Patent GB-594421-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to rotary baler
IPC: B65B27/12
Filed: 1945-03-20
Abstract: 594,421. Baling-machines. ALLIS-CHALMERS MANUFACTURING CO. March 20, 1945, No. 6947. Convention date, March 3, 1944. [Class 6 (iii)] A machine comprises apparatus which rolls material delivered thereto into a bale of predetermined diameter, and a bale-wrapping apparatus including a twine-feeding member, characterised in that during the wrapping operation the twine-feeding member is moved along an arcuate path with a substantially uniform horizontal velocity component. Referring to Fig. 1, a frame 1 has mounted thereon upper and lower drive roll assemblies 2, 3 ; a press-roll assembly 4, an upper tension roll assembly having a pivotally-supported tension arm 6 and rotary roll 7, a lower tension roll assembly with pivotally supported tension arm 8 and rotary roll 9, an upper trip roll assembly with arm 11 and roll 12, a lower trip roll assembly with bow member 13 supporting an arm 14 having a rotary roll 16, an arcuate rack 17 with which a pinion 18 on arm 8 engages, a pivoted latch release bar 19 and a discharge rocker-arm 21. A rod 25 pivotally interconnects the tension arms 6 and 8, whilst arm 6 and arm 21 move about a common fulcrum 26 ; a spring 27, connected to a bell-crank lever 28, preventing counterclockwise movement of the arm 21. The trip-roll arms 11, 14 are pivotally interconnected but are normally retained in alined relationship by a releasable latch 29 on arm 11. A flanged wheel 31 on arm 11 engages with and rolls along the top of an inclined frame member 30, upon which the latch bar 19 is mounted, by means of a link 32. Movement of bow member 13 towards lower drive roll is limited by a looped link 33. Material to be baled is delivered near the rolls of the press-roll assembly 4 and drive assembly 3 by an endless conveyer 34 driven by a sprocket 35 mounted on a normally rotating shaft 36 forming part of drive assembly 3. Sprocket 35 drives the conveyer when a pawl 38 on a pivotal latch plate 37 engages with ratchet-like surface 39, but when spring 41 moves latch plate 37 to a pawl disengaging position the sprocket 35 is stationary, the pawl engaging position being retained by a roller 42 on a crank arm 43, said arm and a plate 44 being integrally connected and pivotally mounted on a frame bracket 46. A link 51 is situated in an elongated opening 49 in the plate 44 and is pivotally connected with a link 52, the link 51 being also connected with a projection 53 on the tension arm 8 by a spring 54, having adjusting nuts 56 the position of which determines the extent the arm 8 moves counterclockwise from its initial point to stop the conveyer 34 by releasing the latch plate 37 and thereby the pawl 38 through the movement of the crank-arm 43. Twine wrapping means.-The twine wrapping means comprises a pair of spring-pressed twine tensioning discs 59 and a roll both mounted on a bell-crank lever 62, a tube 63 and a guide roller 64, the tube 63 having an intermediate external cam edge portion 66 and a twinefeeding ferrule 67. A housing formed by front and rear plates 68, 69 supports the tube and also mechanism for positioning and moving said tube lengthwise of the bale. The upper end of the tube 63 is pivotally mounted on a fixed pin 71 on rear plate 69, and by the action of gravity and a spring 72 assumes the dotted line position, Fig. 2, a stop 73 limiting clockwise movement. Crank-arms 76, 77 on a rotatable shaft 74 supported by plates 68, 69 ; the arm 77 having a roller 78 which engages with the cam portion 66 of the tube 63. A partial gear 79 on the shaft 74 is so positioned as to be driven through a predetermined angle by a spur gear 81 integral with the hub of a gear 82 on a fixed shaft 83 extending between and supported by the plates 68, 69. The gear 82 is driven by a pinion 84 on a shaft 86 one end of which is rotatably mounted in a bearing 89 on the frame, and carries a pulley 91 driven through a belt 92, pulleys 93, 94 by the shaft 36 of the lower drive assembly 3. On front plate 68 is a fixed pin 95 having a pivotal arm 96 and a roller 97 which rides on the surface 98 of the partial gear 79. The surface 98 has a cam portion 107 and movement of roller 97 thereover results in