Payload monitor
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsDonald E. Foley, Gregory H. Gipp, William G. Schwader, Craig L. Sells, James A. Smittkamp, Alan L. Stahl, John F. Szentes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus determines the payload carried in a work vehicle by periodically measuring the pressure of a fluid contained within front and rear suspension struts. The struts are connected in supporting relation between a load carrying portion and a ground engaging portion of the vehicle such that a pressure differential between a loaded and unloaded vehicle can be shown to be indicative of the magnitude of the payload. Moreover, the pressures are a function of the geometry of a suspension means which interconnects the load carrying portion and the ground engaging portion.
Claims13
An apparatus for measuring and indicating the weight of a payload carried by a work vehicle, the work vehicle having at least one front and rear strut disposed in supporting relation to a load carrying portion of the work vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- means for separately sensing the pressures of said front and rear struts and delivering signals respectively responsive to the magnitude of said front and rear strut pressures;
- means for modifying said front and rear strut pressure signals by applying respective unique correction factors thereto, summing the resultant modified signals, and delivering a control signal responsive to the magnitude of the sum of said modified signals;
- means for receiving said control signal and delivering an indication of the magnitude of the work vehicle payload in response to the magnitude of said control signal;
- and
- means for recording the magnitude of the control signal as an indication of actual current payload in response to the magnitude of said control signal changing by less than a preselected magnitude during a first preselected duration of time.
An apparatus for measuring and indicating the weight of a payload carried by a work vehicle, the work vehicle having a frame, a rear axle housing, at least one front and rear strut, and an A-frame moment arm, said A-frame moment arm having a first end portion pivotally connected to said frame and a second end portion fixedly connected to said rear axle housing, said rear strut having a first end portion pivotally connected to said frame and a second end portion pivotally connected to the second end portion of said A-frame moment arm, said apparatus comprising:
- means for separately sensing the pressures of said front and rear struts and delivering signals respectively responsive to the magnitude of said front and rear strut pressures;
- means for modifying said front and rear strut pressure signals by separate preselected unique correction factors, summing the resultant modified signals, and delivering a control signal responsive to the magnitude of the sum of said modified signals;
- said rear strut pressure correction factor being a function of the length of said A-frame moment arm and the horizontal distance between the center of said rear axle housing and the first end portion of said A-frame moment arm;
- and
- means for receiving said control signal and delivering an indication of the magnitude of the work vehicle payload in response to the magnitude of said control signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.