IES960385A2 - A baling press - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to a mechanism for ejecting a compressed bale of waste-material from a compaction chamber (1) of a baling press. The chamber comprising a floor (5) and side walls (2,34) and an opening at the front through which a bale may be ejected. The ejection system comprises a carriage member (6) moveable along a guide formed in the floor (5) from the rear of the chamber. An ejector plate (8) is mounted on the carriage member (6) and moves with it. The carriage member (6) is incrementally moved forward along the guide by a linearly reciprocating push member (10). This incremental motion pushes a bale out of the press. The mechanism is further designed to cause the carriage member to travel incrementally in reverse once a bale has been ejected.<Fig.1(a)>

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention concerns baling presses of the type used to crush and compress loose waste materials such as discarded wrappers for example, so as to form coherent blocks of densified material which may be handled as unitized loads by conventional handling equipment such as stillage trucks, or hoists for example. In particular, the present specification describes an improved means for ejecting blocks of densified waste material from the compaction chambers of otherwise-conventional baling presses.

Background of the Invention In a conventional baling press, waste material is typically allowed to slide or fall into an open-topped box-like compaction chamber, and periodically a hydraulically-powered plunger which is mounted above the chamber is caused to move downwardly until it enters the chamber where it crushes and compresses the waste material against the flat bottom face (or floor) of the chamber. The plunger is then caused to withdraw to its idle position above the compaction chamber, exposing the partiallyfilled chamber for the addition of further loose waste materials. Unlike a waste compactor, the shape and dimensions of the plunger in a baling press are similar to those of the compaction chamber, the plunger typically being a sliding fit inside the chamber^·· 1708S I C*6N 'TO PUBLIC WSPECTION UNDER SECTION 28 AND F udE 23 .......If • mm IE 960385 - 2 The above process is repeated until the chamber is filled with densified waste material when, with the plunger pressing downwardly so as to prevent the materials in the chamber from springing-back or partially recovering their shape, one or more bands or straps are tied around the bundle (through slits or grooves in the sides and floor of the chamber, and sometimes also in the face of the plunger). The plunger is then withdrawn to its idle position and one side of the baling chamber is removed (usually it is hinged like a door) so as to expose the densified unitized bale of waste material. The size and weight of the bale is obviously dependent upon the nature of the waste material and the size of the compaction chamber, but typically the bale will weigh between one hundred and one thousand kilograms, and it will therefore be too heavy to be manhandled.

Typically, a baling press is provided with mechanical means for assisting with the removal of the bale from the chamber. For example, such a means might take the form of a mechanism for tilting the bale upwardly about its bottom edge adjacent to the open side of the chamber, so as partially to tip or roll the bale so that it may be pulled manually out of the chamber and dropped upon its side onto a flat truck or across stillage (or lift truck) forks previously positioned in front of the opened side of the chamber, whence the bale may be removed. To further assist in the ejection process, conventional compaction chambers are sometimes slightly tapered, being narrowest at the side opposite to the open side and widest at the open side. However, depending upon the nature of the waste material and the force of the plunger and the density of the bale, it frequently happens that bales become jammed during ejection from the chamber, requiring physically tiring and potentially dangerous manual intervention. Also it usually happens that bales which have been tipped onto their sides are unstable and tend to fall over while they are being transported away from the baling press.

Object of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a positive IE 960385 - 3 ejection means for ejecting bales completely from the compaction chamber of a baling press. It is a further object to provide an ejection means which has no tendency to tip the bales during ejection. It is a further object to provide an ejection means which does not project outside the confines of the space occupied by the basic baling press and which does not project into the compaction chamber except during operation.

Summary of the Invention Accordingly to one aspect of the invention an ejection means for ejecting a compressed bale of waste-material from a compaction chamber of a baling press said chamber comprising a floor and side walls defining an opening at the front of the chamber through which the bale may be ejected characterised in that the means comprises a carriage member slideable in guide means formed in the floor and extending linearly of the floor from the rear of the chamber towards said opening, an ejector plate mounted on said carriage member and moveably with the carriage member so as to move a bale towards said opening, a linearly reciprocating push member which in operation of the device is caused to reciprocate continuously, drive means for said push member and means for intermittently transmitting drive from said reciprocating push member to the carriage member so as to cause the carriage member and ejector plate to travel incrementally from the rear of the compaction chamber towards the front.

Preferably, the means for intermittently transmitting drive from the reciprocating push member is caused to reverse direction at the end of the forward path of travel of the ejector plate so as to cause the carriage member and the ejector plate to travel incrementally in reverse direction from the front of the compaction chamber towards the rear of the chamber after ejection of a bale from the compaction chamber.

The push member preferably comprises a reciprocating bar and the means for intermittently transmitting drive from the bar to the carriage member comprises a ratchet incorporated in the bar and IE 960385 - 4 engageable with a double-sided pawl pivotally mounted on the carriage member.

