Patents by Inventor Thomas Ropke

Thomas Ropke 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: 8166788
    Abstract: A lip-rolling and flanging tool for bending back and/or widening fender-wheelwell edges of motor vehicles, the tool having a flanging roll (46) that is attached through a telescoping tube arrangement (10) to an affixing flange (4) mountable on a wheel axle of the motor vehicle, and while generating a pressing force against the fender-wheelwell edge is pivotable together with the wheel axle, the flanging roll (46) is mounted in a forked support bracket (44) disposed at one end of the telescoping tube arrangement (10), which bracket is disposed in a rotatable and lockable manner between the clamping jaws (40, 40?) attached to the telescoping tube arrangement (10?), the clamping jaws (40, 40?) each have at least one recess or milled-out section (100,100?) that interacts with a pin (103) disposed in the flanging-roll support bracket (44) so as to restrict the pivoting range of the flanging-roll support bracket (44).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Inventor: Thomas Röpke
  • Publication number: 20090241626
    Abstract: The invention relates to lip-rolling and flanging tool for bending back and/or widening fender-wheelwell edges of motor vehicles, comprising a flanging roll (46) that is attached through a telescoping tube arrangement (10) to an affixing flange (4) mountable on the wheel axle of the motor vehicle, and while generating a pressing force against the fender-wheelwell edge is pivotable together with the wheel axle, wherein the flanging roll (46) is mounted in a forked support bracket (44) disposed at one end of the telescoping tube arrangement (10), which bracket is disposed in a rotatable and lockable manner between clamping jaws (40, 40?) attached to the telescoping tube arrangement (10), characterized in that the clamping jaws (40, 40?) each have at least one recess or milled-out section (100, 100?) that interacts with a pin (103) disposed in the flanging-roll support bracket (44) so as to restrict the pivoting range of the flanging-roll support bracket (44).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventor: Thomas Ropke
  • Publication number: 20060288814
    Abstract: The invention relates to a lever apparatus (1) in a motor vehicle, with a carrier component (2) holding a bearing element (5) on which an actuating lever (4) of the lever apparatus (1) is pivotably fastened. In order to simplify the production of the lever apparatus (1), it is proposed that the carrier component (2) has an opening (14) through which the bearing element (5) protrudes, and that the bearing element (5) is a hollow sheet metal part which has at least one laterally protruding supporting means (16) which bears against a rear side (17) of the carrier component (2). The actuating lever (4) on the bearing element (5) is axially enclosed between the front side (18) of the carrier component (2) and a retaining part (9) arranged on the bearing element (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Inventors: Torsten Frobel, Thomas Ropke, Michael Siemers
  • Patent number: 6877395
    Abstract: In a parking brake mechanism and installation method of the mechanism in a vehicle, the mechanism includes a wind-up device for tightening a brake cable which wind-up device can be locked by a locking member to prevent tightening during installation. The brake cable comprises two sections, which are joined outside the vehicle by a coupling member, which is installed while the windup device is locked. The locking member includes a break-structure so that, upon installation of the coupling member, the locking member can be broken by pulling on the brake cable to permit the brake cable to be tightened thereby rendering the parking brake mechanism operational.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Eckhard Reese, Thomas Röpke
  • Publication number: 20030177856
    Abstract: In a parking brake for a motor vehicle, an operating lever is mounted pivotally on a console and an operating-lever locking pawl is mounted pivotally on the operating lever and has a second row of teeth which can be engaged in the first row of teeth for locking the parking brake. A cable-tensioning disc is rotatably mounted on a support arm which is pivotally supported on the console. An operating cable is fastened to the cable-tensioning disc such that it can be wound up by a cable-tensioning spring on the cable-tensioning disc, which is provided with a third row of teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Inventors: Eckhard Reese, Thomas Ropke
  • Publication number: 20030115982
    Abstract: In a parking brake mechanism and installation method of the mechanism in a vehicle, the mechanism includes a wind-up device for tightening a brake cable which wind-up device can be locked by a locking member to prevent tightening during installation. The brake cable comprises two sections, which are joined outside the vehicle by a coupling member, which is installed while the windup device is locked. The locking member includes a break-structure so that, upon installation of the coupling member, the locking member can be broken by pulling on the brake cable to permit the brake cable to be tightened thereby rendering the parking brake mechanism operational.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Eckhard Reese, Thomas Ropke
  • Patent number: 5488849
    Abstract: The invention concerns a rolling and flanging tool to bend back and/or widen fender-wheelwell edges of motor vehicles. To carry out the bending back and/or widening of fender-wheelwell edges in simpler and more uniform manner and without risk of damage to the enamel and sheetmetal, a flanging roll 46 to be pressed against the fenders is provided, which is connected to an affixing flange 4 to be affixed to the motor-vehicle axle, said roll being pivotable about said axle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Thomas Ropke Werkzeugbau und Technischer Vertrieb
    Inventor: Thomas Ropke