Patents by Inventor Scott F. Shafer

Scott F. Shafer 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).

  • Publication number: 20160305444
    Abstract: A pump includes a housing having an internal surface defining a volute configured to receive a pump impeller therein, an extension tube fluidly coupled to the volute, a wall of the extension tube having an internal surface disposed opposite an external surface, and a bonnet having an internal surface defining a first inlet aperture and a second inlet aperture therethrough, the first inlet aperture and the second inlet aperture being in fluid communication with the volute via the extension tube. The internal surface of the bonnet and the external surface of the extension tube define a bonnet flow path therebetween, the first inlet aperture of the bonnet being in fluid communication with the volute via the bonnet flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: David E. Hackett, Scott F. Shafer
  • Publication number: 20160290302
    Abstract: A fuel injector may include a nozzle assembly and a body. The body may have a fuel inlet, a nozzle supply passage fluidly coupled to the nozzle assembly, and an internal surface defining a chamber within the body. The fuel inlet may be fluidly coupled to the nozzle supply passage via the chamber. The fuel inlet defines an inlet dimension and the chamber defines a chamber dimension, the chamber dimension being larger than the inlet dimension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Scott F. Shafer, David E. Hackett, Craig Habeger
  • Patent number: 9447740
    Abstract: A fuel injector is disclosed for use in an engine system. The fuel injector may have a body defining a gas inlet, an oil inlet, and an oil outlet. The fuel injector may also have a nozzle connected to the body and having a base end in fluid communication with the gas inlet, and an injection tip located opposite the base end. The fuel injector may also have a valve check disposed in the nozzle and movable to selectively block and unblock the injection tip of the nozzle, and a plunger disposed in the body between the oil inlet and the oil outlet. The plunger may be movable between a flow-passing position and a flow-blocking position to cause movement of the valve check through the injection tip. The injector may further have a solenoid actuator configured to selectively move the plunger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Michael Brown, David E. Hackett, Lifeng Wang, Scott F. Shafer, Alan R. Stockner, Martin A. Lehman
  • Patent number: 9440169
    Abstract: A fuel filtration system includes an electric pump, a filter assembly, and conduits for fluidly connecting the pump and filter assembly in series with a fuel tank to define a kidney filtration loop. The filter assembly includes a filter assembly head, including attachment openings therethrough, and a filter exchange module, including a mounting plate having externally threaded mounting connectors extending outwardly from one face thereof and internally threaded bores opening through another face thereof. In a mounted configuration, a fuel filter is threaded onto each mounting connector such that the filter is fluidly aligned with a fuel flow opening through the mounting plate, fasteners are positioned through the attachment openings and threadably received within the bores, and fuel flow passages of the filter assembly head define a flow distribution in which one pair of filters is fluidly in parallel and another pair of filters is fluidly in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Scott F. Shafer, Eric J. Herron, Alan W. Wells, Byron R. Wear, Krishna K. Chinta, Ye Tian
  • Publication number: 20160230720
    Abstract: A fluid conditioning system includes a first filter mount having a first filter inlet port and a first filter outlet port; a motor unit; a recirculation pump unit operatively coupled to the motor unit, an outlet of the recirculation pump unit being fluidly coupled to the first filter inlet port via a first filter inlet conduit, an inlet of the recirculation pump unit being fluidly coupled to the first filter outlet port via a first filter outlet conduit; a second filter mount having a second filter inlet port; and a delivery pump unit operatively coupled to the motor unit. The inlet of the delivery pump unit is fluidly coupled to the first filter outlet port via the first filter outlet conduit, and the outlet of the delivery pump unit is fluidly coupled to the second filter inlet port via a second filter inlet conduit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: David E. Hackett, Scott F. Shafer, Steven Y. Tian, Martin Lehman
  • Publication number: 20160195053
    Abstract: A fluid conditioning system includes a first filter mount having a first filter inlet port and a first filter outlet port, a first motor, a first pump operatively coupled to the first motor, a second filter mount having a second filter inlet port, a second pump, and a controller operatively coupled to the first motor. The controller is configured to operate the first pump at a flowrate that is higher than a flowrate of the second pump. An outlet of the first pump is fluidly coupled to the first filter inlet port via a first filter inlet conduit, and an inlet of the first pump is fluidly coupled the first filter outlet port via a first filter outlet conduit. An inlet of the second pump is fluidly coupled to the first filter outlet port via the first filter outlet conduit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Scott F. Shafer, David E. Hackett, Steven Y. Tian, Martin Lehman
  • Publication number: 20160131563
    Abstract: A method to test for fatigue in a test sample is disclosed. The method includes providing a specimen as the test sample. The specimen has a shoulder portion, a tubular sidewall that defines a bore, and an undercut wall segment. The sidewall includes a first thickness, which is greater than a second thickness of undercut wall segment. The method further includes providing a fixture that includes an insert and a clamp to retain the specimen, positioning the bore of the specimen substantially about the insert, and retaining the shoulder portion of the specimen by use of the clamp. Next, the method includes generating a cyclic loading within the bore by hydraulic pulsation between a first predetermined pressure and a second predetermined pressure, at a predetermined frequency. The test is carried through by maintaining and recording the cyclic loading until the specimen fails by fracture of the undercut wall segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: SCOTT F. SHAFER, ALAN W. WELLS, MARK S. ELLISON, LIFENG WANG
