Presses – Reciprocating press construction – With material displacing means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-22
2001-03-06
Gerrity, Stephen F. (Department: 3721)
Presses
Reciprocating press construction
With material displacing means
C100S232000, C100S237000, C100S269100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196124
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to machines for baling solid materials into a compact bale, and more particular to baling machines having two separate rams, one for gathering and compacting the material and the other for ejecting the compacted material through a discharge outlet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Continuous extrusion type baling machines have been well known in the baling art and have long been used for baling waste material, such as paper, cardboard, used beverage cans, solid waste and the like. These baling machines have conventionally comprised a horizontal baling chamber having a floor, having sides for constraining the bale laterally and having a discharge passage from which the bales were ejected, and a feed hopper opening in the top side of the baling chamber for delivering the material to be baled. A ram having a forward platen or head reciprocated in the baling chamber past the feed hopper opening between a rearward position of retraction and a forward position of extension and compaction. The ram head was conventionally driven by a hydraulic cylinder mechanism.
In many baling machines, two rams have been used. The first ram gathered the material falling into the chamber from the hopper and compressed the material in the baling chamber against a solid end wall. The second ram extending generally transversely to the first ram ejected the compressed material from the baling chamber. The baling chamber in dual ram baling machines comprised the solid end wall opposite the gathering ram against which the material is compacted and a discharge passage opposite the ejection ram through which the finished bale was ejected from the chamber.
In operation, a charge of compressible material was dumped into the hopper and dropped into the gathering chamber when the gathering ram was retracted. The gathering ram was reciprocated back and forth between its retracted and extended positions, and successive charges were compressed and compacted together in the baling chamber against the solid end wall by the repeated strokes of the gathering ram head. After the material was compressed to its desired density, the gathering ram head was moved to a position at which its inner face formed one of the sidewalls of the baling chamber, and the ejection ram head was advanced to eject the bale through the discharge outlet on one side of the baling machine. An automatic strapping or tying mechanism was positioned at the discharge outlet. When a bale of compressed material was ejected from the baling chamber, the bale was bound and tied with a suitable number of wires.
Examples of dual head baling machines are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,556, issued to Wright et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,576,161, issued to Wright; U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,719, issued to Jackson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,301, issued to Smith et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,337, issued to Newsom; U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,266, issued to Schmalz et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,014, issued to Robinson; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,922, issued to Rudd et al.; the disclosures of which are all hereby incorporated by reference.
A problem develops if there is insufficient material to form a full sized bale or if it is desired to create a bale which is less than full size. The effective size of the baling chamber of prior art machines has been fixed in size, with its dimensions determined by the front face of the gathering ram head when the gathering ram is in its advanced position, the front face of the ejection ram head when the ejection ram is in its retracted position, the solid end wall, and the discharge outlet. While the end wall may be retractable to accommodate the ejection of an oversized bale, it does not allow changing the effective size of the baling chamber. If less than the desired amount of material fills this chamber when the bale is completed, the result is a bale of less than desired density, and such a bale may be unstable and have a tendency to come apart during handling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a unique baling machine design which overcomes the problems and shortcomings of the prior art. In accordance with the present invention, a dual head baling machine is provided in which the dimensions of the ejection or baling chamber can be modified to permit bales of different sizes to be produced by a single baling machine. This allows smaller than usual bales to be produced if there is insufficient material to form a full sized bale, and it allows for the forming and ejecting of bales of less than normal width on a continuous basis. These smaller than usual bales have the desired density and, therefore, are not prone to instability.
The baling machine of the present invention includes an ejection ram which has a ram head comprised of two parts—a main ram head and a smaller auxiliary ram head. In normal operation of the baling machine, both parts of the ejection ram head are operated to eject a full-sized bale of material from the baling chamber. The baling machine can also be operated in an auxiliary mode in which only the main ejection ram head is operated and the smaller auxiliary ram head is retained in its retracted position. In this mode, the front face of the gathering ram head is positioned adjacent to the side edge of the main ejection head and occupying the path of the auxiliary ram head. A smaller baling chamber is thus defined. When the material fills this smaller baling chamber, only the main ejection ram head is advanced to eject the compressed material from the baling chamber.
Each of the ram head portions of the ejection ram are separately operated by individual cylinders, each having its own piston connected to the ram head portion. The main ejection ram head can thus be operated separately and independently of the auxiliary ejection ram head. The two separate rams which comprise the ejection ram are in addition to the separate gathering ram, so that a total of three rams are provided in the baling machine of the present invention.
The auxiliary ejection ram head may also be provided with a locking flange on one side of the ram head which engages the main ejection ram head and prevents the auxiliary ejection ram head from being advanced unless the main ejection ram head is also advanced.
These and other advantages are provided by the present invention of a baling machine comprising first frame portion and a second frame portion. The first frame portion comprises a floor, an upper portion and side walls forming a gathering chamber. The gathering chamber includes a charging inlet through which material to be baled is delivered into the gathering chamber. The second frame portion comprises a floor, an upper portion and an end wall forming a baling chamber. The baling chamber communicates with the gathering chamber to allow compressed material to be forced from the gathering chamber into the baling chamber against the end wall. The baling chamber has a discharge outlet at one side for ejection of compressed material from the baling chamber. A gathering ram is reciprocal within the gathering chamber. The gathering ram includes a ram head movable between a retracted position and an advanced position to compress material in the gathering chamber and to drive compressed material into the baling chamber. An ejection ram is reciprocal within the baling chamber. The ejection ram includes a main ram head and an auxiliary ram head adjacent to each other. The main ram head and the auxiliary ram head are movable together between a retracted position and an advanced position to push compressed material from the baling chamber through the discharge outlet. The main ram head is separately movable between a retracted position and an advanced position while the auxiliary baling head is in its retracted position to push compressed material from the baling chamber through the discharge outlet.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2748694 (1956-06-01), Thompson
patent: 3005403 (1961-10-01), Van Endert
patent: 3141401 (1964-07-01), Lindemann et al.
patent: 3384007 (1968-05-01), Boje
Gerrity Stephen F.
Rankin, Hill, Porter & Clark, L.L.P.
The American Baler Company
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