Caterpillar Tractor Co.

Caterpillar Inc.

James E Gee

Robert N Stedman

Andrew J Tonsor

Samuel B Stevens

Ronald L Satzler

David E Nelson

Edward J Ohms

Robert J Price

Thomas C Meisel

Craig W Riediger

A vehicle such as a combine harvester or the like includes a main frame, a track roller frame pivotally connected to the main frame, a drive wheel including a hydraulic drive motor having a housing and a rotatable shaft assembly, and an equalizer bar connected in a first embodiment to the shaft assembly by a coupling device including an anti-friction bearing and a trunnion member having a pair of pivot pins arranged along a substantially horizontal and longitudinally extending axis. In a second embodiment the equalizer bar is connected to the housing by another coupling device including a trunnion member having a pair of similarly oriented pivot pins. In each instance the transversely oriented equalizer bar is arranged along the transversely oriented central axis of the drive wheel, which provides a very stable 3-point frame suspension that is also rugged and economical and has a minimal tendency to collect mud or debris on the upper surfaces thereof in use.

Suspension structure for a tracked vehicle

A track roller frame assembly for a track-type vehicle includes a rugged and yet lightweight main body including a channel-shaped base, a recoil-mechanism receiving tubular casing overlyingly connected to a first end portion of the base, and a plate structure overlyingly connected to the second end portion of the base. A collar defines a bore therethrough for receiving a support member of a drive wheel preferably containing a hydraulic drive motor, and a support bracket is connected to the tubular casing for pivotally connecting the main body to the main frame of the vehicle. The weight of the superstructure and the tension forces on the drive belt that encircles the track roller frame assembly are advantageously transferred through the collar and the main body along a central vertical plane therealong and to a plurality of roller wheels centrally supported under the base. Several embodiments of the plate structure and the channel-shaped base are illustrated which collectively define a tubular beam having a particularly efficacious height 'h' to width 'b' relationship and a back-up shoulder for strengthened connection with the tubular casing.

Track roller frame assembly

A track roller frame assembly is connected to the main frame of a vehicle such as a combine harvester or the like, and is adapted to drive an elastomeric drive belt. An elongate track roller frame thereof includes a main body, pivot means on the main body for pivotal connection to the main frame, a supporting collar connected to the main body, and a plurality of roller wheels underlyingly connected to the main body. A wheel includes a housing encirclingly supported by the collar away from the pivot means, a shaft assembly rotatably supported within the housing, and inner and outer wheel portions connected to the opposite ends of the shaft assembly. A hydraulic drive motor within the housing rotates the shaft assembly and the wheel portions and drives the elastomeric drive belt. The drive motor is protectively located between the wheel portions, and the lightweight construction features the symmetrical transmission of belt forces and torque loads through the housing and into the supporting collar along the central plane of the track roller frame.

A vehicle such as a combine harvester or the like includes a main frame and a first and second undercarriages for supporting the main frame and individually having front and rear wheel assemblies and a track encircling the wheel assemblies. A suspension structure therefore includes a laterally spaced apart pair of pivot joints adjacent the front wheel assemblies for pivotally connecting the undercarriages to the main frame, and a coupling assembly adjacent the rear wheel assemblies for centrally supporting the main frame on the undercarriages. A hydraulic motor powerably rotates each of the rear wheel assemblies and an inside support device is provided therefor that includes a stabilizing beam. The coupling assembly includes an equalizer bar having outer ends, and the stabilizing beam extends rearwardly beyond the driven rear wheel assemblies for connection to the outer ends. Also, an outside support device releasably clamps the rear wheel assemblies to the undercarriages.

A scraper has a bowl and a floor and is constructed to receive an auger. Material moving up the cutting edge and pushing against a diverter requires greater force to load the scraper. Apparatus having a substantially smooth inclined surfaces are provided for moving material into the bowl past a compaction zone onto the spiral flight of an auger and also block incoming material from the compaction zone and lodging between the leading edge of the auger and the bowl floor.

