US3586184A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Control apparatus and method for an excavating shovel
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1969-02-18
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Granted: 1971-06-22
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Expires: 1989-02-18
Abstract
Abstract Described is a control system and method for controlling a powered excavating shovel of the type having a boom extending from a main frame, and in which a digging bucket is carried at the lower end of a dipper stick reciprocable transversely of the boom and pivotable relative to the main frame about an axis at right angles to the transverse movement paths. More specifically, the invention described herein relates to a control system in which signals representing desired horizontal and vertical forces for the digging bucket are obtained from a single two-axis master switch and translated into signals for controlling the application to the bucket of components of said forces through and in line with the dipper stick and through and in line with a hoist cable secured to the bucket and passing over a pulley at the outer end of the boom.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph A Pesavento
- 👤 Darl C Washburn Jr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 16:11
CPC Classifications
E; E02; E02F; E02F9/00; E02F9/20; E02F9/2025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
266 words
In a control system for an excavating shovel of the type having a main frame, a boom extending from the main frame, a dipper stick pivotally mounted relative to the main frame, first motor means for reciprocating the dipper stick in a direction transversely of the main boom, and second motor means for causing said dipper stick to swing through an arc about its pivotal connection by means of a hoist cable which is connected to the lower end of said dipper stick and passes around a sheave at the outer end of said boom; the improvement comprising a single twoaxis master controller movable along a first course and along a second course at right angles to the first course for controlling horizontal and vertical force components on a digging bucket at the lower end of said dipper stick, means for producing a first electrical signal proportional to the desired horizontal force component on said bucket and which varies as a function of the position of said controller along said first course, means for producing a second electrical signal proportional to the desired horizontal force component on said bucket and which varies as a function of the position of said controller along said first course, means for producing a second electrical signal proportional to the desired vertical force component on said bucket and which varies as a function of the position of said controller along said second course, and circuit means responsive to said first and second electrical signals for controlling the horizontal and vertical force components on said bucket and the position of said bucket.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
266 words
In a control system for an excavating shovel of the type having a main frame, a boom extending from the main frame, a dipper stick pivotally mounted relative to the main frame, first motor means for reciprocating the dipper stick in a direction transversely of the main boom, and second motor means for causing said dipper stick to swing through an arc about its pivotal connection by means of a hoist cable which is connected to the lower end of said dipper stick and passes around a sheave at the outer end of said boom; the improvement comprising a single twoaxis master controller movable along a first course and along a second course at right angles to the first course for controlling horizontal and vertical force components on a digging bucket at the lower end of said dipper stick, means for producing a first electrical signal proportional to the desired horizontal force component on said bucket and which varies as a function of the position of said controller along said first course, means for producing a second electrical signal proportional to the desired horizontal force component on said bucket and which varies as a function of the position of said controller along said first course, means for producing a second electrical signal proportional to the desired vertical force component on said bucket and which varies as a function of the position of said controller along said second course, and circuit means responsive to said first and second electrical signals for controlling the horizontal and vertical force components on said bucket and the position of said bucket.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The improvement of claim 1 wherein the forces on the bucket in horizontal and vertical directions are determined by the amount of movement of the master controller along said first and second courses, respectively.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
The improvement of claim 1 wherein the master controller is of the type comprising a control handle which can be rotated about a first axis on either side of a central position and rotated about a second axis on either side of the central position, said first axis intersecting the second axis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
The improvement of claim 1 wherein said circuit means includes means for producing a third electrical signal proportional in magnitude to the angle between said hoist cable and vertical, and means for producing a fourth electrical signal proportional in magnitude to the acute angle between said dipper stick and vertical.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
98 words
The improvement of claim 4 wherein said shovel is of the knee-action type having a stiff leg pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the upper and lower ends of said dipper stick and boom respectively, and a crows handle pivotally connected to the upper end of said stiff leg and dipper stick, said circuit means including means for producing a fifth electrical signal proportional in magnitude to the angle between said crowd handle and stiff leg, and means for producing sixth electrical signal proportional in magnitude to the angle between said stiff leg and said dipper stick.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
97 words
The improvement of claim 5 wherein the first motor means is operatively connected to said crowd handle and controlled by a seventh electrical signal proportional to: where FX and FY are quantities proportional to movement of said controller along its first and second course, respectively, Alpha is the angle between said dipper stick and vertical, Beta is the angle between said hoist cable at its connection to the dipper stick and vertical, theta 1 is the angle between said stiff leg and crowd handle, and theta 2 is the angle between said stiff leg and dipper stick.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