  • Publication number: 20160115922
    Abstract: A port injection system for gaseous fuels may include an injector body defining a hydraulic fluid inlet chamber, a hydraulic fluid exit passageway, a hydraulic fluid actuation passageway, a check valve inlet passageway fluidly connected with the hydraulic fluid actuation passageway, a valve chamber, and a gaseous fuel inlet chamber. An electrical solenoid actuator may be mounted to the injector body, with the electrical solenoid actuator including a movable armature, and a poppet valve connected to the movable armature and disposed within the valve chamber. The poppet valve may be movable between a pressurized hydraulic fluid flow blocking position and a pressurized hydraulic fluid flow passing position. A check valve may be disposed within the check valve inlet passageway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Scott F. SHAFER, Dennis Henderson GIBSON, Lifeng WANG, Alan Ray STOCKNER
  • Publication number: 20150369143
    Abstract: A fuel injector is disclosed for use in an engine system. The fuel injector may have a body defining a gas inlet, an oil inlet, and an oil outlet. The fuel injector may also have a nozzle connected to the body and having a base end in fluid communication with the gas inlet, and an injection tip located opposite the base end. The fuel injector may also have a valve check disposed in the nozzle and movable to selectively block and unblock the injection tip of the nozzle, and a plunger disposed in the body between the oil inlet and the oil outlet. The plunger may be movable between a flow-passing position and a flow-blocking position to cause movement of the valve check through the injection tip. The injector may further have a solenoid actuator configured to selectively move the plunger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Aaron Michael BROWN, David E. HACKETT, Lifeng WANG, Scott F. SHAFER, Alan R. STOCKNER, Martin A. LEHMAN
  • Publication number: 20140224215
    Abstract: A fuel filtration system is provided. The fuel filtration system includes a pump configured to receive a flow of fuel from a fuel storage tank and at least one filter positioned downstream to the fuel filtration system and fluidly coupled to the pump. The fuel filtration system further comprises a recirculation loop configured to recirculate at least a portion of the fuel through the at least one filter. The recirculation loop is also configured to provide a remaining portion of the fuel to an engine during the recirculation. The remaining portion of the fuel is determined based on a fuel consumption of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Inventors: Martin A. Lehman, Eric J. Herron, Steven Y. Tian, Krishna K. Chinta, Scott F. Shafer, Byron R. Wear
  • Patent number: 8635990
    Abstract: A solenoid operated valve assembly is provided. The valve assembly may include a solenoid having a solenoid coil and an armature movable under influence of the solenoid coil. The valve assembly may also include a valve member operably connected to the armature and configured to selectively contact a valve seat. The valve assembly may further include an outer body containing the solenoid, the armature, the valve member, and the valve seat. In addition, the valve assembly may include a grounding device including an electrically conductive element disposed between the valve member and the outer body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Scott F. Shafer, Jeremy T. Claus, Daniel R. Ibrahim
  • Publication number: 20140021118
    Abstract: A fuel filtration system includes an electric pump, a filter assembly, and conduits for fluidly connecting the pump and filter assembly in series with a fuel tank to define a kidney filtration loop. The filter assembly includes a filter assembly head, including attachment openings therethrough, and a filter exchange module, including a mounting plate having externally threaded mounting connectors extending outwardly from one face thereof and internally threaded bores opening through another face thereof. In a mounted configuration, a fuel filter is threaded onto each mounting connector such that the filter is fluidly aligned with a fuel flow opening through the mounting plate, fasteners are positioned through the attachment openings and threadably received within the bores, and fuel flow passages of the filter assembly head define a flow distribution in which one pair of filters is fluidly in parallel and another pair of filters is fluidly in series.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Scott F. Shafer, Eric J. Herron, Alan W. Wells, Byron R. Wear, Krishna K. Chinta, Ye Tian
  • Patent number: 8561593
    Abstract: A pump and rail assembly includes a plurality of quills that are compressed between quill seats on a pump and an output rail. A rail pressure control valve and a rail pressure sensor are attached to respective ends of the output rail. An inlet throttle valve is attached to a housing of the pump and rail assembly. Depending upon the application, the output rail may supply fuel to a first injection bank that includes a plurality of fuel injectors in a first common rail, and a second fuel injection bank that includes a second common rail and a plurality of fuel injectors. Different engines having different numbers of cylinders may use similar pump and rail assemblies that each include a plurality of quills, a plurality of pumping elements positioned in a pump housing and an output rail. The quills for each of the different engine applications are interchangeable but differ in number. In addition, the pumping elements of each of the different engine applications are also interchangeable but differ in number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Scott F. Shafer, Zhenyu Li
  • Patent number: 8291889
