Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PREPARING A GRAND BALE OF PULP SHEET AND
CORRESPONDING GRAND BALE
The present invention relates to a method and device for
preparing a grand bale of pulp sheet or similar, in which the
grand bale of pulp sheet contains two or more pulp-sheet bales,
each of which pulp-sheet bales is bound by wrapping a web-like
wrapping band around the pulp-sheet bale, in such a way that
the wrapping band has a start lying against the pulp-sheet bale
and an end remaining on the surface of the wrapping band. The
invention also relates to a corresponding grand bale.
A grand bale of pulp sheet, which is as such known from, for
example, patent FI 105667, consists of smaller bales of pulp
sheet, which weigh about 250 kg. The bales or grand bales of
pulp sheet are, as is known, usually bound by steel wire or
similar. The use of steel wire leads to costs and endangers
work safety, both at the mill where the wire is removed and
waste management arranged and at the mill where the bales are
packed. In addition, the use of steel wire creates an unneces-
sary environmental impact. Indeed, patent application FI 923272
discloses a method and arrangement, in which a web-like
wrapping band is wrapped around bales of pulp sheet. In the
solution according to the patent application, a web-like
material, wider that the object being wrapped, is used. The
wrapping material extends beyond the end surfaces of the object
and the protruding parts of the wrapping mater_ial are folded as
flaps against the end surfaces. A binder agent is introduced to
some of the flaps to form a bond between the flaps. However,
using the method in question does not put the wrapping tightly
around the pulp bale. Should a seam glued with a water-soluble
glue become wet, the gluing of the wrapping material will also
often open in transport. Application FI 973253 discloses the
mechanical closing of the seams from the sides of the bales.
When handling the bales with a fork-lift truck, they are
pressed from the sides, in which there are closure areas made
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by gluing or mechanically. During truck handling, forces
weakening the attachment act upon the closure areas, so that
the wrapping bands of the pulp bales may open during haridling.
The invention is intended to create a method and device, by
means of which a grand bale of pulp sheets, i.e. a pulp-bale
unit, can be manufactured, the use of which from packing to
opening at its point of use will achieve greater overall
economy. The characteristic features of the method according to
the present invention are stated in Claims 1 - 9, the charac-
teristic features of the grand bale according to the invention
are stated in Claims 10 - 13, and the characteristic features
of the device according to the invention are stated in Claims
14 - 21. The use of the invention allows pulp-sheet bales bound
with a web-like wrappin-gband-to be assembled in grand bales of
pulp sheets, the,'structure of which assists in securirig the
wrapping band.
A grand bale of pulp sheets contains several, for example 4,
pulp-sheet bales on top of each other. In turn, two grand bales
of pulp can be bound together to obtain an export unit, usually
weighing 2000 kg. In the method according to the invention, the
pulp-shee-L- bales are bound by wrapping a web-like wrapping band
around each pulp bale, in such a way that the start of the
wrapping band lies against the pulp bale and the end of it
remains on the surface of the wrapping band. Preferably several
rounds, for example, two but at least 1,5 rounds of wrapping
band are wrapped around the pulp bale, so that only some of the
forces tending to open the pulp bale act upon the attachment
that is preferably made at the end of the band. When making a
grand bale of pulp sheets, the pulp bales are packed on top of
each other, in such a way that gravity creates a bond between
the rounds of wrapping band when they remain between two bales
that are on top of each other in the grand bale. The bond
formed between the rounds of wrapping band prevents the
wrapping bands from opening around the pulp bales, as long as
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the pulp bales remain in the grand bale of pulp sheets. The end
of the wrapping band preferably remains between two pulp-sheet
bales.
In one embodiment, the pulp bales are held in place using
gripper members while the wrapping band is being wrapped around
the pulp bale.
In one embodiment the wrapping band is kept in tensi_on during
lo binding. By keeping the wrapping band tensioned during binding
a tighter pulp bale is obtained than when the wrapping band is
loose. The pulp-bale processing line is simplified, if wrapping
stations, which bind the bales by wrapping, are used instead of
binding machines to bind the bales. When using wrapping band
from a reel, or cut lengths of wrapping band from stacks of
wrapping bands cut by a sheet cutter, a wrapping-sheet folder
will not be required, as was previously the case. The bale
processing line is considerably simpler than known solutions.