92 words
The improvement of claim 6 including means for producing eighth and ninth electrical signals proportional to (FX cos Beta - FY sin Beta ) sin theta 2 and C sin ( Alpha + Beta ), respectively, where C is proportional to the magnitude of said seventh electrical signal controlling said first motor means, and a servosystem responsive to said eighth and ninth signals for actuating said first motor means except when: (FX cos Beta - FY sin Beta ) sin theta 2- C sin theta 1sin ( Alpha + Beta ) O.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
74 words
The improvement of claim 4 wherein the second motor means is operatively connected to said hoist cable and controlled by a fifth electrical signal proportional to: where FX and F Y are quantities proportional to movement of said controller along its first and second courses, respectively, Alpha is the angle between said dipper stick and vertical, and Beta is the angle between said hoist cable at its connection to the dipper stick and vertical.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
81 words
The improvement of claim 8 including means for producing sixth and seventh electrical signals proportional to FX cos Alpha + FY sin Alpha and H sin ( Alpha + Beta ), respectively, where H is proportional to the magnitude of said fifth electrical signal controlling said second motor means, and a servosystem responsive to said sixth and seventh signals for actuating said second motor means except when: (FX cos Alpha +FY sin Alpha )-H sin ( Alpha + Beta ) 0.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
104 words
The improvement of claim 1 including means responsive to the currents through said first and second motor means for producing third and fourth signals, the third signal being proportional to the force on said digging bucket in the horizontal to direction and the fourth signal being proportional to the force on said digging bucket in the vertical direction, means responsive to the third signal for producing restraining forces on said controller as it is moved along one of said courses, and means responsive to the fourth signal for producing restraining forces on said controller as it is moved along the other of said courses.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
79 words
The combination of claim 4 wherein said circuit means includes means for producing a fifth signal, and means responsive to said fifth signal for controlling said first motor means, said fifth signal being proportional to where FX and FY are quantities proportional to movement of said controller along its first and second courses respectively, theta is the angle between said dipper stick and vertical, and Beta is the angle between said hoist cable and vertical at the dipper stick.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
The combination of claim 11, wherein said circuit means includes means for producing a sixth signal, and means responsive to the sixth signal for controlling said second motor means, said sixth signal being proportional to
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
122 words
The combination as in claim 5 wherein said circuit means comprises means for producing a seventh signal proportional to means responsive to the seventh signal for controlling said first motor means, means for producing an eighth signal proportional to and means responsive to the eighth signal for controlling said second motor means, FX and FY being quantities proportional to movement of said controller along its first and second courses, respectively, Alpha being the angle between said dipper stick and vertical, Beta being the angle between said hoist cable and vertical at its connection to the dipper stick, theta 1 being the angle between said stiff leg and crowd handle, and theta 2 being the angle between said stiff leg and dipper stick.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
170 words
The method of controlling an excavating sHovel of the type having a main frame, a boom extending from the main frame, a dipper stick pivotally mounted relative to the main frame and having a bucket at its lower end, first motor means for reciprocating the dipper stick transversely of the main boom, and second motor means for causing said dipper stick to swing through an arc about its pivotal connection by means of a hoist cable which is connected to the lower end of said dipper stick and passes around a sheave at the outer end of said boom, said method comprising the steps of controlling said first motor means in accordance with the relation and controlling said second motor means in accordance with the relation FX and FY being quantities proportional to desired horizontal and vertical movements respectively, of said bucket, Alpha being the angle between said dipper stick and vertical, and Beta being the angle between said hoist cable and vertical at its connection to the dipper stick.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
170 words
The method of controlling an excavating sHovel of the type having a main frame, a boom extending from the main frame, a dipper stick pivotally mounted relative to the main frame and having a bucket at its lower end, first motor means for reciprocating the dipper stick transversely of the main boom, and second motor means for causing said dipper stick to swing through an arc about its pivotal connection by means of a hoist cable which is connected to the lower end of said dipper stick and passes around a sheave at the outer end of said boom, said method comprising the steps of controlling said first motor means in accordance with the relation and controlling said second motor means in accordance with the relation FX and FY being quantities proportional to desired horizontal and vertical movements respectively, of said bucket, Alpha being the angle between said dipper stick and vertical, and Beta being the angle between said hoist cable and vertical at its connection to the dipper stick.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
94 words
The control system of claim 1 wherein said circuit means responsive to said first and second electrical signals translates said first and second signals proportional to the desired horizontal and vertical force components into third and fourth signals which vary as a function of the instantaneous desired force components in line with said dipper stick and in line with said hoist cable respectively, means for applying said third signal to said first motor means to control the same, and means for applying said fourth signal to said second motor means to control the same.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-06-21 | 1974-12-21 | 1975-06-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-06-21 | 1978-12-21 | 1979-06-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-06-21 | 1982-12-21 | 1983-06-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |