The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 12, 2000
Filed:
Oct. 31, 1997
Stanley R Merrill, Hoquiam, WA (US);
Michael E Hawley, Beaconsfield, CA;
Paul Dalietos, Tumwater, WA (US);
Lamb-Grays Harbor Co., Hoquiam, WA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for severing and removing wires surrounding a bale of pulp are disclosed, as well as a unique severing and coiling head. A bale of pulp is loaded onto a turn conveyor and the turn conveyor transports the bale from where it was loaded to the operating position, where a containment disk is lowered onto the top of the bale to restrain the wires wrapped around the bale during severing. A control arm moves a severing head until the head is in contact with the lateral surface of the bale, and keeps it there during the severing and removal process. The turn conveyor rotates the bale through 360 degrees about its vertical axis, thus drawing the severing head across each of the four lateral faces of the bale. The severing blade's teeth engage the wires, pull them free from the bale, and coil them around a spool that is coaxial with the severing blade and attached thereto. The last 90 degree increment of the bale's rotation draws the severing blade across the fourth lateral face of the bale, where the wires are removed in the same way as along the third lateral face. When all the wires are removed, the severing head moves away from the bale to discharge position, the angular velocity of the blade is reversed and increased, and the coiled wire is discharged into a receptacle. The containment disc is raised and the conveyor chain transports the bale away.