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US 8,291,927 B2Granted
Remanufactured machine component and valve body remanufacturing process
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsKirk Johnson, Gary Harris, Alberto F. Garcia
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for remanufacturing valve bodies such as fuel injector valve bodies includes receiving a salvaged valve body having a first segment, a second segment and a middle segment which includes a valve seat and a guide bore for a valve therein. The process further includes removing material of the valve body where the valve seat and the guide bore are disposed, and positioning an insert within the valve body in place of the removed material. A new valve seat and a new guide bore are then machined in the insert, including locating for machining the new valve seat and new guide bore on a timing face of the valve body.
Claims19
A process for remanufacturing machine components having a valve body comprising:
- receiving a salvaged valve body having a first segment, a second segment, and a middle segment, the middle segment comprising a valve seat and defining a guide bore for a valve configured to contact the valve seat;
- removing material of the valve body where the valve seat and the guide bore are disposed;
- positioning an insert within the valve body in place of the removed material;
- machining a new valve seat in the insert and machining a new guide bore in the insert;
- and
- positioning a valve member within the valve body such that the valve member is guided via the new guide bore between a first position at which the valve member contacts the new valve seat, and a second position at which the valve member does not contact the new valve seat.
3 more elements
A process for remanufacturing valve bodies comprising:
- receiving a salvaged valve body having a first segment, a second segment, and a middle segment, the middle segment comprising a valve seat and defining a guide bore for a valve configured to contact the valve seat;
- removing material of the valve body where the valve seat and the guide bore are disposed;
- positioning an insert within the valve body in place of the removed material;
- machining a new valve seat in the insert and machining a new guide bore in the insert;
- wherein removing material further comprises forming a cylindrical pocket in the middle segment, and wherein positioning an insert within the valve body further comprises press fitting a cylindrical insert into the cylindrical pocket;
- wherein machining a new guide bore further comprises enlarging a preformed bore of the insert;
- and
- wherein machining a new guide bore comprises enlarging the preformed bore of the insert with a first grinding element, and wherein machining a new valve seat comprises machining the new valve seat with a second grinding element, subsequent to machining the new guide bore.
5 more elements
A process for remanufacturing valve bodies comprising:
- receiving a salvaged valve body having a first segment, a second segment, and a middle segment, the middle segment comprising a valve seat and defining a guide bore for a valve configured to contact the valve seat;
- removing material of the valve body where the valve seat and the guide bore are disposed;
- positioning an insert within the valve body in place of the removed material;
- machining a new valve seat in the insert and machining a new guide bore in the insert;
- wherein:
- receiving a salvaged valve body comprises receiving a salvaged valve body of a fuel injector, the salvaged valve body having a first end and a second end, and a timing face located on the first end which is spaced a valve timing distance from the valve seat;
- and
- machining a new valve seat in the insert comprises locating the new valve seat at the valve timing distance from the timing face.
5 more elements
A remanufactured machine component comprising:
- a salvaged valve body having a first end and a second end, and further including a first segment terminating at the first end, a second segment terminating at the second end and a middle segment disposed between the first segment and the second segment which defines a pocket having an inner diameter;
- an insert which includes a valve seat, the insert being positioned within the pocket and having an outer diameter mated with the inner diameter of the pocket, and the insert further defining a guide bore having an axis and being adapted for guiding a valve member movable between a first position contacting the valve seat and a second position at which the valve member does not contact the valve seat;
- wherein the valve body further includes a timing face located on one of the first, second or third segments of the valve body, the timing face being oriented normal to the axis of the guide bore, and the valve seat being spaced a predefined distance from the timing face to define at least in part a timing of a valve member guided via the guide bore.
A valve body remanufactured according to a process comprising:
- receiving a salvaged valve body having a first segment, a second segment, and a middle segment, the middle segment comprising a valve seat and defining a guide bore for a valve configured to contact the valve seat;
- removing material of the valve body where the valve seat and the guide bore are disposed;
- positioning an insert within the valve body in place of the removed material;
- and
- machining a new valve seat and a new guide bore in the insert;
- wherein:
- machining a new guide bore comprises enlarging a preformed bore of the insert with a first grinding element located via a grinding axis, then machining the new valve seat with a second grinding element also located via the grinding axis;
- and
- the process further comprises establishing the grinding axis for locating the first and second elements at least in part by contacting a locating element of a grinding apparatus with a timing face of the valve body, and maintaining contact between the locating element and the timing face during machining a new valve seat and machining a new guide bore.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.