NZ242995A - Wool press: wool pack box pivoted away from platen box for removal of wool pack - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand Paient Spedficaiion for Paient Number £42995 PATENTS FORM 5 PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Number 242995 Dated June 2, 1992 HYDRAULIC HORIZONTAL LOADING WOOL PRESS I, STUART MURRAY ALEXANDER DAY, a New Zealand citizen, of Bannockburn, RD 4, Masterton, New Zealand do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a Patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 24 2 9 9 5 FIELD OF INVENTION The invention comprises a wool press for the pressing of wool and fibre.

BACKGROUND Wool presses are employed to compress wool into wool bales or packs. Traditionally a wool press comprises a upright open box with an associated platten. A wool pack is inserted into the box to line the box and is then filled with wool. The platten is pushed into the upright box to compress the wool into the pack to the required weight before the pack is closed holding the wool under compression.

Horizontal wool presses have been proposed. New Zealand patent specification 118531 describes one form of hydraulically operated, horizontal wool press. One disadvantage of this form of wool press is that it is very long and bulky. Also, because one part of the press requires to be wheeled away from the other part after pressing of the wool, to enable closing of the pack, this wool press requires a large floor area for use.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION The present invention comprises an improved or at least alternative form of wool press.

In broad terms the invention comprij comprising: a wool pack box having an open end for receiving a wool pack in the wool pack box, a platten box adjacent the wool pack box in position such that when the wool pack box is in a normal position it will engage an open end of the platten box, a platten movable through the platten box to the open end of the wool pack box to compress wool placed into the platten box into a wool pack in the wool pack box, platten moving means to reciprocally move the platten within the platten box, and means mounting the wool pack box for pivotal movement after initial separation of the wool pack box and platten box, to a position wherein the open end of the wool pack box is sufficiently separated from the platten box to enable closing of a wool pack in the wool pack box and subsequent removal, and return movement.

Preferably the platten moving means comprises a hydraulic cylinder, or a pair of hydraulic cylinders one on either side of the press, extending between the wool pack box and 24 2 99 5 the platten and also arranged to power the pivotal movement and return movement of the wool pack box.

Preferably the wool pack and platten boxes are mounted to a common frame, the platten box at one end and the wool pack box at an opposite end through a subframe carrying the wool pack box.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS A preferred form of wool press of the invention is described with reference to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification, by way of example and without intending to be limiting. In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows the preferred form wool press from one side in its normal position, during pressing of wool into a wool pack, Fig. 2 shows the preferred form wool press from the same side as in Fig. 1, after the two boxes forming the wool press have been unlatched to allow the wool pack box to move away from the platten box, Fig. 3 shows the wool press from the same side as in Figs 1 and 2, after the wool pack box has been pivoted away from the platten box for closing and removal of the wool pack, 24 2 9 Fig. 4 is a view of the preferred form wool press from above in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a view of the platten mounting end of the wool press, in the direction of arrow B in Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a view of the underside of the wool pack box after pivoting to the position of Fig. 3 in the direction of arrow C in Fig. 3, showing the arrangement of wool retaining fingers on the underside.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, the preferred form press comprises a common base frame or bed 3 which may be generally rectangular in plan view, formed of box section steel for example, although any suitable form of base frame could be employed. Mounted to the base frame is a box 2, which will be referred to as the platten box. The platten box 2 is fixed relative to the base frame 3, and comprises a base 4 and sides 5. The platten box 2 mounts a platten 6 from the outer end 7 of the box 2 as shown (see Figs 4 and 5 in particular). The platten 6 is moveable within the platten box 2 in the direction of arrow D in Fig. 4. The platten box 2 has an open top, whereby wool may be placed into the platten box 2 in front of the platten 6. Alternatively wool could be placed into the platten box through doors in the sides 5 but the arrangement shown in the drawings is preferred. 242 9 9 5 I, f ouf» side wal1s A wool pack box 1 comprises a base 8, 9, and an open end opposite the base 8, and is of about the same cross-sectional dimension as the platten box 2. In its normal position as shown in Fig. 1, the wool pack box 1 is positioned such that it engages over the open end of the platten box 2 as shown. A wool pack has previously been placed into the interior of the wool pack box 1 (when in the position in Fig. 3) and the wool press operator causes the platten 6 to move within the platten box 2 towards the wool pack box 1 to compress wool loaded into the platten box into the wool pack in the wool pack box 1.

