Patent GB-190407866-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Baling Presses
Inventor: COWLEY JAMES THOMAS
Filed: 1904-04-05
Granted: 1904-06-09
Abstract: 7866. Cowley, J. T. April 5. Baling-presses.-A press for baling hemp, cotton, and other fibrous material comprises a stationary slotted head to which the material is fed automatically, and a rotating yielding platen, forming part of a hydraulic press or jack, by which the fibres are coiled spirally into bales of uniform size. Fig. 1 shows a plan of the complete press, and Figs. 2 and 3 elevations ; Fig. 8 shows a plan with part of the feeding-mechanism removed. The fibres are placed in strands on an inclined endless apron 130, Fig. 1, formed of parallel bars, are then brought to a uniform position by a side trough 138, into which their ends project, and are pressed between the bars by star-wheels 139. The ends of the fibres are then caught by rakes 93 and are passed by revolving cones 80 into slots 6,7, Fig. 8, between plates 5 on the head 3 ; a rotating platen 162, Fig. 2, next receives the fibres, the continued passage of the apron past the. slots causing the material to be wound spirally. The platen is carried by the head of a hydraulic jack, the moving part 9 of which is rotated by gearing 14, 15 and bevel-gearing from a shaft 19; the wheel 14 travels down the broad pinion 15 as the baling proceeds. The driving-clutch 23, Fig. 3, is automatically disconnected, when the bale has reached the desired size, by tappet mechanism comprising a shoe 44, Figs. 3 and 13, on a vertical counterbalanced bar 42 attached to a trip lever 36 controlling a rocking shaft 29, connected by a link 53 to the clutch. The gear is set and the clutch connected by turning a lever 30 on the shaft 29, thus causing a lever 45 to press a loose arm 32 past the yielding end of the lever 36 and be locked thereby, and also stretching the spring 31. When the lever 36 turns, the arm 32 is released and turns the shaft 29, thus disconnecting the clutch. The bale is then tied, and the jack withdrawn to release the bale, and again raised rapidly but stopped gradually automatically. These movements are controlled by a valve shown in Fig. 20 and actuated by the gear shown in Fig. 14. A vertical balanced tappet rod 77, Figs. 3 and 14, is connected by an arm 69 and link 68 with universal joints to an arm 64 loose on a shaft 58 connected to the valve by a link 61. A lug on the shaft works between set-screws 67 on the arm 64. The supply pipe 22, Fig. 20, is first put in communication with the branch 20, to raise the platen, by turning the shaft 58 to the left by a lever partly shown. The jack is stopped, when near the upper end of its stroke, by engaging a shoe 164, Fig. 3, thus raising the rod 77 and pushing the arm 64 to the right, and closing the pipe 22. A relief valve 26 allows water to escape back to the pipe 22 when the pressure rises during baling. When the bale is tied, the valve is moved, to open the exhaust port 57, bv turning the shaft 58 to the right, the space between the set-screws of the arm 64 permitting this. Further descent of the jack depresses the rod 77, moves the arm 64 to the left, and closes the exhaust port. The operations are then repeated. The feed-cones 80, Fig. 2, are driven by shafts 85 and flanged pinions 86 sliding in keyways 170 and engaging the wheel 14. The rakes 93, Fig. 6, supported by yielding forks 91, Fig. 26, are reciprocated longitudinally and transversely in inclined paths by a crank 96 and cam 88. The slats of the apron 130, Fig. 1, are connected by chains driven from a shaft 85 by the variable gearing shown in Figs. 9 and 10, and the shaft 121, Fig. 8 ; the chains run on tracks 128 supported above the press. The variable gearing, allowing long or short fibres to be baled with constant rotation of the gear 114, and also permitting the apron to stop when obstructed, consists of a pinion 100, Figs. 9 and 10, driving a wheel 107 through the loose sleeve 102 and gears 101, 103 ; a pinion 108 secured to the wheel 107 drives, through an idler 110, a wheel 114 loose on an arm 112 adjustable by a pawl 157. The wheel 114 carries a removable wheel 117 driving the shaft 104 by frictional contact between a loose wheel 118 and a washer 167 clamped by a nut 169 to the shaft 104 actuating the bevel gearing 119, 120. The wheel 117 is changed to vary the gear.