Abstract:
A wire tieing system for wrapping and tieing a bale of material with wire comprises a wire guide for guiding a wire around a bale of material and a tieing head configured for receiving portions of a wire in the guide and securing the portions together to thereby tie the wire and therefore tie a bale of material. The tieing head is pivotable with respect to the wire guide and is operable for being pivoted between an operating position proximate the guide and a maintenance position away form the guide. A head pivot assembly maintains the tieing head in the maintenance position. The head pivot assembly comprises a support block and a locating pin which are operably movable to engage a portion of the tieing head when the tieing head is pivoted to the maintenance position to prevent the head from pivoting back to the operating position.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to tieing or binding bales of compressed material. Specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus for tieing and securing wires or other binding devices wrapped around such bales, which apparatus may be easily serviced and maintained. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various types of bulk materials are shipped, stored, and otherwise processed and distributed in the form of bales. For example, recyclable materials, such as paper, plastic and metal are formed into bales for easier handling. Bulk material such as cotton might also be processed into compressed bales. Formed bales are easier and more efficient to handle than loose bulk material. Furthermore, bales are more organized and take up less storage or shipping space than loose material. 
     In a baling process, the loose material is collected and formed into a bale. After the bales of material are formed into the proper shape, they are usually wrapped or otherwise fitted with a structure which will keep them in the desired bale shape. For example, it is generally known to wrap bales of compressible material with wire or some other elongated binding device to keep the bales in their form for shipping and storage. Wire is preferable because or its strength, low cost, and the ease with which it is handled. 
     One method of forming a bale directs the compressible material into an automatic baler where it is pressed into a bale by a ram and then moved by the ram through the baler. At a certain position along the baling path, the bale is tied or bound together with wire. More specifically, a tieing system is used with the baler and guides a continuous wire strand around the bale to surround the bale as it progresses through the baler. The wire is overlapped when it completely surrounds the bale. The tieing system engages the bale and the overlapped wire and ties the wire around the bale. 
     In one system, a tieing head associated with the tieing system engages the overlapped wire and twists together the overlapped ends of the wire strands to secure the wire in place around the bale. The tieing head generally comprises a rotating pinion which has a slot to receive the overlapped wire ends. When the pinion is rotated, the wire ends are twisted together. Examples of various automatic balers and tieing methods are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,120,238; 4,155,296; 4,167,902, and 4,459,904. 
     Tieing systems for tieing wire around bales often need maintenance or other attention, such as to repair or replace an inoperable part in the system. However, existing wire tieing systems are sometimes difficult and time consuming to maintain. For example, some existing tieing systems incorporate a continuous wire guide through which the bale passes and a tieing head coupled to the guide and very close to the guide so that the wire in the guide may be tied. The guide and head are mounted on a frame which is then mounted to a baler. When it is necessary to service or otherwise maintain the guide or head with existing systems, the guide, head or other part of the system often has to be disassembled. The close spacing of the guide and tieing head and the overall tight construction of the system requires such disassembly, such as when it is necessary to work on the tieing head. As may be appreciated, disassembly of the system for maintenance and repair is time consuming and therefore costly. Not only are labor costs involved, but repair also means that the baling system is shut down. Therefore, existing system are not as efficient as desired when repairs are necessary. 
     Furthermore, safety is an issue as well where maintenance or repair is involved. For example, various components of existing tieing systems are large and heavy due to the fact that they are usually fabricated of steel or some other metal. A tieing head alone for such system may weigh several hundred pounds. Therefore, when disassembling or maintaining such systems, care must be taken to remove or otherwise secure any parts which may inadvertently and undesirably fall or move during the maintenance procedure. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a mechanism which ties and secures a wire or other similar binding device around a bale of compressed material and which may be readily and cost-effectively maintained or repaired. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to reduce the amount of disassembly of a system that is required for maintenance and repair. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide a tieing system in which the tieing head is readily accessible for repair and maintenance. 
     It is still another objective to provide for safe maintenance and repair of a wire tieing system. 
     These and other objectives will become more readily apparent from the Summary of the Invention and Detailed Description set forth hereinbelow. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A wire tieing system in accordance with the principles of the present invention is utilized to wrap and tie a bale of material with wire. The system comprises a wire guide for guiding the wire around a bale of material and a tieing head configured for receiving portions of wire in the guide and securing the portions together to tie the wire, and therefore, tie a bale of material. Generally the tieing head is mounted at the top or proximate the wire guide. The apparatus is used with a baling device of suitable construction. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a tieing head assembly has a tieing head which is pivotable with respect to the wire guide. The tieing head alternately pivots between an operating position and a maintenance position. In one embodiment, the head is manually moved between the alternating positions. In the operating position, the head will generally be proximate the wire guide to engage the wires being passed through the guide so that the head may tie the wires. In the maintenance position, the tieing head is pivoted generally away from the guide. In the maintenance position, better access to the tieing head is provided to a maintenance person for maintaining and/or repairing the system, including the tieing head. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the tieing head assembly includes a head pivot assembly which is operable, when the tieing head assembly is in the maintenance position, for preventing the tieing head from pivoting back to the operating position. In one embodiment of the invention, a support block is slidable beneath a portion of the tieing head. The support block lays underneath the bottom edge of the tieing head and prevents the head from pivoting back to the operating position. That is, the support block maintains the tieing head in the upwardly pivoted maintenance position. Therefore, the support block may be slid underneath the upwardly pivoted tieing head for maintenance purposes, and may be slid back away from the tieing head so that the head may return to the operating position to tie wires. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the support block further comprises a pin which is operable to engage an aperture within the tieing head to lock the head in the operating position and to prevent it from being inadvertently pivoted to the maintenance position during a wire tieing operation. 
     In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a locating pin is operably mounted to engage the tieing head when it is pivoted to the maintenance position to further prevent head from pivoting back to the operating position. Preferably, the locating pin is spring loaded so as to automatically engage the tieing head when it is pivoted. In one embodiment, the tieing head includes a maintenance aperture and the locating pin is movable for sliding into the maintenance aperture when the head is in the maintenance position to further prevent the head from pivoting to the operating position. Furthermore, the tieing head includes an operating aperture and the locating pin is movable for sliding into the operating aperture to secure the head in the operating position and to prevent it from pivoting to a maintenance position. Therefore, the support block and locating pin are both utilized to maintain the head in the upwardly pivoted maintenance position in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, and are also utilized to lock the head in the downwardly pivoted operating position, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention. 
     Various features and advances of the invention will become more readily apparent from the Detailed Description hereinbelow. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a wire tieing system which may utilize the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention with the tieing head in the maintenance position. 
     FIG. 4 is another perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention with the tieing head in the maintenance position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a front elevational view of a tieing system in which the invention may be incorporated. Specifically, tieing system  10  includes a wire guide track  12  and a tieing assembly  14 . Track  12  includes a groove (not shown) and wire is directed therearound. A bale of material is directed into opening  16  which is encircled by track  12 . The wire encircling the bale is engaged by the tieing assembly  14  and is tied to secure the bale together. A deflector shield  13  keeps bale material from clogging the track  12 . Assembly  14  includes a tieing head  18  which engages the wires to twist ends of the wires together for tieing, and for securing the wire around the bale. A feed and tensioning structure (not illustrated) ensures that the wire is properly fed around the track  12  under sufficient tension to be engaged by tieing head  18 . Controls  22  are utilized to control the system  10 . System  10  will generally be utilized with a baling structure or baler, and the bale of material is pushed through opening  16  by the baler. A system, similar to system  10 , is known in the art for wrapping and tieing wire around bales. For example, the Model 330 Wire-Tieing System is available from U.S. Wire-Tie Systems, a division of Leggett and Platt, Inc. of Carthage, Mo. 
