Excavating machine with control system of the combined drive of two winches

An excavating machine, comprising:

• an actuation unit for moving an excavator;
• a main winch connected. through a main line, to the actuation unit, for lifting and lowering said actuation unit;
• a secondary winch connected, through at least one secondary line, to the actuation unit, for lifting and lowering said actuation unit;
• a primary driving circuit, which is a closed hydraulic circuit or an electric circuit, for driving the main winch;
• an open hydraulic circuit for driving the secondary winch;
• a first pressure sensor or a current sensor, associated with the primary driving circuit, for measuring pressure of a fluid or, respectively, intensity of an electric current, said fluid or said current being adapted to circulate in said primary driving circuit for driving the main winch;
• a second pressure sensor associated with the open hydraulic circuit, for measuring pressure of a fluid adapted to circulate in said open hydraulic circuit for driving the secondary winch:
• a pressure regulator for regulating the pressure of the fluid in the open hydraulic circuit;
• a control unit configured for:
• executing a combined operating condition, wherein the main winch and the secondary winch apply a force simultaneously to lift said actuation unit:
• receiving signals related to values sensed by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor, or by the second pressure sensor and the current sensor;
• and, based on such the values, controlling the pressure regulator so that the pressure of the fluid in the open hydraulic circuit, during the combined operating condition, takes a target value that is a function of:
• the pressure of the fluid in the closed hydraulic circuit or, respectively, the electric current in the electric circuit and
• a mast;
• wherein the actuation unit comprises a carriage slidably mounted on said mast, and a drill head connected to said carriage and adapted to rotatably move said excavator.

An excavating machine, comprising:

• an actuation unit for moving an excavator:
• a main winch connected, through a main line, to the actuation unit, for lifting and lowering said actuation unit;
• a secondary winch connected, through at least one secondary line, to the actuation unit, for lifting and lowering said actuation unit;
• a primary driving circuit, which is a closed hydraulic circuit or an electric circuit, for driving the main winch;
• an open hydraulic circuit for driving the secondary winch
• a first pressure sensor or a current sensor, associated with the primary driving circuit for measuring pressure of a fluid or, respectively intensity of an electric current, said fluid or said current being adapted to circulate in said primary driving circuit for driving the main winch;
• a second pressure sensor associated with the open hydraulic circuit, for measuring pressure of a fluid adapted to circulate in said open hydraulic circuit for driving the secondary winch:
• a pressure regulator for regulating the pressure of the fluid in the open hydraulic circuit;
• a control unit configured for:
• executing a combined operating condition, wherein the main winch and the secondary winch apply a force simultaneously to lift said actuation unit;
• receiving signals related to values sensed by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor, or by the second pressure sensor and the current sensor;
• and, based on such the values, controlling the pressure regulator so that the pressure of the fluid in the open hydraulic circuit, during the combined operating condition, takes a target value that is a function of:
• the pressure of the fluid in the closed hydraulic circuit or, respectively, the electric current in the electric circuit:
• wherein, at predefined time intervals, the control unit is configured for:
• measuring the pressure of the fluid in the open hydraulic circuit,
• measuring the pressure of the fluid in the closed hydraulic circuit or, respectively, the current in the electric circuit,
• regulating the pressure of the fluid in the open hydraulic circuit in order to bring the pressure to the target value:
• wherein the target pressure value is calculated with one of the following formulae:
• Ptarget=Pprinc×(100−R)/100+Ppd×R/100
• Ptarget=Iprinc×k×(100−R)/100+Ppd×R/100
• wherein R is a coefficient that is indicative of the different physical characteristics of the main and secondary winches;
• k is a predetermined coefficient.

A method for controlling an excavating machine, wherein the excavating machine comprises:

• an actuation unit for moving an excavator;
• a main winch connected, through a main line, to the actuation unit, for lifting and lowering said actuation unit;
• a secondary winch connected, through at least one secondary line, to the actuation unit, for lifting and lowering said actuation unit;
• a primary driving circuit, which is a closed hydraulic circuit or an electric circuit, for driving the main winch;
• an open hydraulic circuit for driving the secondary winch;
• the method comprises the steps of:
• measuring the pressure of a fluid or, respectively, intensity of an electric current, circulating in said primary driving circuit for driving the main winch;
• measuring the pressure of a fluid circulating in said open hydraulic circuit for driving the secondary winch;
• executing a combined operating condition, wherein the main winch and the secondary winch apply a force simultaneously to lift said actuation unit;
• based on sensed values, regulating the pressure of the fluid in the open hydraulic circuit so that, during the combined operating condition, said pressure takes a target value that is a function of:
• the pressure of the fluid in the closed hydraulic circuit or, respectively, the electric current in the electric circuit;
• wherein the following steps are carried out at predefined time intervals:
• measuring the pressure of the fluid in the open hydraulic circuit;
• measuring the pressure of the fluid in the closed hydraulic circuit or, respectively, the current in the electric circuit:
• regulating the pressure of the fluid in the open hydraulic circuit to bring the pressure to the target value;
• and
• wherein the target pressure value is calculated with one of the following formulae:
• Ptarget=Pprinc×(100−R)/100+Ppd×R/100
• Ptarget=Iprinc×k×(100−R)/100+Ppd×R/100
• wherein R is a coefficient that is indicative of physical characteristics of the main winch and the secondary winch;
• and k is a predetermined coefficient.