Patents by Inventor Thomas Runkel

Thomas Runkel 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: 11400542
    Abstract: A method and a device for producing a continuous strip-shaped composite material. The device has at least one first casting machine, using which a continuous strand is produced, in particular from steel, at least one rolling stand, which is arranged in line with the first casting machine and downstream thereof. A fully solidified slab of the strand produced using the first casting machine can be hot rolled, and at least one second casting machine, using which a further continuous strand is produced from metal. Between the casting machines, on the one hand, and the rolling stand, on the other hand, a merging unit is arranged, by means of which the slabs can be moved in the direction toward each other in the hot state. The rolling stand is designed as a roll-cladding unit, by which a composite formed from the merged slabs can be hot rolled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: SMS group GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Runkel
  • Patent number: 11185943
    Abstract: A device and method for producing a continuous strip-shaped composite material including a base material of metal, which is unwound in the form of a metal strip by a first coil-unwinding apparatus, and at least one cladding material of metal, which is unwound in the form of a metal strip by a second coil-unwinding apparatus. The metal base and cladding metal strips unwound by the respective coil-unwinding apparatuses are brought together in the hot state of at least 720 degrees Celsius. The unwound base and cladding metal strips brought toward each other and are joined by hot-rolling such that a single continuous strip-shaped composite material is thereby formed by roll cladding such that the composite material includes the base material and the cladding material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: SMS GROUP GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Runkel, Jochen Wans, Axel Weyer
  • Patent number: 10730121
    Abstract: A device for changing a blade on shears, in particular for a rolled band, and to such shears in which a blade can be fixed to at least one blade support automatically by a tie bar pretensioned by a force accumulator. The device includes at least one adjusting element which can be actuated in order to release the blade from the blade support such that the tie rod is moved in an axial direction against the tie rod pretension. The adjusting element can be arranged on an outer face of the blade support or outside of the blade support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: SMS GROUP GMBH
    Inventor: Thomas Runkel
  • Publication number: 20200070225
    Abstract: A furnace for heating metal strips, and to a device and a method for producing metal strips by continuous casting and rolling. The device includes a casting machine, a furnace through which a metal strip can be transported in a conveying direction, a first external cutting apparatus and a second external cutting apparatus, the first external cutting apparatus being upstream of the furnace and the second external cutting apparatus being downstream of the furnace, in the conveying direction of the metal strip, and at least one rolling mill. A first internal cutting apparatus and a second internal cutting apparatus are provided inside the furnace. A segment of the metal strip between said internal cutting apparatuses can be separated by actuating the latter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: SMS Group GmbH
    Inventors: Cosimo Andreas CECERE, Matthias PETERS, Thomas RUNKEL
  • Publication number: 20190366471
    Abstract: A device and a method for producing a continuous strip-shaped composite material. For this purpose, a base material, which is produced using at least one casting machine as a continuous strand, in particular made of steel, and providing at least one cladding material, which is unwound in the form of at least one metal strip by a coil unwinding unit are provided. Subsequently, a slab which has formed by solidification from the strand produced by the casting machine and the metal strip unwound by the coil unwinding unit, in the hot state are brought together, wherein the materials, which are moved in the direction toward one another, formed from the slab and the unwound metal strip are hot rolled, so that a single continuous strip-shaped composite material is thus produced by roll cladding. The base material is continuously cast in the vertical direction in the casting direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: SMS group GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas RUNKEL
  • Publication number: 20190329307
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (10) and to a method for producing a continuous strip-shaped composite material (11). A base material of metal, which is unwound in the form of a metal strip (13) by a first coil-unwinding apparatus (12), and at least one cladding material of metal, which is unwound in the form of a metal strip (15) by a second coil-unwinding apparatus (14), are provided. Then, the metal strips (13, 15) unwound by said coil-unwinding apparatuses (12, 14) are brought together in the hot state, wherein then the unwound metal strips (13, 15) brought toward each other are hot-rolled such that a single continuous strip-shaped composite material (11) is thus formed by roll cladding, said composite material consisting of the base material and the cladding material. Both the base material and the cladding material and the metal strips (13, 15) thereby unwound each consist of steel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas Runkel, Jochen Wans, Axel Weyer
