Abstract:
The present invention involves a carriage of the type commonly used in skyline logging operations. The invention facilitates moving logs along a suspended skyline by means of a hoisting system built into the carriage comprised of a radio controlled electronics system, an internal combustion power plant, proportional controlled hydraulically driven skidline sheave, a skidline clamp and skyline clamp. A novel method of pump control keeps the internal combination engine operating within its power band. The volume output of the pump is controlled by engine RPM to adjust the pump&#39;s load on the engine. Combined operation of the various controls on the carriage, in conjunction with the controlled operations of the yarder winch at the end of the skyline result in a system well suited for efficient logging operation. The choker/setter (ground crew) and the yarder are able to remotely control the carriage operation as a team. The carriage controls of the present invention are primarily hydraulic, actuated by means of electrical solenoid valves.

Description:
DESCRIPTION  
       [0001]    This application claims priority of Provisional Application Serial No. 60/410,386, filed Sep. 11, 2002, and entitled Slack Pulling Carriage for Logging Operations, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates generally to logging equipment, more particularly to a radio-controlled, slack-pulling skyline carriage.  
           [0004]    2. Related Art  
           [0005]    In reviewing the body of patents and commercial products that incorporate controls to skyline carriage type vehicles, none of the information reveals a similar closed-loop method of controlling the position of the carriage, nor providing controls that facilitate the types of operations of which this invention is capable.  
           [0006]    A distinct advantage of the closed-loop operation method of the present invention lies in its ability to control the effective load and speed (RPM) of the driving engine under differing conditions to best make use of its engine braking, power and torque characteristics. As will be made evident in the description that follows, based upon monitoring engine RPM, the control system proportionally controls the main hydraulic pump output volume to keep the engine running within its optimal RPM band. Due to the utility of the closed-loop control system, as set forth in the present invention, the general carriage operation in timber harvesting via remote control is far easier compared to other carriages presently known in the art.  
           [0007]    In earlier inventions, a variety of skyline carriages were patented; each of them different in various key aspects from the present invention. Gauthier in U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,443 teaches about a radio-controlled carriage that houses an internal combustion motor and a drive system that provides a driving method and hoist method that is fundamentally different than the current invention in that it has a driven set of mainline pulleys, whereas the mainline pulleys of the present invention are free rolling.  
           [0008]    In U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,109, Davis describes a carriage that uses batteries, motors and a skyline powered recharging method to move and brake the carriage. This approach, versus the current invention, is fundamentally different in providing only a limited ability to pull large loads with the skidline. It relies upon an electrical power source that charges/stores energy from movement of the carriage along the skyline.  
           [0009]    In U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,281, Maki teaches about a system whereby the movement of the carriage along the skyline drives two on-board hydraulic pumps and a large accumulator that power the skidline sheave. This approach requires multiple pumps, clutches and mechanisms to realize motive power for the skidline sheave, and relies on the energy that is provided by movement of the carriage along the skyline. There are multiple shortcomings to the invention as it is described, all of which are overcome with the present invention. The primary problem with Maki&#39;s invention is its reliance upon carriage motion for operation of the skidline sheave. Pump selection and drive ratios are problematic in that the slope of the cable, which varies from site to site, must be considered in selecting the configuration of the pump drivetrain components.  
           [0010]    As will be seen in the description that follows, the present invention is a more efficient and useful device than all prior art.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    While a traditional concern of any logging operation is the efficient transportation of felled timber from a forest to processing plants, modem logging planners are also concerned with minimizing safety hazards and environmental damage resulting from such operations.  
           [0012]    After timber is harvested, the resulting logs are transported to a landing. A landing is a generally level area, situated near a logging road, from which logs are loaded on trucks and hauled to processing plants. The act or process of conveying logs to a landing is known as “yarding.” 
           [0013]    When harvesting steep slopes or hauling over longer distances, a skyline system is often employed, in which a cable known as a skyline is stretched taut between two spars to extend over sloped terrain. A carriage equipped with grooved wheels rides on the skyline to carry logs to a landing positioned near one of the spars. A second cable, known as the skidline, extends from the uphill spar to the carriage. The skidline is reeled in to pull the carriage uphill and paid out as the carriage moves downhill due to gravity.  
