Apparatus and method for three-dimensional contouring

Abstract

A contouring device and method for contouring three-dimensionally curved surfaces includes an elongated contouring assembly that is supported at opposite ends by a pair of fluid cylinders. The fluid cylinders are controlled to raise and lower the ends of the contouring assembly independently of each other, thereby allowing the contouring assembly to create a three-dimensionally curved surface as it passes over an area to be contoured. The control of one of the fluid cylinders is based on a comparison of the measured position of a first end of the contouring assembly with a profile of the surface to be leveled that is stored in a computer memory. The measurement of the position of the first end of the contouring assembly is achieved by a tracking device which tracks the position of a target positioned on the first end of the contouring assembly and which determines the three dimensional position of the target. A proximity sensor measures the position of the second end of the contouring assembly from a surface and outputs a control signal that adjusts the height of the second end of the contouring assembly to follow the surface. Alternatively, a second target positioned on the second contouring assembly end is tracked by a second tracking device to determine the three-dimensional position of the second end. The contouring assembly preferably has a plow, rotating auger, and a vibratory screed positioned adjacent and parallel to one another in an orientation transverse to the direction of motion of the contouring assembly. The plow, rotating auger, and vibratory screed are all pivotable about an axis parallel to their longitudinal direction. A pivot or tilting controller controls the tilting of the plow, rotating auger, and vibratory screed to follow the slope of the profile stored in computer memory.

1. A surface smoothing device comprising:
 a contouring assembly having a first and second end, said contouring assembly able to be moved over an area to be contoured to contour at least one of material positioned on a reference surface and the material of the reference surface to a desired surface shape;  
 a stored profile of the desired shape of the surface;  
 a first sensing apparatus that uses a first method to sense the position and height of said first end of said contouring assembly, the height of said first end of said contouring assembly being sensed without respect to the reference surface;  
 a second sensing apparatus that uses a second method to sense the position and  height of said second end of said contouring assembly above one of the material positioned on a reference surface and the material of the reference surface adjacent said contouring assembly, said second method being different from said first method; and  
 a controller that adjusts the height of said first end of said contouring assembly based on the position and height sensed by said first sensing apparatus and said stored profile and that independently adjusts the height of said second end of said contouring assembly based on the distance between said second end of said contouring assembly and a physical reference  height sensed by said second sensing apparatus of said second end of said contouring assembly above one of the material positioned on a reference surface and the material of the reference surface adjacent said contouring assembly, such as the reference surface, a previously placed paved surface, a rail, a board, a string or a wire .  
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1  wherein said contouring assembly includes a screed that screeds uncured concrete. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 2  further including an auger positioned adjacent a side of said screed, said auger oriented substantially parallel to said screed. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 3  further including a plow positioned adjacent a side of said auger opposite said screed such that said auger is intermediate said plow and said screed, said plow oriented substantially parallel to said auger. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 4  wherein said contouring assembly is mounted on a boom cantilevered from a base, said contouring assembly able to be moved toward side base on said boom for spreading and smoothing the uncured concrete. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 2  wherein said controller adjusts the height of said first end of said contouring assembly by controlling a fluid cylinder attached to said first end of said contouring assembly. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 6  wherein said controller sends at least one pulse width modulated control signal to a valve that controls the fluid flow to said hydraulic cylinder. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 1  wherein said first sensing apparatus comprises:
 a target positioned on said first end of said contouring assembly;  
 a tracking device that tracks the movement of said target as said target is moved, said tracking device able to measure the position of said target in three dimensions; and,  
 a transmitter that transmits the three dimensional position measurement to said controller.  
 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 1  wherein said second sensing apparatus comprises a proximity sensor positioned on said second end of said contouring assembly. 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 1  wherein said surface smoothing device includes a base able to be positioned adjacent a surface to be smoothed, said contouring assembly mounted for movement with respect to said base while said base remains stationary whereby said surface is contoured by said contouring assembly. 
     
     
       11. A surface smoothing device comprising:
   a contouring assembly having a first and second end, said contouring assembly able to be moved over an area to be contoured to contour at least one of material positioned on a reference surface and the material of the reference surface to a desired surface shape;    
   a stored profile of the desired shape of the surface;    
   a base able to be positioned adjacent the surface to be smoothed, said contouring assembly mounted for movement with respect to said base while said base remains stationary whereby said surface is contoured by said contouring assembly;   
 The device of  claim 10  whereina first sensing apparatus that uses a first method to sense the position and height of said first end of said contouring assembly, the height of said first end of said contouring assembly being sensed without respect to the reference surface, said first sensing apparatus comprisescomprising a tracking laser and an infrared sensor positioned remotely from said base and a target positioned on said first end of said contouring assembly, said infrared sensor able to sense an infrared source on said target and said tracking laser able to track the movement of said target;  
   a second sensing apparatus that uses a second method to sense the height of said second end of said contouring assembly, said second method being different from said first method; and    
   a controller that adjusts the height of said first end of said contouring assembly based on the position and height sensed by said first sensing apparatus and said stored profile and that adjusts the height of said second end of said contouring assembly based on the distance between said second end of said contouring assembly and a physical reference adjacent said contouring assembly.    
 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 11  wherein said second sensing apparatus comprises an ultrasonic sensor. 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 1  wherein said first and second sensing apparatuses operate without physically contacting the ground. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 1  wherein said first sensing apparatus utilizes global positioning satellites to sense the position and height of said first end of said contouring assembly. 
     
     
       15. A surface contouring device for contouring a surface over a sub-grade comprising:
 a base;  
 a boom movably mounted on said base;  
 a contouring assembly mounted on said boom, said contouring assembly having a first end and a second end, said contouring assembly mounted on said boom for movement with respect to said base and able to smooth a surface while being moved on said boom while said base remains stationary; and,  
 a control system able to independently adjust the heights of said first and second ends of said contouring assembly as said contouring assembly moves whereby said contouring assembly is capable of smoothing a three dimensional surface, said control system including a first sensor that senses the height of said first end of said contouring assembly using a first method, and a second sensor that senses the height of said second end of said contouring assembly using a second method, said second method different from said first method, a least one of said first and second methods sensing the height of said first or second end of said contouring assembly without reference to said sub-grade.  
 
     
     
       16. The device of  claim 15  wherein said contouring assembly includes a vibratory screed and an auger disposed substantially parallel to said vibratory screed. 
     
     
       17. The device of  claim 16  further comprising a pivoting mechanism able to pivot said vibratory screed and said auger in order to conform to the three dimensional surface, said pivot mechanism able to pivot said vibratory screed and said auger about an axis substantially parallel to said vibratory screed and said auger. 
     
     
       18. The device of  claim 15  wherein said control system comprises:
 a target positioned at one of said first end of said contouring assembly and a location remote from said first of said contouring assembly,  
 a tracking device positioned at the other of said first end of said contouring assembly and the position remote from said contouring assembly, said tracking device measuring the position of said target in three dimensions; and  
 a distance measuring sensor attached at said second end of said contouring assembly.  
 
     
     
       19. The device of  claim 18  wherein said contouring assembly includes a vibrating screed able to vibrate and smooth freshly poured concrete. 
     
     
       20. The device of  claim 15  wherein said control system comprises at least two fluid cylinders able to independently raise and lower said first and second ends of said contouring assembly. 
     
     
       21. The device of  claim 19  wherein said control system includes a distance measuring sensor for controlling the height of one of said first said second ends of said contouring assembly. 
     
     
       22. The device of  claim 19  wherein said distance measuring sensor is one of a laser sensor and an ultrasonic sensor. 
     
     
       23. The device of  claim 15  wherein said contouring assembly comprises a plurality of discrete segment pivotally attached together, said control system able to adjust the heights of each of said discrete segments independently of each other. 
     
     
       24. The device of  claim 15  wherein said control system includes a position sensor that measures the position of said contouring assembly in three dimensions. 
     
     
       25. The device of  claim 24  wherein said position sensor comprises:  A surface contouring device for contouring a surface over a sub- grade comprising:  
   a base;    
   a boom movably mounted on said base;    
   a contouring assembly mounted on said boom, said contouring assembly having a first end and a second end, said contouring assembly mounted on said boom for movement with respect to said base and able to smooth a surface while being moved on said boom while said base remains stationary; and    
   a control system able to independently adjust the heights of said first and second ends of said contouring assembly as said contouring assembly moves whereby said contouring assembly is capable of smoothing a three dimensional surface, said control system including a first sensor that senses the height of said first end of said contouring assembly using a first method, and a second sensor that senses the height of said second end of said contouring assembly using a second method, said second method different from said first method, at least one of said first and second methods sensing the height of said first or second end of said contouring assembly without reference to said sub - grade, said control system further including a position sensor that measures the position of said contouring assembly in three dimensions, said position sensor comprising:    
   a plurality of reference points positioned at known locations;   
 a first wire extendably connected to said contouring assembly and a first one of said plurality of reference points; 
 and  a second wire having first and second ends;extendably connected to said contouring assembly and a second one of said plurality of reference points; and 
 a pair of reference points to which the first end of said first and second wires is affixed;  
 a pair of rollers attached to said contouring assembly, said first and second wires attached to and wound on said rollers at said second end, said rollers able to wind and unwind as said contouring assembly is moved;  
 a pair of  plurality of distance measuring encoders that measure the number of rotations of said rollers  extension of said first and second wires as said contouring assembly moves; and  
 a pair of angle encoders that measure the angles formed between each of said first and second wires and said contouring assembly .  
 
     
     
       26. The device of  claim 25  further including:
 a laser beam that rotates and thereby defines a plane at a specific height; and  
 a laser sensor disposed on said contouring assembly that detects the height of said laser sensor with respect to said plane.  
 
     
     
       27. The device of  claim 24  wherein said control system comprises:
 a tracking device that tracks the movement of said contouring assembly and measures the position of said contouring assembly in two dimensions;  
 a laser beam that rotates and thereby defines a plane at a specific height;  
 a laser sensor disposed on said contouring assembly that detects the height of said laser sensor with respect to said plane; and  
 a gyroscope mounted on said contouring assembly that measures the orientation of said contouring assembly.  
 
     
     
       28. A method for smoothing a surface over a sub-grade to a desired three dimensional shape, comprising:
 storing said desired three-dimensional shape in a computer memory;  
 providing a contouring assembly having a first and second end;  
 moving said contouring assembly over said three-dimensional surface to be smoothed;  
 using a first method to determine the position of said first end of said contouring assembly in three dimensions as said contouring assembly moves, said position of said first end of said contouring assembly being determined without respect to the height of the sub-grade;  
 adjusting the height of said first end of said contouring assembly to correspond to the height of said desired three-dimensional shape;  
 using a second method different from said first method to determine the height of said second end of said contouring assembly from a surface independently of the determination of the position of the first end of said contouring assembly; and  
 adjusting the height of said second end of said contouring assembly to maintain a constant height above said surface.  
 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 28  wherein the determining of the position of said first end of said contouring assembly in three dimensions comprises:
 positioning a tracking device in a stationary location at a position remote from said contouring assembly;  
 tracking the location of said first end of said contouring assembly with said tracking device; and  
 transmitting the location of said first end of said contouring assembly from said tracking device to a controller that controls said first end of said contouring assembly.  
 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 29  wherein the transmitting of the location of said first end of said contouring assembly is performed by a radio link between said transmitting device and said controller. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 28  wherein the determining of the height of said second end of said contouring assembly from the surface is performed by an ultrasonic proximity sensor. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 28  wherein the determining of the height of said second end of said contouring assembly from the surface is performed by a laser proximity sensor. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 28  wherein the step of determining the position of said first end of said contouring assembly in three dimensions comprises:
 measuring the distance of said contouring assembly away from two known reference points;  
 measuring the height of said first end of said contouring assembly with respect to a known height reference;  
 measuring the angles formed between each of said reference points and said contouring assembly; and  
 calculating the position of said first end of said contouring assembly based on the measurements of height and distance and the angular measurements.  
 
     
     
       34. A method for smoothing a surface over a sub- grade to a desired three dimensional shape, comprising:  
   storing said desired three - dimensional shape in a computer memory;    
   providing a contouring assembly having a first and second end;    
   moving said contouring assembly over said three - dimensional surface to be smoothed;    
   using a first method to determine the position of said first end of said contouring assembly in three dimensions as said contouring assembly moves, said position of said first end of said contouring assembly being determined without respect to the height of the sub - grade, said first method to determine position comprising:   The method of  claim 33  wherein the step of measuring the distance of said contouring assembly away from two known reference points comprises:  (a)  measuring the distance of said contouring assembly away from two known reference points by  affixing the ends of two wires to said contouring assembly;, affixing the other ends of said two wires to separate ones of the reference points positioned at known locations;, and determining the length of each of said two wires from said contouring assembly to each said reference point;    ( b )  measuring the height of said first end of said contouring assembly with respect to a known height reference;      ( c )  measuring the angles formed between each of said reference points and said contouring assembly; and      ( d )  calculating the position of said first end of said contouring assembly based on the measurements of height and distance and the angular measurements;      
   adjusting the height of said first end of said contouring assembly to correspond to the height of said desired three - dimensional shape;    
   using a second method different from said first method to determine the height of said second end of said contouring assembly from a surface independently of the determination of the position of the first end of said contouring assembly; and    
   adjusting the height of said second end of said contouring assembly to maintain a constant height above said surface .  
 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 28  wherein the steps of determining  A method for smoothing a surface over a sub- grade to a desired three dimensional shape, comprising:  
   storing said desired three - dimensional shape in a computer memory;    
   providing a contouring assembly having a first and a second end;    
   moving said contouring assembly over said three - dimensional surface to be smoothed;    
   using a first method to determine the position of said first end of said contouring assembly in three dimensions as said contouring assembly moves, said position of said first end of said contouring assembly being determined without respect to the height of the sub - grade, said first method to determine  the position of said first end of said contouring assembly in three dimensions comprisescomprising:  
 (a) determining the location of said first end of said contouring assembly in two dimensions with respect to a first reference; and  
 (b) determining the location of said first end of said contouring assembly in a third dimension with respect to a second reference;  
 adjusting the height of said first end of said contouring assembly to correspond to the height of said desired three- dimensional shape;    
   using a second method different from said first method to determine the height of said second end of said contouring assembly from a surface independently of the determination of the position of the first end of said contouring assembly; and    
   adjusting the height of said second end of said contouring assembly to maintain a constant height above said surface .  
 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 35  wherein said first and second references are laser emitting devices.