In one embodiment the wrapping band is a chemical-pulp or
paper-pulp web, so that it can be pulped along with the pulp-
sheet bale. In one preferred embodiment, the wrapping band is
of the same material as the pulp-sheet bale and is made using
the sheet cutter of the same machine, without a slitter-winder.
In one embodiment the wrapping band is glued for at least par-L-
of the distance for which it overlaps itself, thus forming a
glued attachment. The glued attachment is used to ensure that
the wrapping band will remain attached before the bales are
stacked on top of each other.
In one embodiment the wrapping band is attached mechani_cally to
the wrapping band or pulp-sheet bale for at least part of the
length of the wrapping band. The mechanical attachments are
formed, for example, by pressing the pulp-shee't bale with a
cut-and-crease platen press creating a mechanical attachment,
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in such a way that the outer wrapping-band layers are pressed
into the surface of the pulp-sheet bale. When using a mechani-
cal attachment, adhesive does not enter the papermaking process
along with the pulp bales. An adhesive sticker can also be used
in the attachment. In one embodiment adhesive and a mechanical
attachment are used, which will create a very durable attach-
ment of the wrapping band of the pulp-sheet bale. An adhesive
sticker can also be used with the above solutions when creating
various attachment combinations.
In one embodiment the edges of the wrapping band are turned
over two (or more) times. The edge fold reduces the risk of
edge tearing and increases tensile strength.
In the following, the invention, particularly the grand bale
and the device, is examined in greater detail with reference to
the accompanying drawings showing some applications of the
invention, in which
Figure 1 shows a pulp-sheet bale according to the invention,
Figure 2 shows a grand bale of pulp sheets according to the
invention,
Figure 3 shows a pulp-sheet bale according to the invention,
around which a wrapping band is wrapped in bo-t-h
directions,
Figure 4 shows a pulp-sheet bale according to the invention,
the wrapping band around which has folded edges,
Figure 5 shows the device according to the invention for
binding pulp-sheet bales, as well as four pulp-sheet
bales stacked to form a grand bale of pulp sheets,
Figure 6 shows a wrapping station according to the invention,
when using a wrapping band from a reel,
Figure 7 shows a wrapping station according to the invention,
when using ready-cut wrapping bands,
Figure 8 shows a wrapping station according to the invention in
the cross direction of the machine,
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Figure 9 shows a wrapping station according to the invention,
when wrapping has ended,
Figure 10 shows the centring of a bale using the device
according to the invention,
5 Figure 11 shows a bale arriving at the wrapping sta-t-ion in the
device according to the invention,
Figure 12 shows the winding of the wrapping band using the
device according to the invention,
Figure 13 shows the situation after the completion of the
winding of the wrapping band using the device
according to the invention,
Figure 14 shows the cutting of the wrapping band and the
spraying of adhesive using the device according to
the invention,
Figure 15 shows the feed of the wrapping band into the lower
pocket to await the arrival of the next bale of pulp
sheets using the device according to the invention.
Figure 1 shows a pulp-sheet bale 12 according to the invention.
Grand bales 10 (Figure 2) of pulp sheets consist of pulp-sheet
bales 12 of this kind. The pulp-sheet bale 12 is wrapped in a
web-like wrapping band 16, in such a way that the wrapping band
16 has a start 18 lying against the pulp-sheet bale 12 and an
end 20 remaining on the surface of the wrapping band 16. In one
embodiment, the width w of the wrapping band is essentially of
the same order of magnitude as the breadth b of the pulp-sheet
bale, the width of the wrapping band being 70 - 100 %, prefera-
bly 85 - 100 % of the breath b of the pulp-sheet bale being
wrapped.
