Patents by Inventor Visvaldis A. Stepe
Visvaldis A. Stepe 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).
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Patent number: 4991659Abstract: Ripper assemblies are normally utilized for ripping hardened ground, rock, and so forth. Due to the type of ground being ripped, it is many times advantageous to selectively change the pitch angle of the ripper tip during the ripping operation. Furthermore, it is advantageous to have a push block associated with the ripper assembly in order to allow the second vehicle to provide an additional pushing force for ripping of the ground. When a ripper assembly incorporates an adjustable pitch control and has a push block, the visibility of the ripper tip by the operator is many times limited or totally lost. In this subject arrangement, a push block is integral with a frame assembly and a ripper carriage assembly is pivotally secured to the frame assembly. By the push block being integral with the frame assembly, the ripper carriage assembly is simple and compact allowing better visibility by the operator to the rear of the ripper assembly.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 1990Date of Patent: February 12, 1991Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Visvaldis A. Stepe, Chris E. Akins
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Patent number: 4290214Abstract: An improved wear member for use in an earthworking implement having a sidewall member defining a bottom edge portion to which the wear member is secured is disclosed. The wear member comprises a U-section member defining a bottom bight portion and spaced legs defining a channel receiving the lower end of the sidewall member.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 1980Date of Patent: September 22, 1981Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.Inventor: Visvaldis A. Stepe
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Patent number: 4238896Abstract: A loader bucket for an earthmoving machine including a bucket base having a forward end, a plurality of tooth adapters connected to and spaced along the forward end and each supporting a tooth, and a plurality of cutting edges, each extending forwardly of the front end between two adjacent adapters for cutting into the earth. The cutting edges are fastened to the lower surface of the base with bolt assemblies so as to be reversible end-to-end.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 1979Date of Patent: December 16, 1980Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.Inventors: William E. Lanz, Visvaldis A. Stepe
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Patent number: 4120105Abstract: A loader bucket having a support plate connected to the bucket base, a reversible cutting edge connected to and extending forwardly of the plate, and a tooth-adapter assembly including an adapter having a rearward portion bifurcated into upper and lower legs with a cavity therebetween to receive the support plate and cutting edge, a load-absorbing shoulder extending integrally from the upper leg into the cavity to abut a forward end of the support plate, and a tooth extending from a forward portion of the adapter.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 1977Date of Patent: October 17, 1978Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.Inventor: Visvaldis A. Stepe
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Patent number: 4074449Abstract: A loader bucket comprises a bottom wall having an elongated general purpose edge disposed forwardly thereon. A reversible cutting edge is bolted onto an underside of the general purpose edge, along with a plurality of laterally spaced adapters each having a hardened earthworking tip detachably mounted thereon. In a first embodiment of this invention, a plurality of laterally spaced bores are formed to a limited depth on the upper side of the cutting edge and the lower end of a bolt stud is welded within each bore. The stud extends upwardly through aligned holes formed through the cutting edge and the adapter to have a nut threaded on the upper end thereof. In a second embodiment of this invention, a continuous slot is formed along the cutting edge to receive the studs therein. Alternatively, the bores or slot may be formed on an underside of the general purpose edge.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 1977Date of Patent: February 21, 1978Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.Inventors: William E. Lanz, Visvaldis A. Stepe
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Patent number: 4069604Abstract: An end wear bit for earthmoving equipment blades includes a symmetrically constructed plate having a plurality of divergent rows of apertures formed therein.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 1977Date of Patent: January 24, 1978Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.Inventor: Visvaldis A. Stepe
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Patent number: 4052803Abstract: A loader bucket comprises a bottom wall having an elongated general purpose edge disposed forwardly thereon. A reversible cutting edge is bolted onto an underside of the general purpose edge, along with a plurality of laterally spaced adapters each having a hardened earthworking tip detachably mounted thereon. In a first embodiment of this invention, a plurality of laterally spaced bores are formed to a limited depth on the upper side of the cutting edge and the lower end of a bolt stud is welded within each bore. The stud extends upwardly through aligned holes formed through the cutting edge and the adapter to have a nut threaded on the upper end thereof. In a second embodiment of this invention, a continuous slot is formed along the cutting edge to receive the studs therein. Alternatively, the bores or slot may be formed on an underside of the general purpose edge.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 1976Date of Patent: October 11, 1977Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.Inventors: William E. Lanz, Visvaldis A. Stepe
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Patent number: 4047312Abstract: A corner tooth assembly which is removably secured to the corner of an implement for engaging the earth in a longitudinally oriented forward direction, and which includes a laterally extending bottom plate, a side plate integrally secured to the bottom plate, and an elongated forwardly extending earth penetrating structure integrally secured to the bottom and side plates for overlappingly engaging the implement protectingly exteriorly of the corner thereof.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 1976Date of Patent: September 13, 1977Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.Inventor: Visvaldis A. Stepe
