A system for compacting textile fibres

Abstract: A system for compacting textile fibres utilizing a plurality of portable upwardly opening bins (11, 11') which have openable bottoms. The bins are transported from a plurality of fibre filling stations (17) to a single compression station (10) by a four-part transport means utilizing a dual carriage cross shuttle (18,22,23) which moves the portable bins to and from positions adjacent the filling stations (17) and the compression station (10). A pair of dedicated bin transporters (19,21) are utilized to transport the bins, such that one transporter (19) delivers full bins (11') from the filling stations (17) to a position adjacent the compression station (10) while the other transporter (21) delivers empty bins (11) from the compression station to a position adjacent each filling station.

Description: This invention relates to a system for compacting textile fibres according to the first part of claim 1. One known system uses a plurality of portable bins having an open top into which textile fibre is introduced and a movable bottom by which such fibre is removed with the compacted fibre for baling. The present invention relates to a system suitable for transporting the portable bins between a filling station where fibre is introduced into the bin and a compression station where the fibre is compressed. Until recently, balers used for baling fibres in man-made fibre plants have been dedicated to a single process line of fibre production. In a typical man-made fibre plant, several of these process lines are placed side by side, usually with a number of balers placed side by side in a row. In such systems, the bale is wrapped and strapped in the baling process by manual and semi-automatic means. Recently, however, automatic wrapping and tying systems have been introduced. These automatic wrapping and tying systems are complex and add considerable cost to the baling systems. Furthermore, higher density fibre compaction is being demanded to reduce the cost of storing and transporting the finished bales and to reduce the expansion of the fibres when the ties are removed. The higher densities require considerably larger hydraulic compression systems which also add to the cost of final compaction in the baling systems. Therefore, there is a demand for baling systems that can receive fibre from a plurality of process lines, each producing fibres with different characteristics, and transport them to a central final compaction station where they are made into bales and automatically wrapped and tied. The fibres from each of the process lines must be segregated and prevented from contamination with fibres from another process line. Similar problems associated with conventional waste fibre pneumatic systems coupled with horizontal balers were noted in U.S. Patent 4463669 which uses a baling station and at least one fibre filling station wherein a portable bin having an open top is filled with the waste fibres. Each baling station receives portable bins from a plurality of filling stations with each filling station receiving its waste fibres from a designated source. The portable bins are movable along a single track connecting the baling station with its filling stations. Therefore, a single carriage is available for moving the portable bin between the stations. While this system gives a vast improvement over the prior art in this field in terms of personnel safety and economy, it leaves something to be desired in terms of its efficiency and time management properties. According to the present invention there is provided a system for compacting textile fibres, said system comprising at least one fibre filling station, a compression station, a plurality of upwardly opening portable bins, which can be filled with fibre at said at least one station, and move to said compression station and a transfer arrangement, to move the bins between said stations, said transfer arrangement further comprising:- (a) a first dedicated transporter for moving individual full bins individually from a first position adjacent a filling station to a second position adjacent said compression station; (b) a second dedicated transporter for moving empty bins individually from a third position adjacent said compression station to a fourth position adjacent said filling station; and (c) cross-transfer means located at each filling and compression station for moving a bin into said station from one of said second or fourth positions adjacent said station and moving a bin from said station to another of said third or first positions adjacent said station, said cross-transfer means comprising a cross-transfer shuttle mounted so as to reciprocate along cross transfer shuttle rail tracks disposed on each side of the bin in each station and said cross-transfer shuttle being adapted to carry bins to and from the second and first transporters respectively, and intermediate fixed supports (56) between the second and first transporters and the compression or filling stations, in each of which a bin may be temporarily stored, while the cross transfer shuttle moves along the tracks without that stored bin the cross-transfer shuttle being capable of transporting an empty bin and a full bin simultaneously. The system according to the first portion of claim 1 including paragraphs (a) and (b) are known from an advertisement of our Port-a-Bin system appearing in Fiber World of April 1985. Such a system makes it possible to have greater economy in the baling process by reducing the amount of floor space and machinery required and can readily be used to bale segregated fibres from a plurality of fibre processing lines. The system of the invention can utilize a number of separate fibre processing lines which feed fibre to a plurality of filling stations arranged along a straight or curved line and a compression station also located along this line. Each filling station in the system services a discrete processing line and can use at least two receiving bins which are transported to a compression station and are returned to the filling station by a four-part transport arrangement. At each filling station and compression station there is a cross transfer shuttle which reciprocates perpendicular to a line through the centre of the filling stations and the compression station. Each cross shuttle is capable of transporting one or two bins at a time transversely of this line to and from a pair of bin transporters that run parallel to the line through the centre of the filling stations and the compression station. These bin transporters are preferably approximately equidistant from the filling stations centre line and are respectively located on either side of the centre line through the filling stations. The transporter on one side of the filling stations moves full bins from the cross shuttle located at each filling station to a cross shuttle located at the compression station. The other transporter moves empty bins from the cross shuttle at the compression station to the cross shuttle located at the appropriate filling station. Each cross shuttle is capable of simultaneously moving a portable bin from a particular station to the appropriate dedicated longitudinal transporter while moving a second portable bin from the other dedicated longitudinal transporter into the particular station. This system uses only slightly greater floor space than does the system of U.S. Patent 4463669; however, since the empty bins and full bins travel on separate dedicated transporters, the compression station is able to service a larger number of filling stations far more efficiently than with a single transporter. Inasmuch as the cross shuttle can handle both the incoming and outgoing bin at the same time and each dedicated transporter can complete its cycle independently of the other dedicated transporter, there is very little necessity for dead time in any station of the operation. In order that the invention may more readily be understood, the following description is given, merely by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a front elevation of one embodiment of bin transport system according to the invention in conjunction with a plurality of filling stations and a compression station; Figure 2 is an end view of the system shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the transport system taken adjacent a fibre filling station shown the cross transfer shuttle and its drive means; Figure 4 is a partial plan of the cross transfer shuttle shown in Figure 2; Figure 5 is an elevation of the cross conveyor carriage taken along the longitudinal axis and partly broken away; Figure 6 is a partial section of the frame of the cross transfer shuttle taken along line 6-6 of Figure 5; Figure 7 is an elevation partly in section, showing one of the dedicated transporters; and Figure 8 is an enlarged cross section along line 8-8 of Figure 7. The system of the invention is shown in conjunction with a downpacking, fibre baling compression station 10, which is similar in its operation to that disclosed in U.S. Patent 3796150. A vertically oriented ram 14 descends into a portable bin 11 which has an open top 12 and clam-shell like doors 13 for a bottom. Fibres within the bin 11 are compressed into a bale between the upper ram 14 and a lower ram 15. The doors 13 are opened in the compression station 10 by a linkage 20 (Figure 3) carried on each bin 11 and operatively connected via a lift block assembly 28 to an actuating cylinder 25 affixed to the compression station. A roller conveyor 16 is used to remove the bale from the area of the compression station 10. The compression station 10 is shown in conjunction with a plurality of fibre filling stations 17 each of which receives textile fibre from a designated source as in U.S. Patent 4463669. The filling stations 17 feed the textile fibres into the top of a portable bin 11 located at each fibre filling station 17. Each filling station 17 has a separate fibre feeder 81 (Figure 2) which introduces the fibres to a charging box 82 above the open top of the portable bin 11. The fibre feeder 81 is offset from the vertical to accommodate a tramper assembly 83 which compacts fibre into the portable bin 11. In the system of U.S. Patent 4463669 each fibre feed station had associated therewith a portable bin which was moved from the designated feed station to and from the compression station, so that the total number of portable bins in the system was equal to the total number of feed stations. In the present system the number of portable bins 11 is equal to or greater than the total number of fibre filling stations 17 plus the