Load distribution management for groups of motorized lifting devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9567195-B2
Application number	US-201414245396-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2014
Priority date	May 13, 2013
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A system includes multiple lifting devices, where each lifting device includes a drum to draw in or let out a line, and a motor and transmission coupled to the drum to apply a torque thereto. A grouping module groups the lifting devices for synchronized operation in lifting a shared load. A load distribution management module monitors an amount of weight carried by each of the grouped lifting devices and provides feedback to a user to enable more optimal distribution of the shared load amongst the grouped lifting devices.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motorized lifting system comprising:
a plurality of lifting devices connected to a shared load, each lifting device comprising:
a controller;
a drum to draw in or let out a line, the drum comprising a groove formed in an outer surface thereof to accommodate the line, wherein the groove is narrower than the line;
a motor and transmission coupled to the drum to apply to torque thereto;
a roller guide extending into the groove immediately over the line, wherein the guide pushes the line into the groove; and

an absolute position encoder in communication with the controller, wherein the absolute position encoder measures an angular position of the drum;
a user interface which indicates an amount of weight supported by each of the plurality of lifting devices connected to the shared load and an uneven load weight distribution among the plurality of lifting devices connected to the shared load,
wherein an angular position of the drum and an amount of torque needed to lift the shared load is used to determine the amount of weight supported by each of the plurality of lifting devices.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is a smart phone.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface provides a warning if at least one of the plurality of lifting devices is approaching a weight limit.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controllers of each of the plurality of lifting device communicate with each other, and wherein each controller shuts down its corresponding lifting device of the plurality of lifting devices as at least one of the plurality of lifting devices exceeds an individual weight limit of one of the plurality of lifting devices.

Assignees

• Hall David R

Inventors

• Hall David R
• Miles Jerome
• Hyer Davido
• Rees Kevin

Classifications

• B66D1/58 Primary

  responsive to excess of load · CPC title

• B66D1/485

  electrical · CPC title

• 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

• B66D1/22

  Planetary or differential gearings (for actuating grab buckets B66D1/70 ){, i.e. with planet gears having movable axes of rotation} · CPC title

• B66D1/38

  by means of guides movable relative to drum or barrel · CPC title