Patents by Inventor Ralph J. Hellmig

Ralph J. Hellmig 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: 11754110
    Abstract: A self-tapping screw (10, 30) comprising a drive (12) and a shank (14) bearing a thread comprising a main thread (16, 32), wherein the main thread (16, 32) has a maximum main thread external diameter (DAF) and a cutting area (F) and a supporting area (T) following in the direction of the drive (12), wherein the shank (14) has a threaded end (18) at an end opposite the drive (12), with the screw end (18) having a diameter (DE) of at least 20% of the maximum main thread external diameter (DAF), The shank further has, in the region of the screw end (18), a tap flute (20), wherein the tap flute (20) comprises at least two tapping thread turns (20a, 20b, 20c) which attain, in their external diameter (DAA), no more than 90% of the maximum main thread external diameter (DAF) and form a tap region in which the tapping thread turns (20a, 20b, 20c) have the same diameter development, and in addition in that the diameter of the main thread (16, 32) in the tap flute region (AB) is less than or equal to the diameter (DAA)
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: EJOT GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Michael Achenbach, Juergen Behle, Ralf Birkelbach, Volker Dieckmann, Frank Dratschmidt, Jan Hackler, Rene Gerber, Ralph J. Hellmig, Ilir Selimi, Stephan Weitzel
  • Publication number: 20230136145
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a screw, having the following steps: (a) rolling a screw wire made of low-alloy carbon steel to produce screw (10) having a thread; (b) heating the entire screw (10) to an austenitizing temperature under a carbon atmosphere and/or nitrogen atmosphere and maintaining the temperature; (c) quenching the entire screw (10) to a bainitizing temperature and maintaining the bainitizing temperature until the screw has a bainitic structure over its cross-section. The invention is characterized in that the screw (10) is subsequently hardened locally at its tip (22), by the tip (22) being heated to an austenitizing temperature and the screw (10) being subsequently quenched to a temperature below the martensite starting temperature (MS).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Ralph J. HELLMIG, Michael ACHENBACH, Fabian SIMONSEN
  • Publication number: 20210364030
    Abstract: The invention relates to a screw (IO) in order to cut a mating thread in a plastic article, comprising a lower threaded part (F) and an upper threaded part (T), the lower threaded part having a larger diameter and its tip covering a larger surface than the upper threaded part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Applicant: EJOT GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: MICHAEL ACHENBACH, JUERGEN BEHLE, RALF BIRKELBACH, VOLKER DIECKMANN, FRANK DRATSCHMIDT, JAN HACKLER, RENE GERBER, RALPH J. HELLMIG, ILIR SELIMI, STEPHAN WEITZEL
  • Patent number: 11181139
    Abstract: A securing element includes a threaded region, wherein a securing rotational direction and an axial clamping direction are defined by the thread design. The securing element has a head with a head lower face which faces the clamping direction and via which a force-fitting connection with a component can be produced. The head is designed such that the head lower face has an edge region at a radial distance from the head center, and the contour of the head lower face runs opposite the clamping direction in the direction of the head center starting from the edge region, whereby a spring effect can be produced. The edge region has a changing circumferential level in the axial direction. Opposite the securing rotational direction, the circumferential level rises at a rising angle of maximally 15° in the clamping direction over a central angle of at least 65°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: EJOT GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Ralph J. Hellmig, Wilfried Pinzl, Ilir Selimi, Gerd Weigel
  • Publication number: 20210115959
    Abstract: A self-tapping screw (10, 30) comprising a drive (12) and a shank (14) bearing a thread comprising a main thread (16, 32), wherein the main thread (16, 32) has a maximum main thread external diameter (DAF) and a cutting area (F) and a supporting area (T) following in the direction of the drive (12), wherein the shank (14) has a threaded end (18) at an end opposite the drive (12), with the screw end (18) having a diameter (DE) of at least 20% of the maximum main thread external diameter (DAF), The shank further has, in the region of the screw end (18), a tap flute (20), wherein the tap flute (20) comprises at least two tapping thread turns (20a, 20b, 20c) which attain, in their external diameter (DAA), no more than 90% of the maximum main thread external diameter (DAF) and form a tap region in which the tapping thread turns (20a, 20b, 20c) have the same diameter development, and in addition in that the diameter of the main thread (16, 32) in the tap flute region (AB) is less than or equal to the diameter (DAA)
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicant: EJOT GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: MICHAEL ACHENBACH, JUERGEN BEHLE, RALF BIRKELBACH, VOLKER DIECKMANN, FRANK DRATSCHMIDT, JAN HACKLER, RENE GERBER, RALPH J. HELLMIG, ILIR SELIMI, STEPHAN WEITZEL
  • Publication number: 20190032699
    Abstract: A securing element includes a threaded region, wherein a securing rotational direction and an axial clamping direction are defined by the thread design. The securing element has a head with a head lower face which faces the clamping direction and via which a force-fitting connection with a component can be produced. The head is designed such that the head lower face has an edge region at a radial distance from the head center, and the contour of the head lower face runs opposite the clamping direction in the direction of the head center starting from the edge region, whereby a spring effect can be produced. The edge region has a changing circumferential level in the axial direction. Opposite the securing rotational direction, the circumferential level rises at a rising angle of maximally 15° in the clamping direction over a central angle of at least 65°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: EJOT GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Ralph J. HELLMIG, Wilfried PINZL, Ilir SELIMI, Gerd WEIGEL
  • Patent number: 9109619
    Abstract: The invention relates to a screw having a screw head (2), a screw shank (1) and a corrugated conical flange (4) which decreases in thickness toward the outside, which flange (4) will abut on a component part as the screw is being screwed into the latter. The two lateral surfaces (5, 6) of the flange (4) from the screw shank (1) to the outer edge (7) of the flange taper continuously toward the outside with the thickness of the flange (4) decreasing at the same time, with its corrugation (8) extending substantially over the entire radial width of the flange (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: EJOT GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Wilfried Pinzl, Ralph J. Hellmig
  • Publication number: 20130251476
    Abstract: The invention relates to a screw having a screw head (2), a screw shank (1) and a corrugated conical flange (4) which decreases in thickness toward the outside, which flange (4) will abut on a component part as the screw is being screwed into the latter. The two lateral surfaces (5, 6) of the flange (4) from the screw shank (1) to the outer edge (7) of the flange taper continuously toward the outside with the thickness of the flange (4) decreasing at the same time, with its corrugation (8) extending substantially over the entire radial width of the flange (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: EJOT GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Wilfried Pinzl, Ralph J. Hellmig