Caterpillar Inc.

Cnh America LLC

Troy Curtis Robl

Trent Randall Stefek

Herbert Max Farley

Nathan Edward Isaac

Andy Lee Vering

Rudy Van Mills

Richard Kent Oswald

A hydraulic system for an implement coupler assembly of a machine includes a coupler cylinder, a control valve connecting the coupler cylinder to a pressurized fluid source and a low pressure reservoir, and a sequence valve and a check valve connected in parallel between the coupler cylinder and the control valve. An implement cylinder provides a pilot pressure for the sequence valve. The coupler cylinder extends to a locked position when the control valve provides pressurized fluid through the check valve to a head end of the coupler cylinder. The coupler cylinder retracts to an unlocked position when the control valve provides pressurized fluid to a rod end of the coupler cylinder if the implement cylinder provides pilot pressure sufficient to open the sequence valve and connect the head end of the coupler cylinder to the low pressure reservoir.

Quick coupler hydraulic control system

A tool coupler system is disclosed for use with a machine. The tool coupler system may have a tool coupler with a hydraulic actuator configured to selectively lock a tool to a machine. The tool coupler system may also have a first hydraulic pump configured to generate a first flow of pressurized fluid, and a second hydraulic pump configured to generate a second flow of pressurized fluid. The tool coupler system may further have a valve configured to selectively direct the first or second flows of pressurized fluid to the hydraulic actuator of the tool coupler.

Tool coupler system having multiple pressure sources

A quick coupler for connecting an implement to an arm of a machine. The quick coupler includes a frame having a first plate and a second plate. A first and a second pair of recesses provided on the first and the second plates at a first end and a second end of the frame, respectively. A cover plate disposed between the first and the second plates and one or more lubrication lines having fittings attached to terminal ends of the lubrication lines. An external lubrication bank provided on at least one of the first or the second plate to support the fittings.

Quick coupler

A tool coupler for a machine is provided herein. In an embodiment, the tool coupler may have a coupler frame, a hook coupled to the coupler frame and configured to receive a first pin of a tool, and a wedge operatively connected to the coupler frame. The tool coupler may also have an actuator connected to move the wedge away from the hook to bias a second pin of the tool against the coupler frame, and a latch associated with the wedge. The latch may be movable between a first position at which the wedge is allowed to move away from the second pin, and a second position at which the wedge is constrained from moving away from the second pin.

Tool coupler having anti-release mechanism

A tool coupler assembly for a machine. The tool coupler assembly may have a coupler frame, a first latch, a second latch, and a hydraulic actuator connected to move the second latch relative to the first latch and the coupler frame. The hydraulic actuator may have a first chamber, a second chamber, and a pressure valve with a check element movable to allow a flow of fluid into the first chamber based on a pressure of fluid in the first chamber, and a pressure regulating element movable to allow a flow of fluid out of the first chamber based on a pressure of fluid in the second chamber. The tool coupler assembly may additionally have a first pilot passage configured to communicate fluid from the second chamber with the pressure-regulating element, and a second pilot passage configured to communicate fluid from the first chamber with the pressure-regulating element.

Tool coupler assembly

A quick coupler for connecting and disconnecting an implement such as a bucket to and from a machine such as an excavator. In an example, the quick coupler includes a frame having recesses configured to receive pins located on the implement. The quick coupler includes first and second securing latches that are movable between latched and unlatched positions for removably latching the pins of the implement in the recesses. A rocker assembly and a connector link are provided for moving the second latch between latched and unlatched positions.

Quick coupler assembly

An active counter knife assembly for a material chopper assembly or construction that has a rotary chopper element disposed across a material flow path, including a chopper grate assembly, having a grate portion with spaced generally transverse slots therealong, positionable generally parallel to the rotary chopper element of the residue chopper assembly; a rotatable shaft positionable generally beneath and parallel to the grate portion of the chopper grate assembly, with a plurality of fixed or flail-type knife elements attached to such shaft and positioned thereon to be alignably rotatable through the spaced generally transverse slots of the grate portion of the chopper grate assembly; and a drive mechanism for effecting rotational movement of the counter knife assembly, which drive mechanism is preferably controllable to allow an operator to vary the rotational speed and direction of the rotatable shaft so that the rotatable shaft may be selectably either maintained in an essentially fixed or locked condition or operated to rotate either counter to the rotation of the rotary chopper element of the chopper assembly or in the same tangential direction as the rotary chopper element, thereby controlling to some extent both the throughput speed of the material at the chopper assembly and the quality of the chop by the chopper assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Manhattan, KS, United States of America

Troy Curtis Robl