PRODUCING TIED, STRAPPED OR SACKED BALES, SYSTEM COMPRISING SAID

DEVICE FOR COUPLING, AND METHOD FOR CONVERTING A CONTINUOUS CYCLE TYING PRESS INTO A SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING TIED, STRAPPED OR

SACKED BALES

Object of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for coupling to conventional continuous cycle bale tying presses for producing tied, strapped or sacked bales.

The invention additionally relates to a system for producing tied or sacked bales comprising said device, and a method for converting a conventional continuous cycle bale tying press in a system for producing tied, strapped or sacked bales.

Once the device is coupled and fixed to a conventional continuous cycle bale tying press, it allows forming bales in at least three modes. A first mode is one in which the bale made by the conventional continuous press is tied with twisted wire or knotted cord, a second mode is one in which the formed bale can be strapped, for example with a polyester strap, and a third mode is one in which the bale produced by the conventional continuous press is sacked, for example in a polypropylene raffia sack.

The resulting system provides extreme versatility and is primarily indicated, though other products are not excluded, in producing bales from different plant products (alfalfa, hay, mixed products, etc.) and for sectors requiring different finished product presentations.

Background of the Invention

On the market today there are various presses for producing bales in a continuous cycle and for different products.

On one hand, there are presses producing bales in a continuous cycle in which the bale is tied with wire and/or cord, and on the other hand there are twin box presses producing bales tied with polyester straps or sacked in polypropylene sacks or sleeves. However, there are no versatile systems on the market that allow such range of finishes as regard the tying or presentation thereof without having to resort to independent systems for each type of tying or presentation.

Likewise, nor are there any known devices which, when coupled to a conventional continuous cycle bale tying press, make that said conventional continuous cycle bale tying presses provide said versatility as regards the type of tying or presentation of the bale or finished product.

Therefore, on one hand the development of a device solving the lack of versatility problems as regards the types of tying and presentation of the bale or finished product in one and the same system for producing bales is required, and on the other hand a solution that allows efficiently and economically providing said versatility to the conventional continuous cycle bale tying presses is required.

Description of the Invention

The present invention proposes a solution to the preceding problems by means of a device for coupling to a continuous cycle bale tying press with an outlet area for producing tied, strapped or sacked bales according to claim 1, a system for producing tied, strapped or sacked bales according to claim 13 and a method for converting a continuous cycle bale tying press with an outlet area into a system for producing tied, strapped or sacked bales according to claim 14. The dependent claims define preferred embodiments of the invention.

A first inventive aspect of the invention provides a device for coupling to a continuous cycle bale tying press with an outlet area for producing tied, strapped or sacked bales, comprising

- A press chamber configured for receiving pressed product mass or bales coming from the continuous cycle bale tying press and forming bales from said pressed product mass, comprising

o an inlet for pressed product mass,

o a first gate which, in its open position allows the exit of the bales coming from the continuous cycle bale tying press, and in its closed position configures one of the walls of said press chamber, o a second height-adjustable gate configuring the upper wall or ceiling of said press chamber,

- Cutting means for cutting the pressed product mass coming from the continuous cycle bale tying press,

- An expulsion pre-chamber in communication with the press chamber,

- An outlet port in communication with the expulsion pre- chamber,

- Expulsion means for expelling the bales formed in the press chamber towards the expulsion pre-chamber and the outlet port, and

- Fixing means configured for the fixing thereof at the outlet area of the continuous cycle bale tying press, arranging the inlet of the press chamber opposite said outlet area of the continuous cycle bale tying press.

The device according to this first inventive aspect comprises a press chamber configured for receiving from the continuous cycle bale tying press either tied bales or the untied pressed product mass, which press chamber in turn comprises a first gate which, in its open position allows the exit of the bales coming from the continuous cycle bale tying press, and in its closed position configures one of the walls of said press chamber, and a second height-adjustable gate configuring the upper wall or ceiling of said press chamber.

In the same manner, the device comprises cutting means for cutting the pressed product mass coming from the continuous cycle bale tying press, an expulsion pre-chamber in communication with the press chamber, an outlet port in communication with the expulsion pre-chamber, and expulsion means for expelling the bales formed in the press chamber towards the expulsion pre-chamber and subsequently towards the outlet port.

