Service tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11988504-B2
Application number	US-202117334215-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2021
Priority date	May 28, 2021
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

A service tool and method of using for calibrating a position of a cutting edge of a blade. The service tool may comprise an inward-side face disposed between a first face and a second face. The inward-side face may include a curved portion, a leg portion and a notch configured to receive the cutting edge. The first face includes a curved edge, a plurality of horizontal lines and a plurality of vertical lines. When the cutting edge is received in the notch, and the curved portion abuts the top face of a bolt, the plurality of horizontal lines is configured to measure a vertical distance from a center of the top face to the cutting edge, and the plurality of vertical lines is configured to measure a horizontal distance from the center of the top face to the cutting edge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of calibrating a position of a cutting edge of a blade disposed on a machine, the blade including a moldboard coupled to a replaceable member by a plurality of bolts, the replaceable member including the cutting edge disposed at a bottom of a front surface of the replaceable member, the method comprising:
performing for a first bolt and, optionally, a second bolt, of the plurality of bolts, the first bolt and the second bolt each respectively a measured bolt:
abutting a notch of a service tool against the cutting edge and abutting a curved portion of the service tool against the front surface of the replaceable member and against a top face of a head of the measured bolt, wherein the service tool includes an inward-side face disposed between a first face and a second face, the inward-side face including the curved portion and the notch, the first face including a first curved edge, a plurality of horizontal lines marked on the first face and a plurality of vertical lines marked on the first face, wherein the first curved edge of the first face of the service tool is positioned adjacent to a center diameter of the top face of the head of the measured bolt;
identifying a horizontal line on the first face that ends adjacent to a center of the top face of the head of the measured bolt;
measuring a vertical distance from the center of the top face to the cutting edge by identifying a first measurement associated with the horizontal line identified on the first face;
identifying a vertical line on the first face that ends adjacent to the center of the top face of the head of the measured bolt; and
measuring a horizontal distance from the center of the top face to the cutting edge by identifying a second measurement associated with the vertical line identified; and

calibrating the position of the cutting edge by providing to a grade control system the vertical distance and the horizontal distance measured for the first bolt and, optionally, the vertical distance and horizontal distance measured for the second bolt.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inward-side face further includes a leg portion that extends below the curved portion, wherein the notch is defined by the junction of the curved portion and the leg portion.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the top face of the first bolt is disposed in a range of at least one of (a) 15-51 cm, (b) 20-36 cm, or (c) 25-31 cm from a first side edge of the replaceable member, and, optionally, the top face of the second bolt is disposed in a range of at least one of (d) 15-51 cm, (d) 20-36 cm, or (e) 25-31 cm from a second side edge of the replaceable member, the first side edge opposite to the second side edge.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the curved portion is configured to be reciprocally shaped to at least part of front surface the replaceable member.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
performing for the first bolt and, optionally, the second bolt:
abutting the cutting edge against the notch and abutting the curved portion of the service tool against the front surface of the replaceable member and against the top face of the head of the measured bolt, wherein the second face includes a second curved edge, a second plurality of horizontal lines marked on the second face and a plurality of hypotenuse lines marked on the second face, wherein the second curved edge of the second face of the service tool is disposed adjacent to the center diameter of the top face of the head of the measured bolt;
identifying a hypotenuse line and an other horizontal line on the second face that both end adjacent to the center of the top face of the head of the measured bolt; and
measuring a hypotenuse distance from the center of the top face to the cutting edge by identifying a measurement associated with the other horizontal line identified on the second face; and

further calibrating the position of the cutting edge by providing to the grade control system the hypotenuse distance measured for the first bolt and, optionally, the hypotenuse distance measured for the second bolt.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service tool includes a handle portion disposed opposite to the inward-side face.

7. A service tool for calibrating a position of a cutting edge of a blade disposed on a machine, the blade including a moldboard coupled to a replaceable member by a plurality of bolts, the replaceable member including the cutting edge disposed at a bottom of a front surface of the replaceable member, the service tool comprising:
an inward-side face disposed between a first face and a second face, the inward-side face including a curved portion, a leg portion and a notch defined by the junction of the curved portion and the leg portion, the notch configured to receive the cutting edge when the curved portion abuts the front surface of the replaceable member;
the first face including a first curved edge, a plurality of horizontal lines marked on the first face and a plurality of vertical lines marked on the first face; and
the second face disposed opposite to the first face,
wherein, when the cutting edge is received in the notch, and the curved portion abuts the front surface and a top face of a head of a first bolt of the plurality of bolts, the plurality of horizontal lines is configured to measure a vertical distance from a center of the top face to the cutting edge, and the plurality of vertical lines is configured to measure a horizontal distance from the center of the top face to the cutting edge.

8. The service tool of claim 7 , wherein the service tool includes a handle portion disposed opposite to the inward-side face.

9. The service tool of claim 7 , wherein the curved portion is configured to be reciprocally shaped to at least a portion of the front surface of the replaceable member.

10. The service tool of claim 7 , wherein the curved portion is configured to abut flushly against the front surface of the replaceable member.

11. The service tool of claim 7 , wherein the notch is configured to abut the cutting edge when the cutting edge is received in the notch.

12. The service tool of claim 7 , wherein when the cutting edge is received in the notch, the curved portion is configured to abut against the cutting edge and the leg portion is configured to abut against the cutting edge.

13. The service tool of claim 7 in which the second face further comprises:
a second curved edge; and
a second plurality of horizontal lines marked on the second face and a plurality of hypotenuse lines marked on the second face.

14. The service tool of claim 13 , wherein the second plurality of horizontal lines meet the plurality of hypotenuse lines at the second curved edge.

15. The service tool of claim 13 , wherein the second plurality of horizontal lines are configured to identify measurements of hypotenuse distances represented by the plurality of hypotenuse lines.

16. A method of calibrating a position of a cutting edge of a blade disposed on a machine, the blade including a moldboard coupled to a replaceable member by a plurality of bolts, the replaceable member including the cutting edge disposed at a bottom of a front surface of the replaceable member, the method comprising:
performing for a first bolt and, optionally, a second bolt, of the plurality of bolts, the first bold and the second bolt each respectively a measured bolt:
abutting a notch of a service tool against the cutting edge and abutting a curved portion of the service tool against the front surface of the replaceable member and against a top face of a head of t

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Desio Matthew Francis

Classifications

• G01B3/004 Primary

  Scales; Graduations · CPC title

• E02F3/7636

  Graders with the scraper blade mounted under the tractor chassis · CPC title

• E02F3/8152

  Attachments therefor, e.g. wear resisting parts, cutting edges (E02F3/8155, E02F3/8157 take precedence; teeth per se E02F9/28) · CPC title

• G01B5/14

  for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures (G01B5/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E02F9/264 Primary

  Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool · CPC title