Abstract: A sideband communication system has been developed for a conveyor system. A controller card controls the operation of a conveyor zone and communicates information about each conveyor in the conveyor zone. The controller card is assigned to control and monitor the operation of one or more of these zones of conveyors. The cards of adjacent zones are daisy-chained together to facilitate communication with one another and with other systems like a programmable logic controller (PLC). In addition to the standard controller area network (CAN) communication protocol, the controller cards further communicate amongst themselves using a sideband communication protocol that is outside the realm of the standard CAN communication protocol. The sideband communication protocol allows the cards to communicate with each other without interfering with normal network communications which provides additional capabilities such as automatic card self-identification.

Abstract: Mounted between a frame and a dozer blade at opposite sides of vertically spaced stabilizing and ball joint connections joining the frame and blade are a pair of hydraulic angling actuators which are operative to angle the blade about a vertical axis defined by the connections. A hydraulic tilt actuator is connected between the frame and blade in the vicinity of the stabilizing connection and is operative to tilt the blade about a fore-and-aft axis passing through the ball joint connection. Pressure relief circuitry including a normally closed relief valve is connected to the angling actuator and the relief valve is opened in response to a predetermined pressure build-up in the angling actuators, as occasioned by changes in the location of the points of connection of the angling actuators with the blade during tilting of the latter, to exhaust fluid from the angling actuators to permit extension or retraction thereof.