Suitably, the compaction chamber comprises open-topped box-shaped compaction chamber assembled from side panels, a rear panel, a removable front panel and a floor member. The floor member is divided by a straight linear slot along which a carriage member upon which is fixed an upwardly projecting ejector plate is free to travel, and beneath and parallel with said slot is located a notched or serrated bar member which may be caused by a driving means to reciprocate continuously through a relatively short distance along its linear axis, said carriage member and said notched or serrated bar being supported and guided by fixed linear bearings; and pivoted to the underside of said carriage member is a double-sided pawl member which is so disposed that it may engage with the notches or serrations on the reciprocating notched or serrated bar, the assembly being so proportioned that the carriage is caused to travel in sympathy with the reciprocating bar when it travels in one direction but the pawl rides over the tops of the notches or serrations when the reciprocating bar travels in the opposite direction, thus causing the carriage and the ejector plate to travel incrementally from the rear of the compaction chamber towards the front, when the pawl falls off the end of, or into a recess in the face of the reciprocating bar and is thus caused to face the opposite direction so that continued reciprocation of the notched or serrated bar causes the carriage to travel incrementally back towards the rear of the chamber.

Preferably the driving means is an hydraulic cylinder, but optionally it may be a manual lever, or a hydraulically or electrically-driven crank or other linkage.

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only without prejudice to the claims, and to the drawings in which: IE 960385 - 5 Brief description of the drawings Figure la shows a side view of the ejector mechanism with the nearest side panel removed, Figure lb shows a sectional end view of the same ejector mechanism, and Figures 2a to 2h inclusive show schematically the sequence of events as a carriage reaches the end of its travel across the floor of a compaction chamber, and is caused to reverse back towards the side from which it started.

Detailed Description of the preferred embodiments Referring first to Figures la and lb, there is seen an open-topped compaction chamber 1 which is constructed according to the invention. The chamber 1 is assembled from fixed side panels 2, a fixed back panel 3, a removable front panel 4, and a floor member 5. A carriage member 6 is free to slide along, and is guided by, a linear slot 17 which runs centrally across the floor member 5 between the back panel 3 and the front of the chamber 7. An ejector plate 8 is securely mounted atop the carriage member 6 such that it projects upwardly into the compaction chamber 1.

A second linear guideway 9 is located directly beneath the slot in the floor member 5, and a bar 10 is free to slide along and be guided by this second guideway 9, urged to and fro by an hydraulic cylinder 11 which is pivotally mounted upon the base 12 of the machine. A ram 18 of the cylinder 11 is bolted to a bracket 19 is fixed to and depends below the bar 10. The top surface of the bar 10 is provided with regularly spaced notches or serrations 13, and a double-sided pawl member 14, which is suspended from a pivot 15 beneath the carriage 6, is so disposed that it engages with the notches 13 on the surface of the bar 10.

After a bale has been formed and banded in the conventional IE 960385 - 6 manner and the removable front panel 4 has been removed, the bale will be ready for ejection.

It will be apparent that if the ram 18 of the cylinder 11 is caused to extend, the pawl 14 will engage with the notch 16 adjacent to the right hand end of the bar 10, causing the carriage 6 together with the ejector plate 8 to be pushed towards the left. If the ram 18 of the cylinder 11 is then caused to retract, the bar 10 will move towards the right, but pawl 14 will ride over the tops of the notches 13 like a ratchet, so the carriage 6 and ejector plate 8 will remain static. If the ram 18 is again caused to extend, the pawl 14 will engage with one of the notches 13, causing the carriage 6 and ejector plate 8 to be pushed further towards the left.

It will be readily apparent, then, that as the ram 18 of the hydraulic cylinder 11 is caused alternately to extend and to retract, so the notched bar 10 is caused to reciprocate to the left and the right in sympathy, and the carriage 6 and ejector plate 8 are caused to move incrementally towards the front 7 of the compaction chamber 1.

Referring now to Figures 2a to 2h inclusive, these show schematically the sequence of events as the carriage approaches the front of the compaction chamber: 2a. Ram 18 of the cylinder 11 retracts, bar 10 moves to the right, pawl 14 rides over the notches, and ejector plate 8 remains static; 2b. Ram 18 of the cylinder 11 extends, bar 10 moves to the left, pawl 14 engages with a notch, and the ejector plate is pushed incrementally to the left; 2c. Ram 18 of the cylinder 11 retracts, bar 10 moves to the right, pawl 14 rides over the notches, and ejector plate 8 remains static; IE 960385 - 7 2d. Ram 18 of the cylinder 11 extends, bar 10 moves to the left, pawl 14 engages with the second last notch at the left hand end of the bar 10, and the ejector plate 8 is pushed so that it projects slightly beyond the front of the compaction chamber; 2e. Ram 18 of the cylinder 11 retracts, bar 10 moves to the right, and the pawl 14 rides over the last notch at the left hand end, and then falls off the end of the bar 10 and then hangs freely beneath the static ejector plate 8, under the influence of gravity; 2f. Ram 18 of the cylinder 11 extends, bar 10 moves to the left and the end of the bar hits the pawl 14 causing it to swing to the left, and further movement of the bar 10 to the left causes the pawl 14 to ride up onto the top surface of the bar, and then to drop into the first notch at the left hand end. The ejector plate 8 remains static; 2g. Ram 18 of the cylinder 11 retracts, bar 10 moves to the right, pawl 14 has already engaged with the first notch of bar 10, and the ejector plate 8 is pushed backwards, into the compaction chamber; 2h. Ram 18 of the cylinder 11 extends, bar 10 moves to the left, pawl 14 rides over the notches and the ejector plate 8 remains static. The above steps 2g and 2h are repeated until the ejector plate is fully returned to the rear of the compaction chamber.

