EP3842223B1 - Vertical box baling press and method for the operation thereof - Google Patents

Description

I. Area of application

The invention relates to box balers in which the material to be pressed is pressed by the press ram against a fixed abutment, namely the end wall of the press box. The invention relates specifically to vertically acting box balers in which the press ram moves up and down, usually vertically, and presses the material to be pressed against the bottom of the press box, which is open at the top and only closed by the press ram.

II. Technical background

One or two parallel-acting press rams are usually operated by hydraulic cylinders.

Such vertically acting box balers are often used when there is a small amount of material to be pressed.

Filling and emptying often takes place from the front of the baler, as there is a lockable filling opening in the upper area of the front wall through which the loose material to be pressed - for example empty cartons or empty plastic bottles or beverage cans - is manually filled into the press box when the press ram is in the upwardly retracted starting position, namely above the filling opening.

When a bale has built up to the desired height in the press box after a certain number of pressing strokes, it can be removed via the removal opening located under the filling opening in the front wall, which can also be closed. This is usually done by strapping the bale that has been produced and is still in the press box.

In order to reduce the manual effort and also to increase the throughput of such a vertically acting box baler, it is known to fill such box balers automatically by using a conveyor belt to transport loose material to be pressed to the filling opening and then discharge it through this into the press box when the press ram is in its starting position above it. The conveyor belt usually runs diagonally from bottom to top, rising towards the filling opening, so that the loose material can be easily placed on the low end of the conveyor belt.

Since such an automatic filling device would be in the way when emptying the box baler if the filling opening and thus also the filling device were still located on the front side of the baler, in these cases the filling opening is usually located on the rear side opposite the front.

However, such a conveyor belt requires a lot of floor space in addition to the rest of the vertical box baler, whose main advantage is that it requires very little floor space, which means that its main advantage is lost. In addition, a vertical box baler equipped with this can no longer be set up a short distance from a wall.

In addition, the baled material is often collected away from the baler in open-topped collection wagons, particularly when cardboard boxes or empty beverage containers are used as baled material, and the filled collection wagons then pushed to the baler. The collection wagon should then be able to be emptied as completely as possible into the baler so that the empty collection wagon is immediately available again.

The baled material is therefore produced in batches at the baler.

From the WO 2004/041523 A1 A vertical box baler is known which has the features of the preamble of claim 1. The filling opening for automatically filling the press box and the removal opening for removing the bale are located on the front wall of the known baler.

From the FR 2 964 956 A1 A vertical box baler is known in which the material to be pressed is introduced into a press box through a filling opening and the compressed bale is transported out of the press box through a removal hatch in the lower area of a side wall. The removal hatch is located on the side of the press box opposite the filling opening.

III. Description of the invention a) Technical task

It is therefore the object according to the invention - especially in the case of material to be pressed in batches - to provide a vertically acting box baler with an automatic filling device which requires as little installation space as possible, is simple and therefore inexpensive and yet functionally reliable to manufacture and requires only as little manual effort as possible for operation, as well as a corresponding operating method for operating such a baler.

b) Solution to the task

This object is achieved by the features of claims 1 and 12. Advantageous embodiments emerge from the subclaims.

A generic vertically acting box baler comprises a press box with a base and side walls that rise upwards, usually vertically, from its peripheral edges, which form the press box, and a press ram that can be moved up and down in the press box and can usually be moved with great force by means of one or more parallel-acting, usually hydraulically operated, working cylinders.

The bottom and thus the inner horizontal cross-section of the press box is usually approximately rectangular, so that there are four side walls arranged in a square when viewed from above, which are usually adjoin, i.e. they surround the press box in a horizontal circumferential direction, whereby the side walls do not run exactly parallel to each other, but have a slightly increasing distance from each other from back to front, towards the removal opening, in order to facilitate the removal of the finished bale.

However, other shapes of horizontal cross-sections of the press box are also possible, for example a round cross-section with the result that there is then a single cylindrical side wall, which, however, is intended to be included in the mention of several side walls used here.

One of the side walls, which is referred to as the front wall, is usually designed as a fully opening removal door for removing the finished bale, and in its upper part, in particular its upper half, there is a front filling opening that can be closed by a filling flap.

The upper edge of the filling opening is usually located below the pressing surface, the underside of the pressing ram retracted to its upper end position, the starting position. The lower edge of the filling opening is usually still above the height of the upper edge of the removal opening, but no more than 10 cm, preferably no more than 5 cm, below this height.

If an automatic filling device is present - i.e. at least one that is motor-driven and controlled manually or by means of a control system - this filling opening is usually not in the front wall, but in one of the other side walls, usually in the rear wall opposite the front wall. Using such an automatic filling device, the loose material to be pressed that is placed on or in it is not only transported to the filling opening, but also conveyed through it into the press box, and for this purpose is pushed through the filling opening by the automatic filling device if necessary.

Furthermore, there is a control system - usually electrical or electronic - which controls the entire baler, in particular all moving parts of the baler.

This control system is supplemented by appropriate sensors, which in particular detect the open or closed position of the doors or flaps closing the openings of the press box, the position of the press ram and, if applicable, all other relevant physical parameters on the baler.

According to the invention , in such a vertically acting box baler, this object is achieved in that, first of all, the automatic filling device is designed for batch-wise automatic filling of this baler, i.e. its press box.

As a result, the material to be pressed in batches can be pressed very quickly using the baler according to the invention.

(Storage container volume:)

This automatic filling device comprises a storage container for holding loose pressed material, the volume of which - in the case of a variable volume, the maximum volume - is sufficient to hold a complete batch - the maximum volume of which is specified - of, in particular, loose, pressed material. The specified batch volume is usually the volume of a collection vehicle in which the loose pressed material is collected at the place where it is generated.

This has the advantage that the entire contents of a filled collection trolley can be emptied into this automatic filling device at once, thus saving a lot of time.

For this purpose, the filling device, in particular its storage container, preferably has a filling opening, in particular in the upper area, so that the loose pressed material can fall into the storage container from above due to gravity. In particular, such a filling opening is formed in the top of the storage container, whereby the simplest solution is for the top to be completely open as a filling opening.

It is precisely such a large filling opening that makes filling the storage container very easy and quick.

In order to ensure that the loose material to be pressed can be transported as easily as possible from the storage container to the filling opening of the press box, the storage container is connected to the filling opening or can at least be connected to it.

This does not necessarily require contact between the storage container and the filling opening, but merely that the storage container and in particular its discharge opening in the direction of the filling opening is located or can be located in a position closely adjacent to the filling opening.

The bottom of the storage container is at the level of the lower edge of the filling opening or slightly above it and extends close to it to at least 2 cm or at least 1 cm or even into the filling opening.

This allows the material to be pressed to be pushed along the bottom of the storage container into the filling opening.

(Lifting/tilting device:)

Preferably, the filling device has a tipping device for tipping a filled collection trolley into the storage container, in particular a lifting/tilting device by means of which the collection trolley can initially be raised to a corresponding height until it can be emptied by tilting into the high filling opening of the storage container.

This means that the filled collection container does not have to be emptied manually into the storage container, but this happens automatically and in an effortless manner using the tipping device, in particular the lifting/tilting device.

This is preferably designed in such a way that the collection wagon is only lifted as little as possible for emptying, since it protrudes far upwards when tipping over the filling opening, and there is often only a limited height available at the location where this baler is used

The tipping device preferably has a fastening device for fastening a collection trolley, which can be connected to the tipping device in the lowered position, for example by simply contacting and locking it, and can then be automatically lifted up and emptied.

The collection trolley only needs to be brought into contact with the fastening device manually and, if this does not result in automatic locking, then it must be manually secured to it. Preferably, a sensor monitors whether a collection container is present on the fastening device and thus the tipping device and/or is correctly attached.

(Supply slide:)

In order to transport the material to be pressed from the storage container into the filling opening of the box press, the storage container preferably has a driven A supply slide valve that can be moved towards and away from the filling opening between two end positions so that this does not have to be done manually.

In one end position, the storage slide closes the filling opening of the press box and its front surface is then part of the inner surface of the press box and/or the storage slide is part of the side wall in which the filling opening is located. This keeps the number of components and the weight of the baler low.

In the other end position, the storage slide is located at the end of the storage container facing away from the filling opening so that loose material to be pressed can be filled in between.

The storage slide can either be moved back and forth in the storage container or the front wall of the storage container facing away from the filling opening is itself the storage slide and can move transversely to the filling opening. This keeps the number of components low.

Preferably, the side walls are then designed to be variable in length, in particular to be multi-part, in particular to be telescopic, but they can also be rigid, one-piece side walls, which then continue to be spaced far away from the rear of the actual baler when the front wall is moved in the direction of the filling opening.

The supply slide is usually moved by means of slide cylinders on both sides, preferably running in its direction of movement, or another slide drive.

A particularly space-saving arrangement is achieved if these slide cylinders run along the outside of the storage container and in particular also along the outside of the cross walls of the press box, since they then generally do not protrude further than the storage container itself in any of their possible positions.

Preferably, they are designed as pull cylinders, i.e. they are designed to be subjected to pressure in particular in the direction in which the piston retracts into the cylinder.

(lid flap:)

In order to prevent the loose material to be pressed from piling up above the upper filling opening of the storage container when the loose material to be pressed is pushed forward in the storage container in the direction of the filling opening, the storage container has a lid flap which can be moved, in particular pivoted, between a closed position which closes the filling opening or in particular the entire open top of the storage container and an open position which does not close it, in particular leaves it completely open, so that in this open position the filling opening is available for filling in loose material to be pressed.

