Apparatus for Removing Ties and/or Wrappers From Fiber Bales

This application claims the priority of German Application Nos. P 40 25 889.0 filed Aug. 16, 1990 and P 41 19 158.7 filed Jun. 11, 1991, which are incorporated herein by reference. This application further contains subject matter related to U.S. application filed concurrently with this application and being based on German Applications P 45 25 890.4 filed Aug. 16, 1990 and P 41 19 336.9 filed Jun. 12, 1991.

This invention relates to an apparatus for removing ties, such as wires, straps, bandages or the like and/or wrappers from textile fiber bales, particularly cotton bales or chemical fiber bales, wherein the apparatus and the bales are movable relative to one another.

In a known apparatus of the above-outlined type, such as described in German Offenlegungsschrift (application published without examination) 37 27 364, for the bales a conveyor belt is provided which has barbs on its surface. Further, arrangements are known where rotary discs are provided which have teeth or brushes along their circumference. It is a disadvantage of such prior art structures that the barbs, teeth or brushes do not securely ensnare the ties or wrappers or do not release them in a reliable manner, resulting in disturbances in an automatic operation.

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus of the above-outlined type from which the discussed disadvantages are eliminated and which thus securely grasps and conveys ties or wrappers away from the bales.

This object and others to become apparent as the specification progresses, are accomplished by the invention, according to which, briefly stated, the apparatus for removing severed ties and wrapper from a fiber bale includes a first device for pulling the severed ties and wrapper off the fiber bale; and a second device for taking over the ties and wrapper from the first device and for conveying the ties and wrapper away from the fiber bale.

Thus, according to the invention, the severed ties and/or wrappers are securely grasped and moved away from the fiber bales.

FIG. 1a is a schematic side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of a pull-off device according to the invention, shown in conjunction with a fiber bale conveying device.

FIG. 1b is a schematic top plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1a.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a wrapperless fiber bale surrounded by ties and showing a tie-loosening fixed spike.

FIG. 2a is an end elevational view of a fiber bale of FIG. 2 showing separation of the tie from the bale with the aid of the spike.

FIG. 3 is a partially sectional view of a fiber bale with wrapper, surrounded by ties and shown with a stationary spike penetrating underneath a tie and the wrapper.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a fiber bale provided with ties and being surrounded by a wrapper, further illustrated with two stationary, penetrating spikes.

FIG. 5a is a schematic top plan view of a pull-off device including a penetrating spike and two cooperating conveyor belts.

FIG. 5b is an enlarged sectional view taken along line Vb--Vb of FIG. 5a.

FIG. 5c is a schematic side elevational view similar to FIG. 5a illustrating a phase in which the ties are being drawn off.

FIG. 5d shows a plurality of bunched, severed ties.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side elevational view of another preferred embodiment, showing a movable spike and two withdrawing rollers.

FIG. 7a is a schematic side elevational view of a winding device for rolling up the removed ties.

FIG. 7b is a schematic top plan view of the construction shown in FIG. 7a.

FIG. 8a is a view similar to FIG. 5c, illustrating additional components.

FIG. 8b is a schematic top plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 8a.

FIG. 9a is an enlarged axial sectional view of a modified roller component of the construction shown in FIG. 5a.

FIG. 9b is an enlarged schematic top plan view of modified components of the construction of FIG. 5a.

FIGS. 1a and 1b show a bale advancing device 1 including a roller track which is formed of rollers 1a spaced from one another at a distance 1b and on which a series of fiber bales 2 is supported. The bale advancing device 1 further includes a conveyor 3 which is arranged laterally of the roller track and which includes two end rollers 3a and 3b supporting a circulating conveyor element, such as a chain 3c for travel as indicated by arrows A and B to advance the bales 2 in the direction C. To the chain 3c there is secured a pusher assembly 4 which has a bale pusher element 4b rotatable into and out of an operative position about a pivot 4a.

As shown in FIG. 1b, between two serially arranged, aligned side walls 5a and 5b a clearance 5c is provided, in the zone of which a stationary cutting device 6, such as shears, is situated for severing ties 2a and/or a wrapper. On the opposite side of the roller track, facing the side walls 5a and 5b, there are provided two further side walls 7a and 7b spaced at a clearance 7c from one another. On the outside of the clearance 7c there is situated a stationary pull-off device 8 which is designed according to the invention and downstream of which a winding apparatus 9 is provided for removing the pulled-off ties 2a. FIG. 1b shows a tie 2a', severed by the cutting device 6 and being partially drawn off by the device 8.

Turning to FIGS. 2 and 2a, there is illustrated a stationary spike 10 which penetrates into the fiber bale 2 underneath a bale tie 2a and engages the same (FIG. 2). As the bale travels in the direction of the arrow D, a previously severed tie 2a" rides up on the flank of the spike 10 which is oriented at an angle .alpha. opposite the bale advancing direction D. In this manner the ties 2a are separated by a distance a from the bale surface 2' as shown in FIG. 2a. Thereafter, the ties 2a may be pulled off by a tie removing device 12, 13 as will be described later in connection with FIGS. 5a, 5b, 5c, 9a and 9b.

In FIG. 3, there is shown a fiber bale 2 surrounded by a wrapper 11 which, in turn, is surrounded by ties 2a. The spike 10 extends under and engages both the wrapper 11 and--sequentially--the ties 2a.

FIG. 4 shows a fiber bale 2 which has a wrapper 11 (such as a sack) surrounding the securing ties 2a. Two fixed spikes 10a and 10b are provided; the spike 10a serves for penetrating below and thus engaging the tie 2a, while the spike 10b serves for penetrating into and thus engaging the wrapper 11.

Turning to FIG. 5a, laterally of the bales 2 a pull-off device 8 is arranged which includes a spike 10' and two cooperating removal conveyor assemblies 12 and 13. Also referring to FIG. 5b, the conveyor assembly 12 includes an endless conveyor belt 12c having a wedge-shaped cross section and being supported by end pulleys 12a, 12b. The arrow E shows the direction of rotation of the end pulley 12a. Between the end pulleys 12a and 12b guide rollers 12d, 12e and 12f are shown. Similarly, the belt conveyor 13 includes two end pulleys 13a, 13b and a cross-sectionally wedge-shaped endless conveyor belt 13c supported by the end pulleys 13a, 13b. The arrow F indicates the direction of rotation of the end pulley 13a. Between the end pulleys 13a and 13b guide rollers 13d and 13e are provided. Downstream of the end rollers 12b and 13b, as viewed in the direction of bale advance D, a winding device 9 for treating the removed ties 2a is provided. The severed ties 2a and/or the wrapper 11 are pulled off on the underside through the clearance 1c between two adjoining rollers 1a of the roller track 1 and are advanced into the nip between the two co-travelling, superposed working flights of the cooperating belts 12c, 13c to be further conveyed thereby as indicated by the arrow G. The conveyor assemblies 12, 13 may be driven by a motor 12g connected to the end roller 12a.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9a and 9b, the guide roll 13d has two axially aligned belt pulleys 23 and 26. On the circumferential surfaces 23' and 26' of the respective pulleys 23 and 26, on each side of the wedge-shaped grooves 23" and 26", a plurality of tie-carrier pins 24a, 25a and 27a, 28a is arranged which extend radially outwardly from the respective circumferential surface 23', 26'. The other guide rolls 12d, 12e, 12f, 13a and 13e are structured similarly to the guide roll 13d. As shown in FIG. 9b, between the vertically arranged guide rollers 12d, 12e and 13d the two cross-sectionally wedge-shaped belts 12c and 13c are, by means of the ties 2a, squeezed or laterally pushed out of the respective grooves 23", 26". The remaining free intermediate axial spaces between the pins 24, 25 and 27, 28 permit the ties 2a to be received and conveyed further in an unimpeded manner. The belts 12c and 13c project beyond the respective grooves 23" and 26".

Turning to FIG. 6, between the two parts 1d' and 1e' of a bale transport track 1' a clearance 1f' is provided. The spike 10" is displaceably secured to a holding device 14 for movement in the direction of the arrows H, I between its solid-line position and its phantom-line position. As the spike 10" is displaced from its solid-line position into its phantom-line position, the severed, engaged tie 2a is drawn by the spike 10" through a distance b from the bale surface to a pull-off roller pair 15a, 15b. Between the bale 2 and the pull-off rollers 15a, 15b a guide element 16 is provided for the ties 2a.

FIG. 7a shows the winding device 9 which has two rotatable conveying rollers 16a and 16b for advancing the removed ties 2a. Downstream of the cooperating rollers 16a and 16b a fork 17 is positioned which is rotatable in the direction of the arrow K and which engages the ties 2a advanced by the rollers 16a and 16b and winds them into a ball 18. The fork 17 is displaceable in the direction of the arrows L and M as shown in FIG. 7b. As the fork 17 is pulled out in the direction of the arrow L, the ball 18 is stopped by a stationary abutment 19 and is thus pulled off the fork 17 and is caused to drop into a container 20.

Turning to FIGS. 8a and 8b, downstream of the conveying device 8 transverse shears 21 are provided which cut the ties 2a continuously into small lengths 22 which drop into the container 20. This embodiment has the advantage that internal stresses are immediately removed from the ties 2a and thus the ties do not spread resiliently; such an occurrence could disturb the operation.

It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.