State of the art Two-station presses, i. e., presses with a pre-pressing station and a station for final pressing and binding, are known, for example, from the Italian Patents for Invention Nos. 1 201 292,1 201 240, and 1 214 914, as well as from the Italian Utility Model No. 207 273. In these presses, a carriage is present, which, in certain cases, also defines the pre-pressing volume and which transfers the material that has been partially pressed in the pre- pressing station to the station for final pressing and binding. Although efficient, the above solution involves somewhat high costs, in particular when the press is to be designed according to the specific requirements of the user.

An improved press of the above-mentioned two-station type is described in WO-A-0038908.

Objects and summary of the invention The object of the present invention is to provide a press of the above- mentioned type and as described in WO-A-0038908, which will make it possible to obtain a packaged product, i. e., a product at least partially wrapped in a sheet, which may be, for instance, a sheet made of plastic or of any other suitable material.

The above and further objects and advantages, which will emerge clearly for persons skilled in the art from the ensuing text, are achieved by means of a press that presents the features specified in Claim 1.

Further advantageous features of the press according to the invention are specified in the attached dependent claims.

The press can be completed with systems that carry out wrapping of the two faces of the pressed bale that remain exposed after the bale has been wrapped with the sheet that is applied during transfer of the material from the first pre-pressing station to the second station for final pressing. Wrapping of the side faces may be done, for example, by associating, to the final-pressing station, two frames which apply on the side faces of the pressed bale, and, preferably before binding, two lengths of sheet taken from spare rolls. These frames can be made, for example, as described in detail in the Italian Patent No. 1 278 798.

Alternatively, wrapping of the bale may be completed, for example, by means of a film, which is wrapped with one or more turns around the bale already bound, with a wrapping system of a type in itself known in the art of packaging.

The invention also relates to a method for the production of bales of pressed textile material as defined in Claim 4. Further advantageous features of the method according to the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

By rneans of the method and press according to the invention it is possible to obtain bales of pressed material that are adequately protected by means of a sheet that wraps round at least four faces of the bale, namely the ones on which the binding straps are applied. In this way, the material is protected and is not damaged by the binding operation. The side faces may remain uncovered or, possibly, may also be covered as described above.

Wrapping of the bale is obtained in an extremely simple way, without any lengthening of the time of the pressing and binding cycle.

Brief description of the drawings A better understanding of the present invention will be provided by the ensuing description and by the attached drawings, which illustrate a practical non-limiting example of the invention and in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of the press according to the invention; Fig. 2 illustrates a detail of the means for unwinding and cutting the sheet; and

Figs. 3 to 7 are partial side cross-sectional views illustrating five successive steps of operation of the press.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments The press, designated as a whole by 101, has a first pre-pressing station 103 and a second pressing and binding station 105. Associated to the pre- pressing station 103 is a so-called condenser 107, which feeds the textile material that is to be packaged in the form of bales. The condenser 107 feeds the textile material into a loader 109, from which a cylinder-piston system 111 with a plate 113 provided with reciprocating motion as indicated by the double-headed arrow fl 13 unloads the textile material into a loading area 115 set above a pre-pressing space 117. Associated to the loading area 115 and the pre-pressing space 117 is a pre-pressing plate 119 driven by a cylinder- piston actuator 121, for instance of a hydraulic type.

The pre-pressing space 117 is delimited by two fixed vertical walls (not shown) which are substantially parallel to the plane of Fig. 1, as well as by a plate 125 constituting part of a pusher 127, and by a vertical wall 129, which is parallel to the plate 125 and can move, and more precisely oscillate, about a horizontal axis 129A.

Between the pre-pressing station 103 and the final-pressing station 105 there develops a horizontal-transfer path 131 delimited at the top by a first wall that is formed by the vertical wall 129 when the latter assumes its raised position, as may be seen in Figs. 4 and 5. At the bottom, the path 131 is delimited by a second horizontal containment wall 135. The latter can move horizontally in the same direction as the plate 125, as will be clarified in what follows.

Laterally, namely, in a direction parallel to the plane of Fig. 1, the transfer path 131 is, in the example illustrated, open.

The oscillating movement of the mobile wall 129 makes it possible, when the wall 129 is raised, to set in communication the pre-pressing compartment 117 with the transfer path 131 for transfer to the final-pressing station 105.

The latter station comprises a first top pressing plate 137, which is mobile, and a second bottom pressing plate 141, which, in the present example, is

fixed, but which can also be mobile in a vertical direction.

The plate 125 of the pusher 127 is mobile as indicated by the two- headed arrow f127, and this reciprocating movement is controlled by a cylinder-piston actuator 145 with horizontal development, which is set in a prolongation of the transfer path 131. Associated to the plate 125 is a horizontal sheet 147, which translates, as indicated by the two-headed arrow f127, integrally with the plate 125 (or in any case in a way co-ordinated with the latter) as a result of operation of the actuator 145.

Above the pre-pressing compartment 117 and the top containment wall 129, are set two comb-like systems 149 which can oscillate about horizontal axes to withhold the pre-pressed material inside the pre-pressing compartment 117 when the pre-pressing plate 119 is raised, thus preventing swelling of the pre-pressed textile material in the loading area 115.

