Patents by Inventor Ralf Storandt

Ralf Storandt 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: 4763385
    Abstract: A door closer is described in which transmission ratios which change in dependence on the closing angle can be realized by eccentric toothed elements. The toothed elements can have different profile offsets, moduli and flank angles along their respective pitch curves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1988
    Assignee: GEZE GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Furch, Georg Scheck, Fritz Feucht, Ralf Storandt
  • Patent number: 4744125
    Abstract: A door closer is described in which transmission characteristics which change in dependence on the closing angle can be realized either by two pistons disposed coaxially within one another and displaceable relative to one another, or by eccentric toothed elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1988
    Assignee: GEZE GmbH
    Inventors: Georg Scheck, Ralf Storandt, Fritz Feucht
  • Patent number: 4663800
    Abstract: A door holding device for door closers is described in which a door is held only at a predetermined angle of opening and in which the selected holding position can remain unchanged over a long period of time but can nevertheless be released by electrical means. For this purpose the switching of the door is effected, starting from a known mechanical door holding device which can be switched in and switched out, via a control unit which is biased into a door holding position by the hydraulic pressure which is in any event present in the closer and which can be released again via a magnetic valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Assignee: GEZE GmbH
    Inventors: Karl Mettenleiter, Ralf Storandt, Georg Scheck
  • Patent number: 4663887
    Abstract: An apparatus is described for regulating the closing sequence of double doors, each of which is provided with a floor-mounted door closer. In this arrangement an actuating unit is integrated into the floor-mounted door closer associated with the trailing door and controls a valve unit in the floor-mounted door closer associated with the leading door, preferably via a Bowden cable. The Bowden cable is laid in the ground so that no parts need to be installed on the door or door frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Assignee: GEZE GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Storandt, Regina Storz-Irion
  • Patent number: 4653229
    Abstract: A holding installation with an integrated closing sequence regulation is described for double doors comprising a leading door which is the first to close and a trailing door which then closes. The hydraulic door closer associated with the trailing door is provided with a signal generating device which is actuated in dependence on the piston position, and with an additional return flow passage for hydraulic fluid. The signal generating device controls the solenoid valve which holds the leading door by preventing the movement of hydraulic fluid contained in the door closer for the leading door, thus preventing movement of the associated piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Assignee: GEZE GmbH
    Inventors: Fritz Feucht, Karl Mettenleiter, Ralf Storandt
  • Patent number: 4640051
    Abstract: The mechanism of the invention can be mounted on and in contact with a frame. A spindle (2) is disposed within a shallow strip-like housing (1) parallel to an edge of a glazed sash of a window or door and a slider (3) displaceable on rotation of the spindle (2) is mounted on the spindle in order to drive a latching and/or deployment device for the glazed sash. The spindle can be adjusted by means of a knob-like handle (4) which is drivingly connected with the spindle (2) via gears (5, 6). A safety coupling (15 to 23) which limits the maximum achievable positioning force is arranged inside the handle (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1987
    Assignee: Geze GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Maier, Ralf Storandt, Heinz Guenther, deceased, by Renate Guenther, legal representative, by Sabine Guenther, legal representative
  • Patent number: 4583324
    Abstract: Apparatus is described for regulating the closing sequence of double doors with at least one door closer associated with the leading door and a control arrangement which is actuated by the trailing door and which cooperates with the door closer of the leading door. The special feature of the apparatus lies in the fact that the control arrangement consists of a positioning member, which is arranged in the hinge edge region of the trailing door and is movable by the trailing door between first and second switching positions, and of a connection member which is connected to the positioning member. The connection member extends up to the door closer for the leading door and mechanically transmits the movement of the positioning member, to the closer for the leading door. The leading door end of the connecting member acts on a control member which blocks the closing movement of the door closer in one of the two switching positions of the positioning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1986
    Assignee: GEZE GmbH
    Inventors: Regina Storz, Fritz Feucht, Ralf Storandt
  • Patent number: 4536916
    Abstract: A door closing apparatus is described which embraces a unit for generating a closing force, a lever attached thereto via a releasable clutch for actuating the door and a controllable blocking device. The releasable clutch consists of a threaded connection which permits relative rotation between the actuating lever and the drive axle over a predetermined stroke. An abutment for frictionally locking the actuating lever is provided, with the frictional locking abutment becoming effective relative to the actuating lever at at least one end of the stroke. The holding force which sets in between the actuating lever and the frictional locking abutment is smaller than the holding force of the blocking device which blocks the unit for generating the closing force in the closing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1985
    Assignee: Geze GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Storandt, Karl Mettenleiter
  • Patent number: 4436321
