Patent ID: 6929420
Filing Date: 2005-08-16
Classification: E01C

Abstract:
1. A contouring machine control system comprising: a contouring member able to vibrate and to contour uncured concrete, said contouring member having first and second ends and able to be moved over an area to be contoured, said contouring member being supported in at least a first location and a second location, said contouring member including a vibrating contouring beam; an auger positioned adjacent one side of said vibrating contouring beam, said auger oriented substantially parallel to said vibrating contouring beam; a plow positioned adjacent a side of said auger opposite said vibrating contouring beam such that said auger is intermediate said plow and said vibrating contouring beam, said plow oriented substantially parallel to said auger; a pivoting device for pivoting said vibrating contouring beam, said auger, and said plow about a pivot axis oriented substantially parallel to said auger; a target positioned at the contouring member; a tracking device that tracks the target and measures the position of said target in three dimensions as said contouring member is moved over the area to be contoured, said tracking device being positioned remotely from said contouring member and including a transmitter for transmitting the three-dimensional position information of said target to said controller; a proximity sensor positioned adjacent one of the first or second ends of the contouring member, said proximity sensor able to detect its height above a physical reference at different positions with respect to the reference as the contouring member is moved over the area to be contoured, said reference being separate from the contouring member; a stored profile of a desired surface to be contoured; a controller for controlling the height of said first and second locations of said contouring member, wherein said controller adjusts the height of said first location of said contouring member as a function of the stored profile and the three-dimensional position of said target, and said controller adjusts the height of said second location of said contouring member as a function of the current height of the proximity sensor above the reference; and a tilt controller that activates said pivoting device to tilt said vibrating contouring beam, said auger, and said plow about said pivot axis based upon said stored profile.