Patents by Inventor Albert J. Klimas

Albert J. Klimas 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).

  • Method and apparatus for testing the integrity of a shroud seal on a ladle for a continuous casting installation
    Patent number: 7628952
    Abstract: Molten steel is conducted by a tubular shroud interconnecting a slide gate at a bottom tap hole of a ladle with the molten steel in an underlying tundish of a continuous caster. The flow path is confirmed to be isolated from contaminants in atmospheric air by applying a source of partial vacuum to the internal cavity of tubular shroud to allow prevailing atmospheric pressure acting on molten steel in a tundish to push molten steel upwardly in the internal cavity of the tubular shroud. A measure of the partial vacuum in the cavity of the shroud is used to assess the integrity of the gas tight seal. Before and after the integrity of the gas tight seal is determined, a three way valve is used to apply an inert gas to the volume in the cavity of the shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: SMS Demag, Inc.
    Inventor: Albert J. Klimas
  • Method and apparatus for testing the integrity of a shroud seal on a ladle for a continuous casting installation
    Publication number: 20080246195
    Abstract: Molten steel is conducted by a tubular shroud interconnecting a slide gate at a bottom tap hole of a ladle with the molten steel in an underlying tundish of a continuous caster. The flow path is confirmed to be isolated from contaminants in atmospheric air by applying a source of partial vacuum to the internal cavity of tubular shroud to allow prevailing atmospheric pressure acting on molten steel in a tundish to push molten steel upwardly in the internal cavity of the tubular shroud. A measure of the partial vacuum in the cavity of the shroud is used to assess the integrity of the gas tight seal. Before and after the integrity of the gas tight seal is determined, a three way valve is used to apply an inert gas to the volume in the cavity of the shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Inventor: Albert J. Klimas