Mimic positioning controller for a hydraulically actuated back hoe

Claim 2

A controller for a hydraulically driven back hoe; the back hoe utilizing the following present day commercially, available, items:

Claim 3

An engine prime mover,

Claim 4

An engine prime mover,

Claim 5

Main hydraulic pump or pumps,

Claim 6

Main hydraulic pump or pumps,

Claim 7

Controller as described in claim 1 whose sensing devices are mounted on the small scale mimic members, and have spring positioned stems so that the operator controlled pattern members have to move against the spring centering effort exerted by the four sets of signal devices; the resistive effort of the signal devices against the dipper, dipper arm crowd arm, and swing base pattern members increases as the pattern members are moved from slightly off neutral in one direction before hitting mechanical stops; the amount of signal device displacement is proportionate to the force exerted by the dipper in breaking through earth and rock and thus the operator has an indication of the digging effort of the back hoe.

Claim 8

Main hydraulic pump or pumps,

Claim 9

Main hydraulic pump or pumps,

Claim 10

Hydraulic linear or rotary actuators used to drive the digging members,

Claim 11

Hydraulic linear or rotary actuators used to drive the digging members,

Claim 12

A controller for a back hoe as recited in claim 1 where the required relative positions of the dipper to the dipper arm; dipper arm to the crowd arm; and crowd arm to the swing base are continously coordinated by the signals from the pattern members to the signal devices on the mimic members so that the dipper can follow exactly, step-by-step, the locus of points set up by the operator''s hand in small scale.

Claim 13

Hydraulic linear or rotary actuators used to drive the digging members,

Claim 14

Hydraulic linear or rotary actuators used to drive the digging members,

Claim 15

Main digging members including; (a) a dipper, (b) a dipper arm (c) a crowd arm, (d) rotational (swing) base for members a, b, and c,

Claim 16

Main digging members including; (a) a dipper, (b) a dipper arm (c) a crowd arm, (d) rotational (swing) base for members a, b, and c,

Claim 17

A controller as recited in claim 1 for a back hoe whose main and mimic members follow within an approximate equivalent range of angular positions signaled by the pattern members; the control knob having a direction and speed vector which is substantially equivalent to the sum of the speed and direction vectors of the pattern members so that the dipper can follow a relative sequence of positions associated with the control knob.

Claim 18

Main digging members including; (a) a dipper, (b) a dipper arm (c) a crowd arm, (d) rotational (swing) base for members a, b, and c,

Claim 19

Main digging members including; (a) a dipper, (b) a dipper arm (c) a crowd arm, (d) rotational (swing) base for members a, b, and c,

Claim 20

Hydraulic, pneumatic or electric reversible, stepless signal devices, of standard commercial types, that are used to provide the pilot signals to hydraulic pneumatic or electric actuated main hydraulic valves that control the flow of hydraulic fluid to the main actuators that in turn control the movement of the dipper, dipper arm, crowd arm, and swing support members; and the following novel assemblies: A. means for continously transmitting the dippr angle, dipper arm angle, the crowd arm angle, and the swing base position angle-with significient force-greater than the operator''s strength to resist that transmitting effort, B. a means for representing and mimicing the exact angular position of the main diGging members (dipper, dipper arm, crowd arm, and rotary or swing base) by small scale equivalent members, C. means for mounting the signal devices, on the mimic or main members and which signal devices actuate the means for continuously driving the main and mimic members to follow pattern elements, and D. pattern control elements that represent the dipper, dipper arm, crowd arm, and swing base, in the same small scale as the mimic members, and located with respect to the mimic members so that the pattern members break down the operator''s hand movement into the proper vector signals of direction and speed for each of the four sets of main and mimic members required to make the four main digging and mimic elements actuate the signal devices and follow the exact relative sequence of positions as set up by the positions of the pattern elements wherein said positions of the pattern members comprise direction and speed vectors.

