Patents Examined by John S Lowe
  • Patent number: 9700929
    Abstract: A method of forming a metal container comprises: curling outward a top edge of the metal container to form a curl and expanding a diameter of a first section of the metal container to form a first expanded section; wherein at least part of the first expanded section is below the curl. In some embodiments, the steps of curling outward a top edge of the metal container to form a curl and expanding a diameter of a first section of the metal container to form a first expanded section are performed in a single stroke of a single die. In some embodiments, the step of expanding a diameter of a first section of the metal container to form an expanded section is performed after the step of curling outward a top edge of the metal container to form a curl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Alcoa USA Corp.
    Inventors: Anthony J. Fedusa, Gary L. Myers, Gary L. Hunker, Robert E. Dick
  • Patent number: 9694412
    Abstract: The present invention provides a servo press system and a drawing method using the servo press system. The drawing method according to the aspect of the present invention includes: a stopping step of stopping the slide for a first period in a course of a stroke for performing drawing; a keeping step of reducing the die cushion force to below a predetermined die cushion force and keeping the die cushion force for a second period within the first period for which the slide is stopped; and a restarting step of restarting the slide after keeping the die cushion force for the second period, wherein drawing including the stopping step, the keeping step, and the restarting step is performed at least one time in the course of the stroke for performing drawing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: AIDA ENGINEERING, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Kohno, Tadahiro Kondo, Ryosho Iwamura
  • Patent number: 9687893
    Abstract: There is provided a manufacturing method of martensite-based stainless steel for edged tools, which can decrease the number of passes during final cold rolling thereby to improve productivity. In the manufacturing method of martensite-based stainless steel for edged tools having a thickness of 0.1 mm or less by cold rolling, the final cold rolling is performed under condition of a diameter of a work roll of 100 to 130 mm, a cold rolling speed of more than 120 and not more than 200 m/min, and a lubricating oil viscosity of 30 to 40 mm2/s. Preferably, the cold rolling speed is 150 to 190 m/min, and the lubricating oil viscosity is 33 to 39 mm2/s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
    Inventor: Goh Yoshiyama
  • Patent number: 9669438
    Abstract: [Object] To provide a rolling apparatus that enables an operator to recognize the rolling status such as the behavior of the steel sheet entering the rolling stand and enables a stable rolling process. [Solution] A rolling apparatus 10 includes a plurality of rolling stands 11 each including a pair of rolling mills 12, and an imaging unit 15 provided between adjacent rolling stands 11A and 11B, the imaging unit 15 being configured to image a steel sheet 1 entering a pair of rolling mills 12B of the rolling stand 11B from an upstream side of the rolling stand 11A located on a downstream side in a rolling direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kensaku Ito, Takeshi Kinomoto, Genji Ono, Ryoh Izumi, Yasuhiro Tateishi, Ryuichi Kano
  • Patent number: 9669445
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for reshaping a workpiece comprising a central axis, a radial inner region, and a radial outer region, in which the radial inner region of said workpiece is reshaped by means of a punch and a die by a drawing operation in the axial direction with formation of an axial shaped section. Provision is made for the workpiece, the die, and the punch to be rotated about the central axis during the reshaping process by a drawing operation and for the radial outer region of said workpiece to be subjected, during reshaping by a drawing operation of the rotating workpiece, to the action of at least one shaping roller such that a flow of material in the direction of the radial inner region of said workpiece is caused or aided. The invention further relates to a device for reshaping a workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Leifeld Metal Spinning AG
    Inventor: Benedikt Nillies
  • Patent number: 9630240
    Abstract: An upper die and a lower die are brought together to perform a sizing work on a roughly forged part of a primary forged article within a die cavity defined between the upper and lower dies. The lower die has a vertical through-hole directly communicated with the die cavity, and a punch is relatively movably received in the vertical through-hole in such a manner as to define jointly with the vertical through-hole an annular material flow passage. During the sizing process, a material of the roughly forge part is forced against a peripheral surface of the die cavity and excess material is allowed to flow into the annular material flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: MUSASHI SEIMITSU INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Murata, Yasuyoshi Matsui, Shinji Ieki
  • Patent number: 9610628
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for bending or shaping orthodontic archwires or other medical devices into a complex, patient individual shape is described. The apparatus comprises of two moveable, compact, manipulators with, in total, at least three revolute joints defining three rotation axes and at least three prismatic joints defining at least three translation axes. Gripping tools are provided on the manipulators. The two manipulators are arranged to allow a relative movement in six degrees of freedom. A reduced complexity embodiment is also described having only one or two revolute joints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: ORAMETRIX, INC.
