Patents Examined by Janelle Combs Morillo
  • Patent number: 6334978
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to the additions of alkaline earth metals, in particular strontium and optionally combinations with other metals, to aluminum and aluminum alloys to improve the appearance of, eliminate surface imperfections, and reduce the surface oxidation of the as-cast ingots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: Alcoa, Inc.
    Inventors: David H. DeYoung, Mark J. Dunlay
  • Patent number: 6334916
    Abstract: The present invention provides an Al—Mg—Si based alloy sheet whose press-formability (particularly, deep-drawing formability, stretch-formability and bendability) is made higher than conventional Al—Mg—Si based alloy sheets of JIS 6000 series. For texture of the Al—Mg—Si based alloy sheet, orientation density of at least Cube orientation is controlled in accordance with a sort of press forming, so that press-formability improved to match with the press forming is provided. For example, to improve deep-drawing formability of an Al—Mg—Si based alloy sheet, the ratio of orientation density of Goss orientation to the orientation density of the Cube orientation (Goss/Cube) is set to 0.3 or less, and a grain size is set to 80 &mgr;m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: Kobe Steel Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsushi Matsumoto, Yasuaki Sugizaki, Masahiro Yanagawa, Yuichi Seki
  • Patent number: 6332938
    Abstract: The present invention produces an Fe-based member having a high Young's modulus and a high toughness. In producing an Fe-based member, a first step and a second step are sequentially carried out. At the first step, an Fe-based material comprising 1.5% by weight≦C≦2.5% by weight 1.4% by weight≦Si≦3.5% by weight 0.9% by weight≦Mn≦1.7% by weight 0.5% by weight≦Ni≦1.5% by weight, and the balance of Fe including inevitable impurities is subjected to a thermal treatment at a heating temperature set in a range of TS<T1<TL and under a quenching condition, wherein TS represents a solidus temperature of the Fe-based material, and TL represents a liquidus temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Sugawara
  • Patent number: 6331219
    Abstract: A system for cooling a hot rolled steel product at a retarded cooling rate comprises a laying head for forming the product into a continuous series of rings. A conveyor receives the rings from the laying head at a receiving station and transports the rings in a non-concentric overlapping pattern through a cooling zone to a reforming station at which the rings are delivered from the conveyor and gathered into upstanding coils. The rings are covered with a granular insulation material while being transported through the cooling zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Morgan Construction Company
    Inventors: T. Michael Shore, Melicher Puchovsky
  • Patent number: 6328826
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of fabricating “TRIP” steel in the form of thin strip, wherein: a strip from 1.5 to 10 mm thick, preferably from 1 to 5 mm thick, is cast directly from liquid steel having the composition (in weight percent) C % from 0.05 to 0.25, (Mn+Cu+Ni) % from 0.5 to 3, (Si+Al) % from 0.1 to 4, (P+Sn+As+Sb) % not greater than 0.1, (Ti+Nb+V+Zr+rare earths) % less than 0.3, Cr % less than 1, Mo % less than 1, V % less than 1, the remainder being iron and manufacturing impurities; said strip is hot rolled on-line in one or more passes at a temperature higher than the Ar3 temperature of said steel and with a reduction ratio from 25 to 70%; first forced cooling of said strip is carried out at a cooling rate from 5 to 100° C./s; the strip remains at temperatures from 550 to 400° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Usinor
    Inventors: Thierry Iung, Odile Faral, Michel Faral, Michel Babbit, Christophe Issartel
  • Patent number: 6328823
    Abstract: The invention relates to an aluminum sliding bearing alloy, comprising 3 to 6 mass % zinc, 0.3 to 2.0 mass % copper, 0.2 to 1.0 mass % magnesium, 0.3 to 2.0 mass % silicon and 2 to 4.5 mass % lead. According to the invention, said alloy is obtained by means of continuous casting with a minimum dimension, i.e. a strand thickness of more than 20 mm, solidifying in a mold which is indirectly cooled only, with a withdrawal speed of 1 to 5 mm/s and with a cooling speed of less than 100 K/s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: KS Gleitlager GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Deicke, Werner Schubert, Thomas Steffens, Thomas Pomocnik
  • Patent number: 6325870
    Abstract: An aluminum sheet material for automobiles is herein disclosed, having an aluminum alloy composition: (i) comprising 3.5 to 5 wt % of Si, 0.3 to 1.5 wt % of Mg, 0.4 to 1.5 wt % of Zn, 0.4 to 1.5 wt % of Cu, 0.4 to 1.5 wt % of Fe, and 0.6 to 1 wt % of Mn, and one or more members selected from the group of 0.01 to 0.2 wt % of Cr, 0.01 to 0.2 wt % of Ti, 0.01 to 0.2 wt % of Zr, and 0.01 to 0.2 wt % of V, with the balance of aluminum and unavoidable impurities, or (ii) comprising between more than 2.6 wt % and 5 wt % of Si, 0.2 to 1.0 wt % of Mg, 0.2 to 1.5 wt % of Zn, 0.2 to 1.5 wt % of Cu, 0.2 to 1.5 wt % of Fe, and between 0.05 and less than 0.6 wt % of Mn, and one or more members selected from the group of 0.01 to 0.2 wt % of Cr, 0.01 to 0.2 wt % of Ti, 0.01 to 0.2 wt % of Zr, and 0.01 to 0.2 wt % of V, with the balance of aluminum and unavoidable impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignees: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Kashiwazaki, Yoichiro Bekki, Noboru Hayashi