     As mentioned above, the tieing head  18  and its associated parts may weigh several hundred pounds. When system  10  must be repaired or maintained, it may be necessary to remove the head or disassemble it, in part, to move the tieing head  18  to another position. Care must then be taken to prevent the heavy parts from moving or sliding while workers are repairing or maintaining a section of the system  10 . Accordingly, the present invention may be utilized with tieing systems similar to system  10  illustrated in FIG. 1, or other suitable tieing systems. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the tieing head  18  is shown, which is coupled with the inventive assembly as discussed further hereinbelow. Tieing head  18  is commercially available and is known in the art. Accordingly, the detail in the operation of such a tieing head is not discussed herein. Greater information regarding one suitable tieing head, such as for a Model 330 System, is available from U.S. Wire-Tie Systems of Carthage, Mo. Essentially, such a tieing head will grip tensioned wires wrapped around a bale, twist those wires, and cut the ends thereof so that the bale may be moved beyond the tieing system  10  for further processing. In the present invention, the tieing head  18  is coupled to a head pivot assembly  28  which allows head  18  to pivot between an operating position as shown in FIG. 1, and a maintenance position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The head pivot assembly  28  and tieing head are collectively referred to herein as a tieing head assembly  29 . 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the tieing head  18  includes mounting plates  30 . The plates  30  and head  18  are rotatably mounted and specifically are coupled to a pivot bracket  32  through an appropriate pivot pin  34  extending through hole  35  of bracket  32  and through a corresponding hole  36  in at least one of the plates  30 . 
     Plates  30  and head  18  pivot with respect to a frame plate, or frame  38 , and another mounting plate  39 . Pivot bracket  32  is coupled to a pivot bracket mounting plate  42  by appropriate fasteners, such as bolts  43 . Pivot bracket mounting plate  42  is, in turn, coupled to mounting plate  39  and frame  38  by appropriate bolts. Also coupled to the pivot bracket mounting plate  42  is a sliding support block  44  which is part of the head pivot assembly in accordance with another aspect of the present invention. Block  44  includes a guide groove  45  and is slidably coupled to plate  42 . A guide groove bolt  46  and a bolt with attached hand knob  47  couple the sliding block  44  to the plate  42 . A roll pin  48  is inserted into an appropriately formed aperture on one end of block  44 , while a dowel pin  49  extends from an aperture at another end of the block, generally in line with the longitudinal axis of block  44  and perpendicular to roll pin  48 . 
     A locating pin  50  is movably coupled with respect to pivot bracket  32  through an aperture  52  formed therein. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the locating pin  50  and support block  44  cooperate to secure the head  18  in a down, or operating, position when the tieing system is being utilized and to alternately secure the head  18  in an upward, or maintenance, position when repair or maintenance is necessary with respect to the head or another portion of the tieing system proximate the head. To that end, plate  30  and head  18  may be pivoted appropriately on an axis defined by pivot pin  34  so that the head may be moved out of its operating position, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. In one embodiment of the invention, plate  30  and head  18  may pivot in the range of approximately 30° from the horizontal plane defined by frame plate  38 . Of course, other angular ranges of motion for head  18  may be chosen in accordance with the principles of the invention. 
     The locating pin  50  is preferably spring loaded in bracket  32 . The pin  50  is biased toward head  18  and apertures in plate  30  (see FIG.  4 ). In that way, the pin will automatically engage head  18  when the pin is aligned with one of apertures  68 ,  70 . A maintenance or repair person is free to lift the heavy head  18  with both hands and the pin will automatically lock the head in the maintenance position. The person is then free to slide block  44  underneath the head as discussed further hereinbelow. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, when it is necessary to repair or maintain head  18  or a particular part of the wire tieing system  10  proximate head  18 , the head  18  may be pivoted upwardly from the horizontal plane defined by frame plate  38 . As shown in FIG. 3, tilting head  18  in such a way exposes the bottom of the head and other areas below the head which a maintenance person may need to access. As noted above, head  18  and its associated hardware is heavy and thus maintaining the head in the upwardly pivoted or rotated maintenance position is important. To that end, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the sliding support block  44  slides on the pivot bracket mount plate  42  and specifically slides beneath the bottom edge  60  of plate  30  (see FIG.  3 ). Block  44  is formed of a suitable metal, such as steel, for supporting the weight of plate  30  and head  18 . Block  44  acts as a physical support wedge between plate  39  and head  18  with respect to pivot pin  34  to prevent the head  18  and plate  30  from pivoting downwardly and back to the operating position. In that way, a maintenance person may work beneath head  18  safely and comfortably without having to physically hold the head  18  in the upwardly pivoted maintenance position. Roll pin  48  may be gripped and utilized to slide block  44  back and forth beneath head  18 . The hand knob  47  and bolt associated therewith must be loosened in order for block  44  to slide. After the block  44  has been slid under head  18 , the hand knob  47  and bolt may be again tightened to maintain the block  44  in its wedge, or support, position, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
     As noted above, locating pin  50  will automatically engage the head  18  when it is lifted. First, the pin  50  must be pulled away from head  18  and out of aperture  68  to disengage the head. Then the head is free to pivot. It may then be pivoted to allow the pin  50  to align with aperture  70  to lock the head in the maintenance position. After that, the block  44  may be slid underneath head  18 . 