    Abstract: An electrically releasable safety ski binding in which a measuring system determines the load applied to a skier's leg during skiing and a release mechanism incorporating an electromechanical converter such as a solenoid acts on a clamp device securing the ski boot to the binding to release the ski boot when the aforementioned load reaches a dangerous level. To prevent the binding becoming inoperative on failure of the electrical power supply the binding is equipped with an auxiliary release mechanism having a first inoperative state and a second operative state which can be selected either manually or automatically should the electrically operated release mechanism fail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1984
    Assignee: GEZE GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Storandt, Georg Scheck, Peter Biermann
  • Patent number: 4394032
    Abstract: A ski safety binding is designed to allow both a dangerous bending moment exerted about a transverse axis 15 through the weakest point of a skier's leg and a torsional moment exerted about a vertical axis 24 through the skier's leg to be detected and to be used to initiate release of the ski boot 54 from the binding when the bending and/or torsional loads approach dangerous levels. The binding basically consists of a sole plate 11 which carries a boot retaining system 56, 57 and which is mounted on a ski 12 for limited displacement in the longitudinal direction of the ski and for limited pivotal movements about a transverse axis 17 and a vertical axis 24. The sole plate is guided at its rear end for limited movement along an inclined guide 18 and along a transverse guide 21. This movement is resisted by respective hydraulic retaining means 28, 28'; 29, 29' which are however able to resiliently deflect once a predetermined load is exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1983
    Assignee: Geze GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Storandt, Manfred Richert, Georg Scheck
  • Patent number: 4385773
    Abstract: A ski safety binding is provided with a measuring system for determining the occurrence of a dangerous bending moment about a transverse axis 11 passing through the weakest point of the skier's leg lying generally somewhat above the ankle. In a first embodiment first, second and third measuring transducers 14, 15, 12 are strategically arranged between the sole of the ski boot and parts of a binding 33, 35 and the output signals from these measuring transducers are fed to a processing circuit 17 which computes the size of the bending moment about the transverse axis 11 and passes a release signal to an actuation device A to release the binding as soon as a dangerous level is reached. In a modification (FIG. 3) the ski boot is supported in the binding in such a manner that only two pressure measuring transducers are required. A variety of other embodiments are disclosed which show the use of ski bindings incorporating sole plates 24 (FIGS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1983
    Assignee: Geze GmbH
    Inventors: Georg Scheck, Ralf Storandt
  • Patent number: 4337964
    Abstract: A ski brake of the type having a pair of brake arms and a boot plate which, when depressed, holds the brake arms in an in-use skiing position and which, when released, enables the brake arms to pivot to an in-use braking position under application of spring force, the brake arms partially overlying the top surface of the ski in the in-use skiing position, is improved with respect to the manner in which the ends of the brake arms are transversely pulled-in during movement to said in-use skiing position. According to a preferred embodiment, this improvement comprises the provision of control elements for achieving the transverse pulling-in of the braking arms that comprise right-angular shoulders on a bearing plate and diverging wire sections on an actuating part of the ski brake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1982
    Assignee: GEZE GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Biermann, Ralf Storandt, Rudi Feucht
  • Patent number: 4336956
    Abstract: A safety toe unit for ski binding includes a compensation mechanism to compensate the release setting of the binding for the changes in the frictional resistance to sliding of the ski boot relative to the ski which accompany the continuously changing pressure between the ball region of a skier's foot and the ski. The invention is applicable to most known kinds of safety toe unit and in particular to those safety toe units which feature a safety release mechanism including at least one spring adapted to bias one or more toe clamping elements into a ski boot securing position and operative on the occurrence of a predetermined sideways force to permit sideways pivoting of the toe clamp or at least of an element thereof to a position in which the ski boot is released from the binding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1982
    Assignee: Vereinigte Baubeschlagfabriken Gretsch & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Richert, Ralf Storandt
  • Patent number: 4322091
    Abstract: A cross country ski binding having at least one upwardly extending member engaging in a corresponding recess in the toe portion of the sole of a ski shoe and a pair of conically divergent side members and an upper top restraint member to complete the location of the toe portion.Actuating devices are provided for producing relative movement in the longitudinal direction of the binding between the upwardly extending member and the side and top restraint members so that the toe portion can first be inserted over the upwardly extending member and subsequently drawn into engagement with the side and top restraint members. The actuating devices include toggle lever devices, cam track and journal devices, and a gear wheel and gear track device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1982
    Assignee: Vereinigte Baubeschlagfabriken Gretsch & Co. GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Storandt
  • Patent number: 4307895
