Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02353673 2001-05-30
F-6994
PRESS FOR PRODUCING ESSENTIALLY RECTANGULAR BALES OF
HARVESTED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE
The invention relates to a press for producing essentially rectangular
bales of harvested agricultural produce, especially from stalk-like and/or
leafy
produce, according to the introductory portion of claim 1.
From US patent 4,270,446, a press is known, for which the harvested
produce is picked up by a produce picking-up device and supplied by this to a
feeding
device, which is mounted above the produce pick-up device and below a press
chamber, the feeding device pre-consolidating the harvested produce and
supplying it
to the press chamber from below. This press chamber is closed off at the
underside
by a retractable floor, which can be rolled up and unrolled, leaving a gap
open for the
passage of material. The press chamber is suspended at an upper swiveling avis
in the
form of a pendulum and, during the formation of a bale, is moved alternating
above
the feeding device.
The DE 40 42 027 AI shows a rectangular press, for which the press
chamber is held on rails so that it cam be moved horizontally, the bottom of
the press
chamber being formed by a conveyor at the underside. The press chamber
comprises
movable longitudinal and transverse side walls as well as a lid part, which is
also
moved at the same time and, moreover, comprises a compressing device for
consolidating the harvested produce introduced. The weight of the moveable
press
chamber therefore is high, since all sidewalls as well as the heavy lid part
must be
moved. In addition, the pressing device of the lid part must also be moved,
that is,
several hydraulic cylinders as well as a heavy plate, which is suitable for
pressing. As
a result, the energy required for using such a rectangular press is very high.
Due to
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the breaking of the moving mass at the end points of the movement, the travel
is
rough and the forces acting are transferred to the tractor.
It is an object of the invention to provide a press for essentially
rectangular bales with a horizontal stratification, and having improved
operating
properties.
Pursuant to the invention, this objective is accomplished with the
distinguishing features of claim I . With regard to further advantageous
development,
reference is made to claims 2 to 34.
Owing to the fact that an upper conveyor is formed, which delimits the
press chamber, it is possible to do without a heavy immovable lid part. By
these
means, the moved mass is decreased appreciably.
Because an upper as well as a lower conveyor, which delimit the press
chamber are provided, it is merely necessary to switch over the direction of
these
conveyors, which are stationary, for the horizontal linear movement of the
press
chamber. Short cycled times for forming the bales can be achieved with
relatively
low forces acting on the press. Finished bale can be ejected by the conveyors,
which
are present anyhow. For the ejection, it is only necessary to move a
transverse
sidewall into an appropriate position. This also accelerates the ejection
process.
If, in a particularly advantageous development of the ejection side of
the binding device is disposed immediately downstream from the press chamber,
the
bale formed can be tied while still on the press and before it is then
deposited, for
example, over a discharging plate.
If, in a partially advantageous manner, the press chamber can be fixed
in the region of the reversing position, which is the front reversing position
in the
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direction of travel and a bale, formed in the press chamber, after the rear
transverse
side wall has been opened, can be moved by the conveyor out of the press
chamber
and through the binding device, further produce, which then reaches a space
delimited
all around and, at the same time, at the back by the bale that is to be
ejected, can be
supplied by the feeding device already while the bale is being ejected.
Accordingly,
bale ejection and bale tying can take place during the continuous operation of
the
pickup and the feeding device of the press, so that a continuous conveying
operation
is possible, which increases the throughput appreciably.
Further advantages and distinguishing features arise out of the
examples of the object of the invention, which are shown in the drawing and in
which
Figure I shows a partially truncated side view of an inventive press with
roller
conveyors at the top and bottom,
Figures 2 shows the press of Figure I in a partially truncated plan view,
Figure 3 shows a view of a press, similar to that of Figure l, with a rod-and-
chain conveyor at the top,
Figure 4 shows a view, similar to that of Figure l, after the ejection of the
bale
formed into the plane of the binding device and during the further
conveying of new harvested produce,
Figure 5 shows a view similar to that of Figure 4, of a press with a
downstream
stretching device,
Figure 6 shows a view of a press, similar to that of Figure 1 with belt
conveyors
top and bottom,
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Figure 7 shows a view of a press, similar to that of Figure 1, during the
operation with a press chamber in the central region
Figure 8 shows a view, similar to that of Figure 7, with the press chamber in
the
front end position,
Figure 9 shows a view, similar to that of Figure 8, with the press chamber in
the
rear end position.
