US 7,493,987 B2
Platform load sensing for vertical lifts
Ignacy Puszkiewicz, Smithsburg, Md. (US); Mohamed Yahiaoui, Hazard, Ky. (US); Louis A. Bafile, Mercersburg, Pa. (US); and Eli Neuman, Caesarea (Israel)
Assigned to JLG Industries, Inc., McConnellsburg, Pa. (US)
Filed on Sep. 09, 2002, as Appl. No. 10/236,911.
Prior Publication US 2004/0045768 A1, Mar. 11, 2004
Int. Cl. B66F 11/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 182—69.5 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A scissors lift comprising:
a scissors arm assembly secured at one end to a base and coupled with a lift mechanism that expands and contracts the scissors arm assembly;
a platform supported at an opposite end of the scissors arm assembly via a plurality of load sensing pins that detect a vertical load on the platform, wherein the load sensing pins replace conventional structural pins between the platform and the opposite end of the scissors arm assembly;
an interface module receiving signals from the load sensing pins and communicating with the lift mechanism, the interface module controlling operation of lift functions and the lift mechanism according to the signals from the load sensing pins, wherein the interface module determines a center of gravity of the vertical load on the platform based on the signals from the load sensing pins and platform height or elevation information acquired by direct or non-direct measurement; and
a tilt sensor secured to one of the base or the platform that communicates with the interface module, the tilt sensor detecting tilt of the scissors lift, wherein the interface module adjusts the signals from the load sensing pins according to the tilt of the scissors lift.