Scrap metal cutting mobile unit

• US 9,370,840 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2015
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EDW C Levy Company
• Original Assignee: EDW C Levy Company
• Inventors: Rozot, Thierry
• Primary Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US14/608,692
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 7/102 for controlling the spacial relationship between the workpieces and the gas torch
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

A mobile cutting system includes a vehicle including a vehicle body and a drive system, a cutter attached to the vehicle body, and a controller in communication with the drive system, the cutter and the base station. The base station includes a post extending perpendicular to a surface, one or more fluid sources each storing a corresponding fluid used by the cutter to cut, and a reel attached proximate to a distal end of the post. The system further includes one or more feed lines each providing fluid communication between the cutter and corresponding ones of the fluid sources. Each feed line is received by the reel and suspended above the surface between the reel and the vehicle. The reel is configured to enable the feed lines to release as the vehicle maneuvers away from the base station or retract as the vehicle maneuvers toward the base station.

Claims

1. A mobile cutting system comprising:

a vehicle comprising a vehicle body and a drive system, the drive system supporting the vehicle body and configured to maneuver the vehicle about a surface;

a cutter attached to the vehicle body, the cutter configured to cut an object comprising scrap metal;

a base station comprising;

a post extending perpendicular from the surface;

one or more fluid sources each storing a corresponding fluid used by the cutter to cut the object; and

a reel attached proximate to a distal end of the post;

one or more feed lines each providing fluid communication between the cutter and corresponding ones of the one or more fluid sources, each feed line received by the reel and suspended above the surface between the reel and the vehicle, the reel configured to enable the one or more feed lines to release as the vehicle maneuvers away from the base station or retract as the vehicle maneuvers toward the base station; and

a controller in communication with the drive system, the cutter and the base station, the controller comprising a data processing device that executes a command to control one or more of the drive system, the cutter and the base station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises a manipulator arm having first and second portions, the first portion coupled to the vehicle body and the second portion coupled to the cutter.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the cutter is releasably coupled to the second portion of the manipulator arm.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the cutter comprises:

a torch source; and

a pilot light in communication with the controller and the torch source, the pilot light igniting the torch source in response to the command from the controller.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an operator interface in communication with the controller, the operator interface receiving an operator input from an operator of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller receives the operator input and based on the received operator input, the controller executes the command.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station further comprises a sensor system in communication with the controller, the sensor system providing a base station parameter signal to the controller obtained by one or more sensors disposed at the base station, the controller executing the command based on the received base station parameter signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensor system includes at least one of a reactant pressure sensor, a reactant level sensor, a reactant status sensor, a fuel pressure sensor, a fuel level sensor, a fuel status sensor, a feed line tension sensor, or a vehicle position sensor.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising an operator interface in communication with the controller and comprising a display, the operator interface receiving a graphics command from the controller based on the received base station parameter signal, the graphics command causing the operator interface to display a message upon the display corresponding to the base station parameter signal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the message indicates one of:

an emergency condition when at least one of;

a pressure obtained by the reactant pressure sensor or the fuel pressure sensor is greater than an upper pressure limit;

or

a tension of the one or more feed lines obtained by the feed line tension sensor is greater than an upper tension limit;

or

a non-emergency condition when at least one of;

the pressure obtained by the reactant pressure sensor or the fuel pressure sensor is less than lower pressure limit;

or

the tension of the one or more feed lines obtained by the feed line tension sensor is greater than a lower tension limit.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller issues a shutdown command to the drive system when the controller detects an emergency condition based on the received base station parameter signal, the shutdown command causing the drive system to turn off the vehicle ignition.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station further comprises:

a biasing member disposed on the reel, the biasing member biasing the reel in a retraction direction to retract the one or more feed lines.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station further comprises:

a retraction motor in communication with the controller, the retraction motor rotating the reel in a retraction direction to retract the feed line in response to the command from the controller.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more feed lines comprise:

a first feed line transferring a fuel from the corresponding fluid source at the base station to the cutter; and

a second feed line transferring a reactant from the corresponding fluid source at the base station to the cutter.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a guide cable guiding the first feed line and the second feed line from the base station to the cutter, the guide cable comprising connection cables configured to maintain a position of the first and second feed lines.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a protective mesh surrounding an exterior of each of the first and second feed lines or reinforcing an exterior of each of the first and second feed lines, the protective mesh configured to prevent tangling of the first and second feed lines.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises:

a container in communication with a controller, the container storing granulated steel powder; and

a powder injector in communication with the controller and the container, powder injector injecting the steel powder from the container onto a cutting area of the object in response to the command from the controller.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, at a controller of a system, base station parameter signals from a remote sensor system located at a base station of the system and in communication with the controller through a network, the received base station parameter signals indicating;

a fuel pressure within a first feed line that provides fluid communication of a fuel between a first fuel source located at the base station and a vehicle, the vehicle including a drive system configured to maneuver the vehicle about a surface relative to the base station; and

a reactant pressure within a second feed line that provides fluid communication of a reactant between a second fuel source located at the base station and the vehicle;

determining, by the controller, whether or not an emergency condition is present in the system based on the received base parameter signals;

executing, by the controller, an emergency shutdown procedure for the system when the emergency condition is present, the emergency shutdown procedure comprises issuing, by the controller, a first base station command to deactivate fuel and reactant solenoids of the sensor system, the issued base station command causing the fuel and reactant solenoids to block the fluid communication between the vehicle and corresponding ones of the first and second fuel sources.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining whether or not an emergency condition is present comprises:

comparing the fuel pressure within the first feed line and the reactant pressure within the second feed line to an upper pressure limit, the fuel pressure and the reactant pressure obtained by corresponding sensors of the sensor system; and

detecting the presence of the emergency condition when the fuel pressure or the reactant pressure is greater than the upper pressure limit.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

when the fuel pressure or the reactant pressure is not greater than the upper pressure limit, comparing, by the controller, the fuel pressure and the reactant pressure to a lower pressure limit;

detecting, by the controller, the presence of a non-emergency condition in the system when the fuel pressure or the reactant pressure is less than the lower pressure limit; and

issuing, by the controller, a graphics command to an operator interface of the system, the graphics command causing the operator interface to display a warning message corresponding to the presence of the non-emergency condition.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the received base station parameter signals further indicate a tension of the first and second feed lines, the feed tension obtained by a feed line tension sensor of the sensor system; and

determining whether or not an emergency condition is present comprises;

comparing the tension of the first and second feed lines to an upper tension limit; and

detecting the presence of the emergency condition when the feed line tension is greater than the upper tension limit.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

prior to comparing the feed line tension to the upper tension limit, comparing, by the controller, the feed line tension to a lower tension limit;

detecting, by the controller, the presence of a non-emergency condition in the system when the feed line tension is greater than the lower tension limit; and

issuing, by the controller, a graphics command to an operator interface of the system, the graphics command causing the operator interface to display a warning message corresponding to the presence of the non-emergency condition.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein executing the emergency shutdown procedure for the system further comprises:

issuing, by the controller, a drive system command to command the drive system to turn off ignition to the vehicle; and

issuing, by the controller, a graphics command to an operator interface of the system, the graphics command causing the operator interface to display a warning message corresponding to the presence of the emergency condition.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

comparing, by the controller, a tension of the feed lines to slack limit, the feed line tension obtained by a feed line tension sensor of the sensor system; and

when the feed line tension is less than the slack limit, issuing, by the controller, a second base station command to cause a retraction motor to rotate the reel in a retraction direction to retract the feed lines.