Patents by Inventor Stacy K. Worley
Stacy K. Worley 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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Publication number: 20250112524Abstract: A rotor cooling arrangement is provided for an electric machine used in a drive train of a work vehicle. The electric machine has a housing containing a stator disposed within the housing in a fixed position about a rotation axis. The rotor cooling arrangement includes a rotor disposed within the housing about the rotation axis. The rotor has a series of rotor discs with pockets in which magnets are disposed. The rotor discs are separated from each other along the rotation axis by a dielectric. A rotor shaft extends along the rotation axis and couples to the rotor discs to corotate relative to the stator about the rotation axis. The rotor shaft defines, in part, a cooling circuit through which flows coolant for cooling the rotor. The cooling circuit includes a feed passage internal to the rotor shaft that communicates with a cooling passage, in the form of an open groove in an outer surface of the rotor shaft, that communicates with an outlet opening spaced along the rotation axis from the rotor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2023Publication date: April 3, 2025Inventors: Randall L. Long, Stacy K. Worley
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Patent number: 12224648Abstract: An energy storage device is mounted at a horizontal end of a work vehicle for storing energy generated from operation of the work vehicle. The energy storage device includes a stator of an electric machine having a stator axis, a rotor of the electric machine fixed for rotation with a rotating ballast and configured for rotation about the stator axis, a housing disposed around the rotor and configured to contain the electric machine, and a brake configured to absorb kinetic energy of the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2021Date of Patent: February 11, 2025Assignee: DEERE &COMPANYInventors: Lashun R. Mowers, Randall L. Long, Stacy K. Worley
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Patent number: 12221766Abstract: A work vehicle and energy storage device include a ballast providing ballast weight to the horizontal end of the work vehicle, a stator of an electric machine having a vertically extending axis, and a rotor of the electric machine fixed for rotation with the ballast.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2022Date of Patent: February 11, 2025Assignee: DEERE & COMPANYInventors: Randall L. Long, Stacy K. Worley, Lashun O. Mowers
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Patent number: 12224647Abstract: A work vehicle and energy storage device include an electric machine having a stator and a rotor. The rotor is configured to rotate from the flow of electrical current provided to the electric machine, rotate to store energy of the work vehicle, provide a rotor mass to an end of the work vehicle, and generate electrical current for the work vehicle from rotation of the rotor. The rotor mass is greater than a stator mass.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2021Date of Patent: February 11, 2025Assignee: DEERE & COMPANYInventors: Randall L. Long, Lashun O. Mowers, Stacy K. Worley
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Patent number: 12212185Abstract: An energy storage device for storing energy generated from operation of a work vehicle includes a ballast providing ballast weight to the work vehicle, a stator of an electric machine mounted on the work vehicle, a rotor of the electric machine fixed for rotation with the ballast, spaced from the stator by a gap, and configured for rotation relative to the stator such that the electric machine is configured to generate electrical current from rotation of the rotor and the ballast relative to the stator and to rotate the rotor and the ballast from electrical current received by the electric machine, and a gap modulator coupled to at least one of the stator and the rotor and configured to selectively adjust the gap between the rotor and the stator based on an operation of the electric machine.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2021Date of Patent: January 28, 2025Assignee: DEERE &COMPANYInventors: Lashun O. Mowers, Randall L Long, Stacy K. Worley
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Patent number: 12110960Abstract: A work vehicle drive includes a housing; an electric machine at least partially housed within the housing, configured to generate rotational power, and comprising an interface coupling at an electric machine output; a transmission at least partially housed within the housing, rotationally coupled to the interface coupling, and configured to transfer at least a portion of the mechanical power from the electric machine to a drive output; a pump at least partially housed within the housing and configured to facilitate circulation of lubrication fluid about the transmission, wherein the pump is selectively driven, in a first mode of operation, by the rotational power of the electric machine; and a solenoid device at least partially housed within the housing and configured to selectively drive the pump in a second mode of operation.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2022Date of Patent: October 8, 2024Assignee: DEERE & COMPANYInventors: Randall L. Long, Stacy K. Worley, Cayle D. Harmon-Moore
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Patent number: 12097771Abstract: A work vehicle is configured to perform an activity in a work area. The work vehicle includes a chassis, a plurality of ground engaging members coupled to the chassis for movement of the chassis in the work area, a generator configured to generate energy from performance of the activity of the work vehicle in the work area, an energy storage device connected to the generator to store energy generated by the generator and configured to be charged to an initial charge, a work member, and a controller configured to establish an initial charge setting corresponding to the initial charge of the energy storage device based on at least one anticipated activity input of the work vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2023Date of Patent: September 24, 2024Assignee: DEERE & COMPANYInventors: Stacy K. Worley, Briton T. Eastman, Douglas J. Duff