Figure 2 shows a grand bale 10 of pulp sheets according to the
invention, which includes two or more, generally 2 - 10 and
preferably 3 - 5 pulp-sheet bales 12. In Figure 2, the pulp-
sheet bales are shown as if they were separate in order to
clarify the figure, even though the bond according to the
invention arises when the upper pulp-sheet bales press on the
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wrapping bands between the bales. In the case in the figure,
there are 4 pulp-sheet bales 12 on top of each other in the
grand bale 10 of pulp sheets. Around each pulp-sheet bale 12
are wrapped 1,5 or more rounds, generally 1,5 - 5 rounds, and
preferably 2 - 4 rounds of wrapping band 16. When there are two
layers of wrapping band 16 on top of each other between the
pulp-sheet bales 12, the wrapping band 16 cannot break loose
nor can the pulp-sheet bales 12 break open. The layers of
wrapping band 16 are thus locked between the pulp-sheet bales
12, by exploiting gravity. When the end 20 of the lowest pulp-
sheet bale 12 is on the upper surface of the bale 12 or on the
upper part of the side of the bale 12, the joint at the end of
the wrapping band cannot become wet. This is very important
when using water-soluble adhesives. Preferably the end 20 of
the wrapping band 16 remains between the two uppermost pulp-
sheet bales 12 in the grand bale 10 of pulp sheets, in which
case the wrapping band 16 will not flap loosely. A small amount
of looseness will not, however, cause problems when handling
the bales, so that the very end can protrude from bet-ween the
bales, as long as the rounds of the wrapping band 16 are
locked. Placing the end of the wrapping band 16 between the
pulp-sheet bales 12 helps the binder agent to hold the end of
the wrapping band 16 attached in the pulp-sheet bale, so that
the end of the wrapping band will not flap loosely. Though in
the figure wrapping bands of slightly different length are
drawn around the pulp-sheet bales in slightly different
arrangements, when pulp-sheet bales are bound they are prefera-
bly bound essentially uniformly with each other.
In one embodiment the wrapping band is arranged around a tight
pulp-sheet bale, in order 'to compress the pulp-sheet bale and
thus to keep it tight. The wrapping band of wood fibre can be
pulped along with the pulp-sheet bale, so that the wrapping
band need not be removed at the paper mill and one major work
stage is avoided. The pulpability of the wrapping band gains
considerable advantages in both economy and work safety. In one
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preferred embodiment the wrapping band is of the same material
as the pulp-sheet bale itself, so that it can be sold as pulp
to the mill. When the wrapping band is of wood fibre or
preferably of the same material as the pulp-sheet bale its
amount can be increased, without increasing the waste of
material. There will be no waste of material, because only
dirtied wrapping band need be removed.
Figure 3 shows a pulp-sheet bale 12 according to the invention,
around which a second wrapping band 46 is wrapped on top of the
wrapping band 16. By wrapping the wrapping bands 16, 46 in bo th
directions, i.e. crosswise to each other, the pulp-sheet bale
12 is protected better and the binding is tighter. The start 18
of wrapping band 16 lies against the pulp-sheet bale while its
end 20 is under wrapping band 46. The start 48 of wrapping band
46 lies against the outermost layer of wrapping band 16 while
its end 50 is on the surface of the wrapping band 46. When
forming a grand bale of pulp sheets from bales wrapped with two
wrapping bands 16, 46, the end 50 of wrapping band 46 is
preferably located between the pulp-sheet bales 12 set on top
of each other. What is essential is that the layers of the
outermost wrapping band 46 are locked by gravity, even though
the end 50 of the wrapping band 46 may not be between the pulp-
sheet bales set on top of each other.
The end 20 of wrapping band 16 can be preferably located in a
grand bale of pulp sheets between the same pulp-sheet bales 12
as the end 50. In one embodiment the pulp-sheet bale can be
bound very many times using wrapping band 16, which is closer
to the pulp-sheet bale and, for example, two times with the
outer wrapping band 46. In that case, strength will be obtained
from the multi-layer wrapping band 16 while the outer w.rappi_ng
band 46 will protect the pulp-sheet bale 12 and part of the
wrapping band 16. Should dirtying occur, only the outer layer
need be removed and the material loss will be very small. If
the wrapping bands 16, 46 around the pulp-sheet bale 12 become
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badly dirtied, they can both be removed, in which case the
actual pulp-sheet bale 12 will not be dirtied. When using two
wrapping bands, the pulp-sheet bale will be very well protected
and it will be simple to remove only the necessary amount of
possibly dirtied wrapping band. The use of two wrapping bands
thus assists in reducing loss of material.
