GB2068881A - Loading bales from a baling press onto a vehicle or into a container - Google Patents

Abstract

Bales 23, for example of refuse, are ejected one after the other from a baling press 1 on to a chute 4 whence they are loaded in two or more layers into a transport container 7. To load the bales in this way, a crane 9 has grippers 17 which pick up the individual bales and move them in the pressing direction of the horizontally acting press 1, transversely to this direction and vertically to assemble them into a stack on a table 5. In the example, each stack has four bales formed in two layers each consisting of two bales side by side. Each stack is then pushed by a bale slide 6, 14 into the container and pushes previous stacks in front of it further into the container. This technique enables the press to operate continuously as, when a container is full, it can be replaced by an empty container while a stack is being formed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method and apparatus for loading bales from a baling press on to a vehicle or into a container.

This invention relates to methods of and apparatus for loading bales of waste material, for example refuse, from a horizontal baling press, on to a transport vehicle or into a transportation container the vertical longitudinal central plane of which is brought into alignment with a vertical central plane of a bale outlet of the baling press.

Such bale loading is required, for example, in the processing of refuse when refuse collected by refuse disposal vehicles is compressed into high-density bales so that the refuse can then be transported more efficiently over long distances to a dump where it can be stored or buried in a space-saving manner.

In a loading apparatus disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 27 53 720, a bale chute, a cross-table which is adapted to traverse transversely to the pressing direction of the baling press and a transport vehicle in alignment with the vertical central plane of the baling press are disposed one after the other downstream of a horizontal baling press.

A horizontally reciprocable bale slide transfers the bales, which are ejected one after the other from the baling press on to the chute, to the vehicle. For the loading operation, the bales are singled out from the series of bales produced by the press by repeated horizontal sliding movements of the bale slide and of the cross-table and the bales are placed in readiness for loading on the cross table side by side and symmetrically with respect to the vertical central plane of the press. The bales are subsequently pushed by the slide in a plurality of rows on to the transport vehicle.

Owing to the exclusively horizontal reciprocation of the bale slide, this loading device enables the vehicle to be loaded with only one layer of bales. Furthermore, subsequent operations of singling out and placing in readiness of the bales for loading are carried out almost exclusively by the slide, so that loading proceeds relatively slowly.

Accordingly, it may be neccessary, as soon as the transport vehicle is fully laden and while it is being exchanged for an unladen vehicle, for the loading device, and even for the baling press, which operates at the same rhythm as the loading device, to be shut down until the unladen vehicle is positioned in readiness for loading.

Furthermore, the loading space of the transport vehicle is only partially utilized by being laden with a single layer of bales. However, owing to the surface structure of the bales formed of waste material, loading in a plurality of layers is found to be difficult. Depending on the composition of the waste material, the bales have very rough and fissured external surfaces. Bales with such external surfaces resting upon each other can cause the bales to become locked to each other so that they can no longer be slid with respect to each other and furthermore the bales in the upper layer or layers may assume a skew or canted position.If a sliding plane, for example of metal plates, is placed upon a lower layer prior to loading an upper layer of bales in order to improve the slidablility, this causes the loading operation, in addition to being interrupted for the changing of the vehicle, to be interrupted again for the positioning of the plates. Also, the loading device calls for additional apparatus for lowering the load-carrying vehicle to enable the upper layer or layers to be formed, since the bales are pushed on a horizontal plane at a constant level from the loading device on to the vehicle.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for loading bales of waste material from a horizontal baling press on to a transport vehicle or into a transport container so that a larger volume of waste material per unit time can be loaded with optimum utilisation of the loading space.

