Hand operated auxiliary drive and retard torque control

A method of controlling an engine and brakes of an off-highway vehicle comprising the steps of:

• providing a foot operated drive pedal, a foot operated retard pedal, and a hand operated auxiliary drive/retard control;
• operating the auxiliary drive/retard control to request drive torque;
• determining if the foot operated drive pedal is requesting drive torque;
• comparing the auxiliary drive/retard control drive torque request to the foot operated drive pedal drive torque request if it is determined that the foot operated drive pedal is requesting drive torque;
• and
• sending the auxiliary drive/retard control drive torque request if the auxiliary drive/retard control drive torque request is greater than the foot operated drive pedal drive torque request.

A method of controlling an engine and brakes of an off-highway vehicle comprising the steps of:

• providing a foot operated drive pedal, a foot operated retard pedal, and a hand operated auxiliary drive/retard control;
• operating the auxiliary drive/retard control to request retard torque;
• determining if the foot operated retard pedal is requesting retard torque;
• comparing the auxiliary drive/retard control retard torque request to the foot operated retard pedal retard torque request if it is determined that the foot operated retard pedal is requesting retard torque;
• and
• sending the auxiliary drive/retard control retard torque request if the auxiliary drive/retard control retard torque request is greater than the foot operated drive pedal retard torque request.

A control system for an off-highway vehicle, comprising:

• a foot operated drive pedal;
• a foot operated retard pedal;
• a hand operated auxiliary drive/retard lever, the lever being movable to a first position to signal a request for drive torque and a second position to signal a request for retard torque, the lever having a resume function that can return at least one of the drive torque request and retard request to a level previously set by an operator;
• a memory bank for recording and recalling a sequence of drive/retard request signals from at least one of the lever, the foot operated drive pedal, and the foot operated retard pedal;
• wherein a predetermined default drive torque is requested when the lever is moved to the first position and a predetermined default retard torque is requested when the lever is moved to the second position.

A control system for an off-highway vehicle, comprising:

• a foot operated drive pedal;
• a foot operated retard pedal;
• and
• a hand operated auxiliary drive/retard lever, the lever being movable to a first position to signal a request for drive torque and a second position to signal a request for retard torque.