Apparatus for controlling orientation of suspended loads

Abstract

A rotator apparatus (10, 100, 200) for rotationally positioning a suspended load (16). A flywheel (44, 144) can be directly or indirectly driven by a motor (40, 140). Vanes (50, 150) on a fan (45) or on the flywheel can be used to provide additional rotational control through air resistance/braking. A controller (20, 24, 120, 124) can provide wired or wireless control. Thrusters (52) can provide additional rotational impetus or resistance. One or more load cells (54, 232, 234) can provide load sensing. Cameras (28) can be used to visualise the load and can record load moving operations and details of the load for logistics tracking and safety. The attachment part (202) and/or the load support (216) can be connected to the body via a respective pivot (204, 214). The apparatus can include replaceable or rechargeable batteries (206, 210), such as within in a removable container (230), preferably supported by at least one drawer (231), which drawer may be mounted on telescopic drawer slides (212). The replaceable or rechargeable batteries (206, 210) can be provided as a cassette arrangement whereby the batteries plug in and are removable as a unit. At least one hook (157) for suspending a load from the rotator can include a groove or recess (158) to restrict or prevent load rotation.

Claims

1. A rotational orientation control apparatus for controlling rotational orientation of a load suspended from the apparatus, the apparatus including a rotator having at least one flywheel including at least one fan having vanes, at least one respective flywheel drive means, and a control means, wherein the control means is configured to control rotation of the at least one flywheel to provide a respective proportion of reaction torque, and wherein, in use, the vanes of the at least one fan create a reaction torque augmenting or replacing a change of speed of rotation of the at least one flywheel for controlling rotational orientation of a suspended load such that the flywheel drive means is able to continuously deliver a torque without the respective flywheel having to accelerate or decelerate.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reaction torque provided by the at least one fan augments or replaces a change of flywheel speed to induce reaction torque to control the rotational orientation of the suspended load.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further including at least one gyroscope.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, including a controller connected by a data cable or wirelessly to communicate with the control means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, including at least one camera for monitoring the suspended load and/or the physical space around the suspended load or location below the suspended load and/or for collecting one or more images and/or data relating to the apparatus or the suspended load.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, including a remotely actuated load release mechanism.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, the remotely actuated load release mechanism including at least one hook or retractable pin.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, including at least one moveable said vane to modify/control airflow from one or more respective fans.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further including at least one thruster.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, the at least one thruster mounted external of a housing of the rotator or mounted independently on a lifting device attached to the rotator or attached to the suspended load.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, operation of the at least one thruster being controlled by a remote controller.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the at least one thruster includes one or more of a propeller, a turbo fan, a shrouded fan or compressed gas jet thruster, or combinations of two or more thereof.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, including at least one gyroscope providing torque about a vertical axis by tilting their respective gyroscope axis of spin.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, including at least one load cell.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, including a control system, the control system including one or more of a) a microcomputer; b) a 9 axis inertial sensor containing accelerometers, gyros and magnetometers for each of the 3 principal axes x,y,z; c) an encoder input that senses the flywheel speed; d) interface to a motor variable speed controller; e) wireless interface; f) interface to load cell; g) interface to remote release; h) interface to thrusters; i) interface to centrifugal fan air guide vanes, and j) one or more GPS receivers.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, including adaptive control logic allowing the suspended load to be rotated to an orientation defined by the operator and to maintain the load in that orientation.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the adaptive control logic enables the suspended load to be rotated to a yaw orientation defined by an operator and to maintain the load in that yaw orientation.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a rotational speed of the apparatus, or an applied torque according to the inertia of the load, or a desired speed or rate of rotation, or combination of two or more thereof, is controlled by the adaptive control logic.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, including the adaptive control logic utilising at least one input from at least one sensor and/or integrating with at least one control means implementing the control logic.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one flywheel includes an annular or ring type flywheel.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the annular or ring type flywheel is driven through an internal or external ring gear of the flywheel.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1, including or in control communication with an adaptive control system arranged and configured to respond to or react to increasing rotational stiffness of a support system as rotational torque increases.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one flywheel includes an annular or ring type flywheel driven through an internal or external ring gear of the flywheel or driven using a belt or chain connected to the flywheel.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the annular or ring type flywheel is driven by a motor with a hollow centre, and wherein the annular or ring type flywheel allows the main load carrying element connecting the load and a lift line to pass through the hollow centre.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, including at least one bearing supporting the annular or ring type flywheel on an inside of an annulus or adjacent to the inside of the annulus by attaching to a main load carrying element that supports the load and transmits torsional forces to the load.

