Patents by Inventor Donald R. VandePolder

Donald R. VandePolder 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).

  • Extended jacket end, double expansion hydroforming
    Patent number: 5836065
    Abstract: Hydroforming double wall tubular stock into an air gap tubular element comprising providing a plural wall tubular workpiece having at least an inner wall liner and an outer wall jacket having adjacent open axial ends, causing at least one of the jacket ends to extend axially beyond the adjacent liner end and to be flared outwardly, placing the workpiece into a first mold cavity of a size and configuration to result in the desired size and configuration of the liner, sealing the open ends of said liner, injecting hydroforming fluid into said liner to fill it and applying pressure thereto to expand the liner and jacket in the first mold cavity, releasing the pressure, placing the workpiece in a second mold cavity of a size and configuration desired for the jacket on a resulting air gap tubular element, providing hydroforming end closures to seal off the jacket ends, at least one of the end closures having an annular shoulder aligned with the flared extended jacket end radially outwardly offset from the adjacent
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Benteler Automotive Corporation
    Inventors: James R. Dehlinger, Roger A. Crawford, Wallace J. Poole, Robert A. Shaffer, Donald R. VandePolder
  • Extended jacket end, double expansion hydroforming
    Patent number: 5673470
    Abstract: Hydroforming double wall tubular stock into an air gap tubular element comprising providing a plural wall tubular workpiece having at least an inner wall liner and an outer wall jacket having adjacent open axial ends, causing at least one of the jacket ends to extend axially beyond the adjacent liner end and to be flared outwardly, placing the workpiece into a first mold cavity of a size and configuration to result in the desired size and configuration of the liner, sealing the open ends of said liner, injecting hydroforming fluid into said liner to fill it and applying pressure thereto to expand the liner and jacket in the first mold cavity, releasing the pressure, placing the workpiece in a second mold cavity of a size and configuration desired for the jacket on a resulting air gap tubular element, providing hydroforming end closures to seal off the jacket ends, at least one of the end closures having an annular shoulder aligned with the flared extended jacket end radially outwardly offset from the adjacent
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Benteler Automotive Corporation
    Inventors: James R. Dehlinger, Roger A. Crawford, Wallace J. Poole, Robert A. Shaffer, Donald R. VandePolder