Caterpillar Tractor Co.

William A Bahnfleth

James L Taylor

Mary Ann McGee

Roger F Maier

Jimmy L Milligan

An improved anti-skid tread or grating (10) design is provided with gripping members or rosettes (30) having a plurality of upstanding individual lobes (36) which are configured in such a way and project high enough to provide an excellent gripping surface. The lobes (36) of the design are self-cleaning, and have non-continuous gripping edges at their crests (40) that accommodate a greater build up of ice or mud without clogging the grating (10).

Beveled lobe anti-skid grating

A retainer for preventing relative rotation of a lock nut threaded on a shaft to preload an adjacent bearing assembly includes a serrated bore for engaging a splined shaft portion extending through a bore and axially-extending projections for engaging notches or the like formed in the lock nut. A device, such as a sprocket wheel, mounted outward of the retainer maintains the retainer in axial engagement with the lock nut. The retainer can be deformed during assembly to facilitate proper alignment of the lock nut on the shaft. The retainer is advantageously employed to maintain preloads on tapered roller bearings utilized to support the final drive shafts in heavy earthmoving equipment.

Retainer for bearing lock nut

A seal construction including a metallic channel having a base, spaced side walls extending from the base in the same direction, and arms spaced from the base on the side walls and having ends directed toward, but spaced, from each other. A resilient strip is removably captured in the channel and extends therefrom for engagement with an element to be sealed. The channel base may be welded to a metallic element prior to insertion of the resilient strip to obviate the need for aligned openings for securing means such as screws, bolts, or the like and/or bonding agents of dubious reliability in varying environments.

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East Peoria, IL, United States of America

William A Bahnfleth