"Manual Bale Extraction System"

This invention relates to an improved system for the removal of compacted bales of compressible materials from a baling machine chamber.

"Background Art"

Baling machines commonly used in supermarkets and other recycling situations generally compact waste materials into a block which is tied off by various means so that the compressed materials remain in a solid block. These compressed blocks of materials, whilst in the chamber of the baling machine generally expand making them difficult to remove from the balers chamber this coupled with the fact that these compressed blocks are generally heavy in weight. These compressed blocks can be removed from the baler in two ways, the most common way with smaller balers is the use of a general purpose hand trolley which on account of a negative leverage situation can be difficult and hazardous to the health of the operator, or the bales can be, especially in larger machines by mechanically powered means dumping the compacted bale onto a trolley or onto the floor. Power ejects systems can create considerable occupational health and safety issues, there is now in the modern work place a resistance to powered force on account of the potential injury that could be inflicted on the operator or a close bystander.

"Disclosure of the Invention"

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a system to remove compacted bales from within the pressing chamber that will go towards obviating or eliminating the foregoing disadvantages in a simple yet effective manner. The present invention therefore provides a baling press comprising of a specially designed base and purpose built trolley combination for safe and easy bale removal. The base of the machine can be so adjusted that the desired leverage required can be achieved to remove what ever size bale with equal ease whilst leaving the extraction trolley standard so that the same trolley can be used on various size balers that may exist in one situation. The construction of the baler base consisting of a pair of channel ways these channel ways being open at the front to various depths with a fulcrum cross runner situated a pre-determined distance so as to create the desired leverage. The bale extraction trolley is equipped with a pair of prongs which slide into the channel ways on the baler base below the compacted bale of materials. The insertion and extraction system requires that the bale be tied off and both the upper and lower doors be fully opened. When the extraction trolley, prongs have been fully inserted in the baler base channels beneath the tied off bale, at this point the extraction trolley wheels are well off the floor as the operator pulls back on the trolley handle the forks of the bale extraction trolley contact the fulcrum bar which has been set in at a pre-determined distance depending on the baler capacity and the force required, considerable leverage is applied at this point breaking the compressed bales contact with the chamber walls, coming forward as stage one of the removal process. As the operator continues to pull backwards on the bale extraction trolley handles the fulcrum action on the base continues until the large front trolley wheels contact the floor this then is the beginning of stage two of the extraction process at this point the bale centre of gravity has been shifted from the base fulcrum point to the axle centre on the trolley wheels, the trolley wheels

now become the new fulcrum point and the bale continues it extraction journey., the geometry of both stages is such that the removal force remains constant, with heavier bales a third optional stage has been incorporated where the bale comes back over centre of gravity slightly and the bale ejection trolley comes to rest on the rear set of swivel wheels - all three stages happen simultaneously making for ease and safety in the bale removal process.

Brief Description of Drawings

Fig 1 Elevated view of the baler base

Fig 2 Side view of the forked bale removal trolley inserted into the baler base channels

Fig 3 Inserted trolley pivoting on the fulcrum rail

Fig 4 Diagonal view of the extraction trolley

"Mode for carrying out the Invention"

The baling press consists of a base and two sides a rear wall section and a pair of front doors (a lower main door and a smaller upper door) these attach to a base as in fig 1. The top door is open and material to be compacted are deposited into the chamber of the baler over the closed bottom door. The top door is closed when sufficient material have been deposited and an overhead hydraulically driven compaction plate travels in downward stroke forcing and compacting materials into the lower chamber. This process is repeated until a fully compacted bale has been achieved. Because of the narrow nature of the rails in the base fig 1 materials remain on top of these channel rails keeping the channels open and free even with a tightly compacted baler when the bale is full the bale is tied off in the normal way using twine or other tying off methods. To remove the bale from the compression chamber both the upper and lower

doors are opened. The pronged forks on the bale removal trolley fig 4 then slide into the grooves in the baler base fig beneath the compacted bale. With the trolley extraction forks fully inserted into the channels on the base fig 2 the operator then pulls backward on the handle on the top[ of the bale extraction trolley, with this action the forks firmly contact and pivot on the predetermined cross bar A. fig 3 this creates a fulcrum effect adding extra leverage and reducing the amount of force require to achieve the first initial stage, as the operator continues to pull backwards on the handle the main wheels of the extraction trolley B come into contact with the floor at this point the bale is so positioned that the force of removal is reduced as the centre of gravity now sits over wheels B which now become the new fulcrum point and stage two of the bale removal process. To ensure complete safety of the operator an optional stage three is includes as the operator continues to pull backwards on the trolley handle the bale ejection trolley comes to rest on swivel wheels with all four bale ejection trolley wheels on the floor this is the third and final ejection process. With all four wheels of the bale ejection trolley on contact with the floor the bale is slightly over centre. With the compacted bale extracted and free of the baler chamber the bale can now be wheeled away on the bale ejection trolley now doubling as the trolley used to locate the bale. The bale is very easily removed from the trolley on account of being slightly over centre, the operator pushes the handle forwards and the process is reversed as the bale falls forward the bale extraction trolley prongs are released from beneath the baler.