In the closed position, the underside of the cover flap should run parallel to the bottom of the storage container in order to create a channel of constant height, which the storage slide essentially fills in height in each of its functional positions.

The lid flap can also have a crank or other holding elements at its free end, i.e. the end facing away from its pivot axis, which are directed towards the interior of the storage container in order to prevent the material to be pressed from being pushed out over the rear edge of the storage container when the lid flap is lowered.

The storage slide should of course fill the channel created by the closed storage container in the direction of the filling opening as far as possible, also in terms of width, in all of its functional positions.

(Guide flap:)

Alternatively, the storage container can include a guide flap, the underside of which serves as a guide surface for the loose pressed material towards the filling opening.

For this purpose, it can be displaced, in particular pivoted, between a guide position which is inclined to the floor above the filling opening of the storage container, in which the underside of the guide flap approaches the floor of the storage container in the direction of the filling opening, and an open position which does not overlap this.

As a result, the upper edge of the storage slide does not rest on the underside of the flap or come close to it, but no significant force needs to be applied to press the flap down, as is the case with a lid flap. Instead, the storage slide pushes the loose material to be pressed along the bottom towards the filling opening, whereby the material to be pressed can pile up above the upper edge of the storage slide, limited only by the underside of the guide flap.

By moving the storage slide back and forward again, a considerable amount of loose material to be pressed can still be introduced into the press box in several strokes.

It is recommended to provide a cover element extending from the upper edge of the storage slide in the direction away from the filling opening in order to prevent material to be pressed from falling behind the storage slide, i.e. on the side facing away from the filling opening.

At least in the guide position, side plates are then preferably present which, in the guide position, close the free space between the side edges of the guide flap and the edge of the filling opening of the storage container in order to prevent pressed material from escaping or protruding from the side.

(Slant:)

In order to keep the height of the filling device as low as possible and to position its filling opening as low as possible, the bottom of the storage container can be designed to rise diagonally upwards, at least from the end of the bottom area located below the filling opening, preferably over its entire length.

Nevertheless, the floor is designed as a flat surface and rises towards the filling opening, particularly towards its lower edge, so that the storage slide can be moved in a linear sliding movement along the floor and can always maintain the same, small distance from the floor or can even touch the floor. For this purpose, the feed direction of the storage slide runs parallel to the floor of the storage container.

Nevertheless, the front side of the storage slide is preferably arranged parallel to the inner surface of the side wall in which the filling opening is located, so that the storage slide in its end position in which it is located in the filling opening is part of the corresponding side wall of the press box and its inner surface can be aligned with the inner surface of the corresponding side wall.

(Storage container can be lifted:)

Alternatively, the storage container can be attached to the press box in a height-adjustable manner and can be raised to an upper position in which the edge of the base on the press box side is flush with the lower edge of the filling opening in a side wall, in particular the rear wall, of the press box or is slightly higher.

When the collection vehicle is tipped in, the storage container is then in a lowered, low position just above the ground, so that the almost The upside down collection trolley does not rise very high when it is emptied into the storage container.

(Separate drives:)

Frequently, not only the at least one press ram, but also the moving parts of the automatic filling device, i.e. in particular the storage slide and/or the cover flap and/or the tilting device or lifting/tilting device and/or, if applicable, the liftable base and/or the overall liftable storage container, are actuated by means of working cylinders, in particular hydraulic cylinders.

The working cylinders of the automatic filling device, in particular their slide cylinders, can be operated with the same working medium as the press cylinder(s) operating the press with at least one press ram, and can also be supplied with pressure medium from the same pressure medium source.

Preferably, however, the filling device and the press ram should be operable independently of each other, in particular partially overlapping in time, and for this purpose, two separate and/or separately controllable drives are preferably provided for the at least one press ram on the one hand and at least one or some moving parts of the filling device on the other hand, in particular two independently controllable hydraulic pumps

(Strapping device:)

Preferably, the box baler according to the invention also has a strapping device in order to tightly strap the finished bale with a flexible strapping material, for example a strapping band or a binding wire, before removing it from the baler. and thus prevent the pressed bale from shrinking or even falling apart.

In the context of the present invention, only a binding wire is referred to, without limiting the strapping material to this.

Preferably, such a strapping device comprises at least one wire pusher which is able to push the binding wire, in particular its end, which can be designed as a wire eyelet, between the press ram and the top of the bale from the back to the front of the press box.

With regard to the operating method for operating a vertically acting box baler as described so far, this task is solved by carrying out the known automatic filling of the baler or its press box in batches.

This means that when loose material to be pressed is produced in batches, the required personnel effort can be very low, as the loose material to be pressed is automatically pressed, or in particular pushed, through the filling opening into the press box until the entire batch of material to be pressed is inside the press box.

(via cover flap or guide flap:)

According to the invention, the loose material to be pressed is compressed in height before or during pressing into the press box to a height that is equal to or less than the height of the filling opening of the press box.

