Caterpillar Global Mining LLC

Nordco Inc.

Oak Industries, Inc.

Caterpillar Global Mining Europe Gmbh

Bucyrus International Inc.

Robert M Weber

William D Straub

Carl Delbert Gilmore

David Sean Johnsen

Joseph Helfrich

Perry DeCuir

Bruce M Boczkiewicz

Donald Christopher Noll

Michael G Onsager

John K Luvaas

Peter James Miller

Karl-Heinz Post

Leary C Peterson

Donald M Treziak, Jr

Wayne George Chmiel

James William Fuerst

Dave L Perugini

Andrew F Lawson

Bruce Blazek

Michael N Wheeler

Alan D Nickel

Richard G Wheeler, Sr

Uwe Esch

Donald M Treziak

James W Fuerst

A hydraulic switching mechanism for the mobile hydraulics of, for example, hydraulic excavators, with a valve block, with electrohydraulically activatable valve units for controlling the movement of a working cylinder whose cylinder chambers can be selectively connected to a pump connection for hydraulic fluid, to a tank connection or to one another, and with pre-control valves for activating the valve units, wherein the hydraulic switching mechanism, by means of separate tank valve units and pump valve units, and also a suitable pre-control system, makes it possible to achieve a directional control valve function and a directly controlled and superimposed pre-controlled lowering braking function, a maximum pressure safeguarding of the cylinders and a proportional throttle valve function for the controlled displacement under negative load forces in the direction of movement and braking in an emergency; and mobile hydraulic machines having such a hydraulic switching mechanism and also to valve units therefor.

Hydraulic switching mechanism for mobile hydraulics, mobile hydraulic machine and valve unit

A sealed hydraulic tank system for a mining shovel () includes an upper tank () and a lower tank (). An air bladder () system is coupled to the upper tank to exchange air between the tank system and the bladder. The tanks include baffles () which filter the hydraulic fluid and which direct fluid flow along an elongated path to allow for de-aeration of the oil in the tank.

Sealed hydraulic tank system for mining shovel

A hydraulic tube assembly for connecting two hydraulic components in a hydraulic system is provided. The hydraulic tube assembly may include a first hydraulic component, a second hydraulic component, a tube subassembly, and at least one port connection subassembly. The tube subassembly may include a tube having two ends, a first packing box, and a second packing box. The port connection subassembly may have two ends, with a first end coupled to the tube subassembly and a second end coupled to a hydraulic component. The port connection subassembly may include a packing box flange, at least one tension rod, at least one fluid seal, and a connecting cylinder flange.

Hydraulic tube assembly for a hydraulic system

A mining shovel () includes a hydraulic system comprising a plurality of fixed displacement pumps () driven by a variable speed motor (), and a tank () system comprising an upper return tank and a lower supply tank (). A cylinder manifold () is connected to the pump control manifold (), and includes a directional control valve for directing the extend and retract functions of the cylinder (), while accepting fluid flow in a single direction from the pump control manifold. The single direction flow allows for the use of smaller fluid conduits (), such that the hose providing a high pressure supply can be comparatively smaller than the return hose ().

Hydraulic crowd system for electric mining shovel

Heavy equipment is designed for operation in a substantially-repetitive work cycle that includes lifting, rotating, and lowering steps. The heavy equipment includes a generator, an electrical bus, an energy storage component, and working components. The generator provides a substantially constant electrical output to the electrical bus, which is communicated to the working components. As such, the working components of the heavy equipment are driven directly or indirectly by the electrical output of the generator. The controller selectively couples the energy storage component to the electrical bus, and the energy storage component is configured to store electricity provided by the generator, and to provide electricity to the working components by way of the electrical bus. The electrical output of the generator is less than the power used by the heavy equipment during a portion of the work cycle, and the controller couples the energy storage component to the electrical bus to supplement the electrical output of the generator during the portion of the work cycle in which the electrical output of the generator is less than the power used by the working components of the heavy equipment.

