Dynamic dampening of wire rope
AssigneeHarnischfeger Technologies, Inc.
InventorSamuel John Andrew Baker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A machine includes a base, a main housing that is freely rotatable and supported on the base. The main housing includes a generally horizontal surface. The machine also includes a drum mounted on said main housing, a boom extending from said main housing, a bucket operatively connected to and supported by the boom, a wire rope extending between the drum and the bucket for movement of the bucket, a fairlead disposed on the main housing along a path of the wire rope. The wire rope passes through the fairlead between the drum and the bucket. A dynamic dampening mechanism is disposed on the fairlead, the dynamic dampening mechanism including a dampening fluid having a variable viscosity in response to an electrical current applied thereto.
Claims18
A machine comprising:
- a base;
- a main housing that is rotatable and supported on the base, the main housing including a generally horizontal surface;
- a drum mounted on said main housing;
- a boom extending from said main housing;
- a bucket operatively connected to and supported by the boom;
- a wire rope extending between the drum and the bucket for movement of the bucket;
- a fairlead disposed on the main housing along a path of the wire rope, the wire rope passing through the fairlead between the drum and the bucket;
- and
- a dynamic dampening mechanism disposed on the fairlead, the dynamic dampening mechanism including a dampening fluid having a variable viscosity in response to an electrical current applied thereto.
A machine comprising:
- a base;
- a main housing that is freely rotatable and supported on the base, the main housing including a generally horizontal, upwardly facing surface;
- a drum mounted on said main housing;
- a boom extending from said main housing;
- a bucket operatively connected to and supported by the boom;
- a drag rope extending between the drum and the bucket for horizontal movement of the bucket;
- a fairlead disposed on the main housing along a path of the wire rope, the drag rope passing through the fairlead between the drum and the bucket;
- a dynamic dampening mechanism disposed on the fairlead, the dynamic dampening mechanism including at least one hydraulic strut with a dampening fluid having a variable viscosity in response to an electrical current applied thereto;
- and
- a controller that electronically controls the amount of the electrical current applied to the dampening fluid to change the viscosity of the dampening fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.