GB2233303A

GB2233303A - Bale wrapper apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2233303A
Application number: GB8914555A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Erling Roynberg
Original assignee: Underhaug AS
Current assignee: Underhaug AS
Priority date: 1989-06-24
Filing date: 1989-06-24
Publication date: 1991-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 2009-06-24
Also published as: GB8914555D0; GB2233303B

Abstract

There is disclosed a bale wrapper apparatus 10 comprising a tiltable platform 11, a turntable 12 rotatable on the platform, support means 14, 15 provided on the turntable 12 for supporting a cylindrical bale, means for mounting a film dispenser reel to be wrapped around the bale, a ring gear 16 secured to the turntable 12 and a drive pinion 17 coupled with the ring gear, a locking element 19 mounted on the platform 11 and movable between a disengaged position and a position of locking engagement with the ring gear 16, and an operating device 20 coupled with the locking element 19 and operative automatically to cause movement of the locking element into locking engagement with the ring gear 16 when the platform (11) is tilted to the discharge position. The operating device comprises a lever mechanism 23-27 and a spring 26 biassing the locking element (a gear toothed body) into engagement with the ring gear automatically on disengagement of lever 27 from an abutment 28 on upward tilting of the platform. <IMAGE>

Description

BALE WRAPPER APPARATUS This invention relates to a bale wrapper apparatus which comprises a tiltable platform. a turntable mounted on the platform for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, support means provided on the turntable for supporting a cylindrical bale with its axis extending substantially horizontal and operative to rotate the bale about its axis, and means for mounting a film dispenser reel so that an end of the film can be attached to a bale supported on the turntable whereby. upon rotation of the turntable and simultaneous rotation of the bale about its axis, the film can be wrapped around the bale.

One example of a bale wrapper apparatus of the above general type comprises the SILAWRAP bale wrapper made by Underhaug A/S, and which is the subject of UK patent GB2159489B.

In the known bale wrapper apparatus. the turntable is rotated about a substantially vertical axis (when the tiltable turntable occupies a substantially horizontal bale-wrapping position). and the turntable being rotated by a ring gear secured thereto which is driven by a motor driven drive pinion. Once the bale wrapping has been completed, the drive to the ring gear is interrupted, and the platform is then tilted from its generally horizontal bale wrapping position to a tilted wrapped-bale discharge position in which the wrapped bale can be discharged under gravity.

However, while the bale wrapper apparatus works entirely satisfactorily in most circumstances, problems can sometimes arise during the discharge of wrapped bales which are misshapen. Usually, so-called "big bales" or "round bales" are entirely cylindrical in shape, but sometimes the bales are misshaped during baling, and this can cause problems during subsequent discharge of the bales after they have been wrapped with plastics film wrapping.

Problems can also arise when cylindrical bales are not placed centrally on the turntable, or move off-centre during the wrapping process, which can cause the turntable to rotate during tipping of the turntable. This can occur even with properly formed cylindrical bales, though the problem becomes worse with a misshapen bale. Thus, a misshapen bale placed non-centrally on the turntable will have an even greater tendency to move further off-centre during the wrapping process.

It can also be the case that the turntable with no bale on it may have a tendency to rotate during tipping.

The bales are usually supported on horizontally spaced rollers (or on slack endless belts which are taken around the rollers), and the bales are rotated about their axes by the application of drive to at least one of the rollers.

However, with a misshapen bale, or a wrapped bale which is off-centre, on the turntable, there can be a problem in discharging the wrapped bale to a required position following tilting of the platform. Thus, while the rotational drive to the turntable is interrupted (to rotate the turntable about the vertical axis), there can be a tendency for the turntable to rotate about its axis during the discharge of a wrapped bale following tilting of the platform to the discharge position. This is liable to occur since the drive pinion is able to carry out idle rotation under the action of the ring gear rotating with the turntable.

This is clearly undesirable as the wrapped bales will be discharged in an unintended direction, and the invention has therefore been developed primarily with a view to provide a brake mechanism which is operative to lock the ring gear against rotation when required.

According to the invention there is provided a bale wrapper apparatus which comprises: a platform which is tiltable between a substantially horizontal bale-wrapping position and an inclined wrapped bale discharge position; a turntable rotatably mounted on the platform for rotation about a first axis which is substantially vertical when the platform is in the bale-wrapping position: support means provided on the turntable for supporting a cylindrical bale with its axis extending substantially horizontal, and operative to rotate the bale about its axis; means for mounting a film dispenser reel so that an end of the film can be attached to a bale supported on the turntable whereby, upon rotation of the turntable about said first axis and rotation of the bale about its axis the film can be wrapped around the bale:: a ring gear secured to the turntable, and a drive pinion coupled with the ring gear and operative to rotate the ring gear and therefore also the turntable about said first axis; a locking element mounted on the platform and movable between a disengaged position and a position of locking engagement with the ring gear; and, an operating device coupled with the locking element and operative automatically to cause movement of the locking element into locking engagement with the ring gear when the platform is tilted from its bale-wrapping position to the discharge position.

Thus. upon completion of a bale wrapping operation, and subsequent tilting of the platform to the discharge position, the locking element automatically engages with the ring gear so as to lock the turntable against any idle rotation of the turntable relative to the platform (the drive to the turntable will be interrupted once bale wrapping is completed). The locking of the turntable against rotation facilitates a smooth and reliable discharge of a wrapped bale, even in cases in which the bale is somewhat misshaped e.g. not truly cylindrical.

Preferably, the locking element is slidably mounted in a fixed guide which is secured to the platform.

Conveniently, the locking element comprises a set of gear teeth, and which conveniently may be made of plastics or nylon material.

A linearly movable actuator may be coupled with the locking element, and which is biased in a direction tending to urge the locking element into engagement with the ring gear.

A disabling mechanism preferably is provided which engages automatically with the linearly movable actuator when the platform is returned to its substantially horizontal bale wrapping position.

The linearly movable actuator may therefore be coupled with a lever pivotally mounted on the platform, and a disabling arm may be coupled with the lever and arranged to engage with a fixed abuttment mounted on a main chassis of the apparatus so as to engage the disabling arm as the platform returns to the horizontal bale wrapping position.

The biasing of the actuator may take any suitable form, and in one preferred arrangement comprises a spring coupled with the lever and arranged so as to exert a biasing action on the lever which urges the actuator, and therefore also the locking element in a direction towards engagement with the ring gear. The spring may comprise a tension spring if desired.

One embodiment of bale wrapper apparatus according to the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates two different operational positions of a tiltable platform and turntable of a bale wrapper apparatus.

The present invention is concerned with a general type of bale wrapper apparatus which comprises a platform which is tiltable between a substantially horizontal balewrapping position and an inclined wrapped-bale discharge position, a turntable rotatably mounted on the platform for rotation about a first axis which is substantially vertical when the platform is in the bale wrapping position, support means provided on the turntable for supporting a cylindrical bale with its axis extending substantially horizontal and operative to rotate the bale about its axis.

and means for mounting a film dispenser reel so that an end of the film can be attached to a bale supported on the turntable whereby, upon rotation of the turntable about its vertical axis and simultaneous rotation of the bale about its axis, the film can be wrapped entirely around the bale.

One example of bale wrapper apparatus of this general type comprises the well known SILAWRAP machine made by Underhaug A/S, and which is the subject of UK patent CB2159489B, to which reference is directed.

The preferred embodiment of bale wrapper apparatus disclosed herein is designated generally by reference 10.

and comprises a tiltable platform 11, and a rotatable turntable 12. and these two components are shown in the drawing occupying two possible positions, namely a substantially horizontal bale-wrapping position, and an inclined position suitable for discharge of a wrapped bale.

The substantially vertical axis of rotation of the turntable 12 is designated by reference 13, and support means is provided on the turntable to support a cylindrical bale (not shown) with its axis extending substantially horizontal, and operative to rotate the bale about this axis, the support means taking the form of a pair of substantially equal size rollers 14 and an arrangement of endless slack belts 15 taken around the rollers 14. The means for mounting the film dispenser reel is not shown in the drawing.

A ring gear 16 is secured to the turntable 12 to rotate therewith, and a drive pinion 17 is coupled with the ring gear 16 and is operative. when driven by a drive motor 18, to rotate the ring gear 16 and therefore also the turntable 12 about vertical axis 13.

A locking element 19 is mounted on the platform 11 and is movable between a disengaged position. shown in the lowered horizontal position of the platform 11, and a position of locking engagement with the ring gear 16. shown in the tilted position of platform 11. An operating device designated generally by reference 20 is coupled with the locking element 19 and is operative automatically to cause movement of the locking element 19 into locking engagement with the ring gear 16 when the platform 11 is tilted from its horizontal bale wrapping position to the inclined wrapped bale discharge position.

Accordingly, upon completion of a bale wrapping operation, and subsequent tilting of the platform 11 (and turntable 12 also) to the discharge position, the locking element 19 automatically engages with the ring gear 16 so as to lock the turntable 12 against any idle rotation of the turntable relative to the platform 11.

The locking element 19 is slidably mounted in a fixed guide 21 upstanding from the platform 11, and element 19 takes the form of a set of gear teeth, preferably made of plastics or nylon. A linearly movable actuator 22 is coupled with the locking element 19, and is biased so as to tend to urge locking element 19 in a direction to the left, as seen in the drawing. and into locking engagement with the ring gear 16. Actuator 22 is coupled via a toggle linkage 23 with a lever 24 pivoted on the platform at 25, and a tension spring 26 is coupled with one end of the lever 24 and tends to urge the lever 24 in a clockwise direction about pivot 25.

An actuator arm 27 is coupled with the lever 24, and projects therefrom, so as to be capable of making abutting engagement with a fixed abuttment 28 mounted on the main chassis of the apparatus, when the platform 11 is returned to the horizontal bale-wrapping position. This then causes lever 24 to pivot in an anti-clockwise direction about pivot 25, and against the action of spring 26, so as to withdraw the locking element 19 from locking engagement with the ring gear 16. The components thus far described therefore function as a disabling mechanism which is operative automatically to disable the locking of the ring gear 16. but the ring gear 16 will be automatically locked whenever the platform 11 is pivoted upwardly about its pivotal mounting 29 on the platform 11 to the inclined bale discharge position shown in the drawings. This therefore enables a wrapped bale to be discharged accurately to a required side of the apparatus, without risk of the turntable carrying any idle rotation relative to pinion 17, even in cases in which the wrapped bale is misshapen and / or is arranged off-centre with respect to the turntable.

Claims

1. A bale wrapper apparatus (10) which comprises: a platform 11 which is tiltable between a substantially horizontal bale-wrapping position and an inclined wrapped-bale discharge position; a turntable (12) rotatably mounted on the platform (11) for rotation about a first axis (13) which is substantially vertical when the platform (11) is in the bale-wrapping position; support means (14, 15) provided on the turntable (12) for supporting a cylindrical bale with its axis extending substantially horizontal, and operative to rotate the bale about its axis; means for mounting a film dispenser reel so that an end of the film can be attached to a bale supported on the turntable (12) whereby. upon rotation of the turntable about said first axis (13) and rotation of the bale about its axis the film can be wrapped around the bale;; a ring gear (16) secured to the turntable (12), and a drive pinion (17) coupled with the ring gear and operative to rotate the ring gear and therefore also the turntable about said first axis (13); a locking element (19) mounted on the platform (11) and movable between a disengaged positon and a position of locking engagement with the ring gear; and.

an operating device (20) coupled with the locking element (19) and operative automatically to cause movement of the locking element into locking engagement with the ring gear (16) when the platform (11) is tilted from its bale-wrapping position to the discharge position.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, in which the locking element (19) is slidably mounted in a fixed guide (21) which is secured to the platform (11).

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the locking element (19) comprises a set of gear teeth.

4. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which a linearly movable actuator (22) is coupled with the locking element (19). and is biased in a direction tending to urge the locking element (19) into engagement with the ring gear (16).

5. Apparatus according to Claim 4, in which a disabling mechanism (27, 28) is provided, which engages automatically with the linearly movable actuator (22) when the platform (11) is returned to its substantially horizontal bale-wrapping position.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 5, in which the linearly movable actuator (22) is coupled with a lever (24) pivotally mounted on the platform (11), and the disabling mechanism comprises a disabling arm (27) coupled with the lever (24) and arranged to engage with a fixed abuttment (28) mounted on the main chassis of the apparatus so as to engage the disabling arm (27) as the platform (11) returns to the horizontal bale-wrapping position.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 6, in which the actuator (22) is biased by a spring (26) which is coupled with the lever (24) and arranged so as to exert a biasing action of the lever (24) which urges the actuator (22) and locking element (19) in a direction towards engagement with the ring gear (16).

8. Apparatus according to Claim (7), in which the spring comprises a tension spring (26).