The wool pack box 1 is pivotally mounted to the base frame 3. Any suitable arrangement of pivotal mounting could be used but in the preferred form a triangular subframe 10 extends from the base 8 of the wool pack box 1 on either side. A parallelogram shaped subframe 11 is provided on either side of the base frame 3 and is pivotally mounted to the base frame 3 at connections 12 on either side. Through the subframe 10 on either side, the wool pack box 1 is carried by the subframe 11 by attaching at its apex to the top of the pivoting subframe 11 through pivot connections 13 one on either side of the wool pack box. The parallelogram subframe (this subframe could also be of any other suitable configuration) can pivot relative to the base frame 3 in the direction of arrow E in Fig. 1, between positions shown in Figs 1 and 2. The wool pack box can pivot about the connections 13 on either side in the direction of arrow F in Fig. 1. The arrangement enables movement of the wool pack box 1 about the connecting pivot points 13 between the positions shown in Figs 1 and 3. At the same time during this pivoting movement, the subframe 11 also pivots about connections 12 between the positions shown in Figs 1 and 3.

To move the platten 6, in the preferred form two hydraulic cylinders 14 are provided one on either side of the wool press. At one end the hydraulic cylinders 14 are attached to the wool pack box 1 as indicated at 14a. At their other ends the shafts 14b of the hydraulic cylinders 14 are attached to the sides of the platten 6 through a slot 15 in the platten box 2 on either side (see Fig. 2), so that the hydraulic cylinders can be operated to draw the platten 6 through the platten box 2 towards the wool pack box 1 to compress wool into a wool pack.

Once the wool pack box 1 has been unlatched from the platten box 2 as will be described, the hydraulic cylinders 14 are also operated to pivot the wool pack box 1 to its upright position, shown in Fig. 3.

In use of the wool press, when the wool pack box 1 is initially in the upright position shown in Fig. 3 an empty wool pack is placed into the wool pack box 1. The wool pack box 1 is then caused to pivot by the hydraulic cylinders 14 to the position shown in Fig. 1 to engage over the open end of the platten box 1. The wool pack box 1 and platten box 2 are latched together. With the platten 6 in its rearward-most position (as 2429 9 5 in Fig. 4) , wool is placed into the platten box 2 through its open top, into the space between the platten and the wool pack (see Fig. 4). The hydraulic cylinders 14 are then caused to operate to draw the platten through the platten box 2 to push the wool into the wool pack in the box 1. This is carried out successively typically two or three times, to compress the desired weight of wool into the pack within the box 1. The boxes 1 and 2 are then unlatched from each other to the position shown in Fig. 2 as will be described, and the wool pack box 1 containing the full wool pack is then caused by the hydraulic cylinders 14 to pivot to the position shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the pack is closed and then removed. A fresh empty wool pack can then be put into the wool pack box 1 for filling in the same way.

An arrangement of fingers is used to hold the wool compressed within the pack when the platten has moved away, as will be described.

The handle 16 is used to latch and unlatch the platten and wool pack boxes 1 and 2 from each other. The handle 16 is mounted to the top of posts 17 upstanding on either side of the base frame 3. Members 18 extend from the subframe 11 on either side through apertures in the posts 17 and are engaged by a locking tooth on the bottom of each end of the handle 16. When the handle 16 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the boxes 1 and 2 are locked together. When the handle is pulled in the direction of arrow G in Fig. 1, the teeth at the bottom of each side of the handle 16 disengage from the members 18 on either 24 2 9 9 5 side of the wool press, enabling the wool pack box 1 to be released from the platten box 2 to move away to open the press. Again, any other suitable arrangement for latching the wool pack box and platten box together during operation of the platten could be employed, such as a system of clips or the like for example.

