Patents Assigned to Bühler AG
  • Patent number: 7981340
    Abstract: The method of degassing is performed in a ring extruder wherein at least one process chamber is provided with at least one degassing opening. The radius R of the conveyor element in the degassing zone is smaller by ?R than the full radius Rv of the conveyor element required for the mutual stripping of adhering product in a closely intermeshing screw operation with adjacent conveyor elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Buhler AG
    Inventors: Achim-Phillipp Sturm, Jürgen Schweikle, Andreas Christel, Federico Innerebner
  • Publication number: 20110117260
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for drying pasta products in which during the drying process the pasta products, which are present as raw pasta shapes, pass through surface states that exhibit differing value pairs of surface temperature (T) and surface moisture (U), and wherein during the drying process the surface of the raw pasta shapes remains in a viscoelastic state in which in a diagram of surface temperature (T) of the raw pasta shapes and surface moisture (U) of the raw pasta shapes (a.) the surface temperature (Tv) of the raw pasta shapes is not greater than 4O° C. more than the temperature (Tg) on the glass transition curve of the raw pasta at the point of equal moisture of the surface, and/or (b.) the moisture (Uv) of the surface of the raw pasta shapes is not more than 20% greater than the moisture on the glass transition curve of the raw pasta at the point of equal temperature of the surface. This facilitates an especially rapid drying of the pasta products without any detriment to quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: BUHLER AG
    Inventors: Eliana Zamprogna, Jochen Lisner, Christian Mühlherr, Andreas Kratzer
  • Publication number: 20110104337
    Abstract: A feed composition is for cattle or the like, in particular a fattening feed. The feed composition contains, in addition to conventional components, sorghum and straw, in particular wheat straw, as replacement for maize, alfalfa and hay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicants: Buhler AG, Kansas State University Research Foundation
    Inventors: Vaughn Studer, James S. Drouillard, Urs Wüest, Brandon Depenbusch, Roland Strabler
  • Patent number: 7931222
    Abstract: An agitator mill for treating free-flowing grinding stock has a grinding receptacle and an interior stator disposed therein. A rotatably drivable annular cylindrical rotor is disposed between the interior stator and the receptacle wall, with a grinding chamber being defined between said rotor and the receptacle wall. A grinding-stock discharge conduit is formed between the rotor and the interior stator (22) which is connected to the grinding chamber by means of a deflection conduit. Devices are provided for preventing the carry-over of auxiliary grinding bodies from the grinding chamber into the grinding-stock discharge conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Bühler AG
    Inventors: Norbert Stehr, Philipp Schmitt
  • Patent number: 7900554
    Abstract: A method for controlling the roll weighting in roll shellers, in particular in rubber roll shellers for shelling rice or other cereal grains, includes recipe values for the grains to be shelled making it possible to independently regulate motor current, feed quantity and pressure values for roll weighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Buhler AG
    Inventor: Frank-Otto Görlitz
  • Publication number: 20110036432
    Abstract: The invention relates to a casting machine (1) for casting a flowable mass (M), in particular a flowable mass with suspended solid particles. Said casting machine comprises a mass container (2) for receiving the flowable mass and at least one valve (32, 42; 50; 60; 70; 80; 90; 100; 110; 120) that is fluidically connected to the inner area of the mass container. When the pressure changes in the direction of the valve along the valve passage, said valve is in the open state and in the absence of a pressure change in the direction of the valve passage, said valve is in the closed state. The casting machine also comprises pressure generating means (3, 4, 5, 6, 32, 42) for generating a change in the pressure in the direction of the valve passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: BUHLER AG
    Inventor: Boris Ouriev
  • Patent number: 7884177
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for the continuous polycondensation of polyester material in the solid phase, in particular in the form of partially crystalline granulate. The aim of the invention is to achieve a high product throughput on recrystallising and recondensation of polyester material with a low initial IV. Said aim is achieved, whereby on recrystallisation, a low residence time of 1-10 minutes is achieved, by means of a rapid heating of a thin product layer, followed by an SSP treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Buhler AG
    Inventors: Camille Borer, Martin Muller, Brent Allan Culbert
  • Patent number: 7866973
    Abstract: The invention relates to a die assembly(1) for forming extrudates of viscoelastic masses, e.g. polymers, dough masses etc, comprising several similar parallel die channels (2), each extending through the die assembly (1) in the axial transport direction (F) of the mass. According to the invention, a respective partition (5), which runs parallel with the axial transport direction (F) and is equipped with a cutting edge (5a) on its upstream end, is provided on the upstream end of the die body (1) between two adjacent inlet openings (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Buhler AG
