Material or article handling – Elevator or hoist and loading or unloading means therefor – Convertible attachment
Patent
1994-05-11
1995-08-29
Huppert, Michael S.
Material or article handling
Elevator or hoist and loading or unloading means therefor
Convertible attachment
414621, B66F 918
Patent
active
054454905
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a bale-carrying device designed as an attachment for a vehicle, in particular for a fork-lift truck, comprising a mounting frame which can be attached to the vehicle, a lifting device capable of moving up and down on the mounting frame, and two retaining arms provided on the lifting device, which essentially extend forwards from the lifting device in the direction of travel, are fitted with opposing bearing surfaces arranged roughly vertically and parallel to each other, and are mounted on the lifting device in such a manner as to be movable towards and away from each other in a lateral direction, relative to the direction of travel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With known devices of this type, which are normally fitted to fork-lift trucks, bales are stacked, unstacked or placed on conveyor belts, on which the bales pass through wire-removing devices. Wire-removing devices are normally very elaborate and expensive machines. Furthermore, the wire-removing process represents an additional working step, for which a certain processing time must be allowed.
Thus, the task of the present invention is to simplify wire-removal and save a separate working step.
In accordance with the invention, this task is solved in that at least one of the two retaining arms of a carrying device of the type initially mentioned is provided with a cutting device, extending across almost the entire height of its bearing surface, in order to sever the binding wires of the bales.
On the basis of this invention, it is possible to remove the wire at any time at which the respective bale is located in the carrying device. A separate work step for unwiring the bales is thus saved. Furthermore, the carrying-device is also provided with certain design elements which a wire-removing device also has to display, namely a clamping mechanism with which the bale is fixed in a certain position. Thus, if the wire-removing device is integrated in the fixing device which is present anyway, and is mounted on a fork-lift truck, for example, the complexity of the device can be reduced considerably and a separate wire-removing device is saved.
The other retaining arm preferably displays a gripping device extending almost across the entire height of its bearing surface in order to grip the binding wires once cut. It is thus ensured that the cut binding wires do not fly around, but are held tight and can then be disposed of easily.
Any desired design known from conventional wire-removing devices can be used as the cutting device. However, the cutting device is preferably designed as a blade with a full-length cutting edge, which can be retracted into the bearing surface when inactive and extended from the bearing surface in order to perform the cutting process. Thus, when inactive, the cutting device is completely retracted into the interior of the retaining arm, so that, first, the cutting edge of the blade cannot present any danger to the operating personnel and, second, it is completely protected so that it cannot be damaged itself. In this condition, the carrying device, which may be mounted on a fork-lift truck, for example, can be used for normal stacking, transport or carrying tasks. The wire-removing device need then only be operated when required.
The blade of the wire-removing device is expediently movable in linear fashion in the direction of pressure of its cutting edge. This ensures that the blade is exactly vertical when it comes into contact with the binding wires to be severed, thus guaranteeing a reliable cutting process.
The blade can be movable via a lever mechanism operated with the help of a pressure cylinder. The majority of vehicles, including fork-lift trucks, for example, are fitted with pneumatic or hydraulic devices anyway, which can advantageously be used to operate the wire-removing device.
The blade of the cutting device is expediently mounted on a blade holder in replaceable fashion, so that it can be replaced with a new or reground blade without great effort, as and when r
REFERENCES:
patent: 3242851 (1966-03-01), Brawley et al.
patent: 4929141 (1990-05-01), Keesey et al.
patent: 5069596 (1991-12-01), Mueller et al.
Huppert Michael S.
Keenan James W.
Sulzer Papertec Euskirchen GmbH
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