Caterpillar Inc.

Justin Douglas Speichinger

Matthew James Beschorner

Rustin Glenn Metzger

Paul Alan Rousseau

Shogo Tada

Darren Joseph Hopf

Ananda S Ponnusamy

Cody P Renshaw

Ramalho Stive

Hideki Nakajima

Rameshkrishnan Lakshminarayanan

Jaime E Ruiz

Aurelien Herve Bernard

Pengfei Ma

Tetsuya Yoshino

Aleksandar M Egelja

Corey Lee Gorman

Christopher Erik Bright

Matthew G Mickiewicz

Bryan A Johnson

Anthony Dean McNealy

Russell Schloss

Andrew John Smith

Marilyn Worley

Carsten Thees

Stive Ramalho

Aleem Junaidi

Shinya Ohmura

Shuhei Orimoto

Brice Mallein

Hydraulic cylinder

A combination of seals and wear guides for use in a hydraulic cylinder provides a sealed engagement between a piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder and an inner circumferential surface of a rod end of a cylinder barrel of the hydraulic cylinder through which the piston rod is axially movable. The combination includes a cylindrical metallic wear guide for seating within a first annular groove formed around the inner circumferential surface, a buffer seal assembly including an annular buffer seal cooperatively mated with an annular backup ring for seating within a second annular groove, a U-cup seal for seating within a third annular groove, a cylindrical plastic wear guide for seating within a fourth annular groove, and a triple lip wiper seal including three ringed lip portions for seating within a fifth annular groove.

Hydraulic cylinder sealing arrangement

A hydraulic pump or motor includes a mounting flange that is disposed at the first end of the housing. The mounting flange defines a pair of bolt receiving slots that are disposed along the X-axis on either side of the shaft. The pair of bolt receiving slots each define a radius center that are spaced away from each other a X dimension, and a pilot projection extends longitudinally away from the mounting flange, defining a pilot projection diameter. A ratio of the X dimension to the pilot projection diameter ranges from 1.1 to 1.5.

Hydraulic pump or motor with mounting configuration for increased torque

A hydraulic pump or motor includes a mounting flange that is disposed at the first end of the housing. The mounting flange defines a pair of fastener receiving apertures that are disposed along the X-axis on either side of the shaft. The pair of fastener receiving apertures each define a radius center that are spaced away from each other a X dimension, and a pilot projection extends longitudinally away from the mounting flange, defining a pilot projection diameter. A ratio of the X dimension to the pilot projection diameter ranges from 1.07 to 1.11.

Axial piston pump mounting flange configuration

A sound monitoring system for collecting and processing an environmental noise level surrounding a work machine is disclosed. The sound monitoring system may include an acoustic sensor having a plurality of microphones arranged into a signal detection array to capture the environmental noise level and generate an acoustic output signal. Additionally, the sound monitoring system may include a controller communicably coupled to the acoustic sensor and programmed to perform a signal processing to identify a first portion and a second portion of the acoustic output signal. Furthermore, the controller may be programmed to generate a controller output signal based on the first and second portions of the output level. A speaker may be located on the work machine and communicably coupled to the controller such that the speaker receives and emits the controller output signal.

Sound dampening and pass through filtering

Controlling machine pose using sensor fusion includes receiving from each of a plurality of Inertial Measurement Units mounted on different components, a time series of signals indicative of acceleration and angular rate of motion for each of the components of the machine, and from at least one non-IMU sensor, a signal indicative of at least one of position, velocity, or acceleration of at least one of the components, a position, velocity, or acceleration of any potential obstacles or other features, or an operator input. The signals are fused with a separate Kalman filter module to estimate an output joint angle. Estimated and measured values of the output joint angle in successive timesteps are combined, a kinematic equation is solved to determine a real time value for at least one of position, velocity, and acceleration of the component at successive timesteps, and the determined real time value is applied in an implementation of a controlled operational movement of the machine component in a successive time step.

System and method for controlling machine pose using sensor fusion

A kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) for a machine having a swing motor and/or an actuator includes a hydraulic motor/pump that can output pressurized fluid for operating at least one of: the swing motor and the actuator. A first shaft of the hydraulic motor/pump can be rotated by fluid returning from at least one of: the swing motor and the actuator back to the hydraulic motor/pump. Further, the KERS also includes a flywheel that can selectively couple with the first shaft with the help of a first clutch. The flywheel stores drive power generated by the hydraulic motor/pump from the return flow of fluid when the first clutch couples the flywheel with the first shaft of the hydraulic motor/pump. A gearing arrangement is coupled to the flywheel and can selectively engage with a second shaft associated with a prime mover of the machine with the help of a second clutch.

Kinetic energy recovery system for a machine

A method of using sensor feedback for controlling fluid pressures in a machine includes receiving signals from each of a plurality of Inertial Measurement Units (IMU's) mounted on different components of the machine, receiving a signal from at least one non-IMU sensor, fusing the signals received from the IMU's with each other and with a signal from the at least one non-IMU sensor, determining best estimates of current output joint angles for each of the plurality of components of the machine with reference to a machine reference frame, solving a kinematic equation using the best estimates of current output joint angles for the components of the machine and structural design information characterizing the machine, and applying a determination from the solution of the kinematic equation in an implementation of a controlled adjustment to a fluid pressure supplied to a fluid actuation cylinder.

Sensor fusion feedback for controlling fluid pressures in a machine

A hydraulic system is disclosed. The hydraulic system may include a source of pressurized fluid; a tank; a hydraulic actuator including a first chamber and a second chamber; a first independent metering valve disposed between and fluidly connected to the source, the tank, and the first chamber of the hydraulic actuator; and a second independent metering valve disposed between and fluidly connected to the source, the tank, and the second chamber of the hydraulic actuator. Each of the first independent metering valve and the second independent metering valve may include a spool and a valve actuator disposed on one side of the spool. The valve actuator may include a push coil, a pull coil, and a force feedback mechanism configured to balance a force of the push coil and the pull coil.

Split spool valve

The present disclosure relates to a training apparatus for providing different training levels to an operator of a machine. Known training systems are standalone training systems and separate from the machine. The training system is provided onboard the machine and allows for different training of the operator according to the operator's expertise.

Training apparatus

A hydraulic drive system may include a hydraulic motor and a drive sprocket. The hydraulic drive system may also include a torsional isolation member that is operably connected between the hydraulic motor and the drive sprocket. The torsional isolation member may be configured to operably disconnect the hydraulic motor from the drive sprocket when the drive sprocket reaches a predetermined torque load.

Torsional isolation of a drive system

Growing community of inventors

Edwards, IL, United States of America

Justin Douglas Speichinger