Patents Assigned to Lipton
  • Process for the preparation of a food product
    Patent number: 5840353
    Abstract: A process for providing a tomato-based product comprising the following steps: a) applying ultra high pressure to a tomato piece, such that polygalacturonase is inactivated and pectinmethylesterase and preferably peroxidase are not inactivated; b) incubating the tomato piece with endogenous pectinmethylesterase to achieve a desired consistency and preferably with peroxidase to achieve a fresh aroma and/or flavour profile; and c) inactivating the pectinmethylesterase and any peroxidase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Lipton, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Wilding, Elizabeth Mary Woolner
  • Processing of soluble tea solids
    Patent number: 5820914
    Abstract: This invention concerns a method of altering the colour characteristics of a tea composition, including treating a tea infusion that contains cold water soluble tea solids but is substantially free of cold water insoluble tea solids, with an oxidising agent in a reaction vessel at a temperature and pressure in excess of the ambient temperature and pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Lipton, Division of Conapco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Noble, Jeffrey Bryn Richards
  • Food dressing
    Patent number: 5817363
    Abstract: Food dressing constituted of an aqueous phase and 0-40 wt. % of fat and/or oil, further containing a non-ionic thickening agent and an electrolyte and having a pH not greater than 4, and which contains also 3-8 wt. % of heat denatured globular protein, which dressing is prepared by a process comprising the stepsa. dissolving a globular protein, a non-ionic thickening agent and an electrolyte in water,b. adjusting the pH to <4 by adding acid,c. heating and slowly stirring the solution so that protein denaturation occurs,d. cooling,e. optionally admixing other ingredients,where, optionally, step d follows step e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Marinus Adriaan Evert Bakker, Petronella Clementia Maria Weisenborn
  • Producing shaped articles
    Patent number: 5806392
    Abstract: Shaped articles are cut from a web by correspondingly shaped cutters on a drum cooperating with an anvil drum. The web is engaged by conveyor bands which pass around the cutter and anvil drums and form a continuing conveying path for the web away from the drums. The conveyor bands are clear of the article shapes cut in the web which can thus be positively separated from the web by pusher means to be drawn away from the web by their own conveying means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton, Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew John Cleall, James Goodwin, Geoffrey William Vernon, Peter Ernest Willett
  • Multi layer spiral-shaped, dried pasta/sauce food composition and a method for making the spiral pasta/sauce combination
    Patent number: 5780091
    Abstract: A spiral wound instant pasta solid sauce composite noodle is disclosed which employs selected dusting agents and solid sauce interleaved within the spiral to insure unrolling of the spiral upon subsequent boiling. A method for the preparation of the sauce and the noodle is also disclosed along with a system for packing the noodles in flexible envelopes to reduce breakage of the noodles and to permit inclusion of noodles longer than the flexible package filling aperture and reducing the incidence of perforation of the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: James Vincent Cassetta, Michael Budd, Mauro Dominick Mordini
  • Tea beverage preservation and method of making
    Patent number: 5773062
    Abstract: An aqueous based tea solids containing beverage and a method for its preparation is disclosed. The beverage contains sufficient Natamycin to prevent the outgrowth of yeast and/or mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Charles Cirigliano, Raymond Thomas McKenna, Paul John Rothenberg
  • Spiral shaped, dried pasta food composition and a method for making it
    Patent number: 5738896
    Abstract: A spiral wound instant pasta noodle is disclosed which employs selected dusting agents interleaved within the spiral to insure unrolling of the spiral upon subsequent boiling. A method for the preparation of the noodle is also disclosed along with a system for packing the noodles in flexible envelopes to reduce breakage of the noodles and to permit inclusion of noodles longer than the flexible package filling aperture and reducing the incidence of perforation of the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Lipton, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: James Vincent Cassetta, Dominick Piccininni
  • Beverage preservation
    Patent number: 5738888
    Abstract: An aqueous based beverage is disclosed which also contains sufficient Natamycin and DMDC to prevent spoilage and the outgrowth of pathogenic microbes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Charles Cirigliano, Raymond Thomas McKenna, Paul John Rothenberg
  • Packets and their manufacture
    Patent number: 5632132
    Abstract: Packets containing a flowable material are provided with a draw-string or thread to squeeze the packet contents. The packet envelope is formed from a doubled-over web which gives the packet a folded-over edge and which encloses an intermediate portion of the thread close to the folded-over edge. The end portions of the web extend from the intermediate portion of the thread to extend through the opposite edge of the packet. The external ends of the thread are secured to a tag which is attached to the outer face of the envelope. The thread intermediate portion is retained close to said one edge by heat seal means. Apparatus is also described for producing the packets in a continuous or semi-continuous manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Jan Kuipers, Simon C. Martin, Geoffrey W. Vernon, Petrus W. Van Der Zon
  • Handling partly completed containers
    Patent number: 5613828
    Abstract: Successive flat skillets (S) are picked from a stack (12) and fed to a conveyor (2) by a mechanism which has devices gripping adjacent side faces to a fold line of a skillet to open the skillets to their tubular form during the transfer movement. The gripping devices (22,24) pivot on an axis coincident with the skillet fold line to allow the skillet to be opened to its full tubular form without distortion. The mechanism is so arranged that the skillet reservoir stack (12) can be oriented in a plane substantially parallel to the conveyor path for the opened skillets, in order to minimize space requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip G. Haddow, Roderick L. Mitchell, David R. Seaward, Geoffrey W. Vernon
  • Method for the production of tagged articles
    Patent number: 5580408
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for tag and thread assembly for tagged infusion packets. Spaced tags from a strip of tags and a length of thread are laid over each other on the periphery of a first assembly wheel and the thread is drawn out in loops between successive tags. The spaced tags and looped thread are transferred to a second assembly wheel where they are connected to a web of sheet material that is to form the infusion packets. The web is subsequently formed into a series of compartments in which infusion material is contained. The compartments are severed from the web for forming the individual packets and the thread is simultaneously severed between the packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co.
