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US 2018/0252103 A1Published application
Machine having positioning system for preventing miscoordination of gathering head and cutting implement
AssigneesCaterpillar Inc., Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH
InventorsCarl Moberg, Paul Kornev, Martin Teiner, Thomas Temmann
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Abstract
A machine includes a gathering head and a cutting implement, with the gathering head and cutting implement having overlapping ranges of motion such that adjusting of the gathering head and cutting implement is coordinated to avoid collision. A positioning system of the machine includes a control device configured to prevent miscoordination of the gathering head and cutting implement by controlling a position of the gathering head based upon a state of progress of the cutting implement in a cutting cycle.
Claims20
A machine comprising:
- a frame;
- a gathering head movable in a range of motion relative to the frame between a retracted position, and an advanced position defining an endpoint of the range of motion;
- a cutting implement movable relative to the frame to execute a cutting cycle defining a first cutting path segment that intersects the endpoint of the range of motion, and a second cutting path segment that does not intersect the endpoint of the range of motion;
- a positioning system including an actuating mechanism for the gathering head, and a control device coupled with the actuating mechanism, the control device being configured to:
- produce control commands for the actuating mechanism to move the gathering head from the retracted position to the advanced position, and control commands for the actuating mechanism to move the gathering head from the advanced position to the retracted position;
- receive data indicative of a state of progress of the cutting implement in the cutting cycle;
- and
- prevent miscoordination between the gathering head and the cutting implement at least in part by producing the control commands to move the gathering head from the retracted position to the advanced position, during execution of the cutting cycle, based on the data indicative of a state of progress of the cutting implement.
5 more elements
A method of operating a machine, the method comprising comprising:
- executing a cutting cycle with a cutting implement of the machine such that the cutting implement traverses a cutting path;
- receiving data indicative of a state of progress of the cutting implement in the cutting cycle;
- outputting a control command to an actuating mechanism of a gathering head in the machine during the execution of the cutting cycle;
- adjusting the gathering head from a retracted position, to an advanced position at which the gathering head is positioned within the cutting path, responsive to the control command;
- and
- producing the control command, based on the data indicative of the state of progress of the cutting implement, to prevent miscoordination between the gathering head and the cutting implement during the execution of the cutting cycle.
3 more elements
A positioning system for a gathering head in a machine, the positioning system comprising:
- at least one sensing mechanism configured to monitor at least one of a position or an orientation of a cutting implement movable in a cutting cycle in contact with a material face to be cut and defining a cutting path;
- a control device coupled with the at least one sensing mechanism, the control device being configured to:
- output control commands for an actuating mechanism coupled with the gathering head in the machine, to move the gathering head from a retracted position at which the gathering head is not within the cutting path, to an advanced position at which the gathering head is within the cutting path;
- output control commands for the actuating mechanism to move the gathering head from the advanced position to the retracted position;
- receive data produced by the at least one sensing mechanism that is indicative of a state of progress of the cutting implement in the cutting cycle;
- prevent miscoordination between the gathering head and the cutting implement during execution of the cutting cycle at least in part by producing the control commands to move the gathering head from the retracted position to the advanced position based on the data that is indicative of the state of progress of the cutting implement in the cutting cycle.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.