Figure 10 shows a view, similar to that of Figure 9, with the press chamber in
the
front end position with the rear transverse side wall opened and with
the finished bale ejected, additional harvested produce being conveyed
into the press,
Figure 11 shows a view, similar to that of Figure 10, with the bale advanced
further through the tying device and further produce being conveyed
into the space between the finished bale and the press chamber,
Figure 12 shows a view, similar to that of Figure 11, during the passing of
the
finished tied bale onto the outlet ramp and during the switching over of
the conveyor for supplying further produce into the open press
chamber,
Figure 13 shows a view, similar to that of Figure 12, during the depositing of
the
finished bale and after the completed return of the produce, which has
meanwhile been supplied into the press chamber and
Figure 14 shows a view, similar to that of Figure 13, after the finished bale
has
been deposited and the rear transverse side wall of the press chamber
has been closed for forming a new bale.
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The press 1 of Figure 1 is constructed as an attachable vehicle. It may,
however, also be a stationary unit or, in particular, a self propelled
vehicle.
The mobile press 1 has an at least single axle chassis 2, which supports
a machine frame 3, which carries vertical supports 4 and, at the front side,
is provided
with a hitch 5. Furthermore, the machine frame free supports a pick-up device
6 with
a pick-up drum 7, which picks up the harvested produce 9 lying on the ground
preferably in windrows and supplies it to one or several conveyor rollers 10,
which
pass it on. These conveyor rollers 10 which may be provided with cutting
knives 1 l,
which can be retracted or swung out and guide the harvested produce 9 to a
feeding
device 12, the last pair of rollers of which feed the harvested produce 9 to a
feeding
opening 16 for the housed produce.
The machine frame, furthermore, supports an upper conveyor 13 and a
lower conveyor 14 which delimit a press chamber 15 for forming bales. The
lower
conveyor 14 is divided into a first partial conveyor 14a and a second partial
conveyor
14b, between which an opening 16 for the supplying produce 9 to the press
chamber
1 S is left. The feeding opening 16 can, however be also formed between two
rollers,
which may be assigned to adjacent ends of the partial conveyors 14a 14b, if
the latter
are formed, for example, by rod and chain conveyors.
Aside from the upper and lower boundary, formed by the conveyors 13
and 14, the press chamber I S has lateral boundaries in the form of a front-
transverse
side wall 19 as well as longitudinal side walls 18. A rear boundary wall 20 of
the
press chamber 15 can be moved from a closed position, delimiting the inner
space of
the press chamber 1 S, into an open position, in which an ejection opening for
the
bales 27 is opened up. For this purpose, the rear transverse side wall 20 is
formed by
two flaps 20a, 20b, which are hinged to adjacent longitudinal side walls 18,
with
which they are aligned in the open position. For transfernng the flaps 20a and
20b
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from the open position to the closed position and vice verse, driving
mechanism 22,
such as hydraulic cylinders, are provided, which bring about the swiveling
movement
of the flaps 20a and 20b about the vertical swiveling axis 23 relative to the
longitudinal side walls 18. The flaps 20a and 20b can be locked in the open as
well as
in the closed position. Other, conventional closing elements, which can be
moved
between an open and a closed position, can also be used instead of the flaps
20a and
20b.
The side walls 18, 19 and 20 of the press chamber are held by guide
rollers 24 in lateral guide rails 17, which are disposed at the vertical
supports 4 of the
machine frame 3. The side walls 18, 19, 20 of the press chamber 15 therefore
are
freely supported between these guide rails 17, which are in an upper region of
the
press chamber 15.
