Patent ID: 6202013
Filing Date: 2001-03-13
Classification: B66C,E04G

Abstract:
A monitoring system for monitoring stability of an articulated boom and pipeline concrete placing system, the articulated boom and pipeline system including an articulated boom for supporting the pipeline having a bottom end rotatably connected to a base and a leading end which is maneuverable with respect to the bottom end, the base further including at least one extendable outrigger, the monitoring system comprising:a boom position sensor, including a global positioning system (GPS) receiver mounted at the leading end of the boom, for providing boom position information from which a horizontal and vertical location of the leading end of the articulated boom can be determined;an outrigger sensor for sensing a position of the outrigger with respect to the base,wherein the outrigger sensor supplies an outrigger signal representative of the sensed outrigger position; anda controller for receiving the boom position information and the outrigger signal, and for determining stability of the articulated boom assembly based upon the boom position information, the outrigger signal, a known weight of the articulated boom and pipeline, a known weight of the pipeline, and a known weight of a material contained in the pipeline.