It will be apparent that constant reciprocation of the bar 10 causes the carriage and the ejector plate to move incrementally to the front of the compaction chamber 1, pushing out the completed bale before it, and then automatically to reverse direction and move incrementally to the back of the chamber where it again reverses automatically, and would again move incrementally towards the front, except that in practice a switch is fitted to detect when the ejector has retracted fully and to switch off the reciprocating cylinder 11, leaving the IE 960385 - 8 compaction chamber unobstructed and ready to produce the next bale.

The invention is not limited to the details of the embodiment hereinbefore described, which may be departed from without affecting the claims. For example the hydraulic cylinder could be replaced optionally by an electrically-driven crank mechanism or by a quick-return linkage, or by a manual lever or an alternative hydraulic cylinder attached to an arm fixed to a transverse shaft projecting beneath one side of the compaction chamber. Optionally, two identical ejection mechanisms could be fitted side-byside inside a single compaction chamber, synchronised by a transverse shaft and driven by a single actuator, in order to cope with particularly difficult materials which do not eject easily. These and other alternative embodiments are envisaged and covered by the invention.

It is seen that the objects of the invention have been achieved in that there is provided a positive ejection means which ejects bales completely from the compaction Chamber, and which has no tendency to tip the bales during ejection. It is further seen that the entire mechanism fits within the special envelope occupied by the basic compaction chamber, and that no part of the mechanism or the hydraulic cylinder projects either outside said special envelope, or into said compaction chamber except during ejection.

Claims (5)

1. An ejection means for ejecting a compressed bale of waste-material from a compaction chamber (1) of a baling press said chamber comprising a floor (5) and side walls (2, 3, 4) defining an opening at the front of the chamber through which the bale may be ejected characterised in that the means comprises a carriage member (6) slideable in guide means (17) formed in the floor (5) and extending linearly of the floor (5) from the rear of the chamber towards said opening, an ejector plate (8) mounted on said carriage member (6) and moveably with the carriage member (6) so as to move a bale towards said opening, a linearly reciprocating push member (10) which in operation of the device is caused to reciprocate continuously, drive means (11, 18) for said push member (10) and means (13, 14) for intermittently transmitting drive from said reciprocating push member (10) to the carriage member (6) so as to cause the carriage member (6) and ejector plate (8) to travel incrementally from the rear of the compaction chamber towards the front.

2. An ejection means as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the means (13, 14) for intermittently transmitting drive from the reciprocating push member (10) is caused to reverse direction at the end of the forward path of travel of the ejector plate (8) so as to cause the carriage member (6) and the ejector plate (8) to travel incrementally in reverse direction from the front of the compaction chamber towards the rear of the chamber after ejection of a bale from the compaction chamber (1).

3. An ejection means as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that the push member comprises a reciprocating bar (10) and the means for intermittently transmitting drive from the bar (10) to the carriage member (6) comprises a ratchet (13) incorporated in the bar (10) and engageable with a double-sided pawl (

4. ) pivotally mounted on the carriage member (6). IE 960385 - 10 4. An ejection means as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the floor (5) is divided by a straight linear slot (17) along which the carriage member (6), upon which is fixed an upwardly projecting ejector plate (8), is free to travel, and beneath and parallel with said slot is located a notched or serrated bar member (10) which may be caused by a driving means (11, 18) to reciprocate continuously through a relatively short distance along its linear axis, said carriage member (6) and said notched or serrated bar (10) being supported and guided by fixed linear bearings; and pivoted to the underside of said carriage member (6) is a double-sided pawl member (14) which is so disposed that it may engage with the notches or serrations (13) on the reciprocating notched or serrated bar (10), the assembly being so arranged and proportioned that the carriage member (5) is caused to travel in sympathy with the reciprocating bar (10) when it travels in one direction but the pawl (14) rides over the tops of the notches or serrations (13) when the reciprocating bar (10) travels in the opposite direction, thus causing the carriage and the ejector plate to travel incrementally from the rear of the compaction chamber (1) towards the front, when the pawl (14) falls off the end of, or into a recess in the face of the reciprocating bar (10) and is thus caused to face the opposite direction so that continued reciprocation of the notched or serrated bar (10) causes the carriage member (6) to travel incrementally back towards the rear of the chamber (1).

5. An ejection means as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the drive means is an hydraulic cylinder and ram (11, 18) or optionally is a manual lever, or an hydraulically or electrically-driven crank.