Control system of a traveling multi-segment conveyor bridge

A device for the joint control of a conveyor bridge comprising at least three segments controlled when traveling and moving from a linear starting position, as viewed from the top, into a linear end position, as viewed from the top, wherein each segment is equipped with one, two or a plurality of driven crawler traveling gears, each traveling gear comprising a rotor, and the segments are connected to each other at a joint connection in an articulated manner, the device comprising:

• a detecting means for detecting positions of both ends of the segments;
• an angle deviation measuring means for measuring angle deviations from the straight line in a top view between two adjacent segments;
• a traveling gear measuring means for measuring a distance covered by each traveling gear;
• and
• a control system including a central control unit configured to execute a process comprising the steps of:
• detecting, with the detecting means, positions of both ends of the segments, aligned in a starting line, as viewed from the top, of the conveyor bridge before the moving process on terrain;
• calculating target coordinates for the control of the conveyor bridge with the intended movement sequence for each traveling gear of the segments of the conveyor bridge as a traveling gear-specific number of pulses corresponding to rotor revolutions;
• simultaneously switching on of drives of all traveling gears of the segments of the conveyor bridge;
• synchronously controlling the drives of all traveling gears, insofar as a higher-level adjustment by the angle monitoring is not activated;
• during the travel movement measuring a distance covered by each traveling gear with the traveling gear measuring means;
• constantly measuring angle deviations, with the angle deviation measuring means, from the straight line in a top view between two adjacent segments during travel movement, wherein occasionally with a lagging/excessive speeding over a defined window the traveling speed of a particular one of the crawler traveling gears is increased or reduced or maintained and/or the travel of other crawler traveling gears is slowed down or interrupted;
• providing a lateral slope compensation for guaranteeing in each case a vertical position of all segments in relation to the travel level between the traveling gear and the support frame of each segment;
• and
• providing a fine alignment of inner segments of the segments after reaching target coordinates through two outer segments of the segments of the conveyor bridge.

A conveyor bridge system comprising:

• at least three bridge segments, the segments being each equipped with one, two or a plurality of driven crawler traveling gears, each traveling gear comprising a rotor, and the segments are connected to each other, at a joint connection, in an articulated manner;
• a detecting means for detecting positions of both ends of the segments;
• an angle deviation measuring means for measuring angle deviations from the straight line in a top view between two adjacent segments;
• a traveling gear measuring means for measuring a distance covered by each traveling gear;
• and
• a control system for controlling traveling and moving of the segments from a linear starting position, as viewed from the top, into a linear end position, as viewed from the top, the control system including a central control unit configured to execute a process comprising the steps of:
• detecting, with the detecting means, positions of both ends of the segments, aligned in a starting line, as viewed from the top, of the conveyor bridge before the moving process on terrain;
• calculating target coordinates for the control of the conveyor bridge with the intended movement sequence for each traveling gear of the segments of the conveyor bridge as a traveling gear-specific number of pulses corresponding to rotor revolutions;
• simultaneously switching on of drives of all traveling gears of the segments of the conveyor bridge;
• synchronously controlling the drives of all traveling gears, insofar as a higher-level adjustment by the angle monitoring is not activated;
• during the travel movement measuring a distance covered by each traveling gear with the traveling gear measuring means;
• constantly measuring angle deviations, with the angle deviation measuring means, from the straight line in a top view between two adjacent segments during travel movement, wherein occasionally with a lagging/excessive speeding over a defined window the traveling speed of a particular one of the crawler traveling gears is increased or reduced or maintained and/or the travel of other crawler traveling gears is slowed down or interrupted;
• providing a lateral slope compensation for guaranteeing in each case a vertical position of all segments in relation to the travel level between the traveling gear and the support frame of each segment;
• and
• providing a fine alignment of inner segments of the segments after reaching target coordinates through two outer segments of the segments of the conveyor bridge.