EP2006423A1 - Device for loading machines handling materials in bulk - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (1) has a conveying device placed on a base of a hopper (8) to convey a material strip (3) in backward conveying direction (4) via an opening (14) and into a machine. A knife (15) is placed on an upper edge (26) of the opening, and includes a blade that undergoes a reciprocating movement perpendicular to the direction so as to cut the material conveyed into the opening for forming an upper surface and for adjusting thickness of the strip. Excess of material, which is cut, is directed into a material mass (2). A balancing device balances the movement of the blade.

Description

The present invention relates to a machine loading device treating bulk materials having a certain length and generally compressed into bales, in particular materials such as fibers, yarns, debris of woven or non-woven textile products or plastics.

Originally, the machines treating the aforementioned materials were generally manually fed, which had various disadvantages, namely: constant presence of personnel at the machines, laborious work, irregular supply of said machines due to the difficult handling of the treated materials, accumulation fibers escaping from the mass of material around said machines and constituting a danger when clumps of uncontrolled fibers were caught by moving parts of the machines.

Attempts were first made to automate the loading of said machines using endless conveyor belts with movable projecting elements which retract below the level of the band when they arrive at the end of the latter. This procedure also had disadvantages, namely the possibility of blocking the elements in their cavities by introducing material into them and the complexity and fragility of the mechanism used to retract the projecting elements.

1. a) une trémie comportant un ensemble de parois s'étendant entre une base et un sommet, dont le sommet est ouvert pour pouvoir y introduire une masse de matière à charger, et qui présente, dans une desdites parois, une ouverture s'étendant à partir de la base de ladite trémie;
2. b) un dispositif d'entraînement agencé dans le fond de ladite trémie pour entraîner un ruban de matière envers et à travers ladite ouverture et vers une machine à charger ; et
3. c) un couteau disposé sur un bord supérieur de l'ouverture, comportant une lame sensiblement droite et parallèle à la base de la trémie, ladite lame étant mobile dans un mouvement alternatif sensiblement perpendiculaire au sens d'entraînement de la matière de manière à couper dans la matière entraînée vers l'ouverture pour délimiter la face supérieure et régler l'épaisseur dudit ruban de matière, la matière excédentaire qui est coupée étant dirigée dans la masse de matière.

To solve these problems, a method and an automatic loading device have been proposed in the European patent application. EP-A-0081886 , which constitutes the closest state of the art. The device described therein comprises:

1. a) a hopper having a set of walls extending between a base and a top, the top of which is open to introduce a mass of material to be loaded, and which has, in one of said walls, an opening extending from the base of said hopper;
2. b) a driving device arranged in the bottom of said hopper for driving a ribbon of material towards and through said opening and to a loading machine; and
3. c) a knife disposed on an upper edge of the opening, having a substantially straight blade and parallel to the base of the hopper, said blade being movable in a reciprocating motion substantially perpendicular to the driving direction of the material so as to cut in the material entrained towards the opening to delimit the upper face and adjust the thickness of said ribbon of material, the excess material which is cut is directed into the mass of material.

However, this device has certain disadvantages. In particular, this device has an efficiency limited by the cutting speed.

In order to solve this drawback, the device of the present invention further comprises a device for balancing the reciprocating movement of said blade. This has the advantage of allowing a greater speed of the reciprocating movement of said blade, and therefore a greater cutting speed and efficiency of the loading device.

In a preferred embodiment, said knife is connected to a control rod driven by means of a crankshaft fixed on a rotary shaft to ensure said reciprocating movement of the blade, said balancing device preferably comprising a counterweight wedged on said rotating shaft. This has the advantage of ensuring the drive and balancing of the blade in its reciprocating motion in a simple and effective manner.

Even more advantageously, the loading device may further comprise a fixed comb, preferably removable, disposed above said blade to prevent the material from following the movement of the blade. The advantage of this is to increase even more the cutting efficiency and therefore the efficiency of the loading device, while reducing the possibilities of blocking, without preventing the excess material from being directed into the mass of material.

