AU618045B2 - Cotton module builders - Google Patents

Description

61 045 S F Ref: 45515 FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int. Class Application Number: PI5987 Lodged: 18 December 1987 baen "o 0 Accepted: Published: oo Priority: o 0 0 Related Art: Name and Address of Applicant: Harold Keith Hockings 0"°0o "Glenhaven" 0 Gunnedah New South Wales 23

AUSTRALIA

0: 1 9 Actual Inventor: Harold Keith Hockings Address for Service: Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys, Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Complete Specification for the invention entitled: Cotton Module Builders The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us SOO435 6 19/12/88 1 5815/2 I L .1 I mul 0 e S 04 *00004 0004 00 0 4 0 4 1 The present invention relates to cotton module buildersand more particularly to releasable support structures for a hydraulic ram employed to raise and lower the cotton tamper of a cotton module builder.

Cotton module builders consist of a generally rectangular box structure consisting of two longitudinal side walls and two end walls.

One of the end walls is pivotally mounted so that it may be opened to allow withdrawal of the formed cotton module. The top edges of the two longitudinal sides provide rails upon which there moves a carriage supporting a tamper assembly. The tamper assembly includes a tamper plate which engages the cotton to compress the cotton, and a hydraulic ram which causes vertical reciprocation of the tamper plate.

Currently available cotton module builders have the hydraulic ram generally fixed to the carriage and therefore is not easily lowered for transportation purposes.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage.

There is disclosed herein a tamper assembly for a cotton module builder, said builder having longitudinal transversely spaced sides 20 between which cotton is deposited to be compressed by a tamper plate, said tamper assembly comprising: a hydraulic ram including a hydraulic cylinder, said ram being adapted to be associated with said tamper plate to cause vertical reciprocation of the plate to compress the cotton; a carriage to extend between the sides of the cotton module builder and including a base frame, support means movably connecting the cylinder with said base frame so that said cylinder is locatable in a raised operative position and a lowered transport position; and a catch assembly to releasably secure the ram, in said operative position, to the carriage, and operable to release the ram to permit lowering thereof to the transport position.

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation of a portion of a carriage to support the tamper ram of a cotton module builder; Figure 2 is a schematic top plan view of the carriage of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic top plan view of an alternative carriage to that shown in Figure 1; f'C J~ !T O~/G/LMM/9l 1 -2- Figure 4 is a schematic side elevation of the carriage of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of an alternative carriage construction to that of Figures 1 and 3.

In Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a carriage 10 of a cotton module builder. The carriage 10 is adapted to support a tamper assembly including a tamper plate which engages the cotton to compress the cotton, and a cylinder assembly 11 which causes vertical reciprocation of the tamper plate. Tne cylinder assembly includes a square outer casing surrounding the cylinder of the hydraulic ram.

The carriage 10 includes a main carriage frame 12 which straddles the box-like body of the cotton module builder so as to extend between the two longitudinal sides thereof. Mounted on the frame 12 is a support assembly 13 for the cylinder assembly 11. The support assembly 13 o includes a pair of brackets 14 which extend transversely between main beams 15 which extend between the sides of the cotton module body.

°i Secured to the brackets 14 is a guide 16 which slidably receives the cylinder 11.

o o 20 Also mounted on the brackets 14 are two pawls 17 which are positioned to releasably engage a flange 18 fixed to the cylinder assembly 11. The pawls 17 are pivotally supported by means of pins 19 extending between plates 20 fixed to the brackets 14.

The pins as shown in Figure 1 are in a position retaining the 4 flange 18 in an abutting position with respect to the lower flange 21 of the guide 16. Accordingly the cylinder 11 is retained in position.

To move the pawls 17 to a retracted position allowing the cylinder assembly 11 to move relative to the guide 16, there is provided a linkage assembly 22. The linkage assembly 22 includes a pair of links 23 which extend to the pawls 17 to cause pivoting thereof to release the flange 18. The linkages 23 extend to a crank member 24 which is pivotally supported by means of a shaft 25. Fixed to the shaft 25 is a lever 26 from which there extends a spring 27. Pivotally supported on the shaft is a hand operated handle 28 which is movable between a locked position and a release position The spring 27 is also attached to the handle 28. However it should be appreciated that the handle 28 can pivot independent of the lever 26 to tension the spring 27.

The lever 28 when located in the locked position the pawls 17 are biased into engagement with the flange 18. In the release position DG/LMM/911t 3

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ao r o a a a 9 o a 0 400 o SO o 0 0o 4 o .o Ft a o©ob Q 0 0 0 p Ob i the pawls are retained in a retracted position releasing the flange 18. When the handle 28 is moved from the position to the position the spring 27 is tensioned applying a force to the lever 26. When the lever 26 pivots the shaft 25 rotates causing rotation of the crank member 24. When the crank member 24 rotates, the linkages 23 cause pivoting of the pawls 17.

In operation of the above described carriage 10, when the cylinder assembly 11 is to be lowered to its transport position, the tamper plate is first lowered to its lowest point. Thereafter the handle 28 is moved to the position thereby releasing the flange 18. Thereafter the hydraulic ram is actuated so that the cylinder assembly 11 is lowered towards the tamper plate. oe t.ve When the hydraulic ram is to be raised toAtr4n4s 4 rt position, that is with the flange 18 of the cylinder 11 abutting the flange 21, the 15 handle 29 is moved to the position. The pawls 17 are then in a position to engage the flange 18. The hydraulic system is then operated so that the cylinder assembly 11 is raised relative to the guide 16.

