GB2204850A

GB2204850A - Bale wrapping apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2204850A
Application number: GB08711619A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerald Vennall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-05-16
Filing date: 1987-05-16
Publication date: 1988-11-23
Also published as: GB8711619D0

Abstract

Bale wrapping apparatus for wrapping cylindrical bales of crop in stretchable plastics and comprising a turntable 11 for rotating the bale about a vertical axis and two rollers 12, 13 on the turntable for rotating the bale simultaneously about a horizontal axis, is characterised that the turntable is provided with an angled arm 21, 22 to which the leading end of the plastics wrapping is attached and from which said leading end is automatically pulled off after commencement of wrapping due to rotation of the bale about its horizontal axis. <IMAGE>

Description

Bale Wrapping Apparatus This invention relates to bale wrapping apparatus of the kind in which cylindrical bales of, for example crop material, are wrapped around with a length of stretchable plastics material.

On farms cylindrical bales of crop material such as grass are wrapped in a length of flexible plastics material to seal the material in the bale and various apparatus have been proposed for this purpose, for example that of British patent application No. 8628270. In each case to start the wrapping operation the end of the length of plastics has to be fixed in relation to the bale.

Normally this is achieved by tying the end of the length to tying means extending around the bale, for example baling twine or baling net. However such suitable tying means is not always present, for example when the outer cylindrical surface of the bale carries a cover of plastics material.

An object of the invention is to provide improved bale wrapping means.

According to the invention bale wrapping means comprises a turntable rotatable about a generally vertical axis, at least two rollers on the turntable for supporting a bale and the rollers being drivable to rotate the bale about a generally horizontal axis, feed means for feeding a length of plastics in which the bale is -to be wrapped, wrapping taking place during rotation of the bale about the horizontal axis and simultaneous rotation of the turntable about the vertical axis, and attachment means on the turntable for attaching the end of the length of plastics at'commencement of a wrapping operation.

Preferably the attachment means includes an arm located adjacent a side of the bale in use, the free end of the length of plastics being attached to the arm.

The arm may be located such that as the bale rotates about the horizontal axis the length of plastics is pulled off the arm after the length has become attached to the bale.

The arm may extend with a first portion directed upwards and away from the bale and another, outer arm portion directed at an acute angle to the first portion and towards the bale, the first and outer arm portions lying in a plane transverse to said horizontal axis.

Further features of the invention will appear from the following description given by way of example only and with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bale wrapping apparatus showing the commencement of a wrapping operation, Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 showing the bale after one complete revolution of the bale about the vertical axis, Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the bale after 1800 of rotation about the vertical axis, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of an attachment arm of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings part of a wrapping apparatus is shown which is generally of the kind described in my earlier British patent application No. 8628270. Only those parts of the apparatus which are relevant to the present invention are shown.

The apparatus includes a base frame 10 on which a turntable 11 is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis in the direction as shown by arrow A. The turntable is rotated by drive means (not shown).

The turntable carries a pair of rollers 12 and 13, one 13 of which is set at a higher level than the other and both rollers are rotated about parallel horizontal axes by drive means (not shown) in the direction B.

In use a cylindrical bale 15 is placed to rest on and be supported by the rollers 12 and 13, as shown, for a wrapping operation. The base frame 10 carries a fixed dispenser 16 for dispensing a length of plastics material L from a roll 17, the length being dispensed under predetermined tension from the roll. The dispenser 16 is located towards one end of the bale.

The length of plastics L is of stretchable material and when the bale is fully wrapped the material extends wholly around the sides and ends of the bale and is overlapped on itself.

Wrapping is normally achieved by first tying the free end of the plastics material to twine or net previously wrapped around the cylindrical outer surface of the bale 15. The bale is then rotated, by the rotation of the rollers and simultaneous rotation of the turntable, about the vertical axis of rotation of the turntable 11 and about its central longitudinal axis so that a layer of plastics is progressively laid on the bale. The rates of rotation about the vertical and horizontal axes re matched to ensure that for the given width of the plastics material there is overlap of successive bands of wrapped material.

In the present case instead of tying the free end of the plastics length to the bale an attachment arm 20 is provided which is mounted on a side of the turntable 11 adjacent and below the longitudinal side of the bale.

However the arm may be attached at another position of the turntable.

The arm extends upwards from the turntable and includes a portion 21 which is directed upwards and away from the bale and an outer portion 22 which is directed at an acute angle to the portion 21 and towards the bale 15.

The free end of the length of plastics L is attached to the portion 22, usually by wrapping the end around the portion 22 and tying a knot. After tying onto the arm 20 the apparatus is as shown in Fig. 1 and is ready to commence wrapping by rotation of the bale. However tying the length L to the arm 20 may be at any position of the bale relative to the dispenser 16.

It will be appreciated that as the bale is rotated about the vertical axis it rotates in the direction shown by arrow C which takes that part X of the bale which is engaged by the initial length L of plastics attached to the arm 20 away from the arm. Thus by the time the bale has completed one turn about the vertical axis, as shown in Fig. 2, the position X has moved upwards by the rotation of the bale in direction C about the horizontal axis. The arm 20 is arranged so that after a complete rotation in direction A about the vertical axis and preferably when the length of plastics overlies itself, as shown in Fig. 2, the attachment to the arm 20 can be released. The arm is arranged so that such release should normally occur automatically by the length L being pulled off the arm 20 by rotation of the bale about its horizontal axis.

Fig. 4 shows the arm 20 in greater detail. The arm is supported by a bracket 25 to the turntable 11 and the bracket carries a sleeve 26 in which an end 27 of the arm is located. The portion 21 of the arm is cranked at an angle of about 500 to the axis of the end 27 to extend away from the bale and the portion 22 of the arm is cranked in the opposite direction to lie at about 800 to the central axis of the portion 21. The end 27 and the portions 21 and 22 all lie in the same plane which plane is at a right angle to the central axis of the bale 15.

The arm 20 is fixed by a pin 28 which may be removed from the bracket 25 and the arm repositioned for transportation of the apparatus.

Instead of knotting the length L to the arm a quick spring release clamp or other securing arrangement may be employed.

The invention may find application in other bale wrapping machines to that shown or for wrapping other items or packages. Moreover the invention will find application even when the bale carries means for tying on the length of material.

Claims

1. Bale wrapping means which comprises a turntable rotatable about a generally vertical axis, at least two rollers on the turntable for supporting a bale and the rollers being drivable to rotate the bale about a generally horizontal axis, feed means for feeding a length of plastics in which the bale is to be wrapped, wrapping taking place during rotation of the bale about the horizontal axis and simultaneous rotation of the turntable about the vertical axis, and attachment means on the turntable for attaching the end of the length of plastics at commencement of a wrapping operation.

2. Wrapping means according to claim 1 wherein the attachment means includes an arm located adjacent a side of the bale in use, the free end of the length of plastics being attached to the arm.

3. Wrapping means according to claim 2 wherein the arm is located such that as the bale rotates about the horizontal axis the length of plastics is pulled off the arm after the length has become attached to the bale.

4. Wrapping means according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the arm extends with a first portion directed upwards and away from the bale and another, outer arm portion directed at an acute angle to the first portion and towards the bale, the first and outer arm portions lying in aplane transverse to said horizontal axis.

5. Bale wrapping means substantially as described with reference to the drawings.