U.S. patent application number 11/501744 was filed with the patent office on 2006-11-30 for method and apparatus for automatic loading of dumper.
This patent application is currently assigned to SANDVIK TAMROCK OY. Invention is credited to Jari Jasu, Janne Kallio, Riku Pulli.
Application Number | 20060271235 11/501744 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 8560999 |
Filed Date | 2006-11-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060271235 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pulli; Riku ; et
al. |
November 30, 2006 |
Method and apparatus for automatic loading of dumper
Abstract
A method for loading a dumper with broken rock or the like and
an apparatus for implementing the method. In the method, a loading
area is defined for the dumper. The dumper is stopped at the
loading area at a predefined position for loading. An emptying area
is correspondingly defined in advance for a loader for transporting
the material in its bucket onto the dumper box. The apparatus
includes a controller for controlling the dumper at least during
loading, and the controller includes means for stopping the dumper
for loading at the predefined position so that the material
transported by the loader can be emptied onto the dumper box in a
predefined location in the longitudinal direction.
Inventors: |
Pulli; Riku; (Tampere,
FI) ; Jasu; Jari; (Poytya, FI) ; Kallio;
Janne; (Turko, FI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH (DC)
1500 K STREET, N.W.
SUITE 1100
WASHINGTON
DC
20005-1209
US
|
Assignee: |
SANDVIK TAMROCK OY
|
Family ID: |
8560999 |
Appl. No.: |
11/501744 |
Filed: |
August 10, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10686681 |
Oct 17, 2003 |
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11501744 |
Aug 10, 2006 |
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PCT/FI02/00317 |
Apr 15, 2002 |
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10686681 |
Oct 17, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
700/213 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65G 47/18 20130101;
B65G 67/24 20130101; B65G 67/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
700/213 |
International
Class: |
G06F 7/00 20060101
G06F007/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 17, 2001 |
FI |
20010790 |
Claims
1. A method for loading a dumper with material automatically:
defining a loading site for loading buckets of a material to be
loaded from a bucket of a loader on a dump box of a dumper;
defining at the loading site a loading area at which the dumper is
stopped for loading; defining an emptying area for the loader at
the side of the dumper when the dumper is in the loading area;
moving the loader in a travel direction so that the loader is
oriented transverse to the dumper in the emptying area; controlling
with a controller at least part of a loading operation including at
least one of emptying of the bucket of the loader and movement of
the dumper in the loading area; moving at least one of the dumper
and the loader so that the loader is disposed at different points
along a length of the dumper; and loading different areas of the
dump box of the dumper with the loader by causing the loader to
empty its bucket into the dump box of the dumper when the at least
one of the loader and the dumper is moved so that the loader is
disposed at different points along the length of the dumper.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dumper is stopped
for loading at one end of the loading area so that one end of the
dump box is in the emptying area of the loader and, after the one
end of the dump box is filled, moving the dumper in a longitudinal
direction to load another area of the dump box.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising defining a plurality
of stopping points for the loader in the emptying area in the
travel direction, stopping the loader at the different stopping
points, and, when the loader is stopped at the different stopping
points, loading different transverse points of the dump box.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising measuing a height of
a load on the dump box at a point being loaded with a measuring
device and controlling loading based on a measured load height.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising measuring a shape of
a load in the dump box and controlling loading based on the
measured shape.
6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the measuring device
confirms that the dumper is present and correctly located in the
loading area before the loader is caused to empty its bucket.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising measuring a weight of
a load on the dump box and a location of the load relative to the
dump box and controlling loading based on the weight and the
location of the load.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the loading area of the
dumper is located lower than the emptying area of the loader.
9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein material emptied from
the bucket is guided to the dump box by a downwards-convergent
guide edge above the dump box.
10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the loader is guided by
the controller to automatically fetch material from a predefined
area, to automatically run between the predefined area and the
emptying area, and to automatically empty the material from the
bucket to the dumper.
11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller guides
the dumper to automatically run between the loading site and an
unloading site and to automatically unload on the unloading
site.
12-21. (canceled)
Description
[0001] The present invention is a continuation of International
Application No. PCT/FI02/00317, filed Apr. 15, 2002, the disclosure
of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
[0002] The invention relates to a method and apparatus for loading
a dumper with broken rock or corresponding material in such a
manner that several bucketfuls of the material are loaded by a
loader on a dump box in such a manner that the loader approaches
the dumper transverse to it so that the material in the bucket of
the loader can be emptied from the bucket to the dump box.