In the rear region of the press 1, a binding device 25 is disposed
immediately after the conveyors 13 and 14. The binding dispenser 26 of the
binding
device 25 encircles the advancing bale 27 in order to bind it in a transverse
plane 28.
In the bale ejection device 29, an outlet conveyor 30, located behind the
transverse
plane 28 of the binding device 25, is disposed after the lower conveyor 14.
Adjoining the back of the outlet conveyor 30, there is a discharging plate 31
which
can be swiveled from a vertical transporting position into a downward sloping
operating position for discharging a finished bale 27. For this purpose, the
discharging plate 31 is provided with its own driving mechanism. A supporting
roller
14', which holds the bale in shape, especially before the start of the
binding, may be
disposed after the upper conveyor 13 behind the working plane 28 of the
binding
device 25.
In Figure 1, the upper conveyor 13 as well as the lower conveyor 14
with its partial conveyors 14a and 14b are constructed as roller conveyors.
According
to Figure 3, the upper conveyor 13 is constructed as a rod-chain conveyor and,
for this
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purpose, has individual rods 13a, which are held along a chain 13b and can be
moved
with this. If necessary, cloth elements 13c, which cover the spaces between
the rods
13a, are provided in the spaces between the rods 13a. While the chain 13
revolves, it
is sufficient to dispose rods 13a in a small partial region, which is always
above the
press chamber 13 during the motion, since the position of the rods 13a in
relation to
the press chamber I S always remains the same. Such a rod-chain conveyor is
therefore particular advantage for the upper conveyor 13 and its use saves
weight.
A roller conveyor 14 is provided once again in the lower region of the
press 1 of the Figure 3. Alternatively, it is possible to construct the upper
as well as
the lower conveyors 13, 14 as rod-chain conveyors. According to Figure 6, the
upper
conveyor 13 as well as the lower conveyor 14 are constructed as belt
conveyors. The
latter can also be combined with roller conveyors or rod and chain conveyors.
In
every case the upper and lower conveyors 13 and 14, irrespective of whether
they are
similar or different, must be able to exert a high pressure during the
pressing on the
press chamber I5, which is delimited at the top and at the bottom by the
conveyors 13
and 14. In addition, they must bring about the conveyance of the harvested
produce,
which is in contact with them and forms the boundary layers of the bale 27.
In a deviation from the drawings, it is also possible that the lower
partial conveyors 14a and 14b in each case have a different structure.
During the operation of the press l, the latter is moved over the ground
8 by means of the chassis 2 and, at the same time, picks up harvested produce
9 from
the ground 8 by means of the pick-up device 6. After being conveyed further by
the
feeding device 12 through the feeding opening 16, which is disposed between
the
partial conveyors 14a and 14b, which delimit the underside of the press
chamber 15,
the harvested produce 9 picked up is supplied to the press chamber I5. The
feeding
opening 16 extends here essentially over the width of the press chamber 15, so
that
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the whole space between the longitudinal side walls 18 can be filled with
harvested
produce 9.
While it is being filled with harvested produce 9, the press chamber 15
with its side walls 18, 19, 20 is moved alternatingly by means of the upper
conveyor
13. For this purpose, a special endless chain drive 21 may be provided, with
the
driver pin 21b of which the press chamber 15 can be coupled by way of a driver
pawl
21 a. For coupling and uncoupling the driver pawl 21 a and the driver pin 21
b, a
driving mechanism such as a pressure medium cylinder, is provided. Other
possibilities for driving the alternating motion, such as a belt drive or a
connecting
rod driving mechanism, fastened to a rotational wheel, are conceivable. For
the
construction of the upper conveyor 13 as a rod-chain conveyor, the driver pin
21 b can
be formed by a transverse rod.
During the formation of the bale 27, the harvested produce 9 filled in is
initially consolidated by pushing in further produce 9 after the press chamber
15 is
filled. During the alternating movement of the press chamber 15, the harvested
produce 9, which follows through the feeding opening 16, always forms a new
horizontal layer 41, when the press chamber 15 is shifted in the driving
direction 42,
or a layer 43 when the press chamber 15 is moved in the opposite direction,
corresponding to the horizontal and linear development of this motion.
