Caterpillar Inc.

Robert E Hefner

John James Krone

Andrew Henry Nippert

Lowell E Johnson

Gerald D Hardy

Kevin X Huang

Ronald C Erickson

Richard E Spring

Donald J Schwingel

Irving Bright

Dennis K Greene

Apparatus and methods for controlling the resistance to the movement of a steering shaft that is operable to move as a function of an operator input. A position sensor is coupled with the steering shaft and transmits a shaft position signal as a function of the position of the steering shaft. A processing device is coupled with the position sensor to receive the shaft position signal and transmits a resistance signal as a function of the shaft position signal. A resistance device is coupled with the processing device to receive the resistance signal and is coupled with the steering shaft, the resistance device resists the movement of the steering shaft as a function of the resistance signal.

Steering resistance device

An apparatus is adapted to assess the performance of a vehicle's powertrain. A microcomputer collects sensor data indicative of the rotational velocity of an output shaft and a transmission input shaft and of the pressure of a directional clutch and a speed clutch. The microcomputer calculates a set of powertrain parameters based on the collected sensor data and produces an error signal in response to predetermined conditions of the powertrain parameters.

Powertrain performance assessment system

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Creve Coeur, IL, United States of America

Robert E Hefner