Patents by Inventor Miles Van Niekerk
Miles Van Niekerk 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).
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Publication number: 20210360942Abstract: Disclosed is a system for forming and cooling gum, the system including a forming system configured to size the gum to include a substantially uniform thickness, a cooling device that is disposed in-line with the forming system and configured to continuously receive the gum from the forming system at an entry point of the cooling device, and a multi-pass conveying system configured to continuously transport the gum from the entry point to an exit point of the cooling device, the forming system and the cooling device being configured to form and cool the gum to be in a condition for stacking or collecting upon exiting the exit point of the cooling device.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2021Publication date: November 25, 2021Inventors: Bharat Jani, Leonard Scarola, Miles Van Niekerk, Krishna Adivi, Jesse Kiefer, Hendrik Eyselee
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Patent number: 11122815Abstract: Disclosed is a system for forming and cooling gum, the system including a forming system configured to size the gum to include a substantially uniform thickness, a cooling device that is disposed in-line with the forming system and configured to continuously receive the gum from the forming system at an entry point of the cooling device, and a multi-pass conveying system configured to continuously transport the gum from the entry point to an exit point of the cooling device, the forming system and the cooling device being configured to form and cool the gum to be in a condition for stacking or collecting upon exiting the exit point of the cooling device.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2012Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: INTERCONTINENTAL GREAT BRANDS LLCInventors: Bharat Jani, Leonard Scarola, Miles Van Niekerk, Krishna Adivi, Jesse Kiefer, Hendrik Eyselee
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Publication number: 20140302195Abstract: Disclosed is a method for forming gum, the method including providing a pair of rollers including a first roller and a second roller, and sizing a gum mass into a substantially continuous and flat gum sheet having a substantially uniform thickness between about 0.3 mm to 10 mm and a width of not less than 50 cm solely via a moving of the gum mass through a gap between the pair of rollers.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2012Publication date: October 9, 2014Applicant: INTERCONTINENTAL GREAT BRANDS LLCInventors: Bharat Jani, Leonard Scarola, Miles Van Niekerk, Krishna Adivi, Jesse Kiefer
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Publication number: 20140302196Abstract: Disclosed is a method of forming gum, the method including providing a pair of moving walls including a first wall and a second wall; and sizing a gum mass into a gum sheet having a substantially uniform thickness between about 0.3 mm to 10 mm using the pair of walls, the gum mass maintaining substantially continuous contact with at least one of the walls before and after the sizing.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2012Publication date: October 9, 2014Applicant: INTERCONTINENTAL GREAT BRANDS LLCInventors: Bharat Jani, Leonard Scarola, Miles Van Niekerk, Krishna Adivi, Jesse Kiefer
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Publication number: 20140287091Abstract: Disclosed is a system for forming and cooling gum, the system including a forming system configured to size the gum to include a substantially uniform thickness, a cooling device that is disposed in-line with the forming system and configured to continuously receive the gum from the forming system at an entry point of the cooling device, and a multi-pass conveying system configured to continuously transport the gum from the entry point to an exit point of the cooling device, the forming system and the cooling device being configured to form and cool the gum to be in a condition for stacking or collecting upon exiting the exit point of the cooling device.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2012Publication date: September 25, 2014Applicant: INTERCONTINENTAL GREAT BRANDS LLCInventors: Bharat Jani, Leonard Scarola, Miles Van Niekerk, Krishna Adivi, Jesse Kiefer, Hendrik Eyselee
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Publication number: 20140199447Abstract: Disclosed is a system for continuously coating individual pieces of confectionary product, the system including a product feed device, at least one drum coating arrangement configured to continuously receive the individual pieces of confectionary product from the product feed device, the drum coating arrangement including a first rotating drum rotatable about a first drum axis and a second rotating drum rotatable about a second drum axis, a first drum volume defined by the first rotating drum, and a second drum volume defined by the second rotating drum, the first drum volume being communicable with the second drum volume, wherein the drum coating arrangement is configured such that the confectionary product has a longer residence time in the second drum volume than the first drum volume.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2012Publication date: July 17, 2014Applicant: INTERCONTINENTAL GREAT BRANDS LLCInventors: Cesar C. Elejalde, Miles Van Niekerk, Gerald B. Cotten
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Publication number: 20130171295Abstract: A confectionery product comprises an extruded body portion having a plurality of conduits disposed therein. The extruded body portion is substantially transparent, the conduits contain a visually contrasting material, and different conduits comprise different colored substances and/or comprise substances which may vary in colour along the length of the conduits. The visually contrasting material in the conduits can comprise a reflective material and/or a luminescent material and/or a material which is able to change colour upon variations in pH and/or temperature. Methods of producing the confectionery product are also described.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2011Publication date: July 4, 2013Inventors: Sarah Marshall, Peter Clarke, Devang Sutaria, Miles Van Niekerk