Figure 4 shows a pulp-sheet bale 12 according to the inverition,
the edges 36 of the wrapping band 16 around which are turned
two (or more) times. The width of the turned edges is typically
3- 6 %, preferably 3 - 5 % of the width of the wrapping band.
The width of the turned edges is typically 2 - 6 cm, preferably
3 - 5 cm. By turning the edges 36 the breaking strength of Lhe
edge of the wrapping band 16 is increased, so that the edge of
the wrapping band 16 will withstand more than before wi L-hout
tearing. The increased breaking strength of the edges 36 of the
wrapping band 16 will prevent the wrapping band from tearing in
situations in which there is a tear, gap, or other fault in the
edges 36 of the wrapping band 16. The folding of the wrapping
band 16 thus increases the breaking strength of the edges 36 of
the wrapping band 16. If the wrapping band 16 is manufactured
advantageously using the same machine as the pulp sheets, there
may be edge tatters at the sides of the wrapping band 16, as
edge tatters are of no consequence in an actual pulp sheet. The
turning of the edges 36 creates a situation, in which the edge
tatters are also of no consequence in the wrapping band 16. The
removal of possible edge tatters by turning them at the edges
36 of the wrapping band 16 creates a situation, in which it is
practical to use as the wrapping band 16 the same material as
that of the pulp sheets in the pulp-sheet bales 12. The
manufacture of the wrapping band requires no special devices,
instead the same drying machine and sheet cutter that is used
for the pulp sheets can be used. As the wrapping band is of the
same material as the pulp sheets, it can also be sold to the
mill as pulp.
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Figure 5 shows the device according to the invention for
binding pulp-sheet bales and stacking them to form a grand bale
of pulp sheets. The device includes a jig unit 26, which is
used to assemble the pulp-sheet bales 12 into a grand bale 10
5 of pulp sheets. The jig unit 26 can be a tipping device or a
stacking device. In a tipping device, the bales are first
assembled next to each other and then tipped upright, thus
forming a grand bale of pulp sheets. The grand bale of pulp
sheets can be made using a bale stacker, which stacks the pulp-
10 sheet bales on top of each other. At the wrapping station 22,
the web-like wr'apping band 16 is wrapped around the pulp-sheet
bales to bind them, in such a way that the start of the
wrapping band lies against the pulp-sheet bale and its end
remains of the surface of the wrapping band 16. When wrapping
the wrapping band around a pulp-sheet bale, the pulp-sheet bale
is rotated by a bale rotator 33 around the central axis 35 of
the pulp-sheet bale 12 in the machine's transverse direction.
A conveyor 24 transports the pulp-sheet bales 12 to the
wrapping station 22 and from it to the jig unit 26. At the
wrapping station 22, there are tensioning elements 28, 32,
which are arranged to tighten the wrapping band 16 when
wrapping the pulp-sheet bales 12 and to maintain the tension
after the cutting of the wrapping band 16. Before the pulp-
sheet bales arrive at the wrapping station, where the bales are
bound by wrapping, a press can be used advantageously to
compress the pulp-sheet bales. The jig unit 26 is arranged to
place the pulp-sheet bales 12 in the grand bale 10 of pulp
sheets in such a way that the rounds of wrapping band 16 are
locked by the weight of the pulp-sheet bales. The end 20 of the
wrapping band 16 is preferably between two pulp-sheet bales 12,
so that the weight of the pulp-sheet bales 12 prevents the
wrapping band 16 from hanging loose.
