Abstract:
In a bulk material bate binder, the bulk material bale binder having a stand adjacent a baling station and being installed to bind bales compressed by an up press having a moving lower platen, the lower platen having insertion slots for guide tracks, a guide track removal and insertion apparatus including a guide track removal frame, the frame being hingedly mounted on the stand such that the guide track removal frame may rotate to and from an engaged position and a removed position; a guide track mount, pivotably mounted on the guide track removal frame, the guide track mount having an insertion position and a retracted position; a guide track section attached to the guide track mount, the guide track section having an insertion portion; and a linkage, the linkage having a first end and a second end, the first end being operatively engaged with the stand and the second end being operatively engaged with the guide track mount, such that during insertion and removal of the insertion portion of the guide track, the insertion portion remains at or above an insertion level at all times.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   None. 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not Applicable. 
   APPENDIX 
   Not Applicable. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention related generally to binding bales of bulk material such as cotton. In particular, the invention relates to the engagement of a removable section of binding wire or strap guide track with the lower platen of an up press. 
   2. Related Art 
   Fibrous materials such as cotton are typically bound into bales by compression presses which compress the bulk material into a preconfigured bale dimension. During compression, the bale is engaged by a bale binding apparatus that installs bale binders such as wire, metal strap or plastic strap in a preconfigured length around the bale. After the bale wire or strap ends are fixed or knotted, compression is released and a bound bale is ejected. 
   Compression of bulk material into a bale is often achieved with an “up press.” An up press is comprised of a pit below floor level in which a vertically oriented hydraulic unit raises and lowers a platen in order to compress a volume of bulk material above it. The hydraulic shaft raises the platen and compresses a preconfigured volume of bulk material into a baling station, where its upward travel is arrested by an upper platen, against which the bulk material is compressed by continued upper travel of the lower platen. The baling station is above ground level where it may be engaged by a bale binding apparatus. The operations of bale binding apparatuses are described in prior patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,324 to Stamps and U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,900 to Daniel et al. These patents are incorporated by reference herein. 
   Up presses are expensive to build and install. The cost of up presses is directly proportional to the depth of the pit required by them. Deeper pits require correspondingly longer hydraulic reaches and deeper and larger lower platens and the following blocks that support them. The deep pits with their large dimension components require more expensive materials and components, such as steel. There is a need in the industry to reduce the amount and thus the expense of materials used. Correspondingly, there is a need in the art to use shallower platens. 
     FIGS. 1 and 2  depict a prior art bale binder apparatus. A bale forming and binding apparatus  10  has two positions; the solid lines illustrate a first position wherein the moveable wire guide section  48  completes the wire guide track trajectory as when the binding operation is occurring; and the broken lines illustrate a second position wherein the moveable wire guide section  48  is in a position  48   a . A floor plate  12  supports vertical support stands  14  on either side of the bale forming and binding station  16 . A binding assembly carriage  18  is borne by stands  14 . The base extension  20  of the carriage  18  carries the fixed tying heads  40  and attached wire guide track sections  39 . The carriage  18  translates in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing along an overhead track  22  attached to the upper rear extent of the stands  14  and its motion is controlled by drive  24 . 
   Extending from the upper forward extent of the stands  14  are a pair of pivot axis brackets  25  holding the pivot axis  26  which carries the moveable guide track support strut assembly  28 . Extending forward from the center of the strut assembly  28  is a member  30  pivotally connected at pin  32  to the piston arm  34  which is extended and withdrawn by action of the piston  36 . The action of the piston  36  may be by any means but is preferably pneumatic. 
   The binding wire entering the apparatus  10  from the wire supply (not shown) at the wire control head  41  are directed by guide track sections  38  to and from the tying head  40  which fastens the wire into a closed loop. The guide track section  44  lies in a channel within the bale forming compressor  42  which accommodates the wire trajectory above the bale forming station  46  containing the bulk material (not depicted). The positions  28   a ,  34   a ,  36   a  and  48   a  show the parts  28 ,  34 ,  36  and  48  in their respective positions when the apparatus is in the arrangement whereby the moveable guide track section is at a remove from the bale forming station  46 . The upper moveable guide track section terminus  50  and the lower moveable guide track section terminus  52  meet the guide track sections  46  and  38  respectively to complete the wire guide track. The dashed line  54  illustrates the path of motion of the lower terminus  52  as it transits between positions. 
