Crane operating aid and sensor arrangement therefor

Claim 2

In a crane including a pivotably displaceable load supporting member and at least two hydraulic lift rams operative to luff said member through a predetermined range of operation, each said ram comprising first and second fluid receiving chambers and operative to urge said member upwardly in response to receiving fluid in said first chamber and downwardly in response to receiving fluid in said second chamber, said second chambers being in fluid communication with one another, a crane operating aid comprising: a plurality of first sensors, one associated with each of said first fluid receiving chambers; a second sensor associated with one of said second fluid receiving chambers, each of said first and second sensors operative to generate a signal as a function of the pressure within the chamber associated therewith; averaging means operative to receive said signals and to generate a signal representative of the average of said first chamber pressure signals; and differentiating means operative to generate a reaction force output signal as a function of the difference between said second chamber pressure signal and said average signal.

Claim 3

In a crane including a pivotably displaceable boom supported for angular movement through a predetermined range of operation by at least two hydraulic lift rams which react against the combined weight of the boom and load, each said ram comprising a telescoping interfitting cylinder and rod-piston assembly defining first and second fluid receiving chambers and operative to urge said boom upwardly in response to receiving hydraulic fluid in said first chamber and downwardly in response to receiving hydraulic fluid in said second chamber, said second chambers being in fluid communication with one another, a crane operating aid comprising: a plurality of pressure sensing transducers, one associated with each of said first fluid receiving chambers and one associated with one of said second fluid receiving chambers, each of said transducers operative to generate a signal as a function of the pressure within the chamber associated therewith; averaging means operative to receive said signals and to generate a signal representative of the average of said first chamber pressure signals; and differentiating means operative to generate said reaction force output signal as a function of the difference between said second chamber pressure signal and said average signal.

Claim 4

In a crane including a pivotably displaceable boom supported for angular movement through a predetermined range of operation by at least two hydraulic lift rams which react against the combined weight of the boom and load, each said ram comprising a telescoping interfitting cylinder and rod-piston assembly defining first and second fluid receiving chambers and operative to urge said boom upwardly in response to receiving hydraulic fluid in said first chamber and downwardly in response to receiving hydraulic fluid in said second chamber, said second chambers being in fluid communication with one another, a crane operating aid comprising: a plurality of pressure sensing transducers, one associated with each of said first fluid receiving chambers and one associated with one of said second fluid receiving chambers, each of said transducers operative to generate a signal as a function of the pressure within the chamber associated therewith; averaging means operative to receive said signals and to generate a signal representative of the average of said first chamber pressure signals; and differentiating means operative to generate said reaction force output signal as a function of the difference between said second chamber pressure signal and said average signal.

Claim 5

In a crane including a pivotably displaceable boom supported for angular movement through a predetermined range of operation by at least two hydraulic lift rams which react against the combined weight of the boom and load, each said ram comprising a telescopingly interfitting cylinder and rod-piston assembly defining first and second fluid receiving chambers and operative to urge said boom upwardly in response to receiving hydraulic fluid in said first chamber and downwardly in response to receiving hydraulic fluid in said second chamber, said second chambers being in fluid communication with one another, a crane operating aid comprising: a plurality of pressure sensing tranducers, one associated with each of said first fluid receiving chambers and one associated with one of said second fluid receiving chambers, each of said transducers operative to generate a signal as a function of the pressure within the chamber associated therewith; and logic means operative to receive said signals and to generate a reaction force output signal as a function thereof, said logic means comprising averaging means operative to generate a signal representative of the average of said first chamber pressure signals, said reaction force output signal also being a function of said average signal.

Claim 6

In a crane including a pivotably displaceable boom supported for angular movement through a predetermined range of operation by at least two hydraulic lift rams which react against the combined weight of the boom and load, each said ram comprising a telescopingly interfitting cylinder and rod-piston assembly defining first and second fluid receiving chambers and operative to urge said boom upwardly in response to receiving hydraulic fluid in said first chamber and downwardly in response to receiving hydraulic fluid in said second chamber, said second chambers being in fluid communication with one another, a crane operating aid comprising: a plurality of pressure sensing tranducers, one associated with each of said first fluid receiving chambers and one associated with one of said second fluid receiving chambers, each of said transducers operative to generate a signal as a function of the pressure within the chamber associated therewith; and logic means operative to receive said signals and to generate a reaction force output signal as a function thereof, said logic means comprising averaging means operative to generate a signal representative of the average of said first chamber pressure signals, said reaction force output signal also being a function of said average signal.

Claim 7

The crane operating aid of claim 1, further comprising operator interface means disposed adjacent a designated operator position and operative to receive said reaction force output signal and to generate a sensible total effective crane load signal as a function thereof.

Claim 8

The crane operating aid of claim 4, wherein said load supporting member is an extendable boom, said aid further comprising boom length and angle transducers operative to generate output signals representative thereof, said total effective crane load signal being a function of said boom length and boom angle signals.

Claim 9

The crane operating aid of claim 5, further comprising means operative to receive and store said boom length and boom angle output signals.

Claim 10

The crane operating aid of claim 4, wherein said load supporting member is a lattice boom of fixed length, said aid further comprising a boom angle transducer operative to generate an output signal representative thereof.

Claim 11

The crane operating aid of claim 7, further comprising means operative to receive and store said boom angle output signal and a predetermined signal representative of boom length.

Claim 12

The crane operating aid of claim 2 or 3, further comprising operator interface means disposed adjacent a designated operator position and operative to receive said reaction force output signal and to generate a sensible total effective crane load signal as a function thereof.

Claim 13

The crane operating aid of claim 9, wherein said logic means comprises averaging means operative to generate a signal representative of the average of said first chamber pressure signals.

Claim 14

The crane operating aid of claim 3, wherein said logic means further comprises differentiating means operative to generate said reaction force output signal as a function of the difference between said second chamber pressure signal and said average signal.

Claim 15

In a crane including a pivotably displaceable load supporting member and at least two hydraulic lift rams operative to luff said member through a predetermined range of operation, each said ram comprising first and second fluid receiving chambers and operative to urge said member upwardly in response to receiving fluid in said first chamber and downwardly in response to receiving fluid in said second chamber, a method of determining the magnitude of reaction forces acting upon said member comprising steps of: interconnecting said second fluid receiving chambers for fluid communication therebetween; measuring fluid pressure within said first and second chambers; generating a signal as a function of the pressure within each of said first chambers; generating a signal as a function of the pressure within one of said second chambers; averaging said first chamber pressure signals and generating an average signals as a function thereof; and generating a reaction force output signal as a function of the difference between said second chamber pressure signal and said average signal.

Claim 16

In a crane including a pivotably displaceable load supporting member and at least two hydraulic lift rams operative to luff said member through a predetermined range of operation, each said ram comprising first and second fluid receiving chambers and operative to urge said member upwardly in response to receiving fluid in said first chamber and downwardly in response to receiving fluid in said second chamber, a method of determining the magnitude of reaction forces acting upon said member comprising steps of: interconnecting said second fluid receiving chambers for fluid communication therebetween; measuring fluid pressure within said first and second chambers; generating a signal as a function of the pressure within each of said first chambers; generating a signal as a function of the pressure within one of said second chambers; averaging said first chamber pressure signals and generating an average signals as a function thereof; and generating a reaction force output signal as a function of the difference between said second chamber pressure signal and said average signal.

Claim 17

The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of generating a total effective load signal as a function of said reaction force output signal.

Claim 18

The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of sensibly displaying said total effective load signal within said crane proximate a designated operator position.