Caterpillar Inc.

David Mork

Paul R English

Edward William Mate

Matthew G Mickiewicz

Romas J Povilonis

Steven Edward Johnson

Daniel T Mather

Michael D Hudson

Beau Kuipers

Carl McIlheran

Christopher W Johnson

A pump is disclosed. The pump may have a housing connectable to a transmission of a machine adjacent a front end of the pump. The pump may also have a flange attached to the housing adjacent a rear end of the pump. The flange may have a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the flange, and a transverse axis extending along a width of the flange. The flange may also have a first mounting hole configured to connect an auxiliary pump to the flange. Further, the flange may have a second mounting hole configured to connect a bracket to the flange. The first mounting hole may be positioned on a first axis inclined at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the flange.

Pump having a flange for mounting an auxiliary pump

A pump and purge valve configuration may include an inlet, an outlet arranged downstream of the inlet and defining a portion of an operational fluid pathway, and a pump mechanism arranged along the operational fluid pathway between the inlet and the outlet. The pump and purge valve configuration may also include a purging fluid pathway having a purge inlet in fluid communication with the operational fluid pathway at a point downstream of the pump. The purging fluid pathway may extend from the purge inlet to a relief point. The pump and purge valve configuration may also include a purge valve arranged along the purging fluid pathway. The purge valve may be configured to remain open unless a triggering fluid pressure develops in the pump mechanism.

Pump configuration including a purge valve for removing airlocks

Flange

A low pressure gear pump and wear plate is disclosed. The wear plate may comprise a sidewall, a drive portion, a driven portion, and a transition portion. The sidewall is free of a sealing member or a recess configured to receive the sealing member. The drive portion includes a drive inlet lip, a drive outlet lip, a drive recessed trough and a drive bore. The drive bore is configured to receive the drive shaft of the gear pump. The driven portion may that include a driven inlet lip, a driven outlet lip, a driven recessed trough, and a driven bore. The driven bore is configured to receive the driven shaft of the gear pump. The transition portion may include a transition aperture configured to receive a first fastener configured to mount the wear plate to the gear housing. The wear plate is made of bronze, aluminum or non-magnetic material.

Anchored low pressure gear pump wear plate

An emergency steering pump system for a primary pump providing a standby pressure via a primary output line includes a load sense line that is configured to branch-off from the primary output line. The load sense line has a first orifice disposed therein. A secondary pump is included for providing a margin pressure via a secondary output line that is coupled to the primary output line at a point downstream of the load sense line. A communication line is coupled to the primary output line at a point upstream of the load sense line. The communication line has a pressure control mechanism disposed therein. An output of the pressure control mechanism is coupled with an unloader valve of the secondary pump such that the pressure control mechanism is configured to bring about the margin pressure from the secondary pump.

Emergency steering pump system for a machine

A hydraulic fluid supply portion of a hydraulic steering control system may include an accumulator holding a quantity of pressurized steering fluid, and a priority valve. The priority valve may have a priority supply inlet port fluidly connected to the accumulator for receiving pressurized steering fluid from the accumulator, and a priority supply outlet port fluidly connected to a steering flow amplifier circuit. The priority valve may have a normally open position with a minimal pressure drop between the priority supply inlet port and the priority supply outlet port, and a flow restriction position where fluid flow between the ports is restricted. A load signal line from a steering control circuit to the priority valve may bias the priority valve toward the normally open position in response to an operator steering command to provide pressurized steering fluid to the steering flow amplifier circuit.

Hydraulic steering control system

A steering system and method for providing a force feedback to an operator input device are disclosed. The method may determine an actual position of the operator input device. The method may determine a desired steering mechanism position of a steering mechanism based on the actual position of the operator input device. The method may determine an actual steering mechanism position of the steering mechanism. The method may compare the actual steering mechanism position to the desired steering mechanism position and to a previous desired steering mechanism position. The method may generate a command that selectively activates force feedback to the operator input device based on the comparison.

Growing community of inventors

Yorkville, IL, United States of America

David Mork