Likewise, the device comprises fixing means configured for fixing the device at the outlet area of the continuous cycle bale tying press, such that the inlet of the press chamber is opposite and in communication with said outlet area of the continuous cycle bale tying press.

Therefore, in the sacking or strapping mode, once the untied pressed product mass coming from the bale tying press is received and with the first gate in its closed position, i.e., configured as one of the walls of said press chamber, the cutting means act by cutting the amount of pressed product mass corresponding to the capacity of the press chamber, forming a bale with the dimensions of said press chamber, for said bale to then be pushed by the expulsion means towards the expulsion pre- chamber, and then towards the outlet port. At said outlet port, depending on the type of finish desired, a sack is placed for sacking the bale, or a strap tying device is placed for strapping said bale.

The exit of the bale from the device either for being sacked or for being tied by straps is done, in the case of a first bale, by the expulsion means, or by another bale previously located in the expulsion pre-chamber.

In the tied bale production mode, the first gate is in its open position, and the second height-adjustable gate configuring the upper wall or ceiling of said press chamber is in its raised position, thereby allowing the exit of the bales coming from the continuous cycle bale tying press without impediments or restrictions .

As a result of the device of the invention, the conventional continuous cycle bale tying presses are efficiently and economically provided with the versatility and capacity of producing tied, strapped or sacked bales .

In one embodiment, the expulsion pre-chamber is adjacent to the press chamber. Advantageously, this embodiment reduces the path of the bales produced in the press chamber up to the exit thereof from the device.

In another embodiment, the outlet port is adjacent to the expulsion pre-chamber. As in the preceding example, this embodiment reduces the path of the bales produced in the press chamber up to the exit thereof from the device.

In another embodiment, the first gate of the press chamber of the device for coupling to a continuous cycle bale tying press is a hinged door. Gates of this type in the form of hinged doors represent a simple, economical and easy-to-maintain solution .

Particularly, the second gate of the press chamber is a height-adjustable hatch that can be actuated by height- adjustment means. Likewise, in a preferred embodiment the height-adjustment means comprise a hand wheel and a reduction gearbox .

This type of height-adjustment means also represent a simple, economical and easy-to-maintain mechanical solution.

In another embodiment, the cutting means of the device for coupling to a continuous cycle bale tying press are a guillotine. Advantageously, the device for coupling to a continuous cycle bale tying press comprises hydraulic actuation means for actuating the guillotine.

In one embodiment of the device of the invention, the expulsion means comprise a pusher carriage and a hydraulic cylinder configured for actuating said pusher carriage.

In a particular embodiment, the device has fixing means for the fixing thereof at the outlet area of the continuous cycle bale tying press comprising at least hinges and bolts passing through said hinges, respectively. Advantageously, this embodiment represents a simple and reliable fixing solution that assures the fixing of the device to the conventional bale tying press .

In one embodiment of the device of the invention, the outlet port is configured for placing and fixing sacks. This embodiment allows obtaining one of the finishes provided by the device of the invention, the finish of the bales in sacked form.

Alternatively, in another embodiment the device of the invention has the outlet port configured for fixing to a strap tying device. This other embodiment allows obtaining another one of the finishes provided by the device of the invention, the finish of bales tied with straps.

In a second inventive aspect, the invention provides a system for producing tied, strapped or sacked bales, comprising

- a continuous cycle bale tying press with an outlet area,

- a device according to any of the embodiments of the first inventive aspect for coupling to said continuous cycle bale tying press with an outlet area,

wherein the continuous cycle bale tying press and the device are coupled and fixed to one another, such that the inlet of the press chamber of the device is opposite and in communication with the outlet area of the continuous cycle bale tying press.

Finally, in a third inventive aspect, the invention provides a method for converting a continuous cycle bale tying press with an outlet area into a system for producing tied, strapped or sacked bales, comprising

- providing a device according to any of the embodiments of the first inventive aspect for coupling to said continuous cycle bale tying press with an outlet area, and

- coupling and fixing said device to the continuous cycle bale tying press such that the inlet of the press chamber of the device is opposite the outlet area of the continuous cycle bale tying press.