To this end, according to this invention, such a method comprises bringing a vertical longitudinal central plane of the vehicle or container into alignment with a vertical central plane of a bale outlet of the baling press from which the bales are ejected one after the other and also the following steps:: (a) a first, leading bale of a series of bales is moved in a direction at right angles to the pressing direction in which the bale is pressed in the press horizontally by a distance which exceeds half the bale width into a predetermined position and is also vertically moved; (b) thereafter a second, succeeding bale is singled out from the series, is moved in the pressing direction to a predetermined limiting position and during movement into the limiting position is moved at right angles to the pressing direction horizontally in a direction opposite to the movement of the bale in step (a) also by a distance which exceeds half the bale width, and is also vertically moved, so that the second bale is situated beside the first bale;; (c) thereafter a third, subsequent bale is singled out from the series and is moved in the same manner as the first bale in step (a) to another predetermined limiting position in which it is situated upon the first bale; (d) thereafter a fourth, subsequent bale is singled out from the series of bales and is move in the same manner as the second bale in step (b) to another predetermined limiting position in which it is situated upon the second bale; and, (e) thereafter, the four bales which form a bale stack are jointly pushed horizontally in the pressing direction from their predetermined positions on to the transport vehicle or into the container, the bales in this step being moved through a distance which exceeds a bale length; (f) whereupon this cycle of steps is repeated with additional stacks, with each bale stack pushing the bale stacks in front of it further onto the vehicle or into the container until the vehicle or container is fully laden.

Preferably, during step (e) a gap between the bales which are side by side in each layer is closed.

These steps effect a multiline and multilayer, especially a double line and double layer, loading of the transport vehicle or transportation container so that the transportation capacity is increased in a simple manner and furthermore, by separating the operations of assembling the bales in readiness for loading and the actual loading of the bales, the loading operation can be rendered more continuous and, by making the procedure automatic, the operation can be harmoniously adapted to the operation of the baling press. The method steps in accordance with the invention can also be modified, inter alia by three or more layers of bales being formed one above the other on the transport vehicle, and each layer may comprise only a single row of bales or more than two rows of bales.

With the method in accordance with the invention it is possible for the bale length of each bale to be checked during transfer in one of the steps (a) to (d) to ensure that specific dimensional tolerances for the bale length are maintained.

To ensure reliable stacking for the transfer of the bales, it is possible to arrange that the end faces nearest to the vehicle or container of the bales in each bale stack, the lengths of which are between a predetermined lower limiting length and a predetermined mean length, are substantially in alignment with each other and longer bales project beyond the plane of alignment by a predetermined distance. To prevent breakdown of the loading operation, which is automatic, owing to insufficiently compressed, damaged or wrongly bound bales, it is possible to interpose an additional step in which a bale, damage of which is detected during step (a), (b), (c) or (d), preferably during vertical movement of the bale, is ejected for example by horizontal and/or vertical movement as appropriate on completion of the step (a), (b), (c) or (d).

Apparatus for loading of bales of waste material, especially refuse, ejected from a horizontal press on to a transport vehicle or into a transportation container is disclosed in the above-mentioned German Offenlegungsschrift No.27 53 720.

A further aspect of the presention invention provides an improved apparatus for this purpose which is effective for carrying out the method in accordance with this invention.

According to this aspect of the present invention, such apparatus comprises a bale chute for receiving the bales one after the other from the baling press, a stacking table, which has a vertical central plane in alignment with a vertical central plane of the chute, for carrying the bale stacks, and a bale slide, which is horizontally reciprocable in a direction parallel to the vertical central planes for pushing the bale stacks from the table on to the vehicle or into the container, wherein a crane is provided above the chute and table: the crane having hoisting means which is movable parallel to and perpendicular to the vertical central plane, and a holder for holding a bale and moving the bale horizontally and vertically on to the table and above the chute and the table and wherein guiding means are provided on the table for guiding the bale stacks as they are pushed by the slide, which has an abutment for engaging the bales in a bale stack and is reciprocable substantially between the end of the chute adjacent the table and the end of the table remote from the chute.

This apparatus permits fully automatic loading of the transport vehicle or transportation container with bales in a plurality of lines and a plurality of layers.

The apparatus can be of narrow construction having a width which is adapted to that of the baling press and in this way it can be readily installed in existing refuse treatment plant or the like.

The crane, which is provided for carrying out the method steps (a), (b), (c) and (d), for the singling out of a bale from the series of bales and placing the bales in readiness for loading, is preferably provided with a crossmember which is movable along a crane track horizontally parallel to the vertical central planes, the cross-member carrying a transverse slide which carries the hoisting means and the hoisting means carrying a bale gripper which forms the holder. in this manner the narrow, advantageous construction of the apparatus can be retained.

