Automatic control of discharge conveyor of material transfer vehicle during a paving operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10907310-B2
Application number	US-201816106376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Nov 18, 2016
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A material transfer vehicle has a discharge conveyor with a discharge chute mounted thereon. A controller is operatively connected to the elevation control system and the steering control system for the discharge conveyor. The controller is adapted to communicate with the elevation control system for the discharge conveyor to adjust the elevation of the discharge conveyor. The controller is also adapted to communicate with the steering control system for the discharge conveyor so that the angular orientation of the discharge conveyor with respect to the longitudinal axis of the material transfer vehicle may be adjusted. A paver-locating sensor is operatively connected to the controller, and is located and adapted to execute multiple non-contact sensor scan passes across the front end of the paving machine to determine the distance and orientation of the paving machine with respect to the paver-locating sensor and to communicate this information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A material transfer vehicle that is adapted to supply asphalt paving material to a paving machine on a roadway, said material transfer vehicle having a longitudinal axis and further comprising:
(a) a discharge conveyor:
(i) having an input end;
(ii) having an output end with a discharge chute mounted thereon;
(iii) which is mounted for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal pivot axis at its input end as raised and lowered by an elevation control system;
(iv) which is adapted for side-to-side movement with respect to the longitudinal axis of the material transfer vehicle, about a substantially vertical pivot axis, by operation of a steering control system;

(b) a controller that is:
(i) operatively connected to the elevation control system and the steering control system for the discharge conveyor;
(ii) adapted to determine elevation control adjustment signals for communication to the elevation control system for the discharge conveyor in order to maintain an elevation of the discharge conveyor within a predetermined elevation window;
(iii) adapted to communicate the elevation control adjustment signals to the elevation control system for the discharge conveyor so that the elevation of the discharge conveyor may be adjusted based upon communication from the controller in order to maintain the elevation of the discharge conveyor within the predetermined elevation window;
(iv) adapted to determine steering control adjustment signals for communication to the steering control system for the discharge conveyor in order to maintain an angular orientation of the discharge conveyor with respect to the longitudinal axis of the material transfer vehicle within a predetermined steering window;
(v) adapted to communicate the steering control adjustment signals to the steering control system for the discharge conveyor so that the angular orientation of the discharge conveyor with respect to the longitudinal axis of the material transfer vehicle may be adjusted based upon communication from the controller in order to maintain the angular orientation of the discharge conveyor within the predetermined steering window;

(c) a paver-locating sensor that is:
(i) operatively connected to the controller;
(ii) located and adapted to execute multiple non-contact sensor scan passes across the front end of the paving machine to determine a distance and orientation of the paving machine with respect to the paver-locating sensor;
(iii) operable without any modification to the paving machine;
(iv) adapted to communicate information to the controller about the distance and orientation of the paving machine with respect to the paver-locating sensor, which information is used by the controller to determine elevation control adjustment signals and steering control adjustment signals for the discharge conveyor.

2. The material transfer vehicle of claim 1 wherein the controller is operatively connected to:
(a) a first feedback mechanism for the elevation control system for the discharge conveyor so that the controller may receive information about the elevation of the discharge conveyor;
(b) a second feedback mechanism for the steering control system for the discharge conveyor so that the controller may receive information about the angular orientation of the discharge conveyor with respect to the longitudinal axis of the material transfer vehicle.

3. The material transfer vehicle of claim 1 wherein the paver-locating sensor is adapted to execute multiple non-contact sensor scan passes across the front end of the paving machine, with each scan in a pass being directed towards the paving machine at a different angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the material transfer vehicle from that of the other scans in the pass.

4. The material transfer vehicle of claim 1 wherein the paver-locating sensor is adapted to execute multiple non-contact sensor scan passes across the front end of the paving machine in an adjustable horizontal band of up to about 48°.

5. The material transfer vehicle of claim 1 wherein the paver-locating sensor is adapted to execute multiple non-contact sensor scan passes across the front end of the paving machine within an adjustable vertical band of about 6°.

6. The material transfer vehicle of claim 1 wherein the paver-locating sensor is located below the discharge conveyor.

7. The material transfer vehicle of claim 1 wherein the paver-locating sensor is located on the underside of the paver-loading conveyor.

8. The material transfer vehicle of claim 1 wherein the paver-locating sensor comprises:
(a) a light-emitting component;
(b) a light-receiving component comprising a multi-channel photodetector array that collects the backscatter of emitted light from the light-emitting component and measures the time taken for the emitted light to return to the light-receiving component.

9. The material transfer vehicle of claim 8 wherein the controller uses the measurement of time taken for the emitted light to return to the light-receiving component of the paver-locating sensor to determine the distance from the paver-locating sensor to the front end of the paving machine.

10. The material transfer vehicle of claim 1 :
(a) which further includes a propulsion control system that drives the material transfer vehicle along the roadway;
(b) which further includes a steering control system that steers the material transfer vehicle on the roadway;
(c) wherein the controller is:
(i) operatively connected to the propulsion control system and the steering control system for the material transfer vehicle;
(ii) adapted to determine speed control adjustment signals for communication to the propulsion control system for the material transfer vehicle in order to maintain the location of the material transfer vehicle within a predetermined distance window from the paving machine;
(iii) adapted to communicate the speed control adjustment signals to the propulsion control system for the material transfer vehicle so that the speed of the material transfer vehicle with respect to the paving machine may be adjusted based upon communication from the controller in order to maintain the material transfer vehicle within the predetermined distance window from the paving machine;
(iv) adapted to determine steering control adjustment signals for communication to the steering control system for the material transfer vehicle in order to maintain the direction of the material transfer vehicle on the roadway within a predetermined steering window;
(v) adapted to communicate the steering control adjustment signals to the steering control system for the material transfer vehicle so that the direction of the material transfer vehicle on the roadway may be adjusted based upon communication from the controller in order to maintain the direction of the material transfer vehicle within the predetermined steering window.

11. The material transfer vehicle of claim 10 :
(a) which further includes a front wheel set by which the material transfer vehicle may be steered along the roadway;
(b) wherein the controller is operatively connected to:
(i) a speed sensor for determining the speed of the material transfer vehicle along the roadway;
(ii) a steering sensor for determining the steering angle of the front wheel set of the material transfer vehicle.

12. The material transfer vehicle of claim 10 :
(a) wherein the controller is adapted to determine the predetermined distance window and the predetermined steering window of the material transfer vehicle with respect to the paving machine;
(b) which further includes a status light assembly including a stat

Assignees

• Roadtec Inc

Inventors

• Tkachenko Oleg
• Hoffmann John E
• Swearingen David
• Brown Irina

Classifications

• B65G41/008

  frames mounted on wheels or caterpillar (for movement on rail tracks B65G41/02) · CPC title

• E01C19/20

  Apparatus for distributing, e.g. spreading, granular or pulverulent materials, e.g. sand, gravel, salt, dry binders ({E01C19/21, E01C19/4813, E01C19/482, E01C23/098, E01C23/166 take precedence; } fertiliser distributors A01C15/00 {; permanently-installed devices for applying gritting or thawing materials E01H10/005; mobile spreaders specially adapted for treating wintry roads E01H10/007}) · CPC title

• B65G67/22

  Loading moving vehicles · CPC title

• E01C2301/04

  Independent shuttles · CPC title

• B65G41/002

  Pivotably mounted · CPC title