Caterpillar Inc.

Kendall R Harrell

Javad Hosseini

Alan L Stahl

David Michael Thaler

Dustin J Funk

Scott Patrick Meyer

Ryan David Funk

James David Hill

Joseph R Manley

Scott Alan Lyons

Nathaniel P O'Brien

A hydraulic circuit is disclosed for use with a powertrain having an engine, a transmission, and an output transfer group. The hydraulic circuit may have a first sump configured to collect fluid drained from the transmission, and a second sump configured to collect fluid drained from the output transfer group. The hydraulic circuit may also have a primary pump configured to draw fluid from the first sump and generate at least one flow of pressurized fluid directed to the transmission and to the output transfer group.

Hydraulic circuit for powertrain having OTG

A method of monitoring oil level in a transmission system of a machine is disclosed. The method includes monitoring an oil pressure and calculating an average value of the oil pressure over a first predetermined time duration. The method further includes calculating a variance of the oil pressure from the average value and recording a deviation if the variance is beyond a threshold variance. The method further includes detecting a low oil level condition if a count of deviations is above a threshold count within a second predetermined time duration.

System and method of monitoring oil level in transmission system of machine

The present invention discloses a system and a method for controlling the timing of the filling of a fluid actuate. The system includes, a fluid actuated clutch an electronic controller adapted to detect an end-of-fill point for the fluid actuated clutch compare the end-of-fill point with a desired end-of-fill point and adjust at least one of a plurality of clutch fill parameters in response to the comparison in order to control the timing of the filling of the clutch and a control valve that is activated by the electronic controller.

Apparatus and method for controlling the end of fill of a fluid actuated clutch

In one aspect of this invention, a fluid actuated clutch is disclosed. The fluid actuated clutch is operatively connected to a control valve that is activated by an electronic controller that receives a signal from an input mechanism. The system and method includes detecting an instantaneous clutch slip and detecting when the instantaneous clutch slip is less than an average of a predetermined number of cycles of instantaneous clutch slip that is divided by a predetermined factor. This condition represents the end-of-fill point for the fluid actuated clutch.

End of fill detector for a fluid actuated clutch

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Morton, IL, United States of America

Kendall R Harrell