Patents by Inventor James McCoy Voelker

James McCoy Voelker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11230964
    Abstract: A machine system includes a compressor, and a cooler having an inlet tank to receive compressed air from the compressor, and a header assembly attached to the inlet tank and including a plurality of cooling tubes supported in the header and each having an external heat exchange surface exposed to a flow of cooling air. The cooler further includes a plurality of graphite pack seals each extending peripherally around one of the cooling tubes, and a clamping assembly clamping the pack seals against the header to squeeze the pack seals into sealing contact with the cooling tubes and the header.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Dongming Tan, James McCoy Voelker, Sharath Kumar Reddy Challa, Jianlong Xu
  • Publication number: 20210324786
    Abstract: A machine system includes a compressor, and a cooler having an inlet tank to receive compressed air from the compressor, and a header assembly attached to the inlet tank and including a plurality of cooling tubes supported in the header and each having an external heat exchange surface exposed to a flow of cooling air. The cooler further includes a plurality of graphite pack seals each extending peripherally around one of the cooling tubes, and a clamping assembly clamping the pack seals against the header to squeeze the pack seals into sealing contact with the cooling tubes and the header.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Dongming Tan, James McCoy Voelker, Sharath Kumar Reddy Challa, Jianlong Xu
  • Patent number: 11098965
    Abstract: A radiator includes a radiator frame, an array of tube assemblies each including a coolant tube and a tube clip supported in the radiator frame, and a lateral bump stop fitted between the array of tube assemblies and the radiator frame. The lateral bump stop includes cushions arranged in a staggered cushion pattern complementary to a staggered packing pattern of the tube assemblies with each of the cushions in contact with the tube clip of one of the tube assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Hussien A Albakhit, Virender Kumar, Jeffrey Joseph Speichinger, James McCoy Voelker, Fei Wang, Sudhakar Lakshminarayanan, Dongming Tan, Neil Alan Terry
  • Patent number: 11047631
    Abstract: A heat exchanger assembly includes a frame, a plurality of tubes, and a first bumper clip attaching at least a first tube of the plurality of tubes to the frame. The first tube defines a first exterior dimension and the first bumper clip defines a first tube slot defining a first tube slot dimension that is less than the first exterior dimension of the at least first tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Sharath Kumar Reddy Challa, James Mccoy Voelker, Derrick D. Goss
  • Patent number: 10823515
    Abstract: An air-to-air aftercooler (ATAAC) configured to cool compressed air from an air compressor is disclosed. The ATAAC may comprise a header at a cold end, and a plurality of core tubes. Each of the core tubes may have a first end and a second end. The ATAAC may further comprise a plurality of grommets each connecting the second end of one of the core tubes to a slot of the header. Each of the grommets may include an inner surface contacting the core tube and an outer surface contacting the slot of the header. The inner surface of the grommet may include radially-inwardly projecting regions contacting the core tube, and depressed regions providing clearance between the grommet and the core tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph L. Kennedy, Christian Earl Sabotta, Nirag Sheth, James McCoy Voelker
  • Publication number: 20200326143
    Abstract: A radiator includes a radiator frame, an array of tube assemblies each including a coolant tube and a tube clip supported in the radiator frame, and a lateral bump stop fitted between the array of tube assemblies and the radiator frame. The lateral bump stop includes cushions arranged in a staggered cushion pattern complementary to a staggered packing pattern of the tube assemblies with each of the cushions in contact with the tube clip of one of the tube assemblies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Hussien A Albakhit, Virender Kumar, Jeffrey Joseph Speichinger, James McCoy Voelker, Fei Wang, Sudhakar Lakshminarayanan, Dongming Tan, Neil Alan Terry
  • Publication number: 20200263937
    Abstract: A heat exchanger assembly includes a frame, a plurality of tubes, and a first bumper clip attaching at least a first tube of the plurality of tubes to the frame. The first tube defines a first exterior dimension and the first bumper clip defines a first tube slot defining a first tube slot dimension that is less than the first exterior dimension of the at least first tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Sharath Kumar Reddy Challa, James McCoy Voelker, Derrick D. Goss
  • Publication number: 20180224221
    Abstract: An air-to-air aftercooler (ATAAC) configured to cool compressed air from an air compressor is disclosed. The ATAAC may comprise a header at a cold end, and a plurality of core tubes. Each of the core tubes may have a first end and a second end. The ATAAC may further comprise a plurality of grommets each connecting the second end of one of the core tubes to a slot of the header. Each of the grommets may include an inner surface contacting the core tube and an outer surface contacting the slot of the header. The inner surface of the grommet may include radially-inwardly projecting regions contacting the core tube, and depressed regions providing clearance between the grommet and the core tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph L. Kennedy, Christian Earl Sabotta, Nirag Sheth, James McCoy Voelker
  • Publication number: 20180224216
    Abstract: An air-to-air aftercooler (ATAAC) configured to cool compressed air from an air compressor is disclosed. The ATAAC may comprise a first header. The first header may include a plurality of slots each having a recessed groove. The ATAAC may further comprise a plurality of core tubes each including a first end inserted in a respective one of the slots of the first header. The ATAAC may further comprise a plurality of mechanical joints each connecting the first end of one of the core tubes to the first header. Each of the mechanical joints may include a C-ring inserted in the recessed groove of one of the slots, and a clamp clamping the core tube to the first header. The C-ring and the clamp may both be formed from a metallic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph L. Kennedy, Nirag Sheth, James McCoy Voelker, Elmer S. Zanoria, Christian Earl Sabotta, Neil Terry