    Inventors: Geoffrey W. Vernon, James Goodwin, Andrew J. Cleall
  • Infusion package
    Patent number: 5552165
    Abstract: A package for containing a flowable infusible material comprising a closed bag made from a porous material. The bag has a first side, a second side that opposes the first side and two other sides. The package also has a drawstring that passes out of the interior of the package via a first exit point located adjacent one end of the first side and a second exit point located adjacent the other end of the first side. Means are provided to constrain the drawstring against adjacent the ends of the second side and at some intermediate point along each of said other sides (preferably near the midpoint). The arrangement being such that pulling the ends of the drawstring in substantially opposite directions causes the drawstring to move relative to the sides it engages and thus enable the package to collapse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert H. A. Haak, Jan J. Kuipers, Craig S. McLean
  • Infusion package
    Patent number: 5552164
    Abstract: A package containing a flowable infusible material which has a drawstring that passes out of the interior of the package via a first exit point and a second exit point and means which constrains said drawstring adjacent at least two sides. The arrangement is such that pulling the ends of the drawstring in substantially opposite directions causes the drawstring to move relative to the sides it engages thus allowing the package to collapse. Preferred embodiments of the package are rectangular, square or circular in shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton, Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Jan Kuipers, Craig S. McLean
  • Apparatus and method for producing packets
    Patent number: 5548947
    Abstract: Packets are produced by forming a continuous web (W) of packaging material into a tubular form around a tube (4) through which the packet filling material is delivered, the individual packets being sealed and severed from the web as each dose of filling material is delivered. A valve (24) to control the dosing is provided at the exit end of the delivery tube. The sealing and severing of the packets is performed by mutually transverse pairs of rotors (36, 38) the arms (92) of which interdigitate to make successive seals in mutually transverse directions, so forming tetrahedral packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co.
    Inventors: Kevin R. Fincham, David R. Seaward, Graham L. Shirley, Geoffrey W. Vernon
  • Process for preparation of purified tea components using preconcentration by cream separation and solubilization followed by medium pressure chromatography and/or preparative HPLC
    Patent number: 5532012
    Abstract: A method of obtaining selected tea polyphenol or theaflavin antioxidants in proportions reflective of those in natural tea is disclosed. The method employs a water solubilization of tea cream coupled with a mixed water/organic solvent extraction of the tea cream. The purified materials prepared are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Balentine, Matthew E. Harbowy
  • Process for manufacturing cold water soluble and chill stable ready to drink tea and product
    Patent number: 5529796
    Abstract: Tea products as well as a process for their preparation are described. They are prepared by adding high methoxy pectin to an acidified tea extract obtained from low temperature extraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven A. Gobbo, John W. Tobin, Douglas A. Balantine
  • Apparatus for the production of tagged articles
    Patent number: 5527419
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for tag and thread assembly for tagged infusion packets. Spaced tags from a strip of tags and a length of thread are laid over each other on the periphery of a first assembly wheel and the thread is drawn out in loops between successive tags. The spaced tags and looped thread are transferred to a second assembly wheel where they are connected to a web of sheet material that is to form the infusion packets. The web is subsequently formed into a series of compartments in which infusion material is contained. The compartments are severed from the web for forming the individual packets and the thread is simultaneously severed between the packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffrey W. Vernon, James Goodwin, Andrew J. Cleall
  • Container
    Patent number: D376758
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard D. Bradfield
  • Container
    Patent number: D376759
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard D. Bradfield
  • Container
    Patent number: D394383
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Denys Bradfield