Patents by Inventor Frank Glockner

Frank Glockner 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: 9039948
    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 alter 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: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignees: Rieter Automatik GMBH, Buhler Thermal Processes AG
    Inventors: Frank Glöckner, Fernando Eusebio, Brent Allen Culbert, Franziska Morganti
  • Publication number: 20140103564
    Abstract: A method for continuous casting and granulating strands of a thermoplastic material which uses a nozzle head having a plurality of nozzle apertures of a maximum diameter of 4 mm each, and water-moistened guide member for cooling and guiding the plastic strands exiting the nozzle aperture via inlet rollers to the inlet of the cutting unit for chopping up the plastic strands into granules approx. 2-3 mm in length. The flow rate of the melt, with the strands being cooled down on their way from the nozzles via the guide member the feed rollers of the cutting unit, of at least 100 m/min in the central spatial region of the nozzle apertures will be increased to such an extent that the cutting unit will chop up the strands at a cutting rate of >2,000 cuts/s.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: AUTOMATIK PLASTICS MACHINERY GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan DEISS, Frank GLOCKNER, Stefan DAHLHEIMER
  • Publication number: 20130256929
    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 alter 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: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicants: BÜHLER AG, RIETER AUTOMATIK GMBH
    Inventors: Frank Glöckner, Fernando Eusebio, Brent Allen Culbert, Franziska Morganti
  • Patent number: 8435023
    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: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignees: Rieter Automatik GmbH, Buhler AG
    Inventors: Frank Glöckner, Fernando Eusebio, Brent Allen Culbert, Franziska Morganti
  • Patent number: 8298460
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for granulating and crystallizing thermoplastic polymers, the granules being contained in a liquid after granulation of a polymer melt and the granules being nucleated in the liquid once the pressure of the liquid is increased and the temperature of the liquid is increased, and the granules being crystallized in the liquid once the pressure of the liquid is again increased and the temperature of the liquid is again increased. According to the invention, the granules are removed from the liquid once the pressure and the temperature of the liquid containing the granules have been reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Automatik Plastics Machinery GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Doll, Frank Glöckner
  • Publication number: 20110215494
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for continuous casting and granulating strands of a thermoplastic material which uses a nozzle head having a plurality of nozzle apertures of a maximum diameter of 4 mm each, and water-moistened guide means for cooling and guiding the plastic strands exiting the nozzle aperture via inlet rollers to the inlet of the cutting unit for chopping up the plastic strands into granules approx. 2-3 mm in length. The flow rate of the melt, with the strands being cooled down on their way from the nozzles via the guide means to the feed rollers of the cutting unit, of at least 100 nm/min in the central spatial region of the nozzle apertures will be increased to such an extent that the cutting unit will chop up the strands at a cutting rate of >2,000 cuts/s.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2009
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Inventors: Stefan Deiss, Frank Glöckner, Stefan Dahlheimer
  • Publication number: 20100140821
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for granulating and crystallizing thermoplastic polymers, the granules being contained in a liquid after granulation of a polymer melt and the granules being nucleated in the liquid once the pressure of the liquid is increased and the temperature of the liquid is increased, and the granules being crystallized in the liquid once the pressure of the liquid is again increased and the temperature of the liquid is again increased. According to the invention, the granules are removed from the liquid once the pressure and the temperature of the liquid containing the granules have been reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: AUTOMATIK PLASTICS MACHINERY GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Doll, Frank Glöckner
  • 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: 5441394
    Abstract: A device for cooling and granulating molten thermoplastic strands (1) emerging from dies (2) which either drop along the falling line starting at the dies or are guided in an operating position through a coolant bath (9), freely stressed between guide rollers fitted in the bath and then taken into a granulator (4). In the region between the dies and the coolant bath there is a precooling device (5) which carries the plastic strands emerging from the dies and takes them to the coolant bath. Behind the precooling device there is a gripping device (21 ) with opposed clamping rollers (41, 42) which can open and shut and move along a guiding rail to grip the forward ends of the plastic strands after they have been separated by a separator (22) movable through the falling line of the strands. The rollers with the forward ends of the strands are moved along the guiding rail running through the region of the coolant bath as far as the granulator, where they release the strands thereinto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Rieter Automatik GmbH
    Inventors: Jurgen Keilert, Frank Glockner, Helmut Meidhof, Laurenz Hohm
  • Patent number: 5249944
    Abstract: Device to collect and convey plastic strands, issuing from nozzles, on a discharge plate, over which cooling water flows, with a device to indicate the undisturbed passage of the plastic strands over the discharge plate or their accumulation on the discharge plate. At least one temperature-dependent electric resistor, which triggers a signal by way of a threshold value switch when the specified temperature is exceeded, is attached to a cooling water-free zone on the underside of the discharge plate in the region of impact of the plastic strands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: Automatik-Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus-Rudiger Zinke, Jurgen Keilert, Frank Glockner