US 12,345,003 B2
Automatic side broom strike pattern positioning system for a street sweeping machine
Brian D. Giles, New Market, AL (US); Alston Roberson, Priceville, AL (US); Felix W. Crunk, III, Meridianville, AL (US); and Sean E. Howley, Huntsville, AL (US)
Assigned to Schwarze Industries LLC, Huntsville, AL (US)
Filed by Schwarze Industries, Inc., Huntsville, AL (US)
Filed on May 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/736,884.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/183,875, filed on May 4, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0356661 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. E01H 1/05 (2006.01)
CPC E01H 1/053 (2013.01) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for automatic positioning of a strike pattern of one or more side brooms mounted to a sweeper vehicle on a roadway, the sweeper vehicle having a chassis and a longitudinal axis, each side broom movable between a fully extended position and a stowed position, comprising:
a first baseline inclinometer attached, directly or indirectly, to the vehicle chassis and having a sensitive axis aligned along a front-to-back axis of the sweeper vehicle for measuring vehicle tilt about the front-to-back axis;
a second baseline inclinometer attached, directly or indirectly, to the vehicle chassis and having a sensitive axis aligned along a side-to-side axis of the sweeper vehicle for measuring vehicle pitch about the side-to-side axis;
at least one side broom mounted to the sweeper vehicle and comprising bristles;
at least one actuator configured for moving the at least one side broom between an extended position and a stowed position;
an angular deployment sensor configured for sensing an angular deployment position of the at least one side broom relative to the longitudinal axis of the sweeper vehicle;
a broom tilt inclinometer attached to the at least one side broom for measuring a broom tilt angle about a broom tilt axis for the at least one side broom;
a broom pitch inclinometer attached to the at least one side broom for measuring a broom pitch angle about a broom pitch axis for the at least one side broom;
a broom tilt actuator configured for adjusting the broom tilt angle;
a broom pitch actuator configured for adjusting the broom pitch angle; and
a controller in communication with the inclinometers and the actuators, the controller configured for positioning the at least one side broom in a sweeping position wherein the bristles are engaged with the roadway and form a selected strike pattern based on the vehicle tilt, the vehicle pitch, the angular deployment position, the broom tilt angle, and the broom pitch angle.