The bale gripper preferably comprises two vertical, suspended and synchronously driven jaws, the horizontal distance between which can be varied between a distance exceeding a bale width and a distance less than the bale width. The bale gripper can thus be used for individual gripping of at least one bale as well as for the vertical and horizontal transfer thereof.

The bale gripper may also be provided with a device which senses the length of a bale held by the gripper and advantageously it is also provided with means for weighing the bales.

In a preferred embodiment, the crane is driven by a hydraulic motor and in operation is connected via hydraulic conduits to the hydraulic power output of the baling press which is also hydraulically driven so that both pieces of apparatus can have a common supply of pressure fluid.

The stacking table may be disposed in a plane which can be lowered with respect to the bale chute if, according to a further embodiment of the invention, the bale chute and the stacking table are vertically offset stepwise and their adjacent ends overlap with the chute above the table. The bale slide may then advantageously be disposed between the overlapping ends of the bale chute and the stacking table, so that the apparatus including the crane can be constructed to a relatively low height even though the crane must be able to place the bales in readiness for loading on the stacking table one above the other.

The abutment of the bale slide may also be provided with an opening into which the end of the bale chute remote from the baling press projects. This opening enables a bale to be conveyed from the chute in the pressing direction beyond the stacking table, even without transverse horizontal, or vertical movement of the bale gripper, if, for example, the apparatus is operated in such a way that it does not carry out steps (a), (b), (c) and (d), that is for example if a single line of bales is to be loaded on to a vehicle.

Furthermore, the end of the bale chute adjacent the table can be provided with shutdown means operatively connected to a control system of the baling press so that the latter is shut down, for example, by the leading bale of a series of bales which triggers the shut-down operation if a delay occurs with any of the method steps (a), to (d) which would prevent continued singling out and loading of the bales in time with the operating cycle of the baling press.

Furthermore, a pressure controlled switch on the baling slide may be operatively connected to a limit switch, disposed along the path of the bale slide and adapted to be overridden, and connected to a control system of a drive of the slide. By means of this switch it is possible for any defect which occurs when a bale stack is pushed by the slide on to the transport vehicle or into the transportation container, for example canting or jamming of the bale stack, or completion of the loading operation in the case of a fully laden vehicle or container, to be signalled and the bale slide can thereupon be caused to move back into its starting position adjacent the chute when this is appropriate.

An example of a method and of apparatus in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus in use for loading bales from a press into a container; Figure la shows the middle portion of Fig.

1 to a slightly larger scale; Figure 2 is a plan view along the line ll-ll of Fig. 1; Figure 2a is a plan view along the line ll-ll of Fig. la; Figure 3 is a section along the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 1 as seen in the direction of the arrows; Figure 4a to 40 show diagrammatically the operation of transfer of a first bale on to a stacking table, seen as a side view and a sectional front view; Figures 5a to 5j show diagrammatically the operation of transferring a second bale on to the stacking table, seen as a side view and as a sectional front view; Figures 6g to 6j show diagrammatically the operation of transferring a third bale on to the stacking table, as a side view and as a sectional front view;; Figures 7g to 7m show diagrammatically the operation of transferring a fourth bale on to the stacking table and sliding of the bale stack into a transportation container, shown as a side view and as a sectional view; Figures 8g1-8g6 show diagrammatically the transfer of a longer bale on to the bale chute as well as the position of the said bale on the stacking table.

A horizontal baling press comprises a filling hopper 2 into a filling opening 3 of which refuse is tipped, for example from waste disposal vehicles. The baling press itself is constructed in a conventional manner for the production of highly compacted and bound block-shaped bales and requires no further description. A bale chute 4, a stacking table 5, with a horizontally traversible bale slide 6, which extends partly beneath the bale chute 4 and is guided by the stacking table 5, and a transportation container are disposed serially downstream of the horizontal baling press 1 and in alignment with a vertical central plane of a bale outlet of the baling press.Above the bale chute 4 and the stacking table 5 there is a crane 8 which is horizontally traversable at right angles to the vertical central planes of the bale chute and of the stacking table on a cross-member 9 on rails 10 which extend in the pressing direction of the baling press 1. A hoisting part of the crane 8 can be moved vertically by means of a hoisting gear 1 3 on the cross-member 9.

