Dynamic soil compacting machine

Claim 2

Apparatus for producing a regulating signal for the travelling drive of a dynamic soil compacting machine including, in addition to said travelling drive, a working assembly which imparts impacts to the soil accompanied by forces whose magnitude is affected by the action and reaction of said working assembly and the soil, said assembly having a part in contact with the soil and a vibration generator operatively connected to said part, said apparatus including: sensor means connected to said working part assembly for measuring said forces and producing output signals representative of the magnitude of the forces; circuit means connected to said sensor means for storing successive peak values of said output signals, for periodically clearing said stored values, and for comparing incoming output signals with the stored values to produce control signals when a stored peak value is not exceeded within a given time by successive peak values of output signals and also when the peak value of an output signal exceeds a predefined threshold value; and responsive means connected to said circuit means for producing a response indicative of the control signals to signify whether the compacting machine has satisfied the preselected parameters for action on said soil.

Claim 3

An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said responsive means comprises a signaling device emitting a sensory perceptible signal to advise an operator to adjust the travelling drive.

Claim 4

An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said responsive means is connected to said travelling drive to automatically adjust said travelling drive.

Claim 5

Apparatus for producing a regulating signal for the travelling drive of a dynamic soil compacting machine including, in addition to said travelling drive, a working assembly which imparts impacts to the soil accompanied by forces whose magnitude is affected by the action and reaction of said working assembly and the soil, said assembly having a part in contact with the soil and a vibration generator operatively connected to said part, said apparatus including: sensor means connected to said working part assembly for measuring said forces and producing output signals representative of the magnitude of the forces; circuit means connected to said sensor means for storing successive peak values of said output signals, for periodically clearing said stored values, and for comparing incoming output signals with the stored values to produce control signals when a stored peak value is not exceeded within a given time by successive peak values of output signals and also when the peak value of an output signal exceeds a predefined threshold value; responsive means connected to said circuit means for producing a response indicative of the control signals to signify whether the compacting machine has satisfied the preselected parameters for action on said soil; said sensor means including a dynamometer between the vibration generator and said part to measure the excitation forces transmitted by said vibration generator to said part, and an accelerometer positioned on said assembly to measure the deceleration of said part as its movement is resisted by the soil; and including adding means between said sensor means and said circuiT means to superimpose the signals of the accelerometer and the dynamometer to form said output signals.

Claim 6

Apparatus for producing a regulating signal for the travelling drive of a dynamic soil compacting machine including, in addition to said travelling drive, a working assembly which imparts impacts to the soil accompanied by forces whose magnitude is affected by the action and reaction of said working assembly and the soil, said assembly having a part in contact with the soil and a vibration generator operatively connected to said part, said apparatus including: sensor means connected to said working part assembly for measuring said forces and producing output signals representative of the magnitude of the forces; circuit means connected to said sensor means for storing successive peak values of said output signals, for periodically clearing said stored values, and for comparing incoming output signals with the stored values to produce control signals when a stored peak value is not exceeded within a given time by successive peak values of output signals and also when the peak value of an output signal exceeds a predefined threshold value; responsive means connected to said circuit means for producing a response indicative of the control signals to signify whether the compacting machine has satisfied the preselected parameters for action on said soil; said sensor means including a dynamometer between the vibration generator and said part to measure the excitation forces transmitted by said vibration generator to said part, and an accelerometer positioned on said assembly to measure the deceleration of said part as its movement is resisted by the soil; and including adding means between said sensor means and said circuiT means to superimpose the signals of the accelerometer and the dynamometer to form said output signals.

Claim 7

An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said assembly includes means for resiliently imposing a dead load on said part, and said sensor means includes a second dynamometer mounted between said dead load and said part for measuring the faces of the dead load on said part.

