Caterpillar Sarl

Caterpillar Inc.

Adam J Adeeb

Steven Edward Johnson

Stephen Thompson

Biagio Ciarla

Peter O'Brien

Matthew Lee Dixon

A steering system for an articulated truck. The articulated truck is formed of a tractor and a trailer and an articulation joint. The steering system includes a hydraulic cylinder, with a cylinder barrel and a piston. The steering system provides for changes in angle between the tractor and the trailer. The hydraulic cylinder includes a snubbing tube projecting into the cylinder barrel. A hydraulic fluid passage opens into the cylinder barrel within the snubbing tube. The snubbing tube includes a main slot and a plurality of channels each extending between an interior and an exterior of the snubbing tube. The plurality of channels have a cross sectional area smaller than a cross sectional area of the main slot. When the articulated truck is steered, the piston moves in the cylinder barrel and the snubbing tube dampens the movement to prevent forces generated by the piston damaging the articulated truck.

Articulated truck steering

A retarding control assembly for a brake valve may include a bleed line configured for arrangement between a spring chamber of a brake command assembly and a tank line. The bleed line may include a check valve configured to allow fluid flow from the spring chamber to the tank and a check valve bypass configured to allow fluid flow from the tank line to the spring chamber passed the check valve and defining a restricted pathway.

Automatic retarding control system

A system and method for detecting a pre-charge pressure of a hydraulic braking system are disclosed. A controller receives pressure readings from a pressure sensor indicative of the pressure of a hydraulic brake accumulator or the lower pressure of more than one accumulator. In response to fluid being provided to the hydraulic accumulator, the controller determines a first rate of pressure change, a second rate of pressure change different than the first rate, and a transition pressure between the first and second rates. The controller determines an approximate pre-charge pressure of the hydraulic brake accumulator based on the transition pressure. A warning can be provided to the operator or another when the determined pre-charge pressure is lower than a reference pressure.

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Naperville, IL, United States of America

Adam J Adeeb