control module is adapted to receive and act only on radio control signal commands containing said security code signals.

12. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an adjustable nozzle mounted on said discharge opening, said nozzle being capable of changing the pattern of fluid being ejected from said nozzle in response to control signals received from said control module.

13. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said control module can cause said rotatable body and said elbow to rotate to a predetermined storage position in response to an appropriate control signal command being received by said control module.

14. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said control module has recordable electronic maximum limits for the arc of travel for said rotatable body so that said rotatable body can only be rotated through an arc of travel determined by said electronic limits.

15. An apparatus for conveying and directing a fluid to a desired location comprising:

a base element having a first hollow conduit formed therethrough, said first conduit having a first end and a second end, said first end adapted to be connected to a source of fluid;

a rotatable body rotatably mounted to said base element, said rotatable body having a second hollow conduit formed therethrough, said second conduit having a first end and a second end, said first end of said second conduit communicates with the second end of the first hollow conduit, said rotatable body capable of rotation about a vertical axis through an infinite arc;

a discharge elbow rotatably mounted to said rotatable body, said discharge elbow having a third hollow conduit formed therethrough, said third conduit having first end and a second end, said first end of said third conduit communicates with said second end of said second conduit, said second end of said third conduit terminating at a discharge opening which directs discharge of the fluid in a desired direction, said discharge elbow being capable of rotation about a horizontal axis through an arc; and

a control module capable of receiving control signal commands, said control module operably connected to said horizontal drive apparatus and said vertical drive apparatus so that said control module may provide control signals to said horizontal drive apparatus and said vertical drive apparatus in response to receipt of radio control signal commands to control the rotation of said rotatable body and said discharge elbow;

said control module further capable of causing said base element to rotate back and forth in oscillation between predetermined limits established electronically by said control module.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said predetermined limits are variable and can be programmed into said control module.

17. An apparatus for conveying and directing a fluid to a desired location comprising:

a base element having a first hollow conduit formed therethrough, said first conduit having a first end and a second end, said first end adapted to be connected to a source of fluid;

a rotatable body rotatably mounted to said base element, said rotatable body having a second hollow conduit formed there through, said second conduit having a first end and a second end, said first end of said second conduit in communication with said second end of said first hollow conduit, said rotatable body capable of rotation about a vertical axis through an infinite arc;

a discharge elbow rotatably mounted to said rotatable body, said discharge elbow having a third conduit formed therethrough, said third conduit having a first end and a second end, said first end of said third conduit communicates with said second end of said second conduit, said second end terminating at a discharge opening which directs discharge of fluid in a desired direction, said discharge elbow being capable of rotation about a horizontal axis through an arc;

a horizontal drive motor operably engaging said rotatable body, said horizontal drive motor capable of rotating the rotatable body in response to control signals;

a vertical drive motor operably engaging said discharge elbow, said vertical drive motor capable of rotating said discharge elbow in response to control signals;

a control module, in communication with said horizontal drive motor and said vertical drive motor, said control module capable of providing control signals to said horizontal drive motor and said vertical drive motor;

said control module capable of receiving control signal commands from a control signal command source and providing control signals to said horizontal drive motor, and said vertical drive motor in response thereto;

a lower rotating electrical connector attached to said base element and positioned within said first conduit;

an upper rotating electrical connector attached to said rotatable body and positioned within said second conduit, said upper and lower connectors being operably connected so that electrical connection between the lower rotating connector and the upper rotating connector is maintained during rotation of said rotatable body through an arc over 360 degrees so that electrical power can be continuously supplied to said horizontal drive motor, said vertical drive motor, and said control module throughout the arc of rotation of said rotatable body.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a sensor capable of providing limit signals indicative of the rotational position of said elbow, said sensor connected to said control module so that said control module can receive said limit signals from said sensor and use said signals to control said vertical drive motor.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a feedback device operably attached to the horizontal drive motor and connected to said control module, said feedback device capable of providing positional signals indicative of the rotation of said horizontal drive motor to said control module so that said control module may operate to provide control signals to said horizontal drive motor to control the rotation of said rotatable body.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said control signal command source comprises a portable radio control signal transmitter apparatus, operable to transmit radio control signal commands to the control module.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said portable radio control signal transmitter apparatus is operable to transmit security code information to the control module and said control module is adapted to act only on control signal commands that contain said security code information.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said control signal source comprises a fixed radio control signal transmitter apparatus, operable to transmit radio control signal commands to said control module.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the fixed radio control signal transmitter apparatus is operable to transmit security code information to the control module and said control module is adapted to act only on control signal commands that contain said security code information.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising an adjustable nozzle mounted on said discharge opening, said nozzle being capable of changing the pattern of fluid being ejected from said nozzle in response to control signals received from said control module.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said control module can cause said base element to rotate back and forth in oscillation between predetermined limits established electronically by said control module.

26. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said predetermined limits can be programmed into said control module.

27. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said control module can cause said rotatable body and said elbow to rotate to a predetermined storage position in response to an appropriate control signal command being received by said control module.