Claim 8

Apparatus for producing a regulating signal for the travelling drive of a dynamic soil compacting machine including, in addition to said travelling drive, a working assembly which imparts impacts to the soil accompanied by forces whose magnitude is affected by the action and reaction of said working assembly and the soil, said assembly having a part in contact with the soil and a vibration generator operatively connected to said part, said apparatus including: sensor means connected to said working part assembly for measuring said forces and producing output signals representative of the magnitude of the forces; circuit means connected to said sensor means for storing successive peak values of said output signals, for periodically clearing said stored values, and for comparing incoming output signals with the stored values to produce control signals when a stored peak value is not exceeded within a given time by successive peak values of output signals and also when the peak value of an output signal exceeds a predefined threshold value; responsive means connected to said circuit means for producing a response indicative of the control signals to signify whether the compacting machine has satisfied the preselected parameters for action on said soil; said circuit means comprising, in series, peak value register means, differentiating means and a time delay means, said register means storing the peak values of said output signals, said differentiating means differentiating the contents of the register means and sending a differentiated signal to the time delay means, said time delay means providing a signal a fixed period of time after receiving said differentiated signal.

Claim 9

Apparatus for producing a regulating signal for the travelling drive of a dynamic soil compacting machine including, in addition to said travelling drive, a working assembly which imparts impacts to the soil accompanied by forces whose magnitude is affected by the action and reaction of said working assembly and the soil, said assembly having a part in contact with the soil and a vibration generator operatively connected to said part, said apparatus including: sensor means connected to said working part assembly for measuring said forces and producing output signals representative of the magnitude of the forces; circuit means connected to said sensor means for storing successive peak values of said output signals, for periodically clearing said stored values, and for comparing incoming output signals with the stored values to produce control signals when a stored peak value is not exceeded within a given time by successive peak values of output signals and also when the peak value of an output signal exceeds a predefined threshold value; responsive means connected to said circuit means for producing a response indicative of the control signals to signify whether the compacting machine has satisfied the preselected parameters for action on said soil; said circuit means comprising, in series, peak value register means, differentiating means and a time delay means, said register means storing the peak values of said output signals, said differentiating means differentiating the contents of the register means and sending a differentiated signal to the time delay means, said time delay means providing a signal a fixed period of time after receiving said differentiated signal.

Claim 10

An apparatus as set forth in claim 6, including anti-coincidence means connected to said time delay means for suppressing the effect of said signal provided by the time delay means when a differentiated signal occurs simultaneously therewith.

Claim 11

An apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said register means includes means for establishing the maximum peak values that may be stored therein, said last means being adjustable as to said maximum.

Claim 12

An apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said circuit means includes timing means connected to said register means and to said responsive means for clearing the register and cancelling the response.

Claim 13

An apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said circuit means includes timing means connected to said register means for clearing the register means.

Claim 14

An apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said circuit means includes means for suppressing said output signals of an amount less than a given threshold value.

Claim 15

An apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the suppressing means is adjustable so that the threshold value may be changed.

Claim 16

In a dynamic soil compacting apparatus wherein a member contacts the soil and applies a force to the soil, the improvement wherein said machine includes: sensor means on the machine for producing signals which are a function of said force which accompanies the impact on the soil; and means connected to said sensor means for producing an output signal which is representative of the peak values of said sensor means signals.

Claim 17

In a dynamic soil compacting apparatus wherein a member contacts the soil and applies a force to the soil, the improvement wherein said machine includes: sensor means on the machine for producing signals which are a function of said force which accompanies the impact on the soil; and means connected to said sensor means for producing an output signal which is representative of the peak values of said sensor means signals.

Claim 18

An apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein said sensor means consists of an accelerometer responsive only to one-sided vertical changes in rate of movement.

Claim 19

In a dynamic soil compacting apparatus wherein a member contacts the soil and applies a force to the soil, the improvement wherein said machine includes: sensor means on thE machine for producing signals which are a function of said force which accompanies the impact on the soil, said sensor means including an accelerometer responsive only to one-sided vertical changes in rate of movement, said accelerometer comprises a seismic mass member, a frame, radius rod means connected the member and the frame for restricting the movement of the member of a given path, and stop means preventing movement of the mass in one direction beyond a given position in said path; and means connected to said sensor means for producing an output signal which is representative of the peak values of said sensor means signals.