Also more advantageously, said blade has several removable segments, preferably ten in number. This has the advantage of allowing the replacement of a single blade segment in the case of partial damage thereof.

Advantageously, said blade comprises a cutting edge placed below the level of the lower surface of said knife, said lower surface preferably being substantially smooth. These aspects make it possible to limit the braking of the material ribbon and thus to increase the efficiency of the loading device.

Advantageously, said drive device comprises at least two plates arranged at a level lower than that of said upper edge of the opening and provided with a first set of projecting elements, in particular in the form of hooks oriented in the direction of drive, at least one of these plates being movable in a reciprocating movement substantially parallel to the driving direction of the material, and at least one other of these plates being either stationary or movable in a reciprocating movement out of phase with that of the at least one of these plates, so that the projecting elements of the at least one movable plate drive towards said opening a quantity of material when it moves in this direction and the protruding elements of the at least one other plate retain the material so that it does not accompany the projecting elements of the at least one movable plate when the latter moves in the opposite direction area. This embodiment has the advantage of allowing effective training of the material with simple and reliable means.

Even more advantageously, at least one of said plates can be removably attached, preferably bolted. This makes it possible to easily replace this plate by at least one other plate, having for example protruding elements adapted to another material, so as to adapt the machine to other properties of the material that may affect its drive and also to easily repair the machine if one of said plates came to be damaged.

Also more advantageously, said loading device further comprises programmable control means, particularly for controlling the reciprocating movement of the at least one movable plate, these programmable means being preferably digital. This embodiment has the advantage of allowing the adaptation of the training device to different materials with a minimum of physical interventions.

Also more advantageously, said hopper comprises, on a wall opposite said opening, a second set of projecting elements oriented in the driving direction. This second set of projecting elements makes it possible to retain the material so that it does not accompany the projecting elements of the at least one movable plate when the latter moves in the opposite direction to the driving direction. .

Advantageously, said hopper is further pivotably mounted on an axis substantially parallel to the base of the hopper and perpendicular to the driving direction, for adjusting the height of an upper edge of said opening. This makes it possible to adjust the height of said ribbon of material.

Even more advantageously, the loading device further comprises a bucket for feeding said material hopper, said bucket being pivotally mounted on the same axis of pivoting of the hopper. This has the advantage of allowing the mechanical loading of the hopper by particularly simple means.

Also more advantageously, the loading device further comprises an outlet channel disposed downstream of said opening and having a ceiling attached to the hopper with a hinge placed near the upper edge of the opening, so that it can be tilted to adjust the height of the outlet channel, said ceiling preferably being at least partially removable. Since the material ribbon may have a tendency to relax upwardly behind the opening, which could cause frictional locking of the ribbon with said ceiling, this has the advantage of allowing the ideal tightening of the material to be adjusted. according to its compressibility rate.

Advantageously, said outlet channel comprises, preferably on its ceiling, a third set of projecting elements, in particular hooks oriented in the driving direction, to prevent the material from moving backwards.

Advantageously, said loading device comprises a tilting press plate for compressing the strip of material exiting the loading device, said pressing plate being preferably provided with a fourth set of projecting elements, in particular hooks oriented in the direction of drive the ribbon of material, to prevent the material from backing up. This press plate makes it possible to improve the traction of a driving device on the material ribbon.

Advantageously, the loading device also comprises a set of lateral projecting elements mounted in the hopper substantially perpendicularly to the driving direction to prevent said excess material from moving backwards. The advantage is that this prevents the efficiency of the loading device from falling substantially when there is little material to load in the machine, avoiding that the excess material slips far behind in the hopper.

