Cotton baler

Abstract

The invention uses a new system which cuts and unlocks a wrapping material (PE film) for cotton in a continuous manner in cotton harvesting, and a new method in production of such film. The film consists of many segments that make many bales of cotton. The film is separated with perforation by laser or other methods. A double sided adhesive is used to glue the bale at the end of it, which is covered by a folded bridge. The bridge connects the both ends of the segments of the film. When perforated film is torn at a signal by the harvest machine, the bridge is unfolded as a leading edge for the next segment after a brief bridge linkage of both segments. The way of folding the bridge is key part of the invention, which accurately uncovers the end adhesive for the new bale and reduces the problem of tangling of the film at the time of separation.

Claims

1. A packaging layer for wrapping a bale of cotton within a harvester machine, the layer comprising: a single continuous film rolled into a roll, the film defining a length and a width, the length of the film having a plurality of perforations dividing the film into a plurality of sections between the perforations and a leading and trailing edges of the film, a leading section of the film being in front of any one of the perforations and a trailing section of the film being behind the any one of the perforations; a plurality of bridges, each of the bridges permanently attached to the trailing section and removably attached to the leading section, each bridge attached to the leading section at a first point and attached to the trailing section at a second point; a first linear distance between the first and second points measured along the film is less than a second linear distance between the first and second points measured along the bridge.

2. The layer of claim 1 wherein a leading portion of the bridge is folded upon each other so that the leading portion of the bridge is peeled off of the leading section when the leading section is torn away from the trailing section at the perforation.

3. The layer of claim 2 wherein the leading portion of the bridge does not have any adhesive between the fold of the leading portion.

4. The layer of claim 1 wherein the bridge is attached to the first section with a double sided adhesive.

5. The layer of claim 1 wherein the bridge is attached to the trailing section with an adhesive having a stronger bond compared to the adhesive used to attach the bridge to the first section.

6. The layer of claim 1 wherein an adhesive used to attach the leading portion of the bridge to the first section of the film has a stronger adhesive bond to the first section of the film compared to the leading portion of the bridge.

7. The layer of claim 1 wherein the bridge is disposed on an interior side of the roll.

8. The layer of claim 1 wherein the layer is harder compared to the film.

9. The layer of claim 1 wherein the layer is less flexible compared to the film.

10. The layer of claim 1 wherein holes of the perforations are larger at a middle portion compared to the opposed side portions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) With the reference to the drawings, the invention will be described in more detail.

(2) FIG. 1 is the existing technology for the agricultural packaging;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the structure changes of this invention for an agricultural packaging in practice, (A) shows the beginning status; (B) shows the status after the film is torn into two pieces;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the baling film's status after the film is torn in practice;

(5) FIG. 4 is another case in practice for structure changes for baling. (A) is original; (B) is status after the film is in process of tearing: (C) is the status after torn;

(6) FIG. 5 shows the perforation's effects in baling for this invention;

(7) FIG. 6 is the structure of the automation production line in use of this invention;

(8) FIG. 7 is the side view of the automation production line in use of this invention, laying the roll of bridge;

(9) FIG. 8 is the vertical view of the automation production line in use of the invention, laying the roll of bridge over the film.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(10) Technicians of the production field shall understand the drawings here are not limited to their narrow meaning. More claims are based on the principles of the invention, expandable to wider areas in similar productions.

(11) More steps and numbers are in the boundaries of claims of the invention. A, or single form can be regarded same as plural forms in principle. Similar process and units or parts are regarded same as the claimed.

(12) Words described here are not limited to regular meanings. All similar terms are regarded same as used here, shall not be too narrowly explained.

(13) With this invention many products are already manufactured and in field use, e.g. cotton bales made from Deere Harvester CP690. In FIG. 2 to FIG. 5, long film is divided into many units making many bales of cotton. Each unit consists of plain film and adhesive film. Plain film wraps the cotton first for a round then light adhesive film wraps outer layers of cotton bales. Units are separated at the perforation line 6 with portion 1′ for the previous unit, and portion 2′ for the following unit. 6 is the perforation line which makes the film break into two pieces easily. Portion 1′ and Portion 2′ are glued to double sided adhesive tapes 5. 51 is the bridge made of releasable film, glued at Portion 1′, and Portion 2 with adhesives 52, on the both sides of perforation line 6. The upper side surface of the film 51 is releasable, so it is easy to peel off from 52 at the Portion 1′, but glued tight at 52 of the Portion 2′. The lower side of the film is not releasable. We can see the bridge made of the releasable film is folded S shape.

(14) A roll of film is a long piece for over 500 meters. Between portions are perforation lines which can be easily and smoothly torn apart when unwinding of the roll is stopped. The bridge still links and covers the torn portions briefly when they are torn apart for a short distance as the bridge unfolding, which makes recoil force weakened to avoid tangling of the film. The material of bridge is hard and flat when unfolded, which serves as a lead for the next portion waiting to enter the baling harvester for the next baling.

(15) The invention makes simple perforation line, and does not need use Z type lock, nor cutting and pasting the film, thus skipping many steps of existing production processes, such as alining films while adding locks. The invention also replaces adding adhesive to the film with double sided adhesive tapes, which are accurately exposed by peeling off the bridge over them. The bridge is evenly flat, not convex over the film, easy for winding into the film roll.

(16) Programmable laser can adjust structure of the perforation line easily according to the change of working conditions of baling. We design the perforation line's hole structure with different density and diameters accordingly.

