Structure orientation using motor velocity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10400464-B2
Application number	US-201816161791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2018
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

Aspects herein relate to using motor velocity as feedback for controlling the extension or retraction of jacks for control of the angular orientation of a structure, or other means for accomplishing the same. Embodiments include a structure orientation control apparatus comprising one or more jacks configured to support a structure, one or more jack drive mechanisms coupled to at least one of the one or more jacks, the one or more jack drive mechanisms configured to extend or retract the one or more jacks, and a jack controller configured to cause the one or more jack drive mechanisms to extend or retract the one or more jacks based on a jack command. The jack controller may be configured to monitor one or more jack velocities during extension or retraction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for leveling a structure, the system comprising:
two or more jack drive mechanisms each coupled to an associated jack that supports the structure, the two or more jack drive mechanisms configured to extend or retract the associated jacks; and
a controller coupled to the two or more jack drive mechanisms, the controller configured to cause extension or retraction of the associated jacks, the controller further configured to monitor a rate of extension of each of the associated jacks and level the structure by varying the rate of extension of at least one of the associated jacks based on feedback received from another of the associated jacks.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller varies the rate of extension of one of the associated jacks in response to a change in the rate of another of the associated jacks.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller actuates the two or more jack drive mechanisms via a command, and wherein the controller modifies the command in response to a change in the rate of another of the associated jacks.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein, in response to monitoring a decrease in the rate, the controller is configured to:
increase the rate in another of the two or more jack drive mechanisms; or
decrease the rate in another of the two or more jack drive mechanisms.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein, in response to monitoring an increase in the rate, the controller is configured to:
increase the rate in another of the two or more jack drive mechanisms; or
decrease the rate in another of the two or more jack drive mechanisms.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more jack drive mechanisms each include a sensor configured to measure the rate of extension of the associated jack.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a tachometer, a Hall effect sensor, and an optical encoder, and any combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller further includes a comparator configured to compare the rate to a reference value.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the associated jacks of the two or more jack drive mechanisms are spaced apart at different locations on the structure.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to cause at least two of the two or more jack drive mechanisms to each extend or retract the associated jack at different rates.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller detects grounding of the associated jack of at least one of the two or more jack drive mechanisms based on a change in the rate associated therewith, and the controller calculates the rate provided by another of the jack drive mechanisms to the associated jack thereof to facilitate balanced loading of the associated jacks during a grounding operation.

12. The system of claim 10 , the different rates are calculated to facilitate balanced unloading of the two or more jacks during a retraction operation.

13. The system of claim 12 , the jack controller is configured to shut down the two or more jack drive mechanisms based on the one or more jack velocities when at least one of the two or more jacks is at full retraction.

14. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a tilt sensor that produces an angular signal indicative of an attitude of the structure, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the different rates based on the attitude of the structure and a reference angle.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the different rates are calculated to adjust the attitude of the structure to a target attitude.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to shut down at least one of the two or more jack drive mechanisms when a stroke length of the associated jack associated therewith is insufficient to modify the attitude of the structure to the target attitude.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the jack drive mechanisms is hydraulically powered.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the jack drive mechanisms is electrically powered.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the rate is selected from the group consisting of a rotational speed, a linear speed, and a relationship between two or more known or monitored variables of the system, and combinations thereof.

20. A method for leveling a structure supported by two or more jacks, comprising:
monitoring a velocity at which each of the two or more jacks raise or lower the structure; and
modifying at least one of the jack velocities of at least one of the jacks in response to a change detected in the jack velocity of another one of the jacks.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the jack velocity of at least one of the jacks is decreased in response to a decrease in the jack velocity of another one of the jacks during a grounding operation.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the jack velocity of at least one of the jacks is decreased in response to an increase in the jack velocity of another one of the jacks during a retracting operation.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the method further comprises driving the two or more jacks to raise or lower the structure.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one of the jack velocities is modified via a controller.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein each of the velocities is measured by a velocity sensor that is in communication with the controller and configured to detect the change in at least one of the jack velocities.

26. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
monitoring an angular orientation of the structure;
comparing the angular orientation of the structure to a reference angle; and
calculating extension or retraction of the two or more jacks to modify the angular orientation of the structure to a target angular orientation.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the jack velocities are modified in response to the calculated extension or retraction during a leveling operation.

28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the target angular orientation is substantially perpendicular to a direction of gravity.

29. The method of claim 26 , wherein the target angular orientation is monitored about at least two axes.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the at least two axes include a pair of perpendicular axes extending in a plane defined by respective points at which each of the jacks engages the structure.

Assignees

• Norco Ind Inc

Inventors

• Garceau Bernard F
• Schultz Timothy D

Classifications

• B66F7/14 Primary

  screw operated · CPC title

• B66F3/46

  Combinations of several jacks with means for interrelating lifting or lowering movements · CPC title

• E04G23/065 Primary

  Lifting of buildings (E04G21/163 takes precedence) · CPC title