Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar Tractor Co.

James C Smith

Aaron L Smith

Robert Jay Maxson

Carl L McClung

Richard F Norton

Dennis R Walling

Robert H Miller

Mahmood Julazadeh

Charles E Alstrin

Gary G Martin

Rodney J Gillette

Phillip B Bohl

A 90&deg; swivel connector capable of rotating 360&deg; has threads on one end that screw into a threaded hole in a boss on a compressor portion of a turbocharger and has barbs on the other end of the swivel connector for receiving and retaining a hose. The 360&deg; rotation enables alignment of the swivel connector with the hose to prevent kinking of the hose when the relative angular position of the connector and hose is varied to facilitate diverse engine usage.

Turbocharger swivel connector

Turbochargers experience tensile loads due their high rotational speeds. These tensile loads tend to expand surface defects present about a bore portion of a compressor wheel. Expansion of these surface defects may ultimately result in failure of the compressor wheel. Removing these surface defects or imparting residual compressive stresses on the bore portion reduces failure of the compressor wheel caused by tensile loading.

Compressor wheel assembly for turbochargers

A wastegate valve for use with turbocharged engines. The wastegate valve vents exhaust gasses upstream of the turbocharger high pressure turbine to reduce turbocharger speed and associated boost pressure. The wastegate valve includes a piston attached to a poppet valve and movable within a housing. The housing receives pressurized intake gasses at a side of the piston to actuate the popper valve between open and closed positions. A diaphragm is sealingly disposed between the piston and housing. The housing includes mechanical stop means to limit the piston travel, thereby reducing flexure of the diaphragm. Additionally, the diaphragm is disposed in the housing in such a way that the diaphragm flexes between reduced peak compressive and tensile stresses.

Boost device bypass valve

A flame arrestor is disclosed for use with an intake of an internal combustion engine, comprising a cylindrical housing defining an inlet and an outlet and a plurality of honeycombed passageways extending between the inlet and the outlet, wherein each of the plurality of honeycombed passageways has a predetermined length and a predetermined small cross-section substantially smaller than the predetermined length. The cylindrical housing is welded within a mounting bracket adapted for receipt in the intake of the internal combustion engine. The flame arrestor is particularly beneficial for use in a boosted engine in that cooling effectiveness and manufacturability are enhanced by the use of the honeycombed structure.

Flame arrestor and method of manufacture

An ignition system of an engine has a coil which is spaced away from an igniter to protect the coil from heat of a combustion chamber and combustion gas leakage. The electrical connections between the coil and igniter of current design practice have not performed satisfactorily due to loosening of connections, absorbtion of energy within the connectors and the escape of electrical energy. The present ignition extender overcomes these shortcomings by resiliently biasing a first electrical conducting core into contact with a source of high energy and a second electrical conducting core into contact with an igniter and insulating the first and second electrical conducting cores and a biasing and providng mechanism from the surrounding environment by surrounding them with a first and second telescopingly arranged insulating members. When included in an engine, the extender is combined with a shield to further protect and increase the functional life of the components.

Engine ignition system with an insulated and extendable extender

An engine comprises a pair of members, such as a pair of adjacent cylinder heads, having a common passageway formed therein to communicate a coolant therethrough. An annular seal assembly is disposed between the members to provide a static seal preventing the egress of coolant thereby. The seal assembly comprises an annular ferrule having an annular elastomeric seal disposed circumferentially thereabout. A V-shaped groove is formed circumferentially on the periphery of the seal to seat a like-shaped portion of the ferrule therein. A strap-type clamp circumferentially surrounds the seal to apply a clamping force thereon to wedge the ferrule into the V-shaped groove of the seal to expand sidewalls of the seal into sealing contact with the members.

Water seal assembly for engines

Governor dual power setting selection control

A bolt-on exhaust brake for an internal combustion engine includes a damper movable to open and closed positions, and an air cylinder actuatable to move the damper to its closed position. The damper is openable upon back-pressure reaching 30 psi, so as to avoid damage to the engine.

Growing community of inventors

Washington, IL, United States of America

James C Smith