Caterpillar Inc.

Benjamin D Miller

Randall Todd Anderson

Benjamin Paul Gottemoller

Michael Anthony Berry

Luke R Sheley

Tamran H Lengyel

A method for steering a machine while commanded to be in neutral, including: sensing that a transmission is in a neutral setting; applying one or more service brakes into a braking mode; ramping off a steering pump on a hydraulic steering system; sensing a steering command; releasing the one or more service brakes from the braking mode in response to sensing the steering command; and ramping on the steering pump on the hydraulic steering system.

Steering a differential steering machine while commanded to be in neutral

A cooling system for a retarding system of an electric drive machine () includes a direct current (DC) link having first and second rails. A first resistor grid () is selectively placed in circuit between the rails by an automatic switch () in response to a switch () signal. A second resistor grid () is selectively placed in circuit between the rails by a chopper circuit () connected in series with the second resistor grid (). The chopper modulates a current passing therethrough based on a duty cycle. A motor () is in parallel electrical connection across a portion of the first resistor grid () and operates in response to a motor () signal. An electronic controller () calculates a net energy during operation and adjusts the switch () signal, the duty cycle, and the motor () signal to close the automatic electrical switch () and operate the motor () when the net energy exceeds a threshold value.

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Peoria, IL, United States of America

Benjamin D Miller