Systems and methods for automated control of a beam stageloader bootend
AssigneeJoy Global Underground Mining LLC
InventorBenjamin John Robert Lepre
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Automated control of a longwall stageloader bootend using a plurality of sensors. The sensors include lift sensors, side shift sensors, advance sensors, angle sensors, and conveyor belt sensors. Signals from the plurality of sensors are received by a controller and used to control the operation of the bootend. Controlling the operation of the bootend includes controlling, for example, one or more lift actuators, one or more side shift actuators, one or more advance actuators, and one or more belt actuators. These various actuators can be controlled to, for example, advance the bootend, level the bootend, or match the interfaces between the bootend and a stageloader or a conveyor structure.
Claims20
A beam stageloader bootend comprising:
- at least one side shift actuator configured to laterally move the bootend with respect to a conveyor belt;
- a belt sensor configured to output a belt sensor output signal related to a lateral position of the conveyor belt with respect to the bootend;
- and
- a controller connected to the belt sensor and the at least one side shift actuator, the controller including a non-transitory computer readable medium and a processor, the controller including computer executable instructions stored in the computer readable medium for controlling operation of the bootend to:
- receive the belt sensor output signal;
- determine the lateral position of the conveyor belt with respect to the bootend based on the belt sensor output signal;
- and
- generate a control signal for the at least one side shift actuator to adjust the position of the at least one side shift actuator based on the lateral position of the conveyor belt with respect to the bootend.
A controller for controlling a beam stageloader bootend, the controller including a non-transitory computer readable medium and a processor, the controller including computer executable instructions stored in the computer readable medium for controlling operation of the bootend to:
- receive a belt sensor output signal from a belt sensor, the belt sensor output signal related to a lateral position of a conveyor belt with respect to the bootend;
- determine the lateral position of the conveyor belt with respect to the bootend based on the belt sensor output signal;
- and
- generate a control signal for at least one side shift actuator to adjust the position of the at least one side shift actuator based on the lateral position of the conveyor belt with respect to the bootend.
A computer-implemented method for controlling a beam stageloader bootend, the bootend including at least one side shift actuator, a conveyor belt, and a belt sensor, the method comprising:
- receiving a belt sensor output signal, the belt sensor output signal related to a lateral position of the conveyor belt with respect to the bootend;
- determine the lateral position of the conveyor belt with respect to the bootend based on the belt sensor output signal;
- and
- generate a control signal for the at least one side shift actuator to adjust the position of the at least one side shift actuator based on the lateral position of the conveyor belt with respect to the bootend.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.