GB2069404A - Baling press - Google Patents

Abstract

In a baling press in which material is fed through an opening closable by a door 24, movable bands 26 attached to the press piston 22 obstruct the filler opening when the piston is in a lowered position. The bands 26 may carry a warning message and their free ends may be weight or spring loaded. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Warning device for filler opening of a baling press The invention relates to a warning device for the filler opening of a baling press with a press piston movable to and fro in a press housing, the said press piston dividing the press housing into a pressing space for the compression of the bale and a movement space for the movement of the press piston; which is divided out from application No. 80/31846.

The invention has as its object the provision of warning device for the filler opening of a baling press which prevents material to be compressed from being loaded by mistake via the opened filler door into the movement space of the press piston, an action which could lead to the machine breaking down.

With this obect in view it is provided that in the vicinity of the filler door of the press housing there is attached to the press piston one or more movable safety bands which cover at least partially the movement space of the press piston in the press housing in the direction of the filler door.

An essential feature of the present invention is that whenever the press piston has travelled downwards and is located on the pressing face of the bale to be pressed in the vicinity of the filler door a warning device consisting of one or more movable safety bands is visible upon opening the filler door which makes it clear to the operator in a conspicuous manner that with the given position of the press piston no material can be introduced via the filler opening into the baling press.

One end of one or several of the safety bands is firmly attached to the front side of the press piston which is disposed next to the filler door.

The other free end of the one or more safety bands is arranged movably such that it is led around the upper side of the motion space over guide rollers and is weight loaded or spring loaded. During the compression stroke of the press piston the safety bands are at the same time drawn down from the upper side of the motion space like a roller blind so that these cover at least partially the filler opening when the press piston is located on the press face of the bale being pressed.

If the safety band is provided with a warning message (for example), ("Throw no material in now") the warning function is particularly clear. As soon as the press piston is again driven into its end position and rises from the press face of the base to be pressed, the safety bands are again rolled on or taken up such that in the end resting position of the press piston when it contacts the upper limits of the movement space they are not visible from the filler opening when the filler door is opened.

The use of safety bands made of plastics material is simple and cheap. Movable shutters or foldable safety bands could be used so that the idea of the invention is not limited to safety bands, weight loaded of spring loaded or capable of being roller up. It is only essential that in the vicinity of the filler door of the press housing one or more safety bands are disposed in the motion space, the said safety bands covering at least partially the filler opening of the press housing positioned too low in the housing for loading to be carried out.

A particularly effective arrangement occurs when the plane of the safety bands is approximately parallel to the plane of the filler door so that when the filler door is opened and the press piston is located on the pressing face of the bale the warning inscription on the safety bands is evident to the user.

In a further embodiment of the present invention it is arranged that the safety bands are disposed movably such that one end is attached to the press piston and their other free end is attached to a spring loaded or weight loaded winding apparatus. Such a winding apparatus would, for example, be a roller blind known in window coverings.

The only object of these different spring and weight loads on the free ends of the safety bands is the holding of the safety bands taut and also their shortening and taking along when the press piston is driven into its end resting position and the movement space becomes negligible in size.

Therefore instead of the spring or weight loading of the safety bands a folding device or other device may be used as long as it conforms to these requirements.

This invention is explained in more detail in the following with reference to the drawings showing only one embodiment.

Fig. 1 shows is perspective an arrangement of the safety bands in a baling press with the press door opened, Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically a side view of the safety bands according to Fig. 1 and their movable mounting.

Fig. 3 shows an alternative construction of the safety bands.

In Fig. 1, there is shown an example of a press housing 21 in which a press piston 22 is movable vertically.

The press piston 22 in the position shown divides off a press space 33 in which the bale is compressed against the bottom face of the press housing 21 from the movement space 34 above the press piston 22.

The front of the press housing 21 is covered by a press door 23 in which is disposed a filler door 24 capable of being opened separately to reveal a corresponding filler opening in the press housing.

