AU600808B2 - Baling machine - Google Patents

Description

600808 Form COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952-62 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Application Number: Lodged: Class Int. Class Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priorty: R jated Art: f FThis document contains t.: amcndments mnade und :i Section 49 and is correct i6r printing 044 Namre o5f Applicant: TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT JAMES LAVINGTON DUNN Address of Applicant: Ashbourne, State of South Australia Commonwealth of Australia Actual Inventor: JAMES LAVINGTON DUNN Address for Service: R K Maddern Associates, 345 King William Street, Adelaide, State of South Australia, Commonwealth of Australia.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "BALING MACHINE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me.

TO:

THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS, CANBERRA, A.C.T.

This invention relates to a machine which is useful for baling certain types of material, and although not limited to the baling of hay, is particularly suited for such usage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are many products, particularly agricultural products, which require to be baled in the smallest space which is reasonably feasible, and the object of this invention is to provide a baling press which will achieve the baling and also assist in the packaging of discrete material, for example hay.

It will be appreciated of course that it is valuable for hay (and certain other discrete material) to be packaged into a very small space, and therefore a second object of the invention is to provide improvements whereby this can be achieved.

A method of reducing the volume of any material is to compress it in some form of press. However, due to the natural resilience of some materials, some method of restraining the material in this compressed state is required. This is particularly so in the case of bales of hay or other types of fodder. Conventional harvesting techniques produce a bale that, although quite well compacted, could be further reduced in volume under additional pressure. One problem addressed by this invention is, that once in this compressed state, some means is needed to encase the material to keep it in a compressed state, once the additional pressure is removed.

Therefore, it is a further object of this invention to provide a means for encasing a compressed bale.

When transporting some forms of baled material, particularly baled fodder, there may occur a significant leaf 0 loss from the bale. Obviously this degrades the quality of the fodder, and results in a litter problem. Therefore, a still further object of this invention is to provide a method of encasing the compressed material that inhibits the breaking away of material from a bale.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In an embodiment of this invention, a baling machine comprises a press having a platen, walls extending away from the platen, and a press plate drivable hydraulically) -2l towards the platen within tile walls such that material placed between the platen and press plate can be compressed, a discharge opening adjacent said platen for discharge of the compressed material, an ejection plate opposite said discharge opening operating to force the compressed material through the discharge opening while the press plate holds the material in a compressed state, a discharge tube aligned with and extending away from said discharge opening, and encasing material positionable partly over the outer surface of said discharge tube, the encasing material arranged to be drawn off the discharge tube by the compressed material a i= bt=, as it is forced out of the discharge tube, so that the compressed material is held in a substantially compressed state.

Although the arrangement will be seen to be extremely simple in concept, it is effective in achieving a very high density of compression of a bale of straw, hay or the like and, if required, the discharge tube can be arranged to carry encasing material in combination with binding straps or wires.

O ~BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention is described hereunder in some detail with reference to and as illustrated in the It accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a baling machine according to this invention, FIG. 2 is an elevational section of the baling machine showing the operation of the press plate, FIG. 3 is a similar section showing the action of the ejection plate, and FIG. 4 shows a baling machine having an elevated conveyor and a loading station.

In this embodiment, a baling machine 10 comprises a press 11, having a platen 12 and a press plate 13. Extending vertically from the platen there are provided four walls 14 through which the press plate 13 is driven. Material 15 to be compressed is positionable between the platen 12 and the press plate 13. The operation of driving the press plate 13 towards -3-

"A

r the platen 12 effects compression of material 15 into a bale 18.

A discharge opening 16 is provided in a wall 14 and adjacent the platen 12, so that ejection plate 17 can force bale 18 through the discharge opening 16.

A discharge tube 19 (preferably of rectilinear crossi section) extends from the discharge opening 16 such that the compressed material 18 moves from between the press plate 13 and platen 12 through the discharge opening 16 and into the discharge tube 19.

Tubular encasing material 20 is placed over discharge tube 19 as shown in FIG. 2. The ends of the tubular encasing material 20 are allowed to drape over the opening of the discharge tube 19. As the compressed material 18 is pushed through the discharge tube 19 by the ejection plate 17, the compressed material 18 expands and engages the ends of the tubular encasing material 20 and begins to draw it off the outer surface 21 of the discharge tube 19. As the ejection plate 17 continues to force the compressed material 18 through 2C the discharge tube 19, the tubular encasing material will continue to be drawn off the outer surface 21 of the discharge tube 19. The result will be encasing of the compressed material 18 by the tubular encasing material 20 so as to maintain the material in a substantially compressed state.

In this embodiment, one of the side walls 14 is provided with entry means 22 which comprises an opening in the side wall 23. A wall plate 24 is provided that is drivable to a position where it covers the side wall opening 23. The operation of driving the wall plate 24 towards the opening 23 is adapted to force the material being compressed 15 through the side wall j opening 23 and into the press 11.