  • Patent number: 6315948
    Abstract: A weldable, high magnesium-content aluminum-magnesium alloy consisting essentially of at lest 5 to 6% by weight magnesium (Mg), 0.05 to 0.15% by weight zirconium (Zr), 0.7 to 1% by weight manganese (Mn), 0.01 to 0.2% by weight titanium (Ti), 0.005 to 0.5% by weight cerium (Ce), 0.05 to 0.5% by weight of one or more elements selected from the scandium group of the Periodic Table and/or terbium (Tb), wherein at least scandium (Sc) is included with or without terbium (Tb) and with or without 0.05 to 0.45% by weight of an element from the lanthanide series, the balance being aluminum (Al), and unavoidable contaminants not exceeding 0.2% by weight silicon (Si).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Daimler Chrysler AG
    Inventors: Blanka Lenczowski, Viktor Yelagin, Rainer Rauh, Valeri Zakharov, Yuri Filatov
  • Patent number: 6315844
    Abstract: The invention relates to a high-strength steel track element, and process of making the steel track element by rolling and heat treating. The steel comprises: 0.3-0.6% C, 0.8-1.5% Si, 0.7-1.0% Mn, 0.9-1.4% Cr, 0.6-1.0% Mo, balance iron and smelting-related impurities. The steel has a bainitic basic structure, a tensile strength of at least 1600 N/mm2 and a technical yield strength of at least 1250 N/mm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: BWG Butzbacher Weichenbau Gesellschaft mbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gerhard Ratz, Walter Kunitz
  • Patent number: 6315947
    Abstract: A free-machining alloy is disclosed containing bismuth and indium. The free-machining constituents act as low melting point compounds for machining and are specially adapted for use in aluminum alloys such as AA6000 series and AA 2000 series alloys. The bismuth and indium are effective replacements for the lead and bismuth addition used previously to improve machinability while providing a high impact energy free machining alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Reynolds Metals Company
    Inventor: Subhasish Sircar
  • Patent number: 6309480
    Abstract: A cylinder liner cast into a reciprocating piston engine made of a supereutectic aluminum/silicon alloy which is free of mixed-in particles of hard material and which is composed in such a way that fine silicon primary crystals and intermetallic particles automatically form from the melt as hard particles. A blank is allowed to grow from finely sprayed melt droplets by spray compaction, with a fine distribution of hard particles being produced by setting the spray for small melt droplets. The fine-grained, hard particles formed from the melt and also the mechanical exposure of the hard particles on the surface of the cylinder results not only in high wear resistance and high contact area of the surface, but also in gentle treatment of the piston and its rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Franz Rückert, Peter Stocker, Roland Biedermann, Roland Rieger
  • Patent number: 6306342
    Abstract: An aluminum casting alloy contains 0.5 to 2.0 w. % magnesium max. 0.15 w. % silicon 0.5 to 2.0 w. % manganese max. 0.7 w. % iron max. 0.1 w. % copper max. 0.1 w. % zinc max. 0.2 w. % titanium 0.1 to 0.6 w. % cobalt max. 0.8 w. % cerium 0.5 to 0.5 w. % zirconium max. 1.1 w. % chromium max. 1.1 w. % nickel 0.005 to 0.15 w. % vanadium max. 0.5 w. % hafnium and aluminum as the remainder with further contaminants individually at 0.05 w. %, total max. 0.02 w. %. The aluminum casting alloy is particularly suitable for diecasting and thixocasting or thixoforging. One particular application is diecasting for components with high requirements for mechanical properties as these are already present in the casting state and thus no further heat treatment is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Aluminium Rheinfelden GmbH
    Inventors: Hubert Koch, Horst Schramm, Peter Krug
  • Patent number: 6302973
    Abstract: Aluminium-magnesium-zinc-silicon alloy, preferably in the form of a plate or a sheet or an extrusion, having the following composition in weight percent: Mg 0.5-1.5; Zn 0.1-3.8; Si 0.05-1.5; Mn 0.2-0.8; Zr 0.05-0.25; Cr 0.3 max.; Cu<0.3; Fe 0.5 max.; Ag 0.4 max.; Ti 0.2 max.; balance Al and inevitable impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignees: Corus Aluminium Walzprodukte GmbH, Corus Aluminium Profiltechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Alfred Johann Peter Haszler, Desikan Sampath
  • Patent number: 6302975
    Abstract: A method for improving the fracture toughness for aluminum-based diffusion coatings by thermal spray means to simultaneously apply aluminum, chromium, boron, and/or silicon onto a steel workpiece, followed by heat treatment of the workpiece for a sufficient time to cause the aluminum, chromium, boron, and/or silicon to diffuse into the workpiece. The resulting diffusion coating demonstrates improved fracture toughness and does not necessitate the use of a slurry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: McDermott Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven C. Kung
