Caterpillar Tractor Co.

Arthur J Ritter, Jr

Ronald L Krolak

George W Cackley

Robert L Shelby

Virgil R Durgan

Richard L Hedgcock

Robert W Harper

Gerald E Whitehurst

Marvin G Getz

Ralph E Master

James T Duke

James R Deck

David L Perry

A lubricating system for use in a rotative drive assembly including a clutch pack and a brake pack. The system is arranged to utilize a movement of the piston actuator of the clutch and/or brake pack for controlling delivery of the lubricating oil thereto. The system may be arranged to provide a minimum delivery of lubricating oil to the clutch pack and/or brake pack at all times.

Metering device for steering brake lube systems

A drive assembly having a drive shaft rotatably carried in a support for rotation about an axis thereof. An output sprocket is carried on a first carrier of the drive assembly to be driven from the drive shaft by means of a gear assembly including a plurality of sun gears and planetary gears. The second of the planetary gears is rotatably mounted to the carrier. The first sun gear is locked against rotation relative to the drive shaft. The locking structure includes a carrier for carrying one set of the planetary gears and having locking structure cooperating with complementary locking structure on the second sun gear.

Drive assembly having an improved sun gear mounting

A drive assembly for use in a vehicle, such as a track-type vehicle, having a hub member rotatably carrying an outer member by means of axially inner and outer bearings. The bearings are arranged to be aligned with the inner bearing races being pressed onto the hub member and into the outer member, respectively, and the outer bearing races being pressed onto a bearing retainer and into the outer member, respectively. A sleeve may be provided between the hub member and outer member intermediate the inner and outer bearings. The bearing retainer may abut the inner race of the outer bearing with the outer race of the outer bearing abutting an axially outwardly facing shoulder on the outer member.

Bearing retainer

A scraping apparatus is provided for a track-type vehicle which has a track with a chain and shoes. The scraping apparatus has first and second scraping elements each having first and second opposed cutting edges. The first scraping element removes foreign material from the chain and the second scraping element removes foreign material from the shoes. The scraping apparatus removes foreign material during forward and rearward movement of the track.

Scraping apparatus for track-type vehicles

Two coaxial shafts having respective adjacent ends are joined together by a coupling assembly including a coupling sleeve which is rotatably supported within the interior of a third shaft concentrically disposed about the coaxial shafts. The adjacent ends of the coaxial shafts have external splines which are configured to be inserted into and engage internal splines formed in the bore of the coupling sleeve. The third shaft is rotatably supported by a housing in which the coupling assembly is positioned and may include an output sleeve portion. The coupling assembly is advantageously employed in the drive train of heavy vehicles in which the coaxial shafts form a part of the transmission input shaft and the third shaft forms a part of the transmission output shaft.

Rotatable shaft coupling

A vehicle has elements providing a fluid pathway to the controlling system of spring actuated, normally locked brakes that are fluid releasable. The elements forming the fluid pathway are connectable to a fluid power assembly that is movable to and from the vehicle and releasably connected to the fluid pathway.

Vehicle having portable power means for brake control

Structure for use in manipulating an axle such as during installation in and removal thereof from a vehicle drive assembly. The structure includes a construction at one end of the drive axle arranged to be received in a socket end portion of a puller tool. The axle end construction and the socket configuration are coordinated so as to provide a snug fitted association therebetween when the puller tool is installed on the axle end. The axle end and puller tool define cooperating threaded surfaces for removably securing the puller tool to the axle end and additional support surfaces are provided to provide a positive surface engagement between the puller tool and axle end for positive control of the axle during the installation and removal operations. A limit surface is provided for indicating the fitted association of the puller tool to the axle end. The puller tool may include an elongated outer handle portion for facilitated manipulation of the axle secured to the inner end of the tool in cantilevered fashion.

Axle pulling means

A locking arrangement is provided for retaining a nut, such as a spanner nut, locked in position on a shaft. The nut has a plurality of equally spaced apart apertures in one axial face thereof. An arcuate key is provided with a pair of apertures spaced apart the same distance as the apertures in the nut. The key has a projecting tang lying in the plane of the key and extending radially toward the center of said arcuate key. The radial centerline of the tang is offset from the centerline lying midway between the apertures in the key. With the apertures in the key aligned with two apertures in the nut, and with the tang positioned in a slot in the end of the shaft, bolts are passed through and tightened in the aligned apertures whereby the nut is locked in position with respect to the shaft.

Nut locking means

A drive mechanism having a steering clutch assembly, a brake assembly, and a final drive assembly housed within a unitary housing defined by separable steering clutch assembly, brake assembly and final drive assembly housings removably secured together. The individual housings define flanges which may be secured together to form the unitary housing. The secured flanges may, in turn, be secured to another support structure of the drive mechanism.

Drive mechanism having separable housing

In a housing, for instance, for a final drive assembly for a tractor, a large open space is created when the housing is enlarged, for instance, to accommodate a wider gauge set of tracks. The large open space is substantially filled with a bladder or other bulk member to prevent excess accumulation of oil, or the like, in the open space when the vehicle is tilted as when it is operating on a side slope.

Final drive bladder

A bevel gear drive assembly for driving a track-type vehicle. The assembly is arranged and mounted within a casing such that thrust loads due to the natural separating forces between the various gears of the assembly are neutralized. The casing components are not exposed to an imbalance of forces.

Bevel gear drive assembly

A mobile construction vehicle comprises a frame having a transmission assembly mounted on a rearward end thereof in cantilevered relationship. The transmission assembly comprises a bell housing solely mounted on an annular support of the transmission by first anti-vibration and noise suppressing means which isolates the housing from metallic contact with the support member. If so desired, second anti-vibration and noise suppressing means may be utilized to solely mount the support member on the frame to also prevent metallic contact therebetween.

Anti-noise mounting means for transmissions

An outboard planetary final drive unit for a tractor or truck has a pre-loading arrangement for pre-loading the bearings of the final drive unit. The final drive unit includes a sprocket or wheel on a drive shaft supported by bearings in a support housing. Means for pre-loading the bearings in the form of a plurality of pins of specified length are provided which extend through bores in and on opposite sides of a reaction hub of a planetary sprocket drive where a retaining ring for the reaction hub abuts and bears against the plurality of pins which act to pre-load the bearings.

Growing community of inventors

Metamora, IL, United States of America

Arthur J Ritter, Jr