The course of the process is shown in Figures 7 to 14. In the stage of
Figure 7, the press chamber 15 is moved in the direction of the arrow 44
parallel to
the traveling direction 42. At the same time, the rollers 45 of the upper
conveyor 13
are moved in the direction of the arrow 46, corresponding to a forward
conveying of
the material that has been filled in. Likewise, the rollers 47 of the first
lower partial
conveyor 14a and the rollers 48 of the second lower partial conveyor 14b are
rotated
in the same direction to one another indicated by arrow 49. Synchronously with
the
rotational movement of the rollers 47, 48 of the lower partial conveyor 14a,
14b as
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well as of the rollers 45 of the upper roller conveyor 13, the side walls 18,
19, 20 are
shifted in the direction of arrow 44 with fulfillment of the unrolling
condition relative
to the rollers 45, 47, 48. The side walls therefore do not lead or lag. The
corresponding applies when rod and chain conveyors and/or belt conveyors are
used.
In the stage of Figure 1 8, the press chamber 15 has reached its front
end position. In this position, the rollers 45, 47 and 48 are stopped before,
immediately following this end position, they are turned around in the
opposite
conveying direction.
In the further view of Figure 9, the press chamber 1 S is shifted into its
rear end position. Below the layer 41, which is formed in the forward travel
of the
press chamber 15, a further layer 43 has been formed. In a reversal of the
conditions
of Figure 7, the rollers 47 and 48 of the lower partial conveyors 14a and 14b
and the
rollers 45 of the upper conveyor 13 are moved in the opposite direction of the
arrows
46 and 49. Likewise, during the transition from Figure 8 to Figure 9, the
press
chamber 1 S was shifted in a direction opposite that of the arrow 44.
In the front end position of Figure 8, the feeding opening 16 is
approximately centrally below the rear transverse side wall 20. On the other
hand, in
the rear end position of the press chamber 15 of Figure 9, the front
transverse side
wall 19 is approximately centrally above the feeding opening 16. In both cases
and
also between the end positions, the feeding opening 16 remains connected with
the
interior of the press chamber I S and is not traversed completely by
transverse side
wall 19 or 20.
The linear, alternating movement of the press chamber I S of the
representations in Figures 7 to 9 is continued until adequate compression is
attained in
the bale. This can be determined, for example, by pressure sensors. A control
program for controlling the course of the process of the press I can work
either with a
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fixed number of movement cycle or adapt the number of movements to the amount
of
harvested produce picked up, so that the number of movements up to a
completion of
a bale 27 varies depending on the requirements.
Once the bale 27 has reached the required density, the press chamber
15, as shown in Figure 10, is locked in a front position of rest, which lies a
little
behind the end position during the alternating movement, and the rear
transverse side
wall 20 of the press chamber 15 is shifted into the open position for ejecting
the bale.
By the conveying action of the rollers 45 of the upper conveyor 13, the bale
27 is
supplied in the direction of the arrows 51, and by the conveying action of the
rollers
47 and 48 of the lower partial conveyor 14a and 14b, the bale 27 is supplied
in the
direction of the arrows 52 out of the stationary press chamber I S counter to
the
traveling direction 42 of the vehicle to the transverse plane 28, round about
which the
binding device 25 is active. The advance is clocked, so that in each case
spaced-apart
bindings 53 of the bale 27 are formed. Further ejection aids, such as a ram or
the like
are not required. The further advance of the bale 27 is accomplished by a
downstream outlet conveyor 30, which supplies the finished bale 27 to the
delivery
ramp 31, over which the bale can be placed down on the ground 8.
