Control system for ripper operation
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsBradley P. Krone, Christopher M. Gerth, Brad R. Van De Veer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mobile machine is operatively attached to a ripper for conducting a ripping operation of the terrain substrate by traveling over the terrain surface. The mobile machine may be associated with sensors to measure the travel resistance from the terrain opposing travel of the mobile machine in the travel directing during the ripping operation. If the travel resistance is excessive, the mobile machine can conduct a shank adjustment sequence by adjusting one or more of a tilt actuator and a lift actuator to move the ripper relative to the terrain and reduce the travel resistance.
Claims20
A mobile machine comprising:
- a machine chassis supported on a plurality of traction devices for traveling over a terrain surface in a travel direction;
- a ripper attached to the machine chassis and including a ripper shank defining a shank axis and a ripper tip at a distal end of the ripper shank for penetrating the terrain surface;
- one or more sensors configured to determine a travel resistance to travel of the mobile machine over the terrain surface;
- a tilt actuator connected between the machine chassis and the ripper, the tilt actuator configured to tilt the shank axis with respect to the terrain surface;
- a lift actuator operatively connected between the machine chassis and the ripper, the lift actuator operatively configured to vertically move the ripper with respect to the terrain surface;
- and
- an electronic controller in communication with the one or more sensors and associated with the tilt actuator and the lift actuator, the electronic controller configured to;
- determine that the travel resistance is excessive;
- execute, based on determining the travel resistance is excessive, a shank adjustment sequence by actuating one or more of the tilt actuator or the lift actuator to move the ripper with respect to the machine chassis and reduce the travel resistance;
- and
- based on a reduction in the travel resistance, execute a reposition shank sequence to move the ripper to a prestored position.
A method of operating a ripper of a mobile machine, the method including:
- digging a terrain substrate with a ripper tip, attached to a ripper shank of the ripper, that is disposed in the terrain substrate by travel of the mobile machine in a travel direction over a terrain surface;
- determining a travel resistance to travel of the mobile machine over the terrain surface;
- determining that the travel resistance is excessive;
- executing a shank adjustment sequence by actuating one or more of a tilt actuator or a lift actuator to move the ripper with respect to terrain substrate to reduce the travel resistance, and
- based on a reduction in the travel resistance, execute a reposition shank sequence to move the ripper to a prestored position.
A control system for controlling a ripper of a mobile machine, the control system comprising:
- an actuator control operatively associated with a tilt actuator and a lift actuator that are configured to tilt a shank axis of the ripper with respect to a terrain surface and vertically move the ripper with respect to the terrain surface, respectively;
- one or more sensors configured to measure a travel resistance to travel of the mobile machine in a travel direction over the terrain surface;
- and
- an electronic controller configured to determine that the travel resistance is excessive and execute a shank adjustment sequence by actuating one or more of the tilt actuator or the lift actuator to move a ripper shank and a ripper tip with respect to a terrain substrate to reduce the travel resistance, and based on a reduction in the travel resistance, execute a reposition shank sequence to move the ripper to a prestored position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.