  • Patent number: 10434552
    Abstract: A method for producing a metallic strip by continuous casting-rolling, wherein a slab is cast in a casting machine and then sent to a finishing mill located downstream, relative to the transport direction of the strip. In the event that the transport of the slab or strip comes to a complete or substantially complete standstill, the following steps are carried out: (a) cutting through the strip at a first point; (b) cutting through the strip at a second point that is 0.1-5.0 m upstream from the first point; (c) removing the cut-out piece of strip to create a gap in the strip; (d) conveying new strip material into the area of the gap from the area located upstream of the first point; and (e) cutting off pieces of the new strip material conveyed from upstream according to step (d) and removing the pieces from the transport line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: SMS GROUP GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Runkel, Christian Mengel
  • Publication number: 20190283095
    Abstract: A method and a device for producing a metallic strip by continuous casting-rolling, wherein a slab is cast in a casting machine and then sent to a finishing mill located downstream, relative to the transport direction of the strip. In the event that the transport of the slab or strip comes to a complete or substantially complete standstill, the following steps are carried out: (a) cutting through the strip at a first point; (b) cutting through the strip at a second point that is 0.1-5.0 m upstream from the first point; (c) removing the cut-out piece of strip to create a gap in the strip; (d) conveying new strip material into the area of the gap from the area located upstream of the first point; and (e) cutting off pieces of the new strip material conveyed from upstream according to step (d) and removing the pieces from the transport line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas RUNKEL, Christian MENGEL
  • Publication number: 20190270160
    Abstract: A method and a device for producing a continuous strip-shaped composite material. The device has at least one first casting machine, using which a continuous strand is produced, in particular from steel, at least one rolling stand, which is arranged in line with the first casting machine and downstream thereof. A fully solidified slab of the strand produced using the first casting machine can be hot rolled, and at least one second casting machine, using which a further continuous strand is produced from metal. Between the casting machines, on the one hand, and the rolling stand, on the other hand, a merging unit is arranged, by means of which the slabs can be moved in the direction toward each other in the hot state. The rolling stand is designed as a roll-cladding unit, by which a composite formed from the merged slabs can be hot rolled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Applicant: SMS group GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas RUNKEL
  • Publication number: 20180147643
    Abstract: A device for changing a blade on shears, in particular for a rolled band, and to such shears in which a blade can be fixed to at least one blade support automatically by a tie bar pretensioned by a force accumulator. The device includes at least one adjusting element which can be actuated in order to release the blade from the blade support such that the tie rod is moved in an axial direction against the tie rod pretension. The adjusting element can be arranged on an outer face of the blade support or outside of the blade support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventor: Thomas RUNKEL
  • Publication number: 20160175903
    Abstract: A method for producing a metallic strip by continuous casting-rolling, wherein a slab is cast in a casting machine and then sent to a finishing mill located downstream, relative to the transport direction of the strip. In the event that the transport of the slab or strip comes to a complete or substantially complete standstill, the following steps are carried out: (a) cutting through the strip at a first point; (b) cutting through the strip at a second point that is 0.1-5.0 m upstream from the first point; (c) removing the cut-out piece of strip to create a gap in the strip; (d) conveying new strip material into the area of the gap from the area located upstream of the first point; and (e) cutting off pieces of the new strip material conveyed from upstream according to step (d) and removing the pieces from the transport line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas RUNKEL, Christian MENGEL
  • Patent number: 9157836
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (1) for removing a sample (24) from a coil (2), comprising at least one bottom roll unit (30, 32) for supporting the coil (2) during removal of the samples, at least one contact roll unit (40, 42) pressable against an outer surface of the coil (2), and at least one strip binding device for binding the coil (2) supported on the at least one bottom roll unit (30, 32). The present invention further relates to a device for removing a sample (24) from a coil (2), comprising a deflection device (70) for deflecting a material beginning (20) of the coil (2) from a beneath located layer (22), wherein the deflection device is so formed that the strip beginning only elastically deflected from the beneath layer (22). The invention also relates to corresponding methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: SMS GROUP GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Bohn, Klaus Baeumer, Thomas Runkel
