Patents by Inventor Ralf Wiethoff

Ralf Wiethoff 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: 11072130
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hand-guided device (10) for setting a setting element (12) in a component. The device comprises a handle (14) for holding the device, a carriage (34), which can be moved in relation to the handle and which bears a rotatably supported drive shaft (46), at one end of which a holder for the setting element is formed, a force accumulator (44), which is arranged between the handle and the carriage and which serves to store a defined advancing force, with which the force limiter can be loaded by means of a relative motion between the handle and the carriage, and a force limiter (64) for limiting the advancing force stored in the force accumulator. The force accumulator is designed to apply the stored advancing force to the setting element by means of the carriage. The invention further relates to a method for manually setting a setting element by means of said device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Inventors: Reinhard Zoll, Ralf Wiethoff, Jochen Hartmann
  • Publication number: 20210016397
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for braking and holding a processing element that has a head and that is automatically supplied to a tool. The apparatus has a guide channel for the processing element; and a braking element that is movably supported between a braking position and a release position and that can be at least partly introduced into the guide channel to brake and hold the processing element supplied. A part of the braking element that projects into the guide channel in the braking position and thereby narrows the guide channel has an end face that faces the guide channel and that forms a latch recess for holding the head of the processing element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Ralf Wiethoff, Jochen Hartmann, Wolfgang Wagenstaller
  • Patent number: 10569371
    Abstract: The invention relates to a separation unit for a feed apparatus for joining elements, in particular screws, in particular flow-drilling screws, comprising a joining element receiver for receiving a joining element having a head and a shaft, a slider displaceable relative to the joining element receiver, and a rotational element about which the joining element received in the joining element receiver is rotatable on a displacement of the slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Weber Schraubautomaten GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Wiethoff, Jochen Hartmann
  • Patent number: 10479024
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for setting a setting element having a first plastic material in a component having a second plastic material, comprising a rotational advancing unit, by means of which the setting element can be rotated about an axis of rotation and simultaneously an axial force acting in the direction of the axis of rotation can be applied to the setting element in order to drive the setting element into the component, a friction welding joint thereby being produced between the setting element and the component, a differential-distance measuring apparatus for measuring the differential distance between a surface of the component and a surface of the driven setting element, and a control unit for controlling the rotational advancing unit in dependence on the measured differential distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Weber Schraubautomaten GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Wiethoff, Jochen Hartmann
  • Publication number: 20180193966
    Abstract: The invention relates to a separation unit for a feed apparatus for joining elements, in particular screws, in particular flow-drilling screws, comprising a joining element receiver for receiving a joining element having a head and a shaft, a slider displaceable relative to the joining element receiver, and a rotational element about which the joining element received in the joining element receiver is rotatable on a displacement of the slider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventors: Ralf Wiethoff, Jochen Hartmann
  • Publication number: 20180186088
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hand-guided device (10) for setting a setting element (12) in a component. The device comprises a handle (14) for holding the device, a carriage (34), which can be moved in relation to the handle and which bears a rotatably supported drive shaft (46), at one end of which a holder for the setting element is formed, a force accumulator (44), which is arranged between the handle and the carriage and which serves to store a defined advancing force, with which the force limiter can be loaded by means of a relative motion between the handle and the carriage, and a force limiter (64) for limiting the advancing force stored in the force accumulator. The force accumulator is designed to apply the stored advancing force to the setting element by means of the carriage. The invention further relates to a method for manually setting a setting element by means of said device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Reinhard Zoll, Ralf Wiethoff, Jochen Hartmann
  • Publication number: 20170043525
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for setting a setting element having a first plastic material in a component having a second plastic material, comprising a rotational advancing unit, by means of which the setting element can be rotated about an axis of rotation and simultaneously an axial force acting in the direction of the axis of rotation can be applied to the setting element in order to drive the setting element into the component, a friction welding joint thereby being produced between the setting element and the component, a differential-distance measuring apparatus for measuring the differential distance between a surface of the component and a surface of the driven setting element, and a control unit for controlling the rotational advancing unit in dependence on the measured differential distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventors: Ralf Wiethoff, Jochen Hartmann