• La figure 1 est une section longitudinale en élévation, avec brisures partielles, d'un exemple de dispositif d'invention suivant l'invention associé à une machine à alimenter ;
• la figure 2 montre schématiquement le mécanisme d'entraînement du couteau ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en plan du couteau avec la lame;
• la figure 4 est une section du couteau avec la lame;
• la figure 5 est une vue supérieure en plan du dispositif suivant l'invention ;
• la figure 6 est une section transversale du dispositif d'entraînement ;
• la figure 7 est une vue détaillée du dispositif d'ajustement de la hauteur du canal de sortie et du dispositif de charnière de la plaque pressoir ;
• la figure 8 est une vue détaillée du dispositif d'ajustement de la plaque pressoir ;
• la figure 9 est une vue en perspective d'un élément latéral pour assurer la jonction avec une machine à charger et
• les figures 10 et 11 sont une vue en plan et une section du peigne fixe.

Details of the invention are described below in an exemplary and non-limiting manner with reference to the drawings.

• The figure 1 is a longitudinal section in elevation, with broken parts, of an example of an invention device according to the invention associated with a machine to be fed;
• the figure 2 schematically shows the drive mechanism of the knife;
• the figure 3 is a plan view of the knife with the blade;
• the figure 4 is a section of the knife with the blade;
• the figure 5 is a top plan view of the device according to the invention;
• the figure 6 is a cross section of the driving device;
• the figure 7 is a detailed view of the device for adjusting the height of the outlet channel and the hinge device of the press plate;
• the figure 8 is a detailed view of the press plate adjustment device;
• the figure 9 is a perspective view of a lateral element to ensure the connection with a machine to be loaded and
• the Figures 10 and 11 are a plan view and a section of the fixed comb.

An exemplary embodiment of the loading device 1 according to the invention and illustrated in the drawings, in particular the Figures 1 and 5 , is intended for loading fibers of a machine, such as a fiber cutter, this device being able to continuously extract fibers from a mass of material 2 to form a ribbon 3 of determined section corresponding to the section of material that can be absorbed by the cutter and to progress regularly the ribbon 3 to the cutter until it is taken up by the conveyor belt of the latter. This extraction of material is carried out by means of a first set of projecting elements 5 penetrating into the mass of which at least a part are movable and which by their movement organize the fibers to form the ribbon 3 and to advance it in the driving direction 4.

In the device of this exemplary embodiment, these projecting elements 5 are fixed hooks (preferably in a detachable manner) on two movable plates 6 and a fixed plate 7 arranged at the bottom of a hopper 8 adapted to contain the mass of material 2. Said movable plates 6 are releasably bolted onto movable bars 9 which can be driven reciprocally back and forth by hydraulic cylinders 10 adapted to be controlled in their movement by digital programmable control means. Preferably, the movement of the two movable bars 9 is out of phase so that when a first of the movable bars 9 moves in the direction opposite to the driving direction 4, the other movable bar 9 moves in the driving direction. 4, the projecting elements 5 of the at least one movable plate 6 fixed on this other movable bar 9 ensuring, together with those of the fixed plate 7, that the fibers of the ribbon 3 do not follow the projecting elements 5 of the at least one movable plate 6 fixed on the first movable bar 9 in their withdrawal movement.

As the movable plates 6 and fixed 7 are dismountably bolted, it is possible to replace them, although to repair them, well to adapt the loading device to different materials with movable plates 6 and fixed 7 different, having for example salient elements 5 of different geometry and / or size and / or different number and / or arrangement. Another advantage is that the movable plates 6 can be wider than the movable bars 9, allowing lateral spacing of the movable bars 9. Thanks to this lateral spacing, it is possible to support the movable bars 9 with outer rollers 16, such as that illustrated on the Figure 6 .

In the loading device of the state of the art described in EP-A-0081886 , the movable bars were not spaced, and were only supported by inner rollers, which had the disadvantage that the bars, subjected to torsional forces during the operation of the loading device, eventually deformed.

The hopper 8 comprises, on the opposite side to the direction of the drive, slits 11 aligned with projecting elements 5 of the movable plates 6, to allow said projecting elements 5 to at least partially traverse said slots 11 in their reciprocating movement. In this way we can place protruding elements 5 very recessed on the movable plates 6 without impacting the rear wall of the hopper 8 in the withdrawal phase of their reciprocating movement.

