US 6,152,238 AGranted

Control and method for positioning a tool of a construction apparatus

AssigneeLaser Alignment, Inc.

InventorsDirrick J. Ferrell, Ross C. Stoepker, Timothy E. Steenwyk, Eric Jon Walstra

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Abstract

A control system for establishing grade and elevation control for a tool of a construction apparatus for maintaining the vertical position of the tool relative to a reference includes a first ultrasonic transducer configured to be carried by the construction apparatus, with the first transducer transmitting and receiving acoustic waves, at least one reflector, a second ultrasonic transducer configured to be carried by the construction apparatus, with the second transducer receiving acoustic waves, and a controller coupled to the first and second ultrasonic transducers which drive the transducers to produce an acoustic wave and monitors the time reflections of the acoustic wave are respectively received by the first and second transducers. The controller determines the local speed of sound based on a first in time reflection received by the second ultrasonic transducer and determines the distance from the construction tool to a reference based on the local speed of sound and a second in time reflection received by both the first and second ultrasonic transducers. The controller produces at least one electrical signal as a function of the distance of the ultrasonic transducers from the reference. In preferred form, the controller communicates the signal to a positioning device, which signal actuates the positioning device to adjust the position of the construction tool with respect to the reference.

Claims60

Dependent claims

A construction tool grade and elevation establishing control for maintaining the vertical position of the construction tool relative to a reference, said construction tool being carried by a tool frame of a construction apparatus, the tool frame being supported for horizontal motion and being adjustably positioned by a hydraulic-tool-positioning device, the hydraulic-tool-positioning device having at least one solenoid operated hydraulic valve and being responsive to signals of a particular configuration from said construction tool grade and elevation establishing control to adjust the position of the construction tool, said construction tool grade and elevation establishing control comprising:

at least one sensor configured to be carried by a construction tool, said sensor generating wave signals and sensor signals, said sensor detecting reflections of said wave signals from a reference, and said sensor signals being generated by said sensor in response to said sensor detecting said reflections and being a function of said reflections and the distance of said sensor to the reference;
and
a sensor control coupled to said at least one sensor, said sensor control being in communication with and driving said sensor to generate said wave signals and determining the position of the construction tool relative to the reference based on said sensor signals, said sensor control evaluating each of said sensor signals and determining whether said sensor signals represent valid or invalid sensor signals, said sensor control producing an enable signal in response to detecting a valid sensor signal and transmitting said enable signal to solenoid operated hydraulic valve to adjust the position of the construction tool to maintain a desired position of the construction tool with respect to said reference and generating a disable signal in response to detecting an invalid sensor signal and transmitting said disable signal to said solenoid operated hydraulic valve whereby the position of the tool remains substantially unchanged, and said sensor control being adapted to detect a particular configuration of the at least one solenoid operated hydraulic valve, and said sensor control producing said drive signal based on the configuration of the at least one solenoid operated hydraulic valve.

A control system for establishing grade and elevation control for a tool on a construction apparatus, said control system for maintaining the vertical and lateral position of the tool relative to a reference, the tool being movably mounted on the construction equipment, and the construction equipment including at least one positioning device that responds to signals from said control system to adjust the position of the tool, said control system comprising:

at least one sensor configured to be carried by a construction tool, said sensor including a transducer, said transducer generating energy pulses, and said sensor directing said energy pulses toward a reference and receiving reflections of said energy pulses reflected from the reference;
and
a sensor control coupled to said at least one sensor, said sensor control causing said sensor to generate said energy pulses and determining the position of the construction tool relative to the reference based on said reflections of said energy pulses received by said sensor, said sensor control selectively producing a drive signal in response to said determining and transmitting said drive signal to the tool positioning device to maintain a desired position of said construction tool with respect to said reference, said sensor control evaluating characteristics of said reflections of said energy pulses received by said sensor and determining whether said reflections of said energy pulses represent valid or invalid energy pulses, said sensor control generating not adjusting said positioning device when said sensor control detects an invalid energy pulse is received and selectively adjusting the positioning device when said sensor control detects a valid energy pulse is received.

A control system for establishing grade and elevation control for a tool on a construction apparatus, said control system for maintaining a vertical lateral position of the tool relative to a reference, the tool being movably mounted on a construction apparatus, and the construction apparatus including at least one positioning device that responds to signals from said control system to adjust the position of the tool, control system comprising:

at least one sensor configured to be carried by construction tool, said sensor generating energy waves toward a reference and detecting reflections of said energy waves, said sensor determining a distance to the reference and generating sensor signals based on said reflections, said sensor signals being a function of the distance to the reference;
and
a sensor control coupled to said at least one sensor and adapted to define a target position, said sensor control comparing said sensor signals with said target position of the construction tool, said sensor control selectively producing a drive signal in response to the relationship of said sensor signals to said target position and transmitting the drive signal to the tool positioning device to maintain a desired position of said construction tool with respect to said reference, said sensor having a sensing range over a lateral extent, and said target position being movable within the sensing range of said sensor whereby said control system can be used to establish the grade and elevation with the tool adjacent a structure without the risk of physical impact with the structure.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.