Method and apparatus for automatic loading of dumper

Abstract

A method for loading a dumper with broken rock or the like and an apparatus for implementing the method. In the method, a loading area is defined for the dumper. The dumper is stopped at the loading area at a predefined position for loading. An emptying area is correspondingly defined in advance for a loader for transporting the material in its bucket onto the dumper box. The apparatus includes a controller for controlling the dumper at least during loading, and the controller includes means for stopping the dumper for loading at the predefined position so that the material transported by the loader can be emptied onto the dumper box in a predefined location in the longitudinal direction.

1 . A method for loading a dumper with material automatically: 
 defining a loading site for loading buckets of a material to be loaded from a bucket of a loader on a dump box of a dumper;    defining at the loading site a loading area at which the dumper is stopped for loading;    defining an emptying area for the loader at the side of the dumper when the dumper is in the loading area;    moving the loader in a travel direction so that the loader is oriented transverse to the dumper in the emptying area;    controlling with a controller at least part of a loading operation including at least one of emptying of the bucket of the loader and movement of the dumper in the loading area;    moving at least one of the dumper and the loader so that the loader is disposed at different points along a length of the dumper; and    loading different areas of the dump box of the dumper with the loader by causing the loader to empty its bucket into the dump box of the dumper when the at least one of the loader and the dumper is moved so that the loader is disposed at different points along the length of the dumper.    
   
   
       2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the dumper is stopped for loading at one end of the loading area so that one end of the dump box is in the emptying area of the loader and, after the one end of the dump box is filled, moving the dumper in a longitudinal direction to load another area of the dump box.  
   
   
       3 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising defining a plurality of stopping points for the loader in the emptying area in the travel direction, stopping the loader at the different stopping points, and, when the loader is stopped at the different stopping points, loading different transverse points of the dump box.  
   
   
       4 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising measuing a height of a load on the dump box at a point being loaded with a measuring device and controlling loading based on a measured load height.  
   
   
       5 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising measuring a shape of a load in the dump box and controlling loading based on the measured shape.  
   
   
       6 . A method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the measuring device confirms that the dumper is present and correctly located in the loading area before the loader is caused to empty its bucket.  
   
   
       7 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising measuring a weight of a load on the dump box and a location of the load relative to the dump box and controlling loading based on the weight and the location of the load.  
   
   
       8 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the loading area of the dumper is located lower than the emptying area of the loader.  
   
   
       9 . A method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein material emptied from the bucket is guided to the dump box by a downwards-convergent guide edge above the dump box.  
   
   
       10 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the loader is guided by the controller to automatically fetch material from a predefined area, to automatically run between the predefined area and the emptying area, and to automatically empty the material from the bucket to the dumper.  
   
   
       11 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the controller guides the dumper to automatically run between the loading site and an unloading site and to automatically unload on the unloading site.  
   
   
       12 - 21 . (canceled)