Patents Assigned to Buehler AG
  • Patent number: 11452302
    Abstract: Spherical particles, agglomerates of spherical particles, methods of producing spherical particles, food suspensions and consumable masses which have spherical particles, and food products which contain a food suspension and/or a consumable mass are disclosed. The particles contain a matrix material composed of an amorphously solidified biopolymer, preferably having a dextrose equivalent greater than 20 and having an equilibrium water content preferably less than 10 wt %. The solid particles and/or liquid and/or gas volumes are embedded in the matrix material. The food suspension contains a substantially homogeneous carrier material in which spherical particles are embedded. A consumable mass comprises an agglomerate of particles where some of the particles are spherical particles. Use of embedded cocoa particles reduces the roughness of the cocoa particles and a flow point white eliminating the need for emulsifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventors: Erich Josef Windhab, Patrick Strähl, William Hanselmann
  • Patent number: 11059004
    Abstract: A device (1) for mixing which comprises a housing (2) with at least one inlet (3). A first process region (4) mixes the supplied substances which are introduced via the inlet (3) while a second process region (5) discharges the mixture via an outlet (6). A first gap-forming element (7), preferably a rotor, is assigned to the first process region (4) and comprises openings (8), and a second gap-forming element (9), preferably a stator, is assigned to the second process region (5) and corresponds with the first gap-forming element (7), wherein the second gap-forming element (9) comprises openings (10). At least one of the gap-forming elements (7, 9) is rotatable relative to the other gap-forming element (7, 9). The openings (8, 10) of the first and second gap-forming elements (7, 9) are arranged such that a mixture passes through the openings from the first into the second process region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: BUEHLER AG
    Inventors: Eduard Nater, Achim Philipp Sturm
  • Patent number: 10849333
    Abstract: Devices (10) and methods for pasteurizing and/or sterilizing particulate material. The devices contain at least one electron source (20) for generating an electron beam and a treatment zone (19) in which the material is pasteurized and/or sterilized by the electron beam. The device (10) comprises a vibration surface (11) which vibrates to convey and individualize the material. The first vibration surface (11) has a plurality of grooves (12) into which the material is conveyed and individualized. The device (10) has a good channel (21) in which the material is pasteurized and/or sterilized by the electron beam in the region of the treatment zone (19). The device (10) has at least one auxiliary channel (22) through which a fluid flows between the electron source (20) and the good channel (21) and is separated from the good channel (21). A cartridge (24), for pasteurizing and/or sterilizing particulate material, is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: BUEHLER AG
    Inventors: Nicolas Meneses, Martin Hersche, Alasdair Currie, Niklaus Schönenberger, Thomas Scheiwiller
  • Publication number: 20160044940
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of treating grains, in particular cereal grains, pseudocereal grains or grain legumes, as well as to grains treated with this method. The method comprises the following steps: a) soaking the grains in an aqueous medium, wherein the grains are least temporarily soaked in an aqueous medium comprising at least one reactive oxygen species; b) draining the aqueous medium from the grains; c) tempering the grains and allowing them to at least partially germinate; d) hydrothermally treating the grains for a time in the range from 0.25 h to 4 h at a temperature in the range from 60° C. to 100° C. and at a relative humidity in the range from 60% to 100%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Applicant: BUEHLER AG
    Inventors: Stefania BELLAIO, Stefan KAPPELER, Eliana ZAMPROGNA ROSENFELD, Matthias BENZ
  • Patent number: 9074697
    Abstract: The invention relates to a valve flap (1) for producing a casting machine valve (100), in particular for installing into a casting machine for casting a flowable substance, in particular a liquid substance with suspended solid particles, such as chocolate for example, in which cocoa particles and sugar particles are typically suspended in a molten fatty substance that has cocoa butter and milk fat to a greater or lesser extent. The valve flap is designed such that a valve can be produced with at least one other valve element, said valve consisting in particular of at least two valve flaps (1) that are preferably identical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventors: Bernhard Bauer, Leo Bühler
  • Patent number: 8991301
    Abstract: A device for steeping barley having a container for containing the barley to be steeped. The container has a floor and the floor has passageways for flowing at least one of steeping water and gases through the passageways. The device further includes a water line system under the floor directly connected to the passageways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventors: Bernardus Van Dieren, Gerardus Toonen
  • Publication number: 20130209626
    Abstract: A device for processing roasted coffee beans, including a unit for grinding the beans, and a method for processing coffee beans, wherein the coffee beans are ground and the temperature of the coffee to be ground, at least at the start of the grinding operation, is between 30° C. and 150° C., in particular between 35° C. and 100° C., preferably between 40° C. and 90° C., and more preferably between 40° C. and 60° C. For this purpose, the device includes a thermal unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: BUEHLER AG
    Inventors: Marco Keller, Peter Braun
  • Patent number: 8502119
    Abstract: A travel drive for a traversable or rotatable device. The drive includes at least one pin wheel engaging teeth of a gear ring. This abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventor: Kai Silbermann
  • Patent number: 8360658
    Abstract: The invention relates to a bearing assembly, which includes at least one upper segment with an upper running surface and at least one lower segment with a lower running surface. The bearing assembly also includes at least one roll element movably arranged between the upper running surface and the lower running surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventors: Kai Silbermann, Wolf-Eckart Bischoff
  • Patent number: 8141799
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for whole-grain conditioning, in particular of native and malted brewing cereals. To improve the mashing process and to increase the number of brews and product quality, the brewing cereals are conditioned and subsequently fed to a hulling and/or mechanical comminution process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventors: Klaus Gehrig, Hans-Jörg Menger, Urs Keller
  • Patent number: 8104699
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a system for dehusking grains, in particular for removing the spelts and/or the seed coat and the germ bud of grains and/or of malted grains and its processing in the brewing industry. The outer layers/shells are removed from cleaned and malted distiller's grains in a husking machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventors: Klaus Gehrig, Hans-Jörg Menger, Urs Keller
  • Patent number: 7883886
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for malting cereals comprising a tower (2) consisting a certain number of stories which are separated from each other by storey floors (9, 10), each storey comprising an air-proof carrier plate (13) carrying germinating cereals (24). Said tower also comprises air conditioning means for air conditioning, transfer means provided with a feeding channel and a removing channel for transferring conditioned air by means of the feeding channel which extends from air conditioning means downwards to the bottom of the carrier plate, passes along said carrier plate and a cereal layer arranged thereon in a direction of the top surface of said cereal layer and exits said top surface of the cereal layer by means of the removing channel. The inventive device is characterized in that the feeding channel and/or removing channel extend through a central opening in at least one storey floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventor: Gerardus Swinkels
  • Patent number: 7780101
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for separating a mixture made of particles of a first particle type and a second particle type, especially aleurone particles and shell particles made of comminuted bran, said particles being scarcely distinguishable in terms of size and density, into various types of particles. Separation occurs according to particle-type specific triboelectric charging of said particles in a first active area and subsequent separation of the differently charged moving particles in an electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventors: Arturo Bohm, Andreas Kratzer
  • Publication number: 20100133717
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the production of granulate grains of polymers from thermoplastic polyesters or copolyesters from a polyester melt using an extrusion granulator. The polyester melt is fed to nozzles of the extrusion granulator and then, with draw-in rollers, to the granulation device via an extraction section as extrusions exiting from the nozzle, wherein, e.g., an extrusion extraction speed is set by the draw-in rollers. The invention also relates to an improved extrusion granulator according to the invention having a wave device between the nozzles and the extraction channel, and granulate grains produced according to the method according to the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2007
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicants: AUTOMATIK PLASTICS MACHINERY GMBH, Buehler AG
    Inventors: Jaroslaw Boczon, Andreas Doll, Sven Fenchel, Brent Allan Culbert, Fernando Eusebio, Franziska Morganti
  • Publication number: 20100108574
    Abstract: A screening device is disclosed for a pulverulent or granular material, such as a control screen for milled products including, but not limited to, flour, middlings or semolina. The device has an inlet for material to be screened, an outlet for rejections and an outlet for undersize Furthermore, the screening device can include a screen frame with a screen fastened thereto and a base framework. The screen frame can be mounted such that it can move relative to the base framework of the screening device and be coupled to a vibrating source by which the screen frame can be made to move with vibrating movements relative to the base framework of the screening device. During operation, the screen frame can be made to move with vibrating movements whose frequency is in the range from, for example, 15 Hz to 100 Hz and whose amplitude is in the range from, for example, 0.1 mm to 6 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: BUEHLER AG
    Inventors: Boris Ouriev, Oliver Schlien, Manuel Hoehener, Niklaus Schoenenberger, Roger Geissbuehler
  • Patent number: 7661941
    Abstract: A machine for treating or processing a conveyable material, particularly a free-flowing or pasty material or a bulk material comprises at least one passage section having at least one passage through which the conveyable material, which is to be treated or processed, can be conveyed along a direction of conveyance. The at least one passage section forms at least one partial area of a channel of the machine and is mounted so that it can move in relation to this channel. This at least one passage section is coupled to at least one source, which is provided for effecting oscillations and by means of which the passage section can be set in mechanical oscillatory motion with regard to the channel of the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventor: Boris Ouriev
  • Patent number: 7641134
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for separating a mixture made of particles of a first particle type and a second particle type, especially aleurone particles and shell particles made of comminuted bran, said particles being scarcely distinguishable in terms of size and density, into various types of particles. Separation occurs according to particle-type specific triboelectric charging of said particles in a first active area and subsequent separation of the differently charged moving particles in an electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventors: Arturo Bohm, Andreas Kratzer
  • Publication number: 20090123622
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a system for dehusking grains, in particular for removing the spelts and/or the seed coat and the germ bud of grains and/or of malted grains and its processing in the brewing industry. The outer layers/shells are removed from cleaned and malted distiller's grains in a husking machine (20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2006
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: Buehler AG
    Inventors: Klaus Gehrig, Hans-Jorg Menger, Urs Keller
  • Publication number: 20080272508
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for producing spherical particles from a melted mass of plastic. According to the invention, said melted mass is transformed into droplets by means of a droplet-forming nozzle (10); after falling a certain distance, the droplets are crystallised at least on the surface thereof; the droplets are then supplied to a crystallisation stage in which they are fully crystallised; and are then supplied to an postcondensation stage wherein solid phase polycondensation takes place. In order to ensure surface crystallisation without the risk of adhesion both among the drops and to parts of the device, the drops fall in a crystallisation stage (45) having a cloth element or a sheet metal element comprising openings or a fluidised bed chamber through which gas flows in order to swirl the drops.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: BUEHLER AG
    Inventors: Brent Allen CULBERT, Andreas Christel, Erhard Krumpholz, Theodor Juergens, Rudolf Geier
  • Patent number: 7431228
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for separating a mixture, made of particles of a first particle type and a second particle type, especially aleurone particles and shell particles made of comminuted bran, said particles being scarcely distinguishable in terms of size and density, into various types of particles. Separation occurs according to particle-type specific triboelectric charging of said particles in a first active area and subsequent separation of the differently charged moving particles in an electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventors: Arturo Bohm, Andreas Kratzer