Patents Examined by Ed Tolan
  • Patent number: 7401492
    Abstract: A control device (10) for a die cushion mechanism that produces a force for a slide (24) in a press machine, comprising slide velocity command-forming means (61) for forming a velocity command for the slide (24), die cushion velocity command-forming means (62) for forming a velocity command for said die cushion (20), and velocity relation calculation means (65) for calculating a velocity relation between the velocity of the slide and the velocity of the die cushion based on a rate of increase (dF) in the force produced between the slide and the die cushion immediately after the collision of the slide with the die cushion. The cushion velocity command-forming means forms the velocity command for the die cushion based upon the slide velocity command formed by the slide velocity command-forming means and upon the velocity relation calculated by the velocity relation-calculation means. This makes it possible to form an optimum velocity command for the slide and/or the die cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Yasusuke Iwashita, Tadashi Okita, Hiroyuki Kawamura, Satoshi Ikai
  • Patent number: 7398665
    Abstract: A thin walled body is deformed in a process in which the body is gripped securely in a holding station and, whilst gripped in the holding station, tooling engages to deform the peripheral wall of the body at a predetermined wall zone. The tooling is provided at a tooling station which is adjacent the holding station during deformation. The predetermined wall zone is co-aligned with the tooling by rotation of the body about an axis prior to securing at the holding station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Envases (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Santiago Garcia Campo, Juan Salz Goiria
  • Patent number: 7387008
    Abstract: There is provided a new and improved apparatus and method for rolling workpieces such as crankshafts. The apparatus has first and second rolling heads mounted at spaced positions along a common rolling arm to receive a crankshaft bearing therebetween which can then be shifted relative to one another along the common rolling arm to close the heads or rolling tools for clamping onto the workpiece. The in-line clamping action and force provided by the tools on the rolling arm are created by actuation of a tall, thin cylinder assembly including a number of aligned individual cylinders sized to keep the width of the cylinder assembly to a minimum so that all of the rolling arms can likewise be of a thin construction pivotally mounted on one side of the crankshaft and axially spaced according to the crankshaft bearing spacing for rolling all of the bearings in a single rolling operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Ingersoll CM Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Allan J. Heffron, Earl O. Brechtelsbauer, Marc D. St. Pierre
  • Patent number: 7387007
    Abstract: A machine arrangement includes a plurality of machines arranged to cooperate with each other in a manner which comprises a machine line. This machine line incorporates apparatus which is associated with and/or comprises part of the machines for: at least one of moving, holding, manipulating and shaping cans as they pass from a can infeed to a can discharge of the machine line and move along a path having a predetermined configuration. This apparatus minimizes operations necessary for changing from a set up suitable for modifying a can having a first set of dimensions to a set up suitable for a can having a second set of dimensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Belvac Production Machinery, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph G. Schill, Jeffery L. Shortridge, Christopher D. Shuey, Dennis E. Green
  • Patent number: 7387575
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing hollow bodies (11, 211, 411) such as nut elements to be fastened to components (13, 213, 413) that usually consist of sheet metal. The invention especially relates to a method for producing hollow bodies with an at least substantially square or rectangular outline by cutting individual bodies from a profile (10, 210, 410) in the form of a profile rod or a reel after respective holes (98, 298, 498) have been punched into the profile, and optionally afterwards producing a threaded cylinder (110, 310, 510). The inventive method is further characterized in that before or after the punching of the profile a passage treatment is carried our in order to produce a cylindrical or annular projection (36, 236, 436), concentric to the punching or the intended punching, on the side (12, 212, 412) of the profile facing the component by flow of material. The projection is optionally shaped to an annular punched section in an additional molding cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Profil Verbindungstechnik GmbH & Co., KG
    Inventors: Jiri Babej, Michael Vieth, Richard Humpert
  • Patent number: 7383710
    Abstract: A seamless tube producing method uses a piercing/rolling plug wherein piercing/rolling is performed with an inclined rotary piercing mill while the seamless tube piercing/rolling plug is used as a piercing tool. In one mode, a front part and a rear part of the split plug are held as an integral plug, the front part being made of low alloy steel, and oxide films are formed on surfaces of the front part and rear part. In a second mode, the front part and/or rear part are replaceable via a removable mounting wherein a mandrel bar holding the plug goes through the rear part, the mandrel bar being coupled with the front part. A thickness of the oxide film formed in the front part can be 200 ?m or more and the oxide film of the front part can be thicker than the oxide film of the rear part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomio Yamakawa, Kazuhiro Shimoda
  • Patent number: 7383712
    Abstract: The invention relates to a torque support on oil collecting receptacles (2, 2?) in a region of a paired connection of spindle heads and roll necks (1, 1?) in rolling mill stands during adjustment thereof in both vertical and axial directions, with a respective attachment point on both upper and lower collecting receptacles (2, 2?). The new torque support consists of a one-piece strip (3) having, in particular, a rectangular cross-section and formed of flection-resistant material, and which is pivotally connected at an upper end with the upper oil collecting receptacle (2) in a vertical plane by an articulated joint (4) and, in a region of its lower end (9), is slidably guided in the pendulum plane in formlockingly compatible opening (5) of a guide link member (6) so that the distance and the inclination angle (?) change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: SMS Demag AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Artel