    Inventors: Friedrich Riemeier, Werner Butscher, Frank Witte, Christoph Radinger, Andrew Cordell, Rohit Sachdeva
  • Patent number: 9604269
    Abstract: A method of processing BMGs in a non-ideal environment (such as air) to create a uniform and smooth surface is provided. By utilizing the contact-line movement and an engineered flow pattern during TPF the method is able to create complex BMG parts that exhibit uniform smooth appearance or even can be atomically smooth. In addition, to mending surface imperfections, this method also eliminates void formation inside the material, allows for the creation of precise patterns of homogeneous appearance, and forms improved mechanical locks between different materials and a BMG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Yale University
    Inventors: Golden Kumar, Jan Schroers, Jerzy Blawzdziewicz, Thomas Hodges
  • Patent number: 9604271
    Abstract: A machine to bend pipes that includes: a plate that is configured and arranged to move along an X-axis; a bending head connected to the plate, where the bending head is capable of moving along a Z-axis and is equipped with at least one bending arm and at least one bending die; and at least one calendering jig, which is located at a position that is before the bending die, with respect to a feeding direction of the pipe. The calendering jig includes at least two first rolls used to lock the pipe and at least one second roll that is configured and arranged for determining the calendering radius of the pipe, wherein the at least one second roll is anchored to the plate. The bending head is configured and arranged to move in the Z direction with respect to both the plate and the second roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: CRIPPA S.p.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Pace, Claudio Bargna
  • Patent number: 9597725
    Abstract: Provided is an inexpensive hot forging die which allows a desired shape to be obtained even from a large-sized forging material. A hot forging die, for closed die hot forging of a material to be forged, includes a plurality of ring-shaped die pieces which are combined concentrically and fastened with each other, wherein an axial direction of the ring-shaped die pieces is identical with a pressing direction when the material is forged, and wherein a die face and a build-up layer of a nickel-base super heat-resistant alloy are formed at a part of the hot forging die, which is brought into contact with the material to be forged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
    Inventors: Shohei Sasaki, Koji Sato, Hideki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9586247
    Abstract: The invention relates to an extrusion press or tube press (1), in particular for aluminum or aluminum alloys, comprising a press frame which consists of a cylinder bar and a counter bar (3) connected thereto, and in which a moving bar and a moving block receiver (2) are arranged, the moving block receiver being formed to move a block to be pressed, introduced with a loading device, into a compression position in front of the counter bar (3) having a die, characterized in that a shearing device (4) is provided for separating a butt remaining after the extrusion process, and the shearing device (4) is vertically and horizontally movable on the extrusion frame. The invention further relates to a method for separating a butt during extrusion and tube extrusion using an extrusion press or tube press according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: SMS GROUP GMBH
    Inventors: Hermann-Josef Dueppers, Uwe Muschalik
  • Patent number: 9561537
    Abstract: Shown is a method for manufacturing horizontal directional drilling pipe having internally and externally upset pipe ends. The forging is done by heating the green tube ends and applying pressure using a closed die hydraulic forging press to form the upsets. One end of a steel tube is worked by upsetting and pressing to form an external upset portion having an outer taper being shaped by upset forging. That portion is then pressed by an internal upset die so as to displace the outer taper to an internal upset portion having an inner taper. Internal upset forging is then carried out by an internal upset die to produce the finished part. The process allows the manufacturer to produce a thicker upset horizontal directional drilling pipe, where the ratio of the outside diameter to the inside diameter of the upset can be on the order of 3.5, or even greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Hunting Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Klane Edward Kirby, Gregory Lynn Adkins
  • Patent number: 9539631
    Abstract: A method of bending a tube arrangement including an inner tube disposed within an outer tube is performed using a bending die having a concave groove including a curved portion extending around a peripheral surface of the bending die, the curved portion of the concave groove having at least one ridge projecting therefrom. The tube arrangement is located within the concave groove and a force is applied to the tube arrangement in a direction toward the curved portion of the bending die to cause the tube arrangement to conform to the shape of the concave groove. The at least one ridge projecting from the concave groove causes the outer tube to deform such that an interior surface of the outer tube contacts an exterior surface of the inner tube, securing a position of the inner tube within the outer tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: HANON SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Kastriot Shaska, Radim Cech, Pavel Segeta, Zbynek Trncak, Pavel Cebe
  • Patent number: 9527120
    Abstract: A roll forming assembly for forming a transverse strut from a tube is provided. The roll forming assembly includes a heater, such as an induction heater, for heating a tube to a predetermined annealing temperature. Next, the tube is fed to a roll former, which includes a plurality of forming wheels to shape the tube into a transverse strut. Servo motors are operably coupled to the forming wheels for adjusting the positions of the forming wheels in a radial direction during the roll forming process to give the transverse strut a variable profile along its length. After the roll forming process is completed, the transverse strut is quenched so that its base material is given a predetermined microstructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Magna International Inc.
    Inventor: John Richard Potocki
  • Patent number: 9522417
    Abstract: The rolling stand comprises four support columns (2), two conical rolling rolls with skewed rolling axes which are oblique to each other and are fixed to two roll cradles (6, 7), four jacks (24, 26) below the lower roll cradle (7) for exercising a preloading force on such a roll cradle. Four jacks (20, 21, 22, 23) are arranged above to exercise a preloading force on the upper roll cradle (6) during rolling. The stand also comprises four upper hydraulic capsules (((30, 32, 33, 40, 42, 43) and four lower hydraulic capsules (37, 46), 47) for exercising push forces and controlling the upper (6) and lower (7) roll cradles and the rolling position of the working rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.P.A.
    Inventors: Ettore Cernuschi, Claudio Maria Scalmana
  • Patent number: 9517501
    Abstract: A sheet forming tool (1) for the manufacture of a corrugated sheet has a lower tool element (40) and an upper tool element (50), each of the upper tool element and the lower tool element having a front side (23, 33, 41) and a rear side (25, 35, 42). The lower tool element (40) comprises a first base element (2, 4, 6, 8) and a first finger element (3, 5, 7, 9) projecting from said first base element (2, 4, 6, 8). The first finger element (3, 5, 7, 9) forms a first ridge (22, 24, 26, 28) for forming a corrugation peak in the sheet. The upper tool element (50) comprises a second base element (12, 14) and a second finger element (13, 15) projecting from said second base element (12, 14), the second finger element (13, 15) forming a second ridge (32, 34) for forming a corrugation trough in said sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Sulzer Chemtech AG
    Inventors: Kimwah Chin, Xiaolei Sheng, Yang Li, Lhoden Chothutshang
  • Patent number: 9511403
    Abstract: Disclosed is a press forming method press forming a workpiece between a die and a punch, while pushing the punch into the die by means of a relative motion of the die and the punch, the method includes: producing an intermediate molding (100B) having ridges (100d) formed in predetermined parts of the workpiece, and then press forming the intermediate molding (100B) into a final shape, to thereby substantially thicken and work-harden the predetermined parts of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru Yonemura, Akihiro Uenishi, Shin Toyokawa, Takuya Kuwayama, Takashi Ariga
  • Patent number: 9505045
    Abstract: Leveler equipment includes a leveler body, a first roll cassette for a roller leveler, and a second roll cassette for a tension leveler. The roller leveler is formed when the first roll cassette is attached to the leveler body, and the tension leveler is formed when the second roll cassette is attached to the leveler body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: JP STEEL PLANTECH CO.
    Inventors: Keizo Abe, Tomohiro Ishidou
  • Patent number: 9498933
    Abstract: Provided are a surface-treated metal sheet which includes a nickel layer having improved corrosion resistance and a method of manufacturing a formed article. In a surface-treated metal sheet where a nickel layer is formed on a substrate, the proportion of (200) planes to a total of (111) planes, (200) planes, (220) planes and (311) planes with respect to the crystal plane orientations of the nickel layer is set to 40% or less. In a method of manufacturing a formed article using a surface-treated metal sheet where a nickel layer is formed on a substrate, the surface-treated metal sheet having the nickel layer where the proportion of (200) planes to a total of (111) planes, (200) planes, (220) planes and (311) planes is set to 40% or less with respect to the crystal plane orientations of the nickel layer is worked using a mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: TOYO KOHAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Tomomori, Koh Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 9463499
    Abstract: For aging deformation of a reaction vessel used for production of titanium sponge by the Kroll method, the deformation of the reaction vessel can be corrected to a desired deformation. The apparatus for correcting the deformation corrects by being inserted inside of the cylindrical deformation of the reaction vessel, the apparatus has multiple cylinder arms radially extendable to a circumference, a deformation-correcting head arranged on a top part of the cylinder arm, a hydraulic power unit connected to the cylinder arm and driving the deformation-correcting head, a detecting means for the stroke of the deformation-correcting head, and a measuring means for the pressing force against the reaction vessel. Furthermore, the method for correcting the deformation of the reaction vessel using the apparatus has a step of pressing the reaction vessel while adjusting stroke of the deformation-correcting head depending on an amount of deformation of the reaction vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: TOHO TITANIUM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Nakashima, Tarou Tomita, Atsushi Sakagami