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Patent number: 7810446Abstract: A continuous coating process for chewing gum and bubble gum materials. Small cores or pieces of gum material are introduced into inclined rotating drums in solution material plurality cores or rotating requisite which heated air is circulated and a coating is applied (liquid or powder). The coating is dried on the pieces of material, and a of thin layers are formed on each of the small pieces of material. A series of drums can be provided to provide the number or thickness of coating layers. In an alternate embodiment, initial coatings of material can be provided on the cores by a batch-type process before the materials are introduced into the continuous coating drums. The formulas for the coating solution can also be adjusted at different stages of the coating process in order to provide a more consistent and uniform coating.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2006Date of Patent: October 12, 2010Assignee: Cadbury Adams USA LLCInventors: Marc Degady, Miles van Niekerk
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Publication number: 20090162475Abstract: A system and method for mixing and forming gum structures is provided. The system may include combinations of continuous and batch mixers arranged generally in series for mixing gum base ingredients with subsequent gum ingredients. In one embodiment, the system and method first forms a gum structure that is not a gum base and then adds a subsequent gum ingredient such that the gum structure is less than a gum base in combination with a subsequent gum ingredient. In other embodiments, the system and method includes forming a gum base in addition to some subsequent gum ingredients that are not quite finished gum. Further, in other embodiments, the system and method may perform some of the mixing of the ingredients at a first location while mixing of further ingredients is performed at a remote location.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2008Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: CADBURY ADAMS USA LLCInventors: James A. Duggan, Jose Angel Amarista, George Albert Barrera, Joseph M. Bunkers, Arthur W. Upmann, Miles van Niekerk, Glenn Thompson Visscher
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Publication number: 20090162476Abstract: A system and method for mixing and forming gum structures is provided. The system may include combinations of continuous and batch mixers arranged generally in parallel and/or series for mixing gum base ingredients with subsequent gum ingredients. In one embodiment, the system and method first forms a gum structure that is not a gum base and then adds a subsequent gum ingredient such that the gum structure is less than a gum base in combination with a subsequent gum ingredient. In other embodiments, the system and method includes forming a gum base in addition to some subsequent gum ingredients that are not quite finished gum. Further, in other embodiments, the system and method may perform some of the mixing of the ingredients at a first location while mixing of further ingredients is performed at a remote location.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2008Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: CADBURY ADAMS USA LLCInventors: James A. Duggan, Jose Angel Amarista, George Albert Barrera, Joseph M. Bunkers, Arthur W. Upmann, Miles van Niekerk, Glenn Thompson Visscher
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Patent number: 7537792Abstract: A system and process for coating pieces or cores of confectionery material, such as chewing gum, with a sugar-based coating or a sugarless-based coating. The solid content of the sugar or sugarless material in the syrup solution is increased, thus reducing the water content and allowing the successive coating layers to be dried more quickly. The syrup solution is maintained at an elevated temperature in order to prevent the syrup solids from precipitating or crystallizing out of solution.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2001Date of Patent: May 26, 2009Assignee: Cadbury Adams USA LLCInventors: Miles Van Niekerk, Francois Pierre Errandonea, Kenneth Paul Bilka
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Patent number: 7322311Abstract: A continuous coating process 30 for chewing gum and bubble gum materials. Small cores or pieces of gum material 20 are introduced into inclined rotating drums 34, 34? in which heated air 52 is circulated and a coating solution 50 is applied (liquid or powder). The coating material is dried on the pieces of material, and a plurality of thin layers are formed on each of the cores or small pieces of material. A series of rotating drums can be provided to provide the requisite number or thickness of coating layers. In an alternate embodiment, initial coatings of material can be provided on the cores by a batch-type process before the materials are introduced into the continuous coating drums. The formulas for the coating solution can also be adjusted at different stages of the coating process in order to provide a more consistent and uniform coating.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2005Date of Patent: January 29, 2008Assignee: Cadbury Adams USA LLCInventors: Marc Degady, Miles Van Niekerk
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Publication number: 20060127532Abstract: A continuous coating process for chewing gum and bubble gum materials. Small cores or pieces of gum material are introduced into inclined rotating drums in solution material plurality cores or rotating requisite which heated air is circulated and a coating is applied (liquid or powder). The coating is dried on the pieces of material, and a of thin layers are formed on each of the small pieces of material. A series of drums can be provided to provide the number or thickness of coating layers. In an alternate embodiment, initial coatings of material can be provided on the cores by a batch-type process before the materials are introduced into the continuous coating drums. The formulas for the coating solution can also be adjusted at different stages of the coating process in order to provide a more consistent and uniform coating.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2006Publication date: June 15, 2006Inventors: Marc Degady, Miles van Niekerk
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Patent number: 7022353Abstract: A continuous coating process for chewing gum and bubble gum materials. Small cores or pieces of gum material are introduced into inclined rotating drums in which heated air is circulated and a coating solution is applied (liquid or powder). The coating material is dried on the pieces of material, and a plurality of thin layers are formed on each of the cores or small pieces of material. A series of rotating drums can be provided to provide the requisite number or thickness of coating layers. In an alternate embodiment, initial coatings of material can be provided on the cores by a batch-type process before the materials are introduced into the continuous coating drums. The formulas for the coating solution can also be adjusted at different stages of the coating process in order to provide a more consistent and uniform coating.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2002Date of Patent: April 4, 2006Assignee: Cadbury Adams USA LLCInventors: Marc Degady, Miles van Niekerk
