Caterpillar Inc.

Kurt Steven Goslovich

Ananda S Ponnusamy

Satish B Nutakki

Daniel Joseph Sordelet

Christopher J Demick

Seth Johnson

Thomas Kos

Russell Ross Henderson

Rameshkrishnan Lakshminarayanan

Thomas K Yeung

Prasanna V Kulkarni

Anand Jason Vedaraj

Robert David Murray

Steven Jon Henderson

Sivakumar Ramanathan

Jeffrey Chow

Abdul K Maoued

An actuator for a machine includes a cylinder barrel and a piston arrangement received within the cylinder barrel. The actuator further includes a first cylinder received within the cylinder barrel and a first member coupled to the first cylinder at a first cylinder end of the first cylinder. The actuator also includes a second cylinder received within the first cylinder and a second member coupled to the second cylinder at a second cylinder end of the second cylinder. The actuator includes a third cylinder received within the first cylinder and a third member coupled to the third cylinder at a third cylinder end of the third cylinder. At least one of the first member, the second member, and the third member is threadedly coupled to the first cylinder, the second cylinder, and the third cylinder, respectively.

Actuator for machine

Manufactures and methods implement wear components containing a subsurface underlying incipient failure indicator, machinery parts including at least one wear component containing a subsurface underlying incipient failure indicator, and mechanical systems including at least one machinery part including at least one wear component containing a subsurface underlying incipient failure indicator. An elastomeric seal has one or more failure indicators including a spectrally distinguishable element and/or molecule from operating-native constituent matter of a mechanical system underlying at one or more subsurface distances, including at least one subsurface distance within an incipient failure region. Abrasive wear of an elastomeric seals can expose subsurface strata having failure indicators embedded therein, each exposure causing a spectrally distinguishable element and/or molecule to mingle with lubricant of the mechanical system. Based on detecting the failure-indicating characteristic spectrum, the mechanical system can be removed from operation and one or more elastomeric seals replaced.

Subsurface underlying incipient failure indicator in wear components

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a suspension strut for use on a work machine is provided. The suspension strut may have a forged one piece cylindrical inner housing that includes a hollow rod which forms a circumferential piston at an open end and a lower clevis at a closed end of the hollow rod. The suspension strut may further have a forged one piece cylindrical outer housing that includes a hollow barrel having an interior and an exterior surface, a closed end that forms an upper clevis, an open end, and a port on an outside surface of the hollow barrel. Further, the inner and outer housing may be coupled by a disk shaped end cap attached to the open end of the hollow barrel having an inner diameter that is slideably engaged with an outer surface of hollow rod.

Clevis-ended suspension strut manufactured without welds

The pulldown apparatus may comprise a main stage and a secondary stage. The main stage may comprise a cylinder, a main head, a main gland, a piston and a main rod. The cylinder defines a chamber and includes a first end and a second end. The main gland and the piston is disposed in the chamber. The main rod is disposed in the chamber between the piston and the second end. The secondary stage includes a secondary head, a secondary gland, a secondary rod and a flange. The secondary gland is disposed in the chamber. The secondary rod is coupled to the flange. The flange is coupled to the main stage and disposed inside the cylinder between the piston and the secondary rod. The cylinder is slidable over the main rod, the piston and the secondary rod.

Pulldown apparatus

An example hydraulic system component of a machine includes a protective coating deposited by high velocity air fuel (HVAF) thermal spray, exhibiting high adhesion strengths and surface morphologies that promote lubricant adhesion and reduce the leakage of oil and/or hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic system. The coating may have surface roughness with Rvalues less than 2 μm and hardness of 1000 Vickers or greater. The HVAF coating may be thinner than conventional coatings with thicknesses less than 100 μm. The HVAF coating may be deposited on a variety of steel components with adhesion strengths greater than those achieved by high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF). The HVAF coating may be formed without time consuming roughening and/or post-grind operations, resulting in cost savings compared to conventional coatings. The coatings may have operational lifetimes of 1000 hours or more.

Thin coatings for hydraulic components

Systems, assemblies, and methods can involve a retainer assembly adapted to interface with a sensor rod of an in-cylinder position sensor assembly of a fluid cylinder. The retainer assembly can comprise an annular body that defines a bore extending from a first end of the annular body to a second end of the annular body opposite the first end; a sleeve disposed in the bore at an inner wall of the annular body; and one or more magnets fixedly provided between the annular body and the sleeve in a radial direction of the annular body. Each of the one or more magnets may be fixedly molded in place between the annular body and the sleeve in the radial direction of the annular body.

Molded in magnetic sensor and systems, assemblies, components, and methods thereof

A hydraulic cylinder may include a housing having a rod end and a cap end and the cap end may include a snubbing bore. The cylinder may also include a rod having a working end outside the housing and extending through a rod end of the cylinder to a piston end. The cylinder may also include a piston arranged within the housing on the piston end of the rod and configured to articulate within the housing between the rod end and the cap end. The piston may have a longitudinal bore extending into a cap side of the piston and the bore may include a retainer lip. The cylinder may also include a snubber configured for engaging the snubbing bore of the cap end when the piston approaches the cap end of the housing. The snubber may have an annular flange configured for retention by the retainer lip.

Hydraulic cylinder snubbing retention arrangement

An integrated piston and bearing may include a piston having an outer peripheral surface and a first end and a second end and a bearing arranged on the outer peripheral surface. The bearing may include a surface contour including a setback region with a first thickness and a full region with a second thickness, thicker than the first thickness. The bearing may also include a snubbing chamfer transitioning between the first and second thicknesses.

Integrated cylinder piston and bearing as a hydraulic cushion

Wear bands for heavy duty struts are disclosed. The wear bands include multiple layers such as a base metal layer sandwiched between an outer layer and an intermediate layer along with a solid lubricant layer disposed opposite the intermediate layer from the base metal layer. The outer layer engages an interior surface of the strut housing, which slidably accommodates a rod. The solid lubricant layer, which is the innermost layer, engages an outer surface of the rod so that the wear band is sandwiched between the rod and the housing and provides a solid lubricant layer for engaging the sliding rod.

Growing community of inventors

Naperville, IL, United States of America

Kurt Steven Goslovich