Determination of optimum tractor reverse speed

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8972129-B2
Application number	US-201213690780-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2012
Priority date	Nov 30, 2012
Publication date	Mar 3, 2015
Grant date	Mar 3, 2015

Abstract

Machines, such as large tractors used in earthmoving, operate in a cycle of pushing forward and reversing to a starting point. The net performance of the machine is a function of the speed at which the reverse segment is performed. Generally, using the highest gear for reverse accomplishes the goal of the fastest return. However, some high slope grade conditions may result in higher speeds using lower gears. A combination of slope, track speed vs. drawbar pull, and track slip may be used to recommend a gear and track speed with the greatest ground speed for reverse operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of providing an optimum reverse operating condition for a track type tractor, the method comprising:
providing a drawbar pull vs. track speed curve by gear for known drawbar pull values;
receiving a slope value from a slope sensor of the track-type tractor;
calculating a reverse direction resistive force using the slope value received from the slope sensor;
calculating a reverse direction track speed based on the drawbar pull vs. track speed c…

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Faivre Joseph
• Cowper Lance

Classifications

• F16H61/68 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• B60W30/18036 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60Y2200/41

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• F16H2061/0218

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• B60W2300/152

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic