Bale opener

Abstract

A bale opener for stripping fiber flocks from fiber bales, including a stripping tower arranged on a running gear or a bogie and having a stripping arm. The stripping arm is mounted in a height-adjustable mount in a guide on the stripping tower. A lifting gear is provided for the height adjustment of the stripping arm, wherein the lifting gear is mounted on the stripping arm and on the stripping tower, and the lifting gear has at least one load cell.

Claims

1. A bale opener for stripping fiber flocks from fiber bales, comprising: a stripping tower arranged on one of a running gear or a bogie; a stripping arm mounted in a height-adjustable and cantilevered manner in a guide on the stripping tower; a lifting gear mounted on the stripping arm and configured with the stripping tower to provide for height adjustment of the stripping arm relative to the stripping tower; and a load cell integrated into the lifting gear at a location to detect a bearing force exerted by the stripping arm on the fiber bales.

2. The bale opener according to claim 1, wherein the load cell is integrated into one of (a) a mounting of the lifting gear on the stripping arm such that the stripping arm is free standing on the load cell, or (b) a mounting of the lifting gear on the stripping tower such that that the stripping arm bears on the load cell through the lifting gear mounting on the stripping tower.

3. The bale opener according to claim 1, wherein the lifting gear comprises a chain drive or a belt drive.

4. The bale opener according to claim 1, wherein the lifting gear comprises a toothed rod.

5. The bale opener according to claim 1, wherein the lifting gear comprises a threaded spindle drive.

6. The bale opener according to claim 1, wherein the lifting gear comprises a ball screw drive.

7. The bale opener according to claim 1, wherein the guide is configured such that the lifting gear is loaded with forces in only the height adjustment direction of movement of the stripping arm relative to the stripping tower.

8. The bale opener according to claim 1, wherein the load cell determines a bearing force of the stripping arm acting on the fiber bale.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be explained in greater detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments and illustrated by drawings in which

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a bale opener in a view from above;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a bale opener in a view from the front;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional diagram A-A according to FIG. 2 of a first exemplary embodiment; and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic sectional diagram A-A according to FIG. 2 of a second exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) Reference will now be made to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are shown in the drawings. Each embodiment is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not as a limitation of the invention. For example features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be combined with another embodiment to yield still another embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations to the embodiments described herein.

(7) In schematic diagrams, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a bale opener 1 for stripping fiber flocks from fiber bales 2, FIG. 1 shows the bale opener 1 in a view from above and FIG. 2 shows it in a view from the front. The bale opener 1 consists essentially of a stripping tower 3 and stripping arm 5. The stripping arm 5 is mounted on the stripping tower 3 at one end and is cantilevered freely over the fiber bale 2. The stripping tower 3 is furnished with a running gear 4. With the help of the running gear 4, the stripping tower 3 is moved on rails along the fiber bale 2. As a result of this movement 13, the stripping arm 5 mounted on the stripping tower 3 is guided over the surface of the fiber bales 2. A stripping element 15 is arranged in the stripping arm 5. The stripping element 15 pulls fiber flakes 16 out of the fiber bale 2. The fiber flocks 16 are brought by the stripping arm 5 and the stripping tower 3 to a pneumatic fiber flock transport system 17. The fiber flock transport system 17 and thus also the transport path from the stripping roller 15 to the fiber flock transport system 17 are under a certain vacuum which serves to pneumatically convey the fiber blocks 16 from the stripping element 15 through the fiber flock transport system 17.

(8) The mounting of the stripping arm 5 on the stripping tower 3 is designed to be adjustable in height, so that the fiber bales 2 can be stripped continuously. The movement 14 of the stripping arm 5 serves to ensure a uniform stripping of the fiber flocks 16 from the surface of the fiber bales 2.

(9) FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a first embodiment in a sectional diagram A-A according to FIG. 2. On the basis of FIG. 3, the principle of the weight measurement or force measurement will be demonstrated. The diagram of the individual components as well as their arrangement is given as an example. The stripping arm 5 rests on the fiber bale 2 together with the stripping element 15 in the diagram shown here and is therefore in the stripping position. The stripping tower 3 is shown only in part and is standing on a running gear 4, with the help of which it is guided past the fiber bale 2. The stripping tower 5 is mounted so that it is cantilevered freely in a height-adjustable mount over a guide 7 in the stripping tower 3. The guide 7 is designed so that the stripping arm 5 can execute a vertical movement 14.

(10) The lifting gear 6 for the movement 14 of the stripping arm 5 is designed as a chain drive. A chain 8, which is guided over a chain wheel 9 to the chain drive is secured on the stripping arm 5. The chain wheel 9 is mounted on a support 11 in the stripping tower 3. A load cell 10 is provided between the support 11 and the chain wheel 9. With the help of the load cell 10, the weight of the stripping arm 5 suspended on the chain 8 is measured. The same or similar construction is also possible with a belt drive.

(11) FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a second embodiment in a sectional diagram A-A according to FIG. 2. The stripping arm 5 together with the stripping element 15 rests on the fiber bale 2 in the diagram shown here and is thus in the stripping position. The stripping tower 3 is shown only in part and rests on a running gear 4 with the help of which it is guided past the fiber bale 2. The stripping arm 5 is held in a freely cantilevered manner on the stripping tower 3 by means of the guide 7. The guide 7 is designed so that the stripping arm 5 can execute a vertical movement 14.

(12) The lifting spindle 18, which is surrounded by a ball nut 19, passes through the stripping arm 5. The ball nut 19 together with its housing is held in a fixed position in the mount 12 on the stripping arm 5. The ball nut 19 is connected to a drive mounted in the stripping arm 5. The drive induces rotation of the ball nut 19 which leads to a lifting or lowering of the stripping arm 5, depending on the direction of rotation. The guide 7 holds the stripping arm 5 on a predefined path so that the ball nut 19 together with the stripping arm 5 runs along the lifting spindle 18 and thus executes the vertical movement 14. The lifting spindle 18 is attached at its upper end to a load cell 10 in a rotationally fixed manner so that the load cell 10 is in turn held on the stripping tower 3. The lifting spindle 18 is suspended in the load cell 10 so that no lower securing or fastening of the lifting spindle 18 is necessary.

(13) Modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments illustrated or described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

LEGEND

(14) 1 bale opener 2 fiber bale(s) 3 stripping tower 4 running gear 5 stripping arm 6 lifting gear 7 guide 8 chain 9 chain wheel 10 load cell 11 support 12 mount 13 movement of stripping tower 14 movement of stripping arm 15 stripping element 16 fiber flocks 17 fiber flock transport system 18 lifting spindle 19 ball nut