Material directing device for an auger scraper

Track type log skidding machine

A self loading scraper has upper and lower members of an ejector pivotally interconnected at a pivot. The upper member is automatically pivoted about the pivot rearwardly relative to the lower member as the ejector is moved forwardly for ejecting the load from the bowl.

Ejector assembly having a pivotal upper member

A scraper (10) has a bowl (12) and floor (14) and is of a construction sufficient for receiving an auger (18). Material entering the bowl (12) is sometimes lodged between the auger (18) and floor (14). Apparatus (24) is provided for diverting incoming material and preventing the lodging of material between the auger (18) and floor (14).

Material diverting apparatus for an auger scraper

A ripping apparatus includes a housing having a bearing assembly therein which is connected to a support member of a vehicle, a ripper mechanism having a shaft member pivotally mounted in the bearing assembly, a lever arm connected to the shaft member, a material ripping element connected to the bottom of the shaft member, and a fluid operated linear actuator connected to the support member and to the lever arm for rotating the ripping element between a retracted position and a transversely disposed working position. The ripping apparatus is particularly adapted to shatter a compacted railroad bed underneath the rail and supporting ties.

Ripping apparatus

A scraper which has a bowl provided with an upright auger has a bottom bearing assembly on the bowl floor which supports the auger. The bearing assembly has a fixed lower housing with a stepped cavity containing bearings, and an upper housing rotatably carried in the bearings that has a through bore affording a lubricant chamber. The lower and upper housings have confronting external flanges between which is a metal-to-metal lubricant seal having elastomeric rings that must be compressed to make the seal effective. The bearing assembly includes surface engaging preload means in the through bore to depress the upper housing and thus compress the elastomeric rings, after which a cover plate is fastened on the top of the upper housing member and the lower end of the auger shaft is seated on a mating square stub on the cover plate. The weight of the auger further depresses the upper housing to disengage the surfaces of the preload means.

Bearing assembly for an auger scraper

A tractor includes an internal combustion engine and is adapted for underwater operation, with inlet and outlet means extending to above the surface of the water for supplying air to the engine and exhausting combustion gas therefrom. A dredging implement in the form of a blade and auger, directs material from the floor to adjacent one end of a conduit means as the vehicle is transported over the floor. An impeller associated with the conduit means transports the material therethrough and from the other end of the conduit means, which is positioned above the surface of the water. The dredging implement may alternatively take the form of a pair of wing members, each angled upwardly and inwardly in the rearward direction to direct material to adjacent the one end of the conduit means. Means remote from the vehicle, and positionable on shore, are included for operating the submerged tractor.

Underwater tractor and intake and exhaust means therefor

The invention is concerned with an improvement in a tractor drawn scraper wherein the scraper has a bowl with a back, a bottom, two sides and a forward cutting edge and a spreader forward of the cutting edge and supported by forward extensions of the bowl sides. A tractor is provided forward of the spreader for pulling the scraper and means are provided for raising and lowering the forward end of the scraper relative to the tractor. The improved ripper assembly of the present invention comprises a beam suspended generally vertically downwardly from the spreader and forwardly from the bowl, the beam having a plurality of ripper sockets extending laterally from it. Held within the ripper sockets are a plurality of ripper shanks. A plurality of ripper teeth are generally provided proceeding from the ripper shanks. Means are provided for adjusting the vertical separation between the beam and the spreader.

Ripper assembly for tractor drawn scraper

A self-loading auger scraper has a sealed auger supporting bearing assembly that includes a fixed lower housing secured to the floor of the scraper bowl and an upper housing rotatably mounted in bearings in the lower housing. An auger drive means is supported on a cross beam at the top of the bowl; and the upper bearing housing and the drive means have generally coaxial opposed square stub shafts which are loosely but non-rotatably engaged by square sockets in the bottom and top of an auger shaft to provide slip connections. The length of the auger shaft is such as to permit the auger to float while maintaining the slip connections.

Growing community of inventors

Washington, IL, United States of America

James E Gee