Back to results
US 2026/0283085 A1Published application
Forwarder with automatic control of grapple rotation
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsMika Petri Hyvönen, VESA SILTANEN, TIMO J. KÄPPI, MARKO PAAKKUNAINEN, MIKKO A. PALMROTH, Niko Solopuro
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A forwarder comprises an articulated boom with a grapple suspended from the distal end of the boom. A control unit is configured to control actuators to move the boom and automatically rotate the grapple into a predefined position and orientation for grabbing a log, and depositing a log. The control unit is further configured to receive an operator input signal defining the direction of rotation of the grapple from the control input device.
Claims15
A forwarder comprising:
- an articulated boom having a distal end, the boom movable in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction and slewable about a vertical rotation axis;
- a loading space that is open at a top;
- a grapple suspended from the distal end of the boom, the grapple configured to handle at least one log;
- a plurality of actuators configured to control movement of the boom and rotation of the grapple;
- a control unit operatively coupled to the actuators;
- and
- a manually operable control input device operatively coupled to the control unit;
- wherein the control unit is configured to receive an operator input signal defining a direction of movement of the boom from the control input device,
- control the actuators to move the boom and to automatically rotate the grapple relative to the distal end of the boom into a predefined position and a predefined orientation for grabbing the log, and to control the actuators to move the boom and automatically rotate the grapple for depositing the log.
6 more elements
A forwarder comprising:
- an articulated boom having a distal end, the boom movable in vertical direction and a horizontal direction and being slewable about a vertical rotation axis;
- a loading space that is open at a top;
- a grapple suspended from the distal end of the boom, the grapple configured to handle at least one log;
- a plurality of actuators configured to control movement of the boom and rotation of the grapple;
- and
- a control unit operatively coupled to the actuators,
- wherein the control unit is configured to control the actuators to move the boom and to automatically rotate the grapple with respect to the distal end into a predefined position and orientation for grabbing the log, and to control the actuators to move the boom and automatically rotate the grapple relative to the distal end for depositing the log,
- wherein the control unit comprises an adaptive, closed control loop for controlling the actuator rotating the grapple, the closed control loop including a controller configured to
- receive a load signal representing at least one of a mass, weight and a moment of inertia of the grapple and the log carried by the grapple,
- receive an actuator signal indicative of a desired angle of the actuator,
- receive a sensor signal from a sensor indicative of the actual angle of the grapple, and
- generate control signals for the actuator based on the received signals.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.