Interactive clamp force control system for load handling clamps
First Claim
1. A control system comprising:
- (a) a controller for a load-handling clamp having first and second load-engaging surfaces for selectively gripping respective dissimilar loads between said surfaces, at least one of said surfaces being selectively movable toward the other by a clamping actuator;
(b) said controller being capable of variably regulating a clamping force setting causing said actuator to move said one of said surfaces toward the other in a load gripping movement;
(c) said controller being operable to receive information selected by an operator of said load handling clamp, said information describing both a respective load type and a respective load geometric configuration variably applicable to a particular one of said dissimilar loads; and
(d) said controller being operable to variably identify a particular predetermined optimal clamping force setting applicable to said particular one of said dissimilar loads, automatically depending upon both said respective load type and said respective load geometric configuration in combination as selected by said operator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Improvements are disclosed for a load-clamping system with variable clamping force control by which a wide variety of different load types in a wide variety of different load geometric configurations can be accurately clamped at respective variable optimal clamping force settings dependent on each load'"'"'s respective load type and geometric configuration in combination. An operator display and input terminal cooperates with a controller to translate assortments of possible load variables into a form easily discernible visually by a clamp operator and preferably easily comparable by the operator, from his visual observation, to each particular load which he is about to engage, so that the operator can interactively guide the controller in its selection of an optimal clamping force setting for each particular load.
34 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A control system comprising:
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(a) a controller for a load-handling clamp having first and second load-engaging surfaces for selectively gripping respective dissimilar loads between said surfaces, at least one of said surfaces being selectively movable toward the other by a clamping actuator; (b) said controller being capable of variably regulating a clamping force setting causing said actuator to move said one of said surfaces toward the other in a load gripping movement; (c) said controller being operable to receive information selected by an operator of said load handling clamp, said information describing both a respective load type and a respective load geometric configuration variably applicable to a particular one of said dissimilar loads; and (d) said controller being operable to variably identify a particular predetermined optimal clamping force setting applicable to said particular one of said dissimilar loads, automatically depending upon both said respective load type and said respective load geometric configuration in combination as selected by said operator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification