Lift capacity system for lifting machines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11447373-B2
Application number	US-201916585582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2019
Priority date	Sep 27, 2019
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A lift machine includes a machine chassis, a boom extending from the machine chassis, and a connector extending from the boom for coupling to a load. The machine further includes a control system that determines a lift capacity of the machine based on a skew of the connector caused by the load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lift machine, comprising:
a machine chassis;
a boom extending from the machine chassis;
a connector extending from the boom for coupling to a load; and
a control system that determines a lift capacity of the machine based on a skew of the connector caused by the load, wherein the skew of the connector is a position fore, aft, or roll with respect to a plum line associated with the connector.

2. The lift machine of claim 1 , wherein the lift capacity is further based on a position of a counterweight of the lift machine.

3. The lift machine of claim 2 , wherein the lift capacity is further based on a first fore, aft, and roll position of the chassis.

4. The lift machine of claim 3 , wherein the lift capacity is further based on an overhang of the boom and the load.

5. The lift machine of claim 1 , wherein the lift machine is a pipelayer machine.

6. The lift machine of claim 5 , further including a sensing system for determining the skew of the connector.

7. The lift machine of claim 6 , wherein the sensing system includes an IMU sensor, a camera-based sensor, or an angular sensor.

8. The lift machine of claim 5 , further including a display on the machine that displays the lift capacity of the machine.

9. The lift machine of claim 5 , wherein the lift capacity corresponds to a lifting capacity of the machine before the machine begins to tip.

10. A method for determining a lift capacity of a lift machine, the lift machine including a chassis, a boom extending from the chassis, and a connector extending from the boom for coupling to a load, the method comprising:
sensing information including
a fore, aft, and roll position of the chassis;
an angle of the boom;
the load coupled to the connector;
a skew of the connector based on the load; and

determining a lift capacity of the machine based at least on the sensed information.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sensing information further includes sensing a position of a movable counterweight of the lift machine.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the skew of the connector is based on a position of the connector with respect to a plum line of the connector.

13. The method of claim 12 , further including outputting an indication of the determined lift capacity on a display of the lift machine.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the lift machine is a mobile pipe layer machine.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the skew of the connector includes a pitch skew and a roll skew.

16. A mobile pipelayer machine, comprising:
a machine chassis;
a boom extending from the machine chassis;
a movable counterweight extending from the machine chassis;
a connector extending from the boom for coupling to a load; and
a control system including a controller that receives information indicative of
a fore, aft, and roll position of the chassis;
a position of the counterweight;
an angle of the boom;
the load coupled to the connector;
a skew of the connector based on the load; and

wherein the control system determines a real-time lift capacity of the machine based at least on the information.

17. The mobile pipe layer machine of claim 16 , further comprising a display outputting an indication of the determined lift capacity.

18. The mobile pipe layer machine of claim 16 , further including a sensing system that determines the information.

19. The mobile pipe layer machine of claim 18 , wherein the sensing system includes a sensor that determines a pitch and roll skew of the connector with respect to a plum line of the connector.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Caldwell Curtis J
• Camacho Timothy E
• Gnagey Aaron J

Classifications

• B66C13/16

  Applications of indicating, registering, or weighing devices (in crane hooks B66C1/40; in safety gear B66C15/00; weighing-apparatus G01G; remote indicating in general G08) · CPC title

• B66C23/90

  Devices for indicating or limiting lifting moment · CPC title

• B66C23/74

  separate from jib · CPC title

• B66C23/905

  electrical · CPC title

• B66C23/18

  specially adapted for use in particular purposes · CPC title