Patents by Inventor Ralf Barkmann

Ralf Barkmann 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: 9080686
    Abstract: The invention relates to a valve particularly for transferring small portions of glue onto folding tabs of (cigarette) packs. A closing element (15) of the valve is actuated by different elements, that is to say, is moved between the open and closed positions, on the one hand by two permanent magnets (24, 25) arranged a short distance from each other and having aligned poles such that the closing element is permanently kept in the closed position by the permanent magnets (24, 25). On the other hand, an actuating element, which is configured as an electromagnet (23), acts to move the closing element (15) into the open position in a controlled way by overcoming the closing forces. The closing element (15) is designed in a particular way, that is to say, with channels extending along the outside in the longitudinal direction for the medium or the glue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Reinhard Hoppe, Ralf Barkmann, Stefan Harms, Christian Schönherr
  • Patent number: 8948898
    Abstract: A method for operating a gluing system (10) for gluing blanks for producing and/or packaging cigarettes or other smokable objects, in which the blanks are conveyed along glue valves (11) of the gluing system (10), in which case, in order to control and/or regulate the glue valves (11), a superordinate master controller (13) respectively transmits values of at least one control and/or regulation parameter to individual controllers (15) which are assigned to the glue valves (11), are subordinate to the master controller (13) and are each connected to the superordinate master controller (13) via a suitable data connection, the subordinate controller (15) using said values to control and/or regulate the glue valve (11) assigned to it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Ralf Barkmann, Wolfgang Rohwedder, Marc-Daniel Stegen
  • Publication number: 20120095588
    Abstract: A method for operating a gluing system (10) for gluing blanks for producing and/or packaging cigarettes or other smokable objects, in which the blanks are conveyed along glue valves (11) of the gluing system (10), in which case, in order to control and/or regulate the glue valves (11), a superordinate master controller (13) respectively transmits values of at least one control and/or regulation parameter to individual controllers (15) which are assigned to the glue valves (11), are subordinate to the master controller (13) and are each connected to the superordinate master controller (13) via a suitable data connection, the subordinate controller (15) using said values to control and/or regulate the glue valve (11) assigned to it.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co.KG)
    Inventors: Ralf Barkmann, Wolfgang Rohwedder, Marc-Daniel Stegen
  • Patent number: 7954498
    Abstract: In order to treat cut tobacco so as to loosen and homogenize the same, a tobacco stream (12, 16) passes through a plurality of processing stations (18, 19, 20), in the region of which the tobacco is loosened, during transportation, with the aid of different processing arrangements. The tobacco stream or main stream here is divided up into a plurality of smaller sub-streams during treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Christina Ott, Ralf Barkmann, Stefan Harms, Reinhard Hoppe, Thomas Jessen, Torben Baumgardt
  • Publication number: 20100133453
    Abstract: The invention relates to a valve particularly for transferring small portions of glue onto folding tabs of (cigarette) packs. A closing element (15) of the valve is actuated by different elements, that is to say, is moved between the open and closed positions, on the one hand by two permanent magnets (24, 25) arranged a short distance from each other and having aligned poles such that the closing element is permanently kept in the closed position by the permanent magnets (24, 25). On the other hand, an actuating element, which is configured as an electromagnet (23), acts to move the closing element (15) into the open position in a controlled way by overcoming the closing forces. The closing element (15) is designed in a particular way, that is to say, with channels extending along the outside in the longitudinal direction for the medium or the glue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Inventors: Reinhard Hoppe, Ralf Barkmann, Stefan Harms, Christian Schönherr
  • Patent number: 7584758
    Abstract: A distributor or hopper is part of a cigarette production machine and serves for dressing the tobacco in the provision of a continuous tobacco strand. An integral part of a distributor is a metering system which prepares the tobacco for the production of the tobacco strand. To separate out undesirable constituents, such as foreign bodies, stalks or ribs, from the tobacco, at least one sifter (15) is provided. The latter precedes the metering system of the distributor in the working direction, in particular is arranged outside the distributor, so that sifted tobacco is introduced into the distributor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Heinz Focke, Doris Focke, legal representative, Jürgen Focke, legal representative, Ralf Barkmann, Alfred Drenguis, Frauke Illigner, Reinhard Hoppe, Tobias Jacobi, Christina Ott, Remo Schulz, Michael Wegmann