   As evident by dash line  54 , an insertion portion of guide track  48 , including guide track end  52  describe an arc of travel that extends substantially lower than the final insertion position of the guide track in the lower platen. The insertion level of the lower guide track, IL is a level at which it engages the stationary portion of the guide track  38  and completes a guide track loop around the baling station. This arc of travel  54  requires a dimension D, which must be clear of obstructions so that the guide track  52  can transverse it. In order to achieve this, the prior art bale binder depicted in  FIG. 1  required a lower platen that was increased in height by at least dimension D. 
   In order to accommodate shorter lower compression platens demanded in the industry, there is a need for a bale binding apparatus that inserts and removes an insertion portion of a removable guide track section without moving the insertion portion of the lower guide track section through any space lower than the level of its final insertion level. 
   In order to accommodate the need for shorter platens in bulk material up presses, there is consequently a need for bulk material balers designed to engage up presses in a way that accommodates shorter platens. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is in view of the above problems that the present invention was developed. Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers indicate like elements. 
   The invention is for a bulk material bale binder, the bulk material bale binder having a stand adjacent a baling station and being installed to bind bales compressed by an up press having a moving lower platen, the lower platen having insertion slots for guide tracks. A guide track removal and insertion apparatus has a guide track removal frame, the frame being hingedly mounted on the stand such that the guide track removal frame may rotate between an engaged position and a removed position. A guide track mount, pivotably mounted on the guide track removal frame has an insertion position and a retracted position. A guide track section attached to the guide track mount has an insertion portion. A linkage has a first end operatively engaged with a stand and the second end operatively engaged with the guide track mount, such that during insertion and removal of the insertion portion of the guide track, the insertion portion remains at or above an insertion level at all times. 
   Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the present invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.  FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  5  and  6  are side views of the short platen compatible binder with a removable guide track frame and the short platen lower guide track assembly. In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of a prior art baler; 
       FIG. 2  is a partial top view of a prior art baler; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the present invention in an engaged position; 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the present invention in a first removed position; 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the present invention in a second intermediate removed position; 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the present invention in a third intermediate removed position; 
       FIG. 7  is a side view of the present invention in a fourth intermediate removed position; 
       FIG. 8  is a side view of the present invention in a fully removed position; 
       FIG. 9  is a front view of the present invention; 
       FIG. 10  is a close up of a swing arm; 
       FIG. 11  is a close up of a lower pivot of a second tie rod; 
       FIG. 12  is a close up front view of a swing arm; and 
       FIG. 13  is a side view of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers correspond to like elements,  FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  depict the shortened platen compatible lower guide track insertion and removal assembly of the present invention in six different positions along its arc of travel. The assembly is in operative engagement with an otherwise standard bulk material bale binder for an up press. Depicted in  FIGS. 3–8  are binder stand  116  and baling station  146 . 
   Also shown is a moveable guide track section  148 , which includes an insertion portion  150 . In the depicted embodiment, the removable guide track section  148  and the insertion portion  150  do not move relative to one another. The removable guide track section  148  is attached to guide track mount  160 . In the depicted embodiment, the removable guide track section  148  and insertion portion  150  do not move relative to the guide track mount  160 . Guide track mount  160  is pivotably attached at pivot axle  162  to the guide track removal and insertion frame  128 . As the apparatus moves through its arc of travel, the removable guide track section  148  and its mount  160  move relative to the guide track removal frame  128  by rotating around pivot  162 . 
   As in the prior art, guide track removal frame  128  is moved into and out of its engaged position by a piston and cylinder assembly  136 , which may be hydraulic or pneumatic mechanical or electromechanical (omitted from  FIGS. 3–6  for clarity). The removal frame may be pivotably connected with the cylinder and the stand with the piston, or visa versa. 
   The movement of the guide track removal frame  128  is around pivot  126 , by which it is mounted on a bracket extension  125  fixedly attached to stand  116 . When a bale has been bound and is ready for ejection, piston and cylinder assembly  136  swings the removal frame  128  around pivot  126  up and away from the baling station  146 . Thereafter the bound bale is ejected and more bulk material is installed in the compression pit, the compressor raises the lower platen, compressing the material in the baling station  146 , and the guide track removal frame  128  is rotated back down in order to engage removable guide track section  148  with the fixed guide track portions so that the bale binder apparatus is again ready for binding the next bale. 
