Patents by Inventor Wilfried Mackel

Wilfried Mackel 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: 9844786
    Abstract: A centrifuge, in particular a separator, includes a rotatable centrifuge drum with a vertical axis of rotation and a non-rotatable fixed housing with a hood and preferably a solids collector. In the centrifuge, the housing, in particular the fixed hood and/or at least one other part of the housing, have at least one first inner wall and a first outer wall which delimit a first cavity. The cavity is at least partly filled with damping/insulation agents that are solid at a process or ambient temperature. A coolant that has a fluid form at a process and/or ambient temperature can be introduced into the first cavity filled with the solid damping/insulation agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Mackel, Andreas Penkl, Thomas Bathelt, Reinhard Moss
  • Publication number: 20170333915
    Abstract: A separator for centrifugally processing a flowable product includes a rotatable drum bounding a centrifuging chamber. The drum has a feeding and removal system having at least one feeding device and one or more removal devices composed of plastic or a plastic composite. An inner drum, composed of plastic or a plastic composite, is arranged in an outer supporting device of the drum. The feeding device and the one or more removal devices extend into the inner drum, do not rotate with the inner drum during operation, and are glued and/or welded to each other in such a way that the feeding device and the one or more removal devices are sealingly connected. The feeding and removal system has one or more grippers as the removal device, each of which one or two or more grippers has a disk segment and a shaft segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2015
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Wilfried MACKEL, Thomas BATHELT, Kathrin QUITER, Frank TAETZ
  • Publication number: 20170312763
    Abstract: A method for monitoring, controlling, and/or regulating the operation of a centrifuge, in particular a separator, during the centrifugal processing of a product, in particular when clarifying a product and/or when separating a product into different liquid phases. The centrifuge has a drum which can be rotated by a drive spindle, a drum mounting, and a drive motor. Force measurements are performed using one or more force sensors and analyzed, and an output is provided in the event of a deviation from a specified behavior and/or the analyses are used for or during the control and/or regulation of the operation of the centrifuge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Wilfried MACKEL, Kathrin QUITER, Thomas BATHELT
  • Publication number: 20170203307
    Abstract: A feedback control method accounts for noise emissions of a centrifuge for the operation of a centrifuge, in particular a separator or a decanting centrifuge, for the centrifugal processing of a product, in particular for clarifying a product and/or for separating a product into different liquid phases using the drum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Inventors: Markus FLEUTER, Wilfried MACKEL
  • Publication number: 20170189915
    Abstract: A separator for the treatment of a flowable product by centrifugation has a rotatable drum delimiting a centrifuging space. The separator also includes, arranged in the drum, an agent for clarification of a product to be treated in the centrifugal field. The drum includes an outer support and an inner drum arranged in the outer support, and in the agent for the clarification of the product to be processed in the centrifugal field is arranged in the inner drum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: Wilfried MACKEL, Andreas PENKL, Thomas BATHELT, Kathrin QUITER, Marie-Theres SEDLER
  • Patent number: 9561513
    Abstract: A method for the continuous processing of a product such as a vegetable or animal oil or fat. The processing occurs via a separation into two liquid phases and a solid phase. The method step includes processing the product, the processing occurring in a centrifuge arranged as a separator, the separator including a rotatable drum, a disk stack having risers arranged in the drum, a product feed having a feed tube, a first separator disk to discharge a lighter liquid phase from the drum, a second separator disk to discharge a heavier liquid phase from the drum, and a solids discharge opening to discharge a solids phase from the drum. A separation zone is formed between the lighter phase and the heavier phase in the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Mackel, Klaus-Peter Eickhoff
  • Patent number: 9522349
    Abstract: A method for processing a product is disclosed. The method includes providing a separator having a rotatable centrifugal drum and a plate assembly arranged in the drum. The product is supplied into the drum. One or more of a solids phase and at least two liquid phases are separated from the product. One or more of the at least two liquid phases and the solids phase is discharged out of the drum. The supplying of the product occurs in one of a continuous and a discontinuous cyclic volume stream performed at a constant cyclic frequency where the constant cyclic frequency has a period duration which is dependent on one or more of the parameters of an inner and outer radius of a plate, an inflow stream in an intermediate space between the plate and an adjacent plate, a plate angle, and a distance of the plate to the adjacent plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Julian Konig, Bernd Terwey, Wilfried Mackel, Andreas Penkl, Thomas Bathelt, Kathrin Quiter
