System and method for determining saddle block shimming gap of an industrial machine

1. A method of controlling the operation of an industrial machine, the industrial machine including a boom, a dipper handle attached to the boom, a saddle block pivotally mounted to the boom at a pivot point, and a computer having a controller, the method comprising:

processing, with the controller, data received from a saddle angle sensor;

determining, with the controller, a saddle angle and a saddle angle gap using the data from the saddle angle sensor;

determining, with the controller, a height of the dipper handle;

determining, with the controller, a height of the saddle block;

determining, with the controller, a saddle gap radius; and

determining, with the controller, a saddle block shimming gap by comparing the saddle gap radius with the height of the handle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the saddle gap radius represents a radial length of the saddle angle gap, and wherein the saddle gap radius is determined by using information about the height of the dipper handle and information about the saddle angle gap.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the saddle angle is the angle that the saddle block is currently at with respect to the boom.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the data received from the saddle angle sensor is performed at the time the handle passes through an approximately horizontal plane that is positioned at 90 degrees in relation to the pivot point.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the height of the dipper handle includes retrieving information from a non-transitory computer readable medium of the industrial machine.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the height of the dipper handle includes performing calculations with the controller.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the height of the saddle block includes retrieving information from a non-transitory computer readable medium of the industrial machine.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the saddle angle and the saddle angle gap includes:

processing, with the controller, data received from the saddle angle sensor;

monitoring, with a condition monitor of the controller, an acceleration change in the saddle angle; and

determining, with the controller, a saddle angle position, a saddle angle velocity, and a saddle angle acceleration.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the saddle angle and the saddle angle gap further includes:

determining, with the controller, when the saddle block shifts above or below a horizontal plane of the pivot point;

storing, with the controller, sensor angle data immediately before and after the shift of the saddle block;

determining an average saddle angle velocity at the horizontal plane at the time the saddle block shifted;

creating a linear approximation of the saddle angle position by using the average saddle angle velocity and the sensor angle data before and after the saddle block shift;

calculating a difference in the saddle angle position; and

determining the saddle angle gap using the difference in the saddle angle position.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending information about the saddle block shimming gap to an operator of the industrial machine.

11. An industrial machine comprising:

a boom;

a dipper handle attached to the boom;

a saddle block pivotally mounted to the boom at a pivot point; and

a computer having a controller, the controller executing programmed instructions to:

process data received from a saddle angle sensor,

determine a saddle angle and a saddle angle gap using the data from the saddle angle sensor,

determine a height of the dipper handle,

determine a height of the saddle block,

determine a saddle gap radius, and

determine a saddle block shimming gap by comparing the saddle gap radius with the height of the handle.

12. The industrial machine of claim 11 , wherein the saddle gap radius represents a radial length of the saddle angle gap, and wherein the controller executes programmed instructions to determine the saddle gap radius by using information about the height of the dipper handle and information about the saddle angle gap.

13. The industrial machine of claim 11 , wherein the saddle angle is the angle that the saddle block is currently at with respect to the boom.

14. The industrial machine of claim 11 , wherein the controller executes programmed instructions to process the data received from the saddle angle sensor at the time the handle passes through an approximately horizontal plane that is positioned at 90 degrees in relation to the pivot point.

15. The industrial machine of claim 11 , wherein the controller executes programmed instructions to determine the height of the dipper handle by retrieving information from a non-transitory computer readable medium of the industrial machine.

16. The industrial machine of claim 11 , wherein the controller executes programmed instructions to determine the height of the dipper handle by performing calculations.

17. The industrial machine of claim 11 , wherein the controller executes programmed instructions to determine the height of the saddle block by retrieving information from a non-transitory computer readable medium of the industrial machine.

18. The industrial machine of claim 11 , wherein the controller further executes programmed instructions to:

process data received from the saddle angle sensor;

monitor an acceleration change in the saddle angle; and

determine a saddle angle position, a saddle angle velocity, and a saddle angle acceleration.

19. The industrial machine of claim 11 , wherein the controller further executes programmed instructions to:

determine when the saddle block shifts above or below a horizontal plane of the pivot point;

store sensor angle data before and after the shift of the saddle block;

determine an average saddle angle velocity at the horizontal plane at the time the saddle block shifted;

create a linear approximation of the saddle angle position by using the average saddle angle velocity and the sensor angle data before and after the saddle block shift;

calculate a difference in the saddle angle position; and

determine the saddle angle gap using the difference in the saddle angle position.

20. A method controlling the operation of an industrial machine, the industrial machine including a boom, a dipper handle attached to the boom, a saddle block pivotally mounted to the boom at a pivot point, and a computer having a controller, the method comprising:

processing, with the controller, data received from a saddle angle sensor;

determining, with the controller, a saddle angle and a saddle angle gap using the data from the saddle angle sensor;

determining, with the controller, when the saddle block shifts above or below a horizontal plane of the pivot point;

storing, with the controller, sensor angle data immediately before and after the shift of the saddle block;

determining an average saddle angle velocity at the horizontal plane at the time the saddle block shifted;

creating a linear approximation of the saddle angle position by using the average saddle angle velocity and the sensor angle data before and after the saddle block shift;

determining, with the controller, a height of the dipper handle;

determining, with the controller, a height of the saddle block;

determining, with the controller, a saddle gap radius; and

determining, with the controller, the saddle block shimming gap by comparing the saddle gap radius with the height of the handle.