  • Publication number: 20080142029
    Abstract: In order to treat cut tobacco so as to loosen and homogenize the same, a tobacco stream (12, 16) passes through a plurality of processing stations (18, 19, 20), in the region of which the tobacco is loosened, during transportation, with the aid of different processing arrangements. The tobacco stream or main stream here is divided up into a plurality of smaller sub-streams during treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Applicant: FOCKE & CO. (GMBH & CO. KG)
    Inventors: Christina Ott, Ralf Barkmann, Stefan Harms, Reinhard Hoppe, Thomas Jessen, Torben Baumgardt
  • Publication number: 20060096606
    Abstract: A distributor or hopper is part of a cigarette production machine and serves for dressing the tobacco in the provision of a continuous tobacco strand. An integral part of a distributor is a metering system which prepares the tobacco for the production of the tobacco strand. To separate out undesirable constituents, such as foreign bodies, stalks or ribs, from the tobacco, at least one sifter (15) is provided. The latter precedes the metering system of the distributor in the working direction, in particular is arranged outside the distributor, so that sifted tobacco is introduced into the distributor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2003
    Publication date: May 11, 2006
    Inventors: Heinz Focke, Doris Focke, Jurgen Focke, Ralf Barkmann, Alfred Drenguis, Frauke Illigner, Reinhard Hoppe, Tobias Jacobi, Christina Ott, Remo Schulz, Michael Wegmann
  • Patent number: 6782890
    Abstract: The distributor of a cigarette rod making machine employs a zig-zag sifter which receives a mixture of tobacco ribs and shreds from a reservoir by way of a duct or an elevator conveyor. The shreds leave the uppermost stage of the sifter and are conveyed, by a Coanda separator, into an upright gathering duct which discharges shreds for delivery onto the concave surface(s) of one or more guides serving to direct one or more streams of shreds against the underside(s) of one or more foraminous belt conveyors which advance the stream(s) past one or more trimming devices serving to remove the surplus and to thus convert each stream into a rod-like filler which is ready to be draped into a web of cigarette paper. The removed surplus is returned into the reservoir or directly into the zig-zag sifter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Hauni Maschinenbau AG
    Inventors: Ralf Barkmann, Rolf Lindemann, Reinhard Hoppe, Bernhard Jürgens, Peter Schumacher, Manuel Hansch
  • Patent number: 6634365
    Abstract: A shower of tobacco particles is fed into the upper end of a downwardly sloping and downwardly tapering funnel-shaped part of a conveyor wherein the particles gather into a flow of interlaced particles. Successive increments of the flow are acted upon by one or more jets of air issuing from at least one nozzle which loosens successive foremost increments of the flow prior to admission into a tobacco filler rod forming unit in a cigarette rod making machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Hauni Maschinenbau AG
    Inventors: Ralf Barkmann, Reinhard Hoppe, Thomas Juschus, Peter Schumacher, Rolf Lindemann
  • Publication number: 20030034040
    Abstract: The distributor of a cigarette rod making machine employs a zig-zag sifter which receives a mixture of tobacco ribs and shreds from a reservoir by way of a duct or an elevator conveyor. The shreds leave the uppermost stage of the sifter and are conveyed, by a Coanda separator, into an upright gathering duct which discharges shreds for delivery onto the concave surface(s) of one or more guides serving to direct one or more streams of shreds against the underside(s) of one or more foraminous belt conveyors which advance the stream(s) past one or more trimming devices serving to remove the surplus and to thus convert each stream into a rod-like filler which is ready to be draped into a web of cigarette paper. The removed surplus is returned into the reservoir or directly into the zig-zag sifter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2002
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Inventors: Ralf Barkmann, Rolf Lindemann, Reinhard Hoppe, Bernhard Jurgens, Peter Schumacher, Manuel Hansch
  • Publication number: 20020017307
    Abstract: A shower of tobacco particles is fed into the upper end of a downwardly sloping and downwardly tapering funnel-shaped part of a conveyor wherein the particles gather into a flow of interlaced particles. Successive increments of the flow are acted upon by one or more jets of air issuing from at least one nozzle which loosens successive foremost increments of the flow prior to admission into a tobacco filler rod forming unit in a cigarette rod making machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Inventors: Ralf Barkmann, Reinhard Hoppe, Thomas Juschus, Peter Schumacher, Rolf Lindemann