Caterpillar Inc.

Balasubramanyam Appalla

William Ulrich

Naesung Lyu

Dale M Koch

Matthew Mark Robinson

James A Forck

Kort Randall

Tilak Inturi

A load-bearing member for a linkage assembly of an implement system includes a body and a joint assembly. The body includes a pair of sidewalls, a top portion, and a bottom portion. The top and bottom portions extend between the sidewalls and are connected to an inner surface of each of the sidewalls. The body is substantially free of structural weldments disposed within an interior cavity of the body. The joint assembly includes a cylindrical tube and a reinforcement plate. The cylindrical tube extends between and is connected to the sidewalls. The reinforcement plate is connected to an outer surface of one of the sidewalls. The reinforcement plate includes a central portion defining a tube opening and is in circumscribing relationship with the cylindrical tube such that it is disposed within the tube opening.

Linkage assembly for implement system of machine

A boom for a linkage assembly of an implement system includes a boom body and a fork reinforcement plate. The boom body includes a pair of sidewalls, a top portion, and a bottom portion. The top portion and the bottom portion extend between the pair of sidewalls. The top portion and the bottom portion define a boom nose at a distal body end. The sidewalls each include a fork portion disposed at the distal body end and extending in outward relationship to the boom nose. Each fork portion defines therein a stick mounting opening. The fork reinforcement plate is connected to the inner surface of one of the pair of sidewalls at the fork portion. A proximal plate end of the fork reinforcement plate is in abutting relationship with the boom nose.

Boom for linkage assembly of machine with fork reinforcement plate

A lift arm assembly includes a first arm casting including a first end, a second arm casting including a first end, and a tubular cross member attached to the first arm casting and the second arm casting. The lift arm assembly also includes a first arm tubular member including a first end attached to the first end of the first arm casting. The lift arm assembly further includes a second arm tubular member including a first end attached to the first end of the second arm casting such that the second arm tubular member is generally parallel to the first arm tubular member. At least one of the tubular cross member, the first arm tubular member, or the second arm tubular member has a continuous periphery, a maximum of one seam, and a substantially constant cross-section along substantially an entire length of the respective member.

Lift arm assembly

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Dunlap, IL, United States of America

Balasubramanyam Appalla