Patents Assigned to Elpatronics AG
  • Patent number: 6053392
    Abstract: In a process for joining two metallic workpieces together, the pieces are butted together to form a butt joint and are joined to one another in the region of the butt joint. During this operation, the workpieces are subjected to a magnetic attraction force at one side, and. can be subjected to holddown pressure on the opposite side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Hans Aebersold, Norbert Gross, Werner Urech
  • Patent number: 6051274
    Abstract: A method is provided for use with an injector arrangement where particulates are to be entrained in a gas transport medium. The apparatus has a nozzle discharging conveying gas and a secondary, dosing gas flow provided from an annular passage. This secondary flow envelopes the conveying gas. Particulates are drawn into the combined gas streams by a venturi effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Guido Huber, Hans-Jorg Nussbaumer
  • Patent number: 6036075
    Abstract: In a method for connecting two workpieces together by welding, the workpieces are placed on clamping tables by a feed unit and are joined together by a welded seam. First, the workpieces are positioned in the feed unit. The feed unit is then traversed between the clamping tables and deposits the workpieces on them. Simultaneously with its feed movement, the unit expels the workpieces welded together in the preceding cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Hans Aebersold, Norbert Gross, Werner Urech
  • Patent number: 6011236
    Abstract: In a method for joining together two metal foils which are at least partly superimposed on one another, eg. at the margins, the metal foils are guided between two metal wires carrying an electric current and each rolling over a foil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventor: Werner Urech
  • Patent number: 5984163
    Abstract: To form a body, a preform is produced by welding together two essentially flat sheet-metal blanks (2,3) at their margins. This preform is then deformed in a mold by internal high-pressure forming to produce the desired body. In this way, complex metal bodies can easily be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Markus Meier, Beat Stump, Werner Urech
  • Patent number: 5978090
    Abstract: In the welding together of sheet-metal blanks an image of a line pattern projected across the weld seam is captured by a camera and evaluated to inspect the weld seam. For improved inspection, a sidewards view of the weld seam is obtained, eg. by means of a prism, in addition to the view from above. This affords an improved and more accurate inspection of the weld seam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Karl-Georg Burri, Christa Buchmann
  • Patent number: 5977511
    Abstract: The sheets (1,2) which are to be butt welded are positioned with their edges in contact with one another. To reduce the gap (3) to a width acceptable for laser welding, at least one sheet (2) is plastically deformed along the line of the joint so that material flows towards the gap, reducing the width of the gap. In this way, sheets cut to size with much less precision can be welded together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Elpatronics AG
    Inventors: Markus Meier, Werner Urech, Karl Wueger
  • Patent number: 5957369
    Abstract: In a method for connecting two workpieces together by welding, the workpieces are placed on clamping tables by a feed unit (F) and are joined together by a welded seam. First, the workpieces are positioned in the feed unit (F). The feed unit (F) is then traversed between the clamping tables and deposits the workpieces on them. Simultaneously with its feed movement, the unit (F) expels the workpieces welded together in the preceding cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Hans Aebersold, Norbert Gross, Werner Urech
  • Patent number: 5951885
    Abstract: In a roller seam welding machine, the upper welding roller is led through a welding-force adjustment device with two spring elements. One spring is already effective when the initial deflection of the welding roller occurs. The other spring comes into operation only when a certain deflection (D) is reached. A marked improvement in weld quality can be obtained in this way, particularly at the start of the weld seam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Nobuo Takahashi, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Akira Takamatsu, Daniel Wenk
  • Patent number: 5950905
    Abstract: In a guide and calibrating tool for guiding container bodies for welding, at least one of the guide rollers is driven. The drive is pneumatic, by compressed air blown by a nozzle onto recesses in the roller. The roller is driven only initially upon restart of the welding machine or in the event of a break in the passage of a series of bodies, in order that no braking is caused by the arrival at the guide tool of the first (and possibly second) body. This enables the gaps between the bodies to be kept more constant even at the start of a series of bodies to be welded, and the first bodies to be welded do not suffer increased slip between the bodies and the welding electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Marcel Oberholzer, Hermann Schuppisser, Urs Gehrig, Markus Weber