  • Publication number: 20130312544
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (1) for removing a sample (24) from a coil (2), comprising at least one bottom roll unit (30, 32) for supporting the coil (2) during removal of the samples, at least one contact roll unit (40, 42) pressable against an outer surface of the coil (2), and at least one strip binding device for binding the coil (2) supported on the at least one bottom roll unit (30, 32). The present invention further relates to a device for removing a sample (24) from a coil (2), comprising a deflection device (70) for deflecting a material beginning (20) of the coil (2) from a beneath located layer (22), wherein the deflection device is so formed that the strip beginning only elastically deflected from the beneath layer (22). The invention also relates to corresponding methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: SMS SIEMAG AG
    Inventors: Andreas Bohn, Klaus Baeumer, Thomas Runkel
  • Publication number: 20120036909
    Abstract: A method for removing loose scale and other foreign matter from the top and/or bottom face of a cast product with the aid of flowable media which are sprayed onto the cast product by a cleaning device having at least one spraying apparatus that is disposed above the cast product and at least one spraying apparatus that is arranged below the cast product. According to the method, the amount of media and/or the effective width and/or the pressure of the media is/are controlled separately and independently of time for each spraying apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: SMS SIEMAG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Thomas Runkel, Bernhard Ehls, Otmar Jannasch, Andreas Houben, Jürgen Armenat, Jürgen Hemmerle, Karl Rittner, Uwe Kopfstedt, Ingo Schuster, Peter Jonen, Carsten Lippold
  • Patent number: 7942029
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for expanding the use of a coiling and uncoiling station (coilbox) located between the roughing train and the finishing train for rolled strip material in hot-rolling mills. The use of said coilbox is expanded by impinging the coil that is to be uncoiled with a pressing force (F) which acts in the direction of the roller table (4) and/or placing the coil in a depression of the roller table in order to process smaller coil weights in a spikeless coilbox, and/or by combining, in a chronological and weight-related manner, the active transfer and passive transfer of a coil from a first coiling station to a second coiling station in order to increase the throughput especially at average coil weights in a spikeless coilbox, and/or by supplying heat to the strip upstream or downstream of the spikeless coilbox and/or thermally insulating the strip or the coilbox in order to variably increase and homogenize the strip temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: SMS Siemag Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Klaus Bäumer, Benhard Ehls, Matthias Beuter, Thomas Runkel, Matthias Krüger, Peter Schmitz
  • Publication number: 20090217945
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for removing loose scale and other foreign matter from the top and/or bottom face of a cast product (3), such as a slab, thin slab, profiled element, or similar, with the aid of flowable media which are sprayed onto the cast product (3) by means of a cleaning device (5) comprising at least one spraying apparatus (8, 9) that is disposed above the cast product (3) and at least one spraying apparatus (8, 9) that is arranged below the cast product (3). According to said method, the amount of media and/or the effective width and/or the pressure of the media is/are controlled separately and independently of time for each spraying apparatus (8, 9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Inventors: Thomas Runkel, Bernhard Ehls, Otmar Jannasch, Andreas Houben, Jürgen Armenat, Jürgen Hemmerle, Karl Rittner, Uwe Kopfstedt, Ingo Schuster, Peter Jonen, Carsten Lippold
  • Publication number: 20070012082
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for expanding the use of a coiling and uncoiling station (coilbox) located between the roughing train and the finishing train for rolled strip material in hot-rolling mills. The use of said coilbox is expanded by impinging the coil that is to be uncoiled with a pressing force (F) which acts in the direction of the roller table (4) and/or placing the coil in a depression of the roller table in order to process smaller coil weights in a spikeless coilbox, and/or by combining, in a chronological and weight-related manner, the active transfer and passive transfer of a coil from a first coiling station to a second coiling station in order to increase the throughput especially at average coil weights in a spikeless coilbox, and/or by supplying heat to the strip upstream or downstream of the spikeless coilbox and/or thermally insulating the strip or the coilbox in order to variably increase and homogenize the strip temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2004
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Inventors: Klaus Baumer, Bernhard Ehls, Matthias Beuter, Thomas Runkel, Matthias Kruger, Peter Schmitz