Bale level control system for mechanical hopper feeder
AssigneeAutomatic Material Handling, Inc.
InventorsAlex J. Keller, Erchard A. Fechner, Joseph R. Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for removing fiber portions from a selected plurality of bales and delivering the fiber to a receiver, such apparatus including a head that is lowered into contact with the top surface of such bales to grasp fibers therefrom. A control system is provided which generates a signal when the head has traveled a predetermined vertical distance toward a bale, and the signal is used to vary the sequence of pick-up or the amount of fiber picked up, from the plurality of bales to assure that the plurality of bales are maintained at substantially even heights during the sequential pick-up of fiber therefrom.
Claims20
In combination with apparatus for removing fiber portions from a selected plurality of bales of fiber disposed adjacent said apparatus, said apparatus including head means selectively movable from a first position spaced from a bale to a second position in contact with said bale for removing fiber therefrom, and including primary control means for causing said head means to be transported to positions adjacent each of said selected plurality of bales in a predetermined sequence to remove fibers therefrom, the improvement comprising:
- (a) means for generating a signal when said head means has traveled a predetermined distance in moving from said first position thereof to said second position thereof while removing fiber from any one of said selected plurality of bales;
- and
- (b) secondary control means for receiving said generated signal and thereafter varying said predetermined sequence of fiber removal by preventing said head means from removing fibers from said one bale until another said signal is received from said signal generating means while said head means is removing fiber from at least one of the others of said selected plurality of bales.
In combination with apparatus for removing fibers from a selected plurality of bales and delivering said removed fiber to receiver means located adjacent said bales, said apparatus including head means for removing fibers from said bales, transport means for moving said head means in a path of movement extending over all of said selected plurality of bales, and primary control means for causing said head means to move in a predetermined sequence to selected positions above each of said bales, to move downwardly from a predetermined raised disposition untill said head means contacts said bale and removes fiber therefrom, to move upwardly to said predetermined raised position, and to move to a position over said receiver means and release said removed fiber into said receiver means, the improvement comprising:
- (a) means for generating a signal each time said head means has moved downwardly for a predetermined distance from said raised position thereof to remove fibers from any one of said selected plurality of bales;
- and
- (b) secondary control means responsive to said generated signals to vary said predetermined sequence of movement of said head means by preventing said head means from removing fibers from any bale for which a said signal has been generated until a said signal has been generated for every bale in said selected plurality of bales.
In combination with apparatus for removing fibers sequentially from a selected plurality of bales located in predetermined bale locations adjacent a receiver means and for delivering said fibers to said receiver means, said apparatus including head means normally movable in a predetermined sequence to a position above each of said bale locations for removing fibers from the bale at said bale location and then delivering said removed fibers to said receiver means, the improvement comprising means for sensing the vertical height of each bale in said selected plurality of bales, and control means responsive to said sensing means for causing said head means to sequentially remove fiber from all bales in said selected plurality of bales which have a vertical height greater than a first predetermined vertical dimension while preventing said head means from removing fibers from any bale having a vertical height which is less than said predetermined vertical dimension.
In combination with apparatus for removing fiber portions from a selected plurality of bales of fibers disposed adjacent said apparatus, said apparatus including head means selectively movable from a first position spaced from a bale to a second position adjacent such bale to remove fiber therefrom, and including primary control means for causing said head means to be transported to locations adjacent each of said selected plurality of bales in a predetermined sequence to remove fibers from at least some of said bales, the improvement comprising:
- (a) means for generating a signal when said head means has traveled a predetermined distance in moving from said first position thereof to said position thereof while removing fiber from any one of said selected plurality of bales;
- and
- (b) secondary control means for receiving said generated signal and then controlling the operation of said head means to pick up less fiber from any bale for which a signal has been generated than is picked from the remaining bales in said selected plurality of bales.
In combination with apparatus for removing fiber portions from a selected plurality of bales of fibers disposed adjacent said apparatus, said apparatus including head means selectively movable from a first position spaced from a bale to a second position adjacent such bale to remove fiber therefrom, and including primary control means for causing said head means to be transported to locations adjacent each of said selected plurality of bales in a predetermined sequence to remove fibers from at least some of said bales, the improvement comprising:
- (a) means for generating a signal when said head means has traveled a predetermined distance in moving from said first position thereof to said position thereof while removing fiber from any one of said selected plurality of bales;
- and
- (b) secondary control means for receiving said generated signal and thereafter causing said head means to pick-up fiber from said one bale in a lesser amount than is picked up from at least some of the remaining bales in said selected plurality of bales.
In combination with apparatus for removing fiber portions from a selected plurality of bales of fibers disposed adjacent said apparatus, said apparatus including head means selectively movable from a first position spaced from a bale to a second position adjacent such bale to remove fiber therefrom, and including primary control means for causing said head means to be transported to locations adjacent each of said selected plurality of bales in a predetermined sequence to remove fibers from at least some of said bales, the improvement comprising:
- (a) means for sensing the height of a bale during the moement of said head means between said first and second positions with respect to said bale and for generating a signal when said sensed bale height is below a predetermined vertical height;
- and
- (b) second control means for receiving said generated signal and thereafter controlling the operation of said head means to remove substantially less fibers from any bale having a height less than said predetermined vertical height than is picked up from any bale which has a height above said predetermined height.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.