Coupling for suspended load control apparatus, system, and method
AssigneeVita Inclinata Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDerek Sikora, Logan Goodrich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for a load control system for use on or with respect to a main load bearing line, carrier hook, and or head block of a crane, wherein the load control system may maintain tension on the load via a winch control line and a winch, wherein the tension may allow improved control over the load by the load control system.
Claims17
A load control system to influence at least one of a position, orientation, or motion of a load suspended by a main load bearing line from a carrier, comprising:
- a rotational coupling, a winch, a winch control line to be secured to the load and the winch, a thruster, a sensor suite, and a computer processor and a memory;
- wherein the memory comprises a control module which, when executed by the computer processor, is to determine a tension on the winch and at least one of a position, orientation, or motion of the load based on a sensor data from the sensor suite and is to control the tension on the winch and the thruster to influence at least one of the position, orientation, or motion of the load, and wherein the rotational coupling is to allow the load control system to rotate about a vertical axis of the main load bearing line without imparting a significant torque on the main load bearing line and wherein the thrust control module is to determine at least the position, orientation, or motion by combining the sensor data from the sensor suite through a non-linear filter to determine a current state and wherein the control module is further to use the current state to control the tension on the winch and the thruster to influence at least one of the position, orientation, or motion of the load.
A computer implemented method to influence at least one of a position, orientation, or motion of a load suspended by a main load bearing line from a carrier, comprising:
- determining a position, orientation, or motion of the load and a tension on a winch based on a sensor data from a sensor suite, wherein the winch is secured to the load with a winch control line, and controlling the winch and a thruster to influence at least one of the position, orientation, or motion of the load, wherein a rotational coupling allows the winch and thruster to rotate about a vertical axis of the main load bearing line without imparting a significant torque on the main load bearing line, further comprising determining the position, orientation, or motion and the tension on the winch by combining the sensor data from the sensor suite through a non-linear filter to determine a current state, wherein the current state comprises the position, orientation, or motion and the tension on the winch.
An apparatus to influence at least one of a position, orientation, or motion of a load suspended by a main load bearing line from a carrier, comprising:
- means to determine a position, orientation, or motion of the load and a tension on a winch from a winch control line based on a sensor data from a sensor suite, means to secure the winch to the load with a winch control line, means to control the winch, winch control line, and a thruster to influence at least one of the position, orientation, or motion of the load, means for a rotational coupling, wherein the rotational coupling allows the winch and thruster to rotate about a vertical axis of the main load bearing line without imparting a significant torque on the main load bearing line, further comprising determining the position, orientation, or motion and the tension on the winch by combining the sensor data from the sensor suite through a non-linear filter to determine a current state, wherein the current state comprises the position, orientation, or motion and the tension on the winch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.