Patents
US 8708002 B2: Method and apparatus for volumetric metering and depositing
- Granted
- 2014-04-29
- Filed
- 2010-09-16 application 12883507
- Type
- Utility · 15 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for the volumetric metering and depositing of a food product comprising a plurality of particles or flowable particles. The plurality of food particles are transported upon a discharge conveyor having a first rate of speed, the plurality of particles arranged uniformly from passing beneath a product leveling device. When the plurality of particles reach the end of the discharge conveyor, the particles fall from the end of the conveyor under the operation of gravity and are deposited in a shuttle while the shuttle travels at a second rate of speed from a position at least partially below the conveyor to collect the falling particles in cells or receiving receptacles. The relationship between the first rate of speed of the conveyor and the second rate of speed of the shuttle define a metered amount of particles collected in each of the receiving receptacles.
Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg140429.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC 285 patents | US company or organization | Northfield, IL | KRAFT FOODS GROUP BRANDS LLC State business registration EXACT high confidence: identical full name and state | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark E. Malenke | Sun Prairie, WI | 12 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Charles Robert Sample | Green Bay, WI | 4 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Brian Adamski | Pulaski, WI | 5 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Brian Tomac | Menasha, WI | 8 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| David Hess | Green Bay, WI | 8 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Tod W. Heleniak | Green Bay, WI | 10 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| A61M | Devices for introducing media into, or onto, the body ; devices for transducing body media or for taking media from the body ; devices for producing or ending sleep or stupor | A61M5/1782 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| B65B | Machines, apparatus or devices for, or methods of, packaging articles or materials; unpacking | B65B1/36 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| B65G | Transport or storage devices, e.g. conveyors for loading or tipping, shop conveyor systems or pneumatic tube conveyors | B65G47/22 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-01-07 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | KRAFT FOODS GLOBAL BRANDS LLC signed 2012-10-01 | KRAFT FOODS GROUP BRANDS LLC NORTHFIELD, IL | 29579/546 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2010-11-29 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | MALENKE, MARK E. signed 2010-10-05 ADAMSKI, BRIAN CHARLES signed 2010-11-15 HELENIAK, TOD WESLEY signed 2010-11-15 HESS, DAVID signed 2010-11-15 TOMAC, BRIAN WAYNE signed 2010-11-16 SAMPLE, CHARLES ROBERT signed 2010-11-23 | KRAFT FOODS GLOBAL BRANDS LLC NORTHFIELD, IL | 25427/577 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.