Caterpillar Inc.

Brent C Bargfrede

Robert J Purcell

Richard E Livesay

Michael A Roussin

John L Bender

James G Neal

Carl W Carter

Brian D McFeeters

Anthony E Kirn

Greg O Taylor

Phillip W Dawson

A tip assembly for an edge of an implement of a work machine includes an adapter secured to the edge of the implement. The adapter has an adapter aperture extending therethrough. The tip assembly also includes an implement tip having a tip aperture extending therethrough, the implement tip is positioned relative to the adapter such that the adapter aperture and the tip aperture align to form a passageway. The tip assembly further includes a sleeve subassembly positioned within the passageway. The sleeve subassembly includes (i) a first member, (ii) an intermediate member, and (iii) a second member. In addition, the tip assembly includes a fastener mechanically coupled to the sleeve subassembly wherein rotation of the fastener causes (i) the intermediate member to move in a first direction, and (ii) the first and second members to move in a second direction so as to tightly secure the sleeve subassembly within the adapter aperture.

Tip assembly for an edge of an implement of a work machine

An endless elastomeric belt includes a plurality of longitudinally separated guide blocks each having a longitudinally extending slot in a tip portion thereof. The slot reduces the mass of the guide block at a location most effective for reducing acceleration forces generated in the belt at a position where the belt separates from the entrained wheels at high rotational speeds. Reducing the acceleration forces reduces fatigue failures tending to occur in the bond joint between the guide block and a belt body.

Endless elastomeric belt

A belted undercarriage assembly for a vehicle, such as a non-powered towed trailer, includes first and second endless belt assemblies, one positioned on each side of the vehicle, first and second wheel supporting frame assemblies associated respectively with the first and second belt assemblies, and a supporting axle connected to each of the frame assemblies and to the vehicle. Each of the frame assemblies includes first and second rectangular shaped tubes which are adapted to telescope together. A first threaded adjusting mechanism controls the telescopic relationship of the first and second tubes and a second threaded adjusting mechanism controls lateral movement of the first tube relative to the second tube. Providing proper belt tension and alignment of the belt on the guide wheels are important to efficient and economical operation of a belted undercarriage assembly. If proper tension is not maintained, or if the belt drifts to one side or the other, undesirable heat buildup and wear are produced. The subject belted undercarriage incorporates simple and economical apparatus and methods for controlling the tension and lateral movement of the belt.

Belted undercarriage assembly

A work vehicle includes lefthand and righthand suspension mechanisms individually having an elastomeric belt entrained about a plurality of roller wheels and a fron wheel assembly, with the front wheel assembly having inboard and outboard side portions connected together by a shaft and being mounted on a pivotable support member. The subject wet disc brake mechanism includes an annular housing assembly supporting the wheel shaft, a brake hub connected to the shaft, a brake assembly having a plurality of interleaved plates disposed within the housing assembly, and a plurality of internal passages for the ingress of a cooling fluid radially inwardly of the plates, the egress of the fluid radially outwardly of a collecting chamber defined within the housing assembly, and for delivering a control fluid to a service brake piston and a parking brake piston arranged in a compact overlapping manner. Moreover first and second pluralities of radial openings through the brake hub and housing assembly respectively promote radial cooling of the plates at a minimal back pressure.

Wet disc brake mechanism

Blade assemblies having a plurality of teeth extending therefrom are useful for working soil and/or for removing objects buried under the surface of the ground. However, having a plurality of teeth extending below the blade assembly can be detrimental since ground clearance is reduced or if the blade assembly inadvertently lowers during movement of the vehicle from one job site to another. In the subject arrangement, a blade assembly is provided having a plurality of teeth extending therefrom. The plurality of teeth are retractable in response to movement of a mechanism within the blade assembly. Upon raising the blade assembly to its carry position with subsequent retraction of the plurality of teeth, a mounting bar assembly which is associated with the plurality of teeth is moved into a recessed pocket of a latching flange. The latching flange is attached to a vehicle by a frame assembly. This arrangement ensures that the blade assembly is maintained in its carry position by the retraction of the plurality of teeth. Furthermore, this arrangement retracts the plurality of teeth to a position generally within the blade assembly for added ground clearance.

Combined tooth retractor and blade latching mechanism

Impact buckets are useful, for example, in fracturing rock and other hard material which is to be excavated. Known systems using vibrating mechanisms which are mechanically coupled to a cutting edge assembly do not produce forces high enough to efficiently fracture the rock or other hard material and send destructive vibration forces to the base vehicle. The subject impact bucket mechanism uses an impact hammer which is impact coupled to a cutting edge assembly to fracture rock and other hard material. This results in a force controlled system in which displacement varies with material resistance. The force levels achieved by the impact coupled system are higher than the vibrating system. Thus, the disclosed impact bucket mechanism can produce higher force levels which can more efficiently fracture the rock or the other hard material without sending destructive vibration to the base machine.

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Dunlap, IL, United States of America

Brent C Bargfrede