    Abstract: A pressure relief valve includes a valve body having a valve seat fluidly positioned between an inlet and an outlet. A valve member is movable among a first position, a second position, and a third position. The valve member is in contact with the valve seat and fluidly blocks the inlet from the outlet at the first position. At the second position of the valve member, the inlet is fluidly connected to the outlet via a small flow area. The inlet is fluidly connected to the outlet via a large flow area when the valve member is at the third position. An electrical actuator is attached to the valve body and is operably coupled to move the valve member when energized. The valve member includes an opening hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in the inlet when at the first position. A spring is operably positioned to bias the valve member toward the second position when the valve member is at the third position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Scott F. Shafer, Jeffrey DePayva, Daniel R. Puckett, Amy S. Johanson, Kenneth C. Adams, Benjamin R. Tower, Jason Z. Li, Jayaraman Venkataraghavan, Michael D. Gerstner, Michael C. Long
  • Patent number: 8287256
    Abstract: Although modern diesel fuel formulations are intended to reduce emissions of diesel engines, at least some of those modern fuels tend to have relatively low lubricity levels. The control valve assemblies described herein help to minimize any increased wear that would otherwise result from the use of such low lubricity fuels by providing a valve element, a valve guide, and an insert. The valve element is received within the valve guide and is moveable between an open position and a closed position. The insert forms a first sealed interface and a second sealed interface with the valve element and the valve guide. When the valve element is in the closed position, both of the first sealed interface and the second sealed interface are engaged. When the valve element is in the open position, only one of the first sealed interface and the second sealed interface is engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Scott F. Shafer, Christopher R. Jones
  • Patent number: 8261718
    Abstract: Mixing a pumped fluid with a lubrication fluid within a pump can undermine the lubricity of the lubrication fluid. In order to reduce mixing of fluids within a pump of the present disclosure, a pump is provided that comprises a housing, a piston, a first annulus, and a second annulus. The housing includes an inlet for the pumped fluid, an inlet for the lubrication fluid provided at a first pressure, and a piston bore fluidly coupled to the inlet for the pumped fluid. The piston is moveable within the piston bore. The first annulus is fluidly coupled to the inlet for the lubrication fluid. The second annulus is configured to be fluidly coupled to a drain circuit provided at a second pressure less than the first pressure. The first annulus and the second annulus are located along the length of the piston bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Scott F. Shafer, Alan R. Stockner
  • Patent number: 8240291
    Abstract: A pressure relief valve is disclosed. The pressure relief valve comprises a body, a valve member, and a resilient member. The body includes a guide bore, a seat surface, an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet. The valve member is received within a portion of the body and includes a guide portion received within the guide bore, a valve seat configured to sealingly engage the seat surface, and an internal passage. The resilient member biases the valve seat into engagement with the seat surface. The valve member is moveable between a first position in which the inlet is fluidly blocked from the first outlet and the second outlet, a second position in which inlet is fluidly coupled to the first outlet but not to the second outlet, and a third position in which the inlet is fluidly coupled to the first outlet and the second outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Ibrahim, Scott F. Shafer
  • Publication number: 20110297125
    Abstract: A common rail fuel system includes a reverse flow check valve fluidly positioned between each of a plurality of common rail fuel injectors and an outlet of a high pressure pump. The reverse flow check valves divide the overall system fluid volume into an upstream common volume and a plurality of separate downstream volumes. The upstream common volume is greater than the sum of the separate downstream volumes. The reverse flow check valve is movable between a first configuration with a large flow area and a second configuration with a small flow area. The reverse flow check valve associated with each of the individual fuel injectors may be housed in a quill that fluidly connects the fuel injectors to the high pressure common rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Scott F. Shafer, Michael David Gerstner, Kenneth C. Adams, Daniel Richard Ibrahim, Zhenyu Li, Benjamin Ray Tower
  • Patent number: 8061328
    Abstract: Mixing of lubrication fluid and pumped fluid within a pump can undermine lubricity of the lubrication fluid and/or contaminate the pumped fluid (e.g. fuel) with lubrication fluid. In order to reduce mixing of fluids within a high pressure pump of the present disclosure, a lubrication fluid is supplied to the high pressure pump. A low pressure pump supplies a second fluid to the high pressure pump. The pressure of the second fluid is increased within at least one piston bore of the high pressure pump. Mixing of the lubrication fluid and the second fluid is reduced by fluidly connecting a weep annulus which is opened to the at least one piston bore to a low pressure pump inlet of the low pressure pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Scott F. Shafer, Alan R. Stockner, Greg W. Hefler, Chris L. Stewart, Dan Rushton
  • Patent number: RE44082
    Abstract: A solitary fuel injector for a diesel engine that is capable of injecting fuel for a homogeneous charge compression ignition injection event, a conventional injection event. The solitary fuel injector also has a mixed mode that includes a homogeneous charge compression ignition injection and a conventional injection in a single compression stroke for the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Scott F. Shafer, Clifford E. Cotton, III, Ye Tian, Richard H. Holtman, Joseph Angelino, Robert E. Dieffenbach