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Patent number: 6913773Abstract: A continuous coating process 30 for chewing gum and bubble gum materials. Small cores or pieces of gum material 20 are introduced into inclined rotating drums 34, 34? in which heated air 52 is circulated and a coating solution 50 is applied (liquid or powder). The coating material is dried on the pieces of material, and a plurality of thin layers are formed on each of the cores or small pieces of material. A series of rotating drums can be provided to provide the requisite number or thickness of coating layers. In an alternate embodiment, initial coatings of material can be provided on the cores by a batch-type process before the materials are introduced into the continuous coating drums. The formulas for the coating solution can also be adjusted at different stages of the coating process in order to provide a more consistent and uniform coating.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2001Date of Patent: July 5, 2005Assignee: Cadbury Adams USA LLCInventors: Marc Degady, Miles Van Niekerk
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Publication number: 20020086092Abstract: A system and process for coating pieces or cores of confectionery material, such as chewing gum, with a sugar-based coating or a sugarless-based coating. The solid content of the sugar or sugarless material in the syrup solution is increased, thus reducing the water content and allowing the successive coating layers to be dried more quickly. The syrup solution is maintained at an elevated temperature in order to prevent the syrup solids from precipitating or crystallizing out of solution.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2001Publication date: July 4, 2002Inventors: Miles Van Niekerk, Francois Pierre Errandonea, Kenneth Paul Bilka
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Publication number: 20020086091Abstract: A continuous coating process 30 for chewing gum and bubble gum materials. Small cores or pieces of gum material 20 are introduced into inclined rotating drums 34, 34′ in which heated air 52 is circulated and a coating solution 50 is applied (liquid or powder). The coating material is dried on the pieces of material, and a plurality of thin layers are formed on each of the cores or small pieces of material. A series of rotating drums can be provided to provide the requisite number or thickness of coating layers. In an alternate embodiment, initial coatings of material can be provided on the cores by a batch-type process before the materials are introduced into the continuous coating drums. The formulas for the coating solution can also be adjusted at different stages of the coating process in order to provide a more consistent and uniform coating.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2001Publication date: July 4, 2002Inventors: Marc Degady, Miles Van Niekerk
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Patent number: 6365203Abstract: A continuous coating process for chewing gum and bubble gum materials. Small cores or pieces of gum material are introduced into inclined rotating drums in which heated air is circulated and a coating solution is applied (liquid or powder). The coating material is dried on the pieces of material, and a plurality of thin layers are formed on each of the cores or small pieces of material. A series of rotating drums can be provided to provide the requisite number or thickness of coating layers. In an alternate embodiment, initial coatings of material can be provided on the cores by a batch-type process before the materials are introduced into the continuous coating drums. The formulas for the coating solution can also be adjusted at different stages of the coating process in order to provide a more consistent and uniform coating.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 1999Date of Patent: April 2, 2002Assignee: Warner-Lambert CompanyInventors: Marc Degady, Miles van Niekerk
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Publication number: 20020009517Abstract: A continuous coating process for chewing gum and bubble gum materials. Small cores or pieces of gum material are introduced into inclined rotating drums in which heated air is circulated and a coating solution is applied (liquid or powder). The coating material is dried on the pieces of material, and a plurality of thin layers are formed on each of the cores or small pieces of material. A series of rotating drums can be provided to provide the requisite number or thickness of coating layers. In an alternate embodiment, initial coatings of material can be provided on the cores by a batch-type process before the materials are introduced into the continuous coating drums. The formulas for the coating solution can also be adjusted at different stages of the coating process in order to provide a more consistent and uniform coating.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 1999Publication date: January 24, 2002Inventors: MARC DEGADY, MILES VAN NIEKERK
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Patent number: 6280780Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for continuously producing coated tablets or pellets of liquid-filled gum material. An extruded rope of liquid-filled gum material is formed, sized, and separated into individual pellets of liquid-filled gum material. A tablet-forming mechanism having pairs of chain mechanisms with open mating die groove members separate the rope of gum material into individual pieces and form it into individual pellets. The open die groove members have curved non-flat configurations such that the die cavities form pellets of liquid-filled gum material with curved non-flat configurations. The formed pellets of gum material are cooled in a cooling mechanism, conditioned at an appropriate low humidity, low temperature environment, and then coated with a hard sugar or sugarless shell.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2000Date of Patent: August 28, 2001Assignee: Warner-Lambert CompanyInventors: Marc Degady, Miles Van Niekerk, Thomas J. Kuncewitch