Caterpillar Tractor Co.

Charles H Herr, Jr

Ivan R Lamport

Harold H Bartlett, Jr

Alan L McLees

Bennett W Avery

Lionel L Kinney

Clarence A Welch

High-low braked gear drive

A coupling for use in test stands having dynamometers for coupling the dynamometer to a drive sprocket of a vehicle to be tested and including a housing adapted to be rotated about an axis and having elongated guides in a plane generally transverse to the axis, at least two slides movably received in the guides, a screw shaft journalled for rotation in the housing and connected to the slides, the screw shaft being fixed against substantial longitudinal movement within the housing and, when rotated, effecting simultaneous movement of the slides towards or away from the axis, detents carried by the housing and engaging the screw shaft for holding the screw shaft against rotation, and a plurality of teeth, one for each slide, each mounted on an associated slide and extending therefrom in a direction generally parallel to the axis for receipt between the teeth of a sprocket.

Coupling for a test stand

A test stand including a coupling for coupling a dynamometer to a drive sprocket of a vehicle to be tested and including a housing adapted to be rotated about an axis and having elongated guides in a plane generally transverse to the axis, at least two slides movably received in the guides, a screw shaft journalled for rotation in the housing and connected to the slides, the screw shaft being fixed against substantial longitudinal movement within the housing and, when rotated, effecting simultaneous movement of the slides towards or away from the axis, detents carried by the housing and engaging the screw shaft for holding the screw shaft against rotation, and a plurality of teeth, one for each slide, each mounted on an associated slide and extending therefrom in a direction generally parallel to the axis for receipt between the teeth of a sprocket.

Test stand

A test stand including a dynamometer having a housing with two parts relatively rotatable about an axis, one of the parts defining an end of the dynamometer and serving as a rotary input adapted to be coupled to a rotary output of a mechanism to be tested, the other of the parts defining the other end of the dynamometer, a fixed base, a movable base mounted on the fixed base for movement generally parallel to the axis, a motor for moving the movable base on the fixed base, a self-aligning bearing on the axis and rotatably interconnecting the other end of the dynamometer and the movable base, a load cell adjacent the dynamometer other end and interconnecting the housing other part and the movable base, and a cradle mounted on the movable base intermediate the dynamometer ends for supporting the housing when the rotary input is not coupled to a mechanism to be tested.

Dynamometer test stand

A vehicle final drive assembly includes a housing structure, a final drive gear having an internal coupling, an axis and a central load bearing plane transverse to the axis, a bearing assembly connected between the housing structure and the final drive gear for supporting the final drive gear for rotation about the axis, the bearing assembly being located substantially on the central plane of the final drive gear, and a shaft having an external coupling connected to and supported by the internal coupling of the final drive gear.

Vehicle final drive assembly

A disc brake dynamometer including a base, a shaft adapted to be coupled to a rotary motive source to be tested, a pair of axially spaced, fluid-cooled, disc brakes concentric about the shaft and each having two relatively rotatable members, one of the members of each brake being journalled on the shaft and being affixed to the base, thereby journalling the shaft on the base and the other of the two relatively rotatable members being connected to the shaft for rotation therewith, and a load measuring device connected to the members which are affixed to the base. Two embodiments are disclosed.

Dynamometer employing multiple disc brake assemblies

A test stand for vehicles having opposed motive drive outputs including a stand for supporting the vehicle to be tested in a predetermined position with its motive drive outputs free from engagement with surrounding structure, a pair of dynamometers, one on each side of the stand, a pair of releasable couplings, one drivingly associated with each of the dynamometers, and adapted to be engaged with a corresponding one of the motive drive outputs of a vehicle on the supporting stand and a movable mount for at least the releasable couplings so that they may be moved toward and away from each other and the supporting stand. Also disclosed is an improved dynamometer construction, an improved self-aligning coupling and an improved method of testing a mobile mechanical power source such as a vehicle.

A control system for a power transmission includes a plurality of sequentially arranged speed ratio modules each having friction means responsive to a single signal for establishing either direct or reduction drive across the respective module, the control system including separate valves for selectively communicating the single signal to each respective module in response to governor means coupled with an output drive component of the transmission. A preferred embodiment of the control system is adapted for use in a power transmission where the speed ratio modules are of similar construction, each having a fixed housing forming a portion of an enclosure for the entire transmission, the valve means operated by the governor comprising a plurality of axially aligned abutting spools movable in unison by the governor and adapted to communicate the actuating signal to each respective module.

Control system for a modular transmission

A power transmission comprises one or more sequential modules each including a modular portion of an enclosure for the complete transmission, a planetary gear set, a direct drive clutch, a self-energizing reduction brake and a hydraulic control system preferably adapted to substantially simultaneously condition the direct drive clutch and reduction brake for establishing either a direct or reduction drive mode for each module. The self-energizing reduction brake is a friction device providing an automatically operable coupling between rotatable elements and includes a first friction component having a plurality of friction discs and a second split friction component having friction discs interleaved with those of the first component, split portions of the second friction component being axially movable by engagement with circumferentially spaced-apart, spiral teeth on the fixed housing for causing engagement and disengagement of the friction discs with control apparatus being operable to maintain the split portions of the second friction component in spaced-apart relation to assure disengagement of the reduction brake.

Modular power transmission with self-energizing device

Modular power transmission with self-energizing clutch

A final drive for track-type vehicles includes a power train comprising a pair of drive shafts normally coupled together to transmit power therebetween. A lock-out device is provided to lock one of the drive shafts to a housing of the final drive when such drive shaft is moved axially to uncouple it from the other drive shaft.

Growing community of inventors

Peoria, IL, United States of America

Charles H Herr, Jr