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US 5,780,936 AGranted
Apparatus for controlling mobile equipment
OwnerPaul S. Cardelloinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for controlling the rotational movement of a ladder or the like of mobile equipment having stabilizing outriggers when the ladder is rotated manually to the side of the mobile equipment which does not have the outrigger fully deployed. A two-part switch, arranged for one part to rotate relative to the other, develops various combinations of signals dependent upon the relative positions of the parts of the switch. A control circuit is arranged to recognize the positions of the switch parts and supplies control signals which allow the ladder to rotate at a particular rate and to a particular point as the operator is steering the ladder to the side of the mobile equipment at which the outrigger is not fully deployed.
Claims14
A rotation position sensor unit comprising:
- a first multi-segment ring having:
- (a) a first electrically conductive segment extending over a first arc length and to which a first input signal is supplied, and
- (b) a second electrically conductive segment extending over a second arc length and to which a second input signal is supplied,
- said first electrically conductive segment electrically isolated from said second electrically conductive segment;
- a second ring having first, second, third, and fourth electrical contacts electrically isolated from each other and from which output signals are delivered:
- (a) said first and said second electrical contacts positioned on said second ring for:
- (1) contact of said first electrical contact with said first electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring and contact of said second electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring for a first range of rotational positions of said second ring relative to said first multi-segment ring,
- (2) contact of said first electrical contact with said first electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring and contact of said second electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring for a second range of rotational positions, extending beyond said first range of rotational positions, of said second ring relative to said first multi-segment ring, and
- (3) no contact of said first electrical contact with said first electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring and contact of said second electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring for a third range of rotational positions, extending beyond said second range of rotational positions, of said second ring relative to said first multi-segment ring, and
- (b) said third and said fourth electrical contacts positioned on said second ring for:
- (1) contact of said third electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring and contact of said fourth electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring for said first range of rotational positions of said second ring relative to said first multi-segment ring,
- (2) contact of said third electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring and no contact of said fourth electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring for said second range of rotational positions of said second ring relative to said first multi-segment ring, and
- (3) contact of said third electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring and no contact of said fourth electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring for said third range of rotational positions of said second ring relative to said first multi-segment ring;
- and
- means for mounting said first multi-segment ring and said second ring for relative rotation between said first multi-segment ring and said second ring.
12 more elements
Apparatus for controlling the rotational movement of a swingable unit of a mobile equipment vehicle having extendable outriggers at the lateral sides of the vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- sensing means responsive to movement of the outriggers for developing outrigger signals representative of full deployment of the outriggers;
- a swivel unit, including first and second switch members mounted for relative rotation between said first switch member and said second switch member, to which input signals are supplied and from which:
- (1) first output signals are delivered for a first range of rotational positions of said second switch member relative to said first switch member,
- (2) second output signals are delivered for a second range of rotational positions, extending beyond said first range of rotational positions, of said second switch member relative to said first switch member, and
- (3) third output signals are delivered for a third range of rotational positions, extending beyond said second range of rotational positions, of said second switch member relative to said first switch member;
- and
- a control unit responsive to said outrigger signals and said output signals delivered from said swivel unit for supplying control signals to a driver unit which allows rotation of the ladder.
4 more elements
Apparatus for controlling the rotational movement of a swingable unit of a mobile equipment vehicle having extendable outriggers at the lateral sides of the vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- sensing means responsive to movement of the outriggers for developing outrigger signals representative of fall deployment of the outriggers;
- a rotation position sensor unit including:
- (a) a housing,
- (b) a first multi-segment ring having:
- (1) a first electrically conductive segment extending over a first arc length and to which an input signal is supplied, and
- (2) a second electrically conductive segment extending over a second arc length and to which an input signal is supplied,
- said first electrically conductive segment electrically isolated from said second electrically conductive segment,
- (c) a second electrically conductive ring from which output signals are delivered and having:
- (1) first and second electrical contacts positioned on said second ring electrically isolated from each other for:
- (i) contact of said first electrical contact with said first electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring and contact of said second electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring for a first range of rotational positions of said second ring relative to said first multi-segment ring,
- (ii) contact of said first electrical contact with said first electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring and contact of said second electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring for a second range of rotational positions, extending beyond said first range of rotational positions, of said second ring relative to said first multi-segment ring, and
- (iii) no contact of said first electrical contact with said first electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring and contact of said second electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring for a third range of rotational positions, extending beyond said second range of rotational positions, of said second ring relative to said first multi-segment ring, and
- (2) third and fourth electrical contacts positioned on said second ring electrically isolated from each other and from said first and said second electrical contacts for:
- (i) contact of said third electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring and contact of said fourth electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring for said first range of rotational positions of said second ring relative to said first multi-segment ring,
- (ii) contact of said third electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring and no contact of said fourth electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring for said second range of rotational positions of said second ring relative to said first multi-segment ring, and
- (iii) contact of said third electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring and no contact of said fourth electrical contact with said second electrically conductive segment of said first multi-segment ring for said third range of rotational positions of said second ring relative to said first multi-segment ring, and
- (d) means for mounting said first multi-segment ring and said second ring in said housing for relative rotation between said first multi-segment ring and said second ring;
- and
- a control unit responsive to said outrigger signals and said output signals delivered from second ring for supplying control signals to a driver unit which allows rotation of the ladder.
16 more elements
Apparatus for controlling the rotational movement of a swingable unit of a mobile equipment vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- a swivel unit, including first and second switch member mounted for relative rotation between said first switch member and said second switch member, from which output signals are delivered for indicating rotational positions of said second switch member relative to said first switch member;
- and
- a control unit responsive to said output signals delivered from said swivel unit for supplying control signals to a driver unit which allows rotation of the ladder, said control unit including logic means for developing, from the output signals from said swivel unit, control signals which are uniquely related to relative rotational positions of said first and said second switch members, thereby preventing a false indication of the relative rotational positions of said first switch member and said second switch member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.