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Publication number: 20240157811Abstract: A work vehicle is configured to perform an activity in a work area. The work vehicle includes a chassis, a plurality of ground engaging members coupled to the chassis for movement of the chassis in the work area, a generator configured to generate energy from performance of the activity of the work vehicle in the work area, an energy storage device connected to the generator to store energy generated by the generator and configured to be charged to an initial charge, a work member, and a controller configured to establish an initial charge setting corresponding to the initial charge of the energy storage device based on at least one anticipated activity input of the work vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2023Publication date: May 16, 2024Inventors: STACY K. WORLEY, BRITON T. EASTMAN, DOUGLAS J. DUFF
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Patent number: 11890947Abstract: A work vehicle is configured to perform an activity in a work area. The work vehicle includes a chassis, a plurality of ground engaging members coupled to the chassis for movement of the chassis in the work area, a generator configured to generate energy from performance of the activity of the work vehicle in the work area, an energy storage device connected to the generator to store energy generated by the generator and configured to be charged to an initial charge, and a controller configured to establish an initial charge setting corresponding to the initial charge of the energy storage device based on at least one anticipated activity input of the work vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2020Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: DEERE & COMPANYInventors: Stacy K Worley, Briton T. Eastman, Douglas J. Duff
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Patent number: 11820361Abstract: A transmission assembly for a work vehicle having an engine includes a variator operably connected to the engine, a gear arrangement configured to provide a selective gear reduction for transmission of output power from the variator to an output shaft, and an electrical machine unit. The electrical machine unit further includes a main shaft operably connected to the variator, a first rotor configured to rotatably drive a first shaft, a second rotor configured to rotatably drive a second shaft, and a clutch configured to selectively couple the first shaft or the second shaft, or both the first shaft and the second shaft, to the main shaft. The clutch, the first rotor, and the second rotor are operable to control a speed and rotational direction of the main shaft in providing rotational power to the variator.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2021Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: DEERE & COMPANYInventors: David S. Black, Stacy K. Worley, Clayton G. Janasek
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Publication number: 20230369922Abstract: An electric motor includes a stator core and a plurality of stator windings disposed on or in the stator core, with the plurality of stator windings including a plurality of winding end-turns that extend out from the stator core. The electric motor also includes an electrically insulating potting material applied over the plurality of winding end-turns. A cooling passage is formed that defines a cooling circuit through which a cooling fluid is circulated to provide cooling to the plurality of winding end-turns, the cooling passage formed upon dissolving of a chemically soluble material embedded within the potting material.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2022Publication date: November 16, 2023Inventors: Cayle D. Harmon-Moore, Stacy K. Worley, Randall L. Long
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Patent number: 11811296Abstract: An electric machine includes a drive assembly and a casing. The drive assembly has a stator and a rotor rotatable about a drive axis relative to the stator. The casing contains the drive assembly and has coolant passages, the coolant passages defining a first inlet opening, a second inlet opening, a stator feed circuit, a rotor feed circuit, and an intersection providing fluid communication between the stator feed circuit and the rotor feed circuit. The coolant passages receive at least one coolant input through one or more of the first inlet opening and the second inlet opening to deliver coolant to the rotor through the rotor feed circuit and to the stator through the stator feed circuit.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2020Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: DEERE & COMPANYInventors: Randall L Long, Stacy K. Worley
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Publication number: 20230304570Abstract: A work vehicle drive includes a housing; an electric machine at least partially housed within the housing, configured to generate rotational power, and comprising an interface coupling at an electric machine output; a transmission at least partially housed within the housing, rotationally coupled to the interface coupling, and configured to transfer at least a portion of the mechanical power from the electric machine to a drive output; a pump at least partially housed within the housing and configured to facilitate circulation of lubrication fluid about the transmission, wherein the pump is selectively driven, in a first mode of operation, by the rotational power of the electric machine; and a solenoid device at least partially housed within the housing and configured to selectively drive the pump in a second mode of operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2022Publication date: September 28, 2023Inventors: Randall L. Long, Stacy K. Worley, Cayle D. Harmon-Moore