This means that the compressed, pre-compacted material can be moved, for example pushed, through the filling opening into the press box without any further measures being required.

(Maintain width:)

For the same reason, it is preferably also necessary that the loose material to be pressed is either distributed on the bottom of the storage container over a width equal to or smaller than the width of the filling opening before being pressed into the press box, or is compressed in width before or during being pressed into the press box to a width that is smaller than the width of the filling opening.

(Filling during pressing:)

In order to increase the throughput of the baler, the next filling is preferably prepared while the material is being pressed in the press box. To do this, at least the emptied collection wagon is preferably moved back from the tipping device into the docking position in which it stands on the ground and can be released from the tipping device, in particular a new, filled collection wagon is already attached to the tipping device.

While the bale is being pressed, the storage container of the filling device can also be refilled if necessary, because the storage slide can be moved back from its front end position, in which it is part of a side wall of the press box, as soon as the press ram has passed the filling opening and continues to move forwards downwards, and even more so while it is then moving back to its upper starting position.

If necessary, the storage container can be refilled even if the storage slide has moved away from the filling opening of the press box on the has not yet reached the furthest-away starting position, whereby the space on the side facing away from the front surface of the storage slide, which is part of the side wall of the press box during pressing, must then be covered at the top in order to prevent material to be pressed from falling into this area.

(Slant:)

In order to be able to fill the storage container at the lowest possible height, the loose material to be pressed is pushed upwards to the height of the filling opening before being pressed into the press box.

(Lift storage container:)

Alternatively, the material to be pressed can be lifted up to the height of the filling opening before being pushed into the press box, especially together with the storage container in which it is located.

(Strapping:)

In order to be able to strap the bale even with the design of the baler according to the invention - whereby the binding wire must not run in front of the filling opening of the press box during production of the bale - the binding wire, in particular its end, for example in the form of a wire eyelet, can be arranged at a height in the press box which corresponds approximately to the height of the upper end of the finished bale.

Then, after the bale has been completed and the pressing ram is still pressing on it, the wire, in particular the wire eyelet, can be pushed or pulled through the pressing box from the back to the front, for example between the pressing ram and the upper end of the bale, so that at the front end of the pressing box - with the removal door open - is accessible and is available for connecting to the other end of the binding wire which is placed around the bottom of the bale and is inserted into the press box before the bale is produced.

c) Examples of implementation

Embodiments according to the invention are described in more detail below by way of example.

Figur 1a:

eine erste Bauform einer erfindungsgemäßen Ballenpresse in perspektivischer Ansicht,

Figur 1b:

die Ballenpresse der Figur 1a in der Seitenansicht,

Figur 1c:

die Ballenpresse gemäß Figur 1a in der Aufsicht von oben bei geschlossenem Deckel des Vorratsbehälters,

Figur 2a:

die Ballenpresse der Figuren 1 beim Befüllen des Vorratsbehälters, jedoch mit geöffneter Entnahmetür, in perspektivischer Ansicht,

Figur 2b:

die Ballenpresse gemäß Figur 2a, jedoch mit geschlossener Entnahmetür, in der Seitenansicht,

Figur 2c:

die Ballenpresse gemäß Figur 2b in der Aufsicht von oben,

Figur 3a -c:

eine zweite Bauform einer erfindungsgemäßen Ballenpresse in Seitenansicht, Aufsicht und Frontansicht.

Show it:

Figure 1a:

a first design of a baler according to the invention in perspective view,

Figure 1b:

the baler of the Figure 1a in side view,

Figure 1c:

the baler according to Figure 1a in the view from above with the lid of the storage container closed,

Figure 2a:

the baler of the Figures 1 when filling the storage container, but with the removal door open, in perspective view,

Figure 2b:

the baler according to Figure 2a , but with the removal door closed, in side view,

Figure 2c:

the baler according to Figure 2b in the view from above,

Figure 3a -c:

a second design of a baler according to the invention in side view, top view and front view.

The Figures 1a - c and 2a - c show a first design of the box baler 1 according to the invention as well as a collection wagon SW in which the material to be pressed P such as empty cardboard boxes is collected for feeding this baler 1 , but in Figure 1 on the one hand and Figure 2 on the other hand in two different operating states.

In the figures, the box baler 1 points with its front side 1a to the right and its rear side 1b to the left.

A generic vertically acting box baler comprises - and these elements are also present in the baler according to the invention - a press box 2 with a base 2a, which in this case has an approximately rectangular shape when viewed from above, so that a total of four side walls 2.1 to 2.4 protrude upwards from its outer areas, namely a front wall 2.1, a rear wall 2.2 opposite this, and longitudinal walls 2.3, 2.4 connecting these two walls to one another, so that the inner surfaces of the side walls, which border one another, form a circumferentially closed rectangle when viewed from above.

