Electronic roundsling inspection, load monitoring and warning system

• US 9,589,444 B1
• Filed: 07/12/2016
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Slingmax Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Slingmax Technologies LLC
• Inventors: D'Elia, Gregory, Uckun, Sedar, St. Germain, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US15/208,271
• Time in Patent Office: 238 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.11, 340/665, 340/506, 340/677, 294/74
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 1/12 Slings comprising chains, wires, ropes, or bands; Nets article side grippers suspended by ropes or chains from crane hooks B66C1/42
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 1/18 Band-type slings
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 1/145 comprising elements for indicating or detecting the rope or cable status
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2206 Special supports with preselected places to mount the resistance strain gauges; Mounting of supports
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/185 Electrical failure alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 31/00 Predictive alarm systems characterised by extrapolation or other computation using updated historic data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

An electronic overload inspection and warning system for a roundsling having a strand positioned within a plurality of core strands and a cover. The system includes a wireless sensor system mountable to the roundsling. The wireless sensor system includes at least one strain gauge electrically connected with a wireless transmitter. The strain gauge measures strain on the strand. The system also includes a wireless base station and a carrier element. The wireless base station includes a wireless receiver configured to wirelessly communicate with multiple deployed wireless sensor systems. The carrier element is secured to the strand. The strain gauge is secured to the carrier element.

Claims

1. An electronic overload inspection and warning system for a roundsling having a strand positioned within a plurality of core strands and a cover, the system comprising:

a wireless sensor system mountable to the roundsling, the wireless sensor system including at least one strain gauge electrically connected with a wireless transmitter, the strain gauge measuring strain on the strand;

a wireless base station including at least one wireless receiver configured to wirelessly communicate with multiple deployed wireless sensor systems; and

a carrier element having a first end and a second end, the first end secured to a first end of the strand and the second end secured to the second end of the strand, the strain gauge secured to the carrier element between the first and second ends of the carrier element.

2. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 1, further comprising:

an operator terminal including at least a computing device for calculating and displaying stress on the roundsling.

3. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery configured to power the strain gauge, the battery connected to the roundsling.

4. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 3, wherein the battery is configured to recharge when subject to vibration.

5. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 3, wherein the battery is configured to recharge via solar power.

6. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 3, wherein the battery is a piezoelectric power cell.

7. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 1, further comprising:

an environmental monitoring chip connected to the wireless transmitter, the environmental monitoring chip configured to monitor at least one of temperature, humidity, pH, ambient visible light, ambient ultraviolet light, vibration, conductivity, hazardous chemicals and hazardous gases.

8. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured for computing a predicted health of the roundsling.

9. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 8, wherein the computing device is configured to predict the health of the roundsling by at least receiving measurements and recording the measurements related to each cycle and peak loading of the roundsling.

10. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 1, further comprising:

an indicator yarn connected to the strand at one end and protruding from the cover at the other end, the indicator yarn configured to retract into the cover when the roundsling is subjected to an overload.

11. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 1, wherein the wireless sensor system and strain gauge are configured to exist in a default low-power sleep state, the wireless base station is configured to transmit a wake signal, the wireless sensor system and strain gauge transferring to a full-powered state upon receipt of the wake signal.

12. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 1, wherein the carrier element includes a first hole at the first end and a second hole at the second end, the first end of the strand connected to the carrier element at the first hole and the second end of the strand connected to the carrier element at the second hole.

13. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 1, wherein the carrier element includes a receptacle, the strain gauge secured to the carrier element in the receptacle, the carrier element has a substantially cylindrical-shape with rounded first and second ends.

14. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 13, wherein the receptacle is comprised of a flat surface on the carrier element.

15. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 1, wherein the carrier element has a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis extending through the first and second ends, the strain gauge oriented to measure strain at least along the longitudinal axis.

16. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 1, wherein the carrier element has a major width measured at one of the first and second ends and a minor width measured in a central section of the carrier element, the major width being greater than the minor width.

17. The electronic overload inspection and warning system of claim 1, wherein the carrier element is mounted within the cover of the roundsling.

18. An electronic overload warning system for a roundsling having core strands and a cover, the system comprising:

a wireless sensor system mountable to the roundsling;

a wireless base station including at least one wireless receiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless sensor systems;

a dedicated strand mounted proximate the core strands, the dedicated strand having a load limit less than a rated load of the core strands;

an indicator yarn connected to the dedicated strand, the indicator yarn including a first terminal end positioned within the cover and a second terminal end positioned outside the cover; and

a wire connected to the dedicated strand and being in communication with the wireless sensor, the wire configured to break when the dedicated strand breaks, thereby prompting a signal from the wireless sensor to the wireless base station, the wireless base station configured to communicate one of an audible and visual warning to the operator upon receipt of the signal from the wireless sensor.

19. The electronic overload warning system of claim 18, wherein the dedicated strand includes a first eye-loop at a first end and a second eye-loop at a second end.

20. The electronic overload warning system of claim 19, wherein the dedicated strand includes a ring connected to the dedicated strand by the first eye-loop and the second eye-loop, the ring having the load limit less than the rated load of the core strands.

21. The electronic overload warning system of claim 18, wherein the wire is comprised of a twelve-gauge copper wire.

22. An electronic overload warning system for a roundsling having core strands and a cover, the system comprising:

a wireless sensor system mountable to the roundsling;

a wireless base station including at least one wireless receiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless sensor systems;

a dedicated strand mounted proximate the core strands, the dedicated strand having a load limit less than a rated load of the core strands, the dedicated strand has a dedicated strand rated load and the core strands have a core strand rated load, the core strand rated load being greater than the dedicated strand rated load; and

a wire connected to the dedicated strand and being in communication with the wireless sensor, the wire configured to break when the dedicated strand breaks, thereby prompting a signal from the wireless sensor to the wireless base station, the wireless base station configured to communicate one of an audible and visual warning to the operator upon receipt of the signal from the wireless sensor.