Claim 21

Hydraulic, pneumatic or electric reversible, stepless signal devices, of standard commercial types, that are used to provide the pilot signals to hydraulic pneumatic or electric actuated main hydraulic valves that control the flow of hydraulic fluid to the main actuators that in turn control the movement of the dipper, dipper arm, crowd arm, and swing support members; and the following novel assemblies: A. means for continously transmitting the dippr angle, dipper arm angle, the crowd arm angle, and the swing base position angle-with significient force-greater than the operator''s strength to resist that transmitting effort, B. a means for representing and mimicing the exact angular position of the main diGging members (dipper, dipper arm, crowd arm, and rotary or swing base) by small scale equivalent members, C. means for mounting the signal devices, on the mimic or main members and which signal devices actuate the means for continuously driving the main and mimic members to follow pattern elements, and D. pattern control elements that represent the dipper, dipper arm, crowd arm, and swing base, in the same small scale as the mimic members, and located with respect to the mimic members so that the pattern members break down the operator''s hand movement into the proper vector signals of direction and speed for each of the four sets of main and mimic members required to make the four main digging and mimic elements actuate the signal devices and follow the exact relative sequence of positions as set up by the positions of the pattern elements wherein said positions of the pattern members comprise direction and speed vectors.

Claim 22

Hydraulic, pneumatic or electric reversible, stepless signal devices, of standard commercial types, that are used to provide the pilot signals to hydraulic pneumatic or electric actuated main hydraulic valves that control the flow of hydraulic fluid to the main actuators that in turn control the movement of the dipper, dipper arm, crowd arm, and swing support members; and the following novel assemblies: A. means for continously transmitting the dippr angle, dipper arm angle, the crowd arm angle, and the swing base position angle-with significient force-greater than the operator''s strength to resist that transmitting effort, B. a means for representing and mimicing the exact angular position of the main diGging members (dipper, dipper arm, crowd arm, and rotary or swing base) by small scale equivalent members, C. means for mounting the signal devices, on the mimic or main members and which signal devices actuate the means for continuously driving the main and mimic members to follow pattern elements, and D. pattern control elements that represent the dipper, dipper arm, crowd arm, and swing base, in the same small scale as the mimic members, and located with respect to the mimic members so that the pattern members break down the operator''s hand movement into the proper vector signals of direction and speed for each of the four sets of main and mimic members required to make the four main digging and mimic elements actuate the signal devices and follow the exact relative sequence of positions as set up by the positions of the pattern elements wherein said positions of the pattern members comprise direction and speed vectors.

Claim 23

Hydraulic, pneumatic or electric reversible, stepless signal devices, of standard commercial types, that are used to provide the pilot signals to hydraulic pneumatic or electric actuated main hydraulic valves that control the flow of hydraulic fluid to the main actuators that in turn control the movement of the dipper, dipper arm, crowd arm, and swing support members; and the following novel assemblies: A. means for continously transmitting the dippr angle, dipper arm angle, the crowd arm angle, and the swing base position angle-with significient force-greater than the operator''s strength to resist that transmitting effort, B. a means for representing and mimicing the exact angular position of the main diGging members (dipper, dipper arm, crowd arm, and rotary or swing base) by small scale equivalent members, C. means for mounting the signal devices, on the mimic or main members and which signal devices actuate the means for continuously driving the main and mimic members to follow pattern elements, and D. pattern control elements that represent the dipper, dipper arm, crowd arm, and swing base, in the same small scale as the mimic members, and located with respect to the mimic members so that the pattern members break down the operator''s hand movement into the proper vector signals of direction and speed for each of the four sets of main and mimic members required to make the four main digging and mimic elements actuate the signal devices and follow the exact relative sequence of positions as set up by the positions of the pattern elements wherein said positions of the pattern members comprise direction and speed vectors.

Claim 24

A controller whose assembly of control elements as described in claim 1 above causes any motion in progress to be self cancelling when the control knob is brought to a stationary position.