Patents by Inventor Thomas Gruss

Thomas Gruss 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: 9067697
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for metering tobacco in portions suitable for packaging. The apparatus includes a feeding element for the tobacco and a device for forming and discharging at least one tobacco portion suitable for packaging. The device comprises a wiping element for wiping tobacco into a portioning chamber. The portioning chamber is variable in volume for compressing the tobacco and releasing the compressed tobacco portion. The portioning chamber is also displaceable relative to the wiping element for displacing from a filling position into a dispensing position and vice versa. An element for discharging the compressed tobacco portion is disposed in the area of the dispensing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Hauni Maschinenbau AG
    Inventors: Thomas Gruss, Patrick Fricke, Stephan Plewa, Hartmut Ringel, Bernd Seliger
  • Publication number: 20110239591
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for metering tobacco in portions suitable for packaging. The apparatus includes a feeding element for the tobacco and a device for forming and discharging at least one tobacco portion suitable for packaging. The device comprises a wiping element for wiping tobacco into a portioning chamber. The portioning chamber is variable in volume for compressing the tobacco and releasing the compressed tobacco portion. The portioning chamber is also displaceable relative to the wiping element for displacing from a filling position into a dispensing position and vice versa. An element for discharging the compressed tobacco portion is disposed in the area of the dispensing position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: Hauni Maschinenbau AG
    Inventors: Thomas Gruss, Patrick Fricke, Stephan Plewa, Hartmut Ringel, Bernd Seliger
  • Publication number: 20100252056
    Abstract: An apparatus for metering oral tobacco into portions suitable for consumption including a delivery device to hold and deliver the tobacco and a metering device to receive the tobacco from the delivery device. The metering device includes a shaping component operative to shape and press the tobacco into at least one endless tobacco rod and a slicing component operative to slice the endless tobacco rod into pre-defined tobacco portions with respect to shape and weight and to discharge the tobacco portions for subsequent processing. Further, a method for metering oral tobacco in portions suitable for consumption, includes the steps of delivering the tobacco, continuous shaping and pressing the tobacco into at least one endless tobacco rod, slicing the endless tobacco rod into pre-defined tobacco portions with respect to shape and weight, and conveying the tobacco portions to a subsequent processing station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: Hauni Maschinenbau AG
    Inventors: Thomas Gruss, Patrick Fricke, Willfried Hoffmann, Hartmut Ringel, Bernd Seliger, Stephan Plewa