1960-61
1960-61 The US National Aeronautics and Space Admistration (NASA) commissions Richard Schmidt with the development of propulsion systems for rockets in a zero-gravity environment. Among the possible solutions, rotating discs with mass points positioned along their circumference were investigated.
To power these discs, Richard Schmidt has the idea of using rotating slider cranks – similar to those used to transfer the power to a steam engine’s wheels.

To avoid dead centres, he uses at least three cranks. Because these are always parallel to each other, they are later referred to as parallel arms, or simply linkage. The resulting system guarantees a completely true angle of rotation at all times. Because the pushing and pulling forces alternate and overlap in a sinusoidal pattern, this arrangement does not generate any net external forces. To compensate for the changing distance between shafts, two of these linkages had to be combined.

A model of this parallel linkage arrangement (illustrated above) proved that the theory stood up to practical investigation, and in particular that no effective external forces were generated. This meant that the grouped couplings’ end plates did not require special mounting, i.e. they now acted together as new intermediate discs, guided only by the linkage groups: The
Schmidt-Kupplung was born.

11.May 1963
Patent application for the new system –"Coupling for precise angular transmission of rotational motion" – at the Munich patent office in Munich.
August 1963: Richard Schmidt and Walter Haarmann meet in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. Discussion about possible sales prospects and applications for the invention. Design variants, production processes, series, marketing opportunities, financing and the founding of a company were discussed.

22.April 1965
Richard Schmidt and Walter Haarmann establish SCHMIDT-KUPPLUNG GmbH in the German town of Wolfenbüttel. While theoretician and designer Richard Schmidt called the idea to life and led the subsequent technical development, Dipl. Ing. Walter Haarmann contributed his management and sales expertise, and with it the capability to market new technical products. This partnership proved to be highly fruitful.

May 1966
First public presentation on the 1966 Hannover Fair as sub-exhibitor of INA SCHAEFFLER of Herzogenaurach, Germany. June 1966: The first Schmidt-Kupplung – model NSSD 9.7.7 – is sold. February 1967: The patent applied for in May 1963 is granted. April 1968: Move into rented office and warehousing accommodation in the town centre of Wolfenbüttel.

End of 1968
Licence agreement signed with Japanese pump manufacturers Nichizo Ichihira Pump Co. (photo above).

April 1972
Acceptance of a licence for universal joints.

February 1973
The Semiflex/inline coupling system developed by Richard Schmidt for compensating minor misalignments is added to the product range.

April 1976
Delivery of the 10,000th Schmidt-Kupplung.

February 1978
SCHMIDT-KUPPLUNG takes over the sale of Loewe precision universal joints.

March 1980
Delivery of the 20,000th Schmidt-Kupplung.

August 1980
Acquisition of the licence for a further coupling system developed by Richard Schmidt: The "Controlflex", a precise shaft coupling and designed especially for the requirements of shaft encoders.

August 1981
Move to the company's own administration and warehousing building in Wolfenbüttel.

March 1985
Delivery of the 50,000th Schmidt-Kupplung.

July 1988
Delivery of the 20,000th Controlflex. November 1988: Delivery of the 10,000th Semiflex.

July 1989
Expansion of the administrative building in Am Rehmanger; move-in on October 1989.

22. April 1990
SCHMIDT-KUPPLUNG celebrates its 25th anniversary.
1990: Introduction of an ERP-system.

22. April 1995
SCHMIDT-KUPPLUNG celebrates its 30th anniversary.

November 2001
The cornerstone is laid for a new production and administrative building (2500 square metre production hall and 1500 square metres warehousing) in the new business park in Wilhelm-Mast-Straße 15, near to the prior site.

April 2002
Introduction of the product range
Loewe GK, a coupling with high axial stiffness.

August 2002
Completion of and move into the new premises.

22. April 2005
SCHMIDT-KUPPLUNG celebrates its 40th anniversary.

22. April 2010
SCHMIDT-KUPPLUNG celebrates its 45th anniversary.

September 2010
Introduction of the product range Omniflex, a coupling for maximum torque requirements with high universal misalignment