MOBILE COMPRESSING EQUIPMENT

Abstract: Compressing equipment, especially for compressing balers of particulate substances, such as grass, straw and maize, or other particulate substances, with a cylindrical compressing chamber which is made of a substantially circular arrangement of rollers (13A-17A, 18-25), operating between two end walls, with an insertion opening (26) between two of the rollers (18, 20), and where the compressing chamber (27) may be opened for removal of a compressed baler (30). In order to remove a compressed baler, the compressing chamber (27) is comprised of a lower semi-circular row of under-rollers (13A-17A) which are placed together with an upper row of over-rollers (18-25). The under-rollers (13A-17A) are situated on a carrier, e.g. a pivotable shaft (11), that can transport the under-rollers away from the over-rollers, in order to make a compressed baler available for wrapping.

Description: Mobile compressing equpiment Background For preserving silaged fodder, hay and straw, round baler presses are known to be used. These devices can also be used for pressing other materials, such as hacked maize, sugar beets, chips, bark waste etc. Such compressing equipment is generally comprised of a chamber with a predeterminated volume. The press-rollers (or belts) gradually press the inserted material to a round baler with a predeterminated density. On the outside, the rollers (or belts) are either smooth or rough, provided with small knobs/points or with longitudinal profiles. When the round baler is sufficiently compressed, a lace, net or plastic strap encloses the outside of the baler, in order to maintain its shape. Normally this takes place while the baler is inside the chamber. The baler will be released from the chamber when the lace, net or plastic is placed around it, usually by opening a back wall (about half of the total number of rollers) in the compressing chamber, so that the baler can roller or skid out. When the compressed baler is taken out, it is usually wrapped by tightly lashing with plastic foil wrapping, especially to maintain the fodder value and to prevent material falling out of the sidewall of the baler. A problem with compressing material of very short particle/fibre length, is that parts of the short material fall out of the baler. This is a particular problem when the baler is transferred out of the compressing chamber and on to the further handling, for example wrapping plastic or other enclosing material about the whole surface of the baler. This is mainly due to the fact that during the actual release of the baler from the compressing chamber, parts of the compressing chamber will move in relation to the baler (when the back part of the chamber opens), or the baler will be moved in relation to parts of the compressing chamber (the baler rollers out of the chamber). Upon this relative movement, parts of the material may fall out, because the internal fixation of material with short material/small particles is very low. When parts of the material falls out, it results in undesirable loss of effect and function, because frequent cleaning of the lost material must be carried out. The degree of loss will vary with the type of material and degree of moisture. In any case, loss and reduced function means that the user suffers considerable economical loss, and under certain conditions is not able to carry out the compression at all. Object The main object of the invention is to provide a compressing equipment that prevents material losses when compressing particulate materials with poor internal fixation. It is a special object to provide compressing equipment in which round balers may be wrapped without loss of material. Invention The invention is defined by patent claim 1. With such a construction, it is possible to transport compressed balers out of the compressing chamber, wherein wrapping is very difficult, to a position where wrapping, meaning wrapping with a foil band, is easily carried out. Transportation may be carried out with a pivotal movement or linear displacement. Patent claim 2 describes an embodiment for simple movement of the round baler, out of the compressing chamber. A double set of under-rollers, as stated in patent claim 3, is especially advantageous. It will then be possible to compress and wrap at the same time, and thereby increase efficiency. This solution is particularly favourable if the carrier has the shape of a shaft, according to patent claim 4, that may rotate or oscillate between two positions, with the two sets of under-rollers alternating between a compressing position and a position close to the wrapping place. It is especially advantageous if the shaft is split, as defined by patent claim 5. Patent claim 6 defines a preferred minimum number of under-rollers. Patent claim 7 defines a preferred embodiment of the wrapping equipment. Further details of the invention are given in the examples. Example The invention is schematically illustrated in the accompanying figures, where Figure 1 shows a side view of compressing equipment according to the invention, ready to start, Figure 2 shows a corresponding side view, with a compressed baler in wrapping position, and a baler being compressed in the compressing chamber, and Figure 3 shows a flat sketch from above, of the equipment in Figure 2. In all figures, only the important equipment parts are shown, without sidewalls, driving motors, and other mechanical equipment. Figure 1 shows a split carrier shaft 11 which is supported at a vertical axis 12 with a driving motor or a driving cylinder, not shown, that may rotate the carrier shaft oscillating 180° or 360°, as will be described further with reference to Figure 3. At each end of the carrier shaft 11, five tubular rollers 13A - 17 A, 13B - 17B respectively, are positioned symmetrically, creating a semi-ring segment opening upwards, with an axis crosswise to the carrier shaft 11. The five rollers are in a suitably, in principle known, way, connected to one or more driving motors, not shown, so that they may be driven in the same direction. The number of rollers, referred to in the following as "under- rollers", may be greater. They may be provided with grooves, knobs or other rough surfaces that grasp the particles of the material which are to be compressed. At one end of the carrier shaft, to the left on the figure, an additional semi-circular row of rollers is situated, on the outside, three steady rollers 18-20. On the inner side five connected rollers 21-25 are arranged, that may be rotated upwardly around an axis, in or at, the upper roller 25. Between the end rollers 20 and 25, an opening 26 is for adding material which is to be compressed. The rollers 13-25 constitute in this way a cylindrical compressing chamber 27. In the figure, the end walls of the compressing chamber, with the support and driving equipment of the rollers 18-25 are not shown. It should be noted that the number of rollers shown in the example is a practical minimum number. By choosing rollers with a smaller diameter, compressing chambers can be constructed with a considerably higher number of rollers. Close to the compressing chamber 27, an angular conveyor 28 is arranged, that may transport material which is to be compressed through the opening 26. The five rollers 21-25 may accordingly be rotated upwards. The purpose of this is to open the compressing chamber so that a compressed, and pre-wrapped round baler may be removed from the compressing unit. The pivotable rollers 21-25 are connected to the same carrier as the steady rollers 18-20. The under-rollers, 13A-17A, which are all driven, are accordingly fixed to the pivotal shaft 11, so that they may be transported together with this. The steady position of the rollers 18-25 in relation to the shaft 11 is substantial to the invention, as will be described in the following. Figure 2 illustrates an operating situation for the compressing equipment of the example. Material 29 is transported into the compressing chamber 27, in order to create a round baler 30. After filling and compressing, a lace, net or band of plastic foil is led in on the outer side of the round baler, to maintain the shape. This usually takes place while the baler is inside the chamber. When the lace, net or plastic is placed around the circumference of the baler, the upper part of the compressing chamber is lifted up, so that the lower rollers 13A- 17A are lying free with the compressed baler 30 thereon. Then, the carrier shaft 11 is rotated 180°, until the round baler is in the position shown by 30'. Close to this position, a vertical roller 31 of plastic foil band is situated to wrap. In order to rotate the round baler 30', the lower rollers 13A-17A, and 13B-17B, are pivotable about a vertical axis, driven by a driving unit, not shown. The embodiment may be modified in different ways. The under-rollers 13A - 17A may be pivotable or movable in another way from that reported above, provided that they can be led out of encroachment with the rest of the rollers that constitute the compressing chamber, and may transfer the round baler to wrapping without loss of material. It is substantial to the invention, that the compressed round baler can be transferred to a wrapping position without displacement in relation to the under-rollers, to allow easy wrapping without loss of material.

