Patents by Inventor Paul E. Willis

Paul E. Willis 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: 8408838
    Abstract: A milling machine includes a main frame, a rotatable cutter drum coupled with the frame, and an engine mounted to the frame and operatively connected with the drum, and crawler assemblies connected with the frame and including a hydraulic motor. A pump is disposed on the frame for driving the crawler motor and is adjustable to vary a speed of the motor. A regulator adjusts cutter drum speed, a speed selector generates an input corresponding to a desired drum speed, and a sensor senses a drum speed. A control receives input from the selector and the sensor and operates the regulator such that drum speed corresponds to the desired speed. Further, the control also compares sensed drum speed with desired drum speed and adjusts the pump to reduce crawler motor speed when the sensed drum speed has a value lesser than a predetermined portion of the desired drum speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB
    Inventors: Paul E. Willis, Justin Zupanc
  • Patent number: 7942604
    Abstract: A propulsion system is for a road milling machine with a rotatable cutter drum (3). The system includes four crawler assemblies (12) movably coupled with the mainframe so as to define front and rear, and left and right, pairs of crawler assemblies. Four steering actuators (14) are each coupled with a separate crawler assembly and each angularly displaces the crawler about a vertical axis (12a). A first pump (16A) is fluidly coupled with the left pair of crawlers and a second pump (16B) is fluidly coupled with the right pair of crawlers. A control (20) is configured to selectively operate the four actuators in a plurality of different steering modes, one steering mode being a circle steer mode, and to operate the two pumps such that one of the left and right pairs of crawlers are drivable by the first pump in one direction while the other pair of crawlers are drivable in an opposing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB
    Inventors: Paul E. Willis, Justin Zupanc
  • Publication number: 20100021234
    Abstract: A propulsion system is for a road milling machine with a rotatable cutter drum (3). The system includes four crawler assemblies (12) movably coupled with the mainframe so as to define front and rear, and left and right, pairs of crawler assemblies. Four steering actuators (14) are each coupled with a separate crawler assembly and each angularly displaces the crawler about a vertical axis (12a). A first pump (16A) is fluidly coupled with the left pair of crawlers and a second pump (16B) is fluidly coupled with the right pair of crawlers. A control (20) is configured to selectively operate the four actuators in a plurality of different steering modes, one steering mode being a circle steer mode, and to operate the two pumps such that one of the left and right pairs of crawlers are drivable by the first pump in one direction while the other pair of crawlers are drivable in an opposing direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Paul E. Willis, Justin Zupanc
  • Publication number: 20100014917
    Abstract: A milling machine includes a main frame, a rotatable cutter drum coupled with the frame, and an engine mounted to the frame and operatively connected with the drum, and crawler assemblies connected with the frame and including a hydraulic motor. A pump is disposed on the frame for driving the crawler motor and is adjustable to vary a speed of the motor. A regulator adjusts cutter drum speed, a speed selector generates an input corresponding to a desired drum speed, and a sensor senses a drum speed. A control receives input from the selector and the sensor and operates the regulator such that drum speed corresponds to the desired speed. Further, the control also compares sensed drum speed with desired drum speed and adjusts the pump to reduce crawler motor speed when the sensed drum speed has a value lesser than a predetermined portion of the desired drum speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Inventors: Paul E. Willis, Justin Zupanc
  • Patent number: 5531542
    Abstract: A self propelled paving machine includes a pair of independently operated conveyors and a pair of independently operated augers spaced on opposite sides of the machine centerline. The augers can be separately raised and lowered to different elevations. The drive boxes for the conveyors and augers are positioned at the sides of the machine, to provide space between the conveyors and augers that is unobstructed, permitting the free fall of paving material from the conveyors along the centerline of the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventor: Paul E. Willis
  • Patent number: 4515234
    Abstract: A stabilizing and isolation system for mounting an operator cab on a vehicle frame includes at least one resilient member disposed between the underside of the cab and the frame for resiliently supporting the cab on the frame. Motion limiting members are connected to the frame and the cab for restraining vertical displacement of the cab relative to the frame during a catastrophic event. A stabilizing linkage assembly is connected to the frame and the cab for restraining rolling and pitching motion of the cab relative to the frame, the assembly including resilient means to permit relative vertical motion between the cab and the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1985
    Assignee: Dresser Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Loy, Dale R. Phillips, Paul E. Willis
  • Patent number: D286158
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1986
    Assignee: Dresser Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald C. Baldwin, Robert E. Loy, Paul E. Willis