Claim 20

In a dynamic soil compacting apparatus wherein a member contacts the soil and applies a force to the soil, the improvement wherein said machine includes: sensor means on thE machine for producing signals which are a function of said force which accompanies the impact on the soil, said sensor means including an accelerometer responsive only to one-sided vertical changes in rate of movement, said accelerometer comprises a seismic mass member, a frame, radius rod means connected the member and the frame for restricting the movement of the member of a given path, and stop means preventing movement of the mass in one direction beyond a given position in said path; and means connected to said sensor means for producing an output signal which is representative of the peak values of said sensor means signals.

Claim 21

An apparatus as set forth in claim 15, including means resiliently urging said member against said stop means.

Claim 22

An apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein said accelerometer includes a magnet, said magnet forming said stop means, said member being a magnetic material.

Claim 23

An apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein said magnet is an electromagnet, including means connected to said electromagnet for adjusting the magnetic flux thereof.

Claim 24

An apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein there are two of said adjusting means, one for setting the flux to a fixed value and the second for varying the flux in accordance with the soil being processed.

Claim 25

An apparatus as set forth in claim 19, wherein said electromagnet has two windings, one of said adjusting means being connected to a first of said windings, the other of said adjusting means being connected to a second of the windings, said circuit means including a resistor connected across one of said windings, a differentiating element connected across said resistor, a pulse former connected to said element and having an output, a capacitor across said output, a resistor in parallel to said capacitor, a trigger connected to said output, said trigger being connected to said responsive means.

Claim 26

In an apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the machine has a vibration generator, the improvement wherein said sensor means includes an accelerometer on said member, and a dynamometer between the member and the generator.

Claim 27

Apparatus for producing a regulating signal for the travelling drive of a dynamic soil compacting machine including, in addition to said travelling drive, a working assembly which imparts impacts to the soil accompanied by forces whose magnitude is affected by the action and reaction of said working assembly and the soil, said assembly having a part in contact with the soil and a vibration generator operatively connected to said part, said apparatus including: sensor means connected to said working part assembly for measuring said forces and producing output signals representative of the magnitude of the forces, said sensor means including a dynamometer between the vibration generator and said part to measure the excitation forces transmitted by said vibration generator to said part, and an accelerometer positioned on said assembly to measure the deceleration of said part as its movement is resisted by the soil; circuit means connected to said sensor means for storing successive peak values of said output signals, for periodically clearing said stored values, and for comparing incoming output signals with the stored values to produce control signals when a stored peak value is not exceeded within a given time by successive peak values of output signals and also when the peak value of an output signal exceeds a predefined threshold value, said circuit means comprising, in series, peak value register means, differentiating means and a time delay means, said register means storing the peak values of said output signals, said differentiating means differentiating the contents of the register means and sending a differentiated signal to the time delay means, said time delay means providing a signal a fixed period of time after receiving said differentiated signal; and responsive means connected to said circuit means for producing a Response indicative of the control signals to signify whether the compacting machine has satisfied the preselected parameters for action on said soil.

Claim 28

Apparatus for producing a regulating signal for the travelling drive of a dynamic soil compacting machine including, in addition to said travelling drive, a working assembly which imparts impacts to the soil accompanied by forces whose magnitude is affected by the action and reaction of said working assembly and the soil, said assembly having a part in contact with the soil and a vibration generator operatively connected to said part, said apparatus including: sensor means connected to said working part assembly for measuring said forces and producing output signals representative of the magnitude of the forces, said sensor means including a dynamometer between the vibration generator and said part to measure the excitation forces transmitted by said vibration generator to said part, and an accelerometer positioned on said assembly to measure the deceleration of said part as its movement is resisted by the soil; circuit means connected to said sensor means for storing successive peak values of said output signals, for periodically clearing said stored values, and for comparing incoming output signals with the stored values to produce control signals when a stored peak value is not exceeded within a given time by successive peak values of output signals and also when the peak value of an output signal exceeds a predefined threshold value, said circuit means comprising, in series, peak value register means, differentiating means and a time delay means, said register means storing the peak values of said output signals, said differentiating means differentiating the contents of the register means and sending a differentiated signal to the time delay means, said time delay means providing a signal a fixed period of time after receiving said differentiated signal; and responsive means connected to said circuit means for producing a Response indicative of the control signals to signify whether the compacting machine has satisfied the preselected parameters for action on said soil.