In making a bale the press piston 22 is firstly driven upwards in the direction of the arrow 31, then with closed press door 23 the filler door 24 is opened so that material to be compressed can be loaded into the press housing 21. The material falls downwards in the direction of the arrow 32 onto the bottom of the press housing 21. The filler door 24 is then closed and the press piston 22 is driven downwards in the direction of the arrow 32 from its upper resting position 35. The material is thus compressed by the press piston 22 into the form of a bale. The press piston 22 is again driven upward in the direction of the arrow 31 into the position 35 and the filler door 24 is again opened and again material to be compressed is loaded into the filler opening.The filler door 24 is then closed again and the press piston 22 is started from its position 35 and again runs downwards in the direction of the arrow 32 so that the newly filled material is compressed on the already partformed bale.

A situation as in Fig. 1 may now result. Here the press piston 22 is still driven downwards and separates the press housing into a press space 33 and a movement space 34 disposed thereover.

If in this position with closed press door 23 the filler door 24 is opened the operator cannot always see that the press piston 22 is in the position shown in Fig. 1. The operator may be misled into loading material through the filler opening of the press door 24 into the movement space 34 where the material is detrimentally compressed against the cover face of the press housing 21 when the press piston 22 is started upwards in the direction of the arrow 31.

In order to avoid this undesired operation of the baling press the invention provides that safety bands 26 be provided in the movement space 34 of the press housing 21.

One or more safety bands 26 may be provided, but in the embodiment described there are two safety bands spaced apart and parallel to one another.

One end of each safety bands 26 is connected to the front side of the press piston 22.

The other end is as shown in Fig. 3 led over guide rollers 27, 28 on the upper side of the movement space 34 inside the press housing 21, and may be loaded, for example with a seitht 30.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the press piston 22 is driven by a spindle 29. The spindle 29 has an outer screw thread which engages by means of a corresponding inner screw thread on the press piston 22. With the drive upwards in the direction of the arrow 31, whereby enlarging the press space 33 and reducing the movement space 34.

Since one end of each safety band 26 is loaded with a weight, when the press piston 22 travels upwards in the direction of the arrow 31 each safety band 26 is shortened because the end loaded with the weight 30 is also drawn downwards in the direction of the arrow 31.

Instead of the arrangement of a weight 30 the end against the press housing 21. Instead of a weight 30 or a spring a spring load winding apparatus as in a spring blind roller may be used.

It is also possible to fold or otherwise shorten the safety band when the press piston 22 is driven upwards in the direction of the arrow 31.

Conversely when the press piston 22 is moved downwards in the direction of the arrow 32 the safety bands 26 are drawn above the movement space 34 or its front side in the vicinity of the filler opening of the filler door 24. The course of movement of Fig. 2 is then reversed.

Fig. 3 shows that cross safety bands 36 may be used. The may lie arranged as a lattice and may be provided with stamps or characterised colours of the manufacturers.

Claims (9)

1. A warning device for the filler opening of a baling press having a press piston movable to and fro in a press housing, the said press piston dividing the press housing into a press space for compression of the bale and a movement space for movement of the press piston, characterised in that the vicinity of the filler door of the press housing there is attached to the press piston one end of one or more movable safety bands which cover at least partially the movement space of the press piston in the press housing in the direction of the filler door.

2. A warning device according to claim 1, characterised in that one or more safety bands consist of plastic bands provided with a warning message.

3. A warning device according to claims 1 or 2, characterised in that one or more safety bands are arranged movable such that one end is attached to the press piston and the other free end on the upper side of the movement space is guided over rollers and is weight or spring loaded.

4. A warning device according to claim 1 to 3, characterised in that the plane of one or more safety bands extends approximately parallel to the plane of the filler door.

5. A warning device according to claim 1 to 3, characterised in that one or more safety bands are arranged movable in that one end is attached to the press piston and their other end is attached to a spring loaded or weight loaded winding apparatus.

6. A warning device according to claim 1 to 5, characterised in that there are two or more safety bands which cross one another.

7. A warning device according to claim 1 to 6.

characterised in that safety bands are made elastic, for example, of rubber.

8. A warning device according to claim 1 to 7, characterised in that several crossed pairs of safety bands are arranged as a lattice.

9. A warning device substantially as described by the accompanying drawings.