US 5,881,780 A · Apapratus for and method of locating the center of an opening in a vehicle

Abstract

A centering and loading apparatus for locating the center of a fill opening of a vehicle and loading bulk material into the vehicle through the opening is provided which includes a movable loading spout assembly and a locator assembly which locates the fill opening of the vehicle and is adapted to move the loading spout assembly for centering over the fill opening of the vehicle. The loading spout assembly is supported on a first support and is adapted to move along the longitudinal and lateral horizontal axes of the first support for aligning the loading spout assembly over the fill opening of the vehicle. The locator assembly includes a pair of scanning devices, for example, charge coupled devices, radio frequency sensors, and laser and infrared devices, that detect and scan the fill opening to locate the center of the opening. The locator assembly and loading spout are controlled by a programmable logic controller, which processes the data provided by the scanning devices to calculate the center of the opening. Once the center of the opening is calculated, the controller moves and centers the loading spout assembly over the opening and starts the loading sequence. A centering and loading method includes scanning the vehicle with scanning device, which preferably detects reflected light, locating the center of the fill opening from the signals generated by the scanning device, and aligning a loading spout with the center coordinates of the opening so that the vehicle can be loaded with the bulk material by the loading spout through the fill opening.

Claims50

Dependent claims

A bulk loading system for delivering bulk material to a storage compartment of a bulk transport vehicle through a fill opening, the bulk loading system comprising:

a first support defining a first direction of movement and a second direction of movement;
a movable loading spout assembly adapted to move in at least one of said first direction of movement and said second direction of movement for centering said loading spout assembly over the fill opening of the vehicle;
and
at least one scanning device for scanning and locating the fill opening of the vehicle, said scanning device being coupled to said movable loading spout assembly and adapted to actuate said loading spout assembly for centering over the fill opening of the vehicle.

1 more element

A bulk loading system for delivering bulk material to a storage compartment of a bulk transport vehicle through at least one fill opening provided in the body of the vehicle, the bulk loading system comprising:

a first support having a longitudinal horizontal axis and a lateral horizontal axis;
a movable loading spout assembly adapted to move along said longitudinal horizontal axis by a first driver and adapted to move along said lateral horizontal axis of said first support by a second driver for centering said loading spout assembly over the fill opening of the vehicle;
and
a pair of scanning devices coupled to said first and second drivers and being adapted to move along said longitudinal horizontal axis and said lateral horizontal axis of said first support for scanning the vehicle, said scanning devices being spaced apart and aligned along said longitudinal horizontal axis, a first scanning device of said pair of scanning devices being adapted to scan the vehicle for detecting the presence of the fill opening, a second scanning device of said pair of scanning devices being adapted to locate the center of the fill opening, and said pair of scanning devices adapted to actuate said drivers to move said loading spout assembly for aligning with the center of the fill opening of the vehicle.

1 more element

A method of centering and loading bulk material into a storage compartment of a bulk transport vehicle through a fill opening, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a scanning device, the scanning device generating signals in response to light reflected from the vehicle;
moving the scanning device adjacent the vehicle;
scanning the vehicle with the scanning device in at least two directions to locate the fill opening;
locating the center of the fill opening from signals generated by the scanning device;
and
in response to said signals, aligning a loading spout with center coordinates of the fill opening.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apapratus for and method of locating the center of an opening in a vehicle

Life of this patent

Apapratus for and method of locating the center of an opening in a vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims50