US3831762A

US3831762A - Removable sediment container for rotating fluid system

Info

Publication number: US3831762A
Application number: US00346650A
Authority: US
Inventors: G Schulz
Original assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co
Current assignee: Caterpillar Inc
Priority date: 1973-03-30
Filing date: 1973-03-30
Publication date: 1974-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 1991-08-27

Abstract

A removable sediment container mounted within a rotatable fluid housing for collecting suspended deleterious materials which are thrown outwardly by virtue of the rotation of said housing through the impetus of centrifugal force. A plurality of removable sediment containers are disposed in angularly spaced relation about the periphery of the rotatable fluid housing.

Description

United States Patent Schulz A REMOVABLE SEDINIENT CONTAINER FOR ROTATING FLUID SYSTEM [75] Inventor: Gunter W. Schulz, Peoria, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria, 111. [22] Filed: Mar. 30, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 346,650

[52] US. Cl. 210/297, 192/85 AA, 210/307, 233/23 R [51 Int. Cl B0ld 35/28 [58] Field of Search 210/304, 360 R, 380, 297, 210/307; 192/85 AA; 233/2, 23 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,283,457 5/1942 Pecker 210/380 11] 3,831,762 1 Aug. 27, 1974 2,665,008 l/1954 Call 210/380 2,702,616 2/1955 Black et a1. 192/85 AA 3,561,367 2/1971 Black et a1. 192/85 AA Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant ExaminerR. Daniel Crouse Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Phillips, Moore, Weissenberger, Lempio & Strabala [57] ABSTRACT A removable sediment container mounted within a rotatable fluid housing for collecting suspended deleterious materials which are thrown outwardly by virtue of the rotation of said housing through the impetus of centrifugal force. A plurality of removable sediment containers are disposed in angularly spaced relation about the periphery of the rotatable fluid housing.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENTEumczmm arm-1r ear 2 REMOVABLE SEDIMENT CONTAINER FOR ROTATING FLUID SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Rotating systems, such as fluid clutches, usually include a housing in which peripheral internal surfaces or blind pockets, remote from the main fluid flow paths, are extant. Upon rotation of such a housing, deleterious materials which are found in the fluid often tend to collect in these peripheral internal surfaces or pockets under the influence of centrifugal action. Such undesirable materials are not normally flushed out of the system because of the remote disposition of the collection areas with respect to the main flow paths. As impurities and contaminants build up upon the internal surfaces of the housing, the risk of serious wear and breakage greatly increases. The moving elements of the rotating mechanism glide over these materials and experience wear while also tending to disperse the impurities to other portions of the system.

In order to decrease the possibility of damage or wear, sophisticated filtering systems as well as frequent servicing procedures for such rotating assemblies have often been required in efficient operations.

An example of one type of such prior art fluid filtration system is shown in US. Pat. No. 2,651,919 to Venstrom. The Venstrom filtration device is disposed within a valve housing which is primarily located within a normal flow path with the system vis a vis in a blind pocket area.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The instant invention provides an economical and efficient, removable sediment container adapted for use in a rotatable fluid system housing and also provides an inexpensive and readily servicable means for removing impurities or debris from the system fluid without requiring the dissassembly of the housing.

The main object ofthc present invention is to provide one or a plurality of readily removable and installable sediment containers for the removal of deleterious ma-' terials without recourse to expensive and a sophisticated filtration system.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a cross-sectional elevation of a portion of the housing of a rotating fluidclutch;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, isometric view of a removable sediment container shown in combination with the clutch housing in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of an alternate container embodiment fabricated in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION member shown generally at .14. The transmission clutch assembly is rotatably supported between a pair of

stationary housing walls

16 and 18 and is mounted upon

bearings

20 and 22. Power input from a shaft 24 is selectively communicated either to an output gear 26 or to an output shaft 28, upon engagement of the rotating clutch 14.

A support hub 30, having an internal bore 32, is pressed upon the input shaft 24 and includes a cylindrical outer surface 34 upon which a balance piston 36 and a clutch engaging piston 38 are axially shiftable and upon which an intermediate wall 40 is fixed. The balance piston is directly connected to the clutch engaging piston through a plurality of pins 42 which extend through a sealed bore 44 defined within the wall 40. A plurality .of bolts 46 secure the pins 42 to the balance piston. The opposite ends of the pins are threadably engaged by the clutch engaging piston at 48.

The outer portion of the clutch assembly 12 consists of an end plate 50, an output gear hub 52, a clutch disc retainer 54 and an opposite end plate 56. These elements are held together by means of a plurality of elongated, retaining bolts 58. The left hand plate 50 is removably secured to the support hub 30 through a plurality of bolts 60. The right end plate 56 is rotatably supported upon the bearing 22.

An annular balance piston chamber 62 is defined by the cylindrical outer surface 34 of the hub 30, the balance piston 36, and the wall 40, which is integrally associated with the output gear hub 52. An annular clutch piston engaging chamber 64 is defined by the outer surface 34 of the support hub 30, the clutch engaging piston 38, the wall 40 and the hub 52.

Relatively high pressure hydraulic fluid, i.e., approximately 300 psi, is supplied through a pair of communicating

passages

66 and 68 located in the input shaft 24 and support hub 30. The fluid passes to the chamber 64 and moves the piston 38 rightwardly to engage the rotating clutch 14. In a similar manner, relatively low pressure hydraulic fluid, i.e., approximately 30 psi, is supplied through a passage 70 in the input shaft and a passage 72 in the hub to the balance piston chamber 62, and the piston retraction is made more positive by a plurality of clutch disengaging springs 74 which encircle the pins 42.

Because the

annular chambers

62 and 64 are peripherally located and are essentially blind pockets, located at the termini of flow passages, deleterious elements in the system fluid tend to be deposited by centrifugal action upon the outer peripheral surfaces of these chambers. The present invention includes one or more removable sediment containers 76, which are lo cated about the periphery of the rotating fluid system 10 which serve as traps for such undesirable materials.

More particularly and with reference to FIG. 2, each sediment container includes a tubular member which has an outer end portion adapted to be received in a blind bore 82 defined in the cover plate 84. The outer end portion of the tubular portion is integrally secured to the cover plate 84 which plate also includes a plurality of bores 86 which are adapted to receive long bolts 58 and includes a bore 88 for receiving a relatively short retaining bolt 90.

As shown in FIG. 2, an inner end portion of the tubular member has an end wall 94 and an opening 92 which takes the form of an axially extended sector and which provides access to the internal sediment retaining cavity 95. As shown in FIG. 1, when the tubular member is inserted into a bore 96 formed in the end plate 50 and into a blind bore 98 in the hub 52, the opening 92 is disposed radially inwardly and is held so because of the orientation of a cover plate as fixed by the attachment bolts. A relatively short passageway 100 communicates the outer peripheral portion of the piston-engaging chamber 64 with the opening 92 in the sediment container so that impurities mingled with the system fluid will pass radially outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force to be deposited within the cavity 95.

A plurality of such sediment containers 76 are, in the preferred arrangement, disposed about the periphery of the clutch assembly and each is in communication with the chamber 64 by means of passageways such as the passageway 100.

As shown, a plurality of similar sediment containers 76' are disposed about the periphery of the clutch assembly in communication with the chamber 62. Any of the described sediment containers may be readily removed by means of detaching the

bolts

58 and 90. This is all that is required for periodic cleaning of the containers during normal servicing of the associated trans mission.

An alternate version of the sediment container of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3. A plurality of these alternate sediment containers 102 which take the form of euplike members are removably peripherally attached to the rotating clutch assembly 12 by means of a plurality of bolts 104. An inwardly facing pocket 106 is defined by each container and is adopted for communication with the passage 100 so that impurities may be deposited on the interior surfaces thereof through the centrifugal action of the rotating fluid. A screen 108 is disposable between the pocket and the passage 100 to provide a trap for particles which may build up upon and subsequently break off from the peripheral surfaces of the pocket. Such a screen is particularly useful during servicing of the sediment containers 102 which containers can experience some vibration or shock during removal. Such shocks or vibrations tend to loosen the accumulated material from the container surfaces and the screen 108 prevents infiltration of such material to the critical inner confines of the fluid system.

In view of the foregoing, it should be apparent that the present invention provides an improved removable sediment container system for rotatable fluid systems which effectively protects the hydraulic fluid system against the admission of debris, sediment and other deleterious materials and which containers are easily accessible for servicing. The system is uncomplicated and economically and efficiently performs the protective sediment removal function required.

While the invention has been described and shown with particular reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that variations and modifications of these embodiments are possible within the spirit of the inventive concepts. No limitations are intended, except by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a rotary fluid device having first rotating means and second non-rotating means and having means for circulating fluid therethrough, said device having internal surfaces therein which communicate with but are not part of main flow paths for said circulating fluid, container means connected to said first rotating means of said device for collecting and retaining deleterious materials which pass with said circulating fluid through said main flow paths and which are deposited upon said internal surfaces by centrifugal force resultant upon rotation of said first rotating means of said rotary fluid device, said container means being accessible from the exterior of said rotary fluid device and removable therefrom without disassembly of said first rotating means from said second non-rotating means, said container means including a plurality of hollow members each having opening means therein for communicating with said internal surfaces to allow the passage of said deleterious materials from said internal surfaces into said hollow members. said hollow members being disposed in angularly spaced relation about a peripheral portion of said first rotating means of said rotary fluid device.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein each said hollow member is cylindrical and wherein said opening means takes the form of an axially extended sector cut into said hollow cylindrical member.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said hollow cylindrical member has first and second axially spaced end portions and wherein said first end portion has a closure plate thereon and said second end portion is fixedly received within a cover plate member such that access to the interior of said hollow cylindrical member is had only through said opening means.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said hollow member is cup-shaped and is provided with a perforate flange portion for attachment to said rotary fluid device.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein a screen member is disposed across said opening means.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said hollow cupshaped member has interior shoulder means for engaging said screen member and for retaining the position thereof with respect to said hollow cup-shaped memher.

7. The invention of claim 3 wherein said cover plate member has a plurality of apertures therein for attachment to said rotary fluid device.

Claims

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said hollow cup-shaped member has interior shoulder means for engaging said screen member and for retaining the position thereof with respect to said hollow cup-shaped member.