Control of a machine to end a windrow
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsMichael Charles Gentle, Ethan Michael Tevis, Joshua T. Hayes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A controller for a work machine may cause increasing of an angle of a ground-engaging implement of the work machine while maintaining a distance between a trailing edge of the ground-engaging implement and a center line of the work machine. The controller may detect that the work machine has traveled a particular distance from a location of the work machine at a time of increasing of the angle of the ground-engaging implement. The controller for the work machine may cause the work machine to steer away from a windrow based on detecting that the work machine has traveled the particular distance.
Claims20
A motor grader, comprising:
- a front portion;
- a rear portion;
- an articulated joint between the front portion and the rear portion;
- a linkage assembly of the front portion, the linkage assembly comprising a drawbar, a circle connected to the drawbar, and a ground-engaging implement, connected to the circle, positionable at an angle that defines a leading edge and a trailing edge of the ground-engaging implement;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- receive an input indicating that a windrow, being formed by the motor grader in connection with a grading operation, is to be ended;
- cause, based on the input, increasing of the angle of the ground-engaging implement by articulation of the front portion relative to the rear portion and rotation of the circle;
- detect that the motor grader has traveled a particular distance from a location of the motor grader at a time of increasing of the angle of the ground-engaging implement;
- and
- perform a windrow-ending action based on detecting that the motor grader has traveled the particular distance.
A control system for a work machine having a linkage assembly including a drawbar, a circle connected to the drawbar, and a ground-engaging implement, connected to the circle, positionable at an angle that defines a leading edge and a trailing edge of the ground-engaging implement, the control system comprising:
- one or more sensors configured to detect a position of the ground-engaging implement;
- a circle rotation actuator configured to rotate the circle;
- an articulation actuator configured to articulate a front portion of the work machine relative to a rear portion of the work machine;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- identify that the work machine is to perform an operation to end a windrow being formed by the work machine in connection with a grading operation;
- cause, based on identifying that the work machine is to perform the operation, increasing of the angle of the ground-engaging implement by articulation of the front portion relative to the rear portion and rotation of the circle;
- detect that the work machine has traveled a particular distance from a location of the work machine at a time of increasing of the angle of the ground-engaging implement;
- and
- perform a windrow-ending action based on detecting that the work machine has traveled the particular distance.
A method to end a windrow being formed by a work machine, comprising:
- causing, by a controller for the work machine, increasing of an angle of a ground-engaging implement of the work machine while maintaining a distance between a trailing edge of the ground-engaging implement and a center line of the work machine;
- detecting that the work machine has traveled a particular distance from a location of the work machine at a time of increasing of the angle of the ground-engaging implement;
- and
- causing the work machine to steer away from the windrow based on detecting that the work machine has traveled the particular distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.