Control device for a dragline excavator

A control device for a dragline excavator comprising a bucket, a hoist rope and a drag rope of said bucket, a platform, a mechanism for hoisting said bucket, a mechanism for dragging said bucket, and a mechanism for swinging said platform of the dragline excavator;

• wherein all of said mechanisms move the bucket in a digging operation and in the transportation of the bucket to the dumping point and to the point where the bucket is lowered on the face of an excavation;
• wherein the control device comprises:
• a transducer for sensing the length increments of said hoist rope as the bucket is transported from the breakout point on the face of said excavation to the dumping point;
• a transducer for sensing the length increments of said drag rope as the bucket is transported from the breakout point of the face of said excavation to the dumping point;
• a transducer for sensing the swing angle of said platform as the bucket is transported from the breakout point on the face of said excavation to the dumping point;
• a transducer for sensing the length increments of the hoist rope as the bucket is transported from the dumping point to the point where it is lowered on the face of said excavation;
• a transducer for sensing the length increments of the drag rope as the bucket is transported from the dumping point where it is lowered on the face of said excavation;
• a transducer for sensing the swing angle of the platform as the bucket is transported from the dumping point to the point where it is lowered on the face of said excavation;
• a transducer for sensing the speed of said bucket hoisting mechanism;
• a transducer for sensing the speed of said bucket dragging mechanism;
• a transducer for sensing the speed of said platform swinging mechanism;
• a speed control unit of the bucket hoisting mechanism for controlling the bucket hoisting mechanism;
• a speed control unit of the bucket dragging mechanism for controlling the bucked dragging mechanism;
• a speed control unit of the platform swinging mechanism for controlling the platform swinging mechanism;
• a bucket transportation time calculator unit having a plurality of inputs and an output;
• said inputs of the bucket transportation time calculator being connected to the output of said hoist rope length increment transducer as the bucket is transported from the breakout point on the face of said excavation to the dumping point, to the output of said drag rope length increment transducer as the bucket is transported from the breakout point on the face of said excavation to the dumping point, to the output of said platform swing angle transducer as the bucket is transported from the breakout point on the face of said excavation to the dumping point, to the output of said hoist rope length increment transducer as the bucket is transported from the dumping point to the point where it is lowered on the face of said excavation, to the output of said drag rope length increment transducer as the bucket is transported from the dumping point to the point where it is lowered on the face of said excavation, to the output of said platform swing angle transducer as the bucket is transported from the dumping point to the point where it is lowered on the face of said excavation, to the output of said bucket hoisting mechanism speed transducer, and to the output of said bucket dragging mechanism speed transducer;
• a bucket hoisting mechanism speed setter unit having a plurality of inputs and outputs;
• the first input of said setter being connected to the output of said bucket transportation time calculator, the second input of said setter being connected to the output of said hoist rope length increment transducer as the bucket is transported from the breakout point to the dumping point, the third input of said setter being connected to the output of said hoist rope length increment transducer as the bucket is transported from the dumping point to the point where it is lowered on the face of said excavation, and the fourth input of said setter being connected to the output of said bucket hoisting mechanism speed transducer, said output of the bucket hoisting mechanism speed setter being connected to said bucket hoisting mechanism speed control unit;
• a manual speed setting element of the dragging mechanism;
• a bucket dragging mechanism speed setter unit having a plurality of inputs and an output, the first input of said bucket dragging mechanism speed setter being connected to the output of said bucket transportation time calculator, the second input being connected to the output of said drag rope length increment transducer as the bucket is transported from the breakout point to the dumping point, the third input being connected to the output of said hoist rope length increment transducer as the bucket is transported from the breakout point to the dumping point, the fourth input being connected to the output of said drag rope length increment transducer as the bucket is transported from the dumping point to the point where it is lowered on the face of said excavation, the fifth input being connected to the output of said hoist rope length increment transducer as the bucket is transported from the dumping point to the point where it is lowered on the face of said excavation, the sixth input being connected to the output of said manual speed setting element of the dragging mechanism, the seventh input being connected to the output of said bucket hoisting mechanism speed setter, and said output of the bucket dragging mechanism speed setter being connected to said bucket dragging mechanism speed control unit;
• a platform swinging mechanism speed setter unit having a plurality of inputs and an output;
• the first input of said platform swinging mechanism speed setter being connected to the output of said bucket transportation time calculator, the second input of said platform swinging mechanism speed setter being connected to the output of said platform swing angle transducer as the bucket is transported from the breakout point to the dumping point, the third input of said platform swinging mechanism speed setter being connected to the output of said platform swing angle transducer as the bucket is transported from the dumping point to the point where it is lowered on the face of said excavation, the fourth input of said platform swinging mechanism speed setter being coupled to the output of said platform swinging speed transducer, and the output of said platform swinging mechanism speed setter being connected to said platform swinging mechanism speed contol unit.