  • Patent number: 5929765
    Abstract: A method for positioning and aligning workpieces, in particular one or more metal plates that are to be joined, against at least one stop, involves transmitting a position signal, preferably an electrical signal, between the workpiece and the stop, and using the workpiece and the stop as signal transmitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Werner Urech, Marcus Rainer Luessi
  • Patent number: 5913237
    Abstract: Above containers transported on a conveyor, the apparatus is provided with a continuous revolving belt, which has perforations. These are in communication via passageways with fixed fluid couplings and the drive to the belt is set so that they move in step with the containers along the conveyor path. Thus, by simple means, a connection is provided between the moving containers and the fixed fluid couplings, and the system is suitable for high conveying speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventor: Peter Gysi
  • Patent number: 5906858
    Abstract: An injector for conveying a pulverulent material is supplied with entraining air via a line and with dosing air via another line. Dosing air and entraining air are kept constant in their total rate of flow by a flow controller. This yields a particularly homogeneous powder/air mixture, which is particularly advantageous in the conveying of coating powder for coating welded seams on can bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Guido Huber, Hans-Jorg Nussbaumer, Felix Walser
  • Patent number: 5878944
    Abstract: In a process for joining two metallic workpieces (1.1,1.2) together, the pieces are butted together to form a butt joint (2) and are joined to one another in the region of the butt joint (2). During this operation, the workpieces (1.1,1.2) are subjected to a magnetic attraction force at one side, and can be subjected to holddown pressure on the opposite side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Hans Aebersold, Norbert Gross, Werner Urech
  • Patent number: 5877960
    Abstract: In a method for monitoring and positioning a beam or jet for operating on a workpiece, a first sensor (eg. in the case of a beam, a seam detecting system) ahead of the beam or jet, and/or a preset value, determines the path to be followed by the beam or jet. A second sensor behind the beam or jet monitors the action of the beam or jet. The preset value, or the readings obtained by the first sensor regarding a required position of the beam or jet, is or are compared with readings obtained by the second sensor regarding an actual position of the beam or jet, taking account of the velocity-dependent relative displacement between the beam or jet and the workpiece. The beam or jet is corrected to a basic position if the actual position deviates from the required position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Norbert Gross, Heinz P. Helm
  • Patent number: 5873680
    Abstract: An injector arrangement for use where particulates are to be entrained in a gas transport medium. The apparatus has a nozzle discharging conveying gas and a secondary, dosing, gas flow provided from an annular passage. This secondary flow envelopes the conveying gas. Particulates are drawn into the combined gas streams by a venturi effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Guido Huber, Hans-Jorg Nussbaumer
  • Patent number: 5863600
    Abstract: For the application of a coating material to an object, the coating material is conveyed along a conduit by means of an entraining gas. For good conveying conditions, the entraining gas is made to travel at high velocity. In order that the velocity of the coating material discharged at the coating zone is not excessive, a partial vacuum source extracts part of the entraining gas from a point upstream of the outlet, via a separate conduit. This results both in an improved rate of deposition of the coating material on the object to be coated and in a particularly uniform coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventor: Felix Walser
  • Patent number: 5841094
    Abstract: For welding sheet-metal blanks coated with electrically conductive material, the thickness of the coating is measured with a measurement device. The welding current source controls the welding current I as a function of the film thickness reading obtained, to keep the power input into the weld zone essentially constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventor: Michael Baumgartner
  • Patent number: 5841090
    Abstract: For butt welding or lap welding container bodies, each body is guided between an outer current-carrying electrode roller and an inner roller. According to the invention the inner roller is movably mounted and exerts an opposing pressure to the rigidly mounted outer roller. This results in improved weld quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventor: Peter Taiana
  • Patent number: 5753508
    Abstract: In a method of testing a function of at least one detector at an inspection station (S) for containers, particularly in an inspection unit (R) for multi-trip bottles, a test gas is fed from a source (10) to the inspection station, or as the case may be to the detector(s), at periodic intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventors: Peter Murday Robertson, Martin Rosatzin