   The depicted embodiment of the present invention maintains the insertion portion  150  of the removable guide track section  148  at or above an insertion level IL. The insertion level, of course, corresponds to a platen slot dimensioned to receive the insertion portion  150  of the removable guide track section  148 .  FIG. 3  depicts the removable guide track section  148  fully lowered and fully engaged with the rest of the bale binding apparatus for binding.  FIG. 4  depicts the removable guide track frame and removable guide track  148  at a first intermediate position through which the apparatus will move during removal from the baling station.  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7  depict the apparatus at intermediate positions and  FIG. 8  at a fully removed position. In  FIG. 3 , the insertion portion  150  is at an angle with the removal frame  128 , that in the depicted embodiment, is substantially perpendicular. As the removal frame rotates to moves the guide track section  148  from its engaged position to its removed position, the insertion portion  150  changes its angle relative to the removal frame  128 . The angle changes from the substantially perpendicular insertion angle to a more acute angle. As is apparent in  FIGS. 3–8 , the insertion portion  150  of the removable guide track section  148  is maintained at or above the insertion level IL at all times. This achieved with linkage  170 . 
   Linkage  170  is comprised of a first tie rod  174  having a first end pivotably attached to the stand. In the depicted embodiment, the pivotable attachment  172  of the first end of tie rod  174  is on the bracket extension  125 . It is within the scope of the present invention that tie rod  174  may be attached to any portion of the stand  116  or its fixed attachments, provided that the fixation point does not move with the guide track removal frame  128 . The second end of tie rod  174  is attached to a first swing arm  180 . This attachment of the second end of tie rod  174  is at a pivot point  176 . Swing arm  180  is attached to guide track removal frame  128  at a swing arm pivot point  178 . 
   As guide track removal frame  128  swings up and away from the baling station  146 , a distance between first tie rod pivot  172  and a closed position of second tie rod pivot point  176  is biased to increase. The tie rod, being rigid, exerts tension on swing arm  180 . Because swing arm  180  is pivotably mounted at pivot  178  to the guide track removal frame  128 , it rotates in response to the exerted traction of tie rod  174 . In the depicted embodiment, the rotation is clockwise. The clockwise rotation during removal of guide track removal frame  128  pushes a compressive force on a second tie rod  184  (see  FIG. 7 ). The second tie rod  184  is attached to the first swing arm  180  at the pivot point  182 . 
   A second end of second tie rod  184  is pivotably attached at pivot  186  to a bottom area of the guide track mount  160  at bracket  190 . The second tie rod pushes guide track mount  160  to rotate around guide track mount pivot point  162 . The compressive force exerted on second tie rod  184  is received by bracket  190  which is attached to guide track mount  160 . This correspondingly rotates the guide track mount  160  and removable guide track section  148 , also in a clockwise direction, relative to guide track removal frame  128  as it swings up and away from the baling station  146 . 
   For reinsertion of the removable guide track section  148 , piston and cylinder assembly  136  lowers the guide removal frame  128 , and the linkage  170  rotates the guide track mount  160  and removable guide section  148  in the opposite direction, that is counter clockwise in the depicted embodiment. 
     FIG. 9  is a front view of the entire removal frame. It can be seen that the top or first tie bar  174  has a bend in it comprised of two complementary angles of approximately 30 degrees. For baling standard bales of cotton according to the standards of the International Cotton Council, six bale wires are used. Accordingly six guide track sections  148  are mounted on the removal frame  128 . Because these six frames guide track sections  148  are mounted, the guide track section mount  160  is configured as a rectangle to accommodate the dimensions of the guide track sections  148 . The use of the guide track mount  160  saves material cost and improves durability by over individual pivotable mounting of each individual guide track section  148 . 
