GB2103703A - Baling press having a closure device - Google Patents

Abstract

A baling press having a closure device for the door of a press door or a closure door for a charging aperture, whereby the closure device cooperates with a handle arranged on the outer surface of the door, in which the handle comprises a pivotal hand rail or rod (6) which is non-rotatably connected to a revolving shaft (7), which in accordance with a pivotal movement acts on a locking paw (11) pivotally mounted on the door (3), which pawl, with its free pivotal end engages behind a locking member (16) located on the frame (2) of the door (3). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Baling press having a closure device The present invention relates to a baling press having a closure device for a door, e.g. a press door for removal of a pressed bale or a closure door for a charging aperture, whereby the closure device co-operates with a handle located on the outer surface of the door.

During the opening of the press door, the pressed bale may be removed from the working chamber of the baling press. During opening of the closure door, same acts as a charging aperture via which material to be pressed may be charged by the operator into the working chamber, during the inoperative position of the press plate. Closure devices utilised for such doors have to absorb high forces, they should operate reliably and they should be produced at relatively favourable costs.

In a closure device for the closure door of a charging aperture, there is the additional problem that it is preferable to have an additional safeguard to prevent the operators' fingers being trapped during closing of the closure door. This problem arises particularly when the closure door is in the form of a door mounted horizontally on the press housing and which, in the open position, may be folded into a horizontal position and as such may be used as a support table for material to be fed into the press and which in the closed position, when vertically upright, is flush with the surface of the press door or press housing.In such a horizontally mounted door a problem arises namely that the operator does not grip the handle provided therefor when he wishes to move the door from the open position into the closed position, but rather he grips the upper end face of such door because this is the nearest located surface of the door. Pivotally moving the door by gripping the upper end face thus causes fingers to be forcibly jammed between the upper end face of the closure door and the press housing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a handle for a door (either for a closure door or for a press door) in such a manner that, in the closing position, it is able to absorb high closure forces, that it is easy to open and that it is simple to manufacture at favourable costs and is operationally reliable.

According to the present invention there is provided a baling press having a closure device for a door e.g. a press door or a closure door for a charging aperture, whereby the closure device cooperates with a handle located on the outer surface of the door, in which the handle comprises a pivotal hand rod which is non-rotatably connected to a revolving shaft and which, in accordance with a pivotal movement, acts at a given time on a locking pawl pivotally mounted on the door, which pawl, with its free pivotal end engages behind a locking member located on the frame of the door.

Thus, the present invention is not limited to the closure device for the door on a charging aperture, but it also extends to optional doors on baling presses, i.e. also to press doors which allow the working chamber to be made accessible to the operator. A particularly simple locking or closure mechanism is proposed, since it only comprises a few components which interengage in an operationally safe and reliable manner.

In accordance with the invention, the handle is comprised of a pivotal hand rail or rod which is non-rotatably connected to a revolving shaft. The revolving shaft in turn is rotatably mounted on the outer surface of the door and acts in the manner of an eccentric on a locking pawl. Rotation of the revolving shaft causes the locking pawl to be raised or lowered and, corresponding to the pivotal position, engages behind a locking member locked on the frame of the door. The whole closure mechanism thus substantially comprises three parts which, therefore, may be produced at particularly favourable costs and to operate substantially reliably.The said parts may also absorb high forces which act outwardly from the interior of the press in accordance with an opening movement, since the locking pawl engages in a locking member arranged on the frame; it may therefore be made of a steel pin of considerable dimensions which engages behind a locking member also of considerably thick dimensions. The locking pawl may be retained spring-loaded in its locking position behind the locking member. The advantage of this arrangement is that, in order to open the door the handle has to be displaced against the spring force and this necessitates a certain exertion of force compelling the operator to grip the handle tightly in his hand to absorb the weight of the door.Of course, provision may also be made - but not necessarily - for the opening movement of the door to be absorbed by a gas pressure shock absorber, to ensure a soft and dampened opening.

Retaining the locking pawl spring-loaded in the closing position, however, has the further advantage that during the transition from the open position into the closing position the locking pawl first strikes against the locking member located on the outer surface of the door frame. Since the dimensional ratios are so formed that the locking member with its forwardly projecting opening edge facing the locking pawl protrudes to a great extent forwardly from the frame, there is formed at the side facing the housing frame of the door frame opposite the hinge a gap of the thickness of several fingers towards the housing frame.The edge which the operator wanted to grip by hand to move the door from the open position into the closing position and at which he would have pinched his fingers now forms first a gap of several finger thicknesses towards the housing, because the locking pawl, chiefly during the transition from the open position into the closing position and shortly before reaching the closing position, strikes against the aperture edge of the locking member and hence forms the said gap.

The operator who hitherto had not gripped the handle and who inserted his fingers in the gap cannot now trap his fingers. To move the door completely into the closing position, the operator is compelled to remove his fingers from the gap and actuate the handle, i.e. the hand rod has to be pivoted to rotate the rotary shaft and hence move the locking pawl against the force of the spring beyond the opening of the locking member and to move it behind the locking edge of the locking member. This reliably prevents fingers being trapped in the said gap.