(17) We design a pattern with larger and denser holes in the middle of the perforation line and looser and smaller holes at two sides, making tearing of the film starting in the middle, and then evenly along two sides. In this way the film moves straight and gradually into the next cycle.

(18) In theory larger the area bridge glued to the film, weaker the recoil force will be when the film being torn apart, but more costly in material and production.

(19) To improve recoil force deformation, as in FIG. 4, we add a third tape 53 to Portion 1′, in addition to 52. Folded bridge 51′s two surfaces have different features, one is releasable, the other adhesive. The bridge can be easily peeled off from the adhesive when needed, while glueing tight at the head of the Portion 2′. Adding one more tape can solve the recoil force problem easily and economically. In production, one more step is added to the machine that specially folds the bridge making bridge rolls with 3 tapes.

(20) Steps of this double S bridge unfolding when film is torn:

(21) 1. The bridge covers the film over the perforation line; (A)

(22) 2. The first S type fold unfolds when the film is stopped unwinding;

(23) 3. Two pieces of tapes side by side are on the same level on the film, the tape next to the perforation line is still covered by the bridge's second S fold; (B)

(24) 4. After the film torn into two parts, two tapes on Portion 1′ are exposed with adhesives open, waiting to be glued at the end of the bale; (C)

(25) 5. Portion 2′ is glued to the bridge which is even and hard as a lead, ready to enter the next cycle of baling. (C)

(26) Double sided adhesive tapes 52 align with the perforation line 6 in the middle, one tape 52 on each side of perforation line 6.

(27) All these designs are used with special machines now in production. The manufactured rolls are used in the fields. As in FIG. 5 to FIG. 8, the production line includes film production, a machine makes pre manufactured roll 50, a double sided adhesive tape laying machine, and a laser perforation machine;

(28) Pre manufactured roll 50 is to be laid over the film, including releasable film 51, and tapes 52, 53. A part of releasable film 51 is put with double sided adhesive tape 52, another end of releasable film 51 is folded to perforation line 6 and put with double sided adhesive tape 53, in S shape. In FIG. 6, the bridge laying system includes cutter 74, down press hand 75, the first catch hand 71, the second catch hand 72, and the track 73. The roll of the bridge made of double sided adhesives 5 is grabbed by both catch hands 71 and 72, which move along the track 73. Both hands position the roll along the perforation line 6, then down press hand 75 press the bridge and glue it to the film. Cutter 74 cuts the roll 5 (FIG. 8).

(29) Automation laser makes perforation line 6.

(30) Laser is programmable.

(31) Cutter 74 is a laser cutter, or an air-pressure knife.

(32) Automation machine peels off the interleaving paper 54 from the double sided adhesive tapes (FIG. 6).

(33) The invention is an automation production system producing agricultural baling films, including:

(34) 1) perforation line made at the required position, can be made either through laser, or mechanic device;

(35) 2) pre manufactured roll of tape bridge needs to be grabbed from one side to the other across the film, aligning along the perforation line, pressing tapes to the film;

(36) 3) down press hand presses tapes tight to the film;

(37) 4) after cutting the roll all hands move back to the beginning position ready for the next cycle.

(38) Perforation line is the middle line for the bridge roll.

(39) Laser perforation machine is programmable.

(40) The invention is in use and the products are produced out of the production line as designed. First, across the film the perforation line is made by laser, which is 20 to 60 cm above the film. The holes made by the laser change according to the needed force to tear the film and the environment.

(41) Then the interleaving paper of the double sided tapes are peeled off the tapes exposing the adhesive of the tapes. One end of the bridge is glued at the head of the next portion of the film. Winding direction of production is opposite to the unwinding direction when baling cotton on a harvester.

(42) Then the pre manufactured roll of bridge goes over the film, after the interleaving paper being peeled off the double sided adhesive tapes. The width of the roll is about 20-30 cm, also the direction of roll is in reverse direction with baling.

(43) The end of bale will be glued tight with the exposed double sided adhesive tape, which is 20 cm in width. This is done by uncovering of the bridge that covers the tape. The other end of bridge is glued tight on the head of next portion of the film. The bridge is peeled off the film over the perforation line by the mechanism of a brake at the unwinding roll at the time of baling. The roll laying is fully automatic and fast, with 24 bridges for each roll of baling film.

(44) For each cycle of producing a bridge, key element of one of 24 pieces of a baling roll, fully automation has been described above, i.e. catching the bridge film, aligning the roll with tapes, pressing down the roll over the film, cutting the roll, etc.

(45) An S shape fold of the bridge made of releasable film makes it possible to unfold easily and peeling off the adhesives attached to the film. FIG. 2 to FIG. 5 illustrate the situation when two portions of film break apart when baling on a harvester. The bale is glued tight at its own end when the double sided adhesive tape exposed. Next bale of agricultural products waits to be wrapped in sequence.

(46) The invention has following advantages over the existing technology:

(47) 1. There is no needs for cutting and pasting of film, using Z lock type inter connection. The invention skips at least 3 processes in production;

(48) 2. Use double sided adhesive tapes replacing adding adhesives during production, making work place clean;

(49) 3. The long production line is reduced to only 5 meters long;

(50) 4. Speed of production is doubled with high efficiency.

(51) The above described are in practice in our factory with finished rolls used by farmer in the fields. Our claims are not limited to the descriptions. Any modified forms and altered technology using the same principle of production are within our claims, protected by the invention.