     The block  44  is positioned appropriately for maintaining and supporting the head  18  at a suitable angular position above a horizontal operating position. One suitable angle is in the range of 30°, although other angles may be utilized. Furthermore, the operating position of head  18  may not be generally horizontal. It is desirable, in accordance with the principles of the present invention, to be able to move head  18  sufficiently above its operating position to allow easy access to the head and head assembly for easier repair and maintenance. 
     When the block  44  has been slid from beneath plate  30  and the head  18  has been allowed to pivot back to the operating position, block  44  may then be slid toward plate  30  again so that dowel pin  49  engages a corresponding opening  66  in plate  30  to secure the head  18  in the operating position. That is, dowel pin  49  on block  44  engages aperture  66  to hold the plate  30  and head  18  in the downwardly pivoted operating position (see FIG.  4 .). For repair or maintenance, block  44  is again slid away from head  18  to disengage pin  49  from aperture  66  so that head  18  may be pivoted upwardly to the maintenance position. Then, sliding the block  44  toward head  18  will allow the block to slide under the head to again hold it in an upwardly pivoted maintenance position as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the locating pin  50  is also utilized to further secure head  18  in the downwardly pivoted or operating position, or the upwardly pivoted or maintenance position. Plate  30  includes at least two apertures  68 ,  70  positioned proximate locating pin  50 , as illustrated in FIG.  4 . It will be readily understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art that additional apertures might be utilized for an additional angular range of pivoting. However, for the purposes of illustrating one embodiment of the invention, apertures  68  and  70  are illustrated. The apertures  68 ,  70  are positioned along an arc which corresponds to the pivot arc defined by pivot pin  34  and its associated axis. When head  18  is in the downwardly pivoted, or operating position, locating pin  50  engages aperture  68  to further hold the head  18  in the operating position. When head  18  has been pivoted upwardly, as illustrated in FIGS.  3  and  4 , the locating pin has been withdrawn to allow the plate  30  to rotate, and is then subsequently inserted (automatically or otherwise) into aperture  70  which corresponds with the head being in its upwardly pivoted position. That is, locating pin  50  is aligned with aperture  70  when the head  18  is pivoted upwardly. In that way, the pivoting head  18  is further locked in the upwardly pivoted maintenance position so that a maintenance person may safely work beneath the head  18  without having to hold the heavy components in the upwardly pivoted position. The end  51  of pin  50  is appropriately formed to engage the apertures  68 ,  70 . 
     That is, the present invention utilizes multiple securing structures for maintaining the head in the upwardly pivoted or maintenance position and also in retaining the head  18  in the downwardly pivoted or operating position. While locating pin  50  may be sufficient by itself for maintaining head  18  in the upwardly pivoted position, block  44  provides a physical block or wedge to provide cumulative structures to maintain the heavy tieing head  18  in the upwardly pivoted position as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. To drop head  18 , block  44  is slid away from plate  30  while locating pin  50  is pulled out of the aperture  70 . Once the plate  30  and head  18  have pivoted downwardly to the operating position, block  44  may again be slid toward head  18  so that pin  49  engages aperture  66  and the locating pin  50  may be moved to engage aperture  68 . In that way, the head  18  is locked in the operating position to prevent inadvertent upward pivoting of the head during a tieing procedure. 
     While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of the embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details representative apparatus and method, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departure from the spirit or scope of applicant&#39;s general inventive concept.