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US 9,541,195 B2Granted
Ratchet assembly and rotational sensor drive mechanism
AssigneeGOMACO Corporation
InventorsThomas C. Farr, Kevin L. Klein, Mark W. Brenner, Kevin D. Kottke, Jason D. Wulf, Stephen B. Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ratchet assembly may include a steer ring, a steer ring side structure, a steer cylinder bracket arm, a steer cylinder, a ratchet lock gear, a steering collar, a ratchet cylinder, a ratchet lock bar, and at least one sensor. When in a particular locked position, operation of the steer cylinder rotates the steer ring, the ratchet lock gear, and the steering collar. When in an unlocked position, operation of the steer cylinder rotates the steer ring around the ratchet lock gear.
Claims22
A system, comprising:
- at least two leg assemblies, each of the at least two leg assemblies being for a machine, each of the at least two leg assemblies including:
- an outer leg housing;
- a leg cylinder housing;
- a leg cylinder, wherein a bottom portion of the leg cylinder is coupled to the leg cylinder housing and a top portion of the leg cylinder is coupled to the outer leg housing;
- a leg cylinder rotational sensor configured to sense a rotation of the leg cylinder;
- a ratchet assembly configured to operate in an unlocked position or a locked position, including:
- a steer ring;
- a steer ring side structure, wherein a portion of the steer ring side structure is coupled to the steer ring;
- a steer cylinder bracket arm, wherein a portion of the steer cylinder bracket arm is coupled to the outer leg housing;
- a steer cylinder configured to extend or retract, wherein a first portion of the steer cylinder is coupled to the steer cylinder bracket arm and a second portion of the steer cylinder is coupled to the steer ring;
- a ratchet lock gear including at least two ratchet lock bar slots, wherein the ratchet lock gear is surrounded by the steer ring;
- a steering collar coupled to the ratchet lock gear and the leg cylinder housing;
- a ratchet cylinder configured to extend or retract, wherein a first end portion of the ratchet cylinder is coupled to the steer ring side structure;
- a ratchet lock bar attached to a second end portion of the ratchet cylinder, wherein the ratchet lock bar being engaged with one of the at least two ratchet lock bar slots of the ratchet lock gear corresponds to a particular locked position, and wherein the ratchet lock bar being disengaged with the ratchet lock gear corresponds to the unlocked position;
- at least one sensor associated with at least one of the steer cylinder, the ratchet cylinder, the ratchet lock bar, or the ratchet lock gear;
- and
- a drive mechanism coupled to the ratchet lock gear, and
- wherein, when in the particular locked position, operation of the steer cylinder rotates the steer ring, the ratchet lock gear, the steering collar, the leg cylinder housing, and the drive mechanism,
- wherein, when in the unlocked position, operation of the steer cylinder rotates the steer ring around the ratchet lock gear.
16 more elements
A ratchet assembly, comprising:
- a steer ring;
- a steer ring side structure, wherein a portion of the steer ring side structure is coupled to the steer ring;
- a steer cylinder bracket arm, wherein a portion of the steer cylinder bracket arm is configured to couple to an outer leg housing;
- a steer cylinder configured to extend or retract, wherein a first portion of the steer cylinder is coupled to the steer cylinder bracket arm and a second portion of the steer cylinder is coupled to the steer ring;
- a ratchet lock gear including at least two ratchet lock bar slots, wherein the ratchet lock gear is surrounded by the steer ring;
- a steering collar coupled to the ratchet lock gear and configured to couple to a leg cylinder housing;
- a ratchet cylinder configured to extend or retract, wherein a first end portion of the ratchet cylinder is coupled to the steer ring side structure;
- a ratchet lock bar attached to a second end portion of the ratchet cylinder, wherein the ratchet lock bar being engaged with one of the at least two ratchet lock bar slots of the ratchet lock gear corresponds to a particular locked position, and wherein the ratchet lock bar being disengaged with the ratchet lock gear corresponds to an unlocked position;
- and
- at least one sensor associated with at least one of the steer cylinder, the ratchet cylinder, the ratchet lock bar, or the ratchet lock gear,
- wherein, when in the particular locked position, operation of the steer cylinder rotates the steer ring, the ratchet lock gear, and the steering collar,
- wherein, when in the unlocked position, operation of the steer cylinder rotates the steer ring around the ratchet lock gear.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.