Figure 6 shows the bale rotator 33 at the wrapping station 22,
which is arranged to rotate the pulp-sheet bale 12 during
binding. The bale rotator 33 includes gripper members 43, 45,
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by means of which the pulp-sheet bale 12 is gripped to rotate
it. The wrapping band 16 is kept tight during wrapping by
braking the set of rollers 28, or the feed-roller pair 47, or
the wrapping-band reel 52. During binding, the wrapping band 16
5 can be pressed towards the pulp-sheet bale 12 by a press roller
32, to tighten the wrapping band 16 as much as possible. The
press roller is, however, mainly used to hold the end 20 of the
wrapping band 16 tightly against the pulp-sheet bale 12 after
the cutting blade 42 has cut the wrapping band 16. During
10 wrapping, the wrapping band 16 is kept tight by a force in the
longitudinal direction of the wrapping band of 0,1 - 1 kp/cm
(in the cross direction of the web), preferably 0,2 - 0,7 kp/cm
(in the cross direction of the web) . This is 10 - 70 %,
preferably 30 - 50 % of the tensile strength of the wrapping
band. In one embodiment the pulp-sheet bale 12 can be com-
pressed and at the same time a tight wrapping band 16 can be
wrapped around it, so that the pulp-sheet bale 12 becomes very
tight. The edges of the wrapping band 16 can be turned either
before the wrapping band 16 is reeled onto the wrapping-band
reel 52, which is then used at the wrapping-band station 22, or
when unreeling the wrapping band 16 at the wrapping-band
station 22, in order to wrap pulp-sheet bales 12. The edges of
the wrapping band 16 can be turned using a folding unit 55 when
unreeling the wrapping band 16 from the reel 52 or from a
wrapping-band stack 51 (Figure 7). The edge fold can be made
using suitable guides.
Figure 7 shows a wrapping station 22 according to the inven-
tion, when ready-cut wrapping bands 16 are used. The wrapping
bands 16 are preferably cut to set lengths. In one embodiment
the binding of the pulp-shee't bales 12 can be carried out using
ready-cut wrapping bands 16. In that case the ready-cuL
wrapping bands 16 are in a wrapping-band stack 51, from where
they are taken to the feed at the wrapping station 22 by a pair
of feed rollers 47. When using ready-cut wrapping bands 16 for
wrapping, the wrapping station 22 has a bale rotator 33 and
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gripper members 43, 45 and centring elements 54 (Figure 10)
corresponding to those used when using a wrapping band from a
reel 52. During wrapping, the wrapping band 16 is kept tight by
the pair of feed rollers 47. During wrapping, the wrapping band
can be pressed against the pulp-sheet bale 12 by a press roller
32. The press roller 32 is mainly used to hold the end 20 of
the wrapping band 16 tightly against the pulp-sheet bale 12
when the end 20 of the wrapping band 16 comes from the pair of
feed rollers, and to ensure that the wrapping band 16 remains
lo tight until binding is finished. The wrapping band can be used
equally well from a reel and ready cut. In the other figures,
the wrapping band is shown being taken from a reel, though it
could equally well be taken ready cut from a wrapping-band
stack 51.
Figure 8 shows a transverse view of the bale rotator 33. The
bale rotator 33 includes gripper members 43, 45. The gripper
members 33 are able to grip the pulp-sheet bale 12 in the
transverse direction of the wrapping unit, because the conveyor
24 is narrow. The width e of the conveyor 24 at the wrapping
station is 30 - 60 cm. The width b of the pulp-sheet bale is 30
- 70 % of the width e of the conveyor. The bale rotator has a
drive on either both or only one side, in which case a bearing
mounting will be sufficient on the other side. In the figure,
there is a drive 37 on one side and a bearing mounting 39 on
the other. The bale rotator 33 together with the gripper
members 43, 45 can be moved away from the operating position in
the transverse direction of the machine, on transfer carriages
41. In the situation in the figure, the transfer carriages 41
have been run to the operating position and the pulp-shee-t- bale
12 is in place awaiting the gripper members 43, 45 to take hold
of it. In the figure, the wrapping band 16 is slightly narrower
than the pulp-sheet bale 12. However the width w of the
wrapping band is preferably wider than the distance f remaining
between the gripper members in the transverse direction of the
machine. The gripper members 43, 45 grip the pulp-sheet bale
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from a distance c, which is 5 - 35 cm, preferably 15 - 25 cm in
the transverse direction of the machine. The length c of a
gripper element 43, 45 is 5 - 25 %, preferably 10 - 20 % of the
width b of the pulp-sheet bale 12. As the length c of the
gripper members 43, 45 is only a small part of the with b of
the pulp-sheet bale 12, they can be easily pulled away from
between the layer of wrapping band once the wrapping has ended.