counterclockwise movement of arm 96 and a corresponding movement of shaft 101 which has an arm 103 connected to arm 96 by links 104, 106. A fixed shaft 108 between plates 68, 69 has a pivotally mounted lever 109 carrying a roller 111, which engages with a stop projection 112 on the partial gear 79. A link 113 connects the other arm of the lever 109 to the bell crank 62 ; the bell cranks 62, 109 being retained in position by spring 114 and a stop plate 116. A spring 120 retains the crank-arm 76, and therefore also crank-arm 77, roller 78 and partial gear 79, in position, said spring 120 acts to rotate shaft 74, gear 79 and arms 76, 77 counterclockwise, such movement being prevented by the roller 111 engaging the stop 112. The toothed part of partial gear 79 is in angular spaced out of mesh relation with the teeth on the gear 81 so that partial gear 79 can only be driven counterclockwise if it is first rotated sufficiently to engage with the gear 81. The tube 63 is retained in its raised position by a latch 121 on rod 122 and kept in position by arm 123 and spring 124. In Fig. 1, the arm 123 is connected to the link 52, and the link 57 is connected to an arm 131 on a rod 132 by a spring 133 and its adjusting nuts 134. A stop projection 135 on arm 131 limits the movement of the latch plate 37 to a pawl disengaging position through link 57 and rod 132 ; the rod 132 being engaged by the upper end of bow member 13 as the lower trip roll assembly nears its initial bale starting position. The position of the spring 133 determines extent rod 132 has to be moved clockwise to actuate link 57 and reposition latch-plate 37 and pawl 38. Twine cutting means.-Said means comprises a knife 136 fixed to the frame and a pivotal knife guard 137. Shaft 101 has a pair of arms 138 one of which is connected to the latchrelease bar 19 by a link 139, latter having a part connected to the guard. Movement of the shaft 101 to swing guard 137 away from knife actuates latch bar 19 to release latch 29 which normally retains the trip roll arms 11, 14 locked in alinement. Operation.-In operation, material is fed between the rolls of the assemblies 2, 3, 4 and then around the partially formed bale 58 by bands 22, 23, the tension rolls 7, 9 move towards each other, tension arms 6, 8 move counterclockwise about their pivots, upper and lower trip roll assemblies move rearward with flanged wheel 31 riding on inclined frame 30, and continue thus until downward movement of projection 53 and of link 51 turns the crankarm 43 and plate 44 clockwise sufficiently to release twine tube latch 121 and then release latch plate 37 which moves to its pawl disengaging position. On release of latch 121, tube 63 drops to dotted line position, Fig. 2, and the twine passes in with the material through the rolls and around the formed bale and the pull exerted on the twine moves the disc 61, bell-cranks 62, 109 counterclockwise until halted by stop plate 116. This movement of crank 109 withdraws roller 111 from engagement with stop 112, and the spring 120 quickly rotates shaft 74 and so arm 77 and partial gear 79 until the teeth on latter engages with the gear 81. In this position the roller 78 is near the cam surface 66 of the tube 63, and the tube 63 remains stationary until the roller 78 engages with the cam surface 66 which moves the tube 63 counterclockwise, the cam being so shaped that this motion is uniform. When tube reaches the full line position, Fig. 2, the latch 121 is repositioned to hold the tube 63 thus. This occurs just prior to the cam 107 engaging with roller 97 on arm 96, and moving said arm counterclockwise, said movement being transmitted to shaft 101 which then moves guard 137 away from knife 136 and actuates bar 19 to release later 29, whereupon the twine is cut by the knife ; the arms and rolls 11, 14 and 12, 16 of the trip roll assemblies moving apart and discharging the bale, and the tension rolls and arms moving to their initial positions. The cutting of the twine releases pull on the disc 61, and the crank 62 returns to its normal position. The movement of the trip roll assemblies actuates rod 132 and thereby link 57 which repositions latch plate 37 and pawl 38 to restart the conveyer which recommences the cycle of operations. Specification 594,422 is referred to.