Patent ID: 6941687

Claim:
A backhoe comprising: a work vehicle; a backhoe attachment pivotally coupled to the work vehicle and including a boom base, a boom pivotally coupled to the boom base, and a dipper pivotally coupled to the boom, wherein the boom base is constrained to pivot with respect to the work vehicle about a substantially vertical axis; at least one dual-ported hydraulic actuator having first and second input ports wherein the actuator is coupled between the vehicle and the boom base and is disposed to pivot the boom base with respect to the vehicle about the substantially vertical axis; a bi-directional control valve having first and second output ports; a first hydraulic conduit coupled between the first input port and the first output port and configured to conduct hydraulic fluid in an amount and at a pressure sufficient to swing the backhoe attachment with respect to the vehicle in a first direction; a second hydraulic conduit fluidly coupled between the second input port and the second output port and configured to conduct hydraulic fluid in an amount and at a pressure sufficient to swing the backhoe attachment with respect to the vehicle in a second direction; at least one electronically actuated bypass valve coupled to the first and second conduits and configured to conduct fluid from the first port to the and second port of the hydraulic actuator; an electronic controller electrically coupled to the at least one bypass valve and configured to open the valve in response to at least one signal indicative of incipient boom oscillation; a sensor coupled to the controller and configured to generate the at least one signal indicative of incipient boom oscillation; and wherein the sensor is further configured to generate a signal indicative of valve position.