Energy management and storage system

Equipment having an energy management system includes an articulated arm, a work implement, an energy management system, and a hydraulic circuit. The articulated arm includes hydraulic actuators designed to maneuver the articulated arm, and the work implement is fastened to the articulated arm. The energy management system is adjustable between a first configuration and a second configuration, and includes a hydraulic rotating machine and an electric rotating machine coupled to the hydraulic rotating machine. When the energy management system is in the first configuration, the hydraulic rotating machine and the electric rotating machine function as an electric motor powering a hydraulic pump. When the energy management system is in the second configuration, the hydraulic rotating machine and the electric rotating machine function as a hydraulic motor powering an electric generator. The hydraulic circuit is designed to supply a hydraulic fluid to drive the hydraulic actuators when the energy management system is in the first configuration, and is further designed to recover the hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic actuators and to generate electrical power when the energy management system is in the second configuration.

Energy management system for heavy equipment

A hydraulic reservoir includes a container having an internal volume, an internal wall dividing the internal volume of the container into a first section and a second section for separately containing the hydraulic fluid, and two one-way valves. The first one-way valve allows the hydraulic fluid to be drawn out of the first section of the hydraulic reservoir and substantially prevents a flow of the hydraulic fluid back into the first section. The second one-way valve allows the hydraulic fluid to be returned to the second section of the hydraulic reservoir and substantially prevents a flow of the hydraulic fluid out of the second section. A cooling/filtering loop may connect the second section and the first section such that the used fluid in the second section may be processed and returned to the first section in a substantially unused condition.

Hydraulic reservoir for hydraulic regenerative circuit

A railway vehicle for inserting plates on rail ties that engage with rails includes a frame configured for movement relative to the track and a plate inserter workhead mounted to the frame. The plate inserter workhead is configured for pivoting the tie plate about a leading edge of the plate so that the trailing edge of the tie plate is lifted off the tie. The plate inserter workhead is configured to subsequently release the plate.

Railway plate inserter

A riding rail tie plugging apparatus for plugging spike holes in ties on a railroad track includes a frame provided with wheels for supporting and moving the frame along the track. At least one reservoir is disposed in operational relationship to the frame for dispensing a supply of chemical tie-plugging solution. At least one applicator gun is in fluid communication with the at least one reservoir for dispensing the solution into the holes. At least one operator station is on the frame in operational relationship to the track and to the at least one applicator gun so that the at least one applicator gun is directly positionable by an operator disposed at the station for dispensing the epoxy solution into selected ones of the holes.

Riding rail tie plugging apparatus

A rail tie replacement apparatus that includes a frame having a first side associated with a first side of a railroad track, and a second side associated with a second side of a railroad track; gripping mechanisms disposed on each of the sides of the frame and configured for grasping rail ties located in the track; and extending members attached to the gripping mechanisms and the frame. The extending members include a first extending member and a second extending member in a non-axial relationship to each other, and configured for positioning the gripping mechanisms relative to the rail ties. The apparatus further includes fluid powered cylinders attached to the extending members and the frame that are configured to facilitate the reciprocal movement of the extending members.

Rail tie replacement method and apparatus

A bulk loader conveys rigid, stick-like articles in bulk. The bulk loader has a bin for holding a plurality of the articles and a trough connected to a bin having an entrance portion for receiving the articles from the bin and a discharge portion for discharging the articles. An auger, with an inlet end and an outlet end, is rotatably positioned in the trough so that the inlet end is positioned near the entrance portion and the outlet end is positioned near the discharge portion. Upon rotation of the auger, the auger conveys the articles from the entrance portion to the discharge portion. The trough is constructed and arranged to prevent conveyed articles from becoming jammed between said auger and said trough.

Bulk spike loading system

An apparatus for installing and removing rail clips from a rail, the apparatus constructed and arranged to be mounted on a railway maintenance vehicle having a frame, and including an applicator/remover configured to perform one of installation and removal of the rail clips relative to a rail, an actuator configured for reciprocating the applicator/remover in a direction substantially transverse to the rail so that rail clips are moved one of towards the rail or away from the rail.

Apparatus for installing and removing rail clips

An automatic rail fastener remover for use on threaded fasteners being used for securing railroad rails to rail ties, the fastener remover constructed and arranged to be mounted on a railway maintenance vehicle having a frame, and including a fastener removal tool configured to releasably engage one of the fasteners for removing the fastener from the tie, a drive assembly connected to the tool for rotating the tool, at least one latch hook selectively biased against the fastener head for assisting the tool in the removal of the fastener from the tie.

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Ingleside, IL, United States of America

Robert M Weber