[0003] In mining or other quarrying operations, broken rock needs
to be transported in different ways for further processing from the
quarry to a processing site. Broken rock is typically first
transported in loaders that fetch the broken rock and transport it
to a loading site. Broken rock is transported on by dumpers, trains
or the like that return to the loading site to fetch a new load.
One typical transport method is that after fetching a bucketful of
broken rock the loader empties it directly on the dump box. The
dump box can typically take several bucketfuls, which means that
when loading, the operator needs to empty the bucket at different
points in both longitudinal and transverse direction of the dump
box so as to fill the box as well as possible. Because the operator
does not, however, see when the box is full, it is always to some
extent unevenly filled, and the process difficult for the operator.
The situation is the same when an autonomously moving dumper
controlled by a computer is used, because the operator of the
loader cannot see the inside of the box. New solutions are
required, if a fully automated dumper loading is to be achieved, in
which both the dumpers and loaders operate autonomously controlled
by a computer.
[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method
and an apparatus, with which the loading of a dumper is easier and
simpler than now and with which loading is more efficient than
before.
[0005] The method of the invention is characterized in that the
loading site has a predefined loading area, where the dumper is
stopped in a predefined position for loading; that a predefined
emptying area is defined for the loader in the loading area at the
side of the dumper, to which the loader drives for the purpose of
emptying the material in its bucket on the box of the dumper; that
to fill the box of the dumper in the desired manner in transverse
direction, the loader is stopped at different points transverse to
the dumper, and thus longitudinal to the loader, according to the
filling degree of the box and depending on the loading situation of
the dump box area being loaded at the time; and that to load the
dump box in its longitudinal direction in the de-sired manner, the
dumper is moved, when one area of the box has been loaded, in
longitudinal direction or the emptying area of the loader is moved
in the longitudinal direction of the dumper a predefined distance
so as to load the next area of the box.
[0006] Further, the apparatus of the invention is characterized in
that it comprises control means for controlling the dumper at least
during loading; that the control means comprise means for stopping
the dumper in the loading area in a predefined position so that the
material transported by the loader can be emptied on the dump box
at a predefined point in its longitudinal direction and, when the
dump box is loaded at a certain longitudinal point of the box, for
moving the dumper in longitudinal direction or for moving the
emptying area of the loader in the longitudinal direction of the
dumper a predefined distance so as to load the next area of the
box.
[0007] An essential idea of the invention is that the dumper is
most preferably stopped automatically in a specific predefined
loading area, to which the loader in turn transports a load along a
specific route that is transverse to the direction of travel of the
dumper to a predefined emptying area at the side of the dumper and
empties its bucket on the dump box at different points in the
transverse direction of the dump box depending on the loading
situation. This way, the filling of the box is controlled in its
transverse direction by driving the loader either further away from
the dumper or closer to it depending on which side of the box the
load is to be emptied. A further essential idea of the invention is
that during loading, the dumper is moved most preferably
automatically in its longitudinal direction in a manner suitable
for the loading so that the load emptied from the loader drops on
the dump box at a suitable point in its longitudinal direction, in
which case the longitudinal filling of the box is correspondingly
controlled by moving the dumper to a suitable point. This way, the
dump box can be appropriately filled by controlling the filling of
the box in the longitudinal direction of the dumper by means of the
longitudinal position of the dumper and in the transverse direction
by means of the longitudinal position of the loader. The essential
idea of a preferred embodiment of the invention is that it
comprises separate measuring means for measuring the amount of load
on the dump box: height, weight, etc., and for controlling the
loading on the basis of the measurements in such a manner that when
the amount of the load on the dump box at the current loading point
exceeds a predefined value, the dumper is moved in its longitudinal
direction or the emptying area of the loader is moved in the
longitudinal direction of the dumper so that the next load brought
by the loader drops at an emptier point of the box, or if the
entire box is full, the dumper leaves to empty the box most
preferably automatically controlled by a computer. According to a
second preferred embodiment of the invention, the loading site is
such that in a loading situation, the dumper is substantially lower
than the loader, preferably below the loading area of the loader.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the
loading site has a funnel-shaped guide located above the dump box
in the loading situation so that the broken rock from the bucket of
the loader drops entirely inside the dump box.