The projecting elements 5 intended to pass through said slots 11 comprise extensions 12, in the direction opposite to the driving direction 4, having a substantially horizontal upper edge 13 with a lower height, but preferably similar to that of said slots 11 to occupy at least partially said slots 11 during the entire reciprocating movement of said movable plates 6, substantially blocking the passage of said slots 11 to the material to be driven.

The rear wall of the hopper 8 also comprises a second set of projecting elements 5 'oriented in the direction of the drive to retain the material so that it does not accompany the projecting elements 5 of the movable plates 6 when they move in the opposite direction to the driving direction 4.

With this drive, the fibers of the ribbon 3 can be driven to an opening 14 extending from the base of said hopper 8 on the side of the machine to be loaded. A knife 15 is disposed near the opening 14 so as to cut in the material entrained towards the opening 14 to delimit the upper face and adjust the thickness of said ribbon 3, the excess material which is cut is directed into the mass of material 2.

Turning now to the Figure 2 it can be seen how said knife 15 comprises a blade 17 substantially straight and parallel to the base of said hopper 8, said knife 15 being connected to a control rod 18 driven through a crankshaft 19 fixed on a rotary shaft 20 to ensure reciprocating movement of the knife 15 and the blade 17 substantially perpendicular to the driving direction 4 of the material ribbon 3. A counterweight 21 is wedged on said rotary shaft 20 to ensure the balancing of the blade 17 and the knife 15 in their reciprocating motion. Without said counterweight 21, said reciprocating movement could generate such high velocity vibrations that the loading device could be seriously damaged.

Turning now to the Figure 3 it can be seen how said blade 17 comprises ten segments 22 removably mounted on said knife 15. If one of the segments 22 is damaged, it will not be necessary to change the entire blade 17 to repair it, but only the segment 22 in question.

Turning now to the Figure 4 it can be seen how the knife 15 has a substantially smooth lower surface 23, and the cutting edge 24 of the blade 17 is placed below the level of said lower surface 23, so as to present a substantially free path to the material ribbon behind said cutting edge 24. The knife 15 has an upper portion 15a and a lower portion 15b shaped to cooperate to retain the segments 22 of the blade 17 when the knife 15 is assembled. In its reciprocating movement, the knife 15 slides against a linear bearing preferably comprising a set of blocks, for example made of PTFE. A wear detector can be installed in this linear bearing to warn the user when it becomes necessary to replace these blocks.

Returning to Figure 1 it is also possible to see a fixed comb 25 removably disposed on the hopper above said blade 17 to prevent the material from following the movement of the blade 17. The fixed comb 25, illustrated in greater detail in the Figures 10 and 11 retains the fibers, preventing them from following the transverse reciprocation of the blade 17 and the knife 15 and greatly increasing the cutting efficiency. For this, the fixed comb 25 of the illustrated embodiment comprises a plurality of flat elements 48, oriented in the direction of driving 4, spaced transversely and having an oblique edge 49, preferably inclined in an angle equal to or close to 45 ° relative to the driving direction 4. This particular profile makes it possible to prevent the material from following the movement of the blade 17 without preventing the excess material from being directed into the mass of material 2. The fixed comb 25 above of the blade 17 can be complemented by a deflector below on each side of the hopper 8. This deflector is intended to prevent the material to exit laterally in the cutting system.

To be able to adjust the height of an upper edge 26 of the opening 14, the hopper 8 is pivotally mounted on a fixed frame 27 with a tilting axis 28 substantially parallel to the base of the hopper 8 and placed on the opposite side to said opening 14. To facilitate the loading of said hopper 8 with a mass of material 2, the loading device 1 also comprises a dump-mounted bucket 29 with the same tilting axis 28 as the hopper, the tilt axis 28 allowing simplify the loading device 1. In particular, the junction between the hopper 8 and the bucket 29 can in this way be provided by a plate 35 to simple curvature on the hopper 8. The bucket 29 of this example is actuated by a single cylinder hydraulic 30.