compression station 10; thus every station, whether it be a feed station or a compression station, has a portable bin 11 within it for the majority of the time that the system is operating including the time during which the bins are transported from one station to another. Therefore, it is preferred that at least one additional portable bin 11 for each station 10 be placed within the system so that the additional bin 11 may be introduced into one of the stations 10 or 17 simultaneously with the removal of a bin from the station. The fibre filling stations 17 and the compression station 10 are all located along a straight or curved centre line which passes through the centre of each station. At each filling station 17 and at the compression station 10 there is a cross transfer shuttle 18, each of which is capable of transporting one or two bins at a time transversely of the centre line through the associated filling station 17 or a compression station 10. Two bin transporters, a full bin transporter 19 and an empty bin transporter 21, run parallel to the centre line and are approximately equally distant from and on opposite sides of this centre line, as shown in Figure 3. Full bin transporter 19 receives full bins 11' from the cross shuttles 18 at each filling station and then carries the full bin 11' to a point adjacent the compression station 10 for transfer to the cross-shuttle 18' which services the compression station 10. Similarly, empty bin transporter 21 receives empty bins 11 from the cross transfer shuttle 18 servicing the compression station 10 and moves them to a point adjacent one of the filling stations 17 for transfer to the cross transfer shuttle 18 servicing the particular filling station 17. As shown in Figures 1 and 3-6, each cross transfer shuttle 18 utilizes two carriages 22 and 23, supported on separate parallel T-shaped tracks 24 and 26, which extend perpendicular to the bin transporters 19 and 21 and pass on each side of the bins 11 in each station. Since the bins 11 extend both above and below these tracks, there is no cross connection between the carriages 22 and 23. Each of the carriages 22 and 23 has elongate flanges 27 which extend downwardly alongside the top of its T-shaped track 24 or 26 and carries a plurality of transversely extending axles. Each axle carries a support roller 29, which rests on top of the associated track 24 or 26 (Figures 4 and 5), and is maintained in a centred position on its track by a pair of edge rollers 31 carried by the flanges 27. A pair of retaining rollers 32 are positioned subjacent the roller 29 and the top of its track such that the T portion of the track is confined intermediate the rollers 29 and 32 whereby each carriage 22 or 23 is constrained to travel along its track. Extending laterally from near the centre of each carriage 22 or 23 is a chain coupler 33, attached to the upper run of a horizontal drive chain 34 that passes around sprockets 36 adjacent each end of its track 24 or 26. Chain supports and idlers 38 are located at intervals along each horizontal drive chain 34 as is conventional. The sprockets 36 are driven by a drive chain 41 engaged on drive sprockets 43 on each of an overhead cross shaft 42 driven by a motor 44. The drive sprockets 43 are connected to the carriages 22 and 23 on each track associated with a particular station so that the drive chains 41 and horizontal drive chain 34 of both carriages 22 and 23 in a cross transfer shuttle 18 move synchronously and concommitantly on their parallel tracks 24 and 26. A pulse counter 45 at one end of the drive chain 34 of one of the carriages counts the revolutions of an associated sprocket 36 and outputs a signal to a controller unit 73 to indicate the position of the shuttle. At each end of each carriage 22 and 23 there is a lift pad 46, as shown in Figures 3-5 which is designed to cooperate with an outwardly extending flange 47 located on each side of portable bin 11. Each lift pad 46 has an upturned protrusion 48 at each end thereof and is displaced by a pneumatic bladder 50 powered from a pneumatic pressure source by hoses 49. At 6.8 bar pressurization each pad exerts 4082 Kg of lift and has a vertical range of travel of 3.8 cm. As may be seen in Figure 1, the upper portion of each portable bin has a laterally extending lip 51 which rests on supports 52 in each compression station and baling station. When the lift pads 46 are raised to their highest position the lip 51 is lifted from the support 52 and the weight of the bin is borne by the two carriages 22 and 23. The output of the pulse counter 45 is used to monitor the position of the cross shuttle 18 and to position the lift pad 46 beneath the bin 11 within the filling station 17 or compression station 10. Intermediate the filling or compression station and the bin transporter and along the travel of the cross shuttle 18 are two more sets of supports 56 on which the bin 11 may be supported. Each bin transporter 19 and 21 is an independent monorail system including a rail 57 and a carrier 58 (Figures 1, 2 and 7). The carrier 58 includes a bracket-shaped frame 59 which is suspended beneath the monorail and is supported by a plurality of monorail rollers 61 which travel on a laterally extending rail flange 62 and are positioned thereon by a plurality of edge roller 63. The monorail