[0008] The invention provides the advantage that with the use of an
automatically controlled dumper, loading can be automated and
controlled easily so that the load transported by the loader always
drops on a suitable area of the box so as to have a sufficiently
high load in the dumper suitably distributed on the entire box. In
fully automated loading, where both the loader and the dumper
operate automatically under the control of a computer, the control
and guidance of loading is simple and easy, because the
longitudinal filling of the box is most preferably controlled by
moving the dumper and, correspondingly, the transverse filling is
controlled by guiding the movement of the loader in its
longitudinal direction, which makes the control simple and easy.
This, in turn, is based on the fact that it is necessary to control
only the movement and length of movement of either machine in one
direction and complex and difficult two-dimensional movement
control is not needed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The invention will be described in greater detail in the
attached drawings, in which
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of loading material with a
loader to a dumper by applying the method of the invention,
[0011] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a preferred
embodiment of the invention as seen from behind a dumper,
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of the preferred embodiment
of FIG. 2 shown in the same way as in FIG. 1, and
[0013] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the
invention, in which the emptying area of the loader is changed
according to the load situation of the dump box.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a dumper 1 that runs automatically under the
control of a computer and has a box 2 for transporting a load, in
this case broken rock. The dumper moves along the route marked by
arrow 3, for instance, and stops in the loading area shown by arrow
4 in the manner indicated in the figure, i.e. where the loading
area 4 begins, so that the front edge of the box 2 is at the
location shown by line 5a. When the dumper is at this location, a
loader 6 having a bucket 7 arrives as shown by arrow 8 to empty the
material, such as broken rock, in the bucket 7 onto the box 2 of
the dumper 1. So as to be able to load the box in a desired manner,
an emptying area is defined for the loader 6 in the loading area in
the longitudinal direction of the dumper, to which the loader 6
drives when transporting material for the dump box. So as to fill
the box 2 in a suitable manner, the front edge of the loader or
some other measurement or comparison point is driven substantially
perpendicular to the transverse direction of the box 2 until the
level shown by line 9a, for instance, so that when the bucket 7 is
tipped, the broken rock falls over the centreline of the box 2 to
the right-hand side in the figure. Correspondingly, when
transporting the next bucketful, the loader stops at the location
shown by line 9b, in which case the broken rock in the bucket 7
falls to the left-hand side of the box 2 in the figure. This way,
an even load is achieved in transverse direction at a given
location in the longitudinal direction of the box. If the box
volume and load-bearing capacity of the dumper permits, it is also
possible to use for instance the location marked with a dashed line
midway between lines 9a and 9b for emptying the bucket load of the
loader in the middle of the dump box in its transverse direction.
The marked locations, such as lines 9a and 9b, can naturally also
be defined otherwise in relation to the loader, for instance at the
wheels or at the back end, as long as the stopping points of the
loader in the transverse direction of the dumper are explicitly
defined and detectable so the loader can be guided according to
them. The detection can be done for instance by using a suitable
distance gauge or the like at the front end of the loader to
measure the location of the loader in relation to the loading area
of the dumper and thus also to the dumper in its transverse
direction. Depending on the size of the loader bucket and the dump
box, which affects the number of bucketfuls the loader can
transport to one location in its transverse direction, it is
possible to define in advance more than one emptying area for the
bucket, and their locations are naturally selected in accordance
with the equipment being used. After the front section of the box
is filled while the dumper is in the position according to the
figure, the dumper is moved forward until the front edge of the box
2 is approximately at line 5b. Correspondingly, the box is here
filled in transverse direction in the same manner as at line 5a and
further, if the length of the box is such that its loading requires
three consecutive loading points, the dumper is run forward until
the front edge of the box is at line 5c and the loading in
transverse direction is done according to the earlier description.
When the dump box 2 is full, the computer sends a notification or
fully automatically directs the dumper along a defined route to
empty its load and to return to be reloaded in the manner shown in
FIG. 1. The situation of FIG. 1 shows one dumper and one loader to
simplify the matter. In practice, several loaders may load one
dumper, which is more efficient, and correspondingly, when one
dumper leaves the loading site to empty its load, a second dumper
can drive immediately after it to the site to be loaded so that
loading is substantially continuous for both dumpers and loaders
without any breaks that would reduce output.