Advantageously, this method embodiment allows efficiently and economically adapting to conventional continuous cycle bale tying presses, providing them with extreme versatility as regards the types of tying and presentation of the bale or finished product.

All the features and/or steps of the methods described in this specification (including the claims, description and drawings) can be combined in any combination, with the exception of combinations of mutually exclusive features.

Description of the Drawings

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, given solely by way of illustrative and non-limiting example in reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a device according to the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a view from another perspective of the device according to the present invention.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the device of the invention coupled to a conventional bale tying press.

Figure 4 shows another perspective view of the device of the invention coupled to a conventional bale tying press.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the device of the invention coupled to a conventional bale tying press in the sacked bale production mode.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the coupling of the device of the invention to a conventional bale tying press.

Figure 7 shows another perspective view of the coupling of the device of the invention to a conventional bale tying press, together with a detail A of said coupling.

Figure 8 shows detail A of the coupling of the device of the invention to a conventional bale tying press.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The detailed description of the invention included in this section describes a device (1) for coupling to a conventional continuous cycle bale tying press (27) with an outlet area, such that once the device (1) is coupled to said conventional continuous cycle bale tying press (27), a system suitable for producing tied, strapped or sacked bales is obtained.

As can be seen particularly in Figures 1 and 2, the device (1) of the invention comprises a press chamber (5) configured for receiving pressed product mass or bales coming from the continuous cycle bale tying press (27) and forming bales (B) from said pressed product mass.

In turn, the press chamber (5) comprises an inlet (20) for pressed product mass or bales, a first gate (8) which, in its open position allows the exit of the bales coming from the continuous cycle bale tying press (27), and in its closed position configures one of the walls of said press chamber (5) , specifically the back wall according to the forward movement direction of the pressed product mass or bales, a second height- adjustable gate (9) configuring the upper wall or ceiling of said press chamber (5), a guillotine (19) for cutting the pressed product mass coming from the continuous cycle bale tying press (27), an expulsion pre-chamber (6) adjacent to and in communication with the press chamber (5), an outlet port (7) adjacent to and in communication with the expulsion pre-chamber (6), and expulsion means for expelling the bales (B) formed in the press chamber (5) towards the expulsion pre-chamber (6) and the outlet port (7) .

The device (1) is also provided with fixing means (12) configured for the fixing thereof at the outlet area of the continuous cycle bale tying press (27), arranging the inlet (20) of the press chamber (5) opposite said outlet area of the continuous cycle bale tying press.

In a particular embodiment, as can be seen in Figure 1, the first gate (8) of the press chamber (5) is a hinged door (8) with locking means for locking it in its closed position. Said locking means are pins passing through respective bolts provided for that effect in the frame of the device (1) and in the hinged door (8) itself.

In a particular embodiment, also seen in Figure 1, the second gate (9) of the press chamber (5) is a height-adjustable hatch (9) that can be actuated by a hand wheel (10) and a reduction gearbox (11) .

Screws (16) can also be seen in the same Figure 1, said screws (16) being provided for compacting or decompacting the press chamber (5) by means of tightening or loosening said screws (16), depending on the operating mode of the device (1), that is, for producing tied bales or for producing strapped or sacked bales. In the case of producing tied bales, the loosening of some of the screws (16) causes the press chamber (5) to not be as compact, and therefore facilitates or does not prevent the passage of tied bales coming from the continuous cycle bale tying press (27) . In contrast, in the case of producing strapped or sacked bales, all the screws (16) are tightened to make the press chamber (5) more compact.

Particularly, the actuation of the guillotine (9) is performed by means of hydraulic cylinders (2) .

An embodiment can be seen in Figure 2, in which the expulsion means of the bale formed in the press chamber (5) are a pusher carriage (3) operated by a hydraulic cylinder (4) .

The configuration of the outlet port (7) for placing and fixing sacks (26) can be seen in the drawings. In this sense, Figure 5 shows a sack (26) placed at the outlet port (7) of the device (1) with a bale therein, as well as a bale (B) that is finished and in a sack (26) .

The coupling of the device (1) to a conventional continuous cycle bale tying press (27) can be seen in Figures 6 to 8. The coupling and fixing of the inlet area (20) of the device (1) to the outlet area of the continuous cycle bale tying press (27) is done by means of hinges (12, 25) and bolts (23, 24) passing through said hinges (12, 25), respectively. Figure 8 shows a detail A of said coupling and fixing.