    Inventor: Boris Ouriev
  • Publication number: 20110003065
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for pretreating grain before milling, comprising the following steps: a) providing cereal; b) optionally: dampening and conditioning the cereal; c) selectively removing a first fraction of husk components of the cereal obtained from step b), wherein said first fraction substantially comprises the outer husk components of the dampened cereal, and wherein 0.2 to 2% by weight of the cereal is removed; d) dampening and conditioning the cereal obtained from step c); e) selectively removing a second fraction of husk components of the cereal obtained from step d), wherein said second fraction substantially contains dietary fibers of the dampened cereal. The method makes it possible to efficiently obtain contamination-free total dietary fibers. An apparatus for carrying out the method, and advantageous uses of the total dietary fibers are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: BUHLER AG
    Inventors: Walter Eugster, Jurgen Winter, Uwe Schill
  • Publication number: 20100291269
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1; 1?) and a method for casting an edible product from a castable mass (M), particularly a fat mass such as chocolate. The casting device (1; 1?) comprises a mass container (2; 2?) for receiving the castable mass (M) and a metering unit (3, 4; 3?, 4?) having nozzles (32; 32?) in a fluid connection with the interior of the mass container. The metering unit (3, 4; 3?, 4?) has a nozzle block (3; 3) having nozzles (32; 32?) on the side facing away from the mass container (2; 2?) and a valve block (4; 4?) having at least one valve (42; 42?) on the side facing the mass container (2; 2?), a metering chamber (7; 7?) being delimited between the nozzle block (3; 3?) and the valve block (4; 4?) and having a metering chamber volume (V) that can be changed by a relative motion between the nozzle block (3; 3) and the valve block (4; 4?).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: Buhler AG
    Inventor: Boris Ouriev
  • Publication number: 20100282884
    Abstract: An agitator mill for treating free-flowing grinding stock has a grinding receptacle and an interior stator disposed therein. A rotatably drivable annular cylindrical rotor is disposed between the interior stator and the receptacle wall, with a grinding chamber being defined between said rotor and the receptacle wall. A grinding-stock discharge conduit is formed between the rotor and the interior stator (22) which is connected to the grinding chamber by means of a deflection conduit. Devices are provided for preventing the carry-over of auxiliary grinding bodies from the grinding chamber into the grinding-stock discharge conduit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Applicant: Buhler AG
    Inventors: Norbert Stehr, Philipp Schmitt
  • Patent number: 7819942
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a high-molecular polyester from a solidified polyester prepolymer by solid phase polycondensation. The polycondensation cleavage products of the solid phase polycondensation reaction are extracted from the product by means of a process gas, and the process gas is then cleaned and essentially recycled. According to the invention, the process gas is cleaned by means of an aqueous washing liquid. The invention also relates to an installation for carrying out the inventive method, said installation containing a crystallisation appliance (1) and a reaction appliance (2). A gas outlet (2d) of the reaction appliance (2) is directly or indirectly connected to a gas inlet (3c) in a gas cleaning system (3), and a gas outlet (3d) of the gas cleaning system (3) is connected to a gas inlet (2c) of the reaction appliance (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Buhler AG
    Inventors: Andreas Christel, Claudemiro Ferreira
  • Publication number: 20100267922
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a semicrystalline polymer, said method comprising the following steps: producing a polymer melt from a crystallizable polymer; shaping particles and solidifying the polymer melt, the step of shaping the particles being carried out before or after solidification; cooling the particles; treating the particles to reduce their tendency to agglomerate; crystallizing the particles. The invention is characterized in that the treatment is carried out by shaking at a temperature T1 which is below the glass transition temperature of the polymer plus 10° C., i.e. T1<Tg+10° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: Buhler AG
    Inventors: Brent Allan Culbert, Andreas Christel, Mauricio Rodrigues
  • Publication number: 20100233321
    Abstract: A process produces a feed composition for cattle or the like, in particular a fattening feed, wherein conventional feed is intended to be replaced. First a premix (1) of cereal components, fat, molasses, vitamins, minerals and/or other ingredients is mixed and conditioned with addition of steam (7) and water (6) and subsequently fed to a mechanical and/or thermal treatment where the mixture is heated, processed and shaped to form porous lumps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicants: Buhler AG, Kanasa State Unversity Research Foundation
    Inventors: James S. Drouillard, Urs Wüest, Brandon Depenbusch, Roland Strabler
  • Patent number: 7793870
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for husking and degerminating grains of maize. The aim of the invention is to provide an efficient and simple degermination of maize. To this end, during a wet degermination process, cleaned maize is wetted, and then husked and degerminated, and directly supplied to the comminution stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Bühler AG