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Publication number: 20230287965Abstract: A final drive assembly is provided for powering a ground-engaging mechanism of a work machine. The final drive assembly includes a plurality of power-transferring devices each having an output and a planetary gearset assembly including a plurality of planetary inputs and a planetary output. The planetary output is configured to transfer power from the plurality of planetary inputs to the ground-engaging mechanism. Each of the plurality of planetary inputs is coupled to one output of the plurality of power-transferring devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2022Publication date: September 14, 2023Inventors: Randall L. Long, Cayle D. Harmon-Moore, Stacy K. Worley
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Patent number: 11746858Abstract: A final drive assembly is provided for powering a ground-engaging mechanism of a work machine. The final drive assembly includes a plurality of power-transferring devices each having an output and a planetary gearset assembly including a plurality of planetary inputs and a planetary output. The planetary output is configured to transfer power from the plurality of planetary inputs to the ground-engaging mechanism. Each of the plurality of planetary inputs is coupled to one output of the plurality of power-transferring devices.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2022Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: DEERE & COMPANYInventors: Randall L. Long, Cayle D. Harmon-Moore, Stacy K. Worley
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Patent number: 11691617Abstract: A transmission assembly for a work vehicle having an engine includes a variator operably connected to the engine, a gear arrangement configured to provide a selective gear reduction for transmission of output power from the variator to an output shaft, and an electrical machine unit. The electrical machine unit further includes a main shaft operably connected to the variator, a first rotor configured to rotatably drive a first shaft, a second rotor configured to rotatably drive a second shaft, and a clutch configured to selectively couple the first shaft or the second shaft, or both the first shaft and the second shaft, to the main shaft. The clutch, the first rotor, and the second rotor are operable to control a speed and rotational direction of the main shaft in providing rotational power to the variator.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2021Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: DEERE & COMPANYInventors: David S. Black, Stacy K. Worley, Clayton G. Janasek
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Publication number: 20230166718Abstract: A transmission assembly for a work vehicle having an engine includes a variator operably connected to the engine, a gear arrangement configured to provide a selective gear reduction for transmission of output power from the variator to an output shaft, and an electrical machine unit. The electrical machine unit further includes a main shaft operably connected to the variator, a first rotor configured to rotatably drive a first shaft, a second rotor configured to rotatably drive a second shaft, and a clutch configured to selectively couple the first shaft or the second shaft, or both the first shaft and the second shaft, to the main shaft. The clutch, the first rotor, and the second rotor are operable to control a speed and rotational direction of the main shaft in providing rotational power to the variator.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2021Publication date: June 1, 2023Inventors: David S. Black, Stacy K. Worley, Clayton G. Janasek
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Publication number: 20230132187Abstract: A work vehicle and energy storage device include a ballast providing ballast weight to the horizontal end of the work vehicle, a stator of an electric machine having a vertically extending axis, and a rotor of the electric machine fixed for rotation with the ballast.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2022Publication date: April 27, 2023Inventors: RANDALL L. LONG, STACY K. WORLEY, LASHUN O. MOWERS
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Publication number: 20230126557Abstract: An energy storage device is mounted at a horizontal end of a work vehicle for storing energy generated from operation of the work vehicle. The energy storage device includes a stator of an electric machine having a stator axis, a rotor of the electric machine fixed for rotation with a rotating ballast and configured for rotation about the stator axis, a housing disposed around the rotor and configured to contain the electric machine, and a brake configured to absorb kinetic energy of the rotor.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2021Publication date: April 27, 2023Inventors: Lashun O. Mowers, Randall L. Long, Stacy K. Worley
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Publication number: 20230131257Abstract: An energy storage device for storing energy generated from operation of a work vehicle includes a ballast providing ballast weight to the work vehicle, a stator of an electric machine mounted on the work vehicle, a rotor of the electric machine fixed for rotation with the ballast, spaced from the stator by a gap, and configured for rotation relative to the stator such that the electric machine is configured to generate electrical current from rotation of the rotor and the ballast relative to the stator and to rotate the rotor and the ballast from electrical current received by the electric machine, and a gap modulator coupled to at least one of the stator and the rotor and configured to selectively adjust the gap between the rotor and the stator based on an operation of the electric machine.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2021Publication date: April 27, 2023Inventors: Lashun O. Mowers, Randall L. Long, Stacy K. Worley