Year: 1888

page_text: We, JOHN HOWARD HOWARD, JAMES HAROLD HOWARD and EDWARD TENNEY
BOUSFIELD, all of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the baling of hay, straw and other materials and to
apparatus therefor.
The method usually adopted for making bales of hay, straw, and other bulky
materials, has been to press such materials into the required form by means of
levers, screws or hydraulic power.
By our present invention we obtain the required compression of the bales simply
and expeditiously by passing the materials through rollers of which there may be
two or any desired number according to the material and the degree of compactness
required.
The material to be made into bales is conveyed to the rollers by a web or apron
or other conveyor, the material being forced through a mouthpiece in front of the
rollers. As the bale issues from the mouth of the machine ties or bands are applied,
the bale being finally cut off to the desired length.
The compressing rollers, when more than one pair is used, are arranged in a
series of steps, the rollers of each succeeding pair being closer together than those
of the preceding pair; the pair of rollers next to the mouthpiece having between
them a space corresponding to the size of the bales.
The rollers are geared together by toothed wheels or chains, all the roller surfaces
moving forward the material to the mouthpiece and simultaneously compressing it.
Instead of the series of rollers, in some cases we use travelling platforms or chains
which are inclined towards each other and operate to gradually compress the
material and move it forward to the mouthpiece. Or rollers may be used in com-
bination with such platforms or chains.

page_text: When the material to be made into bales could not be severed as above described
without injury (for example, wool) it is, previously to being passed between the
rollers, platforms or chains, divided into sections by boards or other convenient
means.
The mouthpiece from which the bales issue may be fitted with projecting tie
carriers or the ties may be carried upon the mouthpiece and pushed therefrom as
required.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants.
.
Improvements relating to the Baling of Hay, Straw, and other
Materials, and to Apparatus therefor.
We, JOHN HOWARD HOWARD, JAMES HAROLD HOWARD and EDWARD TENNEY
BOUSFIELD, all of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to a new kind of machine or apparatus for baling hay, straw
and other materials, which machine or apparatus is adapted to deliver the material to
be baled in a continuous strip.
The method hitherto usually adopted for making bales of hay, straw and other
bulky materials has been to press such materials into the required form by means of
levers or screws, or by hydraulic power.
By our invention we obtain the required compression, simply and expeditiously, by
passing the material to be baled between endless platforms (hereinafter termed
platens) inclined towards each other from the end where the material is fed into
the apparatus to the mouth or outlet through which the compressed material is
discharged, or between a series of pairs of rollers, the rollers of each succeeding
pair of which are closer together than the rollers of the preceding pair.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a plan of a baling machine constructed according to our invention.
Figure 2 is a central longitudinal vertical section of the same; and,
Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line, Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line x¹, x¹ Figure 1.

page_text: Figure 5 is a view of a retaining clamp hereinafter described.
Figures 6, 7 and 8 are sectional views, drawn to an enlarged scale, illustrating the
construction of the platens; and,
Figures 9 and 10 are views of details.
a, a are the two platens, which are mounted upon sprocket wheels on the vertical
shafts b, b; and c, cl are two plates which are placed immediately above and below
the said platens, and which, with the latter, constitute a kind of box or chamber
wherein the compression of the material is effected. The said plates also carry or
have formed in them bearings in which the shafts b, 61 are journalled.
d, d are beams or rails which serve to support the platens against the pressure
within the compression chamber, the said beams being arranged relatively to the
plates c, e as shown in figures 6 and 7; e, e are distance pieces which maintain the
said rails at a proper distance apart, and el, el are bolts which are passed through
the said distance pieces, the rails and the plates c, c¹ and serve to hold the same
firmly together.
ff are angle iron bars which are secured to the plates c, c¹ adjacent to the
platens a, a, as shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8, and which serve to prevent the material,
while being compressed, from entering between the platens and the plates c, c'.
The said angle iron bars also project beyond the ends of the platens as shown in
Figures 2 and 3, and thus serve to prevent the compressed material from expanding
after the platens commence to move away therefrom, and before the said material
has reached a point at which the retaining clamp, hereinafter described, and the
securing bands can be conveniently applied.
g is a receptacle into which the material to be baled is placed, h is a conveyor
arranged at the bottom of the said receptacle, and is a reel or drum which, in
conjunction with the said conveyor, serves to feed the material forward to the
platens. The said conveyor and reel are operated from one of the shafts 61 through
the medium of the bevil wheels g¹, g', the sprocket wheels g, and the chain g³.
jis a table onto which the compressed material is delivered, and is a clamp which
is locked over the material as it issues from between the platens and assists in
retaining the material in its compressed condition until the wire or other securing
bands are applied thereto.
The said retaining clamp comprises two arms k¹, k², which are pivoted together
and so shaped as to embrace the compressed material. 3 is a lever which is pivotted
to the arm and connected by a link k with the arm k¹. When the clamp is to be
placed around the compressed material, the lever is raised so that the space
between the said arms is increased, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 5, thereby
enabling it to he readily applied. When the clamp is in position the lever kis
depressed, as indicated in full lines in the said Figure, so that the compressed
material is tightly embraced between the two arms. The arms are prevented from
separating under the expansive force of the material, owing to the fact that, when
the arms are closed, the pivot connecting the lever and the link k is above a
straight line between the fulcrum of the lever k³ and the pivot connecting the leg
and the link k¹.
7 is a gap which is formed in the table to allow the securing bands to be readily
passed under and around the material.
m, m are ratchet wheels which are keyed upon the shafts b, b for communicating
motion to the platens, the said ratchet wheels being operated by the pawls n, n on the
levers n', n². The lever n' is provided with an arm n³, connected by a rod o to the
lever n²; the said lever n' being itself connnected by a rod o¹ to a crank pin o³ on a
toothed wheel p, so that at each revolution of the said wheel P motion is communicated
to the pawl carrying levers n', n² to cause them to operate the shafts b, b.
T
The wheel p is mounted on a boss 9 on a base-plate q' secured to the plate c, and
bas engaging with it a pinion p¹ (Figures 4 and 10) mounted on a shaft q, to which
pinion motion is imparted from the driving pulley through the shaft ¹, the bevil
pinion, the bevil wheel and tho clutch as hereinafter described. The said
clutch is adapted to engage with corresponding teeth on the boss of the wheel
and