    Abstract: A ski safety binding of the type in which a sole clamp is pivotally mounted about a transverse pivot axis on a base plate and is retained in a closed position for clamping a ski boot by means of a spring loaded latch device. During safety release the sole clamp is able to pivot upwardly about the transverse axis to overcome the latching force. To allow the sole clamp to be readily opened by hand a pivotable hand opening lever is provided for relieving the spring loading of the latch device.The latch device features a latch projection carried at one end of a pivoted latch lever which is spring loaded by a coil spring carried by the hand opening lever. The force of the spring is transmitted to the latch lever via a bar-like extension of a spring abutment which is displaceably arranged relative to the hand opening lever and which is pivotally connected to the latch lever about a further transverse pivot axis which defines the pivot axis for the hand opening lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1979
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1981
    Assignee: Vereinigte Baubeschlag-fabriken Gretsch & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Storandt, Manfred Richert
  • Patent number: 4298213
    Abstract: A safety binding for a ski comprising a housing pivotally mounted about a transverse axis, a sole clamp carried by the housing, an upward release mechanism incorporating an adjustable upward release spring and operative to locate the housing and the sole clamp in a closed position while adapted to release housing and sole clamp for upward pivotal movement about said transverse axis once the release setting of said upward release spring is exceeded. The binding also has a sideways release mechanism incorporating an adjustable sideways release spring one end of which bears against the housing. The sideways release mechanism is operative to locate the sole clamp sideways while adapted to allow the sole clamp to be displaced sideways to either side of the housing once the release setting of the sideways release spring is exceeded. The upward and sideways release springs are coil springs of different diameters and are located one within the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1981
    Assignee: Vereinigte Baubeschlagfabriken Gretsch & Co. GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Storandt
  • Patent number: 4290624
    Abstract: A release setting indicating device for use in a ski safety binding which utilizes two concentric coil springs to preload the release mechanism. The inner and outer coil springs are respectively associated with the sideways and upward release mechanisms of a diagonal release binding and are provided with independently adjustable abutments at their ends remote from the sole clamp. A tube surrounds the inner coil spring with a certain degree of sideways clearance and has a projection which extends towards the sole clamp beyond the end of the outer coil spring. This projection carries an indicator member which is visible through a window provided in the binding housing. The tube is connected via a radially inwardly directed flange to the inner coil spring via the adjustable abutment so that the indicator member is axially displaced to show the release setting of the spring on adjustment of the abutment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1981
    Assignee: Vereinigte Baubeschlagfabriken Gretsch & Co. GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Storandt
  • Patent number: 4273355
    Abstract: A ski safety binding of the type which is convertible between downhill and touring configurations comprises a base plate connectable to a ski via a safety release mechanism and a sole plate, to which a ski boot can be fastened, which is arranged for pivotal movement about a transverse pivot axis located adjacent the toe of the ski boot on the base plate to define the touring configuration. At least one fitting is provided on at least one side of the binding for securing the sole plate to the base plate in the downhill configuration. The, or each, fitting comprises a link incorporating a spring at its forward end and which extends between a point of attachment at the forward part of the base plate and a point at which it is held to the rear of the sole plate at the side thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1981
    Assignee: Vereinigte Baubeschlagfabriken, Gretsch & Co. GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Storandt
  • Patent number: 4239257
    Abstract: A cross country ski binding includes a support element which has a rear part clampingly engageable with a forward extension of a ski boot sole and a front part which is fixedly attachable to a ski. In order to accommodate angular movement between the front and rear parts, a latching mechanism is included which permits such angular movement about cross axes extending crosswise of the longitudinal extent of the ski when the binding is in an in-use position. The forward extension of the boot sole is formed as a short articulation part for hingedly connecting the boot to the latching mechanism. In preferred embodiments the forward boot sole extension formed as the articulation part extends less than 15 mm forwardly from the toe accommodating part of the boot, such that the boots can be comfortably walked in when not skiing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1980
    Assignee: Vereinigte Baubeschlagfabriken Gretsch & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Biermann, Rudi Feucht, Manfred Schmidt, Ralf Storandt
  • Patent number: 4236727
    Abstract: A safety toe unit for a ski binding in which a spring is used to urge together two pairs of complementary abutment surfaces defined between a toe clamp and a base portion to either side of the longitudinal axis of the unit. Sideways release is achieved by angular displacement of the toe clamp about either of the pairs of complementary abutment surfaces against the force of the spring. The present toe unit allows the toe clamp to be vertically adjusted while preserving the alignment between the line of action of the spring force and the toe clamp thus avoiding undesirable tilting moments which could affect the sideways release characteristics. The spring, which may be either in compression or tension, is adjustably located in an extension of the toe clamp between two spring abutments associated respectively with the toe clamp and base portion. Both spring abutments are arranged to move vertically with the toe clamp on adjustment of a vertical adjustment screw. Several embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1980
    Assignee: Vereinigte Baubeschelagfrabriken Gretsch & Co. GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Storandt