Machine having positioning system for preventing miscoordination of gathering head and cutting implement

Abstract

A machine includes a gathering head and a cutting implement, with the gathering head and cutting implement having overlapping ranges of motion such that adjusting of the gathering head and cutting implement is coordinated to avoid collision. A positioning system of the machine includes a control device configured to prevent miscoordination of the gathering head and cutting implement by controlling a position of the gathering head based upon a state of progress of the cutting implement in a cutting cycle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A machine comprising:
 a frame;   a gathering head movable in a range of motion relative to the frame between a retracted position, and an advanced position defining an endpoint of the range of motion;   a cutting implement movable relative to the frame to execute a cutting cycle defining a first cutting path segment that intersects the endpoint of the range of motion, and a second cutting path segment that does not intersect the endpoint of the range of motion;   a positioning system including an actuating mechanism for the gathering head, and a control device coupled with the actuating mechanism, the control device being configured to:
 produce control commands for the actuating mechanism to move the gathering head from the retracted position to the advanced position, and control commands for the actuating mechanism to move the gathering head from the advanced position to the retracted position; 
 receive data indicative of a state of progress of the cutting implement in the cutting cycle; and 
 prevent miscoordination between the gathering head and the cutting implement at least in part by producing the control commands to move the gathering head from the retracted position to the advanced position, during execution of the cutting cycle, based on the data indicative of a state of progress of the cutting implement. 
   
     
     
         2 . The machine of  claim 1  wherein the first cutting path segment includes a first horizontal segment and the second cutting path segment includes a second horizontal segment. 
     
     
         3 . The machine of  claim 2  wherein the data is indicative of at least one of a position or an orientation of the cutting implement that is associated with expected initiation or expected completion of the second horizontal segment. 
     
     
         4 . The machine of  claim 3  wherein the first horizontal segment includes a floor cut segment, and the control device is further configured by way of producing the control commands to move the gathering head from the retracted position to the advanced positon to place the gathering head within the floor cut segment and vertically below the second horizontal segment. 
     
     
         5 . The machine of  claim 3  wherein the first horizontal segment and the second horizontal segment include, respectively, a lower horizontal segment and a middle horizontal segment connected by a plurality of vertical segments in a compound cutting path forming a  FIG. 8  pattern. 
     
     
         6 . The machine of  claim 3  wherein the data is indicative of at least one of a position or an orientation of the cutting implement that is associated with expected initiation or expected completion of the second horizontal segment a second time in the cutting cycle. 
     
     
         7 . The machine of  claim 1  further comprising a boom assembly including a wrist rotatable in an angular range of about 180 degrees or greater, and wherein the cutting implement is supported upon the boom assembly in a side mount arrangement at a location outboard of the wrist and rotatable about an implement axis that is oriented perpendicular to the wrist axis. 
     
     
         8 . The machine of  claim 1  wherein the gathering head is translated in a forward direction from the retracted position to the advanced position, and wherein the control device is further configured to receive data indicative of expected completion of the cutting cycle, and to produce the control commands for the actuating mechanism to move the gathering head from the advanced position to the retracted position, based on the data indicative of expected completion of the cutting cycle. 
     
     
         9 . A method of operating a machine, the method comprising comprising:
 executing a cutting cycle with a cutting implement of the machine such that the cutting implement traverses a cutting path;   receiving data indicative of a state of progress of the cutting implement in the cutting cycle;   outputting a control command to an actuating mechanism of a gathering head in the machine during the execution of the cutting cycle;   adjusting the gathering head from a retracted position, to an advanced position at which the gathering head is positioned within the cutting path, responsive to the control command; and   producing the control command, based on the data indicative of the state of progress of the cutting implement, to prevent miscoordination between the gathering head and the cutting implement during the execution of the cutting cycle.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the adjusting of the gathering head includes translating the gathering head in a direction of a material face that is cut by the cutting implement during the execution of the cutting cycle. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the executing of the cutting cycle further includes executing the cutting cycle such that the cutting implement traverses a cutting path having a plurality of horizontal segments. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the receiving of data indicative of the state of progress of the cutting implement further includes receiving data indicative of at least one of a position or an orientation of the cutting implement that is associated with expected initiation or expected completion of one of the plurality of horizontal segments. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the receiving of data indicative of the state of progress of the cutting implement further includes receiving data indicative of at least one of a position or an orientation of the cutting implement that is associated with expected initiation or expected completion of the one of the plurality of horizontal segments a second time during execution of the cutting cycle. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the one of the plurality of horizontal segments includes a second pass of the cutting implement through a middle horizontal segment in a compound cutting path forming a  FIG. 8  pattern. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising supporting the cutting implement in a side mount arrangement upon a boom assembly of the machine, and wherein the executing of the cutting cycle further includes rotating the cutting implement about an implement axis during the supporting of the cutting implement in the side mount arrangement upon the boom assembly of the machine. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising feeding material cut from the material face to a conveyor in the machine at each of the retracted position and the advanced position of the gathering head. 
     
     
         17 . A positioning system for a gathering head in a machine, the positioning system comprising:
 at least one sensing mechanism configured to monitor at least one of a position or an orientation of a cutting implement movable in a cutting cycle in contact with a material face to be cut and defining a cutting path;   a control device coupled with the at least one sensing mechanism, the control device being configured to:   output control commands for an actuating mechanism coupled with the gathering head in the machine, to move the gathering head from a retracted position at which the gathering head is not within the cutting path, to an advanced position at which the gathering head is within the cutting path;   output control commands for the actuating mechanism to move the gathering head from the advanced position to the retracted position;   receive data produced by the at least one sensing mechanism that is indicative of a state of progress of the cutting implement in the cutting cycle;   prevent miscoordination between the gathering head and the cutting implement during execution of the cutting cycle at least in part by producing the control commands to move the gathering head from the retracted position to the advanced position based on the data that is indicative of the state of progress of the cutting implement in the cutting cycle.   
     
     
         18 . The positioning system of  claim 17  wherein the data produced by the at least one sensing mechanism that is indicative of the state of progress of the cutting implement includes data indicative of at least one of a position or an orientation of the cutting implement that is associated with expected initiation or expected completion of one of a plurality of segments of the cutting path. 
     
     
         19 . The positioning system of  claim 18  wherein the one of the plurality of segments of the cutting path includes a middle horizontal segment in a compound cutting path forming a  FIG. 8  pattern. 
     
     
         20 . The positioning system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one sensing mechanism includes:
 a sensor configured to monitor a parameter indicative of an angular orientation of the cutting implement about a wrist axis extending through a boom in a boom assembly supporting the cutting implement; and 
 wherein the data indicative of the state of progress includes data of the monitored parameter.