System for stabilizing self-propelled operating machines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10752479-B2
Application number	US-201816028048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2018
Priority date	Jul 7, 2017
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

Described is a system for stabilizing a self-propelled operating machine (1), comprising scissor-like stabilizers (10), designed to pass from operating configurations, in which they stabilize the machine (1), thereby raising the wheels (22) above the ground, to a rest configuration, in which the wheels (11) are returned to the ground, in turn comprising: one or more pairs of rotatable stabilizing telescopic arms (2), each arm (2) comprising a first segment (21) and a second segment (22) extendable and retractable relative to the first segment (21) and equipped with a foot (20) for contact with the ground; first movement means (3) designed to rotate the arms (2) between a completely raised position and lowered working positions; second movement means designed to move the second segments (22) between a completely closed position and extended positions; and a processing unit configured to control the first and second movement means in such a way that the stabilizers (10) perform the following retraction sequence: rotating the arms (2) upwards to a first partially raised position; retracting the second segments (22) to a completely closed position; rotating the arms (2) upwards to the completely raised position, so that the stabilizers (10) are in the rest position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling scissor stabilizers ( 10 ) of self-propelled work machines ( 1 ), such as telescopic handlers or the like, of a type comprising one or more pairs of rotatable telescopic stabilizing arms ( 2 ), each arm ( 2 ) comprising a first segment ( 21 ) and a second segment ( 22 ) extensible and retractable with respect to said first segment ( 21 ) and provided with a foot ( 20 ) for contact with a ground surface, wherein from a working configuration of the stabilizers ( 10 ), in which wheels ( 11 ) of said machine ( 1 ) are raised from the ground surface, with the relative second segments ( 22 ) in a first extended position and with the relative feet ( 20 ) resting on the ground surface, the stabilizers ( 10 ) are brought into a rest configuration by means of the following sequence of steps:
rotating the arms ( 2 ) upwards into a first partially raised position;
retracting the second segments ( 22 ) into a completely closed position; and
rotating the arms ( 2 ) upwards into a completely raised position.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation of the arms ( 2 ) up to the first partial position is achieved by initially rotating the arms ( 2 ) up to a second partially raised position, lower than the first position, thus enabling a resting of the wheels ( 11 ) on the ground surface, then rotating the arms ( 2 ) up to the first position.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the completely raised position, the arms ( 2 ) are parallel to one another.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the first partially raised position, the arms ( 2 ) are crossed with respect to one another.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the first partially raised position of the arms ( 2 ), the relative feet ( 20 ) are distanced from the ground surface.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the first partially raised position, the arms ( 2 ) are inclined by a non-zero angle (A) that is less than or equal to 10 degrees with respect to the completely raised position.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein in the first partially raised position, the arms ( 2 ) are inclined between 0.1 and 6 degrees with respect to the completely raised position.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein in the first partially raised position, the arms ( 2 ) are inclined between 0.1 and 4 degrees with respect to the completely raised position.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein in the first partially raised position, the arms ( 2 ) are inclined substantially by 4 degrees with respect to the completely raised position.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the completely raised position, the arms ( 2 ) are horizontal.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the completely closed position of the second segments, the arms ( 2 ) have a minimum length.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the completely raised position, the stabilizers ( 10 ) are at a maximum distance from the ground surface.

13. A computer program which, when run on an electronic processing unit, carries out the steps of the method according to claim 1 .

14. A stabilizing system for a self-propelled work machine ( 1 ), such as a telescopic handler or the like, comprising scissor stabilizers ( 10 ), able to pass from working configurations, in which they stabilize the machine ( 1 ), by raising the wheels ( 22 ) of the machine ( 1 ) from the ground surface, to a rest configuration, in which said wheels ( 11 ) are brought down to the ground surface, in turn comprising:
one or more pairs of rotatable stabilizing telescopic arms ( 2 ), each arm ( 2 ) comprising a first segment ( 21 ) and a second segment ( 22 ), extensible and retractable with respect to said first segment ( 21 ), and provided with a foot ( 20 ) for contact with a ground surface;
first movement means ( 3 ) able to rotate the arms ( 2 ) between a completely raised position and lowered working positions;
second movement means able to move the second segments ( 22 ) into a completely closed position and extended positions; and
a processing unit configured for controlling said first and second movement means in such a way that the stabilizers ( 10 ) carry out the following retraction sequence:
rotating the arms ( 2 ) upwards into a first partially raised position;
retracting the second segments ( 22 ) into a completely closed position; and
rotating the arms ( 2 ) upwards into a completely raised position, so that said stabilizers ( 10 ) are in said rest position.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the stabilizers ( 10 ) comprise, for each pair of arms ( 2 ), a support structure ( 100 ) fixable to the frame of the machine ( 1 ), to which the first segments ( 21 ) are hinged, in which the relative second segments ( 22 ) are slidably inserted, wherein the system comprises:
first detecting means ( 51 , 52 ), connected to said processing unit and able to measure the inclination of each arm ( 2 ) with respect to a reference plane (P) that is fixed with respect to said structure ( 100 );
second detecting means, connected to the processing unit and able to measure the length of a part of each second segment ( 22 ) that is projecting with respect to the respective first segment ( 21 );
an inclination module, included in the processing unit, configured for verifying whether the arms ( 2 ) are in said first partially raised position, in which they are inclined by a first retraction angle (A) and for verifying whether the arms ( 2 ) are in said completely raised position, in which they are inclined by a second retraction angle; and
an extension module, included in the processing unit, configured for verifying whether the second segments ( 22 ) are in the completely closed position, wherein the relative projecting parts have a predefined retraction length.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein said reference plane (P) is substantially horizontal.

17. The system according to claim 15 , wherein said second retraction angle is substantially zero.

18. The system according to claim 15 , wherein said first retraction angle (A) is between 0.1 and 10 degrees.

19. The system according to claim 15 , wherein said first retraction angle (A) is between 0.1 and 4 degrees.

20. The system according to claim 15 , wherein said first retraction angle (A) is substantially 4 degrees.

21. The system according to claim 14 , wherein said first detecting means comprise, for each arm ( 2 ), an indicating element ( 51 ) solid thereto and further comprise one or more control sensors ( 52 ) for detecting said indicating element ( 51 ).

22. The system according to the preceding claim 21 , wherein said indicating element ( 51 ) is fixed to the first segment ( 21 ) of the relative arm ( 2 ) and wherein a control sensor ( 52 ) for each arm ( 2 ) is mounted on said support structure ( 100 ), arranged so as to control the position of the relative indicating element ( 51 ).

23. A self-propelled work machine ( 1 ), such as a telescopic handler or the like, comprising a stabilizing system according to claim 14 .

Assignees

• Manitou Italia Srl

Inventors

• Iotti Marco

Classifications

• B66F9/07559 Primary

  Stabilizing means · CPC title

• B66F9/0655

  with a telescopic boom · CPC title

• B66C23/80

  hydraulically actuated · CPC title