The shape of the gripper members 43, 45 can narrow towards the
centre in the thickness or width direction, or both of the
gripper members 43, 45. A construction that narrows when going
towards the centre of the bale will facilitate the withdrawal
of the gripper members 43, 45 from between the wrapping-band
layers once the wrapping has terminated.
Figure 9 shows a wrapping station 22 after wrapping has
terminated. The press roller 32 is used to hold the end 20 of
the wrapping band 16 tight after the cutting of the wrappirig
band 16. The cutting of the wrapping band 16 can take place
using the cutting blade 42. The wrapping band 16 can be
attached permanently in place by gluing or mechanically. In
gluing, the necessary adhesive 38 can be spread using an
adhesive spray 30. The adhesive 38 is spread in the most
important parts in the vicinity of the end 20 of the wrapping
band 16, which in a grand bale will advantageously remain
between the pulp-sheet bales 12 stacked on top of each other.
After the adhesive 38 has been spread, the press roller 32
presses the end 20 of the wrapping band 16 onto the adhesive 38
and the lower layer of the wrapping band 16. The attachment of
the end of the wrapping band can also be carried out mechani-
cally, in which case the desired attachments are pressed with
a stamp through the topmost layer of the wrapping band and
attach the topmost layer to the lower layers of wrapping band,
or to the pulp-sheet bale and the lower layers of wrapping
band. The attachment of the end of the wrapping band can also
be implemented by means of an adhesive sticker, which can be,
for example, of tape. The sticker is preferably water-soluble.
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Various combinations of gluing, stickers, and mechanical
attachment can also be used, in which case very good attach-
ments can be achieved.
Because there is at least 1,5 rounds of wrapping band around
the pulp-sheet bale, part of the force opening the wrapping
band will be mainly directed against the friction acting on the
corners of the wrapping band, so that the adhesive attachment
or mechanical attachment will not need to resist all the
opening force. The adhesive attachment or mechanical attach-
ments are preferably on the upper or lower side of the pulp-
sheet bales, in which case they are not compressed during fork-
lift truck operations, nor are unnecessary stresses cause in
them by truck handling.
In connection with Figures 10 - 15, the operation of the
wrapping process is described in its entirety in one preferred
embodiment. In Figure 10, the pulp-sheet bale is entering the
wrapping station and in Figure 15 the bale is leaving the
wrapping station ready to be stacked in a grand bale of pulp
sheets. The figures illustrate the stages in wrapping a pulp-
sheet bale in numerical order.
Figure 10 shows the centring of the pulp-sheet bale 12 before
it arrives at the wrapping station 22. Ceritring takes place by
means of centring elements 54. Centring is used to erisure that
the pulp-sheet bale 12 arrives as designed between the gripper
members 43, 45 in the transverse direction of the machine. The
start 18 of the wrapping band 16 on the reel 52 is run down
into a lower pocket 56 between two conveyors to wait for the
pulp-sheet bale 12 to go to the wrapping stat-ion 22. When t-he
pulp-sheet bale 12 goes to the wrapping station 22, it strikes
the wrapping band 16 in the lower pocket 56 and the start 18 of
the wrapping band 16 is caught under the bale. When the pulp-
sheet bale 12 goes to the wrapping station 22, the desired
portion of the wrapping band 16 remains under the pulp-sheet
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bale 12.
Figure 11 shows the arrival of a pulp-sheet bale 12 at the
wrapping station 22 and the mechanical stop 58 that stops it.
The mechanical stop 58 goes to the lowered position once the
pulp-sheet bale 12 has stopped. The desired amount of wrapping
band 16 is under the pulp-sheet bale 12 when it stops a-L- the
wrapping station 22.
Figure 12 shows the binding of the wrapping band 16 around the
pulp-sheet bale 12. Once the pulp-sheet bale 12 has arrived a-t
the wrapping station 22 between the gripper members 43, 45 as
desired, the conveyor 24 at the wrapping station 22 is run down
to the lowered position with the aid of a scissors table 62.