Associated to the pressing and binding station 105 is a binding machine 151, as well as a carriage 161 with a pick-up device which picks up the pressed and bound bales and removes them from the final-pressing station 105.

Associated to the second station 105 for final pressing is a support 201 for a roll R of a plastic film or sheet, designated by T. The latter is used for wrapping four faces of the material pressed in the final-pressing station 105 before the binding operation, i. e., before formation of the finished bale. The sheet T is sent back along a path set above the pressing plate 137 to be stretched transversely in the path 131 for transfer of the pre-pressed textile material from the pre-pressing station 103 to the final-pressing station 105.

The path of the sheet T is defined by idler rollers 202, 203, 204,205.

Associated to the frame of the press in the final-pressing station 105 is a system, designated as a whole by 210 in Fig. 2, for unwinding the sheet.

In the example illustrated, said unwinding system comprises a pair of clamps 211, which can slide along parallel vertical guides 213 and are operated by a motor 215. The reference f211 indicates the direction of translation of the clamps 211, only one of which. may be seen in Fig. 2. The clamps 211 grip the free flap LT of the sheet T in the top stretch of the vertical

stroke of the clamps themselves and draw the sheet along downwards until it intercepts completely the path 131 of the pre-pressed material on its way to the final-pressing station 105.

As will be clarified later with reference to Figs. 3 to 7, once the sheet T is set in this position, it will wrap three faces of the partially pressed bale coming from the pre-pressing station 103 during the movement of transfer of the material itself to the final-pressing station 105.

Again in Fig. 2, the reference number 217 designates a cutting system for cutting the sheet T, and the reference number 219 designates a blade for folding the sheet, which has the function of turning over the flap LT of the sheet against the fourth vertical face of the bale after completion of the pressing operation.

The work cycle of the press so far described in broad outline is illustrated in detail in Figs. 3 to 7. Fig. 3 illustrates an amount of textile material M undergoing pre-pressing in the pre-pressing station 103. In the final-pressing station 105, the clamps 211 have brought the free flap LT of the sheet beneath the level at which the bottom pressing plate 141 is located. In this way, the sheet T is stretched at the intake of the final-pressing area defined between the top pressing plate 137 and the bottom pressing plate 141.

Fig. 4 illustrates the step of transfer of the pre-pressed material M from the pre-pressing compartment 117 to the final-pressing compartment between the plates 137 and 141. The plate 125 of the pusher 127 is translating from left to right to push the material M which is sliding along the transfer path 131, said material being contained between the top wall 129 (which has been turned over upwards) and the bottom wall 135.

The sheet 147 has moved integrally with the plate 125 to intercept the material dropping from the loading device 109.

Fig. 4 shows how, along the transfer path 131, the material M encounters the sheet T, which has been previously unwound in front of the final-pressing plates 137 and 141.

In Fig. 5, the plate 125 has moved further forwards and has brought the pre-pressed material into a position where it is completely between the final-

pressing plates 137 and 141. Since the sheet T is withheld by its flap LT by the clamps 211, it is further unwound from the roll R under the thrust of the material M that is advancing. There is thus obtained wrapping of three faces of the material M with the sheet T, namely the two horizontal faces in contact with the pressing plates 137,141, and the vertical front surface.

Fig. 6 shows the next step, in which the thrust plate 125 has returned to the initial position to enable start of a new pressing cycle. In the final-pressing station 105, the top pressing plate 137 has come down to compress the material M. In this lowering movement, the sheet T is further unwound from the roll R.

In Fig. 7, the sheet T has been cut by the cutting means 217, and the portion of sheet comprised between the top pressing plate 137 and the cutting means 217 has dropped by gravity, whilst before the cutting operation the blade 219A (Fig. 2) has been pushed upwards to fold upwards the portion of sheet developing between the bottom pressing plate 141 and the clamps 221, which have previously been opened.

In this way, the bottom flap of the sheet T has been turned over against the surface of the material M facing the pre-pressing station 103, before cutting of the sheet T and hence before the trailing flap of the sheet itself drops downwards folding over the bottom flap.

Once cutting of the sheet and turning-over of the flaps have been completed, also binding of the textile material can be carried out by means of the binding or strapping machine 151, in a way in itself known. In Fig. 7, the final-pressing plates 137 and 141 have already been removed from one another, and this takes place after the bale containing the material M has been bound.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the bale wrapped in the sheet T and bound. M again designates the pressed textile material, T the sheet that wraps it on four faces, LT and LT'the two flaps of the sheet, the former being the one originally withheld by the clamps 211 and the second being the one generated by the cutting means 217, and the binding straps are designated by L.

As mentioned previously, packaging of the bale can be completed by winding a series of turns of plastic film which wrap also the two faces of the bale that have remained free. Or else, packaging may be completed by applying two small side sheets, which can be pre-arranged by means of frames of the type described in the Italian Patent No. 1 278 798.

Alternatively, the two side faces can remain uncovered, in so far as the binding straps, which are responsible for causing damage to the package of textile material when no protective wrapping is present, do not act on them.

It is understood that the drawing only illustrates an exemplification of the invention given purely to provide a practical demonstration of the said invention, which may vary in its embodiments and arrangements without thereby departing from the scope of the underlying idea.