Patents by Inventor Alan R. Mueth

Alan R. Mueth 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: 10245627
    Abstract: A control for a sheet metal processing line with a descaler includes sensors that adjust the spray blast pattern produced by impellers and the sheet advancement rate during descaling. The control may position a nozzle of the impeller so when a surface condition of the edge of the sheet is more favorable than that of the center of the sheet, the impeller spray concentration moves toward the center, and when a surface condition of the center of the sheet is more favorable than that of a respective edge of the sheet, the impeller spray concentration moves away from the center of the sheet. The control may raise the sheet advancement rate when the surface condition of the center of the sheet is more favorable than a standard, and lower the sheet advancement rate when a surface condition of the center of the sheet is less favorable than a standard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: THE MATERIAL WORKS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Voges, Alan R. Mueth, Christopher Craig
  • Publication number: 20180050374
    Abstract: A control for a sheet metal processing line with a descaler includes sensors that adjust the spray blast pattern produced by impellers and the sheet advancement rate during descaling. The control may position a nozzle of the impeller so when a surface condition of the edge of the sheet is more favorable than that of the center of the sheet, the impeller spray concentration moves toward the center, and when a surface condition of the center of the sheet is more favorable than that of a respective edge of the sheet, the impeller spray concentration moves away from the center of the sheet. The control may raise the sheet advancement rate when the surface condition of the center of the sheet is more favorable than a standard, and lower the sheet advancement rate when a surface condition of the center of the sheet is less favorable than a standard.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: Kevin C. Voges, Alan R. Mueth, Christopher Craig
  • Patent number: 9333625
    Abstract: A method for descaling stainless steel includes providing a descaling apparatus having wheels configured to propel a scale removing media against the sheet metal. The wheels are positioned In such a way that the scale removing media propelled from one wheel does not substantially interfere with the scale removing media propelled from another wheel. The scale removing media propelled from each wheel extends across substantially an entire width of the length of the sheet metal, and the wheels are positioned adjacent opposite side edges defining the width of the sheet metal with the sheet metal centered between the wheels. In accordance with the method, a user is induced to install at least one of the descaling apparatuses in a push/pull sheet metal processing line and process stainless steel sheet metal in the line to substantially remove all scale from the surfaces of the stainless steel strip using the descaling apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: The Material Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Voges, Alan R. Mueth
  • Patent number: 8128460
    Abstract: A method is provided for removing iron oxide scale from sheet metal and producing a sheet metal surface with rust inhibitive properties. The sheet metal is advanced through the descaling cell and a slurry mixture is propelled against at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of the sheet metal across the sheet metal width as the material is advanced through the descaling cell. The rate of slurry impact against the at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of the sheet metal is controlled in a manner to remove substantially all of the scale from a surface of the sheet metal, and in a manner to create a passivation layer on the descaled surface of the sheet metal. The passivation layer comprises at least one of silicon, aluminum, manganese and chromium and inhibits oxidation of the descaled surface of the processed sheet metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: The Material Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Voges, Alan R. Mueth
  • Patent number: 8066549
    Abstract: A method is provided for removing iron oxide scale from sheet metal and producing a sheet metal surface with rust inhibitive properties. The sheet metal is advanced through the descaling cell and a slurry mixture is propelled against at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of the sheet metal across the sheet metal width as the material is advanced through the descaling cell. The rate of slurry impact against the at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of the sheet metal is controlled in a manner to remove substantially all of the scale from a surface of the sheet metal, and in a manner to create a passivation layer on the descaled surface of the sheet metal. The passivation layer comprises at least one of silicon, aluminum, manganese and chromium and inhibits oxidation of the descaled surface of the processed sheet metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: The Material Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Voges, Alan R. Mueth
  • Patent number: 8062095
    Abstract: A method is provided for removing iron oxide scale from sheet metal and producing a sheet metal surface with rust inhibitive properties. The sheet metal is advanced through the descaling cell and a slurry mixture is propelled against at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of the sheet metal across the sheet metal width as the material is advanced through the descaling cell. The rate of slurry impact against the at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of the sheet metal is controlled in a manner to remove substantially all of the scale from a surface of the sheet metal, and in a manner to create a passivation layer on the descaled surface of the sheet metal. The passivation layer comprises at least one of silicon, aluminum, manganese and chromium and inhibits oxidation of the descaled surface of the processed sheet metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: The Material Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Voges, Alan R. Mueth
  • Publication number: 20110130075
    Abstract: A method is provided for removing iron oxide scale from sheet metal and producing a sheet metal surface with rust inhibitive properties. The sheet metal is advanced through the descaling cell and a slurry mixture is propelled against at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of the sheet metal across the sheet metal width as the material is advanced through the descaling cell. The rate of slurry impact against the at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of the sheet metal is controlled in a manner to remove substantially all of the scale from a surface of the sheet metal, and in a manner to create a passivation layer on the descaled surface of the sheet metal. The passivation layer comprises at least one of silicon, aluminum, manganese and chromium and inhibits oxidation of the descaled surface of the processed sheet metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: THE MATERIAL WORKS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Voges, Alan R. Mueth
  • Publication number: 20110009034
    Abstract: A method is provided for removing iron oxide scale from sheet metal and producing a sheet metal surface with rust inhibitive properties. The sheet metal is advanced through the descaling cell and a slurry mixture is propelled against at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of the sheet metal across the sheet metal width as the material is advanced through the descaling cell. The rate of slurry impact against the at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of the sheet metal is controlled in a manner to remove substantially all of the scale from a surface of the sheet metal, and in a manner to create a passivation layer on the descaled surface of the sheet metal. The passivation layer comprises at least one of silicon, aluminum, manganese and chromium and inhibits oxidation of the descaled surface of the processed sheet metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: THE MATERIAL WORKS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Voges, Alan R. Mueth
  • Patent number: 7601226
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of removing scale from the surfaces of processed sheet metal employs a scale removing medium propelled by counter-rotating pairs of wheels positioned in close proximity to the sheet metal surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: The Material Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Voges, Stuart H. Critchley, Alan R. Mueth
  • Publication number: 20090227184
    Abstract: A method is provided for removing iron oxide scale from sheet metal and producing a sheet metal surface with rust inhibitive properties. The sheet metal is advanced through the descaling cell and a slurry mixture is propelled against at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of the sheet metal across the sheet metal width as the material is advanced through the descaling cell. The rate of slurry impact against the at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of the sheet metal is controlled in a manner to remove substantially all of the scale from a surface of the sheet metal, and in a manner to create a passivation layer on the descaled surface of the sheet metal. The passivation layer comprises at least one of silicon, aluminum, manganese and chromium and inhibits oxidation of the descaled surface of the processed sheet metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: The Material Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Voges, Alan R. Mueth
  • Publication number: 20080216925
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for strip casting sheet metal and then conditioning the surfaces of the sheet metal strip to remove iron oxide scale employs first brushing the surfaces with stainless steel brushes to remove the scale without requiring pickle and oil, and then brushing the surfaces with aluminum oxide brushes to further clean and smooth the surfaces of the cast metal strip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: THE MATERIAL WORKS, LTD.
    Inventor: Alan R. Mueth
  • Publication number: 20080108281
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of removing scale from the surfaces of processed sheet metal employs a scale removing medium propelled by counter-rotating pairs of wheels positioned in close proximity to the sheet metal surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: THE MATERIAL WORKS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Voges, Stuart H. Critchley, Alan R. Mueth