Caterpillar Tractor Co.

Caterpillar Inc.

Charles E Grawey

Cullen P Hart

Robert J Grob

John J Groezinger

Quentin T Woods

Robert W Untz

Keith E Koch

Donald G Zook

Glenn A Ball

Richard E Livesay

Kurtis C Kelley

John F Szentes

John M Sloma

Scot L Winters

L Ted Johnson

Charles F Gekhardt

William B Unwin

An elastomeric belt laying vehicle is disclosed for transmitting greater tractive effort to the earth as compared to comparably powered wheel vehicles and being operable at high speed on improved road surfaces without inflicting damage thereto. A pair of the wheels are arranged on each lateral side of the vehicle's chassis for support thereof. An inextensible, endless belt is highly tensioned throughout its length, is entrained about each pair of wheels, and is frictionally, drivingly coupled to at least one wheel of each pair. The structure of the belt, structure of the wheels and cooperating components thereof ensure engagement therebetween, provides long service with minimum maintenance thereof, and supplies the necessary frictional couple to effectively transmit driving torque from the wheels to the belt.

Frictionally driven belted work machine

Frictionally driven belted work vehicle

An encapsulated piezoelectric solid state motor stack having a plurality of piezoelectric disks interleaved with a plurality of electrodes. A first elastomer is used for encapsulating the stack to prevent arc-over. A second elastomer is used for encasing the combination of the encapsulating elastomer and the stack. An elastomer grease is sandwiched between the encapsulating elastomer and the encasing elastomer for reducing friction between the combination and the encasing elastomer. The friction is induced by an axial displacement produced between first and second end surfaces of the stack when the electrodes are biased by a source of electrical potential. The structure also includes a protective housing including and a diaphragm. The housing cylindrically encases the combination of the stack, the encapsulating elastomer, the elastomer grease and the encasing elastomer, and the and one end thereof. The diaphragm is attached to the housing for encasing the other end of the combination.

Coating surrounding a piezoelectric solid state motor stack

A single-piece multiple electrode conductor for a piezoelectric solid state motor stack with piezoelectric disks arranged with a plurality of electrodes. When the electrodes are connected to and biased by a source of electrical potential, an axial displacement is produced between opposite end surfaces of the stack. The single-piece multiple electrode conductor has a spine member for conducting an electrical potential to the piezoelectric disks. Extending from the spine member are a plurality of rib portions which conduct electrical potential to the piezoelectric disks which form the piezoelectric stack.

Single-piece multiple electrode conductor

Endless belt for a belted vehicle

Endless belt for a track vehicle

Idler wheel for a track vehicle

Driver wheel for a track vehicle

A method of forming a windowed unitary panel having a peripheral edge portion of a windowpane of glazing integrally embedded within a frame of high modulus plastic material includes heating the pane to a preselected temperature prior to its being positioned within a mold. The peripheral edge portion of the windowpane protrudes into the mold cavity so that the high modulus plastic material forming the frame encapsulates the peripheral edge portion. This prevents buckling of the windowpane since the preheated windowpane contracts simultaneously with the contraction of the rigid frame as it cools from the molding temperature to ambient.

Method of forming a windowed unitary panel

A heat exchanger baffle plate having a plurality of openings for receiving a plurality of longitudinally-extending tubes, is disposed within a shell and is constructed of a vibration-damping material.

Heat exchanger baffle plate

A track joint is provided with a controlled running clearance by means of a controlled interstice producing membrane placed between the opposing axial thrust surfaces of the joint. The membrane is of a substance which sacrifically self-destructs upon the initial pivotal movements of the joint. The purpose of the membrane is to relieve the joint of compressive loads which become locked in the joint during its assembly and can cause galling of the thrust surfaces and injury to track seals in the joint.

Track joint and method of assembling same

A wheel assembly (10) having self-contained tire mounting and demounting capabilities includes a closed torus tire (18) mountable on a wheel rim (11). The tire (18) is forced onto the wheel rim (11) by a plurality of retainers (25) which are driven into a plurality of mating slots (13) in the wheel rim by bolts (31). Similarly, the tire is forced off of the rim by screwing the bolts through threaded apertures in the retainers and against the wheel rim. Thus, the tire can be demounted from the wheel rim and that tire or another tire can be mounted on the wheel rim without removing the wheel rim from the vehicle.

Wheel assembly having self-contained tire mounting capability

A heat exchanger (10) having a plurality of longitudinally-extending tubes (16) disposed within a shell (12) includes an elastomeric end plate (18) and means (22) for compresing the elastomeric end plate (18) and expanding the plate in the longitudinal direction and internal vibration-damping baffle plates (28). Conventional metal heat exchangers of brazed construction are prone to cracking and failure. More recently, heat exchangers having an end wall assembly comprising an elastic medium disposed between movable pressure plates has been proposed. Among other problems, the movable pressure plates are required to have clearance holes for the free passage of tubes therethrough and are consequently severely limited to the number and density of tubes that may be accommodated in a heat exchanger of such a design. The present invention avoids the problems of the prior art by providing an end wall assembly for a heat exchanger (10) wherein an elastomeric end plate (18) is mounted under compression in only a direction transverse to the tubes (16) passing through the plate (18). The elastomeric end plate (18) is not restrained in a longitudinal direction with respect to the tubes (16) and as a result of the transversely-applied compression force, the end plate (18) is expanded in the longitudinal direction. The vibration energy absorbing baffle plates (28) have a hardness less than that of the tubes (16). The heat exchanger (10) of the present invention is particularly useful for severe-duty cycle, vibration-prone vehicular applications.

Heat exchanger

Tire and wheel configuration

Growing community of inventors

Peoria, IL, United States of America

Charles E Grawey