Caterpillar Inc.

Thomas K Yeung

Kurt Steven Goslovich

Ananda S Ponnusamy

Joseph Paluga

Dennis Sachaschik

Tom G Hamric

Frank K Anthony

Joy Elaine Allen

Russell D Carpenter

Marlon Cobbins

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

A method of producing a welded assembly from a first metal part and a second metal part includes bringing the first metal part and the second metal part into contact with one another at a joint region while providing a flash ring separator adjacent the joint region configured to intercept and separate flash. After heating the joint region, the first and second metal parts are forced together to join the first metal part to the second metal part, extruding metal flash from the joint region. The extruded flash impinges on the flash ring separator, forming a flash ring having at least one indentation. During subsequent machining of the welded assembly to remove the flash ring, the flash ring may fragment at the indentation, so that it does not cause damage by becoming hung around the assembly.

Flash ring separator

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Bolingbrook, IL, United States of America

Thomas K Yeung