The bale slide 6 is provided with a wall 1 4 and is only horizontally slidable between the bale chute 4 and the transportation container 7 and is disposed on the stacking table 5. The wall 1 4 is offset in a vertically stepped configuration with respect to the bale chute 4 and at a lower plane, so that the bale slide 6 is disposed between inwardly facing and overlapping ends 15, 1 6 of the bale chute 4 and of the stacking table 5 respectively.

The crane 8 is provided with a gripper 17, which comprises two vertically disposed jaws 19, 20 which are slidably supported on the horizontal cross-member 1 8. Synchronism of movement of the jaws 1 9, 20 is achieved in a manner, not shown, by means of a linkage which interconnects the jaws.

In the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 3, bales which are continuously arranged one after the other and emerge from the press 1, initially move successively on to the bale chute 4, They are then conveyed by means of the crane 8 on to the stacking table 5; are stacked one above the other on the table and are then pushed four at a time, in pairs side by and in two layers one above the other, by the bale slide 1 4 into the transportation container 7.

In the operating stage shown in Figures 1 to 3, a first bale 21 and a second bale 22 of the set of bales to be pushed into the transporotation container 7 are already disposed symmetrically at a distance s/2 from the vertical central plane of the baling press 1, that is at a distance sfrom each other on the stacking table, while a third bale 23 is being placed by the crane on to the first bale 21. The third bale 23 is moved horizontally and vertically above the bale chute 4 by the crane 8 from an initial position, which is indicated in Fig. 1 in broken lines and in which the third bale 23 is disposed on the end of the bale chute 4 adjoining the bale press 1, so that the third bale 23 will now be in the position indicated in solid lines above the stacking table 5.As shown in Fig. 3, the crane 8 has also traversed horizontally transversely to the pressing direction of the baling press 1 to the right hand side R as seen in the pressing direction by an amount b/2 + s/2 in the horizontal direction, where b is the bale width. The third bale 23 is thus positioned accurately above the first bale 21 on the stacking table 5.

Traversing of the crane 8 on a crane track 11 is controlled by means of limit switches El, E17, E4, E10 and E9 while cross sliding of the gripper 1 7 is monitored by limit switches E8, E13 and E14. To execute vertical movements, the crane 8 is provided with limit switches El 1, E5, E3, E16 and E12 on the hoisting gear 1 3. Opening and closing of the jaws 1 9 of the gripper 1 7 is monitored by limit switches E2 and E6. Furthermore, the gripper 1 7 is provided with photocells F1, F2 and F3 by means of which the lengths of bales to be transferred are checked to ensure that pre-defined dimensional tolerances are maintained.A further photocell F5 disposed on the bale chute 4 responds as as soon as an upper limiting length of a bale is exceeded. To prevent further bales being delivered from the baling press 1 in the event of delays of bale transfer and to avoid damaging of the bales if these drop from the bale chute 4 on to the stacking table 5, the end 1 5 of the bale chute 4 is provided with a photocell 4 which, when actuated by a bale, shuts down the baling press 1. Furthermore, limit switches E18 and E 1 9 control the sliding travel of the bale slide 6 which is guided by the side edges of the stacking table 5; a limit switch E 20, which can be overridden, monitors the state of loading of the transportation container 7. The operation of the individual limit switches and photocells is explained with reference to the procedure described below.

According to Figs 4a and 4b, the crane 8, controlled by the limit switch El, is in a starting position above the bale chute 4, and the gripper 1 7 of the crane 8 is situated at a distance, defined by the limit switch E5, above the bale chute 4, so that the distance between a cross-member 1 8, interconnecting the jaws 19, 20 and the bale chute 4, is greater than the height of a first bale 21 which is ejected by the baling press. Furthermore, the jaws 19, 20 of the gripper 1 7 are opened so that the internal distance between the jaws is greater than the bale width b of the bale 21 disposed between the jaws.

The bale 21 ejected by the bale press on to the bale chute 4 actuates the photocell F1 which is disposed at a defined horizontal distance from the longitudinal centre on the end of the gripper 1 7 which is distal from the baling press. Thereupon the crane 8 moves on the crane track 11 in the pressing direction of the baling press until the photocell F 1 is again triggered (Fig. 4c). According to Fig.

