Caterpillar Global Mining LLC

The present disclosure is directed towards apparatuses for operating a work tool of a machine. The apparatus comprises a cylinder and a piston comprising a piston head, the piston head being mounted in the cylinder such that the piston is moveable relative to the cylinder. The apparatus comprises a gas spring arrangement for biasing the piston head away from the first cylinder end. The gas spring arrangement comprises a first gas chamber and a second gas chamber having a variable volume based upon the position of the piston head in the cylinder. A gas connection arrangement fluidly connects the first gas chamber to the second gas chamber and is configured to enable gas to flow between the first and second gas chambers if the piston moves relative to the cylinder. The disclosure is further directed towards methods of operating a machine comprising a work tool.

A liner assembly including a wedge including a slot and a receiving channel, the wedge configured to be mounted to a wall of a work implement by filling the slot of the wedge with a weld; and a liner plate including an engaging channel complementary to the receiving channel of the wedge and configured to form a wedge-plate interface connecting the liner plate to the wedge, wherein a length of the liner plate is less than a length of the wedge, and wherein a width of the liner plate perpendicular to the length of the liner plate is greater than a width of the wedge perpendicular to the length of the wedge.

A system for underwater payload estimation in a dragline bucket of a dragline machine includes a sensing module disposed on the dragline bucket. The sensing module is configured to generate a plurality of signals indicative of a distance value between the sensing module and payload in the dragline bucket. The system includes a controller including at least one memory and at least one processor communicably coupled with the at least one memory and the sensing module. The at least one processor is configured to receive, from the sensing module, the plurality of signals indicative of the distance value between the sensing module and the payload in the dragline bucket, when the dragline bucket is underwater. The at least one processor is configured to estimate a volume of the payload in the dragline bucket when the dragline bucket is underwater, based on the plurality of signals received.

A torque control apparatus of a work machine is constructed to control motion of a work tool relative to a swing body of the work machine through a hydraulic system thereof. The control apparatus includes a pose sensor constructed to generate orientation data indicating an orientation of the work machine relative to the undercarriage thereof. A hydraulic flow control component is constructed to generate torque magnitude data corresponding to the orientation data. A machine control component is constructed to generate hydraulic flow rate change data corresponding to the torque magnitude data. A variable flow rate pump is constructed to impel a flow rate in the hydraulic system corresponding to the hydraulic flow rate change rate data.

A hitch assembly for a bucket of a work machine includes a bracket adapted to be removably coupled with the bucket at any one of a plurality of hitch locations. The bracket defines a first bracket end and a second bracket end. The bracket is adapted to be coupled with a drag chain proximal to the first bracket end. The hitch assembly also includes one or more first mechanical fasteners adapted to removably couple the bracket with the bucket. The hitch assembly further includes a second mechanical fastener adapted to be coupled with each of the bucket and the bracket proximal to the second bracket end. Based on a removal of the one or more first mechanical fasteners from the bucket and the bracket, the bracket and the second mechanical fastener rotate relative to the bucket for disposing the bracket at any one of the plurality of hitch locations.

A pivoting connection between a bucket and a padlock of a rope shovel, a pin assembly, and a rope shovel are disclosed. A pivoting connection includes a pin having a pin axis and extending through a bucket lug of the bucket and a pair of padlock lugs of the padlock; a flag having a pin end and a mounting end; a locking coupling coaxial with the pin axis and located in the pin end of the flag, wherein the locking coupling selectively couples the flag to the pin; and a slotted flag mount attached to the bucket including a vertical slot and a horizontal slot parallel to the pin axis; wherein the mounting end of the flag is received by the slotted flag mount such that the pin is constrained from rotating with respect to the bucket and from translating along the pin axis.

A shut off valve for a hydraulic system is provided. The shut off valve comprises a wall of a hydraulic reservoir, a hydraulic fluid outlet, a valve seat, a valve plate, a valve arm, and a valve control shaft. The hydraulic reservoir is for holding hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic fluid outlet is formed through the wall. The valve seat is provided on an inner surface of the wall encircling the hydraulic fluid outlet. The valve seat has an engagement surface. The valve plate is shaped to engage with the engagement surface of the valve seat. The valve arm is connected between the valve plate and the valve control shaft. The valve control shaft is formed through the wall spaced apart from the hydraulic fluid outlet. The valve plate is configured to rotate about the valve control shaft between a first position in which the valve plate does not cover the valve seat, and a second position in which the valve plate covers the valve seat to shut off the hydraulic fluid outlet. The engagement surface of the valve seat is inclined, relative to a plane of rotation of the valve plate, between the first and second positions such that the valve plate is sealed against the engagement surface when the valve plate is in the second position.

A dragline bucket can comprise a bottom wall; a first sidewall defining a first upper edge; a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall defining a second upper edge; a first forward-facing projection on a first side of the dragline bucket; a second forward-facing projection on a second side of the dragline bucket opposite the first side; a lip assembly at a front of the bottom wall; and an arm extending from the first side to the second side of the dragline bucket, a distal end of the arm being at a height greater than a height of respective first and second upper edges of the first and second sidewalls. In a side elevational view of the dragline bucket, the arm is tilted away from the rear wall at an angle relative to vertical.

A dragline bucket can comprise a bottom wall; a first sidewall defining a first upper edge; a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall defining a second upper edge; a first forward-facing projection on a first side of the dragline bucket; a second forward-facing projection on a second side of the dragline bucket opposite the first side; a lip assembly at a front of the bottom wall; and an arm extending from the first side to the second side of the dragline bucket, a distal end of the arm being at a height greater than a height of respective first and second upper edges of the first and second sidewalls. In a side elevational view of the dragline bucket, the arm is tilted away from the rear wall at an angle of from 17.5 to 22.5 degrees relative to a vertical plane extending through a forward-most edge of the arm.

A flow limiter for a cut-off valve of a hydraulic pumping system and a hydraulic system using such a flow limiter. The flow limiter provides for limiting a flow through a cut-off valve. The flow limiter for a cut-off valve of a hydraulic pumping system includes a valve body with a hollow channel. The hollow channel has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, and the fluid inlet is in fluid communication with a discharge line of the cut-off valve in a mounted state of the flow limiter. A valve element is slidably arranged within the channel and can transition from a first position towards a second position, if a predefined fluid pressure threshold is exceeded at the fluid inlet. The valve element is arranged in the hollow channel so that in the second position a fluid flow from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet is larger than in the first position.