[0015] In the situation shown in FIG. 1, the dumper and loader can,
in principle, be level with each other, because the bucket of the
loader extends above the edges of the dump box. If the loader is
manually controlled, positioning it is easier when using controls,
which are indicated by dashed lines 10 in the figure, either marked
in the body or made up of separate control posts or other controls
so as to allow the correct positioning of the loader in the
emptying area in relation to the longitudinal position of the
dumper. So as to maintain a suitable amount, i.e. in practice
height, of load in the dumper, the load of the dumper can be
monitored with separate measuring devices, by means of which the
height and/or weight of the load on the box and preferably also the
location of the load on the box and possibly its shape can be
defined. This is described later in connection with the other
figures, but on the basis of the information provided by such
measuring devices, a computer, for instance, can determine that the
load at a certain point of the box is sufficient and move the
dumper a required distance forward or send it to empty its
load.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the loading
situation of a preferred embodiment of the invention as seen from
the back of the dumper. In this case, the position of the dumper in
the loading situation is in elevation clearly lower than the
position of the loader, in which case the dumper can even be
completely below the travelling level of the loader as shown in the
figure. In this situation, loading takes place in principle in
exactly the same way as in FIG. 1, but the load falls further down.
In this embodiment, there may be a downwards-convergent guide edge
11, shown in cross-section in the figure, located above the loading
site of the dumper and at the location of the dump box and
extending to the inside of the dumper 1 box 2 edges so that all
material falls on the dump box. This detail is shown in FIG. 3 in a
corresponding manner to FIG. 1 from the top.
[0017] This embodiment also shows above the loading point a
measuring device 12 that is used to define the height and possibly
also the shape of the load on the dump box 2 at the loading point.
The measuring device 12 can be a laser scanner, video camera or
another suitable measuring device for monitoring the load on the
box, especially its height and possibly also its shape. This load
definition can also be used to guide the loader in such a manner
that its stopping point in the transverse direction of the box 2
can change according to the manner in which the load has settled on
the box after earlier bucketfuls. In principle, it is possible to
use any suitable stopping point in the direction of travel of the
loader and it is not necessary to limit it to the stopping points
shown by lines 9a and 9b in FIG. 1. Especially when using a loader
that runs automatically controlled by a computer, controlling the
loading process by means of the measuring device 12 is easy and
reliable, and the dump box can this way be loaded in such a manner
that as large an amount of broken rock as possible can be
transported each time. The figure also shows two other measuring
devices 12a and 12b that are located under the cover of the guide
edge 11 so that they can measure the height and/or shape of the
load in transverse direction.
[0018] In addition to measuring the height, shape and location of
the load, the load of the dumper can also be measured with other,
different measuring means. Strain gauges or other gauges mounted on
the body of the dumper can be used for this purpose to define by
direct measurement the weight of the load on the dump box and
preferably also its location on the box. The use of such gauges and
measuring means indicating measuring values, which are directly
proportional to weight, are generally known per se and they are
commercially generally available, which is why they need not be
described in more detail herein.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows a solution corresponding to FIG. 2 from the
top, in which case it shows how the guide edge 11 extends inside
the edges of the dump box marked with a dashed line and guides in
both transverse and longitudinal direction the rock pieces, which
possibly fall from the loader bucket to a wider area, to the
desired area on the box. The opening of the guide edge 11 is of
course approximately equal in width to the loader bucket or longer
than it in the direction of the dump box so as to permit the broken
rock to fall as easily as possible onto the box. The guide edge 11
is mainly needed to guide blocks that accidentally fall outside the
normal emptying area onto the box.