4d, the gripper 1 7 is then closed by centripetal traversing of the jaws 19, 20 and the limit switch E2 is actuated when the closed condition is reached.

Thereafter, according to Fig. 4e, the gripper 17 raises the firmly clamped bale 21 into a position above the bale chute 4 defined by the limit switch E 3 and the crane 8 travels with the bale 21 on the crane track 11 in the pressing direction of the baling press until the limit switch E 4 is reached so that the bale 21 will now be situated at a specific distance from the end 1 5 of the bale chute 4. The bale length is monitored by the photocell F 3 while the crane travels with the bale. The photocell F 3, which is mounted at a specific horizontal distance from the longitudinal centre on the end of the gripper 1 7 nearest to the baling press, causes further transfer of the bale 21 only if the bale length does not exceed a specific dimension which corresponds to the mean bale length of the bales ejected by the press. The succeeding method steps which are carried out in the event that the bale has a length exceeding the mean bale length, will be described below. The bale 21 held by the gripper 1 7 as shown in Fig. 4e is shorter than the mean bale length, so that the photocell F 3 is released.

The hoisting gear 1 3 then moves the gripper 1 7 together with the bale 21 in the vertical upward direction until the limit switch E 1 6 operates (Fig. 49); in this raised posi tion, the weight of the bale 21 can be determined by means of a weighing device mounted on the crane 8.

Thereafter, the gripper 1 7 is moved horizontally by means of a cross sliding system 1 2 at right angles to the pressing direction of the baling press to the right hand side R as seen in the pressing direction, by a distance b/2 + s/2 which is defined by the limit switch E 8 (Fig. 4h). The crane 8 then travels in the pressing direction of the baling press into a loading limiting position, defined on the crane track 11 by the limit switch 9 and at the same time an overrideable limit switch E 10 controls the run-out speed of the crane 8. In Fig. 4ithe gripper 17 with a bale 21 is positioned above the stacking table 5 on to which the bale is vertically lowered by the hoisting gear 1 3 of the crane 8 until the limit switch E 11 is operated.The jaws 19, 20 of the gripper 1 7 are then operated until the limit switch E 6 is actuated. The bale 21, which has been released by the gripper, will then be positioned on the stacking table 5 in a limiting position defined by the limit switches E 9/E 8/E11.

Subsequently, the hoising gear 1 3 moves the gripper 1 7 perpendicularly to the pressing direction of the baling press into a top position defined by the limit switch E 1 2 (Figs. 4k and 48; thereafter the crane 8 travels on the crane track 11 into a rear limiting position defined by the limit switch E 1 to the end of the crane track 11 nearest to the baling press and the run-out speed of the crane 8 is controlled by an overrideable limit switch E 17 ( Fig. 4m). The gripper 17 is then moved horizontally by the cross traversing system 1 2 at right angles to the pressing direction into a middle position which is in alignment with the vertical central plane of the bale chute 4 and is defined by a limit switch E 1 3 (Fig. 4n).The operation of placing into readiness for loading into the container of a first bale for a bale stack is completed after the ensuing lowering of the gripper 1 7 by means of the hoisting gear 1 3 into the starting position above the bale chute 4 as defined by the limit switch E 5.

In a further operation, a second bale 22 is handled in accordance with the operating steps explained with reference to Figs. 4a to 4g for the first bale; in the ensuing operating step, shown in Fig. 5h, the gripper 1 7 with the bale 22 is moved horizontally by means of the cross-transfer system 1 2 of the crane at right angles to the pressing direction of the baling press to the left-hand side L as seen in the pressing direction through a distance b/2 + s/2 defined by the limit switch 14, where b is one bale width.After the crane 8 has advanced into a leading limiting position defined on the crane track 11 by the limit switch E 9, while the limit switch E 10 is overridden, the vale 22 is deposited on the left-hand side L of the stacking table 5 parallel with and at a distance s/2 from the vertical central plane of the stacking table 5, that is at a distance sfrom the first bale 21 (Fig. Siand 5A while the limit switches E 11 and E 6 are actuated. The bale 22 will then be disposed on the stacking table 5 in a limiting position defined by the limit switches E 9/E 14/E 11.

