Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Harvey S. Benson · Wood, III; Charles D. ·
Assignee(s)	Southwest Research Institute ·  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Van Steenberg; Gustav N. ·
Primary Examiner	Richard T. Stouffer ·
Application Number	US5832724
Filing date	09/13/1977
Issue date	03/25/1980
Predicted expiration date	09/13/1997
U.S. Classifications	172/430  · 172/7  ·
International Classifications	E02F 376  ·
Kind Code	A
International Classifications	1722;3;4;7;9;430 ·

Patent Family

Abstract

A draft power sensor is shown which is capable of determining the amount of power being applied to the soil in earthmoving equipment. The effective draft force and the true ground speed of the earthmoving equipment are measured. This information is processed electronically to provide the product of the two values, which is the draft power. Production from earthmoving equipment can be maximized if the highest value of the draft power is maintained.

Independent Claims | See all claims (11)

1. 1. Apparatus for determining the draft power of earth-moving equipment, said apparatus comprising:(a) a detecting means to measure the true ground speed of said earthmoving equipment;(b) detecting means to measure the draft force applied to the soil by said earthmoving equipment;(c) means for processing information obtained from said detecting means to measure true ground speed and information obtained from said detecting means to measure draft force, to derive a product which is draft power.
2. 7. A method for determining the draft power of earthmoving equipment comprising the steps of(a) measuring the true ground speed of said earthmoving equipment;(b) measuring the draft force applied by said earthmoving equipment(c) processing the measured value of said true ground speed and the value of said draft force to obtain draft power.