[0020] The invention can also be applied in another manner as shown
in FIG. 4, in which measuring means are used to define the position
of the dumper and the operation of the loader is guided on the
basis of the thus defined dumper position. The loading area or site
is then not fixed as in the embodiments described above. In this
embodiment, when the dumper arrives at the loading area, i.e.
inside certain predefined limits, it stops. As a result of this,
measuring means automatically measure what the dumper position is
in the area in relation to the measuring means. When the loader
brings a load to the dumper, a control signal is transmitted to an
apparatus in it to guide the loader along a suitable path in
relation to the dumper in the transverse and longitudinal direction
of the dumper as appropriate for the loading situation. If the
loader is fully controlled by a computer, the computer runs the
loader and no actual display is needed for the operator. Loading
can then also be done in such a manner that it is not necessary to
move the dumper in its longitudinal direction, but the computer
guides the route of the loader as shown by arrows 10a to 10c to be
suitable with respect to the longitudinal direction of the dumper
on the basis of the amount and location of the broken rock already
loaded onto the dump box. In this embodiment, the emptying area of
the loader is defined in the longitudinal direction of the dumper,
i.e. the area is moved to the side of the dumper according to the
loading situation, and the loader drives to each emptying area
according to the control commands. This solution can also be
applied to embodiments having a separate different-level loading
site for the dumper and an edge guiding the rock. In this
situation, it is, however, possible to use a guide edge having a
funnel opening substantially equal to the size of the dump box.
[0021] To ensure an even distribution of the load, it is also
possible to measure the weight of the load. In such a case, not
only is the location and shape/height of the load on the box
measured, but also the weight distribution of the load on the box
is determined. For instance, if the broken rock being loaded is
very heterogeneous containing blocks of different sizes, measuring
the shape of the load only may lead to an uneven weight
distribution on the box. This in turn may lead to a malfunction in
the dumper at least over a long period of time. Thus, weight
measurement can prevent uneven loads and consequently ensure
correct operation of the equipment.
[0022] The invention is in the above description and in the
drawings described by way of example only and it is in no way
limited to them. An essential point is that loading in the
longitudinal direction of the dumper is controlled by moving the
dumper in a suitable manner for loading, most preferably
automatically, in the longitudinal direction of the dumper, or by
moving the emptying area of the loader in the longitudinal
direction of the dumper so that the rock loads transported by one
or more loaders settle as evenly as possible on the box of the
dumper. Further, another essential point is that during the
transverse-direction loading of the dump box the loader is guided
in the transverse direction of the dumper, i.e. its direction of
travel is guided, most preferably automatically so that the rock
transported by the loaders can also be loaded as evenly as possible
in the transverse direction of the box, resulting in a most
suitable loading of the box. Loading is preferably done as
automatically as possible so that at least the emptying of the
loader bucket is automatically controlled by control means, but if
possible, the entire operation, from the loader fetching the
material to the movement of the loader between the loading site and
the emptying area and the emptying of the bucket, is automated
under the control of control means. Correspondingly, the movement
of the dumper at its loading site, the movement of the dumper
between the loading site and the unloading site, and the unloading
of the dumper can most preferably be fully automated under the
control of control means. The control means correspondingly
preferably comprise at least means for emptying the bucket of the
loader and for guiding the loader at least in the emptying area
automatically, means for guiding the movement of the loader
automatically to fetch the material from a predefined site, to
guide the loader to move automatically between its loading site and
the emptying area, and to empty the material in the bucket
automatically to the dumper. Further, the control means preferably
comprise means for guiding the dumper to move automatically between
the loading area and unloading site, to unload automatically at the
unloading site, and to automatically guide the movement of the
dumper in the loading area.
[0023] The measuring device of the load can, as shown in FIG. 2, be
above the loading area or one or more measuring devices can be
mounted below the guide edge 11, for instance, or obliquely in
front or after it in the longitudinal direction of the loader. Two
or more measuring devices can naturally be used instead of just
one, when it is necessary for the measurement. By using the
measuring device 12 or the information obtained from it, it is
possible to detect by means of comparison data programmed in
advance in the computer when the load on the box at a given
location is appropriate, and on the basis of this to guide both the
dumper and the loader during loading. Two- or three-dimensional
measurements, which are generally known per se, can be used to
determine the height of the load and possibly also its shape. The
measuring devices also help to ensure the safety of the entire
operation. Thus, it is possible to detect with the measuring
devices the presence of the dumper on the loading site and its
correct location before the loader is permitted to empty its
bucket. If the dumper is not there or its location is not correct,
this is indicated to the loader by transmitting a suitable control
signal that prevents the loader from emptying its bucket. This is
an especially useful embodiment when using an either fully
automated loader or both an automated loader and dumper.
* * * * *