Patents by Inventor Stefan Dahlheimer

Stefan Dahlheimer 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).

  • Publication number: 20240123645
    Abstract: In a plastic strand granulator the width of a cutting gap between a cutting rotor and a knife strip is gauged by an adjustment mechanism by setting the position of the knife strip. For this purpose the adjustment mechanism has an actuator with a differential thread having a reducing transmission ratio. The adjustment mechanism can advantageously be gauged automatically to a predetermined cutting gap width by a control circuit, wherein the adjustment mechanism is gauged in dependence on vibration parameters which are captured on the knife strip or on the cutting rotor. For this purpose, ultrasonic vibrations are introduced into the component in question and detected at some distance therefrom and evaluated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Florian W. Fischer, Stefan Dahlheimer
  • Patent number: 11925915
    Abstract: A squeezing roller granulator that has a squeezing roller pair composed of a toothed pressure roller and a toothed squeezing roller. The teeth of the pressure roller and the squeezing roller have tooth flanks that are situated between a tooth root region and a tooth tip region. The tooth root region has an outer diameter that is smaller than the outer diameter of the tooth tip region, and the tooth tip region of at least one of the rollers of the squeezing roller pair has three squeezing zones including a middle squeezing zone, which define different distances between the tooth tip regions with a minimum distance in the region of the middle squeezing zone, and the contour of the tooth flanks and the tooth root region of the rollers of the squeezing roller pair defines a maximum cross-section of granulate cushions to be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Maag Automatik GmbH
    Inventors: Helmuth Meidhof, Stefan Dahlheimer, Marco Nieder
  • Patent number: 10507595
    Abstract: An extrusion head having a perforated plate of a granulating system. The extrusion head can have a head part and a perforated plate with a perforated-plate wear insert, a perforated-plate main body, a central inflow cone, an inflow cone part, a plurality of nozzle channels, a plurality of perforated dies, and at least one corrosion protected fastener. The perforated-plate can be detachably fastened to the head part. The head part can have at least one central melt channel into which the inflow cone part projects and distributes a melt flow among nozzle channels which can be arranged in the shape of a ring and among the perforated dies which can be arranged in at least one ring. The at least one fastener can be positioned in a central region of the at least one ring of the perforated dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: MAAG Automatik GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Dahlheimer, Helmuth Meidhof, Thomas Braun
  • Publication number: 20160082620
    Abstract: An extrusion head having a perforated plate of a granulating system. The extrusion head can have a head part and a perforated plate with a perforated-plate wear insert, a perforated-plate main body, a central inflow cone, an inflow cone part, a plurality of nozzle channels, a plurality of perforated dies, and at least one corrosion protected fastener. The perforated-plate can be detachably fastened to the head part. The head part can have at least one central melt channel into which the inflow cone part projects and distributes a melt flow among nozzle channels which can be arranged in the shape of a ring and among the perforated dies which can be arranged in at least one ring. The at least one fastener can be positioned in a central region of the at least one ring of the perforated dies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Stefan Dahlheimer, Helmuth Meidhof, Thomas Braun
  • Publication number: 20160046040
    Abstract: A squeeze roller granulator that has a cylindrical pressure roller and a toothed squeeze roller. The gearing of the squeeze roller has tooth flanks that are situated between a tooth root region and a tooth tip region. The tooth root region has an outer diameter that is smaller than the outer diameter of the tooth tip region. The tooth tip region of the squeeze roller has three crushing zones including a middle crushing zone, which define different distances from the cylindrical pressure roller with a minimum distance in the region of the middle crushing zone, and the contour of the tooth flanks and the tooth root region of the crush roller in cooperation with the contour of the cylindrical pressure roller defines a maximum cross-section of granulate cushions to be formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Stefan Dahlheimer, Helmuth Meidhof, Marco Nieder
  • Patent number: 9120099
    Abstract: A shredder for producing particles from a sheet material is disclosed herein. The shredder can have a longitudinal cutting device with a first cutting roller and a second cutting roller. A transverse cutting device can be positioned after the longitudinal cutting device. The first cutting roller and the second cutting roller can each have special profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: AUTOMATIK PLASTICS MACHINERY GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Dahlheimer
  • Patent number: 9017057
    Abstract: A device for producing pellets that has a perforated plate for extruding a melt into a process chamber, and a cutting device for cutting the melt into pellets. The process chamber can have an inlet and an outlet. A conveying device can deliver a process fluid through the inlet, and carry the process fluid and pellets through the outlet. The inlet can have an inlet opening and an inlet channel. A three-way valve can be located between the inlet channel, a process fluid supply line, and a process fluid discharge line, and below the inlet. The outlet can have a discharge opening and an outlet channel. A pneumatic device can provide compressed air to the process chamber for emptying and expelling the process fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Automatik Plastics Machinery GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Dahlheimer
  • Patent number: 8961164
    Abstract: A cutter head holder for blades of an underwater granulator for granulating pellets from a plastic melt that emerges from a perforated plate into a process chamber of a housing of an underwater granulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Automatik Plastics Machinery GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Dahlheimer
  • Patent number: 8851410
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cutting device for a granulator for obtaining granules from cutting plastic strands which are discharged from nozzles, said cutting device comprising a cutting rotor which is connected to the drive shaft by means of a Cardan joint piece comprising a driven part and a drive part. Said drive part and the driven part comprise a force transfer piece, respectively having a prong like shape such that the prongs rotate about the force transfer piece when they are pivoted at about 90 degrees in relation to each other. Each prong supports the axis which extends through the force transfer piece and both axes are offset in relation to each other essentially about 90 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Automatik Plastics Machinery GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Dahlheimer