The conveyor can also be run to the lowered position wi-t-h the
aid of articulation, not shown. When the conveyor 24 is irithe
lowered position, the pulp-sheet bale 12 remains on top of the
lower gripper members 43. The upper gripper members 45 are
lowered onto the pulp-sheet bale 12. The wrapping band 16 will
then be between the pulp-sheet bale 12 and the gripper members
43, 45. After this, the wrapping band 16 is held tight in the
nip 49 of the feed-roller pair 47 and the wrapping band 16 is
begun to be wound around the pulp-sheet bale 12. As the
wrapping band 16 is wound, the pulp-sheet bale 12 is pressed
between the gripper members 43, 45. The bale rotator 33 is used
to rotate the pulp-sheet bale 12 around the central axis 35 in
the transverse direction of the machine. The rotation conLinues
for the desired length of time, in order to place the desired
amount of wrapping band 16 around the pulp-sheet bale 12. The
wrapping band 16 is kept at the desired tension by means of a
set of rollers 28, the feed-roller pair 47, and the brake of
the drive 60 of the roller 52. During rotation, the gripper
members 43, 45 remain between the rounds of wrapping band 16.
When using a narrower wrapping band 16 than the distance
between the gripper elements 43, 45, the gripper elements do
not remain between the rounds of wrapping band 16. During
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rotation, the scissors table 62 beneath the bale rotator 22 is
in the lowered position.
Figure 13 shows the situation once the winding of the wrapping
5 band 16 has ended. Once there is sufficient wrapping band 16
around the pulp-sheet bale 12, the winding of the pulp-sheet
bale 12 is ended and the scissors table 62 is raised. The press
roller 32 presses the wrapping band 16 onto the pulp-sheet bale
12, thus preventing the wrapping band 16 from slackening and
10 unwinding. At the same time, the compressive force of the
gripper members 43, 45 of the rotator 33 is released and the
gripper members 43, 45 of the rotator 33 move in the transverse
direction of the machine away from the pulp-sheet bale 12. The
gripper members 43, 45 then come out from between the rounds of
15 wrapping band 16.
Figure 14 shows cutting of the wrapping band with the cutting
blade 42 and the spraying of adhesive 38 by the adhesive spray
30. The adhesive 38 is sprayed by the adhesive spray 30 in the
vicinity of the end 20 of the wrapping band 16, prior L-o the
cutting of the wrapping band 16. After the cutting of the
wrapping band 16, the pulp-sheet bale 12 moves forward, when
the press roller 32 mangles the end 20 of the wrapping band 16
onto the adhesive 38.
Figure 15 shows the wrapping station 22 awaiting the next pulp-
sheet bale 12. When the wrapping station 22 waits for the next
pulp-sheet bale 12, the wrapping band 16 waits for the next
pulp-sheet bale 12 fed to the lower pocket 56 between the
conveyors 24 while the next pulp-sheet bale 12 is in the
centring elements 54. The wrapped pulp-sheet bale 12 is
awaiting transfer to the jig unit. The mechanical stop 58 is
raised to the upper position to await the arrival of the next
pulp-sheet bale 12. The bale rotators 33 are driven to the
operating position in the transverse direction of the machine.
The gripper members 43, 45 are in the open position.
CA 02591024 2007-06-14
WO 2006/077285 PCT/F12006/050038
16
The above only describes the binding of mass bales, but it is
self-evident that an entire grand bale of pulp sheets, an
export unit, or both can be wrapped using known methods. The
invention further relates to wrapped and unwrapped grand bales
of pulp sheets, which contain pulp-sheet bales wrapped and
placed as described above. The method according to the inven-
tion is suitable for use with bales of many different sizes.
The size of bales that can be wrapped using the method varies
widely from 100 - 2000 kg, preferably from 200 - 500 kg. The
1o device according to the invention can also be applied to the
binding of bales of many different sizes. Thus, the device is
suitable for binding pulp-sheet bales, grand bales, and exporL-
units. When pulp-sheet bales, grand bales of pulp sheets, and
export units are made according to the invention, there is no
is need to remove the steel wires from them.