During the binding and ejection of the bale 27, the press I is shifted as
a whole in the direction of arrow 42. At the same time, further harvested
produce 9 is
picked up, in the ideal case in an undiminished manner, and supplied to the
feeding
opening 16. In the press chamber 1 S, the harvested produce 50, filled in
while the
press chamber 1 S is open, will deviate in side view from a uniform
distribution
(Figures I I and 12). The harvested produce 50, filled in during the binding
and the
ejection of the bale 27, fills the space between the front boundary of the
bale 27 and
the press chamber 15, the rear transverse wall 20 of which continues to remain
in the
open position.
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As soon as the tying up of the finished bale 27 is concluded as shown
in Figure 12, the conveyor rollers 47, 48 of the lower conveyor 14, as well as
the
conveyor rollers 45 of the upper conveyor 13 or the corresponding to rod
chains or
conveyor belts are driven once again in accordance with the direction drawn in
Figure
7, in order, by these means, to move the harvested produce 50, which has
meanwhile
been filled in, in the direction of the press chamber 15. The latter, when
filled
completely with the produce 50, which has meanwhile been picked up, is closed
again
and released from its locked front end position, so that the alternating
movement of
the press chamber 15 commences once again and the produce S0, which has
meanwhile been filled in, at the end forms, due to the compression taking
place
during the alternating movement, an upper layer of the finished bale 27
(Figure 14).
In the representations of Figure 4, and alternative construction of the
inventive press 1 is shown, for which a buffer space 60 is delimited at the
top and
bottom by intermediate conveyors 61 and 62, which adjoin the conveyors 13, 14
at
the rear. As a result, the press 1 as a whole is lengthened and a two-axial
chassis 2
may be advisable here. For this construction, the tying of the bale 27 and the
clocked
advance of the latter for this purpose can take place, while the rollers 47
and 48 of the
lower conveyor 14 are already conveying once again in the direction of the
arrows 49
and the rollers 45 of the upper conveyor 13 once again are conveying in the
direction
of the arrows 46. By these means, the further produce 50, which has meanwhile
been
filled in, can be conveyed more rapidly into the open press chamber 15. The
latter
can be closed again immediately and carry out its renewed alternating movement
while the ejected bale 27 is being tied and advanced. Such a construction of a
press 1
is recommended particularly when large amounts of harvested produce are to be
picked up, in which case otherwise it might not to be possible to continue
driving at
an undiminished speed while at the bale 27 is being tied.
Figure 5 discloses a further, alternative construction, which can be
combined with that of Figure 4 and for which a stretch film winding device 63,
which
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envelopes the bale 27 with a plastic film, is disposed after the binding
device 25. This
stretch film winding device is assigned to the machine frame 3 of the press l,
so that
overall, a single vehicle unit is retained. The winding arm of the stretch
film winding
device 63 rotates about a vertical axis 64 about the bale 27, which has been
pushed
into the sphere of action of the axis 64 and caused to rotate by the rollers
65, 66.
Hydraulic motor 67, 68 can be used for driving the lower conveyor 14
and the binding device 25, the hydraulic pumps 69, 70, for producing the
necessary
pressure, being driven by the power take-off shaft 71 of a tractor. This power
take-off
shaft 71 may also have a chain drive 72 for driving the pick-up device 6 and
over a
further chain drive 73, for driving the feeding device 12.
For the example shown in Figure 3, the upper conveyor 13 is driven
over a chain drive 74, which is driven by a chain wheel, which is disposed by
an
intermediate gear wheel 75 between adjacent gear wheels of the driving
mechanism
of the rollers of the lower conveyor 14a, 14b. The driving mechanism for the
chain
drive or gear wheel drive 2 I , which moves to the press chamber 1 S, can also
be
derived, for example, over chain drives from the lower conveyor 14. Likewise,
the
driving mechanism for the outlet conveyor 13 can be derived from the driving
mechanism of the adjacent lower partial conveyor 14b, for example, over a
chain
drive 76. The independently operating hydraulic motor 68 provided for the
binding
device 25, drives the latter over a friction wheel 77. Other driving concepts
for the
individual, moving parts are also possible in the usual manner. For example,
angular
gears with appropriate shaft connections can be used for the driving
mechanism.
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