In the press box 2 is - as best in the Figures 1b and 2 B visible - a press stamp 3 in the form of a plate lying horizontally and thus parallel to the bottom 2a of the press box 2 , movable up and down in the vertical, the pressing direction 10, which can press the material to be pressed P lying in the press box against the bottom 2 .

The press ram 3 is attached to the lower ends of the piston rods 14.1 - 14.3 of several press cylinders 13.1 to 13.3 which are designed as hydraulic cylinders and are arranged vertically next to one another in the second horizontal transverse direction 11.2 and project beyond the upper end of the press box 2 .

To apply high pressing forces, the two outer pressing cylinders 13.1 and 13.2 are extended downwards, while the middle pressing cylinder 13.3 with its smaller cross-section is used as a rapid traverse cylinder, for example to quickly move the pressing ram 3 back upwards into the deactivated position.

Between the vertically extending press cylinders 13.1 to 13.3 , which are arranged in a common plane and parallel to one another, there is a guide rod 15a, b, the lower ends of which are also firmly connected to the press ram 3 and are intended to prevent an inclined position and thus a jamming of the press ram 3 in the press box 2 .

The front wall 2.1 on the front side 1a is attached to one of the longitudinal walls 2.3 via a vertical pivot axis and can be swung open like a door - as in Figure 2a shown - for removing a finished bale.

For pressing, the press ram 3 moves downwards to the level of the lower end of the filling flap 2.1.1 and thus the front filling opening, so that a finished bale has a height that also only reaches approximately to the lower end of this filling flap 2.1.1 .

How best in Figure 1b , the press ram 3 can be retracted upwards to at least the upper end of the front filling opening, i.e. the upper edge of the filling flap 2.1.1, because the material to be pressed P must be inserted into the space below the press ram 3 .

In a generic vertical box baler, the rear wall 2.2 of the press box 2 is closed or at most - if strapping of the finished bales is planned - has slots for the strapping medium to pass through. The rear wall 2.2 is preferably manufactured as a one-piece welded part, and the press box 2 is filled with material to be pressed P from the front side 1a , in that the upper part of the movable front wall 2.1 , which thereby forms a removal door 12 , is designed as a filling flap 2.1.1 , which is movably attached to the rest of the front door 2.1 and can be moved downwards along guides, so that a filling opening is open in the upper part of the front wall 2.1 , through which material to be pressed can be thrown in from the front side 1a .

The illustrated box baler 1 according to the invention , which also acts vertically, has a filling opening 2.2a in the upper area of the rear wall 2.2 , through which it can be filled automatically according to the invention.

The filling opening to be opened in the front wall 2.1, formed as described by forming a filling flap 2.1.1 in the removal door 2.1 , may also be present, but this is not a prerequisite for the implementation of the invention. The front wall 2.1 can be designed as a closed removal door 12 that can only be moved as a door.

The automatic filling is carried out by means of a filling device 20, which comprises a box-shaped storage container 21 , which is connected on the outside to the rear wall 2.2 of the press box 2 and has a Figures 1 and 2 has a horizontally running bottom 21a , from which side walls 21c, d and an end wall 21e protrude at the free end, the side walls reaching up to the filling opening 2.2a in the rear of the press box 2.

The top side 21b of the storage container 21 can be closed by a cover flap 25 which can be pivoted about a horizontal pivot axis 25' near the press box 2 between the folded-down position of the cover flap 25 which closes the top side 21b and in which the bottom side of the cover flap 25 runs parallel to the bottom 21a of the storage container 21 , and a filling position which is pivoted upwards - as in the Figures 2 shown - can be swiveled with the help of a swivel cylinder 28.

In this filling position, a collection trolley SW filled with material to be pressed P , which is open at the top, can be pivoted upwards and emptied into the storage container 21 via the upper edge of the end wall 21e of the latter.

The lifting, tipping, emptying, tipping back and setting down of the SW collection vehicle is usually carried out automatically by means of a lifting/tipping device 22 , as in the Figures 3a - c is shown and described.

After the collection vehicle SW has been swiveled back, the cover flap 25 can be closed again with the aid of the swivel cylinder 28 , whereby the swivel cylinder 28 can provide sufficient swivel force so that loose pressed material P protruding above the height of the upper edge of the end wall 21e is compressed by the underside 25a of the cover flap 25 below this level.

Inside the storage container 21, a storage slide 24 is movable between a retracted position near the end wall 21e and a pushed or advanced position near the filling opening 2.2a of the press box 2, wherein the storage slide 24 moves with its lower edge close to the bottom 21a .

In the advanced end position - see Figure 1b - the supply slide 24 is preferably not only located close to the filling opening 2.2a, but in this filling opening 2.2a , which it closes completely, so that it becomes part of the rear wall 2.2 of the press box 2 and its front surface facing the press box 2 is flush with the inner surface of the remaining rear wall 2.2 .

