Method and Apparatus for Producing Wrapped Bales

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing wrapped bales. Bales ( 3 ) is in a first wrappingstage moved past wrapping means ( 6 ) while said wrapping means ( 6 ) provided with dispenser means ( 4 ) are rotated around said bale ( 3 ) along a circular path in a first plane of rotation. In a further optional second stage of wrapping said bale ( 3 ) is rotated by rotating means in a second plane of rotation substantially normal to said first plane of rotation. Between said stages the surface of the wrapping material web is turned about 90° such that said surface of said web is always substantially normal to said planes of rotation in both stages. The first wrapping stage includes using of a tunnel means ( 9 ), which makes it possible to produce both unbound wrapped bales and bound wrapped bales.

1 . A method for producing wrapped bales ( 1 ), including
 a production stage for producing a bale,   a first wrapping stage comprising moving the bale ( 3 ) and wrapping means ( 6 ) in relation to each other, said wrapping means ( 6 ) having a wrapping material dispenser means ( 4 ), said wrapping material dispenser means ( 4 ) being arranged to rotate around said bale ( 3 ) in a circular path in a first plane of rotation, whereby a web of wrapping material ( 5 ) emerges from said wrapping material dispenser means ( 4 ) such that the surface of said web of wrapping material ( 5 ) is substantially normal to said first plane of rotation and said web of wrapping material ( 5 ) becomes wrapped on the sides of said bale ( 3 ) in a first direction of wrapping,   characterized by the first wrapping stage including   moving the bale ( 3 ) and a tunnel means ( 9 ) in relation to each other such that the bale ( 3 ) is moved into the tunnel means ( 9 ), said tunnel means ( 9 ) having an open downstream end ( 10 ),   moving the bale ( 3 ) and tunnel means ( 9 ) in relation to each other such that the bale ( 3 ) moves inside the tunnel means ( 9 ) towards the open downstream end ( 10 ),   wrapping by means of said wrapping means ( 6 ) said web of wrapping material ( 5 ) onto the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the tunnel means ( 9 ) and/or onto the sides of the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the tunnel means ( 9 ),   moving the bale ( 3 ) and tunnel means ( 9 ) in relation to each other such that the bale ( 3 ) moves through said open downstream end ( 10 ) out of the tunnel means ( 9 ) to attach said web of wrapping material ( 5 ) wrapped on the open downstream end ( 10 ) and/or on the sides of said open downstream end ( 10 ) to the bale,   wrapping by means of said wrapping means ( 6 ) said web of wrapping material ( 5 ) onto the sides of the bale ( 3 ) while the bale ( 3 ) moves through said open downstream end ( 10 ) out of the tunnel means ( 9 ) and continuing wrapping by means of said wrapping means ( 6 ) said web of wrapping material ( 5 ) onto the sides of the bale ( 3 ) while the bale ( 3 ) while the bale ( 3 ) moves completely out of said tunnel means ( 9 ) through said open downstream end ( 10 ) such that said web of wrapping material ( 5 ) is wrapped onto the sides of the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the tunnel means ( 9 ), and   moving the bale ( 3 ) apart from the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the tunnel means ( 9 ) so that web of wrapping material ( 5 ) wrapped onto the sides of the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the tunnel means ( 9 ) detaches from the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the tunnel means ( 9 ) and follows with the bale ( 3 ).   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , characterized
 by moving the bale ( 3 ) inside the tunnel means ( 9 ) towards the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the tunnel means ( 9 ) is achieved by pushing the bale ( 3 ) with another bale ( 3 ), and   by moving the bale ( 3 ) out of the tunnel means ( 9 ) to attach the web of wrapping material ( 5 ) wrapped on said open downstream end ( 10 ) is achieved by pushing the bale ( 3 ) with another bale.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , characterized by
 said first wrapping stage includes using a tunnel means ( 9 ) comprising a stationary tunnel part ( 11 ), which is stationary in relation to a bale producing means ( 2 ), and a movable tunnel part ( 12 ), which is movable in relation to the stationary tunnel part ( 11 ) and which comprises the open downstream end ( 10 ),   said first wrapping stage includes wrapping by means of the wrapping means ( 6 ) a web of wrapping material ( 5 ) onto the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the movable tunnel part ( 12 ) and/or onto the sides of the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the movable tunnel part ( 12 ),   said first wrapping stage includes moving the bale ( 3 ) into the stationary tunnel part ( 11 ),   said first wrapping stage includes moving the bale ( 3 ) from the stationary tunnel part ( 11 ) into the movable tunnel part ( 12 ),   said first wrapping stage includes moving the bale ( 3 ) inside the movable tunnel part ( 12 ) towards the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the movable tunnel part ( 12 ),   said first wrapping stage includes moving the bale ( 3 ) out of the movable tunnel part ( 12 ) to attach the web of wrapping material ( 5 ) wrapped on said open downstream end ( 10 ) and/or on the sides of said open downstream end ( 10 ) to the bale ( 3 ),   said first wrapping stage includes wrapping by means of said wrapping means ( 6 ) a web of wrapping material ( 5 ) onto the sides of the bale ( 3 ) while moving the bale ( 3 ) out of the movable tunnel part ( 12 ) and continuing wrapping by means of said wrapping means ( 6 ) a web of wrapping material ( 5 ) while the bale ( 3 ) moves out of said movable tunnel part ( 12 ) through said open downstream end ( 10 ) so that web of wrapping material ( 5 ) is wrapped onto the side of the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the movable tunnel part ( 12 ), and   said first wrapping stage includes moving the bale ( 3 ) and movable tunnel part ( 12 ) in relation to each other ( ) so that the bale ( 3 ) moves apart from the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the movable tunnel part ( 12 ) so that web of wrapping material ( 5 ) wrapped onto the side of the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the movable tunnel part ( 12 ) detaches from the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the movable tunnel part ( 12 ) and follows with the bale ( 3 ).   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , characterized by moving the movable tunnel part ( 12 ) in the direction of the stationary tunnel part ( 11 ) to move the bale ( 3 ) apart from the movable tunnel part ( 12 ). 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3  or  4 , characterized by moving the bale ( 3 ) and movable tunnel part ( 12 ) apart from the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the movable tunnel part ( 12 ) by means of a conveyor means ( 17 ). 
     
