Method and apparatus for producing a strapped bale of compressed fibers

Apparatus for producing a strapped bale of compressed fibers comprising:

• a fiber supply of loose fibers;
• a stationary tramping chamber for receiving said loose fibers;
• a reciprocating tramping platen disposed within said tramping chamber for repeatedly tramping deposits of loose fibers to create a compacted fiber mass during a tramping cycle containing a prescribed amount of fibers;
• a stationary compression chamber in which said compacted fiber mass is compressed in the same direction in which said loose fibers are compacted to produce a compressed fiber block during a compression cycle;
• a reciprocating main platen for compressing said fibers in said compression section;
• said tramping chamber and said compression chamber being generally parallel and laterally off-set from each other, and a fiber transfer opening being defined between said off-set tramping chamber and compression chamber;
• a reciprocating transfer plate for transferring said compacted fiber mass from said tramping chamber to said compression section;
• a moveable main platen reciprocally carried in said compression chamber and a moveable secondary platen carried in alignment with said main platen, said main platen and secondary platen compressing said compacted fiber mass between a compression position of said main platen and a compression position of said secondary platen to form said compressed fiber block;
• and
• a strapping section at which straps are placed about said compressed fiber block to form a strapped fiber bale, and an ejection opening through which said strapped fiber bale is ejected from said strapping section during an ejection cycle.

A method for producing a strapped bale of compressible fibers comprising:

• supplying loose fibers;
• tramping said loose fibers in a stationary tramping chamber to create a compacted fiber mass of a predetermined amount of loosely compacted fibers during a tramping cycle;
• transferring said compacted fiber mass through a transfer opening to a stationary compression chamber which is laterally off-set and generally parallel to said tramping chamber;
• compressing said compacted fiber mass using a moveable main platen which moves axially in said compression chamber, and a co-axial moveable bottom platen, and compressing said compacted fiber mass in a compression section between a bottom position of said main platen and a top position of said bottom platen;
• placing straps around said compressed fiber block in a strapping section to form a strapped fiber bale;
• and
• ejecting said strapped fiber bale from said strapping section during an ejection cycle.

A method of producing a strapped bale of compressible textile fibers wherein loose compressible fibers are introduced into a tramping chamber through a supply opening and compacted into a fiber mass by a reciprocating tramping plate, and said compacted fiber mass is compressed to form a compressed fiber block by a reciprocating main platen in a compression chamber, wherein said method comprises:

• providing a tramping chamber and a compression chamber which are generally parallel to and laterally off-set from each other wherein a transfer opening exists between said chambers for a direct fiber transfer;
• supplying loose fibers to said tramping chamber;
• extending said tramping plate to compact said loose fibers in said tramping chamber and form a compacted fiber mass during a tramping cycle;
• transferring said compacted fiber mass from said tramping chamber to said compression chamber;
• transferring said compacted fiber mass by extending a transfer plate transverse to the direction of tramping to move said compacted fiber mass laterally into said compression chamber;
• and maintaining said transfer plate in said extended position to form a wall of said compression chamber during said compression cycle;
• extending said main platen to compress said compacted fiber mass in said compression chamber to form a compressed fiber block during a compression cycle;
• placing straps around said compressed fiber block at a strapping section to form a strapped fiber bale;
• ejecting said strapped fiber bale laterally from said strapping section.