The supply slide 24 is moved by means of two slide cylinders 26a, b, which run along the outer sides of the side walls 21c, d of the supply container 21 and also along the longitudinal walls 23 , 24 of the press box 2 in the first horizontal transverse direction 11.1 , wherein one end of each slide cylinder 26a, b is fastened to one of the longitudinal walls 2.3 , 2.4 in the vicinity of the front wall 2.1 , while the other end is connected to the supply slide 24 through the side wall 21c, d of the supply container 21 .

The slide cylinders 26a , b are preferably designed as double-acting hydraulic cylinders that can be actuated in both directions.

The design of the Figures 1 and 2 the bottom 21a of the storage container 21 runs horizontally, i.e. at a right angle to the rear wall 2.2 , and the plate-shaped storage slide 24 is at a right angle to the bottom 21a and thus vertical, and completely fills the cross-section of the storage container 21 , i.e. transversely to the extension direction of the slide cylinders 26a, b, the sliding direction 24' of the storage slide 24, so that no material P to be pressed can get in between.

Because with such training when filling, as in Figure 2a , b It is clear that the raised and tilted collecting wagon SW protrudes beyond the baler 1 and therefore requires a large available height at the site of use. Figures 3a - c a second design of the baler 1, in which this required height is lower, in particular not greater than the height of the vertical box baler 1 itself:
The main difference compared to the first design of the Figures 1 and 2 consists in the fact that the bottom 2.1a of the storage container 21 does not run horizontally, but rises diagonally towards the rear filling opening 2.2a in the rear wall 2.2 of the press box 2 .

As a result, its free end facing away from the press box 2 , i.e. also the end wall 21e and its upper edge, is significantly lower than in the first design, so that the collecting wagon SW does not have to be lifted as far above this upper edge for emptying and thus in its - in Figure 3a also shown - emptying position also protrudes less upwards, and hardly above the height level of the upper end of the rest of the baler, in particular the upper ends of the pressing cylinders 13.1 - 13.3 .

How Figure 3a shows, the end wall 21e of the storage container 21 is still vertical, and also the Storage slide 24, however, the sliding direction 24' of the storage slide 24 is no longer horizontal, but runs diagonally rising parallel to the bottom 21 a of the storage container 21.

The remaining design of the baler 1 corresponds to that of the first design of the Figures 1 and 2 , although in the Figures 3a - 3c Additionally, the lifting/tilting device 22 is shown, which lifts the filled collection trolley SW , which has been driven up to the ground and secured therein, tilts it into the correct position and empties it into the storage container 21 .

For this purpose, the collection vehicle SW is coupled to the lifting/tilting device 22 by means of a fastening device 23 of the lifting/tilting device 22 , which in this case - as in Figure 3b visible - when viewed from above, has a U-shaped fork into which the collection trolley SW can be inserted in the 2nd transverse direction 11.2 and can be locked there automatically or manually. This U-shaped fork is then lifted and tilted by a motor along corresponding guides of the lifting/tilting device 22 together with the collection trolley SW .

Furthermore, the Figures 3a - c the best in Figure 3a recognizable, optionally available, side plates 29a, b are present, which extend upwards in alignment or parallel to the side walls 21c, d of the storage container 21 , thereby increasing the filling volume of the storage container 21. The cover flap 25 pivots between the Figure 3a shown open position - in which it usually only slightly covers the open top of the storage container 21 - with its side edges tightly fitting between the side plates 29a, b downwards to the lower end position.

This lower end position is, when used as a cover flap 25, an end position parallel to the base 21a , in which the distance between the closed cover flap 25 and the base 21a remains the same over the entire displacement path of the supply slide 24 , in particular until this has reached its final position in the filling opening 2.2a and becomes part of the corresponding side wall 2.2 .

However, if the side plates 29a, b are present, the cover flap 25 can also be used as a guide flap 25* , which means that the lower end position is not an end position parallel to the bottom 21a , but a position inclined to the bottom, in which the distance between the guide flap 25* in this end position and the bottom 21a of the storage container 21 decreases from the free end wall 21b in the direction of the filling opening 2.2a .

When, in this mode of operation, the storage slide 24 moves from its retracted end position in the direction of the filling opening 2.2a , material to be pressed can pass over the upper edge of the storage slide 24 , which is why a cover 27 covering the free space to the upper edge of the free end wall 21b , which can be changed in length or moved, is present from the upper end of the storage slide 24 .