Behind the opening 14 extends an outlet channel 31 having a ceiling 32 mounted pivotally on a hinge fixed near the upper edge 26 of the opening 14, and fixed so as to be easily dismantled. The outlet channel 31 also comprises a third set of salient elements 5 "in the form of hooks, in particular on said ceiling 32, to prevent the return of material at this level. The independent adjustment of the height of the ceiling 32 by tilting, and the possibility of disassembling it to replace it with a ceiling 32 having protruding elements 5 'of different shapes and dimensions also makes it possible to adapt the outlet channel 31 to different materials. to train. Fig. 7 it can be seen how the tilt angle of the ceiling 32 can be adjusted with nuts 41 attached to threaded members 42.

A press plate 33 is in turn arranged in extension of the ceiling 32 of the outlet channel 31. As can be seen on the Fig. 7 , said pressing plate 33 is pivotally mounted on an axis 34 integral with the ceiling 32, held by yokes 47. Turning now towards the Fig. 8 it can be seen how the springs 43 pull the pressing plate 33 downwards so as to compress the ribbon 3 at the outlet of the outlet channel 31. The positions of the springs 43 and stops 44 limiting the tilting of the press plate 33 are adjustable by means of pins 45 can be introduced into positioning holes 46, so as to adapt the pressing plate 33 to the different materials that can be implemented in the loading device. The device also comprises a support lever 50 that can swing forward to support the press plate 33 in a raised position during the positioning of the pins 45 in the holes 46. The support lever 50 has a notch 51 adapted to receive a bar Attached to the pressing plate 33. Ideally, said pressing plate 33 is also provided with a fourth set of projecting elements 5 "'to prevent the return of material and removable, for example by opening the yokes 47, which facilitates cleaning and adaptability of the loading device, the pressing plate 33 can be replaced by another pressing plate 33 with projecting elements 5 "'adapted to a different material.

To ensure connection with the downstream loading machine, this embodiment of the loading device 1 is also provided at its outlet with two plate-shaped lateral elements 53 and each having a lateral compression surface 54 of the material ribbon 3 and a support part 55 of the ribbon 3 placed next to the movable plates 6. In the loading device 1 illustrated, each support portion 55 opens towards the driving direction 4 forming two support surfaces 56, one of which is substantially perpendicular to the lateral contention surface 54 and the other is slightly oblique.

Turning now to the Figure 5 it can be seen how the hopper 8 has two lateral walls 37 substantially parallel to the driving direction 4, and on each of which are fixed a lateral hook 38 oriented downwards and a lateral bar 39 with a substantially triangular section, both the lateral hook 38 as the main axis of the side bar 39 being oriented in a plane substantially perpendicular to the driving direction 4. As the hook 38 and the bar 39 are projecting into the hopper 8 substantially perpendicular to the drive direction 4, they help to prevent the excess mass from sliding towards the rear of the hopper 8 along the side walls 37.

In operation, the bucket 29 is first loaded with a mass of material 2 forming a bale 40. The retaining strips 36 of the bale 40 are cut manually. Next, the bucket 29 is tilted by the hydraulic cylinder 30 to introduce the mass of material 2 into the hopper 8 at its top. In the bottom of the hopper 8 the movable plates 6, actuated by the hydraulic cylinders 10 controlled by programmable control means, perform their reciprocating movement driving with their protruding elements 5 a ribbon of material 3 to the knife 15 and the opening 14. The knife 15, driven by the rotary shaft 20, the crankshaft 19 and the control rod 18 in a movement back and forth substantially perpendicular to the driving direction 4 of the ribbon 3, cut with the blade 17 in the material to delimit the upper face and adjust the thickness of said ribbon of material 3, the excess material which is cut is directed into the mass of material 2 by the hooks and sidebars 38,39 arranged in the hopper 8. The ribbon 3 is then driven through the opening 14, the outlet channel 31 and under the pressing plate 33 to get into the machine to be loaded.

