Blasting machine with position sensing and adjustment
AssigneeRobert T. Nelson
InventorJohn J. Shelton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for moving a blasting machine along a surface to be treated while maintaining a desired disposition of the blasting machine relative to the surface being treated. A support structure having a moveable boom with a blasting machine on its distal end is positioned adjacent the surface for treatment. Means are provided on the blasting machine to sense the positions of the blasting machine relative to the surface for treatment as the boom is moved through a working path. Movements of the blasting machine away from the desired disposition are sensed and compensated to adjust the blasting machine toward the intended disposition substantially throughout the movement of the boom through the working path.
Claims24
Apparatus for treating a surface comprising a land vehicle including a truck, a boom carried by said truck, said boom having an end portion proximal to said truck and a distal end portion remote from said truck, a blasting member positioned on said distal end portion, means to pivot said boom with respect to said truck to raise or lower said blasting member, means to move said boom transversely, said blasting member having an opening for delivery of an abrasive therethrough to contact an adjacent surface to be treated, said blasting member being pivotally mounted on the distal end of said boom for rotation about two axes one substantially perpendicular to another, sensing means for sensing the position of said opening with respect to said surface, and adjusting means operatively associated with said sensing means for maintaining said opening closely adjacent said surface in response to signals from said sensing means indicating a change in position of said opening with respect to said surface.
Apparatus for treating a surface comprising a support, a boom carried by said support, said boom having an end portion proximal to said support and a distal end portion remote from said support, a blasting member positioned on said distal end portion, means to pivot said boom with respect to said support to raise or lower said blasting member, means to move said boom transversely, said blasting member having an opening for delivery of an abrasive therethrough to contact an adjacent surface to be treated, said blasting member being movably mounted on said boom, said boom including an extendable boom capable of extension and retraction, adjusting means for adjusting the extent of retraction or extension of said extendable boom, a shaft at said distal end portion, holding means for holding said blasting member on said distal end portion, means for moving said holding means on said shaft, a pivot on said blasting member, and means for pivoting said blasting member about said pivot, to maintain said opening of said blasting member adjacent said surface for delivering abrasive thereto;
- a first sensor for sensing the position of said opening toward and away from the surface to be treated, and means for operating said adjusting means to extend and retract said boom in response to signals from said first sensor;
- a second sensor for sensing the position of the horizontal axis of said opening with respect to said surface to be treated and means for rotating said holding means and said blasting member about said shaft in response to signals from said second sensor;
- and
- a third sensor for sensing the position of the vertical axis of said opening with respect to said surface to be treated and means for moving said blasting member about said pivot in response to signals from said third sensor.
An apparatus for treating a surface comprising a support, a boom carried by said support, said boom having an end portion proximal to said support and a distal end portion remote from said support, a blasting member positioned on said distal end portion for rotation about a vertical axis and a horizontal axis and having a blasting opening;
- means for rotating said blasting member about said vertical axis, for rotating about said horizontal axis and for moving said blasting member toward and away from said surface;
- a first sensor being positioned on said blasting member approximately on the vertical center line of the blasting opening, and approximately on said horizontal axis, for sensing movement of the blasting member toward and away from said surface;
- a second sensor being positioned on said blasting member approximately on said horizontal axis and displaced from the vertical center line of said opening to sense movement of said blasting machine about said vertical axis;
- and
- a third sensor being positioned on said blasting member approximately on the vertical center line of said opening and displaced from said horizontal axis to sense movement of said blasting member about said horizontal axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.