Patent GB-1515380-A (GB)
Title: Tier pattern selection and formation for a bale wagon
IPC: A01D90/08
Filed: 1975-08-06
Abstract: 1515380 Bale-wagon SPERRY RAND CORP 6 Aug 1975 [19 Aug 1974] 32831/75 Heading B8C A bale-wagon is arranged to form bales into a plurality of different tier patterns. The bales are fed by a pick-up conveyor onto a first table 22 which pivots about a pivot 80 to feed one or two bales at a time on to a second, tier forming, table 26. The table 26 pivots about a pivot 38 to feed a tier onto a platform 54. A rack 64 is moved backwards on the platform 54 against hydraulic pressure by each tier. A stack of tiers is unloaded from the wagon by the platform pivoting about the point 56. As the rack 64 is moved backwards it rotates through a cable drive a cam plate (142, Fig. 9, not shown) which controls the sequence of tier patterns in the stack. The cam plate has projecting lobes of three different radii. A cam follower (188) urged against the cam plate controls the position of a further cam (294, Figs. 18-20A, not shown) which determines which particular ones of a plurality of bale sensing paddles (232, 236, 240, 246, Fig. 16, not shown) projecting through openings in the table 26 will control the next tier formation. A standard tier (Figs. 23-24, not shown) is formed by successive pairs of bales extending transversely of the table 26 being pushed by succeeding pairs towards the rear of the table. When one of the rearmost paddles (244, 246) is engaged by a bale it causes the table 26 to feed the finished tier to the platform 54. A double rail tie tier is formed of a "rail" grouping forming both the front and rear portions of the tier, and composed of a bale a, b at each side of the tier extending longitudinally of the table 26 and two bales c, d in the centre extending transversely of the table. A rail grouping is formed by feeding a pair of bales to the table 26 and causing spikes 418 to project through the table to engage corners of the bales. Two single bales are then successively fed onto the centre of the table causing the first two bales to pivot about the spikes. The completion of the "rail grouping" actuates the paddle 236 to release the spikes, and to raise the table, partially if the rear "rail" is being formed until the rear "rail" slides to the rear of the table and releases the paddle. A central rail tie tier comprises a rear transverse bale pair, a central "rail grouping", and a front transverse pair. When the rear pair is fed on to the table 26 the frontmost paddle (232) is actuated, partially raising the table and causing the pair to slide to the rear and to release the paddle. After the central "rail" is formed and engages the padded 236 only the spikes are withdrawn allowing the front bale pair to push the central "rail" against a third paddle (240) to raise the table. The sequence of tier patterns is determined by the lobe sequence in the cam plate 142. However the initial lobe which also acts as the final lobe is sufficiently long that depending on the starting point of the cam follower there can be 2 or three standard tiers at the bottom of the stack and one or two standard tiers at the top. The table 22 can deposit the bales on the table 26 either on their flat sides or on their edge sides by a device described in Specification 1,515,379. The raising of the platform 52 causes the bales in the next tier (usually the first tier of a next stack) to be formed on their side edge while raising of the table 26 causes the bales in the following tier to be deposited on their flat sides. comprises hopper means 24; at least three transfer stations 35, 36, 37 to which cigarettes are distributed from the hopper; a plunger means 74, 76, 78 for each transfer station for engaging the cigarettes in said station and inserting them in one of the movable compression pockets 69 of the cigarette packaging machine with which the supply and transfer apparatus is to be used; and drive means for operating the plunger means. The hopper 24 including agitator means 34 (shown in detail, Fig. 3, not shown) feeds cigarettes through channels 32 to form three stacks of cigarettes in each transfer station (to provide twenty cigarettes arranged in three layers (Fig. 2, not shown) for insertion together in a compression pocket), and the plunger means are provided by a plunger assembly 72 on which are mounted three blades for association with each transfer station, each blade upon reciprocal movement of the plunger assembly (for drive means, see Fig. 4, not shown) engaging and projecting into a compression pocket one of the stacks of cigarettes present in the transfer station.