    Inventors: Othmar Gerschwiler, Walter Eugster, Urs Zwahlen
  • Publication number: 20100183795
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing a fat-containing suspension and/or a fat-containing emulsion, in particular a chocolate or a chocolate-like fat composition, by mixing an emulsion formed by means of a reactive emulsifying technique, which emulsion has a disperse aqueous phase and a continuous fat phase, with a fat phase, in particular a cocoa mass. The invention relates, in particular, to a method of producing agave syrup-containing chocolate, wherein an emulsion consisting of cocoa butter or another fat or fat mixture and agave syrup or an aqueous sugar solution is generated and mixed with cocoa mass. According to the invention, the emulsion and later the chocolate are stabilized by emulsification at elevated temperature and evaporating the agave syrup or the sugar solution in the emulsified state. An otherwise customary comminution of the dry materials is therefore no longer necessary since the fineness necessary for sensory properties is set by the emulsifying process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Applicant: Buhler AG
    Inventors: Peter Braun, Bernd Schmidt, Andreas Ziegler, Erich Staubli
  • Publication number: 20100151078
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for producing pasta in which the amount of starch that can be digested in the gastrointestinal tract is less than 50%, said method involving the following steps: a) introducing a dry, raw material mixture, which contains starch and protein and comprises flour and/or semolina, together with water, steam and at least one active ingredient into a closed, forced-conveyance reactor, in which mixing produces a moistened raw material mixture which is then subjected to alternating stress by kneading and working under the effects of temperature and pressure during a predetermined dwelling time in the reactor, in order to partly convert the starch into a broken-down or swellable state and together with the protein and the active ingredient to form a matrix that penetrates the pasta thus obtained; b) shaping of the pasta thus obtained into defined pasta shapes; and c) drying of the shaped pasta shapes to produce a pasta product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2005
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: Buhler AG
    Inventor: Werner Seiler
  • Publication number: 20100102466
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for producing and treating plastic pellets. According to said method, a melt of the plastic material is granulated to give pellets, the pellets are cooled in a cooling fluid, the pellets are separated from the cooling fluid and the pellets are crystallized. The device according to the invention is characterized by comprising a control unit which monitors the crystallization step and controls the method in such a manner that in case of a disturbance of crystallization the pellets are supplied to an intermediate storage after separation of the pellets from the cooling fluid and as soon as the disturbance is removed, the pellets temporarily stored in the intermediate storage are supplied to crystallization and are crystallized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2007
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicants: RIETER AUTOMATIK GMBH, BUHLER AG
    Inventors: Frank Glöckner, Fernando Eusebio, Brent Allen Culbert, Franziska Morganti
  • Patent number: 7683156
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a high-molecular polycondensate from a solidified polycondensate prepolymer by solid phase polycondensation. According to said method, the polycondensation cleavage products of the solid phase polycondensation reaction are extracted from the product by means of a process gas, and the process gas is then cleaned of the polycondensation cleavage products and essentially recycled. According to the invention, the specific energy input is less than 120 kWh/t, preferably less than 110 kWh/t and especially between 70 and 100 kWh/t. The invention also relates to an installation for producing a high-molecular polycondensate, said installation comprising a heating appliance (1), followed by a crystallisation appliance (2), a reaction appliance (4), and a cooling appliance (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Buhler AG
    Inventors: Andreas Christel, Claudemiro Ferreira
  • Publication number: 20100038806
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the continuous production of semicrystalline polycondensate pellets. Said method comprises the following steps: producing a polycondensate material; shaping polycondensate pellets and solidifying the polycondensate melt in a liquid cooling medium, wherein the shaping of the pellets can be carried out prior to or after solidification; separating the pellets from the liquid cooling medium once the polycondensate pellets have cooled down to an average temperature that lies within the crystallization temperature range of the polycondensate; and crystallizing the pellets in a treatment chamber, the treatment gas being led in said treatment chamber in a countercurrent to the polycondensate pellets, the flow rate of the treatment gas being above the incipient fluidization point of the polycondensate pellets and the polycondensate pellets having a narrow dwell time spectrum in the treatment chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicant: BUHLER AG
    Inventors: Fernando Eusebio, Brent Allan Culbert, Andreas Christel, Peter Locker