Boots – shoes – and leggings
Patent
1992-05-01
1994-02-15
Black, Thomas G.
Boots, shoes, and leggings
36442407, 180197, B60T 858
Patent
active
052872807
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling shoe slip of a crawler vehicle such as bulldozers and shovel loaders, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for controlling the shoe slip of a crawler vehicle in which, in order to improve operational efficiency of the vehicle by effectively using a tractive force of the vehicle, an optimum engine power output mode of the vehicle is selected in operation with reference to a preset value of the shoe slip rate of the vehicle such that a maximum tractive force of the vehicle is produced.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In general, during traveling of crawler vehicles such as bulldozers and shovel loaders, the power outputs of the engines of the crawler vehicles are transmitted to track-driving sprocket wheels of the vehicles through power trains containing torque converters, transmissions, differential gears and final reduction gears. The crawlers or endless tracks running round the sprocket wheels of the crawler vehicles are driven by the power outputs of the engines to enable the crawler vehicles to travel. Consequently, drawbar-pulls or tractive forces produced in the crawlers or endless tracks of the vehicles can be calculated or computed from both of the power outputs of the engines and total reduction rates of the power trains of the crawler vehicles.
On the other hand, in the crawler vehicles, the power outputs of the engines thereof are manually controlled through main control levers of the vehicles so as to be set on predetermined values. The power outputs of the engines thus controlled through the main control levers are reduced by depressing deceleration pedals of the crawler vehicles. When the deceleration pedals having been depressed are released from external depressing forces exerted by an operator of the vehicle, the predetermined values of the power outputs of the engines are recovered.
Drawbar-pulls or tractive forces of the crawler vehicles in traveling depend on the slip rates of the shoes on the crawlers or tracks of the vehicles on the ground, the slip rates of the shoes being hereinafter simply referred to as the shoe slip rates. Until the shoe slip rates of the vehicles reach predetermined critical values or preset values, the drawbar-pulls or tractive forces of the vehicles increase as the shoe slip rates increase. However, when the shoe slip rates exceed the predetermined critical values, the crawlers or tracks of the vehicles merely slip on the ground thereby causing many disadvantages such as large energy loss and excessive wear of the crawlers or tracks; and making the crawlers or the tracks incapable of effectively utilizing the power outputs of the engines for producing sufficient drawbar-pulls or tractive forces.
For example, in a bulldozing operation conducted by a blade unit of a bulldozer or in a ripping operation conducted by a ripper unit of the bulldozer, when the bulldozer is subjected to an excessive load that causes a shoe slip, such a shoe slip is recognized by an operator of the bulldozer. After that, the operator depresses a deceleration pedal of the bulldozer to lower the power output of the engine of the bulldozer, and simultaneously he operates the bulldozer's working equipment such as the blade unit and the ripper unit so as to reduce the load, through which the drawbar-pull or tractive force of the bulldozer is lowered. The above operator's cumbersome manual operation for resolving disadvantages resulting from the shoe slip requires a high degree of skill.
Namely, in compensating for the shoe slip conducted through the operator's manual operation, the operator must depress the deceleration pedal after he recognizes the shoe slip, and simultaneously he must operate the working equipment of the bulldozer. Consequently, the operator's manual operation is very cumbersome, and requires extreme caution. In addition, in actual operation of the bulldozer, the power output of the engine is manually lowered by the operator only after he recognizes the shoe slip has o
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Takasugi Shinji
Yamada Hideki
Yamamoto Shigeru
Black Thomas G.
Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
Park Collin W.
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