           [0014]    To operate a skyline system, the carriage is lowered to a desired location on the skyline and secured in place. In the present invention, the carriage is secured with a hydraulically operated skyline clamp. Chokers or grapple hooks are lowered from the carriage and attached to nearby logs. Once the logs are attached to the chokers or grapple hooks, they are raised up to the carriage and the carriage is moved either uphill or downhill to a landing, where the logs are lowered and released.  
           [0015]    The skyline is usually elevated at least one end. When logging a concave slope, for example, the uphill spar is normally elevated by a portable tower, while the downhill spar is secured to a tree trunk or the like. Elevating the skyline allows the logs to be transported to the landing without dragging them on the ground. This procedure makes it easier to pass over ground obstacles and lessens environmental damage by minimizing soil disruption caused by dragging the logs over the ground.  
           [0016]    Radio-controlled, hydraulically driven components, such as the skyline clamp, skidline clamp and skidline sheave, are advantageous because they allow log riggers to quickly and accurately control carriage functions. This is not only more efficient, but safer as well, as a rigging crew need not signal a distant operator to halt carriage operations in case of an emergency.  
           [0017]    There is a need for a skyline carriage system with a safe and reliable means of control that has the ability to pull slack as the carriage descends and to also allow the simultaneous lowering of the payload as the carriage comes into the landing.  
           [0018]    It is an object of the present invention to control the diesel engine RPM by monitoring that same RPM, calculating the hydraulic pump stroke volume at a periodic re-calculation rate, and controlling the pump either electrically or through electro-hydraulic means to provide the calculated volume. Since a variation in the pump stroke volume is proportional to the change in engine power output one is able to effectively control the operation of the engine in a closed-loop manner. More efficient operation is realized through this control method, whereby the operator can more easily manipulate a turn of logs. The resultant skyline carriage system provides a safe and reliable means of control that has the simultaneous ability pull slack, (to drop the skidline cable end toward the ground,) as the carriage descends on the skyline, and to also allow simultaneous lowering of a payload as the carriage comes into the landing. This ability of the carriage to raise and lower the payload during movement along a skyline allows for the load to be picked-up and dropped-off more quickly, thereby decreasing in the cycle-time of logging operations and improving productivity.  
           [0019]    The different embodiments, aspects, advantages and features of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description, and in part will come to those skilled in the art by reference to the following description of the invention and referenced drawings, or by practice of the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing one side of a typical slack-pulling carriage with the side access cover removed.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the other side of the slack-pulling carriage depicted in FIG. 1 with the other side access cover removed.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing one side of a typical drum carriage with the side access cover removed.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the other side of the drum carriage depicted in FIG. 1 with the other side access cover removed.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is a schematic electrical diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the electrical wiring connections.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is a schematic flow diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing hydraulic components and hydraulic interconnections.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 7 is a graph showing the pump stroke volume versus control current of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 8 is a graph showing the engine speed versus control current of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 9 is a schematic block electrical diagram of a microprocessor-based system of an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0029]    The present invention is typically contained within a skyline carriage that incorporates a self-contained internal combustion power plant which hydraulically drives either a skidline sheave, as found in a slack pulling type of carriage, or a driven drum, as found in a drum type of carriage. In either type of carriage, the present invention performs the function of regulation of the rotational speed (RPM) of the carriage&#39;s internal combustion engine so as to maintain its operation within a specific range, or power band. In each type of carriage, electrical and hydraulic controls are operated by remotely controlled electronics, whereby the carriage operator communicates by way of radio telecommunication. The present invention is useful for more precisely controlling carriage operation, improving safety and reducing cycle-times in logging operations. It is an object of the present invention to provide a means of raising a turn of logs or other payload from a first a source location and transporting that load above the ground, suspended beneath a taut skyline, to a destination location.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 1 is a schematic pictorial diagram showing one side of a typical slack pulling carriage  11  with the side access cover removed. The main power to drive the hydraulic controls within the carriage  11  is provided by the internal combustion engine  7 . The engine, in the preferred embodiment, is connected mechanically by rotating shaft to main hydraulic pump  1 , (such as a Mannesman Rexroth AA4VG, Series 3 EP, or a Sauer Sundstrand Series 90), which have an electrical control capability that allows the stroke volume to be varied proportionally from 0% to 100% of full capacity via electrical input signal. Control of hydraulic pump volume (volume of fluid pumped per revolution) is achieved by varying the piston stroke length, which in the preferred embodiment is electro-hydraulically controlled within the workings of the pump. Piston stroke faithfully follows the aforementioned electrical input signal. Other off-the-shelf hydraulic pumps allow alternate methods of control of stroke volume via hydraulic pilot pressure control or via position of a mechanical lever. As mentioned, the preferred embodiment uses an electrical proportional control, whereby the control signal is a DC current that varies between 400 and 1200 milliamperes, as shown in the graph of FIG. 7. If, for example, the current is less than 200 milliamperes then the pump stroke will remain at 0%, and likewise, if the current exceeds 1200 milliamperes, the pump stroke will remain at 100% of full stroke volume.  