carries 58 are connected to the frame 59 by pivotally mounted frame suspensions 65 which allow the front and rear rollers 61 of the carriers 58 to turn independently whereby the carries 58 may travel on a curved track without bending. The frame 59 has a longitudinal dimension greater than the width of the portable bin 11, is laterally opening and has a set of inwardly facing flanges 66 on which the bin lip 51 may be supported. A DC motor 67 and an associated drive wheel 68 are attached at one end of the carrier and move the carrier along the rail 57. In order to indicate the position of the carrier adjacent one of the cross shuttles 18, on top of rail 57 are mounted a plurality of proximity switches 69 which are actuated by a rod-like actuator 71 mounted on the frame 59. Each end of the rail 57 terminates in a stop, not shown, to prevent unwanted travel by the carrier. The motor 44 for the cross shuttle 18, the presence source for the pneumatic hoses, the motor 67 for the bin transporters and the proximity switches 69, as well as the hydraulic rams and fibre feed systems, are controlled by and/or provide input to a micro processor control unit 73, such as a SY/MAX 500 Programmable Controller, which directs the positioning of the cross shuttle 18 and the bin transporters 19 and 21 such that each bin 11 may be transported in the following cycle. The cross shuttle 18 with its lift pad supporting a full bin 11' moves to its extreme outboard position whereupon the pulse counter sends a signal to the control unit 73 to indicate the proper placement of the bin beneath the monorail for delivery thereto. Prior to this occurrence the control unit 73 directed the full bin transporter 19 to position on the rail 57 outwardly from the cross shuttle 18 such that the movement of the cross shuttle to the indicated position delivers the lips 51 of the bin into the frame 59 of the monorail carrier 58. When the control unit 73 determines that the bin is properly within the frame, the lift pad 46 of the cross shuttle 18 is lowered and the entire weight of the full bin is supported by the inwardly facing flanges 66 of the frame 59. The full bin transporter 19 carries the full bin 11' to a point adjacent the compression station 10 sensed by a proximity switch 69 on the rail 57 at the compression station. The compression station cross shuttle 18' moves to its outermost point of travel to place its lifting pad 46 beneath the flanges 47 of the full bin 11' and the pads on each carriage 22 and 23 are then pneumatically raised 3.8 cms to lift the full bin 11' in frame 59 such that its full weight is supported by the cross shuttle 18', which then moves it toward the compression station 10. Sensors, not shown, signal that the bin 11 within the compression station 10 is empty, causing the set of pads 46 on the other end of the carriages 22 and 23 to be pneumatically raised thereby lifting the empty bin 11 from the fixed support 52 in the compression station 10. The cross shuttle 18 will then move until the full bin 11' is properly aligned in the compression station 10. The pads 46 supporting the full bin 11' will then lower it onto the fixed supports 52 in the compression station 10. The cross shuttle carriage now has the empty bin resting on its remaining set of pads 46 for delivery to the empty bin transporter 21, the frame 59 of which is positioned adjacent the end of the compression station cross shuttle 18 and the lip 51 on the bin is inserted into the frame 59 in the same manner as previously described whereupon the pads 46 of the carrier descend so that the empty bin 11 is supported by the flanges 66. The monorail carrier 58 and empty bin 11 are then moved adjacent one of the filling stations 17. At the filling station 17 the bin awaits a cross shuttle 18 which will engage and lift the bin 11 from the monorail carrier 58 and position it within the filling station 17 to replace a previously filled bin. It should be noted that the empty bin may be moved from the empty bin transporter 21 simultaneously with the movement of the full bin from the filling station 17 to the full bin transporter 19. It the empty bin transporter 21 aligns itself with the compression station 10 before the full bin transporter 19 aligns itself with the compression station 10, the cross shuttle 18' will move toward the empty bin monorail until it aligns the empty bin 11 taken from the compression station 10 with the carrier 58 and lower the bin 11 releasing the bin 11 to the carrier 58 on the empty bin transporter 21, If however the cross shuttle has lifted the empty bin from the compression station 10 before the empty bin transporter 21 arrives and the full bin transporter 19 aligns with the compression station 10 then the cross shuttle 18' will first position the empty bin over a set of fixed supports 56 intermediate the compression station 19 and the empty bin transporter 21. The cross shuttle 18' will then move toward the full bin transporter 19 and engage the full bin 11'. The full bin may then be positioned within the compression station 10 or on a second set of supports 56 intermediate the full bin transporter 19 and the compression station 10. When the empty bin transport aligns itself with the compression station cross shuttle, the empty bin is retrieved from the intermediate supports 56 and the sequence continues.