  • Patent number: 9463473
    Abstract: A method for processing a product provides phase separation into two liquid phases and a solids phase. The method includes processing the product in a continuously operating centrifuge arranged as a separator including a rotatable drum having a vertical rotational axis, discharging a lighter liquid phase continuously from the drum, and discharging a heavier liquid phase discontinuously from the drum. The separator has a disk stack having risers arranged in the drum, a product feed tube, a first separation disk for discharging the lighter liquid phase, a second separator disk for discharging the heavier liquid phase, solids discharge openings for discharging the solids phase from the drum, and a separation zone formed between the lighter liquid phase and the heavier liquid phase in the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Mackel, Klaus-Peter Eickoff
  • Publication number: 20160263586
    Abstract: A method is provided for clarifying a flowable starting product with a separator having a feed and at least one liquid discharge for continuously discharging at least one clarified liquid phase—a clear phase—and with discontinuously openable solid-discharge openings for discontinuously discharging the solid phase. The method involves the steps: a. setting or determining a starting time; b. repeatedly determining at least one actual value of a product-parameter of the clear phase derived from the drum; c. determining the time interval until the product-parameter actual value reaches or exceeds a product-parameter limit value; d. preferably initiating a solid discharge as a result of reaching or exceeding the product-parameter limit value; e. determining and setting an operating time interval by using the determined calibrating time interval, the operating time interval being less than or greater than the ascertained calibrating time interval; and f.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Wilfried MACKEL, Markus FLEUTER, Josef LINCKAMP
  • Publication number: 20160184836
    Abstract: A separator for the centrifugal separation of a flowable product into various phases or for the centrifugal clarification of a product includes a rotatable drum having a drum lower section and a drum upper section, a product clarifying arrangement arranged in the drum for clarifying a product to be treated in the centrifugal field. One or more, of all of the following elements are made from plastic or a plastic composite, the drum lower section, the drum upper section, the clarifying arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Wilfried MACKEL, Thomas BATHELT, Kathrin QUITER, Angelika VOLTMANN, Thomas HOMANN, Ulrich MEIER
  • Publication number: 20160030953
    Abstract: Disclosed is a centrifuge including a rotatable centrifugal drum and a drive spindle to drive the centrifugal drum. The drive spindle is rotatably mounted via a bearing in a housing supported elastically on a machine framework. Further included is a drive device including a drive motor to rotate the drive spindle and a lubricant system to lubricate the bearing. The lubricant system is configured to deliver lubricant from a lubricant supply tank through a lubricant channel into a region of the bearing. An injection device is arranged downstream of the lubricant-supply tank and is configured to deliver the lubricant into the region of the bearing by dispensing quantities of lubricant in temporally discrete pulses with a limited-time air stream. A method is disclosed of directing lubricant into a region of a bearing of the centrifuge as noted above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: GEA MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT GMBH
    Inventors: Wilfried MACKEL, Marie-Theres SEDLER, Thomas BATHELT, Thomas KLEIMANN, Andreas PENKL, Bernd TERWEY
  • Patent number: 9186686
    Abstract: Disclosed is a centrifuge including a rotatable centrifugal drum and a drive spindle to drive the centrifugal drum. The drive spindle is rotatably mounted via a bearing in a housing supported elastically on a machine framework. Further included is a drive device including a drive motor to rotate the drive spindle and a lubricant system to lubricate the bearing. The lubricant system is configured to deliver lubricant from a lubricant supply tank through a lubricant channel into a region of the bearing. An injection device is arranged downstream of the lubricant-supply tank and is configured to deliver the lubricant into the region of the bearing by dispensing quantities of lubricant in temporally discrete pulses with a limited-time air stream. A method is disclosed of directing lubricant into a region of a bearing of the centrifuge as noted above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equiptment GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Mackel, Marie-Theres Sedler, Thomas Bathelt, Thomas Kleimann, Andreas Penkl, Bernd Terwey
  • Publication number: 20150306606
