US 12,286,770 B2
Motor grader application segmentation for lever control
Jeremy G Valeck, Mt Zion, IL (US); and John B. Hessling, III, Marquette Heights, IL (US)
Assigned to Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US)
Filed by Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US)
Filed on May 24, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/328,430.
Prior Publication US 2022/0372734 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. E02F 9/26 (2006.01); E02F 3/76 (2006.01); E02F 9/22 (2006.01)
CPC E02F 9/264 (2013.01) [E02F 3/7604 (2013.01); E02F 9/2221 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A lever-operated motor grader, comprising:
a front end including a pair of steerable tires connected to the front end;
a rear end pivotally connected to the front end at an articulation joint, the rear end including a power source operatively coupled to at least two driven tires;
a drawbar-circle-moldboard assembly having a blade, the drawbar-circle-moldboard assembly configured for moving the blade into various orientations, the blade movement controlled by a hydraulic system coupled to one or more operator-controlled levers of the motor grader, wherein the operator-controlled levers are directly connected to the hydraulic system and not a controller such that movement of the levers or any other operator input is not recognized by the controller of the motor grader;
the controller; and
a pressure sensor coupled to the hydraulic system of the blade to deliver to the controller a signal corresponding to a pressure of the hydraulic system, wherein the pressure sensor includes a hydraulic pressure sensor coupled to a blade lift cylinder of the hydraulic system;
wherein the controller receives the signal corresponding to the hydraulic pressure of the blade lift cylinder of the hydraulic system, and wherein the controller is configured to determine an application of the motor grader based on the received hydraulic pressure signal from the blade lift cylinder by determining from the hydraulic pressure signal a position of the blade without receiving information regarding the movement of the levers.