Caterpillar Tractor Co.

Richard L Hedgcock

Arthur J Ritter, Jr

Gerald E Whitehurst

A geared steering clutch mechanism (18) for use in a vehicle having left and right side propelling devices (11,12) such as tracks, a power drive (16), and a final drive (15) connecting the power drive to the respective left and right propelling devices. The steering clutch mechanism includes a first clutch (24) selectively operable to connect the power drive to the associated final drive to provide a high speed connection therebetween, a speed reduction gear assembly (55,56,58), a second clutch (45) selectively operable to connect the power drive to the associated final drive through the speed reduction gear assembly to provide a reduced speed connection therebetween, and a brake (38) for braking the final drive concurrently with arranging the clutches to positively disconnect the power drive from the final drive. The final drive may be a multispeed drive so that the use of the clutch mechanism provides a two-time multiplication of the number of available output speeds as a function of the selective operation of the clutches. The speed reduction gear assembly may include a planetary gear (56) in meshing engagement with a sun gear (55) connected to the second clutch. The first clutch may be arranged to provide a substantially direct one-to-one driving connection between the power drive and final drive.

Geared steering means

A drive assembly for use in a vehicle, such as a track-type vehicle, having a hub member rotatably carrying an outer member by means of axially inner and outer bearings. The bearings are arranged to be aligned with the inner bearing races being pressed onto the hub member and into the outer member, respectively, and the outer bearing races being pressed onto a bearing retainer and into the outer member, respectively. A sleeve may be provided between the hub member and outer member intermediate the inner and outer bearings. The bearing retainer may abut the inner race of the outer bearing with the outer race of the outer bearing abutting an axially outwardly facing shoulder on the outer member.

Bearing retainer

A steering clutch and brake power drive assembly wherein a clutch pack and a brake pack formed of a plurality of facially engageable plates are respectively retained between a retaining plate and a housing portion of the assembly by a plurality of bolts which, in the assembled arrangement, provide a preselected stress in biasing springs acting on the clutch plates and brake plates, respectively. A novel arrangement of bolts is provided wherein different size bolts are utilized for facilitating the assembly and disassembly. A small number of the bolts is made to be sufficiently large so that the assembly may be maintained by a single one thereof notwithstanding a high biasing force generated by the spring in the assembled arrangement. An improved lubrication oil transfer structure is further provided to the plate stack from a pressurized oil supply defined by a lubricating oil cavity adjacent the plate stack. Relatively movable wall portions defining the cavity are effectively sealed to cause substantially all of the oil delivery to the plate stack to be through the transfer passages.

Spring operated clutch with small and large bolts

A power drive assembly having a housing, a drive mechanism removably installed in the housing, an annular biasing spring installed in the housing for biasing the mechanism, and a wear ring arrangement including an undercut annular groove in the mechanism opening coaxially toward an end of the biasing spring and a wear ring removably installed in the groove to engage the end of the biasing spring in the assembled arrangement of the power drive assembly. The wear ring has a cross section complementary to the undercut groove cross section whereby the mechanism may be installed in the housing with the groove opening downwardly and the wear ring maintained in the groove for facilitated assembly of the power drive.

Growing community of inventors

East Peoria, IL, United States of America

Richard L Hedgcock