Caterpillar Inc.

Anthony K Chan

Brian J Murphy

Dennis D Feucht

George G Codina

Michael Patrick Harmon

Steven Francis Meister

Rodney G Blodgett

Gregory J Kaufman

Teala D Lavell

A gear assembly including a main gear including a first hub, a first gear ring positioned about the first hub, and a first helically splined region. The gear assembly further includes a sub-gear co-axially disposed relative to the main gear with a resilient member disposed therebetween. The sub-gear including a second hub, a second gear ring positioned about the second hub, and a second helically splined region complementary to the first helically splined region.

Scissors gear assembly

A compliant gear assembly includes a hub subassembly including a first hub component defining a first axis and a second hub component movable relative to the first hub component in a controlled direction perpendicular to the first axis. A gear ring, which is rotatably mounted on the hub subassembly and defines a gear ring axis of rotation, is coupled to move with the second hub component between a biased position in which the gear ring axis of rotation is coaxial with the first axis and a translated intermediate stop position in which the gear ring axis of rotation is parallel to but not coaxial with the first axis. A spring component is coupled between the first and second hub components, biases the second hub component toward the biased position, and provides a variable spring force that increases as the second hub component is moved toward the translated intermediate stop position.

Compliant gear assembly having variable spring force

A spark plug for an internal combustion engine comprising a center electrode having a shank portion which is fluted. The flutes have at least one edge which protrudes through an opening in a ground electrode of the spark plug. The principle use is for lean burn natural gas engines, however any air-fuel mixtures 14 will benefit from this invention. For example, propane or dual fuel engines may have spark plugs with this invention.

Spark plug for an internal combustion engine having a helically-grooved electrode

Method and apparatus for generating and maintaining a spark in an environment having a varying pressure, such as a combustion chamber in an internal combustion engine, whereby a means for producing a high-frequency alternating electrical current is electrically connected to a pair of electrodes spaced apart by a gap and disposed in the combustion chamber for producing under the influence of a low applied electrical current, a continuous spark between the electrodes at a low pressure condition in the combustion chamber and maintaining the spark as the pressure in the combustion chamber becomes relatively high, aiding the ignition of combustible fuel injected into the combustion chamber during the high pressure condition.

Method and means for generating and maintaining spark in a varying

A spark ignition system of an internal combustion engine has a first electrode and a second electrode spaced from each other operating at high voltages to produce a spark in a combustion zone of the engine. The construction of the system permits the formation of long length sparks with a train of electrical pulses having a shortened total burst duration having higher power while using lower energy.

High power ignition assist for an engine

An outward opening valve system includes an engine having a fluid cavity in fluid communication with an accumulator chamber by a transfer passage, a hollow piston cylinder in fluid communication with a gas passageway via an opening, and an intensifier bore that opens to the hollow piston cylinder. The opening includes an outward valve seat adjacent the gas passageway. An outward valve member with a valve face is moveable between a closed position in which the valve face is against the valve seat closing the opening and an open position in which the valve face is away from the valve seat. A compression spring is utilized to bias the outward valve member toward its open position. An intensifier piston is positioned in the intensifier bore with one end exposed to fluid pressure in the hollow piston cylinder. A coupling linkage interconnects the intensifier piston to the outward valve member. An accumulator plunger is positioned in the accumulator chamber and moveable between a release position and a storage position, but is biased toward its release position by a compression spring. A control valve member is positioned in the transfer passage and has a first position in which the accumulator chamber is open to the fluid cavity and a second position in which the accumulator chamber is closed to the fluid cavity.

Outward opening valve system for an engine

A fuel storage and delivery apparatus for providing one or more non-miscible fuels to a multi-fuel engine has a fuel reservoir adapted for storing first and second non-miscible fuels in communication with each other. The first and second fuels define a phase interface therebetween. The fuel reservoir has a bottom, and first and second outlets adapted to respectfully receive first and second fuels. The first and second outlets are positioned adjacent the bottom and the phase interface. The fuel delivery apparatus has means for respectfully maintaining the first and second outlets adjacent the bottom and the phase interface. The fuel delivery apparatus also has means for sensing the fluid levels of the first and second non-miscible fuels in the reservoir, and producing fluid level signals in response to the sensed fluid levels. The fuel delivery apparatus further has flow rate sensing means for measuring fluid flow rate of the first and second non-miscible fuels passing through conduits and producing a flow rate signal representative of the sensed fluid flow rate. The fuel delivery apparatus still further has a flow controller electrically connected to the level sensing means and the flow rate sensing means. The flow controller is adapted to receive the fluid level signal and the flow rate signal, and maintain the flow rate of the first and second fuels at predetermined values, the values being a function of the fluid level signal and the flow rate signal.

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Peoria, IL, United States of America

Anthony K Chan