The present invention will be further illustrated, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the right-hand side of a door horizontally pivotally mounted on a press housing showing the closure or locking device in the open position; Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the closure of locking device of Fig. 1 in the open position and in dotted lines in the closed position; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the closure or locking device of Figs. 1 and 2 in the closed position.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 only the upper surface of a door, adapted as a flap on a press housing 1 is shown. A frame 2 is secured on the press housing 1 which, in the present embodiment, is formed as a frame of a press door 3, which itself is pivotally mounted on vertically superposed hinges on the press housing.

In an alternative embodiment, not shown in detail, however, the press door may be parts of the press housing, i.e. the door 3 is then located directly in the press housing itself.

Frame 2 defines a revolving door aperture 4 which may be closed by a pivotal door 3 having a horizontal axis of rotation. The pivotal bearings of the door 3 are not shown in detail in the drawings.

On both sides of the door, whereby the drawings only show the right-hand side, a hand rail or rod 6 is secured which is non-rotatably connected in accordance with Fig. 2 to a revolving shaft 7. The revolving shaft 7 is connected at one free end to the hand rail or rod 6 and the other free end is rotatably located in a bearing member 8 secured in the door 3. A pin 10, radially projecting from the circumference of the revolving shaft 7, engages below the free pivotal end of a closure or locking pawl 11 which is pivotally mounted in the fulcrum 12 on the door 3.

Instead of forming the closure or locking pawl 11 as a pivotal lever mounted at one end, it is also possible to use an eccentrically mounted disc, the eccentric outer surface of which is rotatable towards the fulcrum and is formed as closure or locking pawl 11.

In the open position shown according to Fig. 1, the free pivotal end of the closure or locking pawl 11 is located over the closure edge 20 of a closure member 1 6, so that in the direction of the arrow 1 8 (Fig. 3) the door may be moved downwardly into the open position.

The closure or locking pawl 11 is spring-loaded by a bolt or pin 13, the lower end face of which abuts against a helical spring 14 which in turn is located in a bore in the door 3. The opening of the hand rail or rod 6 into the position 6' to the position 6 thus occurs spring-loaded against the force of spring 14, whereby the closure pawl 11, with its free pivotal end, is lifted over the closure edge 20 of the closure or locking member 1 6 shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3.

Thus, if the door 3 is to be closed in the direction of the arrow 19, then in accordance with the above description, it should be ensured that the operator does not trap his fingers between the upper pivotal portion of the door frame 23 and the housing mounted frame 2. According to the invention, the closure or locking pawl 11 is retained by spring force in the closed position (see Fig. 3), it is not possible to close the door 3 completely in the direction of the arrow 1 9, so that before reaching the complete closing position, the closure or locking pawl 11 strikes against the forwardly located aperture edge 22 of the closure or locking member 1 6. The operator is now compelled to remove his hand - if he has had his hands there previously - from the gap 21 and to grip the hand rail or rod 6 and pull it downwards in the direction of the arrow 1 7 (Fig.

2), for which purpose it is necessary to remove the fingers from the dangerous gap 21 and only a manual actuating force permitting the closure or locking pawl 11 to be raised over the closure edge 20 against the force of spring 14.

The pivotal movement of the closure member 16 in the direction of arrow 9 (Fig. 1) thus always occurs against the force of spring 14.

For vertical guidance, the free end of the closure or locking pawl 11 is mounted in a slotshaped recess 1 5 in the bearing member 8 on the side wall of the door 3.

The entire arrangement as shown in the drawings may be transferred to a door mounted vertically on a press housing 1; all components are then turned through 90 ; in which case the hand rail or rod 6, for example, rotates vertically downwards together with the revolving shaft 7.

The hand rail or rod shown in Fig. 2, on account of its angled shape can be regarded as a lever mounted at one end, but may also be bent at right angles either upwards or downwards. Likewise it may extend to beyond the upper frame 23, in order with the door 3 folded down into a horizontal position, to ensure the ready gripping of the hand rail or rod.

Claims (7)

1. A baling press having a closure device for a door e.g. a press door or a closure door for a charging aperture, whereby the closure device cooperates with a handle located on the outer surface of the door, in which the handle comprises a pivotal hand rod which is non-rotatably connected to a revolving shaft and which, in accordance with a pivotal movement, acts at a given time on a locking pawl pivotally mounted on the door, which pawl, with its free pivotal end, engages behind a locking member located on the frame of the door.

2. A baling press as claimed in claim 1, in which the locking pawl is retained spring-loaded in its locking position behind the locking member.

3. A baling press as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the revolving shaft with a bolt or pin protruding radially from the circumference thereof, engages below the locking pawl.

4. A baling press as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, in which, during transition from the open to the closed position, the locking pawl strikes against the opening edge of the locking member, and in which the side facing the housing frame of the door frame opposite the hinge leaves a gap of several finger thickness towards the housing frame.

5. A baling press as claimed in claim 1, in which the locking pawl is located radially on the circumference of a disc mounted rotatably in the fulcrum.

6. A baling press as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a locking pawl, impacted by the revolving shaft, is located on each end of the revolving shaft.

7. A baling press, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.