In order to push all of the filled material to be pressed into the press box 2 in this mode of operation, several working strokes of the storage slide 24 may be necessary, but for this purpose the pivoting cylinder 28 for the cover flap or guide flap must be designed to be less strong and/or a higher filling volume in relation to a smaller volume of the storage container 21 can be managed in one filling process.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

1

Box baler

1a

Front

1b

Rear side

2

Press box

2a

Floor

2.1

Side wall, front wall

2.1.1

Filling flap

2.1a

Removal opening

2.2

Side wall, rear wall

2.2a

Filling opening

2.3, 2.4

Side wall, longitudinal wall

3

Press stamp

10

Press direction, vertical

11.1

1. Transverse direction, throughput direction

11.2

2. Transverse direction

12

Removal door

13.1-13.3

Press cylinder

14.1 -14.2

Piston rod

15a, b

Guide rod

20

Filling device

21

Storage container

21a

Floor

21b

Top

21b1

filling opening,

21c, d

Side wall

21e

End wall

22

Tilting device, lifting/tilting device

23

Fastening device

24

Supply slide

24'

Direction of movement, sliding direction

24a

Front surface, sliding surface

25

Lid flap

25'

Swivel axis

25*

Guide flap

25a

bottom

26a, b

Slide cylinder

27

Cover element

28

Swivel cylinder

29a, b

Page sheet

P

Pressed material

SW

Collection vehicle

Claims (17)

1. Vertical box baling press, comprising

   - a press box (2) having a base (2a) and having side walls (2.1 - 2.4) projecting upwardly from said base,

   - a pressing plunger (3) which is movable upwards and downwards in the press box (2),

   - a closable removal opening (2.1a) in the front wall (2.1),

   - an, in particular closable, loading opening (2.2a) for the loading of the press box (2), and

   - a loading device (20) for automatically loading the press box (2) through the loading opening (2.2a),

   - wherein the loading device (20) is designed to load the press box (2) automatically in batches,

   - wherein the loading device (20) comprises a supply container (21) for receiving loose material for pressing (P), said supply container comprising a filling opening (21b1), and

   - wherein the supply container (21) is connected to the loading opening (2.2a),

   characterised in that

   - the loading opening (2.2a) is arranged in an upper region of one of the side walls that is not the front wall (2.1), and

   - the supply container (21) comprises a cover flap (25) which is movable between a closed position, in which it closes the filling opening (21b1) of the supply container (21), and an open position, in which it does not close said filling opening, wherein the volume of the supply container (21) when the cover flap (25) is in the closed position is smaller than a specified volume of a batch.
2. The box baling press according to claim 1,
   characterised in that

   - the filling opening (21b1) is arranged in the upper region, in particular in the top side (21b), of the supply container (21), in particular by virtue of the top side (21b) being completely open,

   - a base (21a) of the supply container (21) extends as far as the loading opening (2.2a) and ends at the same level as said loading opening or above this level, in particular adjoins said loading opening.

   (Volume, supply container:)
3. The box baling press according to either of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that

   - the supply container (21) has a volume large enough to receive a complete batch with an, in particular specified, volume of, in particular loose, material for pressing (P),

   - the specified volume of a complete batch corresponds to the volume of a collecting trolley (SW) for loose material for pressing (P).

   (Lifting/tipping device:)
4. The box baling press according to any of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that

   - the loading device (20) comprises a tipping device (22), in particular a lifting/tipping device (22), for automatically tipping out a filled collecting trolley (SW) into the supply container (21),

   - the tipping device (22) comprises a fastening device (23) for fastening a collecting trolley (SW) to the tipping device (22).

   (Supply ram:)
5. The box baling press according to any of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that

   - the supply container (21) comprises a supply ram (24) which is movable towards and away from the loading opening (2.2a) between two end positions,

   - wherein, in one end position, the supply ram (24) closes the loading opening (2.2a) of the press box (2) and the front surface (24a) of said supply ram is part of the inner surface of one of the walls (2.2 - 2.4) of the press box (2), and/or, in one end position, the supply ram (24) is part of that side wall (2.2) in which the loading opening (2.2a) is situated,

   - in particular, in the other end position, the supply ram (24) is situated at that end of the supply container (21) which is remote from the loading opening (2.2a).
6. The box baling press according to claim 5,
   characterised in that

   the supply ram (24)

   - is either movable back and forth in the supply container (21),

   - or that end wall (21.1) of the supply container (21) which is remote from the loading opening (2.2a) is the supply ram (24), and in particular, the side walls (21.2, 21.3) are designed to be variable in length, in particular are of multi-part, in particular telescopic form,

   in particular,

   - the supply ram (24) is moved by means of ram cylinders (26a, b) situated on both sides, which ram cylinders preferably extend in the movement direction of said supply ram,

   - which ram cylinders extend in particular along the outer sides of the supply container (21)

   - and in particular also along the outer sides of the transverse walls (2.3, 2.4) of the press box (2).

   (Separate drives:)
7. The box baling press according to any one of the preceding claims or according to claim 6, if the ram cylinders (26a, b) are present,
   characterised in that

   - the loading device (20), in particular the supply ram (24) thereof, on the one hand, and the at least one pressing plunger (3), on the other hand, have separate drives and are in particular mutually independently actuatable,

   - in particular, if said drives are each hydraulic drives, then two separate and in particular mutually independently controllable pressure sources, in particular hydraulic pumps, are provided for these,
   and/or

   - the ram cylinders (26a, b) are designed as pull-type cylinders.