  • Patent number: 7383713
    Abstract: Method of manufacturing consumable filler metal wire, rod, or stick, and the like, of predetermined length and cross-section for use in welding, including: providing an ingot of a first metal and one or more different further metals; forming composite product by providing the ingot of the first metal with one or more hollow cores in substantially parallel relation to each other and locating in the hollow cores the different further metal or metals; applying pressure to the composite product to reduce its cross-section to a predetermined cross-section to form feedstock. Optionally further deforming the feedstock by mechanical pressure to form wire, rod or stick, of final cross-section so ultimate alloying of the first metal with the different further metal or metals occurs when the wire, rod or stick is used as filler material or consumable electrode during welding. Using this filler metal for welding an assembly of aluminium members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Aleris Aluminum Koblenz GmbH
    Inventor: Huibrecht Adriaan Wouters
  • Patent number: 7380432
    Abstract: The invention comprises a method and apparatus for equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) of flat billets to control material structure and properties. The improvements of the method include the special systems of billet orientations, billet lubrication, billet ejection from dies, and a press/die control system those eliminate surface cracks, flashes and billet reshaping or deburring between passes. Therefore, multi-pass ECAE becomes a cost-effective industrial operation and may be applied to large billets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Engineered Performance Materials Co., LLC
    Inventor: Vladimir M. Segal
  • Patent number: 7380574
    Abstract: A wire strapping or tying device (46) is provided having a rotatable pinion-type knotter assembly (56) for twist-knotting of a pair of adjacent wire sections (50a, 50b), together with a shiftable knotter cover (266) movable between a home position for maintaining the sections (50a, 50b) within the assembly (56) and a remote knotter access position allowing ready access to the knotter assembly (56). The cover (266) is supported by arms (268, 270) which are pivotal about an axis spaced from and generally parallel with the cover (266). The cover (266) may be manually shifted to the remote knotter access position through an arc of at least 45°. Also, the knotter assembly (56) includes a primary body (128) supporting a rotatable, slotted knotter pinion (178). The body (128) is pivotally secured to frame plates (68, 70), allowing the body (128) to be pivoted to a convenient position for servicing of pinion (178).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Accent Packaging, Inc.
    Inventor: John Wiedel
  • Patent number: 7374494
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a bolt that includes an axis, including the steps of providing a metal rod, providing a die, extruding the metal rod through use of the die, cold forming the metal rod, at least in part, to provide a shaft and a head so that, the head includes a torque transferring structure, the head includes a flange located adjacent to the torque transferring structure, a generally cylindrical surface is located adjacent to the flange, and a sloping surface that extends from the generally cylindrical surface towards the axis, rolling a threaded surface into the shaft, and providing a plurality of grooves so that the grooves extend from an end of the bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: MacLean-Fogg Company
    Inventors: Robert Brewer, Gerard Jakuszeski
  • Patent number: 7373796
    Abstract: The invention is aimed at the provision of an automatic releasing-type rolling head for forming a tapered thread on a pipe in which the shock generated at the end of the thread rolling operation is alleviated and a thread automatic rolling roller retracting mechanism is not damaged. The rolling head includes shaft bearing plates 33 which are slidably supported in a plurality of guide grooves 36 radially provided on inner surfaces of the front and rear closures of the housing 30 and which are provided on their outer surfaces in the radial directions with oblique surfaces 33b, thread rolling rollers 35 rotatably supported by the shaft bearing plates 33, a cam ring 31 which rotates in the housing 30 and has cam oblique surfaces 31a opposed to the oblique surfaces 33b of the shaft bearing plates 33, a lever 44 which abuts at its oblique surface against a cam member 45 to prevent movement thereof in association with the cam ring 31 and an abutment member 41 which is pressed and moved by a thread-rolled pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Rex Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshifumi Kubota, Masaaki Maruyama, Hideyuki Aiura, Makoto Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 7374495
    Abstract: The locking nut and bolt system includes an elongated locking unit, mounted in a nut and operative with a specially configured groove bolt. The locking unit includes a plurality of at least three tines, asymmetrically located, which protrude tangentially and generally radially inward. The tines are radially asymmetrically disposed such that when a respective tine latches into a corresponding groove, asynchronous locking operation is achieved. When the tine is engaged in the groove, counter-rotational movement (loosening) is prohibited. In another embodiment, the locking unit has different sized edge cut-outs prohibiting the locking insert from rotating within the nut. The locking unit may also include a longitudinal split and a key and a keyway. A manufacturing process is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Permanent Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Loren Ball
  • Patent number: 7370507