   As can be seen, the guide track mount  160  is pivotably mounted at spanner  162 . A close up front view of this connection is seen at  FIG. 11 . There can be seen that the guide track mount  160  is pivotably mounted to the removal frame  128  at pivoting joint  190  so that the removal frame  160  can rotate around a bar, which in the depicted embodiment is a approximately two inch diameter pipe welded onto the removal frame  128 . Also seen in  FIG. 11  is a close up of the pivoting joint  162  whereby the second tie rod  184  exerts pressure in a levered relation to the pivot  190  of the guide track section frame  160 . That is to say, the pivoting joint  162  is sufficiently offset from the axis of rotation  190  of the guide track mount  160  to obtain a mechanical advantage thereover and cause the mount to rotate around axis  190  when the frame  128  is raised. Thus, the guide track sections  148  and insertion portions  150  mounted to guide track mount  160  will move from their insertion angle through increasingly more acute angles as the guide track mount  160  pivots when the removal frame  128  is raised. 
     FIGS. 10 and 12  are close-ups, a side view and front view respectively, of the swing arm  180 . As can be seen, the joint  178  in the depicted embodiment is constructed by welding a cup  179  into the side of the side portion of the removal frame  128  and installing therein a semi-spherical bearing, which allows the swing arm  180  to rotate around the axis  178 . As best seen on  FIG. 10 , the first tie rod  174  is pivotably mounted at  176  to a first portion of the swing arm  180 . When the removal frame  128  is raised, tie rod  174  will exert a tractive force, that is, it will pull swing arm  180  at a direction that is clockwise in the depicted embodiment and centered around axis  178 . A second portion of the swing arm  180  serves as a mount for pivot point  182 , to which a first end of a second tie rod  184  is pivotably mounted. As the swing arm  180  rotates clockwise, it will exert a compressive force on tie rod  184 . As has been seen in  FIGS. 9 and 11 , it is this pushing or compressive force on tie rod  184  against this pivotable mount  162  of the second end of the second tie rod  184  that completes the linkage and pivots guide track mount  160 . 
   In operation, a bale is bound, and binding wires knotted and the bale completed. Before compression can be released, the guide track must be removed from the lower platen slots. Accordingly, the removal frame  128  is rotated upwards by the piston and cylinder assembly  136 . Removal frame  128  rotates around axis  126 . Because this axis is offset from a pivot point  172  of first tie rod  174 , the linkage  170  has an actuating force applied to it simply by virtue of the fact that the removal frame is being raised. As has been seen, the first tie rod  174  rotates the swing arm  180  in a clockwise direction, which causes the second tie rod  184  to push downwards and outwards, which, by virtue of its levered interaction with guide track mount  160  and its pivotable mounting at axis  190 , causes the guide track mount  160  to rotate, carrying with it the guide track sections  148  and turning the insertion portions  150  thereof through increasingly acute angles as the frame is raised. 
   As displayed in  FIGS. 3–8 , the simultaneous rotation of the insertion portion  150  through its increasingly acute angles relative to the perpendicular insertion angle, occurs simultaneously with the rotation upwards of the removal frame  128 . In this manner, a lower reach is established at the insertion level and maintained above it. That is, the insertion is level is the lowest point of the travel arc of the insertion portion  150  of the removable guide track sections  148 . Accordingly, shorter slots and therefore shorter lower platen following blocks may be used, saving material cost. Prior art platens and/or the following blocks that support them were over 12″ high–13⅝″ in the most common models. This was to accommodate dimension D, representing wasted spaced below IL. In the embodiments depicted herein, dimension D is substantially about 5–6″ high, 5½″ as shown. Accordingly, the present invention saves 5 to 6″ of wasted height and corresponding material cost. It allows use of a platen/follower block assembly that is substantially 9″ or less in height. 
   After the removal frame  128  has reached a level sufficient for clearance, a finished bale is ejected. Thereafter, a new volume of bulk material is compressed into the baling station  146  and held there. Next, the removal frame  128  is rotated clockwise and downwards to reinsert the removal guide track sections  148  into their operative position, which closely cooperates with other guide track sections in a known manner. The linkage works in an opposite manner, and may be assisted by gravity, such that swing arm  180  rotates in a counterclockwise direction, the insertion portions  150  also rotate in a counterclockwise direction until they rotate once again into a substantially perpendicular angle to the removal frame  128  as they are inserted into the slots dimensioned to receive them in the following block of the lower platen. Once again, the insertion level is the lowest level of the arc of travel of the insertion portions  150  of the removal guide track sections  148  as they are inserted. 
   In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the several advantages of the invention are achieved and attained. 
   The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. 
   As various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.