Deere & Company

Metaldyne Company LLC

Jeff Lubben

Sean Patrick West

Robert Veldman

Michael Colby Sefcik

Shane Michael Boden

Peter J Murfey

Joseph P Boyer

Christopher D Jensenius

An onboard battery load test system for a utility vehicle. The onboard battery load test system includes a vehicle battery, a primary pump disposed in a fluid circuit and configured to pressurize a fluid in the fluid circuit, a backup pump disposed in the fluid circuit as a redundancy to the primary pump, at least one battery sensor operable to generate a battery sensor signal representative of a condition of the vehicle battery, and a controller operatively coupled with the at least one battery sensor. The controller includes a processor, a memory device operatively coupled with the processor, and battery load test logic stored in the memory device and being executable via the processor to determine health of the vehicle battery by: initiating a current draw on the vehicle battery by the backup pump, receiving the battery sensor signal, and determining the battery health based on the battery sensor signal.

Battery load test in agricultural utility vehicle

A variable tread width system is disclosed for a track work vehicle. The track work vehicle has a differential gear case and at least one axle shaft. The variable tread width system includes a drive wheel removably coupled to the axle shaft to receive a torque to drive the track. The drive wheel is movable relative to the axle shaft between a first orientation and a second orientation. The system also includes a saddle assembly coupled to the differential gear case. The saddle assembly includes at least one rail movable relative to the differential gear case, and the saddle assembly is movable independently of the drive wheel. The drive wheel cooperates with the saddle assembly to define a plurality of tread widths for the track work vehicle.

Variable tread width track work vehicle

An apparatus for lubricating power transfer components is described. The apparatus includes a first shaft enclosed by a housing with a main cavity, and an inboard bearing and an outboard bearing supporting the first shaft. An inboard bearing cavity and an outboard bearing cavity surround, respectively, the inboard and outboard bearings. Lubrication fluid flows from an entrance port in the housing, through a flow passage within a wall of the housing to the inboard bearing cavity, through a flow passage within the first shaft from the inboard bearing cavity to the outboard bearing cavity, and through an overflow port in a wall of the outboard bearing cavity. A second shaft provides rotational power to the first shaft (e.g., via an idler gear). A lubrication deflector, such as a frustoconical deflector, surrounds a portion of a second shaft and extends into the main cavity of the housing.

Lubrication of power transfer components

A differential assembly and method of manufacturing such an assembly are provided. A method for manufacturing a differential assembly includes forming a first portion of a differential carrier; forming a second portion of the differential carrier; securing the first portion to the second portion to form the differential carrier; forming a differential housing; and securing the differential carrier to the differential housing to form a differential assembly. A sintering process may be used to form the first portion and second portion of the differential carrier, and the first and second portions may be secured together by a brazing process. The forming of the first and second portions of the differential carrier and the securing of the first and second portions to form a differential carrier may be achieved by a sinter-brazing process.

Growing community of inventors

Hudson, IA, United States of America

Jeff Lubben