Caterpillar Inc.

Robert J Madera

Terril James Johnson

John M Teter

Gary C Bryant

Christian D Ritchie

Jeffrey Paul Sayre

Dennis D Wetterich

Adam M Plecker

Joshua Charles Bedyk

Timothy N Zier

A guard rail system for use with a machine is provided. The guard rail system comprises a handrail member, a support member that defines a longitudinal axis and an open channel that extends along the longitudinal axis and a snap receiving aperture that is in communication with the channel, and an insert that includes a snap feature that is configured to fit within the channel and the snap feature is configured to be disposed in the snap receiving aperture.

Guard rail with insert

Guardrail

A guardrail for a walkway of a machine includes a vertical channel post having an end wall and side walls forming an open channel. The vertical channel post may taper in the side-to-side and fore-aft directions as the post extends bottom to top. The vertical channel post may also transition from a generally rectangular cross-section near the bottom to a more rounded cross-section at the top. Curved top notches at the top of the vertical channel post allow a top rail of the guardrail to rest on top of the post and be attached. Intermediate notches along vertical edges of the side walls receive an intermediate rail of the guardrail. The top notches and the intermediate notches are arranged so that the top rail and the intermediate rail may be vertically aligned and parallel to each other and to the walkway enclosed by the guardrail.

Guardrail with tapered vertical channel post

A draining system for draining fuel from a fuel tank is disclosed. The fuel tank includes a holding chamber for holding fuel and a fill port assembly for adding fuel to the holding chamber. The fill port assembly includes a fill port passageway in fluid communication with the holding chamber and a valve system for regulating a flow of fuel through the fill port passageway. The draining system includes a coupling member having a drainage passageway. The coupling member is detachably connected with the fill port assembly. An actuating member selectively actuates the valve system to permit fuel to flow from the fill port passageway into the drainage passageway. An outlet conduit is in fluid communication with the drainage passageway such that fuel can flow from the drainage passageway into the outlet conduit. A flow regulating member is configured to regulate flow of fuel through the outlet conduit.

Draining system for fuel tank

An integrated service center has an outward facing wall. A first and second section are recessed from the outward facing wall, each with a plurality of walls and a lower end, which forms an opening in the lower end and extends to the outward facing wall. The first section has a fluid access point disposed at an angle between 30 and 60 degrees below a reference plane. The second section has an electrical access point. A door assembly is mounted to move between an open and closed, which abuts the outward facing wall and covers the first section when closed.

Integrated service center

Growing community of inventors

Lemont, IL, United States of America

Robert J Madera