Fig. 6 shows an arrangement of fingers on the bottom of the wool pack box 1 to penetrate across the open top of the interior of the wool pack box 1 to hold wool compressed into a wool pack within the box 1 after the platten 3 has moved away, visible as in Fig. 6 when the wool pack box 1 is pivoted to the position shown in Fig. 3. The fingers 19 are connected to a common shaft 20 which is journaled for rotation against the bottom of the box 1. The fingers 19 are right angle shaped fingers and penetrate through apertures 21 into the interior of the box 1 across the open top thereof. The fingers are operated by a hydraulic cylinder 22 which when actuated causes the fingers to be inserted into the box 1 across the open top thereof through a connecting arm 23. Fingers 24 are similarly provided on either side of the box 1 as also shown. The fingers 24 on either side are carried by a shaft 25 similarly mounted for rotation against the side of the box 1, and are also actuated by the same hydraulic cylinder 22 through connecting arms 26. The operation of the fingers is synchronised with the operation of the platten so that the fingers enter across the top of the wool pack as the

Claims (7)

2 *29 platten moves away and vice versa. Any other suitable arrangement of wool retaining fingers could be employed. The foregoing describes the invention including a preferred form as shown in the drawings. The preferred form shown in the drawings and described is described by way of example and other arrangements of wool press employing the principles of the invention are possible, with two open boxes, the one for containing the wool pack pivotally mounted in relation to the other platten box into which wool is loaded and with platten actuating means extending on either side of (or beneath) the boxes. Alterations and modifications as will be obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be incorporated within the scope hereof, as defined in the following claims. - 10 - WHAT 1 CLAIM IS:

1. A wool press comprising: a wool pack box having an open end for receiving a wool pack in the wool pack box, a platten box adjacent the wool pack box in position such that when the wool pack box is in a normal position it will engage an open end of the platten box, a platten movable through the platten box to the open end of the wool pack box to compress wool placed into the platten box into a wool pack in the wool pack box, platten moving means to reciprocally move the platten within the platten box, and means mounting the wool pack box for pivotal movement after initial separation of the wool pack box and platten box to a position wherein the open end of the wool pack box is sufficiently separated from the platten box to enable closing of a wool pack in the wool pack box and subsequent removal, and return movement.

2. A wool press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wool pack box is mounted for separating movement from its normal position engaging the platten box away from the platten box and return movement, and pivotal movement to a load/unload position - 11 - 24 2 9 95 where the open end of the wool pack box is uppermost, and return movement.

3. A wool press as claimed in claim 2, wherein the wool pack box and platten box are mounted to a common frame, the platten box at one end and the wool pack box at an opposite end through a subframe carrying the wool pack box.

4. A wool press as claimed in claim 3, wherein the subframe is mounted to the common frame for said separation and return movement and the wool pack box is pivotally mounted to the subframe for said pivotal movement to a load/unload position and return movement.

5. A wool press as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the platten moving means comprises a hydraulic cylinder, or a pair of hydraulic cylinders one on either side of the press, extending between the wool pack box and the platten and also arranged to power said pivotal and return movement of the wool pack box.

6. A wool press as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including means to insert and withdraw a number of fingers to penetrate across the open top of the wool pack before separation from the platten box, to hold wool compressed in the wool pack box. - 12 - 24 29 a

7. A wool press substantially as described herein and illustrated in the drawings accompanying the provisional specification. WEST-WALKER McCABE ATTORNEYS FOR THE APPLICANT V C- \ i■«' ; -2 JtJH J99j - 13 -