     
         6 . The method according to any of the  claims 3  to  5 , characterized
 by the moving of the bale ( 3 ) from the stationary tunnel part ( 11 ) into the movable tunnel part ( 12 ) is achieved by pushing the bale ( 3 ) with another bale, 
 by the moving of the bale ( 3 ) inside the movable tunnel part ( 12 ) towards the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the movable tunnel part ( 12 ) is achieved by pushing the bale ( 3 ) with another bale, and 
 by the moving of the bale ( 3 ) out of the movable tunnel part ( 12 ) to attach the web of wrapping material ( 5 ) wrapped on said open downstream end ( 10 ) and/or wrapped on the sides of said open downstream end ( 10 ) is achieved by pushing the bale ( 3 ) with another bale. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method according to any of the  claims 1  to  6 , characterized
 by holding the bale ( 3 ) at least partly compressed by means of the tunnel means ( 9 ) while the bale ( 3 ) is at least partly inside the tunnel means ( 9 ). 
 
     
     
         8 . The method according to any of the  claims 1  to  7 , characterized
 by a second wrapping stage comprising turning said bale ( 3 ) in a second plane of rotation, which is substantially normal to said first plane of rotation, whereby the wrapping is provided onto the sides of said bale ( 3 ) in a second direction of wrapping substantially normal to said first direction of wrapping, and 
 turning said surface of said web of wrapping material ( 5 ) emerging from said dispenser means ( 4 ) between said first wrapping step and said second wrapping step such that said web surface becomes substantially parallel with said first plane of rotation so that said wrapping means ( 6 ) remains in said first plane of rotation thereof, 
 
     
     