The handling of the second bale is completed when the crane moves into the rear limiting position and the bale gripper traverses into the middle position and the bale gripper is lowered into the starting position in accordance with the operating steps illustrated in Figs. 4k to 40. Since the bales are loaded in at least two layers, one above the other as a bale stack, the operations explained for the first two bales are repeated, substantially identically, for each further layer of bales and accordingly only the deviating method steps will be described subsequently.

The operating procedure for a third bale 23 is performed in accordance with the steps illustrated in Figures 4a to 4ffor the first bale.

In the next operating step, according to Figure 6g the gripper 17 with the third bale 23 is moved vertically by the hoisting gear 1 3 into a position defined by the limit switch E 1 2 and then, by means of the cross-trasversing system 12, it is moved horizontally, at right angles to the pressing direction of the baling press, to the right -hand side R, as seen in the pressing direction, through the distance b/2 + s/2 defined by the limit switch E 8 so that during subsequent forward movement of the crane 8, according to Fig. 6i in the leading limiting position defined by the limit switches E 10 and E 9, the third bale 23 cannot strike the first bale 21 of the lower layer of bales disposed on the stacking table 5.To deposit the third bale 23, the gripper 1 7 is lowered until the limit switch E 1 6 is actuated so that the third bale is situated closely above or on the first bale 21 disposed there below and opening of the gripper 1 7 accompanied by operation of the limit switch E 6 causes the third bale to be deposited on the bale 21 in a limiting position defined by the limit switches E 9/E 8/E 16 (Fig. 6iand 6A.

The operating cycle for the third bale is completed after the crane travels back into the rear limiting position and the gripper moves into the middle position and into the starting position in accordance with the operating steps shown in Figs. 4kto 40.

The handling procedure for the second bale in accordance with the steps shown in Figs.

4a to 4f is repeated in the subsequent operating cycle for a fourth bale 24. Thereafter however raising and lowering of the gripper 1 7 with the bale 24 is performed in accordance with the operating cycle for the third bale 23 so that the fourth bale 24 is posi tioned on the second bale 22 disposed therebelow in a limiting position defined by the limit switches E 9/E 14/E 16 (Fig. 79 to 7,).

After ensuring the raising of the gripper into its top position defined by the limit switch E 12 (Figs 7k and 7) the crane is moved into the rear limit position on the crane track 11 defined by the limit switches E 1 and E 1 7 and at the same time the bale stack comprising four adjacent and superjacent bales 21, 22, 23, 24 is pushed by the bale slide 6 in the pressing direction of the baling press into the transportation container 7 which adjoins the stacking table 5. The bale slide 6 is pushed to the transportation container 7 from a rear position, which is defined by the limit switches E 19 and in which the wall 14 of the bale slide 6 is situated at the end 1 5 of the bale chute 5.The bale slide 6 thus thrusts the bale stack by means of the wall 1 4 into the transportation container until the sliding travel is limited by the limit switch E 1 8 after the limit switch E 20 has been overridden.

While the limit switch E 1 9 is actuated, the bale slide subsequently returns into its starting position according to Fig. 7k. The operation of loading the bale stack, which is pushed into the transportation container, is thus completed. The bale stack will be pushed further into the transportation container in the loading direction of the bale slide by forward movement of a succeeding bale stack. This series of operations is repeated until the container is filled and can be taken away.

Owing to the different degree of compaction of the materials in the bales ejected by the baling press, the bales may have different lengths which can be between a lower and an upper limiting length, proceeding from a mean bale length. Since bales of different lengths can be stacked one above the other in the method in accordance with the invention and the procedure described by reference to Figs. 4 to 7 applies only to bales which are shorter, or at least no longer, than the mean bale length, it is necessary to employ a special procedure for longer bales to ensure reliable and uniform depositing of all bales of a bale stack.

if the length of a bale 25 ejected by the baling press exceeds the predefined mean bale length by more than a specific dimensional tolerance, steps are taken in addition to the operating steps illustrated in Figs. 4a to 4f and one of the operating steps illustrated in Figs. 4g 5g, 6g and 7g is only subsequently performed.