  • Patent number: 6290787
    Abstract: The subject for the invention is a process for manufacturing strip. The process includes casting directly from liquid metal a steel strip 1.5 to 10 mm in thickness, subjecting the cast steel strip, in the austenitic phase, to a first hot rolling operation in one or more steps at a temperature of between 950° C. and the Ar3 temperature of said strip with an overall reduction ratio of at least 10%, then subjecting the hot rolled strip, in the ferritic phase, to a second hot rolling operation in one or more steps at a temperature below 850° C., with an overall reduction ratio of at least 50% in the presence of a lubricant, so as to obtain a hot-rolled sheet with a thickness of less than or equal to 2 mm, and recrystallizing the hot rolled sheet at a temperature between 700 and 800° C. The composition of the steel strip comprises (in weight %): carbon less than 0.1%, manganese from 0.03 to 2%, silicon from 0 to 0.5%, phosphorus from 0 to 0.1%, boron from 0 to 0.002%, titanium from 0 to 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Sollac
    Inventors: Michel Babbit, Michel Faral, Catherine Juckum, Hélène Regle
  • Patent number: 6290784
    Abstract: A hot rolled steel sheet comprises ultrafine ferrite grains as a main phase and fine second phase particles. The ferrite grains have an average grain size of not less than 2 &mgr;m but less than 4 &mgr;m. The second phase has an average particle size of not more than 8 &mgr;m and in not less than 80% of the second phase, the spacing of the second phase particle with the closest second phase particle is not less than the second phase particle size. The steel sheet has an ultrafine grain structure, superior mechanical characteristics, reduced anisotropy in its mechanical characteristics and high formability. A process for producing the steel sheet is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Kawasaki Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Eiko Yasuhara, Akio Tosaka, Osamu Furukimi
  • Patent number: 6290789
    Abstract: A steel pipe containing fine ferrite crystal grains, which has excellent toughness and ductility and good ductility-strength balance as well as superior collision impact resistance, and a method for producing the same are provided. A steel pipe containing super-fine crystal grains can be produced by heating a base steel pipe having ferrite grains with an average crystal diameter of di (&mgr;m), in which C, Si, Mn and Al are limited within proper ranges, and if necessary, Cu, Ni, Cr and Mo, or Nb, Ti, V, B, etc. are further added, at not higher than the Ac3 transformation point, and applying reducing at an average rolling temperature of &thgr;m (°C.) and a total reduction ration Tred (%) within s temperature range of from 400 to Ac3 transformation point, with di, &thgr;m and Tred being in a relation satisfying a prescribed equation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Kawasaki Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Toyooka, Akira Yorifuji, Masanori Nishimori, Motoaki Itadani, Yuji Hashimoto, Takatoshi Okabe, Taro Kanayama, Masahiko Morita, Saiji Matsuoka, Nobuki Tanaka, Osamu Furukimi, Takaaki Hira
  • Patent number: 6284063
    Abstract: The invention concerns hot-rolled steel strip no more than 5 mm thick, optionally less than 2 mm thick, made of high-tensile steel, that contains 0.08%-0.25% carbon, 1.20% to 2.0% manganese, and 0.02% to 0.05% aluminum, and optionally up to 1.0% chromium, up to 0.1% copper, up to 0.5% molybdenum, up to 0.1% nickel, up to 0.009% nitrogen, up to 0.0025% B, and optionally a stoichiometric amount of titanium in relation to nitrogen. The steel strip has a greater than 95% martensitic structure, and a tensile strength of 800 to 1400 N/mm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Thyssen Stahl AG
    Inventors: Manfred Espenhahn, Thomas Heller, Jürgen Esdohr
  • Patent number: 6277220
    Abstract: The steel wire rod contains oxides which comprises, on the weight % basis, SiO2, 70% or more; CaO+Al2O3, less than 20%; and ZrO2, 0.1 to 10% in the average composition of oxides of 2 &mgr;m or more in width on a longitudinal section thereof. This wire rod is excellent in cold workability such as drawability, and steel wires which have high fatigue strength can be produced from this wire rod as stock steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Inventors: Takanari Hamada, Yusuke Nakano, Yukio Ishizaka
  • Patent number: 6277219
    Abstract: The invention relates to a product comprising an aluminum base alloy consisting of (in weight %): Cu 3.8-4.9, Mg 1.2-1.8, Mn 0.1-0.9, Fe max. 0.12, Si max. 0.10, Ti max. 0.15, Zn max. 0.20, Cr max. 0.10, impurities each max. 0.05, total max. 0.15, balance aluminum. The product having a minimum L-0.2%yield strength of 300 MPa or more, a minimum LT-0.2%yield strength of 270 MPa, a minimum T-L fracture toughness KC(ao) of 100 MPa.m or more for a 700 mm wide CCT-panel, and has in both L/ST- and LT/ST-sections an average grain size of at least 6 according to ASTM E-112. Further the invention relates to a method for the manufacturing of such a product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Corus Aluminium Walzprodukte GmbH
    Inventors: Alfred Ludwig Heinz, Alfred Johann Peter Haszler