Patents by Inventor Wolfgang Kappis

Wolfgang Kappis 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: 20050074335
    Abstract: A fixing method for blading of a fluid-flow machine, in which first of all the turbine blades (31, 32) are inserted into the fastening slot (1) of a rotor (2) or stator until only the intermediate fitting gap is left, into which two insert elements designed as end piece halves (41, 42) are then inserted. After that, a wedge (6) is inserted into the gap between the end piece halves (41, 42), and the end piece halves (41, 42) together with the wedge (6) are welded by a joining weld (10). With the method according to the invention and the arrangement according to the invention, axial forces which can warp the rotor (2) and thus cause increased rotor vibrations are advantageously avoided. The invention also relates to a fixing arrangement according to the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Inventors: Rene Bachofner, Wolfgang Kappis
  • Publication number: 20040179945
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rotor end piece (1) for rotors (2) of thermal turbomachines with a circumferential slot (3), consisting of two end piece halves (4, 4′) having side faces (5, 5′) opposite one another in the installed state and of a wedge (6) which is pushed in between them and which, in the installed state, is anchored in the side faces (5, 5′) of the end piece halves (4, 4′) in a form-fitting manner, the rotor end piece (1) being arranged in the axial direction of the rotor (2) between two moving blades (7, 7′). It is characterized in that each of the end piece halves (4, 4′) is fastened in the axial direction of the rotor (2) to the two adjacent moving blades (7, 7′) by means of one interlocking connection (8, 8′, 9, 9′) each. These four interlocking connections (8, 8′, 9, 9′), instead of the rotor (2), now absorb the axial forces which are caused by the centrifugal force and the caulked wedge (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Rene Bachofner, Petra Fabijan, Wolfgang Kappis, Michael Mueller
  • Publication number: 20040179944
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rotor end piece (1) for rotors (2) of thermal turbomachines with circumferential slot (3), consisting of two end piece halves (4, 4′) having side faces (5, 5′) opposite one another in the installed state and top surfaces (6, 6′) adjoining one another. The rotor end piece (1) according to the invention is characterized in that the side faces (5, 5′) of the end piece halves (4, 4′) are connected to one another in a form-fitting manner. To this end, the side faces (5, 5′) are designed in such a way that a dovetail interlocking connection of the two end piece halves (4, 4′) is preferably realized. The interlocked end piece halves are then secured with a weld (8). The firm anchoring of the rotor end piece (1) achieved in this way prevents detachment during operation and damage to the turbomachine caused as a result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Rene Bachofner, Pietro Grigioni, Wolfgang Kappis
  • Patent number: 6647602
    Abstract: Described is a fixation device for blading of a turbo-machine, in which, longitudinally to a mounting groove (1), a plurality of blades (31, 32) is positioned, and in which, between at least two blades (31, 32) positioned adjacent to each other inside the mounting groove (1), a mounting gap is provided, having two insertion elements constructed as collar halves (41, 42) that can be inserted into the mounting gap, and each of which has a width adapted to the width of the mounting gap and which enclose between themselves a gap space (5) into which a wedge element (43) can be inserted that can be wedged in such a way that both collar halves (41, 42) are fixed in a force-derived manner by means of the wedge element (43) inside the mounting groove (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Alstom (Switzerland) Ltd
    Inventors: René Bachofner, Wolfgang Kappis, Pavel Rihak, Ferdinand Thueringer, Ulrich Waltke, Hans Wettstein
  • Publication number: 20020127105
    Abstract: A device is shown for fixing blades of a turbo-machine having a plurality of blades positioned longitudinally relative to a mounting groove. At least two blades are positioned adjacent to each other inside the mounting groove, and a mounting gap is defined between the blades. Two insertion elements constructed as collar halves can be inserted into the mounting gap, and each insertion element has a width adapted to the width of the mounting gap such that a gap space is defined between the insertion elements when they are inserted into the mounting gap. A wedge element can be inserted in the mounting gap to fix both collar halves inside the mounting groove. At least one connecting element is provided on the wedge element towards the side of a blade, and at least one of the two blades adjoining the wedge element is provided with a mating recess corresponding to the connecting element so that the wedge element and the blade are connected by a shape-mated connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Inventors: Rene Bachofner, Wolfgang Kappis, Pavel Rihak, Ferdinand Thueringer, Ulrich Waltke, Hans Wettstein
  • Patent number: 6224328
    Abstract: Turbomachine, in particular a compressor of a gas turbine, having rotor blades (11) and guide vanes (12), in which individual or all guide vanes (12) are configured as cooled vanes. The cooled vanes (12) have air guidance ducts (13) which emerge into outlet openings (14) in the region of the vane tips (15). Cooling air (K) is ejected through the outlet openings (14) and impinges at high velocity onto a rotor shaft (18). The cooling effect which can be achieved by this means is optimal and, in addition, leads to a raising of the compressor efficiency and the surge line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri AG
    Inventors: Bernhard Weigand, Conor Fitzsimons, Wolfgang Kappis, Hans Wettstein