Caterpillar Inc.

James Sutherland Millar

Howard D Jenkel

Lloyd E Thompson

A remanufacturing and salvaging strategy for fuel injector tips such as high flow fuel injector tips includes blocking a first set of spray orifices in the fuel injector tip, including at least partially filling the first set of spray orifices with a material, for example by laser welding. New spray orifices are formed in virgin material of the fuel injector tip, offset from the former spray orifices, also for example via a laser. A remanufactured fuel injector tip includes blocked former spray orifices as well as new spray orifices configured to permit spraying of fuel from the fuel injector tip.

Fuel injector remanufacturing method and remanufactured fuel injector

Filters that remove particulate and other solids from fluids often come in various sizes and include various types of seals. However, filter bases to which the filters are attached are generally manufactured to accommodate only one specific size of filter including one type of seal. A filter base of the present invention includes a filter attachment portion and a sealing portion. In order to expand the different sizes of filters that the filter base can accommodate, the sealing portion includes a first annular sealing surface with a relatively small diameter and a second annular sealing surface with a relatively large diameter. The two sealing surfaces can be any combination of radial and a face sealing surfaces. The filter base is used for filtering fluids, such as fuel, in an internal combustion engine.

Universal filter base and engines using same

In some fuel systems, such as those associated with a diesel engine, most if not all of the air that has leaked or been introduced into the fuel system must be evacuated before the fuel injectors can work properly to start the engine. Because such systems often utilize a pressure regulating valve to maintain the fuel system at some pressure, which is often substantially higher than atmospheric pressure, it can be difficult to evacuate air without first raising the air pressure in the fuel system above that which is required to open the pressure regulating valve. In addition, evacuating air from the fuel system can sometimes involve pushing the air through the fuel injectors in order to evacuate the same to the fuel tank. A quick priming fuel system includes air bleed passages that circumvent both the pressure regulating valve and the fuel injectors so that air can be quickly evacuated from the system at a relatively low pressure. These bleed bypass passageways are relatively restrictive to liquid flow so as not to undermine system pressure or otherwise undermine fuel supply to the fuel injectors.

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Chillicothe, IL, United States of America

James Sutherland Millar