Caterpillar Inc.

The Arnold Engineering Company

James R Carlberg

Sunil I Mathew

Robert A Lapke

Joseph F Duffy

Randall A Harlow

Steven P Seaney

Rita R Waller

Walter Joseph Laylock

Paul R Nastas

Joseph T Phillips

A method for protecting the suspension and frame of a vehicle is provided. The method may include providing a first working mode where the strut is at a fully expanded state, providing a second working mode where the strut is at a partially collapsed state, and providing a fail-safe working mode where the strut is at a fully collapsed state. The method may further comprise alerting the user that the strut is operating in the fail-safe working mode and servicing the strut by placing a fail-safe member into the strut.

Truck strut fail-safe

A magnetic compound is formed comprising: (1) 25% to 50% by volume of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS); (2) 50% to 70% by volume of coated samarium cobalt (the coating comprising 1 to 30% Kaolin by weight of the coating and 70 to 99% potassium silicate by volume of the coating); and (3) 0% to 5% by volume of an internal lubricant. The PPS polymer component of the compound renders the compound amenable to be injection molded to precise tolerances and also has a low coefficient of linear thermal expansion. The samarium cobalt constituent of the compound provides thermal stability. The potassium silicate/kaolin coating separates the PPS from the samarium cobalt, thus preventing degradation (i.e, PPS viscosity reduction) during manufacture.

Thermally stable, high temperature, samarium cobalt molding compound

A check valve normally blocks fluid flow from a bore to a passage and includes a spring normally holding a ball in sealing engagement with a valve seat to form a primary metal-to-metal hard seal. Another spring normally holds a poppet in engagement with another valve seat causing an annular protuberance formed on the poppet to sealingly engage a resilient seal to provide a more positive secondary soft seat seal. The poppet is unseated from the valve seat by a stem of a piston prior to the ball being unseated from the valve seat by a guide stem of the poppet so that the soft seal is opened at essentially zero flow conditions.

Soft seal poppet type check valve

A reinforced plastic composition that possesses excellent wear resistance and weld line strength without a significant increase in the flexural modulus. The reinforced plastic composition for forming molded and extruded products has a plastic matrix with a plurality of fibers dispersed therein. The fibers are present in the range of about 1% to about 30% by weight of the plastic matrix. The reinforced plastic composition has a weld line strength greater than 66% of the weld line strength of the plastic matrix without the fibers. The plastic composition is particularly useful for making thrust washers, pump seals, piston rings and other dynamic bearing and sealing components for engines, transmissions and drivelines.

Fiber additives for reinforcing plastic matrices

Growing community of inventors

Peoria, IL, United States of America

James R Carlberg