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Patent number: 4043060Abstract: A strengthened loader bucket and a replaceable cutting edge includes a bucket shell having a floor with at least two strengthening members weldably secured to the upper surface of the floor in longitudinally extending and laterally spaced apart relation and individually having a nose portion thereon. The replaceable cutting edge includes a blade with at least two housing elements weldably secured to an upper surface thereof which provides therewith at least two sockets that are individually adapted to receive the nose portions of the strengthening members interlockingly therein and being so constructed and arranged that the blade is generally coplanar with the floor.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 1976Date of Patent: August 23, 1977Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.Inventor: Visvaldis A. Stepe
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Patent number: 4027409Abstract: A ground engaging element having slots extending therethrough and being positioned at preselected locations, being of preselected configuration, and terminating at preselected distances from a forward cutting edge of the element for controllably breaking away selected portions of the element in response to forces subjected on the element after the forward edge has been worn away a preselected amount.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 1976Date of Patent: June 7, 1977Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.Inventor: Visvaldis A. Stepe
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Patent number: 4007550Abstract: A replaceable corner tooth assembly is disclosed, for an earthmoving implement having a sidewall member and a base plate member disposed in laterally extending relation therefrom at a forward corner thereof, including an elongated body with a rearwardly extending, fully corner encasing angle member and a rearwardly extending cooperating inner leg which load-transferringly and interlockingly embrace the sidewall member and the base plate member at the forwardly disposed intersection thereof for maximizing effective corner protection of the implement.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 1975Date of Patent: February 15, 1977Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.Inventor: Visvaldis A. Stepe
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Patent number: 4006544Abstract: Two embodiments of a replaceable cutting edge assembly for earthmoving buckets, each assembly including a plurality of cutting edge sections arranged along a leading edge of the earthmoving bucket floor with digging teeth overlapping the junctures between the cutting edge sections, the cutting edge sections being configured for attachment to the bucket floor, for example, by means of bolts, while trapping and holding the digging teeth in place in order to facilitate replacement of individual portions of the assembly while also adapting the bucket for use with a single elongated cutting edge without the digging teeth. In one embodiment, the cutting edge sections and teeth are designed to provide a flush bottom surface suitable for finish work even with the teeth in place. In the second embodiment, additional means are employed to secure both the digging teeth and cutting edge sections in place along the leading edge of the bucket floor.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 1975Date of Patent: February 8, 1977Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.Inventor: Visvaldis A. Stepe
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Patent number: 3997989Abstract: Retaining means for an earthworking tip member including a wire spring member bonded into a washer shaped member of resilient material. The means also include a partially cylindrical partially flat surfaced retaining bar member having grooves for receiving portions of the wire spring member within the open central portion of the washer shaped resilient member. The resilient member is received within a recessed portion of an adapter or shank upon which the earthworking tip member is retained. Upon engagement with the grooves in the bar member, the wire spring means and the resilient member tend to rotate the retaining bar to lock the bar member in place from firm retention of the tip member during use. The retention means is also selectively releasable when desired for removal thereof and release of the tip member.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 1974Date of Patent: December 21, 1976Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.Inventor: Visvaldis A. Stepe
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Patent number: 3984929Abstract: A loader bucket comprises a bottom wall having an elongated general purpose edge disposed forwardly thereon. A cutting edge is bolted onto an underside of the general purpose edge along with a plurality of laterally spaced adapters. A plurality of U-shaped notches are formed on a forward edge of the cutting edge and each notch receives a like-shaped lower portion of an adapter therein. Each adapter has a hardened earthworking tip detachably mounted thereon by a pin. In a first embodiment of this invention, the cutting edge is reversible and has a plurality of such notches formed on both the forward and rearward edges thereof whereas in a second embodiment of this invention such notches are solely formed on the forward edge of the cutting edge.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 1975Date of Patent: October 12, 1976Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.Inventors: David L. Meyer, Visvaldis A. Stepe
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Patent number: 3967398Abstract: A work implement, such as a loader bucket, comprises a pair of laterally spaced end walls and a cutting edge secured forwardly on the bucket, between such end walls. A corner protector is detachably mounted on a forward edge of each of the sidewalls by a plurality of bolts. An interlocking tongue and groove arrangement mounts the corner protector on the sidewall. The corner protector may have a tip mounting adapter formed integrally thereon or may constitute a router bit.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 1975Date of Patent: July 6, 1976Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.Inventor: Visvaldis A. Stepe