Claims: Claims: 1. Compressing equipment, especially for compressing balers of parti culate substances, such as grass, straw and maize, or other particulate masses, including a cylindrical compressing chamber with a substantially circularly arranged row of rollers (13A-17A, 18- 25) that operate between two end walls, and an insertion opening (26) between two of the 5 rollers (18, 20), and wherein the compressing chamber may be opened for removal of a finished compressed baler (30), characterized in - that the compressing chamber (27) includes a lower semi-circularly arranged row of under-rollers (13A-17A) which is adapted to locate with an upper row of over-rollers (18, 10 25), and - that the under-rollers (13A-17A) are placed on a carrier that can transport the under- rollers away from the over-rollers, in order to make a compressed baler available for wrapping. 15 2. Compressing equipment according to patent claim 1, characterized in that the under-rollers (13A-17A) are placed on a carrier (11) which is pivotable around a vertical axis (12). 3. Compressing equipment according to patent claim 2, 20 characterized in that the carrier is provided with two sets of under-rollers (13A-17A; 13B- 17B), that may be alternately placed in encroachment with the rest of the rollers (18-25) that constitute the compressing chamber (27). 4. Compressing equipment according to patent claim 3, 25 characterized in that the carrier is shaped as a shaft (11) which is pivotable between two positions for transportation of the two sets of under-rollers. 5. Compressing equipment according to patent claim 4, characterized in that the carrier (11) has two shafts, and can preferably be pivoted 180°, as 30 it places two sets of under-rollers (13A-17A; 13B-17B) on the carrier (11) symmetrical to each other, with axes transverse to the longitudinal axis of the carrier. 6. Compressing equipment according to patent claims 1-5, characterized in that it includes at the least five under-rollers (13A-17A). 7. Compressing equipment according to any one of the patent claims 1-6, characterized in that a carrier is arranged for a roller (31) of plastic band, with a vertical axis, close to the under-rollers in the wrapping position, as the under-rollers. or another carrier for the compressed baler (30') in this position, can be rotated about a vertical axis running through the middle of the baler.

Inventors: BACHMANN WALTER, BACHMANN, WALTER
Applicants: BACHMANN WALTER, ORKEL AS, BACHMANN, WALTER
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A01F15
IPC codes: A01F15, B30B9