    Abstract: An outlet nozzle for centrifuge drums is disclosed. The outlet nozzle includes a nozzle body which has an inlet channel extending axially therein and an outlet channel extending at an obtuse angle to the inlet channel. The outlet channel has an inlet opening and an outlet opening, where the diameter of the outlet channel increases at least in certain portions. The point on the outlet channel which is narrowest in terms of the cross-section is formed by the inlet opening itself and the cross-section of the outlet channel is not reduced at any point over the axial length of the outlet channel in the outlet direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried MACKEL, Juergen TEIGELER, Volker KASSERA
  • Patent number: 9162233
    Abstract: A separator including a rotatable centrifugal drum having a vertical axis of rotation and an inflow line for a material to be processed by the separator. Also included is a drive spindle for the drum rotatably mounted via a mounting to a housing supported elastically on a machine stand section. A drive device includes an electric drive motor having a stator and a rotor which is aligned with the drive spindle. A lubricant system is configured to lubricate the mounting and the lubricant system includes a lubricant circuit to convey lubricant and has a lubricant collecting container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Mackel, Thomas Bathelt, Andreas Penkl, Andreas Schulz, Marie-Theres Sedler
  • Patent number: 9132435
    Abstract: A separator in which a product such as milk is to be processed, the separator includes: a centrifugal drum; an admission tube; a distributor including an admission chamber located downstream of the admission tube and distribution channels leading into a centrifugal chamber of the centrifugal drum. A rib body is located in the admission chamber and the rib body provides an outlet to the distributor channels. The rib body includes a plurality of ribs and a base section connecting the plurality of ribs along a periphery of the base section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventor: Wilfried Mackel
  • Publication number: 20150209803
    Abstract: A centrifuge assembly includes a centrifuge having a drum with a vertical rotational axis. The drum is placed onto a drive spindle that can be rotated by a drive and which is surrounded by a hood. The drive spindle is rotatably supported in a machine frame, which in turn can be placed on a foundation by means of at least one or a plurality of support feet. Each support foot has at least one adjustable first elastic element and at least one second elastic, preferably non-adjustable element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventors: Wilfried Mackel, Marie-Theres Sedler
  • Publication number: 20150175439
    Abstract: A separator arrangement includes a separator with a rotatable drum, which has a vertical axis of rotation and a supply tube projecting into a distributor space of a distributor, and with a non-rotatable enclosure surrounding the drum. An enclosure interior, which is sealed in relation to the exterior region of the enclosure, is formed between the enclosure and the drum. The drum, in an inlet region, is non-hermetically sealed in relation to the enclosure interior. The separator itself has a device for reducing the pressure in the enclosure interior as a result of rotations of the drum in the manner of a jet pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Kathrin Quiter, Wilfried Mackel
  • Publication number: 20150051059
    Abstract: A separator arrangement includes a drum with a vertical axis and which is rotatably mounted in a hooded area and placed on a rotatable drive spindle. The arrangement also includes a sealed drive area containing one or more or all of the components of a separator drive, and a pump that generates negative pressure in the sealed drive area relative to the surroundings outside of the drive area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Mackel, Thomas Bathelt, Andreas Penkl, Dieter Strauch
  • Patent number: 8845505
    Abstract: A separator includes a centrifugal drum having a vertical axis of rotation and a feed line for material to be centrifuged. A drive spindle for the centrifugal drum is rotatably mounted on a housing via a bearing, the housing being supported elastically on a machine frame. A drive device includes a motor housing and an electric motor having a stator and an armature which is aligned with the drive spindle. The drive device and the motor housing move with the drive spindle as co-vibrating units during an operation of the separator. The drive device is connected to the machine frame below the bearing at a lower axial end of the bearing via one or more joint elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Mackel, Thomas Bathelt, Andreas Penkl, Thomas Kleimann, Marie-Theres Sedler
  • Publication number: 20140249012
    Abstract: A separator including a rotatable centrifugal drum having a vertical axis of rotation and an inflow line for a material to be processed by the separator. Also included is a drive spindle for the drum rotatably mounted via a mounting to a housing supported elastically on a machine stand section. A drive device includes an electric drive motor having a stator and a rotor which is aligned with the drive spindle. A lubricant system is configured to lubricate the mounting and the lubricant system includes a lubricant circuit to convey lubricant and has a lubricant collecting container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried MACKEL, Thomas BATHELT, Andreas PENKL, Andreas SCHULZ, Marie-Theres SEDLER