Patents by Inventor Karl Fries

Karl Fries 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: 6799758
    Abstract: The clamping apparatus comprises a clamping chuck and a work piece carrier releasably connected thereto. The clamping chuck is provided with a central opening for receiving a clamping pin attached to the work piece carrier. The central opening of the clamping chuck has a conical inserting portion, and the clamping pin has at least one surface portion corresponding in shape to the conical inserting portion, or several surface portions for aligning the clamping pin in X- and/or Y-direction. The clamping chuck comprises a clamping mechanism for clamping the clamping pin. The top of the clamping chuck is provided with at least one surface portion serving as a Z-stop member. The clamping pin is dimensioned such that, prior to activating the clamping mechanism, a gap exists between the flat bottom surface of the work piece carrier and the surface portion of the clamping chuck serving as a Z-direction stop member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Erowa AG
    Inventor: Karl Fries
  • Patent number: 6702504
    Abstract: A clamping apparatus for fixing and non-rotatably clamping threaded shafts, particularly threaded shafts used as electrodes for eroding threads, comprises a hollow cylindrical shaft with a clamping sleeve member located at its front end. The clamping sleeve member has a central bore and a rectangular aperture opening into that central bore. A rectangular clamping member is slidably received in the aperture and comprises at its front surface, facing the central bore, a number of thread convolutions matching the thread convolutions of the shaft to be clamped. For moving the clamping element towards a threaded shaft received in the central bore, a rotating collar is provided, located around the outside of the clamping sleeve member, and having a an inner circular surface with a diametrically gradually enlarging recessed portion into which the clamping element protrudes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Erowa AG
    Inventor: Karl Fries
  • Patent number: 6641128
    Abstract: In a clamping apparatus for fixing a work piece carrier with a clamping pin in a clamping chuck, the clamping chuck is provided with a central opening for receiving the clamping pin and with a clamping mechanism firmly keeping the clamping pin in the central opening. The central opening has a conical inserting portion, and the clamping pin comprises a rear section with exposed aligning surfaces, engaging the conical inserting portion, to align the clamping pin with regard to the clamping chuck in X- and/or Y-directions. Circular seat portions on top of the clamping chuck constitute the Z-stop for the work piece carrier. For pneumatically cleaning the exposed aligning surfaces, the conical inserting portion is provided with gas outlet openings, located corresponding to the arrangement of the exposed aligning surfaces. The surface areas of the work piece carrier that will rest on the seat portions are pneumatically cleaned by gas outlet openings located in the center of the seat portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Erowa AG
    Inventor: Karl Fries
  • Publication number: 20030168795
    Abstract: In a clamping apparatus for fixing a work piece carrier with a clamping pin in a clamping chuck, the clamping chuck is provided with a central opening for receiving the clamping pin and with a clamping mechanism firmly keeping the clamping pin in the central opening. The central opening has a conical inserting portion, and the clamping pin comprises a rear section with exposed aligning surfaces, engaging the conical inserting portion, to align the clamping pin with regard to the clamping chuck in X- and/or Y-directions. Circular seat portions on top of the clamping chuck constitute the Z-stop for the work piece carrier. For pneumatically cleaning the exposed aligning surfaces, the conical inserting portion is provided with gas outlet openings, located corresponding to the arrangement of the exposed aligning surfaces. The surface areas of the work piece carrier that will rest on the seat portions are pneumatically cleaned by gas outlet openings located in the center of the seat portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Inventor: Karl Fries
  • Publication number: 20030111786
    Abstract: The clamping apparatus comprises a clamping chuck and a work piece carrier releasably connected thereto. The clamping chuck is provided with a central opening for receiving a clamping pin attached to the work piece carrier. The central opening of the clamping chuck has a conical inserting portion, and the clamping pin has at least one surface portion corresponding in shape to the conical inserting portion, or several surface portions for aligning the clamping pin in X- and/or Y-direction. The clamping chuck comprises a clamping mechanism for clamping the clamping pin. The top of the clamping chuck is provided with at least one surface portion serving as a Z-stop member. The clamping pin is dimensioned such that, prior to activating the clamping mechanism, a gap exists between the flat bottom surface of the work piece carrier and the surface portion of the clamping chuck serving as a Z-direction stop member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Inventor: Karl Fries
  • Publication number: 20020159830
    Abstract: A clamping apparatus for fixing and non-rotatably clamping threaded shafts, particularly threaded shafts used as electrodes for eroding threads, comprises a hollow cylindrical shaft with a clamping sleeve member located at its front end. The clamping sleeve member has a central bore and a rectangular aperture opening into that central bore. A rectangular clamping member is slidably received in the aperture and comprises at its front surface, facing the central bore, a number of thread convolutions matching the thread convolutions of the shaft to be clamped. For moving the clamping element towards a threaded shaft received in the central bore, a rotating collar is provided, located around the outside of the clamping sleeve member, and having a an inner circular surface with a diametrically gradually enlarging recessed portion into which the clamping element protrudes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventor: Karl Fries
  • Patent number: 6378877
    Abstract: The apparatus comprises a chuck member to be mounted within the operating area of the machine tool and a work piece carrier that can be put onto the chuck member and clamped thereto. First positioning members provided on the chuck member and second positioning members provided on the work piece carrier cooperate to define the position of the work piece carrier along three coordinate axes each running perpendicular to each other as well as with regard to the angular orientation. A clamping mechanism fixes the work piece carrier member to the chuck member in the afore mentioned defined position. In order to ensure an increased resistance against tilting momenta and torque occurring during the machining of a work piece, the first positioning members are constituted by conical centering pins and the second positioning members are constituted by recesses in the shape of a two-stage groove having two shoulders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Erowa AG
    Inventors: Marcel Lüscher, Karl Fries
  • Patent number: 6367814
    Abstract: The apparatus for clamping a work piece in a well defined position within the operating area of a machine tool comprises a chuck member to be mounted within the operating area of the machine tool and a work piece carrier that can be put onto the chuck member and clamped thereto. First positioning members provided on the chuck member and second positioning members provided on the work piece carrier cooperate to define the position of the work piece carrier along three coordinate axes each running perpendicular to each other as well as with regard to the angular orientation. A clamping mechanism fixes the work piece carrier member to the chuck member in the afore mentioned defined position. In order to ensure an increased resistance against tilting momenta and torque occurring during the machining of a work piece, the clamping mechanism comprises a plurality of clamping devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Erowa AG
    Inventors: Marcel Lüscher, Karl Fries