Abstract:
Un instrument automatique de mesure d'aplomb, de niveau et de pointage utilise une diode laser visible (42) pour projeter un faisceau dans n'importe lequel des trois modes différents à travers une fenêtre de sortie (30) de faisceau. L'instrument ayant approximativement la taille et la forme d'un mètre à ruban peut être placé sur un bord (14) afin de projeter un faisceau vertical compensé en inclinaison. Placé sur un autre bord (16) en rotation sur 90°, l'instrument projette à travers la même fenêtre de sortie un faisceau horizontal compensé en inclinaison. Lorsqu'il est posé sur n'importe laquelle de ses faces planes plus larges (24), la compensation d'inclinaison devient inopérante et l'instrument projette un faisceau fixe par rapport au logement. Dans un mode de réalisation préféré, des miroirs séparés pendulaires ou en porte-à-faux (52) et (60) sont utilisés pour une correction d'inclinaison verticale et horizontale et ils sont sélectionnés en fonction de la gravité lorsque l'instrument est posé sur un bord ou sur l'autre. Dans d'autres modes de réalisation décrits, deux diodes laser séparées (124a) (124b) peuvent être utilisées, ou l'instrument à laser peut être intégré dans d'autres instruments tels qu'un mètre à ruban ou un instrument de mise en équerre. Un compensateur d'inclinaison à faisceau en porte-à-faux permet de couvrir une large gamme de compensation précise lorsque le dispositif se trouve en inclinaison dans le mode horizontal.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling the cross slope angle cut by the blade (114) of an articulated frame motorgrader (100) operated in the crabbed steering mode wherein the articulation angle (A) of the motorgrader frame is sensed and used to calculate the blade angle relative to horizontal required to maintain a desired cross slope angle. The blade angle is sensed and controlled such that the sensed blade angle is maintained substantially equal to the calculated blade angle. The blade angle calculation is performed using the equation: tan B = (sin (A+R))(tan L) + (cos (A+R))(tan C) where B is the required blade slope angle of the blade (114) relative to horizontal; A is the sensed angle of rotation of a steering unit (106) relative to a drive unit (102), the steering unit (106) and drive unit (102) making up the motorgrader (100) articulated frame; R is the sensed angle of rotation of the blade (114) relative to the steering unit (106); L is the sensed direction of travel slope angle of the motorgrader (100); and, C is the desired cross slope angle which is entered by an operator of the motorgrader (100).
Abstract:
A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling the cross slope angle cut by the blade (114) of an articulated frame motorgrader (100) operated in the crabbed steering mode wherein the articulation angle (A) of the motorgrader frame is sensed and used to calculate the blade angle relative to horizontal required to maintain a desired cross slope angle. The blade angle is sensed and controlled such that the sensed blade angle is maintained substantially equal to the calculated blade angle. The blade angle calculation is performed using the equation: tan B = (sin (A+R))(tan L) + (cos (A+R))(tan C) where B is the required blade slope angle of the blade (114) relative to horizontal; A is the sensed angle of rotation of a steering unit (106) relative to a drive unit (102), the steering unit (106) and drive unit (102) making up the motorgrader (100) articulated frame; R is the sensed angle of rotation of the blade (114) relative to the steering unit (106); L is the sensed direction of travel slope angle of the motorgrader (100); and, C is the desired cross slope angle which is entered by an operator of the motorgrader (100).
Abstract:
A laser beam three dimensional position measurement system (10) includes a laser transmitter (12) mounted at a stationary reference position at a work site (16) and a receiver (14) mounted on a mobile machine (20) at the site. The transmitter (12) produces a laser reference plane by sweeping a laser beam about the transmitter. The receiver (14) includes a retroreflector (26) which intercepts and reflects laser energy back to the transmitter (12) when the laser beam sweeps past the retroreflector. The system also includes at the transmitter a circuit composed of a photodetector, timer, clock and counter. The photodetector senses laser energy reflected back to the transmitter (12) from the retroreflector (26). The timer modulates the laser beam produced by the transmitter in response to detection of the beam. The counter is connected to the clock and timer, and is enabled by the timer to start counting electrical pulses received from the clock when the beam is modulated. The counter is disabled to stop counting electrical pulses when the modulation is detected. The number of pulses counted by the counter is indicative of the range of the receiver (14) from the transmitter (12). The orientation of the beam relative to a fixed reference axis (X) at the time reflected laser energy is detected defines the direction of the receiver (14) relative to the transmitter (12).
Abstract:
A laser beam alignment system includes a transmitter (1) which establishes a laser reference plane by continuously rotating a horizontal laser beam about the transmitter. A remotely located receiver (5) senses the elevation of the laser reference plane and reflects a portion of the laser energy back to the transmitter (1) where the reflected energy is employed to produce a signal indicative of the range of the receiver (5) and its location with respect to a reference axis. The position of the receiver is thus established in three dimensions.
Abstract:
A laser beam alignment system includes a transmitter (1) which establishes a laser reference plane by continuously rotating a horizontal laser beam about the transmitter. A remotely located receiver (5) senses the elevation of the laser reference plane and reflects a portion of the laser energy back to the transmitter (1) where the reflected energy is employed to produce a signal indicative of the range of the receiver (5) and its location with respect to a reference axis. The position of the receiver is thus established in three dimensions.
Abstract:
A laser alignment apparatus (10) is provided for use in positioning workpieces (20,21) relative to one another and first and second spaced-apart substantially parallel reference planes (30,32). The laser alignment apparatus (10) comprises a first projector (100) for providing first and second reference beams of light (102,104) disposed in a substantially orthogonal relationship with respect to one another. A second projector (200) provides third and fourth reference beams of light (202,204) disposed in a substantially orthogonal relationship with respect to one another. The first and second projectors (100,200) are positioned relative to one another so that the first and third reference beams of light (102,202) are substantially collinear with one another and the second and fourth reference beams of light (104,204) are positioned substantially parallel to one another. The second and fourth reference beams of light (104,204) define the first and second substantially parallel reference planes (30,32) and permit the workpieces (20,21) to be positioned relative to one another and the first and second parallel reference planes (30,32).
Abstract:
A method and apparatus are provided for controlling the working depth of a bucket for an excavating machine (100) having an outreach boom (102) which is pivotally attached at one end to the machine, a downreach boom (108) pivotally attached to the opposite end of the outreach boom, a digging bucket (112) pivotally attached to the end of the downreach boom opposite to that to which the outreach boom is attached, and hydraulic power cylinders (116, 118, 120) for moving the pivotally interconnected elements. A laser beam (126) is projected at a reference height and a beam sensor (128) mounted on the outreach boom (102) of the machine detects the beam (126) by means of a plurality of individual sensor locations. The angular orientation of the downreach boom (108) relative to vertical is detected by an angle sensor (134, 136, 138, 140, 142) and a microprocessor controller (150) connected to the beam sensor (128) and the angle sensor (134, 136, 138, 140, 142) repetitively defines, as a function of the angular orientation of the downreach boom (108), one of the plurality of individual sensor locations (C1-CX) as an on-grade sensor location. The microprocessor controller (150) compares the defined on-grade sensor location to the sensor location having detected the laser beam to generate an outreach boom adjustment signal representative of the movement of the outreach boom (102) which is required to maintain the bucket (112) on-grade as the downreach boom (108) is pivoted with respect to the outreach boom (102).