Slope indicator and roll-over warning indicator for earthmoving equipment

Claim 2

A slope indicator for mounting on earthmoving equipment to indicate the slope on which the equipment is working, said slope indicator comprising, a double walled, hollow housing having a front plate with sideslope measurement markings located along a lower part of the plate, said plate being transparent in at least the portion having said sideslope measurement markings, mounting means for mounting the housing on earthmoving equipment, pendulum means mounted for swinging movement within the interior of the housing, said pendulum means including a pendulum and a pointer for indicating the marking corresponding to the sideslope on which the earthmoving equipment is working, said pendulum means including pivot means connecting the top of the pendulum behind the front plate to a top part of the plate whereby the sideslope is continuously indicated by the pointer behind the measurement markings of the front plate, a viscous fluid within the housing for dampening movement of the pendulum, leveling means for leveling the slope indicator on the earthmoving equipment, and including cushioning means in the leveling means for absorbing a substantial part of the earthmoving equipment vibration while letting some of the vibration through to prevent sticking of the pendulum within the double walled housing.

Claim 3

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the cushioning means include rubber bushings engaged with the top and bottom sides of the base plate.

Claim 4

A slope indicator for mounting on earthmoving equipment to indicate the slope on which the equipment is working, said slope indicator comprising, a double Walled, hollow housing having a front plate with sideslope measurement markings located along a lower part of the plate, said plate being transparent in at least the portion having said sideslope measurement markings, mounting means for mounting the housing on earthmoving equipment, pendulum means mounted for swinging movement within the interior of the housing, said pendulum means including a pendulum and a pointer for indicating the marking corresponding to the sideslope on which the earthmoving equipment is working, said pendulum means including pivot means connecting the top of the pendulum behind the front plate to a top part of the plate whereby the sideslope is continuously indicated by the pointer behind the measurement markings of the front plate, a viscous fluid within the housing for dampening movement of the pendulum, and wherein the front wall and the rear wall of the double walled housing are transparent and including a slot in the back wall of the double walled housing, a second double walled hollow housing mounted at right angles to the first double walled hollow housing and connected to the interior of the first housing through the slot so that the viscous fluid in the first housing flows freely into the interior of the second housing, up and down slope scale means at said slot so as to be visible through the front plate of the first housing, said up and down slope scale means having up and down slope measurement markings, and second pendulum means for indicating the up and down slope, said second pendulum means including a second pendulum and second pivot means connecting the top of the second pendulum within the interior of the second housing near the top and at the back of the housing, said second pendulum including a generally horizontally extending arm with a pointer at the end for alignment with a particular up and down slope measurement marking on the up and down slope scale.

Claim 5

A slope indicator for mounting on earthmoving equipment to indicate the slope on which the equipment is working, said slope indicator comprising, a double Walled, hollow housing having a front plate with sideslope measurement markings located along a lower part of the plate, said plate being transparent in at least the portion having said sideslope measurement markings, mounting means for mounting the housing on earthmoving equipment, pendulum means mounted for swinging movement within the interior of the housing, said pendulum means including a pendulum and a pointer for indicating the marking corresponding to the sideslope on which the earthmoving equipment is working, said pendulum means including pivot means connecting the top of the pendulum behind the front plate to a top part of the plate whereby the sideslope is continuously indicated by the pointer behind the measurement markings of the front plate, a viscous fluid within the housing for dampening movement of the pendulum, and wherein the front wall and the rear wall of the double walled housing are transparent and including a slot in the back wall of the double walled housing, a second double walled hollow housing mounted at right angles to the first double walled hollow housing and connected to the interior of the first housing through the slot so that the viscous fluid in the first housing flows freely into the interior of the second housing, up and down slope scale means at said slot so as to be visible through the front plate of the first housing, said up and down slope scale means having up and down slope measurement markings, and second pendulum means for indicating the up and down slope, said second pendulum means including a second pendulum and second pivot means connecting the top of the second pendulum within the interior of the second housing near the top and at the back of the housing, said second pendulum including a generally horizontally extending arm with a pointer at the end for alignment with a particular up and down slope measurement marking on the up and down slope scale.

Claim 6

The invention defined in claim 3, wherein the walls of the second housing are all transparent to permit continuous unobstructed viewing through the slope indicator by the operator of the equipment.

Claim 7

The invention defined in claim 3 including a thin piece of clear plastic mounted between the sidewalls of the second housing in the slot in the back face of the first housing, said thin piece of plexiglass being curved to the radius of the generally horizontally extending arm on said second pivot means and wherein the up and down slope measurement markings are inscribed in percentages on said thin curved piece of plexiglass.

Claim 8

The invention defined in claim 3 including guide means for holding the arm and pointer in vertical alignment between the sidewalls of the second housing.

Claim 9

The invention defined in claim 6 wherein said guide means include a pair of wires on the inside of the second housing near the front end of the housing.

Claim 10

The invention defined in claim 3, including fill means at the top of the first housing for adding viscous fluid to both of the housings.

Claim 11

The invention defined in claim 3, including a base plate on which both of the first and second housings are mounted and including a transparent brace connected to said base plate and to each of the housings for providing rigidity without obstructing the operator''s view.

