Control system for a grading machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11486113-B2
Application number	US-201816204611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2018
Priority date	Nov 29, 2018
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

A grading machine includes a machine body, a grading blade, and at least one grading blade sensor configured to sense a position and orientation of the grading blade. The grading machine also includes a drawbar connecting the grading blade to the machine body, at least one drawbar sensor configured to sense a position and orientation of the drawbar, a user interface, and a control system. The control system may be configured to receive an input from the user interface and perform an automatic turnaround operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A grading machine, comprising:
a machine body;
a grading blade;
at least one grading blade sensor configured to sense a position and orientation of the grading blade;
a drawbar connecting the grading blade to the machine body;
at least one drawbar sensor configured to sense a position and orientation of the drawbar;
a user interface;
a blade angle sensor coupled to the grading blade;
a rotatable circle coupling the grading blade to the drawbar;
a circle drive motor;
a drawbar centershift cylinder; and
a control system configured to receive an input from the user interface and perform an automatic turnaround operation,
wherein the automatic turnaround operation includes maneuvering the grading machine from a first position with the machine body in a first direction to a second position with the machine body in a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the first position includes the grading blade and the drawbar in a first blade position, and the second position includes the grading blade and the drawbar in a second blade position that mirrors the first blade position relative to a centerline of the machine body, wherein the control system includes a controller, wherein the controller is configured to receive the position and orientation of the drawbar and the grading blade from the drawbar sensor in response to the input from the user interface, wherein the controller is configured to signal the circle drive motor and the drawbar centershift cylinder to position the grading blade and the drawbar such that the grading blade is positioned in the second blade position in the automatic turnaround operation,
wherein the controller is coupled to one or more additional sensors to detect whether there is a safe area for the grading machine to perform the automatic turnaround operation,
wherein maneuvering the grading blade and the drawbar from the first blade position to the second blade position includes maneuvering one or more of a right lift cylinder, a left lift cylinder, the drawbar centershift cylinder, the linkbar, the circle drive motor, a blade pitch cylinder, and a sideshift cylinder, and
wherein the control system is configured to maneuver the grading machine from the first position to the second position and to maneuver the grading blade and the drawbar from the first blade position to the second blade position simultaneously.

2. The grading machine of claim 1 , wherein a steering operation includes driving the grading machine in a partial circle to position the machine body in the second position simultaneously with the maneuvering of the grading blade and the drawbar from the first blade position to the second blade position.

3. The grading machine of claim 1 , further including at least one wheel lean sensor configured to measure a wheel lean of at least one wheel on the grading machine.

4. The grading machine of claim 3 , wherein the automatic turnaround operation includes actuating at least one wheel lean actuator to control the wheel lean of at least one wheel on the grading machine.

5. The grading machine of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is a touch screen interface mounted in a cab of the grading machine, wherein the touch screen interface includes a control panel display, and wherein the control panel display includes an auto-turnaround icon that is selectable to automatically control positions of the grading blade, wheels, and the drawbar to steer the grading machine and transition the grading blade from the first position to the second position.

6. The grading machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is coupled to the user interface and is configured to display a prompt on the user interface asking an operator to check and confirm that an area around the grading machine is safe for the automatic turnaround operation.

7. A method of operating a grading machine, comprising:
receiving a user input to perform an automatic turnaround operation on a user interface, wherein receiving the user input includes receiving a user input via a touch screen on the user interface;
sensing a first drawbar orientation with at least one drawbar sensor coupled to a drawbar;
sensing a first grading blade orientation with at least one blade sensor coupled to the grading blade; detecting with one or more additional sensors whether there is a safe area for the grading machine to perform the automatic turnaround operation,
displaying a prompt on the user interface asking an operator to check and confirm that an area around the grading machine is safe for the automatic turnaround operation;
steering the grading machine in a partial circle;
simultaneously with the steering of the grading machine in the partial circle, actuating one or more actuators to position the drawbar in a second drawbar orientation and the grading blade in a second grading blade orientation, wherein the second drawbar orientation and the second grading blade orientation mirror the first drawbar orientation and the first grading blade orientation relative to a centerline of the grading machine; and
indicating on the user interface that the grading machine is ready to grade after the automatic turnaround is complete,
wherein the automatic turnaround operation includes controlling a wheel lean of one or more wheels and controlling an articulation of the grading machine, and
wherein at least a portion of the grading blade in the second grading blade orientation after the automatic turnaround operation overlaps with at least a portion of the grading blade in the first grading blade orientation before the automatic turnaround operation.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein positioning the drawbar and the grading blade to the second drawbar orientation and the second grading blade orientation includes extending or retracting a drawbar centershift cylinder and rotating a circle with a circle drive motor.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the touch screen includes a control panel display, and wherein the control panel display includes an auto-turnaround icon that is selectable to control automatically positions of the grading blade, wheels, and the drawbar to steer the grading machine and transition automatically the grading blade from the first position to the second position.

10. A method of operating a grading machine, comprising:
receiving a user input to perform an automatic turnaround operation on a user interface, wherein receiving the user input includes receiving a user input via a touch screen on the user interface, and wherein the touch screen includes an auto-turnaround icon;
sensing a first drawbar orientation with at least one drawbar sensor coupled to a drawbar;
sensing a first grading blade orientation with at least one blade sensor coupled to a grading blade; detecting with one or more additional sensors whether there is a safe area for the grading machine to perform the automatic turnaround operation,
displaying a prompt on the user interface asking an operator to check and confirm that an area around the grading machine is safe for the automatic turnaround operation;
steering the grading machine in a partial circle;
simultaneously with the steering of the grading machine in the partial circle, actuating one or more actuators to position the drawbar in a second drawbar orientation and the grading blade in a second grading blade orientation wherein positioning the drawbar and the grading blade to the second drawbar orientation and the second grading blade orientation includes extending or retracting a drawbar centershift cylinder and rotating a circle with a circle drive motor, and wherein the automatic turnaround operation includes controlling a wheel lean of each of one or

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Gentle Michael C
• Tevis Ethan M

Classifications

• E02F9/2087

  Control of vehicle steering (for steering with hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/225) · CPC title

• E02F9/2041

  Automatic repositioning of implements, i.e. memorising determined positions of the implement (for dipper-arms or bucket-arms E02F3/434, E02F3/437, E02F3/438, E02F3/439 take precedence) · CPC title

• B62D9/04

  combined with means for {inwardly} inclining wheels on bends (B62D9/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E02F3/764

  with the scraper blade being pivotable about a vertical axis · CPC title

• E02F9/26

  Indicating devices {(E02F5/145 takes precedence)} · CPC title