26. The apparatus according to claim 1, including a rotational swivel and a single point attachment that connects multiple lifting points, wherein a projection of an axis of the rotational swivel passes through the single point attachment.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the rotational swivel is tiltable such that the axis of the swivel passes through a centre of gravity of a mass supported by the rotational swivel.

28. The apparatus according to claim 1, including at least one pivot, each said pivot having a pivot axis, and wherein the at least one pivot is connected between the rotator and a suspension line from which the rotator is suspended and/or at least one said pivot connected between the rotator and a load suspended from the rotator.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the at least one pivot allows the rotator to tilt about the respective pivot axis relative to the load suspended from the rotator and there is no moment on the rotator about at least one axis perpendicular to a rotation axis of the rotator.

30. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the pivot axis of at least one said pivot connected between the rotator of the apparatus and a suspension line from which the rotator is suspended and a pivot axis of the at least one said pivot connected between the rotator and a load suspended from the rotator are parallel to one another.

31. The apparatus according to claim 1, including a control system using or in communication with a load cell, the control system using at least one signal from the load cell to determine whether to prevent the load from being disconnected if a load greater than a preset load is being supported by the apparatus.

32. The apparatus according to claim 1, further including at least one plug in or slide in cassette for supporting connection of at least one component of the apparatus.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, including at least one said plug in cassette or slide in cassette for mounting at least one battery or a combination of a plug in or slide in cassette contained in a removable container.

34. The apparatus according to claim 1, including image and/or data capture means, wherein the captured image(s) and/or data relate to a lifted load.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the captured image(s) and/or data is/are stored on-board the apparatus or on a remote computer.

36. The apparatus according to claim 1, including at least one hook including a groove or recess to receive and restrict rotation of a shackle or link connected to a suspended load that is supported, in use, by the respective hook.

37. The apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the groove or recess is provided at a widened/thickened portion of the bend of the hook, and wherein the bend of the hook has a portion that widens/flares outwards such that a base of the recess or groove is wider than portions of the hook immediately prior to and/or after the flared portion.

38. The apparatus according to claim 1, including a control system that utilises measured load to adapt parameters for determining torque to be applied to the load.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) One or more embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic view of an alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a diagrammatic view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

(7) FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(8) FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of an embodiment of the present invention.

(9) A suspended payload orientation control apparatus 10 includes a rotator 12 including a housing 12a connected between a suspension line 14 (such as a cable) and a suspended payload 16.

(10) The apparatus rotator is connected to the suspension line by a swivel device 18 permitting rotation of the apparatus (and therefore also the suspended payload) relative to the suspension line, and importantly, the lifting device and supporting infrastructure/vehicle—not shown).

(11) The apparatus 10 can include control from a cable 22 connected controller 20 and/or by wireless communication 23 from a wireless remote controller 24, such as a handheld controller providing left-right rotation command input control means. One or both of the controllers 20 and 24 may also be used to display data received from the apparatus 10.

(12) At least one remotely actuated load attachment means 26 (such as one or more remotely actuated release hooks) can be provided which can disconnect the device from the suspended load 16, for example, on the command of a signal received by the respective wireless or cable communicating controller 20, 24.

(13) The suspended load 16 can be visually monitored by one or more optional cameras 28 (FIG. 2).

(14) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in which the apparatus 10 includes a rotator 12 incorporating a variable speed motor controller 30, an input power inverter 32, a battery 34, a control module 36 and an optional battery charger 38.

(15) A motor 40 drives a flywheel 44 via drive means 42. The drive means may be direct drive or may include a variable drive ratio means, such as a gearbox.

(16) The rotator 12 is suspended from a suspension line (such as a cable) by a swivel 18, and the payload is attached to the rotator by one or more attachment means 26.

(17) The apparatus can include at least one fan 45, such as one or more vane fans, which may be separate from, alternative to or integrated with a flywheel. The vane fan or each vane fan can include a number of fan vanes 50, 150. Air moved by the fan(s) provides a reaction force creating a reaction torque on the fan(s) and therefore on the associated flywheel(s), which is particularly effective at high flywheel rotational speeds augmenting or replacing a change of flywheel speed to induce reaction torque to control the rotational orientation of the payload.

(18) For example, one or more of the provided flywheels 44, 144 may incorporate a number of vanes 50, 150 which may preferably include, or be, radial vanes.

(19) The vanes allow the respective flywheel to perform in the manner of a centrifugal fan. This allows the motor 40 to continuously deliver a torque to the flywheel or to each respective flywheel without the flywheel(s) having to accelerate or decelerate—i.e. to increase or decrease the flywheel's angular velocity.