The wall plate 24 is drivable by an hydraulic ram 25, and once in position over the side wall opening 23, the hydraulic ram holds the wall plate 24 in that position while the press 11 is operated.

In this embodiment, the wall plate 24, the press plate 13, and ejection plate 17 are driven by hydraulic rams 25, 26 and 27 respectively, although a person skilled in the art will 7 4 I'V T C.7 readily recognise that other driving means such as pneumatic cylinders may be equally applicable.

In a further aspect of this invention, there is provided a baling machine 10 that is specifically designed for compressing bale for fodder, this embodiment being illustrated in FIG. 4.

In this embodiment, an elevated donveyor 28 and a loading station 29 are provided so as to improve the operating efficiency of the baling machine In both embodiments, the material to be compressed is usually in the form of initially compressed bales in the condition they occupy after discharge from a field baler.

As shown in FIG. 4, the elevated conveyor 28 is arranged to transport the material 15 to the top of the loading station 29.

At the discharge end of the elevated conveyor 28, the bales are allowed to fall into a loading station 29. Once in position within the loading station 29, any strings or other binding material on the bales may be removed through the access opening 31. Once the strings have been removed, actuation means 32 is provided to push the fodder bale into a position between said side wall opening 23 and the wall plate 24. Once in this position, the hydraulic ram 25 operates in combination with the wall plate 24, to push the fodder bale through the side wall opening 23 and into the press 11.

In both embodiments, the tubular encasing material 20 is manufactured from a flexible polymeric material. In addition to the tubular material, a plurality of straps may be provided for use with the tubular material to further aid in holding the material in a substantially compressed state.

In a still further embodiment of this invention, the press 11 may be provided with a side wall opening 23 large enough to receive a plurality of fodder bales. In this embodiment, more than one bale may be compressed at one time thereby further speeding up the operation of the baling machine While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other modifications and changes may be made to the present invention from the principles of the invention described above without 5 departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as encompassed by the accompanying claims.

:00 4, -6

Claims (10)

1. A baling machine comprising: a press having a platen, walls extending away from the platen, and a press plate drivable towards the platen within the walls such that material placed between the platen and press plate can be compressed, a discharge opening adjacent said platen for discharge of the compressed material, an ejection plate opposite said discharge opening operating to force the compressed material through the discharge opening while the press plate holds the material in a i 0 compressed state, a discharge tube aligned with and extending away from said discharge opening, and Sencasing material positionable partly over the outer I 15 surface of said discharge tube, the encasing material arranged Sto be drawn off the discharge tube by the compressed material ep-'-arii.g-;-i-t..3 as it is forced out of the discharge tube, so that the compressed material is held in a substantially i compressed state.

2. A baling machine according to claim 1 wherein the platen is horizontal, and the press plate is drivable in a vertical direction. 1'

3. A baling machine according to claim 2 wherein said press has a rectilinear cross-section, and has four side walls.

4. A baling machine according to claim 3 wherein one of said side walls is provided with an entry means, such that uncompressed material may be loaded within the press. i7 1 I A baling machine according to claim 4 wherein said entry means comprises one of said walls having an opening therein, a wall plate being provided that is drivable to a position wherein it covers said opening, the wall plate also being adapted to push said uncompressed material into said press.

6. A baling machine according to claim 5 wherein said wall plate is driven by an hydraulic ram, and is held in position during the operation of the press plate by said ram.

7. A baling machine according to any of the preceding claims i wherein said press plate and ejection plate are driven by hydraulic rams.

8. A baling machine according to any of the preceding claims ia wherein said discharge tube has a rectilinear cross-section. S9. A baling m.achine according to any of the preceding claims i wherein said encasing material comprises a tubular polymeric material. A baling machine according to claim 9 further characterised in that at least one strap is provided that encircles said compressed material packaged in said encasing material.

11. A baling machine according to any one of the claims 5 to wherein the material being compressed is bales of fodder.

12. A baling machine according to dlaim 11 further comprising an elevator conveyor and a loading station for delivery of fodder bales to said press, the discharge end of said elevator conveyor arranged to drop said fodder bales into the loading station, said station being provided with an access opening so as to allow removal of any bindings on the fodder bale, and actuation means to convey the fodder bale to a position between said opening in one of said walls and said wall plate. -8- VT I 13. A baling machine according to any one of the claims 11 to V 13 wherein said press is arranged to receive a plurality of fodder bales.

14. A baling machine substantially as hereinbefore described iwith reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Dated this 9th day of April, 1990. JAMES LAVINGTON DUNN By his Patent Attorneys, R K MADDERN ASSOCIATES 9