DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING FASCINES

Abstract

A device and a method for producing fascines in particular straw-fiber fascines, coconut-fiber fascines, wood-fiber fascines, and hemp-fiber fascines are provided. The device comprises a plurality of conveyor screws for conveying fibrous material such as straw fibers, coconut fibers, wood fibers, or hemp fibers, in a tubular element for filling the fibrous material into a tubular net. Moreover, the device comprises a distributor box. The distributor box has an interior space having an infeed opening for infeeding the fibrous material, and one or a plurality of base-side openings. The base-side openings herein serve for in-feeding fibrous material from the distributor box to the conveyor screws.

Claims

1. A device for producing fascines, said device comprising: a plurality of conveyor screws in each case for conveying fibrous material in a tubular element for filling the fibrous material into tubular nets; and a distributor box, wherein the distributor box has an interior space having an infeed opening for infeeding the fibrous material, and at least one base-side opening, wherein the opening serves for infeeding fibrous material from the distributor box to the conveyor screws.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the distributor box has a predefined minimum height which is dependent on the number of conveyor screws and has a height of at least 3 or 3.5 meters in the case of a number of 4 conveyor screws, or a height of at least 4 or 4.5 meters in the case of a number of 5 conveyor screws.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the distributor box has one or a plurality of distributor cams and/or one or a plurality of conveyor belts which are preferably fastened to at least one wall in the interior space of the distributor box, wherein the distributor cams and/or the conveyor belts are disposed in such a manner so as to distribute fibrous material that is infed through the infeed opening to the interior space of the distributor box in the direction of a plurality or of all of the base-side openings.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the distributor box has at least one screw distributor which is preferably disposed in the upper region of the interior space of the distributor box so as to distribute fibrous material that is infed through the infeed opening to the interior space of the distributor box in the direction of a plurality or of all of the base-side openings.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the distributor box for determining the attainment of a filling height, or for determining the filling height, has at least one filling level sensor.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device has a plurality of collection containers, wherein each of the conveyor screws is in each case disposed in a lower region of one of the collection containers, and the upper side of the collection container is connected to the or one of the base-side openings of the distributor box, and wherein the collection container is or comprises a trough and/or an element having a funnel-shaped cross-section.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein in each case at least one cellular wheel for loosening the fibrous material and/or for metering the fibrous material and/or for conveying the fibrous material in the direction of the conveyor screw is disposed in each of the collection containers.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein each of the collection containers has a lower region in which the conveyor screw is disposed, an upper region in which two cellular wheels which are specified to rotate in opposite directions and which on account thereof form a conveying region such that fibrous material is conveyed in a direction from the upper region to the lower region are disposed, and a central region, wherein the central region has an outlet region of the conveying region that is formed by the cellular wheels, and wherein a distributor roller for loosening the fibrous material that is conveyed by the cellular wheels is disposed in the outlet region.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the distributor box has a plurality of base-side openings which in each case guide fibrous materials to a collection container, wherein the base-side openings are in each case formed by way of at least one, preferably two, guide walls, and planes that are formed by the guide walls run in each case at least partially in the distributor box so as to be parallel with the rotation axes of the cellular wheels and in each case terminate in a substantially centrical manner above a cellular wheel.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein each base-side opening is in each case formed by way of two parallel guide walls that partially run in a vertical manner and which in each case terminate in a centrical manner above one of two cellular wheels of one collection container.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein neighboring guide walls and/or guide walls of neighboring base-side openings converge in an upper region of the distributor box and meet in a rounded feature, at an acute angle, or at a right angle, in a connection region within the distributor box.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein in each case one movable element is disposed in the region of the connection regions of the guide walls.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein each conveyor screw is assigned a sensor, which is disposed in the distributor box above the respective conveyor screw, and the one or the plurality of conveyor belts in the distributor box is/are in each case operable so as to be stopped, advanced, or reversed, depending on the sensors.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the device has four conveyor screws and two conveyor belts, and a first of the two conveyor belts actuatable by a controller is in such a manner that the first conveyor belt remains stopped when two predetermined sensors are triggered, is advanced when one of the two predetermined sensors is triggered, and is reversed when the other of the two predetermined sensors is triggered, and a second of the two conveyor belts actuatable by a controller is in such a manner that the second conveyor belt remains stopped when the two other predetermined sensors are triggered, is advanced when one of the two other predetermined sensors is triggered, and is reversed when the other of the two other predetermined sensors is triggered.

15. The device according to claim 1, claim 1, wherein the device has two conveyor belts which are disposed beside one another and in each case in terms of height decline from the center of the distributor box to the lateral external walls of the distributor box, a gap is disposed between the conveyor belts, and a distributor roller is disposed in the region of the gap.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device has a controller which is specified for starting and stopping the advance of the conveyor screw, wherein the controller upon manual starting of the advance of the conveyor screw is specified for reversing the controller of the conveyor screw for a predefined temporal period or a predefined number of revolutions, so as to thereafter automatically commence advancing.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device has an installation for closing the tubular net and for severing the tubular net.

18. A method for producing fascines via a device having a plurality of conveyor screws in each case for conveying fibrous material in a tubular element for filling the fibrous material into tubular nets, and a distributor box, wherein the distributor box has an interior space having an infeed opening for infeeding the fibrous material, and at least one base-side opening, wherein the opening serves for infeeding fibrous material from the distributor box to the conveyor screws, wherein fibrous material is conveyed into the distributor box, in the distributor box is infed to the conveyor screws, and by way of the conveyor screws is filled into tubular nets.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] Further embodiments are derived by means of the exemplary embodiments that are explained in more detail in the figures in which:

[0056] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a device for producing fascines;

[0057] FIG. 2 shows a further view of the device having a partially open front wall of the distributor box;

[0058] FIG. 3 shows a side view having an open external wall;

[0059] FIG. 4 shows a conveyor screw having a collection container disposed thereon;

[0060] FIG. 5 shows a conveyor screw having a partially open wall of the collection container;

[0061] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a further exemplary embodiment of a device for producing fascines;

[0062] FIG. 7 shows a further view of the device having a partially open front wall of the distributor box;

[0063] FIG. 8 shows a winding device; and

[0064] FIG. 9 shows a further view of the winding device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the device 10 for producing fascines 52. The device 10 in this exemplary embodiment comprises a bale opener 12 in order for straw bales 14 to be opened and loosened, said straw bales 14 having previously been pressed by a straw press for improved transportation in a standard bale size.

[0066] The device 10 according to this exemplary embodiment thus serves for producing fascines from straw or straw fibers, that is to say straw fascines or straw-fiber fascines which are also referred to as straw wattles. In the case of a fibrous material being delivered in an already loosened state, an alternative embodiment having the features mentioned hereunder, also without the bail opener 12, is possible.

[0067] The loosened fibrous material is infed to a distributor box 18 by way of a conveying installation, for example a conveyor belt 16.

[0068] The distributor box 18 on the upper side 20 thereof has an infeed opening 22. The fibrous material, presently straw, is thus infed to the distributor box 18 by way of the infeed opening 22 with the aid of the conveyor belt 16. According to this exemplary embodiment, an optional guard 26 is provided in the region of the infeed opening in order to prevent that the fibrous material that is conveyed by the conveyor belt 16 in the case of a rapid conveying speed of the conveyor belt 16 is catapulted beyond the distributor box 18. The fibrous material drops into the distributor box 18 on account of gravity.

[0069] Parts of the front wall and part of an upper side of the distributor box 18 of the device 10 in FIG. 2 have now been partially removed for a better view and for explaining the function mode. The observer is thus looking into the interior space 30 of the distributor box 18. Distributor cams 32 which enable a partial distribution of the fibrous material laterally away from the central region 24 to which the fibrous material is infed by way of the conveyor belt 16 can be seen.

[0070] The interior space 30 of the distributor box 18 is thus filled with a specific quantity of fibrous material by way of the conveyor belt 16. Attention is preferably paid to a specific minimum filling height being adhered to at all times herein by regulating or controlling the conveying speed of the conveyor belt 16 depending on a filling height sensor, for example a light barrier or a photocell.

[0071] Base-side openings 34 are illustrated in the lower region of the distributor box 18. According to this exemplary embodiment which serves for simultaneously producing five fascines 52, five base-side openings 34 are illustrated in a corresponding manner. The openings are in each case connected to a collection container 36 in order for the fibrous material to be infed from the distributor box 18 by way of the collection container 36 to a conveyor screw 38 that is disposed in the lower region of the collection container 36.

[0072] The conveyor screws 38 in each case press the fibrous material into a tubular element 40, wherein the compressed fibrous material at the exit 42 of each of the tubular elements 40 is pressed into a tubular net. To this end, the tubular net is pulled over an end of the tubular element at the exit 42 of the respective tubular element 40. Thereabove, in each case two cellular wheels 44 for metering the fibrous material are disposed in the region of the collection container 36. These cellular wheels 44, as are also the screws 38, are preferably driven by electric motors.

[0073] FIG. 3 again shows the distributor box 18 of the device 10 from a lateral view point, wherein an external wall is removed. It can be seen on account thereof that the distributor cams 32 are fastened to the front wall 50 and do not extend across the entire depth of the interior space 30. Only part of the fibrous material thus drops by way of the distributor cams 32 from the central region 24 on which the infeed opening 22 is disposed in the direction of the base-side openings 34 which lie laterally to the central region 24. A further part drops past the distributor cams 32, in a substantially vertical manner, to the base-side openings 34 which are located directly below the central region 24.

[0074] FIG. 4 shows an enlargement of a collection container 36 that has been released from the device 10, having a conveyor screw 38 disposed therein for producing a fascine 52. The tubular element 40 which serves for filling the fibrous material into a tubular net (not illustrated here) can also be seen here. Tensioners 62 by way of which the tubular net that is pulled over onto the tubular element 40 is held are at that end 60 of the tubular element 40 on which the exit 42 is disposed. The tubular net by way of the tensioner 62 is held on the tubular element 40 at a predefined tension, counter to the force of the compressed fibrous material that exits from the exit 42. The tensioners 62 are adjustable such that the mesh tube or the tubular net is held on the tubular element 40 by way of a variable force so as to regulate the density of the fibrous material that is pressed into the net.

[0075] The cellular wheels 44 for metering the fibrous material are illustrated in the upper region.

[0076] FIG. 5 shows a view of the collection container 36 with the conveyor screw 38, having partially open walls of the collection container 36 in order to be able to have a better view into the interior space 30 of the collection container 36. It can be seen here that the fibrous material on account of gravity drops from above onto the conveyor screw 38 and, on account of the rotation direction of the conveyor screw 38 when advancing, the fibrous material is pressed into the tubular element 40, in order for the latter to be caught in the tubular net at the exit and thus to be formed into a fascine 52.

[0077] FIG. 6 shows a further exemplary embodiment of the device 10. The bale opener 12 is again illustrated. As opposed to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1, the device 10 serves for simultaneously producing four instead of five fascines 52 having different diameters. To this end, a distributor box 18 is again provided, said distributor box 18 according to this exemplary embodiment however having two conveyor belts 64a, 64b. Only the axles 66a-66d of the conveyor belts 64a, 64b can be seen since the front wall 50 of the distributor box 18 is closed and the axles 66a-66d are mounted herein. The conveyor belts 64a, 64b run from a central region 67 of the distributor box 18 in the direction of the side walls 68 of the distributor box 18, wherein the conveyor belts 64a, 64b decline in height towards the sidewalls 68.

[0078] The distributor box 18 in the front wall 50 thereof moreover has four glass windows 69a-69d. In each case one light barrier 70a-70d is disposed in the region of the glass windows 69a-69d. The light barriers 70a-70d are thus disposed in each case above one of the conveyor screws 38. The conveyor belts 64a, 64b are controlled so as to depend on the light barriers 70a-70d. For example, the left conveyor belt 64a does not convey any fibrous material when the light barriers 70a, 70b are interrupted, that is to say when sufficient fibrous material is available above the two conveyor screws that are illustrated on the left. If only the left light barrier 70a is still interrupted, the conveyor belt 64a in a reverse motion conveys the fibrous material to the right in this view, such that said fibrous material is substantially infed to the screw conveyor which lies beside the left external conveyor screw. By contrast, if only the light barrier 70b is still interrupted, but not the light barrier 70a, this means that the conveyor screw at the extreme left requires more fibrous material such that the conveyor belt 64a advances, that is conveys fibrous material to the left in this view. An analogous actuation depending on the light barriers 70c, 70d is imparted to the conveyor belt 64b.

[0079] Further peculiarities and points of differentiation of the exemplary embodiment of the device 10 illustrated here in relation to the device illustrated in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the following figure.

[0080] To this end, the front wall 50 is not illustrated in FIG. 7, such that the view onto the rear wall 71 of the distributor box 18 is unobstructed. The two conveyor belts 64a, 64b can now be seen in the distributor box 18. Moreover, it is illustrated that the collection containers 36 in relation to the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 5 have an upper region 72a, a central region 72b, and a lower region 72c. The conveyor screws 38 are in each case disposed in the lower region 72c. The cellular wheels 44 are disposed in the upper region 72a such that in each case one conveying region 74 is formed between the cellular wheels 44 of one collection container 36. A distributor roller 76 which is a drum, for example, is disposed in the outlet region 75 of the conveying region 74. Fibrous material that is compressed in the conveying region 74 is again loosened by the distributor roller 76.

[0081] Guide walls 77a-77h are furthermore illustrated. The guide walls 77a-77h terminate in each case in a centrical manner above one of the cellular wheels 44. Neighboring guide walls 77a-77h, presently specifically the guide walls 77b and 77c, 77d and 77e, 77f and 77g, converge in an oblique manner in the upper region 72a and are in each case interconnected in a connection region 78a-78c. The conveyor belts 64a, 64b run in the connection regions 78a and 78c, wherein a further distributor roller 79 is disposed in the connection region 78b. The distributor roller 79, like the conveyor belts 64a, 64b, serves to prevent fibrous material depositions arising in the distributor box 18, on account of which clogging can occur.

[0082] The guide walls 77a-77h infeed the fibrous material to the cellular wheels 44 and thus to the conveyor screws 38. On account of the guide walls 77a-77h terminating in a centrical manner or at least in a substantially centrical manner above the cellular wheels 44, substantially no horizontal forces are exerted on the fibrous material, and forces which press the fibrous material in the direction back into the distributor box 18 are also not exerted on the fibrous material. A conveyance of the fibrous material counter to the actual conveying direction thereof and counter to gravity is thus avoided, such that clogging in the region of the cellular wheels 44 is prevented.

[0083] FIG. 8 shows a winding device 80 as a component part of the device 10 according to one embodiment, so as to directly wind a plurality of produced fascines 52 to form a roll, so as to be able to better transport a plurality of fascines 52. The winding device 80 has two flange discs 82, 84 which serve for delimiting the fascines 52 when the latter are rolled about a central bar 86. To this end, the central bar 86 is disposed between the two discs 82, 84 and is specified for fastening the fascines 52 by way of one end to said bar 86. The fascines 52 are then wound by the rotation of the central bar 86.

[0084] Once a roll having a plurality of fascines 52 that are disposed beside one another has been produced, said roll for improved transportation is compressed by the discs 82, 84 which are converged. The roll can now finally be wrapped with a film in order for said roll to be able to be transported in a clean manner, without the fibrous material falling off, and to keep said roll in its shape.

[0085] FIG. 9 shows a side view of the winding device 80. A pressure roller 92 which is held by a mounting 90 to which a cylinder 94 is connected is illustrated here, said pressure roller 92 in the winding of the roll of fascines 52 pressing from the outside against the fascines in order to guarantee a compact winding.

[0086] Aspects and features of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet, including but not limited to German Patent Application Nos. 102017119297.2 filed Aug. 23, 2017, and 102016123926.7 filed Dec. 9, 2016, are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments.

[0087] These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.