         9 . The method according to any of the  claims 1  to  8 , characterized by the production stage for producing a bale ( 3 ) comprising producing a bale ( 3 ) in the form of an unbound bale. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for producing wrapped bales ( 1 ), said apparatus comprising:
 bale producing means ( 2 ) for producing bales ( 3 ),   dispenser means ( 4 ) for dispensing a web of wrapping material ( 5 ),   wrapping means ( 6 ) for circulating said dispenser means ( 4 ) in a first plane of rotation around said bale ( 3 ) for wrapping said web of wrapping material ( 5 ) around said bale ( 3 ) while keeping the surface of said web of wrapping material ( 5 ) substantially normal to said first plane of rotation, and   moving means for receiving a bale ( 3 ) from said bale producing means ( 2 ) and for moving said bale ( 3 ) and said wrapping means ( 6 ) in relation to each other such that said bale ( 3 ) is moved past said wrapping means ( 6 ) in a direction essentially perpendicular to said first plane of rotation,   characterized   in that said moving means comprising a tunnel means ( 9 ) for receiving the bale ( 3 ) from the bale producing means ( 2 ),   in that said tunnel means ( 9 ) comprises an open downstream end ( 10 ),   in that said tunnel means ( 9 ) and said wrapping means ( 6 ) are movable in relation to each other such that said wrapping means ( 6 ) is capable of applying wrapping material onto the downstream end ( 10 ) of the tunnel means ( 9 ) and/or onto the sides of the downstream end ( 10 ) of the tunnel means ( 9 ).   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , characterized
 in that said tunnel means ( 9 ) comprises a stationary tunnel part ( 11 ), which is stationary in relation to a bale producing means ( 2 ), and a movable tunnel part ( 12 ), which is movable in relation to the stationary tunnel part ( 11 ) and which comprises the open downstream end ( 10 ), and   in that said tunnel means ( 9 ) comprises tunnel moving means ( 19 ) for moving the movable tunnel part ( 12 ) in relation to the stationary tunnel part ( 11 ).   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , characterized
 in that said stationary tunnel part ( 11 ) and said wrapping means ( 6 ) are fixedly arranged, and   in that said movable tunnel part ( 12 ) is movable in relation to said wrapping means ( 6 ).   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to any of the  claims 10  to  12 , characterized in that
 in that said tunnel means ( 9 ) is configured for holding the bale ( 3 ) at least partly compressed while the bale ( 3 ) is at least partly inside the tunnel means ( 9 ). 
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to any of the  claims 10  to  13 , characterized in that the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the tunnel means ( 9 ) is provided with elastic of flexible additional supporting means ( 18 ) for supporting and/or pressing a bale ( 3 ) exiting the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the tunnel means ( 9 ) and for lowering the friction between the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the tunnel means ( 9 ) and the web of wrapping material ( 5 ) wrapped onto the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the tunnel means ( 9 ) and/or onto the sides of the open downstream end ( 10 ) of the tunnel means ( 9 ). 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to any of the  claims 10  to  14 , characterized
 in that said wrapping means ( 6 ) includes a substantially vertically disposed circular ring ( 13 ) which is rotatable assembled onto a support roller means ( 14 ) disposed in a framework ( 15 ) of the apparatus which circular ring ( 13 ) preferable further includes a support arm ( 16 ) extending from said circular ring ( 13 ) for pivotally supporting said dispenser means ( 4 ). 
 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to any of the  claims 10  to  15 , characterized
 by turning means ( 7 ) for turning said surface of said web of wrapping material ( 5 ) emerging from said dispenser means ( 4 ) between a first wrapping stage and a second wrapping stage such that the surface of said web of wrapping material ( 5 ) becomes substantially parallel with said first plane of rotation, wherein said turning means ( 7 ) for turning said surface of said web of wrapping material ( 5 ) is arranged such said wrapping means ( 6 ) remains in said first plane of rotation, and 
 by rotation means ( 8 ) for rotating said bale ( 3 ) in a second plane of rotation substantially normal to said first plane of rotation. 
 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to any of the  claims 10  to  16 , characterized
 in that said bale producing means ( 2 ) are configured to produce unbound bales, and 
 in that said tunnel means ( 9 ) are configured to receive unbound bales from said bale producing means ( 2 ) 
 
     
     
         18 . Use of the method according to any of the  claims 1  to  8  or the apparatus according to any of the  claims 10  to  16  for the production of unbound wrapped bales ( 1 ).