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US 8,132,984 B2Granted
Multiple preset concrete trowel steering system
AssigneeWacker Neuson Production Americas LLC
InventorScott Grahl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A self-propelled concrete finishing trowel has a power steering system that facilitates operator selection of a desired steering performance response of the trowel. The power steering system includes a controller that communicates operator steering instructions from one or more joysticks and the powered actuators associated with the driven shafts. A selector allows the operator to select one or more preset steering modes, each of which has a different set of steering response characteristics for a given range of joystick motion.
Claims20
A powered rotary trowel comprising:
- a frame that supports an engine and an operator;
- at least one rotor assembly that is driven by the engine;
- and
- a power steering system that includes:
- a manually manipulated steering command signal generator;
- an actuator configured to tilt at least a portion of the rotor assembly to steer the trowel;
- a control system that supplies power to the actuator, the control system being switchable by the operator to select one of a plurality of preset steering modes each of which associates a different set of steering responses to a range of steering command signal generator actuation;
- a mode selector operable by the operator to select one of the preset steering modes;
- wherein the steering modes include first and second preset steering modes, the first preset steering mode being defined by greater translation of the actuator than the second preset steering mode through at least a portion of the range of steering command signal generator actuation;
- and
- wherein a response curve plotting actuator response to translation of at least one of the steering command signal generators for the second preset mode is non-linear and diverges away from the corresponding response curve for the first preset mode for a first portion of steering command signal generator translation within the range and converges towards the corresponding response curve for the first preset configuration for a second portion of steering command signal generator translation within the range.
8 more elements
A power steered riding rotary trowel comprising:
- a frame;
- a first rotor assembly and a second rotor assembly;
- left and right operator manipulated joysticks;
- actuators configured to tilt the rotor assemblies in response to joystick translation;
- a controller connected to the joysticks and the actuator, the controller having a memory storing a first preset configuration and a second preset configuration, wherein each preset configuration defines a respective steering mode reflecting a respective association between a range of translation of the joystick and a resulting range of the actuator actuation, wherein a response curve plotting actuator response to movement of at least one of the joysticks for the second preset configuration is non-linear and diverges away from the corresponding response curve for the first present configuration for a first portion of joystick translation within the range and converges towards the corresponding response curve for the first present configuration for a second portion of joystick translation within the range;
- and
- a selector that is operated by the operator to select one of the steering modes.
4 more elements
A method of controlling operation of a power steered riding rotary trowel comprising:
- operating at least one steering command signal generator to tilt at least portions of rotor assemblies of the trowel to steer the trowel;
- and
- selecting between a first preset steering mode and a second preset steering mode, each preset steering mode having a different association between a range of translation of the steering command signal generator and a resulting range of translation of the rotor assemblies, wherein a response curve plotting rotor assembly tilting in response to translation of the steering command signal generator for the second preset steering mode is non-linear and diverges away from the corresponding response curve for the first present steering mode for a first portion of steering command signal generator movement within the range and converges toward the corresponding response curve for the first preset steering mode for a second, subsequent portion of the steering command signal generator movement within the range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.