Patents by Inventor Hans Krapfenbauer

Hans Krapfenbauer 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: 5765419
    Abstract: In an impact rolling apparatus the axes of roller heads are arranged substantially perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal axis of the workpiece. Accordingly, a displacing of the material at the workpiece proceeds predominantly tangentially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the workpiece, caused by the impact effect of the impact rollers mounted at the roller heads. By this arrangement of the roller heads impact rolling operations can be performed close to a shoulder of the workpiece and marked steps thus maintaining the advantages over the known impact rolling method at which the displacement of the material proceeds predominantly in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Ernst Grob AG
    Inventor: Hans Krapfenbauer
  • Patent number: 5546781
    Abstract: Process for the production of a toothed rack via cold forming, the rack produced thereby, and an apparatus for practicing the process. The cold formed rack workpiece shows multiple traces of cold forming in the toothing direction. During the production process, the workpiece, in the apparatus, is moved transversely to the axis of the rolling head, relative to the rotatably driven rolling head. Rolls, having forming ribs, are rotatably journalled within the rolling head, along at least one helical line, with the rolls rotating with the rolling head in a planetary manner. Thereby, each roll performs, in quick sequence, single rolling steps that overlap each other in the feed direction of the apparatus slide. Therein, the tooth space form-type forming ring ribs engage the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Assignee: Ernst Grob AG
    Inventor: Hans Krapfenbauer
  • Patent number: 5355706
    Abstract: The well known Grob method, as practiced on a Grob machine, uses at least a partially profiled mandrel wherein during a cold forming operation, via a forming or impact roller of a workpiece blank, produces a hollow workpiece that is profiled at least internally wherein the material is shaped radially as well as axially in a single operation and the axial and radial shaping of the workpiece blank is achieved at least internally as a whole or in part in a straight or helical manner relative to the workpiece axis, by means of this forming roller and achieves the economical production of high quality workpieces in a single operation, with outer profiling also being achievable, and the difference (D) between the outer radius (RO) of the workpiece blank and the outer radius (RD) of the mandrel preferably being the same as or smaller than the length (WL) of the finished workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: Ernst Grob AG
    Inventors: Daniel Deriaz, Hans Krapfenbauer
  • Patent number: 4796345
    Abstract: The method of fabricating a rim gear, such as a starter rim gear made of sheet metal, such as sheet steel, comprises cold forming an outer surface of a substantially cylindrical rim portion of a dished blank according to the well known Grob method to effect an external or exterior gear tooth system with proper gear or gear wheel characteristics thereon, thereby also effecting an internal or inner tooth system on the inner surface of the substantially cylindrical rim portion. This method is performed such that at the fabricated rim gear the quotient of the different between an addendum circle diameter or outer diameter of the external gear tooth system and a crown circle diameter or inner diameter of the internal tooth system divided by the wall thickness of the substantially cylindrical rim portion before the start of cold forming is at least 1.6 and that the quotient of the thinnest portion of the tooth flank wall of the fabricated rim gear divided by that wall thickness is at most 0.4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1989
    Assignee: Ernst Grob AG
    Inventor: Hans Krapfenbauer
  • Patent number: 4388818
    Abstract: An approximately shaped or formed gear is fabricated in any desired way and is then corrected by means of substantially ring-shaped rolls or rolling tools performing striking or hammering operations in the tooth gaps of such gear. The rolls rotate in a planetary fashion in revolving rolling or roller heads. Such rolling heads are advanced to a maximum radial penetration depth of the rolls which is governed by a stop and are then retracted, if necessary. The advance or feed is preferably performed by a hydraulic drive, the pressure of which is regulated electro-hydraulically by means of a template or the like. The hydraulic drive acts against the action of a spring. The approximately formed teeth, which are thus rolled in an overlapping manner, are produced by the addition of material per tooth flank. Preferably, such material addition amounts to at least twice or three-fold the summation pitch error according to DIN 3960 to 3962 (German Industrial Standard 3960 to 3962).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1983
    Assignee: Firma Ernst Grob
    Inventor: Hans Krapfenbauer
  • Patent number: 4307592
    Abstract: A cold rolling method wherein the workpiece is advanced along its lengthwise axis and rotated in pulsating fashion, in accordance with a sinusoidal-like rotational speed-time diagram, while its surface is machined during briefly effective individual rolling or generating operations by means of generating rolls seated in roller or rolling heads. Each rolling operation is accomplished when the rotational speed of the workpiece is at the lower reversal region of the aforementioned diagram. The cold rolling machine comprises a worm gear for rotating the workpiece together with its clamping or chucking device, the worm gear being seated upon the chucking device. The related worm is mounted in a displaceable carriage. This carriage is moved to-and-fro by an eccentric drive or equivalent structure, and the action of the worm is superimposed upon the worm gear and there is formed the sinusoidal-like course of the rotational speed as a function of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1979
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1981
    Assignee: Firma Ernst Grob
    Inventor: Hans Krapfenbauer
  • Patent number: 4116032
    Abstract: A method of, and apparatus for, manufacturing straight or inclined toothed machine elements, especially spur gears, by cold working, which comprises holding under axial prestress a single gear-workpiece blank during a rolling or generating operation between two press punches at such a pressure that under the action of the rolling operation pressure stresses prevail between the press punches and the workpiece, these pressure stresses corresponding at least to the elastic limit of the workpiece material. Further, due to the simultaneous action of the prestressing force and the rolling operation there is formed at least at one of both end surfaces of the workpiece an end surface which is dispositioned exactly perpendicular to the axis of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1978
    Assignee: Ernst Grob
    Inventors: Hans Krapfenbauer, Ernst Grob