  • Publication number: 20140251442
    Abstract: A device and a method for reducing the pressure of a fluid containing granules. The device comprises a free space devoid of moving rotor blades and a housing with an inlet and an outlet. The shape of the wall within the housing and of the free space therein applies a centripetal flow component to the fluid containing the granules flowing therethrough. The pressure of the fluid containing the granules is decreased after the flow has passed through the device. The device and method further and impart a rotational motion to the fluid containing the granules in the area of the outlet, which is generally located in the central area of the free space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: AUTOMATIK PLASTICS MACHINERY GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan Dahlheimer, Helmuth Meidhof, Stefan Deiss
  • Publication number: 20140103564
    Abstract: A method for continuous casting and granulating strands of a thermoplastic material which uses a nozzle head having a plurality of nozzle apertures of a maximum diameter of 4 mm each, and water-moistened guide member for cooling and guiding the plastic strands exiting the nozzle aperture via inlet rollers to the inlet of the cutting unit for chopping up the plastic strands into granules approx. 2-3 mm in length. The flow rate of the melt, with the strands being cooled down on their way from the nozzles via the guide member the feed rollers of the cutting unit, of at least 100 m/min in the central spatial region of the nozzle apertures will be increased to such an extent that the cutting unit will chop up the strands at a cutting rate of >2,000 cuts/s.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: AUTOMATIK PLASTICS MACHINERY GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan DEISS, Frank GLOCKNER, Stefan DAHLHEIMER
  • Publication number: 20140077013
    Abstract: A shredder for producing particles from a sheet material is disclosed herein. The shredder can have a longitudinal cutting device with a first cutting roller and a second cutting roller. A transverse cutting device can be positioned after the longitudinal cutting device. The first cutting roller and the second cutting roller can each have special profiles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: AUTOMATIK PLASTICS MACHINERY GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Dahlheimer
  • Patent number: 8616480
    Abstract: A shredder for producing particles from a sheet material is disclosed herein. The shredder can have a longitudinal cutting device with a first cutting roller and a second cutting roller. A transverse cutting device can be positioned after the longitudinal cutting device. The first cutting roller and the second cutting roller can each have special profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Automatik Plastics Machinery GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Dahlheimer
  • Publication number: 20130309345
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cutting apparatus for a granulator for cutting plastics-material strands emerging from nozzles into granules. The cutting apparatus includes a knife rotor which is connected to a drive shaft via an articulation component having a drive part and via a driven part carrying the knife rotor. The drive part is inserted into a spherical head in a matching spherical cap in the drive part. The spherical head passes through by at least one direction axle, about which the spherical head is rotatable in the spherical cap in case of an axial offset of the drive part and the driven part. In this case, an end of the directional axle that emerges from the spherical head is mounted in a groove in the spherical cap and extends transversely to the direction of rotation of the spherical cap such that, in the case of an offset of the drive part with respect to the driven part, the end moves in the groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: AUTOMATIK PLASTICS MACHINERY GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan Dahlheimer, Helmuth Meidhof, Gino Czerny
  • Patent number: 8424219
    Abstract: One or more embodiments of a drying apparatus for drying pellets from a process fluid are provided. The drying apparatus can include at least one screen device. The at least one screen device can have a screen area with screen openings. The drying apparatus can also have an oscillating device that sets at least the screen area of the screen device into oscillation. The oscillations can move the pellets relative to the screen openings, and the process fluid can drain off through the screen openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Automatik Plastics Michinery GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Dahlheimer
  • Publication number: 20130037641
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cutting device for a granulator for obtaining granules from cutting plastic strands which are discharged from nozzles, said cutting device comprising a cutting rotor which is connected to the drive shaft by means of a Cardan joint piece comprising a driven part and a drive part. Said drive part and the driven part comprise a force transfer piece, respectively having a prong like shape such that the prongs rotate about the force transfer piece when they are pivoted at about 90 degrees in relation to each other. Each prong supports the axis which extends through the force transfer piece and both axes are offset in relation to each other essentially about 90 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: AUTOMATIK PLASTICS MACHINERY GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Dahlheimer
  • Patent number: 8360822
    Abstract: Methods and devices for machining a die plate of an extruder for pelletization are provided. The device can include a grinding wheel with a grinding surface rotatably disposed on a drive mechanism of a cutter head associated with the extruder. The grinding surface can include a hard coating aligned with the die plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Automatik Plastics Machinery GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Dahlheimer
  • Publication number: 20130004611
    Abstract: A device for producing pellets that has a perforated plate for extruding a melt into a process chamber, and a cutting device for cutting the melt into pellets. The process chamber can have an inlet and an outlet. A conveying device can deliver a process fluid through the inlet, and carry the process fluid and pellets through the outlet. The inlet can have an inlet opening and an inlet channel. A three-way valve can be located between the inlet channel, a process fluid supply line, and a process fluid discharge line, and below the inlet. The outlet can have a discharge opening and an outlet channel. A pneumatic device can provide compressed air to the process chamber for emptying and expelling the process fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: AUTOMATIK PLASTICS MACHINERY GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Dahlheimer
  • Patent number: D779766
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: MAAG AUTOMATIK GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Dahlheimer
  • Patent number: D779767
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: MAAG AUTOMATIK GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Dahlheimer