Tool carrying vehicle with laser control apparatus
US4162708A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 3, 1975 |
| Grant date | Jul 31, 1979 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 3, 1995 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S37/907
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A tool-carrying vehicle, such as a road grader, is provided with an apparatus for maintaining a predetermined distance between its blade or other tool and a laser reference plane generated by a rotating laser beam. The apparatus includes a detector housing supported on a mounting extending upwardly from the blade, a detector support frame on the housing, a laser reference plane detector on the support frame, and electrical control circuitry. The mounting is movable to permit moving the detector housing relative to the vehicle in response to tool movement. The laser reference plane detector has first and second spaced apart laser beam detecting arrays. The detector may be provided with upper and lower movable carriages with one of the arrays positioned on each carriage, permitting the carriages to converge and diverge to vary the distance separating the detecting arrays and thereby control the degree of accuracy required of the tool. In addition, the detector housing may be rotated about is axis to scan an arc for the laser beam. The elevation and slope of the blade or tool may be automatically controlled as a function of position or time by a computer carried by the vehicle and ope…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.