System for determining the position of a tool mounted on pivotab

Details System for determining the position of a tool mounted on pivotab System for determining the position of a tool mounted on pivotab

1996-12-27

1998-12-15

Melius, Terry Lee

Excavating

Ditcher

Condition responsive

701 50, 3561411, E02F 502

Patent

active

058484850

ABSTRACT:
The present invention is an apparatus and method for accurately determining the position of a tool, for example an earthmoving bucket, mounted at the end of an arm which has a plurality of pivot points and is pivotally attached to the base of a machine, for example a piece of construction equipment like the platform of an excavator or other earthmoving machine. The present apparatus includes a plurality of reflectors mounted on the machine for indicating movement of the arm and the tool. Each reflector is operatively adapted for reflecting light back toward a light source. A light transceiver is mounted on the machine in a known relationship to the reflectors. The light transceiver is operatively adapted for transmitting a beam of light to illuminate each of the reflectors, thereby generating reflective light. The light transceiver detects the reflective light and the angular orientation of the reflective light it detects. The light transceiver is also adapted to generate an output signal in response to the reflective light and the angular orientation it detects. A computer computes the position of the tool using the output signals of the light transceiver generated in response to the reflected light and the angular orientation of the reflected light. The present position determining system is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive and readily installed, including on construction equipment like various types of conventional earthmoving machines.

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