Patents by Inventor Thomas Stepanek

Thomas Stepanek 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: 11123793
    Abstract: A coolant nozzle (1) for cooling a metal strand in a continuous casting installation has a mouthpiece (5), which is arranged at a nozzle outlet end (4) and through which liquid coolant (6) can emerge from the coolant nozzle (1). To allow a rapid buildup of pressure at the coolant nozzle (1), it provides a feed (8), which is formed as a tube-in-tube system (9) arranged upstream of the mouthpiece (5) in the direction of through-flow (7) and has a feed outlet end (10), through the first tube (11) in which control air (13) can be brought up to the feed outlet end (10) and through the second tube (12) of which the liquid coolant (6) can be fed to the mouthpiece (5) by way of the feed outlet end (10), and also provides a control valve (14), which is integrated in the feed (8), is arranged at the feed outlet end (10), can be actuated pneumatically by using the control air (13) and is intended for controlling the feed of the liquid coolant (6) into the mouthpiece (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Inventors: Lukasz Bilski, Markus Eckert, Thomas Fuernhammer, Reinhard Simon, Thomas Stepanek
  • Publication number: 20200180017
    Abstract: A coolant nozzle (1) for cooling a metal strand in a continuous casting installation has a mouthpiece (5), which is arranged at a nozzle outlet end (4) and through which liquid coolant (6) can emerge from the coolant nozzle (1). To allow a rapid buildup of pressure at the coolant nozzle (1), it provides a feed (8), which is formed as a tube-in-tube system (9) arranged upstream of the mouthpiece (5) in the direction of through-flow (7) and has a feed outlet end (10), through the first tube (11) in which control air (13) can be brought up to the feed outlet end (10) and through the second tube (12) of which the liquid coolant (6) can be fed to the mouthpiece (5) by way of the feed outlet end (10), and also provides a control valve (14), which is integrated in the feed (8), is arranged at the feed outlet end (10), can be actuated pneumatically by using the control air (13) and is intended for controlling the feed of the liquid coolant (6) into the mouthpiece (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Lukasz BILSKI, Markus ECKERT, Thomas FUERNHAMMER, Reinhard SIMON, Thomas STEPANEK
  • Publication number: 20190193100
    Abstract: A metering device (4, 82, 96) for metering a fluid includes a common supply line (6) and multiple discharge lines (20). To improve the metering process, the metering device (4, 82, 96) includes multiple delivery devices (18) each having a cavity (24) for receiving the fluid and a piston (26) for displacing the fluid, wherein each of the multiple delivery devices (18) is connected on the inlet side to the common supply line (6) and is connected on the outlet side to one of the multiple discharge lines (20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Paul Felix DOLLHÄUBL, Gregor GERSTORFER, Gernot STELZER, Thomas STEPANEK
  • Patent number: 7156150
    Abstract: A two-roll casting installation with two casting rolls which rotate in opposite directions about horizontal axes and forming a casting gap for forming and discharging a thin cast metal strip. A sealed housing which has a base and surrounds a conveying path for the metal strip which leaves the casting gap and which strip is from a vertical casting direction into an approximately horizontal conveying direction. Diverter devices divert the metal strip within the housing. A displaceable scrap collection container removes scrap and scale produced from the two-roll casting installation. To minimize the penetration of external air into the housing, the base of the housing, at least in a subregion, forms a collection trough for the scrap, which is part of an emptying device, and a displaceable scrap collection container is arranged in a receiving position below the emptying device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Michael Zahedi, Thomas Stepanek, Gerald Hohenbichler, Franz Plöckinger, Karl Klima
  • Publication number: 20060118270
    Abstract: A two-roll casting installation with two casting rolls which rotate in opposite directions about horizontal axes and forming a casting gap for forming and discharging a thin cast metal strip. A sealed housing which has a base and surrounds a conveying path for the metal strip which leaves the casting gap and which strip is from a vertical casting direction into an approximately horizontal conveying direction. Diverter devices divert the metal strip within the housing. A displaceable scrap collection container removes scrap and scale produced from the two-roll casting installation. To minimize the penetration of external air into the housing, the base of the housing, at least in a subregion, forms a collection trough for the scrap, which is part of an emptying device, and a displaceable scrap collection container is arranged in a receiving position below the emptying device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Inventors: Michael Zahedi, Thomas Stepanek, Gerald Hohenbichler, Franz Plockinger, Karl Klima
  • Patent number: 7048032
    Abstract: A device for casting a molten metal comprising casting rolls and a housing arranged downstream from the rolls for the cast strip. The aim of the invention is to be able to replace the casting rolls with minimum mounting, and to simultaneously reduce the thermal load of the casting rolls and the adjacent units. A casting roll screen which forms a displaceable structural unit with a frame used to support the casting rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignees: Voest Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH & Co., Thyssenkrupp Nirosta GmbH
    Inventors: Gerald Hohenbichler, Michael Zahedi, Karl Klima, Thomas Stepanek, Guido Stebner, Wilhelm Mankau, Werner Schümers
  • Publication number: 20050077024
    Abstract: A device for casting a molten metal comprising casting rolls and a housing arranged downstream from the rolls for the cast strip. The aim of the invention is to be able to replace the casting rolls with minimum mounting, and to simultaneously reduce the thermal load of the casting rolls and the adjacent units. A casting roll screen which forms a displaceable structural unit with a frame used to support the casting rolls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Publication date: April 14, 2005
    Inventors: Gerald Hohenbichler, Michael Zahedi, Karl Klima, Thomas Stepanek, Guido Stebner, Wilhelm Mankau, Werner Schumers