Caterpillar Inc.

Gregory J Kaufman

Dennis D Feucht

Steven Francis Meister

Anthony K Chan

An outward opening valve system includes an engine having a fluid cavity in fluid communication with an accumulator chamber by a transfer passage, a hollow piston cylinder in fluid communication with a gas passageway via an opening, and an intensifier bore that opens to the hollow piston cylinder. The opening includes an outward valve seat adjacent the gas passageway. An outward valve member with a valve face is moveable between a closed position in which the valve face is against the valve seat closing the opening and an open position in which the valve face is away from the valve seat. A compression spring is utilized to bias the outward valve member toward its open position. An intensifier piston is positioned in the intensifier bore with one end exposed to fluid pressure in the hollow piston cylinder. A coupling linkage interconnects the intensifier piston to the outward valve member. An accumulator plunger is positioned in the accumulator chamber and moveable between a release position and a storage position, but is biased toward its release position by a compression spring. A control valve member is positioned in the transfer passage and has a first position in which the accumulator chamber is open to the fluid cavity and a second position in which the accumulator chamber is closed to the fluid cavity.

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Metamora, IL, United States of America

Gregory J Kaufman