         [0031]    A typical pump as required for the present invention at full stroke delivers  28  cc per revolution. Pump  1  is directly connected by flexible hydraulic hoses  35 ,  36  to hydraulic motor  2 . Also visible in FIG. 1 is the mounting location of radio receiver  3 , hydraulic fluid tank  18 , skyline pulleys  8 , and skyline clamp  10 . Within the hydraulic tank  18  is a pick-up tube  4 , which supplies hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic drive and control system of the carriage.  
         [0032]    The purpose of skyline clamp  10  is to stop the carriage from its otherwise free rolling movement upon the pulleys  8  of the skyline cable  9 , especially when picking-up or unloading a turn of logs. Also depicted in FIG. 1 is the skidline cable  12  where it enters from the left in the drawing and exists at the lower right of the carriage  11 .  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 2 is a schematic pictorial diagram showing the other side of a typical slack pulling carriage  11  like the one depicted in FIG. 1 with the side access cover removed. Visible from this side of the carriage  11 , as on the other side shown in FIG. 1, are the internal combustion engine  7 , main hydraulic pump  1 , skyline pulleys  8 , skyline clamp  10 , and skyline cable  9 . In this view, it can be seen that the skidline cable  12  enters through the top skidline pulleys  37 , passes through skidline clamp  60 , is guided through the center skidline pulley  38 , through the slack-puller sheave  5  and sheave pressure roller  13 , where the cable exits the carriage  11  guided via bottom skidline pulley  39 .  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 3 is a schematic pictorial diagram showing one side of a typical drum carriage with the side access cover removed. Carriage power is provided by internal combustion engine  101 , which is coupled by a driveshaft to a variable displacement piston pump  102  that has a proportional electric control. Pump  102  is connected in a closed loop via two flexible hydraulic hoses, pressure side and return side, to hydraulic motor  106 . Also visible for general reference in FIG. 3 are the following components: radio receiver  103 , skidline sheave and rollers  105 , drum line guide sheave  107 , cable drum with planetary gears  108 , skyline clamp  109 , skidline cable  110 , mainline cable  111 , skyline cable  112 , skyline sheaves  113 , and hydraulic tank  115 .  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 4 is a schematic pictorial diagram showing the other side of a typical drum carriage  11  like the one depicted in FIG. 3 with the side access cover removed. What is shown, for general reference, are the opposite sides of the components listed for FIG. 3, above, and additionally are shown the electrical control box  104  and fuel tank  114 . It should be noted that the componentry of a typical drum carriage that embodies the present invention are quite similar to those components of the slack pulling carriage as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, and as described in the preceding paragraphs. The main differences are a) the mainline in a drum carriage is anchored to the body of the carriage, and b) the skidline in a drum carriage does not pass through the carriage to act also as a mainline, but rather is wound onto and off of cable drum  108 .  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 5 is a schematic electrical diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the electrical wiring connections inside the carriage. The main battery  45 , a standard automotive type lead-acid battery, supplies power for the system via circuit breaker  46  to the ignition switch. On ignition switch  43 , power is applied to terminal  115 . Start voltage is delivered to start relay  42  via switch terminal  150 . All other system power is switched to terminals  130  and  175  of ignition switch  43 . Alternator  47  is driven by belt coupling off of the engine and provides charging current to the battery  45 , being regulated by voltage regulator  57 .  
         [0037]    The radio system  100  is preferably an industrial grade radio controller product manufactured by Rothenbuhler Engineering of Sedro Wooley, Wash. Receiver  3  receives a control signal from remote transmitter  50  via antennae  44 . Switched contact control signals, labeled as Kn, where n=1 through 8 are provided as outputs from the receiver to the system being controlled. When controls are actuated by operator(s) on transmitter  50 , signals are sent on the Kn control signal lines, which in turn control the operation of the carriage system relays R 1  through R 6 . ( 40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  52 ,  53  and  54 ). These carriage system relays control the operation of the motor and hydraulic functions of the present invention. Relay R 1  ( 52 ) controls the operation of the skyline clamp control solenoid valve  27 . Relay R 2  ( 53 ) controls the operation of the slack-puller pressure control solenoid valve  25 . Relay R 3  ( 40 ) controls the operation of horn  55 . Relay R 4  ( 54 ) controls the operation of the skidline clamp solenoid valve  29 . Relay R 5  ( 41 ) allows for remote controlled shutdown of the engine  7  fuel supply and system control. Start relay R 6  ( 42 ) controls operation of the starter solenoid  56 .  
         [0038]    Another feature of the receiver  3  is the capability of reading the RPM sensor  14 . Preferred magnetic RPM sensor  14  picks-up the engine rotation via a magnet  48  on engine flywheel  49 . The receiver  3  interprets the engine  7  speed, based upon its operating mode and generates control signals E 1  and E 2  that drive the EP control lines  51  on the electrically proportional pump control of pump  1 . In this embodiment, the radio  3  has a built-in profile of signal levels that it outputs on the E 1  and E 2  lines according to RPM and the operating mode of the system. Such a system allows for high and low speed motion of the skidline, for prevention of engine over-run and under-run conditions, and allows for a smooth, proportional ramping of pump volume in the transition zones. This allows the engine  7  to remain within its most efficient operating range during large load transitions.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 6 is a schematic flow diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the various hydraulic components and hydraulic interconnections. These components comprise the means whereby control of the system via hydraulic actuators is achieved. The main drive of the system, pump  1  is shown with connections  35 ,  36  to motor  2 . Pump  1  is connected mechanically to the crankshaft of engine  7 , and it outputs hydraulic fluid to motor  2  via port A and line T ( 36 ). The fluid drives motor  2  and is returned in a closed-loop via line S ( 35 ). From the motor, line R is a case drain to recover any fluid that leaks internally in the motor back into hydraulic tank  18 . Similarly, hydraulic line W returns fluid from case drain at Port TI on pump  1  to tank  18 . Port S on pump  1  is a charge pump suction line that is supplied with fluid as required from tank  18  via line X. A filter  19  is fed by pressurized hydraulic fluid via Port FE, and provides clean return fluid to the internals of pump  1  via return port G.  
         [0040]    Also shown in FIG. 6 is a secondary hydraulic pump  21 , which pulls hydraulic fluid from hydraulic tank  18 , and pumps it through filter  22  into control pressure manifold  23 . A hydraulic return line L sends fluid back to tank  18 . Manifold  23  provides feed fluid to solenoid block  23 ′ to the control section of the hydraulic system of the present invention. The controls are effected via control valves  24 ,  26 , and  28 , which are actuated/de-actuated by solenoids  25 ,  27 , and  29 , respectively.  