Claim 12

A slope indicator for mounting on earthmoving equipment to indicate the slope on which the equipment is working, said slope indicator comprising, a double walled, hollow housing having front and rear walls, said front wall comprising a front plate with sideslope measurement markings located along a lower part of the plate, said plate being transparent in at least the portion having said sideslope measurement markings, mounting means for mounting the housing on earthmoving equipment, pendulum means mounted for swinging movement within the interior of the housing, said pendulum means including a pendulum and a pointer for indicating the marking corresponding to the sideslope on which the earthmoving equipment is working, said peNdulum means including pivot means connecting the top of the pendulum behind the front plate to a top part of the plate whereby the sideslope is continuously indicated by the pointer behind the measurement markings of the front plate, a viscous fluid within the housing for dampening movement of the pendulum, guide means for holding the lower end of the pendulum in alignment between the front and rear walls of the hollow housing, and wherein said guide means include horizontally extending wires across the width of the hollow housing.

Claim 13

A slope indicator for mounting on earthmoving equipment to indicate the slope on which the equipment is working, said slope indicator comprising, a double walled, hollow housing having front and rear walls, said front wall comprising a front plate with sideslope measurement markings located along a lower part of the plate, said plate being transparent in at least the portion having said sideslope measurement markings, mounting means for mounting the housing on earthmoving equipment, pendulum means mounted for swinging movement within the interior of the housing, said pendulum means including a pendulum and a pointer for indicating the marking corresponding to the sideslope on which the earthmoving equipment is working, said peNdulum means including pivot means connecting the top of the pendulum behind the front plate to a top part of the plate whereby the sideslope is continuously indicated by the pointer behind the measurement markings of the front plate, a viscous fluid within the housing for dampening movement of the pendulum, guide means for holding the lower end of the pendulum in alignment between the front and rear walls of the hollow housing, and wherein said guide means include horizontally extending wires across the width of the hollow housing.

Claim 14

A slope indicator for mounting on earthmoving equipment to indicate the slope on which the equipment is working, said slope indicator comprising, a double walled, hollow housing having a front plate with sideslope measurement markings located along a lower part of the plate, said plate being transparent in at least the portion having said sideslope measurement markings, mounting means for mounting the housing on earthmoving equipment, pendulum means mounted for swinging movement within the interior of the housing, said pendulum means including a pendulum and a pointer for indicating the marking corresponding to the sideslope on which the earthmoving equipment is working, said pendulum means including pivot means connecting the top of the pendulum behind the front plate to a top part of the plate whereby the sideslope is continuously indicated by the pointer behind the measurement markings of the front plate, a viscous fluid within the housing for dampening movement of the pendulum, and wherein the front wall and the rear wall of the double walled housing are transparent and including a tube mounted on said housing and extending laterally across a part of the face of the housing, said tube having a slight upward curvature and being filled with a colored liquid except for a clear air bubble indicator, sideslope measurement markings in increments of one percent or less associated with said tube so that said air bubble slides beneath the markings to indicate the sideslope on which the earthmoving equipment is operating and wherein the length of the tube and the spacing between the markings provide a very accurate and easily readable indication of the sideslope between zero and ten percent grade, and wherein the contrast between the clear bubble and the colored liquid provides good visibility even in glare lighting conditions.

Claim 15

A slope indicator for mounting on earthmoving equipment to indicate the slope on which the equipment is working, said slope indicator comprising, a double walled, hollow housing having a front plate with sideslope measurement markings located along a lower part of the plate, said plate being transparent in at least the portion having said sideslope measurement markings, mounting means for mounting the housing on earthmoving equipment, pendulum means mounted for swinging movement within the interior of the housing, said pendulum means including a pendulum and a pointer for indicating the marking corresponding to the sideslope on which the earthmoving equipment is working, said pendulum means including pivot means connecting the top of the pendulum behind the front plate to a top part of the plate whereby the sideslope is continuously indicated by the pointer behind the measurement markings of the front plate, a viscous fluid within the housing for dampening movement of the pendulum, and wherein the front wall and the rear wall of the double walled housing are transparent and including a tube mounted on said housing and extending laterally across a part of the face of the housing, said tube having a slight upward curvature and being filled with a colored liquid except for a clear air bubble indicator, sideslope measurement markings in increments of one percent or less associated with said tube so that said air bubble slides beneath the markings to indicate the sideslope on which the earthmoving equipment is operating and wherein the length of the tube and the spacing between the markings provide a very accurate and easily readable indication of the sideslope between zero and ten percent grade, and wherein the contrast between the clear bubble and the colored liquid provides good visibility even in glare lighting conditions.

Claim 16

The invention defined in claim 11 wherein the tube is mounted inside the first hollow housing and wherein the pendulum has a generally U-shaped portion for movement along the length of the tube without contacting the tube.

Claim 17

A slope indicator for mounting on earthmoving equipment to indicate the slope on which the equipment is working, said slope indicator comprising, a tube having a slight upward curvature and filled with colored fluid except for a clear air bubble, sideslope measurement markings located along the length of the tube, mounting means for mounting the tube on earthmoving equipment, and leveling means for leveling the tube on the earthmoving equipment, and wherein the length of the tube and the spacings between the markings is great enough to permit a very accurate measurement of sideslope grades between zero and 10% and wherein the contrast between the clear air bubble and the colored fluid permit good visibility of the sideslope measurement even under glare lighting conditions.

Claim 18

A slope indicator for mounting on earthmoving equipment to indicate the slope on which the equipment is working, said slope indicator comprising, a tube having a slight upward curvature and filled with colored fluid except for a clear air bubble, sideslope measurement markings located along the length of the tube, mounting means for mounting the tube on earthmoving equipment, and leveling means for leveling the tube on the earthmoving equipment, and wherein the length of the tube and the spacings between the markings is great enough to permit a very accurate measurement of sideslope grades between zero and 10% and wherein the contrast between the clear air bubble and the colored fluid permit good visibility of the sideslope measurement even under glare lighting conditions.