Advanced motor grader controls

Abstract

A motor grader control arrangement uses a joystick control arrangement to control the operating functions of the motor grader. Two joystick controllers are provided on opposite sides of an operator's chair and the most convenient movement of each joystick controller, for example, fore-aft, side to side, and right and left rotation, are assigned to the most common grader adjustments. Each controller also includes an offset control surface with a series of thumb actuated press buttons for adjusting a given hydraulic component in a positive or negative response. The forward face of each joystick controller can include finger actuated press buttons. The distribution of the control functions between joystick controllers maintains similar activity to void operator fatigue in one hand. This also provides better operator control.

1 . A motor grader control arrangement comprising an operator seating position with a right hand joystick controller and a left hand joystick controller mounted on opposite sides of said seating position, each joystick controller controlling a plurality of operating functions of the motor grader, each joystick controller being movable in a fore aft direction, a side to side direction and a right and left horizontal rotation and thereby control six functions, each joystick controller further including a series of thumb actuated buttons with said buttons being paired and each pair controls a hydraulic cylinder with one button of the pair causing a first direction of movement of the hydraulic component and the other button of the pair causing an opposite direction of movement of the hydraulic component.  
     
     
         2 . A motor grader control arrangement as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said hydraulic components include any hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic motors, hydraulic valves and hydraulic actuators.  
     
     
         3 . A motor grader control arrangement as claimed in  claim 1  wherein each joystick controller includes an enlarged inwardly extending control surface and said series of buttons are located on said control surface.  
     
     
         4 . A motor grader control arrangement as claimed in  claim 3  wherein each pair of buttons on said control surface have a unique textured surface associated therewith.  
     
     
         5 . A motor grader control arrangement as claimed in  claim 4  wherein said unique textured surface is associated with an elongate region of said control surface extending between the respective buttons of the pair.  
     
     
         6 . A motor grader control arrangement as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said inwardly extending control surface is of a curved exterior shape.  
     
     
         7 . A motor grader control arrangement as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said control surface forms a paddle shaped extension of said joystick controller.  
     
     
         8 . A motor grader control arrangement as claimed in  claim 7  wherein some of said pairs of buttons are positioned on said control surface in a generally side by side relationship and some of said pairs of buttons are positioned on said control surface in a generally top bottom relationship.  
     
     
         9 . A motor grader control arrangement as claimed in  claim 2  wherein at least one of said joystick controllers includes one of said pairs of buttons on a rear surface of said joystick controller.  
     
     
         10 . A motor grader control management as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein one of said joystick controllers, controls steering of front wheels of the grader by a side to side pivotting movement, and side to side movement of the other joystick controller, controls wheel lean of the grader.  
     
     
         11 . A motor grader control arrangement as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control functions of the grader are assigned to said joystick controllers in a manner to distribute the workload therebetween such operation of the grader each hand of the operator is active.  
     
     
         12 . A motor grader control arrangement as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said series of buttons are pairs of buttons, and said pairs of buttons on each joystick controller have a different shape distinguishable by touch.