(20) The air discharged from the periphery of the fan may be directed by a set of movable vanes to provide additional rotational torque to the suspended load. The moveable vanes may be mounted on the fan or may be mounted off the fan to guide airflow from the fan. The vanes may automatically adjust to change the direction of air deflection when the rotation direction of the fan reverses.

(21) As shown in the exemplary embodiment provided in FIG. 3, a further additional capability can be provided by thrusters 52.

(22) The thrusters can be mounted external to a housing 12a of the rotator 12 to provide additional rotational thrust on the suspended load 16.

(23) The thrusters could be mounted on the outside of the rotator housing 12a or can be mounted independently on a lifting device 46 (such as a lifting beam) attached to the rotator 12 or the thrusters 52 could be attached to the suspended load, or a combination thereof. Operation of the thrusters can be controlled by the controller 20, 24 via the control module 36.

(24) The thrusters can include one or more of a propeller, a turbo fan, a shrouded fan or compressed gas jet thruster, or combinations of two or more thereof.

(25) The apparatus may include at least one gyroscope, preferably two gyroscopes, to provide additional torque about a vertical or horizontal axis by tilting their respective axis of spin.

(26) The apparatus can include at least one load cell 54 such that the weight of the lifted load and/or balance of weight between lifting points is provided to the remote operator and to the control system.

(27) One or more cameras 28 can broadcast visual information to the remote operator to provide assistance in aligning the suspended load e.g. for alignment with a location to which the load is to be delivered.

(28) The control system can include a) a microcomputer; b) a 9 axis inertial sensor containing accelerometers, gyros and magnetometers for each of the 3 principal axes x,y,z; c) an encoder input that senses the flywheel speed; d) interface to a motor variable speed controller; e) wireless (e.g. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other wireless means) interface; f) interface to load cell (if a load cell is used); g) interface to remote release hooks (if provided); h) interface to thrusters (if used); i) interface to centrifugal fan air guide vanes (if used), j) GPS sensor(s) (if used).

(29) The apparatus can include adaptive control logic to allow the suspended load to be rotated to a yaw orientation defined by the operator and to maintain the load in that orientation. Maximum rotational speed can be controlled. The apparatus can adapt the applied torque according to the inertia of the load and the desired speed or rate of rotation. Rotational speed of the apparatus, or an applied torque according to the inertia of the load, or a desired speed or rate of rotation, or combination of two or more thereof, can be controlled by the adaptive control logic. The adaptive control logic can utilise at least one input from at least one sensor and/or integrating with at least one control means implementing the control logic. One or more sensors may include a position sensor, a rotary encoder, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, angle/inclination sensor, temperature sensor, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

(30) One or more of the hooks 157 may incorporate a groove or recess 158 laterally across the bend of the hook e.g. between the shank and the tip of the hook. The groove or recess can positively locate a connector (such as a shackle or link) supporting/connecting the load from the hook and restricting or preventing rotation between the hook and the connector (e.g. link or shackle.)

(31) The apparatus preferably includes safety features that include a continuous ‘heartbeat’ or ‘handshake’ signal to verify communication with the remote control station and provide appropriate responses to prevent unwanted actions in case of loss of communication.

(32) As shown in FIG. 4, an alternative embodiment of the apparatus 100 includes a centreless, annular or ring flywheel 144 supported for rotation within the housing 112a by bearings 156. The bearings can be provided below, above and to the outer periphery of the flywheel. Alternative arrangements of bearings are envisaged, such as just lower and outer periphery bearings.

(33) The flywheel 144 is preferably driven to rotate by at least one motor 140 (e.g. motors 140a and 140b), such as through respective drive means 142a, 142b and associated drive gears 143a, 143b, which may drive a ring gear on the inner face of the flywheel or may contact the inner face of the flywheel with drive wheels e.g. wheels of a resilient material such as rubber or other polymer. The flywheel 144 (which may be a ring type flywheel) may be driven directly by a direct drive motor connected to directly drive the flywheel or to a drive arrangement operatively connected to transfer drive from a motor to the flywheel, such as via a drive belt or chain. The flywheel may include vanes 150.

(34) It will be appreciated that the gear ring can be provided on the outer face of the flywheel, and the drive to the gear ring provided externally of the flywheel, and the bearings arranged to support the lower/upper faces and the inner face

(35) Equipment—such as a battery, motor controller, inverter, control system, and optionally a battery charger (e.g. 130-138) can be provided within or on the housing 112a.