As all the actuators of the loading device 1 of this embodiment are hydraulic, it is particularly advantageous to combine all the control elements of these actuators in a single control console removably coupled to the hydraulic supply conduits of these actuators. . This would have the advantage of allowing a greater flexibility of use of a set of such loading devices 1, and to facilitate the maintenance of each loading device 1. The same type of modular arrangement of the control means would also be advantageous for loading devices 1 using other types of fluid actuators, such as pneumatic actuators, or even electric actuators, for actuating the hopper 8, the bucket 29 and / or the movable bars 9.

Although the various improvements proposed in this embodiment of the loading device of the invention vis-à-vis the one described in EP-A-0081886 are particularly advantageous in combination, it is obvious that each of them could be independently adapted to the device of the state of the art to obtain the benefits directly related to each of them.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and changes can be made to these examples without departing from the general scope of the invention as defined. by the claims. Therefore, the description and drawings should be considered in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.

REFERENCES OF THE FIGURES

1

Loading device

2

Mass of matter

3

Material ribbon

4

Driving direction

5

Highlights of the first set

5 '

Highlights of the second set

5 "

Highlights of the third set

5 ' "

Highlights of the fourth set

6

Movable plates

7

Fixed plate

8

hopper

9

Moving bars

10

Hydraulic cylinders

11

slots

12

Extension

13

Upper edge

14

Opening

15

Knife

15a

The top part

15b

Lower part

16

Outside rollers

17

Blade

18

Control rod

19

crank shaft

20

Rotary shaft

21

Counterweight

22

Blade segments

23

Lower surface of the knife

24

Blade edge

25

Fixed comb

26

Upper edge

27

Fixed frame

28

Tipping axis

29

skip

30

Hydraulic cylinder

31

Exit channel

32

Ceiling

33

Press plate

34

Pivot axis

35

Junction plate

36

Restraining strips

37

Lateral walls

38

Side hooks

39

Side bars

40

Ball

41

Nut

42

Threaded element

43

Spring

44

stop

45

Pin

46

Positioning hole

47

Retaining screed

48

Flat element

49

Oblique edge

50

Support lever

51

nick

52

Closed off

53

Side element

54

Side compression surface

55

Support part

56

Support surface

Claims (21)

Apparatus (1) for loading machines treating bulk materials, in particular materials which may be in bales, such as fibers, yarns, debris of woven or nonwoven textile products or plastics, said device comprising: a) a hopper (8) having a set of walls extending between a base and an apex, the apex of which is open to be able to introduce a mass of material (2) to be loaded, and also comprising, in a wall, a opening (14) extending from said base of the hopper (8); b) a driving device arranged in said base of the hopper (8) for driving a strip of material (3) in a driving direction (4) towards and through said opening (14) and to a machine to be loaded ; c) a knife (15) disposed on an upper edge (26) of the opening (14), comprising a blade (17) substantially straight and parallel to the base of the hopper (8), said blade (17) being movable in a reciprocating motion substantially perpendicular to the driving direction (4) of the material ribbon (3) so as to cut in the material entrained towards the opening (14) to delimit the upper face and adjust the thickness of said material ribbon (3), the excess material which is cut is directed into the mass of material (2); said loading device (1) being characterized in that it further comprises a device for balancing the reciprocating movement of said blade (17). Loading device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said knife (15) is connected to a control rod (18) driven by means of a crankshaft (19) fixed on a rotary shaft (20) for to provide said reciprocating movement of the blade, said balancing device preferably comprising a counterweight (21) wedged on said rotary shaft (20). Device (1) for loading according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a fixed comb (25), preferably removable, disposed above said blade (17) to prevent the material from following the movement of the blade (17). Loading device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said blade (17) comprises a cutting edge (24) placed under the level of the lower surface (23) of said knife (15), said lower surface ( 23) being preferably substantially smooth. Loading device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said blade (17) has a plurality of removable segments (22), preferably ten in number. Device (1) for loading according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said driving device comprises at least two plates (6,7) arranged at a lower level than said top edge (26) of the opening (14) and provided with a first set of projecting elements (5), in particular in the form of hooks oriented in the driving direction, at least a first of these plates (6) being movable in a substantially reciprocating movement parallel to the driving direction (4) of the material ribbon (3), and at least one other of these plates (6, 7) being either stationary or movable in a reciprocating movement out of phase with that of the at least one first of these plates (6,7), so that the projecting elements (5) of the at least one first plate (6) drive towards said opening (14) a quantity of material when it moves in this direction and that the salient elements (5) of the at least one other pl (6,7) retain the material so that it does not accompany the protruding elements (5) of the at least one first plate (6) when it moves in the opposite direction. Loading device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that at least one of said plates (6, 7) is dismountably mounted, preferably bolted. Loading device (1) according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the at least one movable plate (6) is fixed to a movable bar (9), preferably hydraulically driven and / or supported by holding rollers, at least a portion of which is located outside thereof. Loading device (1) according to one of claims 6-8, characterized in that it further comprises programmable control means, particularly for controlling the reciprocating movement of the at least one movable plate (6), these programmable means being preferably digital. Loading device (1) according to one of claims 6-9, characterized in that said hopper (8) comprises, in a wall opposite that of said opening (14), at least one slot (11) aligned with a projecting element (5) of the at least one movable plate (6) to permit said projection to pass through at least partially said slot (11) in its reciprocating motion, and in that said projecting element (5) has an extension (12) in the opposite direction to that of the drive having a substantially horizontal upper edge (13) with a lower height, but preferably similar to that of said slot (11) for at least partially occupying said slot (11) during the entire reciprocating movement of said movable plate (6), substantially blocking the passage of said slot (11) to the material to be driven. Loading device (1) according to one of claims 6-10, characterized in that said hopper (8) comprises, on a wall opposite said opening (14), a second set of projecting elements (5 ') in the drive direction. Loading device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said hopper (8) is further pivotally mounted on a fixed frame (27) with a tilting axis (28) substantially parallel to the base of the hopper (8) and perpendicular to the driving direction (4), for adjusting the height of the upper edge (26) of said opening (14). Device (1) for loading according to claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises a bucket (29) to facilitate the loading of said hopper (8), said bucket (29) being pivotally mounted with the same axis tilting (28) than the hopper (8). Device (1) for loading according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises an outlet channel (31) disposed downstream of said opening (14) and having a ceiling (32) attached to the hopper (8) with a hinge placed near the upper edge (26) of the opening (14), so that it can be tilted to adjust the height of the outlet channel (31), said ceiling preferably being at least partially removable. Loading device (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that said outlet channel (31) has, preferably on its ceiling (32), a third set of projecting elements (5 "), in particular hooks oriented in the driving direction (4), to prevent the material from moving back. Device (1) for loading according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a presser plate (33) pivotally mounted, and preferably removable, for compressing the strip of material (3) leaving the loading device, said pressing plate (33) preferably being provided with a fourth a set of protruding elements (5 "'), in particular hooks oriented in the driving direction (4), to prevent the material from moving backwards. Loading device (1) according to claim 16, characterized in that it comprises, on each side of the pressing plate (33), a lateral element (53) for joining a downstream loading machine, each of said side members (53) preferably having a lateral contention surface (54) of the material ribbon (3) and / or a support portion (55) of the ribbon (3) substantially at the level of the movable plates (6) Loading device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a set of lateral projecting elements (38,39) mounted in the hopper (8) substantially perpendicular to the driving direction ( 4) to prevent said excess material from backing up. Device (1) for loading according to claim 18, characterized in that said set of walls of the hopper comprises two side walls (37) substantially parallel to the driving direction (4), and in that on each of said two side walls (37) is mounted at least one of said lateral projecting elements (38,39), preferably two. Loading device (1) according to one of claims 18 or 19, characterized in that at least one of said lateral projecting elements (38,39) is a hook (38) oriented at least partially downwards in a plane substantially perpendicular to the driving direction (4). Loading device (1) according to one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that at least one of said lateral projecting elements (38, 39) is a bar (39), preferably of substantially triangular section, having a main axis substantially perpendicular to the driving direction (4).

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