Engine with stub shaft supported cam gear and machine using same
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsTravis Thomas Petry-Johnson, Philip Christopher Millward, Ryan Michael Heinbuch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one aspect, a machine includes an engine supported on a machine body. The engine includes a housing and a gear train that includes a crank gear meshed with a cam gear that is meshed with at least one powered gear. The cam gear is attached to a cam shaft by a drive coupler. The cam shaft is rotationally supported in the housing on a plurality of bearings, and the cam gear is rotationally supported on a stub shaft with an inner surface that is out of contact with the cam shaft. The stub shaft is attached to the housing of the engine.
Claims18
A machine comprising:
- a machine body;
- an engine supported on the machine body;
- the engine including a housing and a gear train that includes a crank gear meshed with a cam gear that is meshed with at least one powered gear, and the cam gear is attached to a cam shaft by a drive coupler;
- and
- the cam shaft being rotationally supported in the housing on a plurality of bearings, and the cam gear being rotationally supported on a stub shaft with an inner surface out of contact with the cam shaft, but the stub shaft being attached to the housing.
A compression ignition engine comprising:
- a housing;
- a gear train that includes a crank gear meshed with a cam gear that is meshed with at least one powered gear, and the cam gear is attached to a cam shaft by a drive coupler;
- the cam shaft being rotationally supported in the housing on a plurality of bearings, and the cam gear being rotationally supported on a stub shaft with an inner surface out of contact with the cam shaft but the stub shaft being attached to the housing;
- the stub shaft includes a thrust bearing face positioned for contact with a cam shaft thrust surface.
- the at least one powered gear is operably connected to drive a pump;
- and
- a majority of power transferred to the cam gear from the crank gear being transmitted to the at least one powered gear to drive the pump, and a minority of the power being transmitted to drive rotation of the cam shaft.
A method of operating a machine that includes an engine supported on the machine body;
- the engine including a housing and a gear train that includes a crank gear meshed with a cam gear that is meshed with at least one powered gear, and the cam gear is attached to a cam shaft by a drive coupler;
- the cam shaft being rotationally supported in the housing on a plurality of bearings, and the cam gear being rotationally supported on a stub shaft that has an inner surface out of contact with the cam shaft but the stub shaft being attached to the housing, the method comprising:
- transferring power from the crank gear to the cam gear;
- transmitting a majority of the power to the at least one powered gear from the cam gear, and transmitting a minority of the power to drive rotation of the cam shaft;
- and
- making thrust bearing contact between a thrust bearing surface of the stub shaft and a thrust surface of the cam shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.