page_text: is connected by means of a spline joint to the elongated boss p² of the pinion p¹, so
that when the clutch is in engagement with the said teeth, motion will be imparted to
the pinion pl and thence to the wheel p and the endless platens. The elongated boss
of the pinion pl also serves to support the wheel p.
The longitudinal movement of the clutch upon the elongated boss p' is effected
through the medium of the hand lever s, the bifurcated end of which enters a groove
in the said clutch. The lever s is adapted to engage with one or other of two notches
in a standard s¹ to hold the clutch either in or out of gear.
to
Each of the platens hereinbefore referred to comprises two series of links t
(Figure 9) which are united together by pins t¹, t¹, as shown in Figure 6, to form
a chain, the said pins also serving to unite the adjacent links of each series and
carry rollers u, u which run upon the rails d, d to reduce the friction between the
latter and the chains. Each link is formed with an aperture t³, so that the cross-
bars can be arranged between the opposite links of the two series, as shown in
Figures 6 and 7.
:-
h.
w, w are slats which are secured to the cross bars v, v by bolts w¹, w¹ and extend
the full distance between the two plates c, c¹. These slats are thinner at one edge than
at the other, as shown in Figure 8, so that when arranged in position projecting
ribs
y are formed, which serve to grip the material and cause it to move forwards.
The operation of the apparatus hereinbefore described is as follows, that is to say:
The material to be baled is placed in the receptacle g and spread over the conveyor
The motion of the apparatus carries the material forward between the platens,
where it is gradually compressed owing to the movement of the said platens in the
direction indicated by the arrows, Figure 3. As the material issues from the
mouth of the machine the retaining clamp k is placed over the same, and then a
securing band is passed around the material between the mouth and the clamp before
the said material has had an opportunity of expanding. The clamp is then removed
and, when a sufficient length of compressed material has issued from the machine, is
again applied in the manner hereinbefore described.
As is obvious, the material issues from the apparatus in a continuous bale or strip.
In order to form bales of convenient size the strip is from time to time divided
transversely at the required distances apart.
The apparatus hereinbefore described is very advantageously made portable. For
this
it
purpose may be mounted on travelling wheels z, z, and the receptacle g may be
provided with pivotted arms z', c¹ so that it can be turned back. Also, instead of
arranging the platens to compress the material laterally, they may be arranged to act
vertically, or in any other suitable manner.
We wish it understood that we do not limit our invention to the construction
herein before described, as it is obvious that the construction of the endless platens and
the means for feeding the material into the machines and compressing and forming it
into bales can be considerably modified without departing from the nature of our
invention.
Also, instead of using the endless platens, we may substitute therefor a series of
rollers arranged in pairs, the rollers of each succeeding pair being closer together than
those of the preceding pair. Or we may employ one or more pairs of rollers in
combination with the endless platens. When the material to be baled could not be
severed as above described without injury, it is, previously to being passed between
the platens or rollers, divided into sections by boards or other equivalent means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
(1) The manufacture and use of a new kind of machine or apparatus for baling bay
straw and other material, whereby the material to be baled is delivered in a continuous
bale or strip, substantially as described.
(2) An apparatus for baling hay, straw and other materials, wherein two endless
platens are employed, substantially in the manner herein before described.

page_text: (3) In apparatus for baling hay, straw and other materials, the combination with
two endless platens arranged to converge towards each other and to gradually
compress the material between them, of a conveyor or moving platform and a reel
for moving the material towards the platens, substantially as described.
(4) In apparatus for baling hay, straw and other materials, the employment of a
table, substantially as herein before described, for receiving the compressed material
and supporting the same during the application of bands thereto.
(5) The employment of the retaining clamp k, substantially as, and for the purpose,
described.
(6) The improved apparatus consisting of the parts constructed and combined
substantially as hereinbefore described' with reference to the accompanying drawings,
and operating as, and for the purpose, set forth.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants