Method and baler for pressing bales of material

Abstract

A method for pressing bales of material in a baler is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of feeding the material into the baler through an inlet, pre-compressing the material under a number of compressing cycles by a first press, transporting the pre-compressed material by a transport unit into a second press, and compressing the pre-compressed material by the second press into a finished bale of compressed material. The step of transporting the pre-compressed material by a transport unit into a second press is conducted in a space of the baler, such that an undesirable expansion of the pre-compressed material can be prevented. A baler for pressing bales of material is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for pressing bales of material in a baler, the method comprising: feeding the material into the baler through an inlet in an inlet direction and into a first chamber arranged perpendicular to the inlet direction; pre-compressing the material in a first direction orthogonal to the inlet direction into a pre-compressed material, wherein the material is pre-compressed in the first chamber against a side wall of a transport unit under a number of compressing cycles by a first press while the side wall of the transport unit is positioned in front of the first press; transporting the pre-compressed material by the transport unit into a second chamber in a second direction orthogonal to the inlet direction and orthogonal to the first direction, the second chamber comprising a second press; and compressing the pre-compressed material by the second press into a finished bale of compressed material, wherein the transporting the pre-compressed material into the second chamber is conducted in a limited space of the baler, such that a threshold expansion of the pre-compressed material is prevented, the pre-compressing the material includes measuring a pressure resistance from the material in at least one of the number of compressing cycles, and calculating an opening degree of the inlet based on the measured pressure resistance to achieve an optimal volume of the pre-compressed material before being transported to the second chamber, and controlling the first press for setting the calculated opening degree of the inlet, wherein movement of the first press controls the opening degree of the inlet.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compressing the pre-compressed material into the finished bale of compressed material comprises compressing the pre-compressed material against another finished bale of material in the baler.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-compressing the material and the compressing the pre-compressed material are conducted in parallel.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the limited space is defined at least by a first side wall of the first press, a second side wall of the second press and a third side wall of the transport unit used in the transporting the pre-compressed material into the second chamber comprising the second press.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising strapping the finished bale of compressed material.

6. A baler for pressing bales of material, the baler comprising: an inlet for receiving material fed into the baler in an inlet direction; a first chamber connected to the inlet and receiving the material from the inlet, the first chamber arranged perpendicular to the inlet direction, and the first chamber comprising a first press configured to pre-compress the material, in a first direction orthogonal to the inlet direction and into a pre-compressed material, wherein the material is pre-compressed in the first chamber under a number of compressing cycles; a second chamber comprising a second press configured to compress the pre-compressed material into a finished bale of compressed material; a transport unit configured to transport the pre-compressed material into the second chamber in a second direction orthogonal to the inlet direction and orthogonal to the first direction, wherein the first press configured to pre-compress the material against a sidewall of the transport unit while the side wall of the transport unit is positioned in front of the first press, and the pre-compressed material is transported by the transport unit from the first chamber into the second chamber in a limited space, such that a threshold expansion of the pre-compressed material is prevented; and a control unit connected to the first press, the control unit configured to: measure a pressure resistance from the material in at least one of the number of compressing cycles, calculate an opening degree of the inlet based on the measured pressure resistance to achieve an optimal volume of the pre-compressed material before being transported to the second chamber, and control the first press for setting the calculated opening degree of the inlet, wherein movement of the first press controls the opening degree of the inlet.

7. The baler according to claim 6, wherein the first press is arranged below the inlet in the baler such that movement of the first press adjusts the opening degree of the inlet.

8. The baler according to claim 6, wherein the first press pre-compresses the material in parallel to the second press compressing the pre-compressed material.

9. The baler according to claim 6, wherein the limited space is defined at least by a first side wall of the first press, a second side wall of the second press and a third side wall of the transport unit.

10. The baler according to claim 6, wherein the first press is a pre-press and the second press is a main press.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above objects, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary baler for pressing bales of material according to a second aspect of the invention.

(3) FIG. 2A to 2F are top views of the baler in FIG. 1 when performing an exemplary method for pressing bales of material in a baler according to a first aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(4) FIG. 1 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of a baler 1 for pressing bales 2 of material. The baler 1 comprises an inlet 3 for receiving material into the baler, a first press 4 connected to the inlet 3 which is adapted to pre-compress the material under a number of compressing cycles, and a second press 5 which is adapted to compress the pre-compressed material into a finished bale 2 of compressed material. The first press 4 is arranged below the inlet 3 in the baler 1 such that the movement of the first press 4 controls an opening degree of the inlet 3. A transport unit 6 is provided in connection with the first press 4 and the second press 5. The transport unit 6 is adapted to transport the pre-compressed material from the first press 4 into the second press 5.

(5) In this embodiment, the first press 4 and the second press 5 are arranged to operate in a first direction D.sub.1, and thus arranged to operate in parallel, and the transport unit 6 is arranged to operate in a second direction D.sub.2. The second direction D.sub.2 is substantially perpendicular to the first direction D.sub.1. The first press 4 and the second press 5 are connected to each other via the transport unit 6 in order to create a space, such that an undesirable expansion of the pre-compressed material upon transport between the first press 4 and the second press 5 is prevented. The space is defined by at least a side wall of the first press 4, a side wall of the second press 5 and a side wall of the transport unit 6. Here, the space is further defined by side walls of the baler 1 and by a portion of a finished bale 2 of material.

(6) The baler 1 further comprises a control unit 7 which is connected to the first press 4. The control unit 7 is adapted to measure a pressure resistance from the material in at least one of the number of compressing cycles, and to calculate an opening degree of the inlet 3 based on the measured pressure resistance, in order to achieve an optimal volume of the pre-compressed material in the first press 4 before being transported to the second press 5.

(7) In FIG. 2A to 2F, the baler 1 is illustrated during the operation of pressing material into finished bales 2.

(8) The material to be compressed is introduced into the baler 1 through the inlet 3 while the first press 4 is in an idle position (FIG. 2A). Thereafter, the first press 4 is moved in a first direction D.sub.1 to press the material through a knife located at the further end of the inlet 3 and against the side of the transport unit 6 during a number of compression cycles to pre-compress the material and achieve a desired density of the pre-compressed material (FIG. 2B).

(9) When the number of compressing cycles have been conducted, the transport unit 6 retracts into an idle position (FIG. 2C) and the first press 4 conducts a final pre-compression of the material against a further side wall of the transport unit 6 (FIG. 2D). Thereafter, the transport unit 6 transports the pre-compressed material in a second direction D.sub.2 (FIG. 2E) into a second press 5 in which the pre-compressed material is compressed by means of the second press 5 against already compressed material into a finished bale 2 of compressed material (FIG. 2F).

(10) The step of transporting the pre-compressed material by means of the transport unit 6 into a second press 5 is conducted in a space of the baler 1 which is limited in a way such that an undesirable expansion of the pre-compressed material can be prevented.

(11) It is understood that other variations in the present invention are contemplated and in some instances, some features of the invention can be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention.

(12) For instance, the size, shape and number of the components in the baler may be varied.

(13) The first press 4 may be a shear baler and the second press 5 may be a main press. However, other arrangements are also possible.