The configuration and operation of the device (1) and the continuous cycle bale tying press (27) in its different finishing modes are described below.

Tied bale finishing mode

In this mode, the continuous cycle bale tying press (27) in its known and conventional form, that is, producing bales tied with twisted wire or with knotted cord is used.

For this finishing mode, the following configuration is adopted, remaining in such state throughout the entire process: - The guillotine (19) is placed in its highest position,

The pusher carriage (3) is placed in its rearmost position, The hinged door (8) is placed in its maximum opening position,

The height-adjustable hatch (9) is placed in the maximum raised position, having used to that end the hand wheel (10) which raises the hatch (9) with the assistance of the reduction gearbox (11) .

Additionally, some of the screws (16) provided for compacting the press chamber (5), can be loosened or slightly unscrewed such that the press chamber (5) facilitates or does not prevent the passage of tied bales coming from the continuous cycle bale tying press (27) .

Once this configuration is established, the device (1) is arranged for producing tied bales, or in other words, for allowing the passage of the tied bales produced, as is conventional, by the continuous cycle bale tying press (27) by means of its pressing system (13) , its retaining system or clamps (14) and its tying system (15) . Accordingly, the bales exit the continuous cycle bale tying press (27) in pressed and tied form and go through the device (1), specifically through the press chamber (5) and exiting through the free opening left by the hinged door (8) as it is in its maximum opening position.

As an additional measure for better driving of the bale produced in the continuous cycle bale tying press (27), it is appropriate to have an already pressed and tied bale beforehand in the expulsion pre-chamber (6) so that this and the pusher carriage (3) can form opposing side walls acting as guide walls for the tied bales that must go through the device (1) through the press chamber (5) .

Sacked or strapped bale finishing mode

In this mode, the continuous cycle bale tying press (27) for producing untied pressed product mass is used.

To that end, the following configuration is adopted:

The retaining system or clamps (14) and tying system (15) of the continuous cycle bale tying press (27) are inactivated, the pressing system (13) remaining active,

The guillotine (19) is initially placed in its highest position,

The pusher carriage (3) is initially placed in its rearmost position,

- The hinged door (8) is placed in its closed and locked position, The height-adjustable hatch (9) is placed in the lowest or least raised position, having used to that end the hand wheel (10), which makes the hatch (9) drop down with the assistance of the reduction gearbox (11), and

- All the screws (16) are tightened and secured, thereby achieving a press chamber (5) that is more compact and prepared for its pressing function.

With said configuration, the process takes place as follows. It starts by loading bulk material into the continuous cycle bale tying press (27) through its loading opening (17) and said bulk material is pressed with the pressing system (13) a number of times until the product mass is pressed against the hinged door ( 8 ) .

The pressure gradually increases as material is further compacted against the hinged gate (8), said pressure reaching pre-established values that will determine the desired weight that the produced bale must have depending on the different products used.

When the pre-established pressure is achieved, the hydraulic cylinders (2) will be activated, which make the guillotine (19) drop down and cut the pressed product mass coming from the pressing tunnel of the continuous press (18), thus forming a bale that is trapped between the guillotine (19), the hinged door (8) and the pusher carriage (3) .

Then the hydraulic cylinder (4) is activated, moving the pusher carriage (3) and gradually taking a first bale to the expulsion pre-chamber (6) . Then the pusher carriage (3) moves back and lifts the guillotine (19) up, there being a free space so that the pressing system (13) can act again, pressing against the hinged door (8) again. The sequence is repeated with this second bale and when the pusher carriage (3) moves again, the bale which was already in the expulsion pre-chamber (6) will be pushed into the outlet port (7) .

In this time a sack must be placed and fixed in the outlet port (7), or said sack will already be in that position, such that the third bale produced in the device (1) is what pushes out the first already sacked bale.

As an alternative to sacking the bales, a strap tying device is fixed at the outlet port (7), strapped bales being obtained in that case.

All the configurations as regards positions and actions to be taken by each of the elements of the device (1) and/or of the continuous cycle bale tying press (27) are controlled automatically by a control system (not depicted) .