In Fig. 8g, a bale 25, which is held by the gripper 17, has a length exceeding the mean bale length so that the bale end which projects beyond the photocell F 3 on the gripper end nearest to the bale press, will not release the said photocell. In such a case the hoisting gear 1 3 will lower the gripper 1 7 with the bale 25 on to the bale chute 4 and thus actuate the limit switch E 5. After the gripper 1 7 has opened and until the limit switch E 6 is operated, the bale 25 will be positioned on the bale chute 4 and the crane travels in a direction opposite to the pressing direction of the baling press until the photocell F 2 is operated.The photocell F 2 is disposed at a specific horizontal distance from the longitudinal centre of the gripper on the gripper end remote from the baling press (Fig.

8g3). The bale 25 will then project from the gripper 1 7 on the side nearest to the stacking table 5. The gripper 1 7 is then closed, the limit switch E 2 is actuated (Fig. 894) and thereafter the bale 25 is raised by the gripper 1 2 until one of the limit switches E 1 6 or.

E 1 2 is actuated depending on whether the bale 25 is destined for a bottom or an upper bale layer (Fig. 895). The method step according to Figs. 4g, 5g, 6g or 7g and the following steps already previously explained are then performed.

In Fig. 896, the bale 25 is disposed on the stacking table 5 and a shorter bale 26 has been deposited on the bale 25. While the end face 27 of the bale 26 nearest the transportation container is disposed in a plane, defined for such bales by the photocell 1 and the limit switch E 9, these bales being shorter than the defined mean bale length, the end face 28 nearest to the transportation container of the bale 25 projects beyond the said plane by a distance predefined by the photocell F 2, so that the end face 28 of the bale 25 is situated in a plane defined by the photocell F 2 and the limit switch E 9.

If the bale is longer than the predefined upper limiting length, the photocell F 2 will be actuated but the photocell F 3 will not be released and at the same time the photocell F 5 on the bale chute is actuated (see also Fig.

2). Thereafter, this excessively long bale can be removed from the bale chute by being pushed by the gripper into a separate container, disposed for example laterally adjacent to the bale chute. In the same way, damaged bales, the insufficient compaction or loose binding of which is detected in the operating step according to Fig. 4e when the bale is raised off the bale chute, are sorted by the gripper into the aforementioned container so that only bales of a specific length range and adequate strength are transferred into the transportation container.

The loading state of the transportation container is also monitored while the stack of bales is being loaded. A specific contact pressure of the bale slide, monitored by a pressure switch, is necessary for the bale stack to be displaced by means of the bale slide. If the bale slide traverses over the limit switch E 20 along its sliding travel and if subsequently the preset pressure on the pressure switch is reached prior to operation of the limit switch E 18, which defines the sliding travel, this means that the transportation container with the baling stack pushed into the container is fully laden and the bale slide returns into its starting position which is defined by the limit switch E 19.

However, if the pressure, to which the pressure switch is set, is reached before the limit switch E 20 can be actuated by the bale slide, the latter is stopped and a defect signal is given. In this case, the transportation container is either loaded so that the bale stack displaced by the bale slide cannot completely fit into the transportation container and projects therefrom, or a bale stack, pushed previously into the transportation container, has canted or jammed and thus prevents additional bale stacks from being pushed in.

To prevent lateral deviation of the bales from the intended sliding travel while the bale stack is pushed into the container or transport vehicle, a bale guide can be mounted on the stacking table extending in the pressing direction of the baling press on both sides of the bale stack. This lateral bale guide can taper towards the end of the stacking table adjoining the transportation container so that when the bale stack is pushed into the transportation container the air gap s between the bales disposed on the right hand and left hand side of the vertical central plane of the stacking table is reduced or even eliminated by virtue of the bales being moved towards each other by the lateral bale guide.

