Patents by Inventor William H. Zimmerman

William H. Zimmerman 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: 20090199441
    Abstract: A ripper assembly includes a beam assembly with a central ripper shank and tip flanked by a left linkage and a right linkage. In order to improve visibility of the central ripper shank and tip from an operator station of a track type tractor, the left linkage and the right linkage are unconnected to each other, except via the beam assembly. Without cross bracing between the left and right linkages, the beam assembly and individual linkages are configured to absorb side and twisting loads that may occur during production ripping. The ripper assembly left and right linkages may be of a fixed or variable parallelogram design. The hydraulic actuator(s) of the ripper assembly are configured to extend when moving to a dig position to provide a high penetration force. Part of the ripper assembly linkage shares a common pin with its associated hydraulic actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventors: John E. Jorgensen, Brian N. Madden, Adam C. Grove, William H. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 6345926
    Abstract: Spherical mountings are useful for pivotally connecting a push arm of a blade to a track roller frame of a machine. When the blade is removed the bearing assembly must be disassembled and to reconnect the blade to the spherical mounting the bearing assembly needed to shimmed to obtain the correct gap or clearance between the bearing and the spherical mounting. The subject mounting arrangement includes a mounting assembly having a first end portion removeably connected to the push arm of a blade and a second end portion positioned around a spherical assembly and being removeably connected to a bearing assembly of the spherical assembly. This arrangement of components provides for removing the push arm of the blade from the mounting on the track roller frame without removing the bearing assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Randy G. Farnam, Kenneth J. Hoefling, William H. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 6311784
    Abstract: A ripper carriage assembly has a transverse cross beam fixedly mounted at a central portion of the cross beam to a ripper implement support structure. The distal ends of arms extending outwardly from the central portion of the transverse cross beam are adapted for pivotal connection to a pitch control mechanism. Stress relief notches are formed in the transverse cross beam at a position between the distal ends of the arms and the central rigidly mounted portion of the beam. Energy generated as a. result of the ripper tip twisting upon impact with rock or other solid objects in hardened ground is stored in the transverse cross beam, and subsequently returned to the ripper tip to bring the tip into a desired operational orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Donovan S. Clarke, Andrea R. Vernagus, Timothy A. Vik, William H. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 6203675
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrochemical cell and a process for converting anhydrous hydrogen halide to halogen gas using a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) or a separate membrane and electrode arrangement, such as gas diffusion electrodes with a membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: William H. Zimmerman, James Arthur Trainham, Clarence Garlan Law, Jr., John Scott Newman
  • Patent number: 6041870
    Abstract: A dozing machine comprises a tractor having a transverse dozing blade mounted at the forward end thereof. Steering changes can made by shifting the lateral centerline of the blade laterally relative to the longitudinal centerline of the tractor. To this end, a linear actuator is connected between the blade or a blade push arm and the tractor. The actuator is extended or retracted to shift the centerline of the blade. The centerline may also be shifted by extending the length of the blade to one side of the tractor centerline. Automated methods and apparatus are disclosed which utilize blade centerline shifting to maintain a desired direction of travel or to automatically achieve any desired path. Also, sideshifting of the blade may be useful for purposes other than steering the tractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: William H. Zimmerman, Thomas C. Meisel
  • Patent number: 6012535
    Abstract: This invention provides a mounting arrangement for a ripper shank that is mounted in a channel defined in a ripper frame. A pair of piston members are mounted in the frame on opposite sides of the ripper shank. The piston members are urged into engagement with the ripper shank by a biasing mechanism that is positioned between the frame and the piston members. An actuating mechanism is mounted between the frame and the piston members to disengage the biasing mechanism to allow the adjustment of the ripper shank with respect to the frame in one of an infinite number of positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Theobald, William H. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 5976346
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrochemical cell, system and process for converting essentially anhydrous hydrogen halide to essentially dry halogen gas. The process of the present invention is useful for converting anhydrous hydrogen halide, in particular, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen bromide and hydrogen iodide, to a halogen gas, such as chlorine, fluorine, bromine, or iodine. In particular, in the present invention, water is provided to the cation-transporting membrane at the cathode in various ways. The present invention allows for recovery of a released fluid at the cathode-side of the membrane and recycling of the released fluid back to the cathode side of the membrane. In this way, the recovered, released fluid may be recycled to continuously supply water to the membrane, thereby allowing the limiting current density of the cell to be increased and/or controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Francisco Jose Freire, Edward Joseph Fahy, Dennie Turin Mah, Kenneth Bernard Keating, Douglas John Eames, William H. Zimmerman, James Arthur Trainham, Clarence Garlan Law, Jr., John Scott Newman
  • Patent number: 5798036
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrochemical cell and a process for converting anhydrous hydrogen halide to halogen gas using a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) or a separate membrane and electrode arrangement, such as gas diffusion electrodes with a membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: William H. Zimmerman, Thomas Frank Saturno, John Stanley Artysiewicz, James Arthur Trainham, Clarence Garlan Law, Jr., John Scott Newman, Douglas John Eames
  • Patent number: RE37433
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrochemical cell and a process for converting anhydrous hydrogen halide to halogen gas using a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) or a separate membrane and electrode arrangement, such as gas diffusion electrodes with a membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: William H. Zimmerman, James Arthur Trainham, III, Clarence Garlan Law, Jr., John Scott Newman