When the flange 18 engages the pawls 17, the pawls 17 are deflected to allow the flange 18 to pass. Once the flange 18 has abutted the flange 21, the pawls 17 are biased back into engagement with the flange 18 by operation of the spring 27. In this respect it should be appreciated that when the pawls 17 are deflected by the flange 18, the spring 27 is merely tensioned to allow deflection of the pawls 17. The guide 16 is provided in order to guide the cylinder 11 in its vertical movement.

In Figures 3 and 4 there is schematically depicted a carriage 30 of a cotton module builder. The carriage 30 includes a main frame 31 which extends between the two longitudinal sides of the cotton module builder body. The main frame 13 includes a pair of main beams 32 and cross braces 33. Supported by the cross braces 33 is a cylinder guide 34 which supports the cylinder assembly 35 of the hydraulic ram.

Also secured to the cross braces 33 are two pairs of eyelets 37 which slidably support a pair of pins 38. The pins 38 are slidable between a locked position securing the cylinder assembly 35 in position, and a release position allowing movement of the cylinder assembly 35 in its guide 34. The assembly 35 has grooves 48 to be aligned with the eyelets.

To move the pins 38 between their locked position and their release position there is provided a linkage assembly 39 consisting of a pair of links 40 pivotally attached to the pin 38. The links 40 are pivotally S' DG/LMM/911t i -ii i i- I -u; -4attached to a pair of crank members 41 fixed to a shaft 42. The shaft 42 is pivotally supported by means of brackets 43. Also fixed to the shaft 42 is a lever 44 from which there extends a spring Pivotally mounted on the shaft 42 is a hand operated handle 46 which can pivot relative to the lever 44 about the longitudinal axis of the shaft 42. The spring 45 extends between the lever 44 and the handle 46.

The handle 46 is pivotally movable between a locked position "A" and a release position Fixed to the main frame 31 are a pair of retaining members 47 which engage the handle 46 to retain it in either of its two positions.

In operation of the above described carriage 30, to move the cylinder 35 to its transport position, the handle 46 is moved to the position This then retracts the pins 38 and allows the cylinder to move relative to the guide 34. However prior to this, the tamper plate is lowered to its lowest point. Once the cylinder assembly 35 has been released, the hydraulic system is actuated to lower the hydraulic i cylinder 35. When it is required to secure the cylinder assembly 35 in its normal operative mode position, the hydraulic system is operated to raise the cylinder assembly 35 to a position whereat the lever 46 is moved to its position and therefore the pins 38 inserted to retain the cylinder assembly 35 in its normal operative position.

In Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings, the carriage 50 includes a frame 51 rotatably supporting a pair of shafts 52 and 53. The shafts 52 and 53 are provided with pawls 54 which are angularly movable from a retracted position, as shown in Figure 5, to an operative position (not i depicted) with the pawls 54 rotated towards each other.

Vertically movably supported by the frame 51 is a hydraulic ram including a collar 56. The collar 56 being adapted to be engaged by the pawls 54, and more particularly by the notches 57 in the pawls.

Fixed to the shaft 53 is an operator manipulable lever 58 which is gripped and rotated by a user in order to cause angular movement of the pawls 54 into engagement with the collar 56, and to return the pawls 54 to the position depicted. Also fixed to the shaft 53 is an arm 59. One end of the arm 59 is pivotally attached to a first link 60 which extends to an arm 61 fixed to the shaft 52. The other end of the arm 59 is attached to a resilient band 62 attached to the frame 51 by means of a hook 63. The band 62 acts as a spring to retain the lever 58 in the position depicted.

C' DG/LMM911t

Claims (7)

1. A tamper assembly for a cotton module builder, said builder having longitudinal transversely spaced sides between which cotton is deposited to be compressed by a 'amper plate, said tamper assembly comprising: a hydraulic ram including a hydraulic cylinder, said ram being adapted to be associated with said tamper plate to cause vertical reciprocation of the plate to compress the cotton; a carriage to extend between the sides of the cotton module builder and including a base frame, support means movably connecting the cylinder with said base frame so that said cylinder is locatable in a raised operative position and a lowered transport position; and o 0 a catch assembly to releasably secure the ram, in said operative o.oo position, to the carriage, and operable to release the ram to permit lowering thereof to the transport position.

2. The tamper assembly of claim 1, wherein said support means o includes a guide to restrain said cylinder to move vertically 0 longitudinally of its axis between said operative position and said transport position.

3. The tamper assembly of claim 1 or 2, further including o 0 0abutment means fixed to said cylinder, and said catch assembly includes 00 0at least one pawl mounted on said base frame and movable between a retracted position clearing said abutment means and permitting the lowering of said cylinder, and an engaged position engaged with said abutment means and retaining said cylinder in its operative position.

4. The tamper assembly of claim 3, further including lever means operatively associated with the pawl to move the pawl between its retracted and operative positions.

The tamper assembly of claim 1 or 2, further including abutment means fixed to said cylinder, and said catch means includes at least one eyelet attached to said base frame, and a pin slidably received within said eyelet and movable between a retaining position engaging said abutment means and retaining said cylinder in its operative position, and a retracted position clear of said abutment means and permitting movement of said cylinder to its transport position.

6. A tamper assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. LMM/642t -6-

7. A cotton module builder, including the tamper assembly of any one of claim; 1 to 6. DATED this THIRTY-FIRST day of JULY 1991 Harold K Hocking Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON 4 4 1 mAVS LMM/642t