Claims (18)

1. A method of loading of bales of waste material, such as refuse, from a horizontal baling press on to a transport vehicle or into a transportation container, the method comprising bringing a vertical longitudinal central plane of the vehicle or container into alignment with a vertical central plane of a bale outlet of the baling press from which the bales are ejected one after the other, wherein the following steps take place:: (a) a first, leading bale of a series of bales is moved in a direction at right angles to the pressing direction in which the bale is pressed in the press horizontally by a distance which exceeds half the bale width into a predetermined position and is also vertically moved; (b) thereafter a second, succeeding bale is singled out from the series, is moved in the pressing direction to a predetermined limiting position and during movement into the limiting position is moved at right angles to the pressing direction horizontally in a direction opposite to the movement of the bale in step (a) also by a distance which exceeds half the bale width, and is also vertically moved so that the second bale is situated beside the first bale;; (c) thereafter a third, subsequent bale is singled out from the series and is moved in the same manner as the first bale in step (a) to another predetermined limiting position in which it is situated upon the first bale; (d) thereafter a fourth, subsequent bale is singled out from the series of bales and is moved in the same manner as the second bale in step (b) to another predetermined limiting position in which it is situated upon the second bale; and, (e) thereafter, the four bales which form a bale stack are jointly pushed horizontally in the pressing direction from their predetermined positions on to the transport vehicle or into the container, the bales in this step being moved through a distance which exceeds a bale length; (f) whereupon this cycle of steps is repeated with additional bale stacks, with each bale stack pushing the bale stacks in front of it further on to the vehicle or into the container until the vehicle or container is fully laden.

2. A method according to Claim 1, in which during step (e) a gap between the bales which are side by side in each layer is closed.

3. A method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which during the course of step (e) one or more of steps (a) to (d) is repeated in the above-mentioned sequence.

4. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which during movement of the bales in steps (a) to (d) each bale is checked for maintenance of predetermined dimensional tolerances of the bale length.

5. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 in which the end faces nearest to the vehicle or container of the bales in each bale stack, the lengths of which are between a predetermined lower limiting length and a predetermined mean length, are substantially in alignment with each other and longer bales project beyond the plane of alignment by a predetermined distance.

6. Apparatus for carrying out the method in accordance with Claim 1, the apparatus comprising a bale chute for receiving the bales one after the other from the baling press, a stacking table which has a vertical central plane in alignment with a vertical plane of the chute, for carrying the bale stacks, and a bale slide, which is horizontally reciprocable in a direction parallel to the vertical central planes, for pushing the bale stacks from the table on to the vehicle or into the container, wherein a crane is provided above the chute and table, the crane having hoising means which is movable parallel to and perpendicular to the vertical central planes and a holder for holding a bale and moving the bale horizontally and vertically on to the table and above the chute and the table, and wherein guiding means are provided on the table for guiding the bale stacks as they are pushed by the slide, which has an abutment for engaging the bales in a bale stack and is reciprocable substantially between the end of the chute adjacent the table and the end of the table remote from the chute.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 6, in which the crane is provided with a crossmember which is movable along a crane track horizontally parallel to the vertical central planes, the cross-member carrying a transverse slide which carries the hoisting means and the hoisting means carrying a bale gripper which forms the holder.

8. Apparatus according to Claim 7, in which the bale gripper comprises two vertical, suspended and synchronously driven jaws, the horizontal distance between which can be varied between a distance exceeding a bale width and a distance less than the bale width.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 7 or Claim 8, in which there is a device on the bale gripper which senses the length of a bale held by the gripper.

10. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 6 to 9, in which the crane includes a device for weighing the bale held by the crane.

11. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 6 to 10, in which the crane is driven by means of a hydraulic motor which has hydraulic conduits adapted to be connected to a power output of a hydraulically driven baling press.

1 2. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 6 to 11, in which the chute and the table are vertically offset stepwise and their adjacent ends overlap one another, the chute being above the table.

1 3. Apparatus according to Claim 12, in which the slide is situated between the overlapping ends of the chute and of the table.

14. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 6 to 13, in which the end of the chute adjacent the table projects into an opening in the abutment of the slide.

1 5. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 6 to 14, further comprising shut-down means disposed at the end of the chute adjacent the table, the shut-down means being adapted to be connected to a control system of a baling press.

1 6. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 6 to 15, in which a pressure controlled switch on the slide is operatively connected to a limit switch disposed along the sliding path of the slide and is adapted for overriding, and is also connected to a control system of a drive of the slide.

1 7. A method according to Claim 1, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

18. Apparatus according to Claim 6, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.