   (Cover flap:)
8. The box baling press according to any of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that

   - the cover flap (25) is movable, in particular pivotable, between the closed position, in which it closes the filling opening (21b 1) in the form of an open top side (21b) of the supply container (21), and the open position, in which it leaves the top side (21b) of the supply container (21) completely open,

   - in particular, in the closed position, the bottom side (25a) of the cover flap (25) extends parallel to the base (21a) of the supply container (21),
   and/or

   - the cover flap (25) has, at its free side remote from the pivot axis (25'), a portion that is offset in a direction into the supply container (21).

   (Guide flap:)
9. Box baling press according to any of claims 1 to 8,
   characterised in that

   - the cover flap (25) is designed to be usable as a guide flap (25*) which is movable, in particular pivotable, between a guidance position, in which it stands obliquely with respect to the base (21a) above the open top side (21b) of the supply container (21), and an open position, in which it overlaps said top side to a lesser extent,

   - in the guidance position, the bottom side (25*a) of the guide flap (25*) approaches the base (21a) of the supply container (21) in the direction of the loading opening (2.2a),

   - in particular, side panels (29a, b) are provided which, in the guidance position, close the free space between the side edges of the guide flap (25*) and the edge of the open top side (21b) of the supply container (21).
10. The box baling press according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterised in that

    - the base (21a) of the supply container (21) rises obliquely upwards, in particular as a planar surface, towards the loading opening (2.2a), in particular towards the bottom edge of said loading opening,

    - the advancing direction (24') of the supply ram (24) extends parallel to the base (21a) of the supply container (21),

    - the front side (24a) of the supply ram (24) is arranged parallel to the inner surface of that side wall (2.2) in which the loading opening (2.2a) is situated,
    and/or

    - a covering element (27) is provided which extends, from the top edge of the supply ram (24), in the direction pointing away from the loading opening (2.2a) and which closes the area, as seen in plan view, between the rear side of the supply ram (24) and the adjoining part of the supply container (21).

    (Supply container liftable:)
11. The box baling press according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterised in that

    - the supply container (21) is fastened to the press box (2) so as to be movable vertically as far as an upper position in which the box-side edge of the base (21a) is aligned with, or situated higher than, the bottom edge of the loading opening (2.2a),
    and/or

    - the box baling press comprises a strapping device for strapping the completed bale in the box press with binding wire, in particular in motorised and/or automatic fashion,

    - in particular, the strapping device has at least one wire-pushing means which is capable of pushing the wire, in particular the end thereof, in particular the wire eyelet thereof, between the bale and pressing plunger (3) from the rear side to the front side of the press box (2).
12. Method for operating a box baling press according to any of the preceding claims,

    - wherein the press box (2) of said box baling press is loaded automatically in batches,

    characterised in that
    the, in particular loose, material for pressing (P), before or as it is forced into the press box (2) through the loading opening (2.2a), is vertically compressed, that is to say is pre-compressed, to a height that is equal to or smaller than the height of the loading opening (2.2a).
13. Method according to claim 12,
    characterised in that

    the, in particular loose, material for pressing (P) is forced, in particular pushed, through the loading opening (2.2a) into the press box (2) automatically.

    (Adhering to width:)
14. Method according to any of the preceding method claims,
    characterised in that
    the, in particular loose, material for pressing (P), before being forced into the press box (2) through the loading opening (2.2a),

    - is either distributed over a width that is smaller, as seen in plan view, than the width of the loading opening (2.2a),

    - or, before or as it is forced into the press box (2) through the loading opening (2.2a), is compressed in width to a width that is smaller than the width of the loading opening (2.2a).

    (Filling during pressing:)
15. Method according to any of the preceding method claims,
    characterised in that,

    as the material for pressing (P) is pressed in the press box (2),

    - a collecting trolley (SW) can already be moved back into the docking position by the tipping device (22),

    - in particular, a new, filled collecting trolley (SW) can be fastened to the tipping device (22),
    and/or

    - the supply container (21) of the loading device (20) can already be filled again with material for pressing (P).

    (Oblique movement:)
16. Method according to any of the preceding method claims,
    characterised in that,

    - the, in particular loose, material for pressing (P), before being forced into the press box (2) through the loading opening (2.2a), is pushed upwards to the height of the loading opening (2.2a).

    (Strapping:)
17. Method according to any of the preceding method claims,
    characterised in that

    - the completed bale is strapped with binding wire before being removed from the box press,

    - for which purpose, in particular, the at least one binding wire, which has in particular been introduced into the press box (2) before the production of the bale, in particular the end of said binding wire, in particular in the form of a wire eyelet, is pushed, in particular automatically, between the bale and the pressing plunger (3) from the rear side to the front side of the press box (2), in particular to a location that is accessible when a removal door (12) has been opened,

    - such that the other end of the binding wire can subsequently be connected thereto.

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