Claims: A system for compacting textile fibres, said system comprising at least one fibre filling station (17), a compression station (10), a plurality of upwardly opening portable bins (11), which can be filled with fibre at said at least one station (17), and move to said compression station (10) and a transfer arrangement, to move the bins between said stations, said transfer arrangement further comprising:- (a) a first dedicated transporter (19) for moving individual full bins (11') individually from a first position adjacent a filling station (17) to a second position adjacent said compression station (10); (b) a second dedicated transporter (21) for moving empty bins (11) individually from a third position adjacent said compression station (10) to a fourth position adjacent said filling station (17); and (c) cross-transfer means (18) located at each filling and compression station (17,10) for moving a bin (11,11') into said station from one of said second or fourth positions adjacent said station and moving a bin from said station to another of said third or first positions adjacent said station said cross-transfer means comprising a cross-transfer shuttle (18) mounted so as to reciprocate along cross transfer shuttle rail tracks (24,26) disposed on each side of the bin in each station and said cross-transfer shuttle being adapted to carry bins to and from the second and first transporters respectively, and intermediate fixed supports (56) between the second and first transporters and the compression or filling stations, in each of which a bin may be temporarily stored, while the cross-transfer shuttle moves along the tracks without that stored bin, the cross-transfer shuttle being capable of transporting an empty bin and a full bin simultaneously. A system according to claim 1, characterised in that control means (73) are provided for controlling the movement of said dedicated transports (19,21) and said cross-transfer shuffle (18) for transfer of said bins (11, 11') therebetween. A system according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said first and second dedicated transporters (19,21) include separate parallel rail tracks (57) and carriers (58) positioned on opposite sides of a centre line through said at least one filling station (17) and said compression station (10). A system according to claim 3, characterised in that said cross-transfer shuffle (18) comprises: (a) a carriage (22,23) movable intermediate said rail tracks (57) on packs (24, 26) perpendicular thereto; (b) pneumatic lit pads (46) operatively positioned on said carriage (22, 23) for lifting one or more bins for transport to and from a station; and (c) sensing means (45) for determining the position of said carriage (22,23) relative to said station and said carriers (58). A system as defined in claim 4, characterised in that each carriage comprises: (a) first and second frame members (22 and 23) each being independently mounted for motion through said station on opposite sides of side bin (11, 11'); (b) a drive motor (44) mounted at a spaced location from said frame members; and (c) a chain drive (33) coupling said motor to said first and second frame members for synchronous and concommitant motion. A system according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that said lift pads (46) are locted at each end of each of said first and second frame members (22 and 23) and with the pads located at each end thereof being cooperatively pneumatically operated. A system according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that each frame member (22, 23) includes a plurality of support rollers (29) running on a pair of parallel T-shaped tacks (24, 26) and in that a plurality of engagement rollers (32) are carried by said frame members subjacent said support rollers (29) for maintaining said frame members on said tracks. A system according to any preceding claim, characterised in that support means (56) are provided proximal said cross-transfer shuttle (18) and intermediate said compression station (10) and each dedicated transporter (19,21), for receiving one of said bins (11,11') from said cross-transfer shuttle (18) while said shuttle transfers another one of said bins between said compression station (10) and one of said dedicated transporters (19,21). A system according to any preceding claim, characterised in that said dedicated transports (19,21) each comprise a rail (57) extending along each of two parallel lines extending parallel to the centre line of a plurality of filling stations (17) and said compression station (10), and a driven carriage (58) carried by each of said rails (57) for releasably engaging the tops of said bins (11,11') for transporting said bins along said rails. A system according to claim 9, characterised in that said driven carriages each comprises a bracket-shaped frame (59) adapted to receive the top of said bin therewithin having horizontal inwardly extending flanges (66) for supporting said bin and being open transversely of said rail; and a plurality of rollers (61) supporting said frame on said rail (57). A system according to claim 9 or 10, characterised in that sensing means (69) are provided for sensing the position of said carriages proximal said cross-transfer shuttle (18) and positioning aid carriages (58) for receiving said bins from said shuttle (18). A system according to claim 11, characterised in that said sensing means comprises a plurality of proximity switches (69) operably connected to said rail (57) at predetermined positions outwardly from said compression station (10) and said filling stations (17) and an actuator (71) carried by said carriage for interaction with said proximity switch (69) to indicate the position of said carriage on said rail.

Inventors: BEELAND WILLIAM DEWITT, CARPENTER FRANCIS WYMAN, HAWKINS JAMES BROWN, HUDSON WILBUR GUY, VAN DOORN DONALD WILLIAM, WEBB TOMMY WAYNE, BEELAND, WILLIAM DEWITT, CARPENTER, FRANCIS WYMAN, HAWKINS, JAMES BROWN, HUDSON, WILBUR GUY, VAN DOORN, DONALD WILLIAM, WEBB, TOMMY WAYNE
Applicants: LUMMUS INDUSTRIES, LUMMUS INDUSTRIES, INC.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: B30B9
IPC codes: B65H54, D01D7, B30B9