Bale press for loose material

A bale press for loose material, comprising:

• means defining a filling space for receiving the loose material;
• means defining a pressing channel in which the loose material is baled;
• a press ram movable through said filling space to push loose material in the filling space into said pressing channel to form the loose material into a bale, said press ram including channels and outlet slots in a front surface of said press ram leading to said channels;
• a plurality of knotting devices arranged at an inlet of said pressing channel;
• supply means for supplying a tying material to said knotting devices, each of said knotting devices being arranged to knot first and second strands of the tying material encircling the bale together and cut the first and second strands after the knot;
• and
• supply arms each carrying a respective one of the first strands and movable in a respective one of said channels of said press ram to thereby carry the first strand from one side of the bale to an opposite side of the bale, each of said channels being formed to accommodate movement of a respective one of said supply arms therethrough.

A bale press for loose material, comprising:

• means defining a filling space for receiving loose material;
• means defining a pressing channel in which loose material is baled;
• a press ram movable through said filling space to push loose material in the filling space into said pressing channel to form the loose material into a bale, said press ram including channels and outlet slots in a front surface of said press ram leading to said channels;
• knotting means for forming knots in a tying material and for cutting the tying material;
• supply means for supplying the tying material to said knotting means, each of said knotting means being arranged to knot first and second strands of the tying material encircling the bale together and cut the first and second strands after the knot;
• and
• supply arms each carrying a respective one of the first strands and movable in a respective one of said channels in said press ram to thereby carry the first strand from one side of the bale to an opposite side of the bale, each of said channels being formed to accommodate movement of a respective one of said supply arms therethrough.

A method for baling loose material, comprising the steps of:

• guiding a first strand of tying material through a supply arm on a first side of a bale press;
• guiding a second strand of tying material along a second side of the bale press;
• moving the supply arm through a channel in a press ram to bring the first strand to the second side of the bale press;
• knotting the first and second strands on the second side of the bale press to form a first knot and moving the supply arm back through the channel;
• placing loose material into a filling space of the bale press;
• moving the press ram to force the loose material from the filling space into a pressing channel;
• repeating the steps of placing the loose material in the filling space and moving the press ram until a desired compactness of the loose material in the pressing channel is obtained and then stopping movement of the press ram;
• moving the supply arm through the channel in the press ram to bring the first strand to the second side of the bale press;
• knotting the first and second strands on the second side of the bale press to form a second knot around a completed bale;
• moving the supply arm back to the first side of the bale press;
• cutting the tying material after the second knot and forming another knot;
• and
• repeating the steps of placing loose material into the filling space, moving the press ram, moving the supply arm, knotting the first and second strands and cutting the tying material to form additional bales.

A method for baling loose material, comprising the steps of:

• providing a press ram with a channel communicative with an outlet slot disposed in a front surface of the press ram, the press ram being movable through a filling space of the bale press and into an inlet of a press channel for compressing the loose material into a bale;
• forming a loop of a tying material in the press channel having first and second strands disposed respectively at opposed first and second sides of the press channel;
• placing loose material into a filling space of the bale press;
• driving the press ram to force the loose material from the filling space into a press channel to form the bale;
• transferring the first strand located at the first side of the press channel through the channel in the press ram to the second strand on the second side of the bale press;
• and
• knotting the first and second strands together on the second side of the press channel to form a knotted loop encircling the bale.

A bale press for loose material, comprising:

• structure defining a filling space for receiving the loose material;
• structure defining a press channel having an inlet open to the filling space;
• a press ram movable through the filling space into the inlet of the press channel for compressing the loose material into a bale, said press ram including channels communicative with outlet slots disposed in a front surface of the press ram;
• knotters for tying a knot in a tying material and for cutting the tying material after the knot, the knotters being disposed next to one another at the inlet of the press channel;
• and
• supplying arms each being disposed for movement within a respective one of the channels in the press ram, the tying material forming a loop encircling the bale which includes two opposite strands, a one of the two strands being received through a respective one of the outlet slots in the press ram and delivered to an associated one of the knotters where another of the two strands is located by operational movement of a corresponding one of the supplying arms, the two strands which are thereby brought together being knotted together and cut after the knot by the associated one of the knotters, the supplying arms being moved essentially in a longitudinal direction thereof through the channels of the press ram, said press ram being driven by a driving mechanism which is stationary during a supplying movement of the supplying arms, each of the supplying arms being moved by an arm driving mechanism, the driving mechanism of the press ram and the arm driving mechanism being pressure medium-actuated.