(36) FIGS. 5 and 6 show an apparatus 200 embodying the present invention.

(37) The apparatus can include replaceable or rechargeable batteries 206, 210, such as within in a removable container 230, preferably supported by at least one drawer 231, which drawer may be mounted on telescopic drawer slides 212. The replaceable or rechargeable batteries 206, 210 can be provided as a cassette arrangement whereby the batteries plug in and are removable as a unit.

(38) A swivel 118 can connect the body 203 to the suspension line, such as a cable or chain.

(39) The swivel permits the body (and any suspended load) to rotate about a swivel axis 222, thereby allowing the entire body to rotate relative to the suspension line attached to the swivel.

(40) An attachment part 202 can connect to the body 203 of the rotator via a respective pivot 204. The pivot allows pivoting motion (P.sub.1) of the body about a pivot axis 205 relative to the attachment part by which the apparatus is supported from a cable or chain, such as of a crane. A load support 216, such as a spreader bar or frame, can be connected to the body 203 by a pivot 214, which allows pivoting motion (P.sub.2) about a pivot axis 215 of the load relative to the body of the apparatus. For example, the pivots 204, 214 allow the body 203 to rotate more freely when the load is connected, such as when the device rotational axis (e.g. for the swivel) is not precisely vertical. At least one of the pivots can allow the rotator to tilt about the respective pivot axis relative to the load and there is little or no moment on the rotator about an axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotator. For example, the pivot axis of the pivot between the rotator and the load can allow the rotator (e.g. a lower pivot) to tilt whilst the load remains suspended at or near horizontal. Alternatively, or in addition, the pivot between the suspension line and the rotator (e.g. upper pivot) can allow the body to tilt. More preferably, a combination of such upper and lower pivots allows the rotator to tilt relative to both the suspension line and the load, which allows for torque and precession effects, and allows the rotator to compensate for titling effects, such as cause d by winds, and to rotate more freely than would otherwise be the case. The upper and lower pivots are preferably parallel to one another.

(41) The rotator 200 can be suspended from a suspension line (such as a cable) by an attachment, and the payload is attached to the rotator by one or more attachment means 26. The pivot 204 supporting the apparatus and/or the pivot 214 supporting the load can allow tilting through a respective pivot axis 205, 215 (e.g. a horizontal axis into-out of the page in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6) such that the axis of the swivel passes through a centre of gravity of a mass supported by the swivel 220 (see arrow 220 FIG. 6). A load can be attached to the apparatus via one or more attachment points 218.

(42) The apparatus can have or communicate with a control system 236 using or in communication with at least one load cell 232, 234. The control system can use at least one signal from the load cell to determine whether to prevent the load from being disconnected if a load greater than a preset load is being supported by the apparatus. A load cell can be provided above or within or below the body. The apparatus may collect data relating to each lift that may include the lift weight, an image of the lift, the time of lift, location of lift (such as by using GPS and/or other data), that can be used for logistics tracking of the loads. The apparatus may have on-board memory for storage of data which includes the data described above. The apparatus may have a wireless connection to a remote or internet connected storage.

(43) The apparatus may have a connection to an external or internal data storage that allows data collected by one or more of the load cell(s), camera(s) and GPS sensor(s) to be stored and retrieved, or stored on an internet connected device.

(44) TABLE-US-00001 Ref No. Feature 10, 100 200 Suspended payload orientation control apparatus 12, 112 Rotator 12a, 112a Housing 14, 114 Cable  16 Payload 18, 118 Swivel coupling 20, 120 Controller (wired) 22, 122 Controller cable 24, 124 Controller (wireless) 26, 126 Load attachment means (optionally remotely releasable)  28 Camera(s) 30, 130 Variable speed motor controller 143 Drive gear 145 Ring gear on centreless, annular or ring flywheel  45 Fan 202 swivel 222 Swivel rotation 205 215  Pivot axes 218 Load attachment points (such as for a hook, strap, spreader bar etc.) 32, 132 Power inverter 34, 206 Battery/batteries 36, 136 Control module 38, 138 Battery charger (optional) 40, 140 Motor (preferably electric) 42, 142 Motor to flywheel drive means 44, 144 Flywheel Centreless, annular or ring flywheel  46 Load beam  48 Load beam to load connectors 50, 150 Fan vanes  52 Thrusters 54, 232, 234 Load cell(s) 156 Bearings 157 hook 158 Groove/recess in hook 220 Swivel axis 204 214 pivots P1, P2 Pivot rotation