Control of excavation apparatus
AssigneeVermeer Manufacturing Company
InventorsDean Whitten, Dan Hawks, Mike Vander Hart, Mark Cooper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for controlling an excavator having a frame, engine, ground supports and an excavation boom with an excavating drum. The method includes fixing the orientation of the boom relative to gravity to approximately control the shape of an excavated ground plane.
Claims14
A method of controlling an excavator including a frame, engine, ground supports and an excavation boom with an excavating drum that includes a stabilizer that operably engages the ground independently of the excavation boom, a boom position actuator and a stabilizer actuator, the method comprising:
- setting a position of the excavating boom by controlling the position of either the boom position actuator or the stabilizer actuator connected operably to the boom;
- and
- controlling a downward force exerted by the other actuator.
A method of controlling an excavator including a frame, engine, ground supports, an excavation boom with an excavating drum, and a level sensor sensing an orientation of the excavation boom, the excavation boom mounted to a boom supporting arm that is pivotally mounted onto the frame such that variations in the angular orientation of the boom supporting arm relative to the frame affect the location of the excavating drum relative to the ground supports, the method comprising fixing the orientation of the boom supporting arm relative to gravity by automatically controlling the angular orientation of the boom supporting arm relative to the frame based on a signal from the level sensor to approximately control the shape of an excavated ground plane as measured along a line parallel to the direction of travel of the excavator.
An improved excavator comprising:
- a frame;
- engine operatively attached to the frame;
- ground supports operatively attached to the frame;
- an excavation boom operatively attached to the frame;
- an excavating drum operatively attached to the frame;
- a stabilizer operatively attached to the frame and boom that operably engages the ground independently of the excavation boom;
- a boom position actuator operatively attached to the frame and boom;
- a stabilizer actuator operatively attached to the frame and stabilizer;
- means for setting a desired position of the excavating boom comprising means for setting the position of either the boom position actuator or the stabilizer actuator operably to the boom;
- and
- means for controlling a downward force exerted by the other actuator.
An improved excavator comprising:
- a frame;
- engine operatively attached to the frame;
- ground supports operatively attached to the frame;
- an excavation boom with an excavating drum, the excavation boom mounted to a boom supporting arm that is pivotally mounted onto the frame such that variations in the angular orientation of the boom supporting arm relative to the frame affect the location of the excavating drum relative to the ground supports operatively attached to the frame;
- a level sensor sensing an orientation of the excavation boom;
- and
- means for fixing the orientation of the boom supporting arm relative to gravity by automatically controlling the angular orientation of the boom supporting arm relative to the frame based on a signal from said level sensor to approximately control the shape of an excavated ground plane as measured along a line parallel to the direction of travel of the excavator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.