Method and apparatus for forming a bale having substantially flat upper and lower surfaces
AssigneeEastman Chemical Company
InventorsCharles Duane Mullins, Charles Clifton Sanders, Kenneth Wayne Martin, David Weldon Thompson, Paul Ross Hammes, Kenneth Alan Lewis, Lori Ballard Larkins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method are described for forming a bale having substantially flat upper and lower surfaces. Also described is a bale having substantially flat upper and lower surfaces, which can be safely stacked vertically for transportation and storage purposes. The apparatus comprises upper and lower platens having a protruding surface for compressing the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, of a compressible material.
Claims13
An apparatus for forming a bale comprising a compressible cellulose acetate and having substantially flat upper and lower surfaces, comprising:
- (a) an upper platen comprising a convex protruding surface relative to the surface at the circumference of the upper platen for compressing an upper surface of the compressible cellulose acetate, wherein the protruding surface has a curved cross-sectional profile in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction that is effective for forming a substantially flat upper surface on the compressible cellulose acetate;
- (b) a lower platen comprising a convex protruding surface relative to the surface at the circumference of the lower platen for compressing a lower surface of the compressible cellulose acetate, wherein the protruding surface has a curved cross-sectional profile in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction that is effective for forming a substantially flat lower surface on the compressible cellulose acetate;
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- (c) a rigid enclosure for accommodating the compressible cellulose acetate, wherein the enclosure comprises an upper opening enabling contact between the upper platen and the compressible cellulose acetate, and a lower opening enabling contact between the lower platen and the compressible cellulose acetate.
A method of forming a bale comprising a compressible cellulose acetate and having substantially flat upper and lower surfaces, comprising:
- (a) providing an apparatus for forming a bale, comprising:
- (i) an upper platen comprising a convex protruding surface relative to the surface at the circumference of the upper platen for compressing an upper surface of the compressible cellulose acetate, wherein the protruding surface has a curved cross-sectional profile in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction that is effective for forming a substantially flat upper surface on the compressible cellulose acetate;
- (ii) a lower platen comprising a convex protruding surface relative to the surface at the circumference of the lower platen for compressing a lower surface of the compressible cellulose acetate, wherein the protruding surface has a curved cross-sectional profile in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction that is effective for forming a substantially flat lower surface on the compressible cellulose acetate;
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- (iii) a rigid enclosure for accommodating the compressible cellulose acetate, wherein the enclosure comprises an upper opening enabling contact between the upper platen and the compressible cellulose acetate, and a lower opening enabling contact between the lower platen and the compressible cellulose acetate;
- (b) providing the compressible cellulose acetate between the upper platen and the lower platen of the apparatus;
- (c) compressing the compressible cellulose acetate between the upper platen and the lower platen by adjusting the position of the upper platen and/or the lower platen;
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- (d) binding the compressible cellulose acetate with at least one elongated wrapping article to form a bale.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.