    Abstract: Transfer apparatus and method are provided from first (15A, 16A) to second (15B, 16B) stations of tooling in a cap (11) making press. This cap is biased against the first upper tools by a first airstream (50) introduced under the cap and moves upward with the first station punch (45). As the punch approaches its top location, a transfer airstream (52) begins while the first airstream is still on, and moves the cap out through a transfer chute (18) to the second station. The cap departs the chute and passes detents (67) on a pair of closed retention fingers (60) which define an extension of the transfer path from the chute into the open second station tools. A vacuum (85) applied to a port in the second station punch then holds the cup against the rising upper tools. When the punch clears the closing fingers and approaches its top location, an ejection airstream (87) commences to propel the finished cup via a discharge chute (19).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Dayton Systems Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen T. Cook, Mark F. Broerman
  • Patent number: 7367893
    Abstract: An assembly line for continuously manufacturing fasteners from a rod with a groove for receiving a wire for retaining the fasteners in a strip includes a receiver for receiving the rod. A die press is arranged to receive the rod from the receiver and includes a piercing member for piercing an aperture in each fastener and a cutting member for cutting each fastener from the rod. A tapping member provides ribs to an inner wall of the aperture formed in the fastener by the piercing member. An inspector inspects the internal rib formed into the inner wall of the aperture disposed in the fastener verifying exactness of the aperture and the rib. A wire inserter inserts the wire into the groove forming a strip of connected fasteners. The inserter receives the fasteners sequentially from the inspector after verification of the exactness of the aperture disposed in each fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Whitesell International Corporation
    Inventors: John J Vrana, Harold A Ladouceur, Richard P Ward, Jorge Gonzales
  • Patent number: 7367209
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the optimization of shift strategies, as a function of the strip width, for best possible usage of the advantages of CVC/CVCPlus technology in operation of strip-edge oriented shifts in 4-/6-roller stands, comprising a pair of working rollers and a pair of support rollers for a 4-roller stand and, in addition, a pair of intermediate rollers for a 6-roller stand, whereby at least the working rollers and the intermediate rollers cooperate with devices for axial shifting, characterized in that selection of the shift position (VP), for the shifting working/intermediate rollers, is made as a function of strip width. The working/intermediate rollers are then positioned in various positions (P), relative to the strip edge and, within differing strip width ranges (B), the shift position (VP) of each roller is given by an incremental linear progressive function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: SMS Demag AG
    Inventors: Andreas Ritter, Rüdiger Holz
  • Patent number: 7363792
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for producing a metallic product (1) by rolling, comprising: a first area (2) inside of which slabs are produced by primary shaping; a second area (3), which is located downstream from the first area (2) in the direction of flow (F) of the material and inside of which at least one first rolling device (4) for rolling slabs is arranged; a third area (5), which is located downstream from the second area (3) in the direction of flow (F) of the material and inside of which at least one second rolling device (6) for rolling slabs or the intermediate product produced therefrom is arranged, and; a fourth area (7), which is located downstream from the third area (5) in the direction of flow (F) of the material and inside of which at least one aftertreating device (8) for the rolled material is arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: SMS Demag AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Modrow, Ulrich Skoda-Dopp
  • Patent number: 7360562
    Abstract: A cable tie fastening apparatus or device for securing the ends of a cable or wire tie device or the like. This device includes a pair of cable tie holders for retaining the free and head cable tie ends, a flexible base member connecting the cable tie holders, a cable tie lock for securing the respective lock end of the cable tie, a pawl construction for unidirectionally engaging the free end of the cable tie, a pair of grips disposed on opposite sides of the flexible connection and a cable tie guide adjacent the head end cable tie holder for receiving the free end of the cable or wire tie.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Inventor: Walter Hindmarsh
  • Patent number: 7360387
    Abstract: To provide an upsetting method capable of efficiently expanding a bar-shaped raw material at least two portions. A plurality of guides 31 and 32 each having an insertion hole 34 are prepared. The bar-shaped raw material 1 secured to a fixed die 20 is inserted and held in each insertion hole 34 of the plurality of guides 31 and 32 in order. Then, a first exposed portion 4 of the raw material 1 exposed between a first guide 31 located at the foremost side of the plurality of guides 31 and 32 and the fixed die 32 is expanded in diameter by moving the plurality of guides 31 and 32 in a direction opposite to a moving direction of the punch 50R in a mutually adhering manner while pressurizing the raw material 1 in the axial direction with the punch 50R.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Showa Denko K.K.
    Inventor: Atsushi Otaki
  • Patent number: 7360389
    Abstract: In a forging process step, a small diameter portion 12 is formed in the leading end portion of a cylindrical shaft material 30, and an installation depressed portion 11d is formed on a base end face of the shaft material 30 for installing a ball 15 therein to receive thrust force, by cold forging process using a forging mold 31. In a worm forming process after the forging process step, a worm 13 is formed in the small diameter portion 12 by rolled dies. The small diameter portion 12 and the installation depressed portion 11d are formed by cold forging process, so that an outer circumferential face of the small diameter portion 12 and an inner face of the installation depressed portion 11d become even surfaces with small surface roughness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: ASMO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji Inoue, Takayoshi Sasaki, Koji Kidowaki, Nobuyuki Matsumoto, Masanori Takeuchi