         [0041]    When solenoid  25  is actuated, it allows control valve  24  to actuate pressure cylinder  30 , which, in-turn, brings sheave pressure roller (pressure roller) assembly  13  into contact with the sheave roller and causes the cable to be grabbed securely in the rotating sheave, causing the skidline cable  12  to be pulled upward or downward through the carriage  11 . Similarly, when solenoid  27  is actuated, it allows control valve  26  to actuate cylinders  31  and  33  via manifold  32 . This actuation causes the skyline clamp assembly  10  to unclamp from skyline cable  9 . In the same way, when solenoid  29  is actuated, it allows control valve  28  to actuate skidline cylinder  34 , which un-clamps the skidline cable  12 , to allow it to move. As a failsafe, the skidline clamp and skyline clamp are normally clamping the cables when they are deactuated.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 7 is a graph showing the pump stroke volume versus control current of the preferred embodiment. The signals  51  that are sent by the receiver  3  to pump  1 , control the pump piston stroke, and therefore volume output of pump  1  in the preferred embodiment. These signals form a current loop interface to the pump, where the driving current is a controlling signal which, by means of the typical operation of this type of commercially available pump, is proportional to the pump stroke volume. The transfer function that is embodied in the present invention is depicted in FIG. 7. As the current in the loop exceeds 400 mA, the pump begins to deliver more than zero volume per revolution, proportional to the current in the current loop  51 , up to 100% volume of 1200 mA. The pump volume in the preferred embodiment of the present invention will vary proportionally from 0 to 100% output as the control current varies between 400 and 1200 mA. Below 400 and above 1200 mA, the pump will hold at the 0% and 100% stroke volume settings, respectively.  
         [0043]    In a similar fashion, a hydraulically controlled pump could be substituted for the preferred electrically controlled pump. Pump  1  could alternately be of the type, such as the Mannesman Rexroth AA4VG Series 3 HD, that is designed to receive a hydraulic pilot pressure, proportional to the desired pump output volume, from 0 to 100%.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 8 is a graph showing the engine speed versus control current of the preferred embodiment. The controller circuit within the receiver maintains certain current loop settings on the pump control leads  51  based upon the engine RPM and mode, as depicted in the graph. The ramping functions in the graph have been shown to perform acceptably in actual testing. The slow and fast sheave speed settings and their respective ramping functions are implemented via electronic control within the receiver.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a microprocessor-based system of an alternate embodiment of the present invention, whereby a microcontroller  60  receives commands from the remote transmitter  50  via antennae  44 . Engine RPM sensor  14  is connected directly to a digital input port on microcontroller  60 . For proportional pump control, a Current Loop Interface (CLI)  65  is maintained via a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC)  58 , which receives its signal from the microcontroller  60 . The CLI  65  drives the pump proportional control leads  51 . The CLI signal controls the stroke volume of the hydraulic pump, which directly controls sheave-pulling speed. The power supply  59  converts power supplied by battery  45  into regulated, filtered DC voltages as required by different circuits, such as relay drivers  63 , engine ignition control  64 , DAC  58  and microcontroller  60 .  
         [0046]    Other inputs  62  from signal lines such as tank levels, temperatures, oil pressure, etc. are conditioned and passed on to the microcontroller  60 . The microcontroller controls the relays  66  by way of the relay current drivers  63 . Solenoid valves  68 , and horn, lamps, etc.  69  are controlled via relays  66 . Engine and ignition control  64 , such as start/kill, fuel shutoff, are programmatically controlled.  
         [0047]    Embedded software program  61  is executed by microprocessor  60  to implement the operating system of the present invention. It contains tuning parameters, which allow the system to be adjusted, as required, for timing values, ramp functions, and other such algorithmic manipulations. The inventor foresees continual improvements through programmatic revision, continuing software refinement to further elevate the art of this invention, while not changing the system hardware.  
         [0048]    The usefulness of the present invention is extensive, whereas other skyline carriages lack the control capabilities that are provided by the present invention. Engine and pump speed is finely controllable, the engine is kept within a narrow range of RPM, and reliability is achieved through combination of numerous programmatic, electrical and mechanical improvements.  
         [0049]    The choice of monitoring the primary pump pressure and volume instead of or in addition to engine RPM, as described above, to achieve desirable pump stroke control are examples of other control system configurations that are feasible and could be included as functional equivalents in this invention. The preferred embodiment of the present invention monitors RPM and mode only, but alternate configurations could monitor combinations of other operating parameters in the system. Pump volume and pump pressure are examples of other such parameters that are useful in controlling the system.