Bale level control system for mechanical hopper feeder

Claim 2

In combination with apparatus for removing fiber portions from a selected plurality of bales of fiber disposed adjacent said apparatus, said apparatus including head means selectively movable from a first position spaced from a bale to a second position in contact with said bale for removing fiber therefrom, and including primary control means for causing said head means to be transported to positions adjacent each of said selected plurality of bales in a predetermined sequence to remove fibers therefrom, the improvement comprising: (a) means for generating a signal when said head means has traveled a predetermined distance in moving from said first position thereof to said second position thereof while removing fiber from any one of said selected plurality of bales; and (b) secondary control means for receiving said generated signal and thereafter varying said predetermined sequence of fiber removal by preventing said head means from removing fibers from said one bale until another said signal is received from said signal generating means while said head means is removing fiber from at least one of the others of said selected plurality of bales.

Claim 3

The combination defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that said apparatus includes support means for supporting said head means above said selected plurality of bales during said transportation of said head means to said positions adjacent ecah of said bales, in that rotatable driving means is provided for moving said head means from said first position thereof to said second position thereof, and in that said signal generating means is responsive to a predetermined number of revolutions of said rotatable driving means for generating said signal.

Claim 4

In combination with apparatus for removing fibers from a selected plurality of bales and delivering said removed fiber to receiver means located adjacent said bales, said apparatus including head means for removing fibers from said bales, transport means for moving said head means in a path of movement extending over all of said selected plurality of bales, and primary control means for causing said head means to move in a predetermined sequence to selected positions above each of said bales, to move downwardly from a predetermined raised disposition untill said head means contacts said bale and removes fiber therefrom, to move upwardly to said predetermined raised position, and to move to a position over said receiver means and release said removed fiber into said receiver means, the improvement comprising: (a) means for generating a signal each time said head means has moved downwardly for a predetermined distance from said raised position thereof to remove fibers from any one of said selected plurality of bales; and (b) secondary control means responsive to said generated signals to vary said predetermined sequence of movement of said head means by preventing said head means from removing fibers from any bale for which a said signal has been generated until a said signal has been generated for every bale in said selected plurality of bales.

Claim 5

In combination with apparatus for removing fibers from a selected plurality of bales and delivering said removed fiber to receiver means located adjacent said bales, said apparatus including head means for removing fibers from said bales, transport means for moving said head means in a path of movement extending over all of said selected plurality of bales, and primary control means for causing said head means to move in a predetermined sequence to selected positions above each of said bales, to move downwardly from a predetermined raised disposition untill said head means contacts said bale and removes fiber therefrom, to move upwardly to said predetermined raised position, and to move to a position over said receiver means and release said removed fiber into said receiver means, the improvement comprising: (a) means for generating a signal each time said head means has moved downwardly for a predetermined distance from said raised position thereof to remove fibers from any one of said selected plurality of bales; and (b) secondary control means responsive to said generated signals to vary said predetermined sequence of movement of said head means by preventing said head means from removing fibers from any bale for which a said signal has been generated until a said signal has been generated for every bale in said selected plurality of bales.

Claim 6

The combination defined in claim 3 and further characterized in that said secondary control means is operative to cause said head means to return to said predetermined sequence of movement after a said signal has been generated for every bale in said selected plurality of bales.

Claim 7

The combination defined in claim 3 and further characterized in that said transport means includes an elevated track system and carriage means movable along said track system to said selected position above each of said bales, said head means being carried by said carriage means and being operated by a rotatable drive means which causes said head means to move downwardly from said predetermined raised position of said head means, and in that said signal generating means is responsive to the number of revolutions of said rotatable drive means to generate said signal when a predetermined number of said revolutions have occurred.

Claim 8

In combination with apparatus for removing fibers sequentially from a selected plurality of bales located in predetermined bale locations adjacent a receiver means and for delivering said fibers to said receiver means, said apparatus including head means normally movable in a predetermined sequence to a position above each of said bale locations for removing fibers from the bale at said bale location and then delivering said removed fibers to said receiver means, the improvement comprising means for sensing the vertical height of each bale in said selected plurality of bales, and control means responsive to said sensing means for causing said head means to sequentially remove fiber from all bales in said selected plurality of bales which have a vertical height greater than a first predetermined vertical dimension while preventing said head means from removing fibers from any bale having a vertical height which is less than said predetermined vertical dimension.

Claim 9

In combination with apparatus for removing fibers sequentially from a selected plurality of bales located in predetermined bale locations adjacent a receiver means and for delivering said fibers to said receiver means, said apparatus including head means normally movable in a predetermined sequence to a position above each of said bale locations for removing fibers from the bale at said bale location and then delivering said removed fibers to said receiver means, the improvement comprising means for sensing the vertical height of each bale in said selected plurality of bales, and control means responsive to said sensing means for causing said head means to sequentially remove fiber from all bales in said selected plurality of bales which have a vertical height greater than a first predetermined vertical dimension while preventing said head means from removing fibers from any bale having a vertical height which is less than said predetermined vertical dimension.

Claim 10

The combination defined in claim 6 and further characterized in that said sensing means generates a first signal each time the sensed vertical height of said bale is less than said first predetermined vertical dimension and generates a second signal each time the sensed vertical height of a bale is less than a second predetermined vertical dimension, said second predetermined vertical dimension being less than said first predetermined vertical dimension, and in that said control means is responsive to said sensing means for causing said head means to sequentially remove fibers from all of said selected plurality of bales after the vertical heights thereof are all beneath said first predetermined vertical dimension until said sensing means generates one said second signal whereupon said control means thereafter causes said head means to sequentially remove fibers from all bales which have a vertical height greater than said second predetermined vertical dimension while preventing said head means from removing fibers from any bale having a vertical height which is less than said second predetermined vertical dimension.

Claim 11

In combination with apparatus for removing fiber portions from a selected plurality of bales of fibers disposed adjacent said apparatus, said apparatus including head means selectively movable from a first position spaced from a bale to a second position adjacent such bale to remove fiber therefrom, and including primary control means for causing said head means to be transported to locations adjacent each of said selected plurality of bales in a predetermined sequence to remove fibers from at least some of said bales, the improvement comprising: (a) means for generating a signal when said head means has traveled a predetermined distance in moving from said first position thereof to said position thereof while removing fiber from any one of said selected plurality of bales; and (b) secondary control means for receiving said generated signal and then controlling the operation of said head means to pick up less fiber from any bale for which a signal has been generated than is picked from the remaining bales in said selected plurality of bales.

Claim 12

In combination with apparatus for removing fiber portions from a selected plurality of bales of fibers disposed adjacent said apparatus, said apparatus including head means selectively movable from a first position spaced from a bale to a second position adjacent such bale to remove fiber therefrom, and including primary control means for causing said head means to be transported to locations adjacent each of said selected plurality of bales in a predetermined sequence to remove fibers from at least some of said bales, the improvement comprising: (a) means for generating a signal when said head means has traveled a predetermined distance in moving from said first position thereof to said position thereof while removing fiber from any one of said selected plurality of bales; and (b) secondary control means for receiving said generated signal and then controlling the operation of said head means to pick up less fiber from any bale for which a signal has been generated than is picked from the remaining bales in said selected plurality of bales.

Claim 13

The combination defined in claim 8 and further characterized in that said secondary control means, upon receiving said generated signal, causes said head means to pick up fibers from one or more of said bales and prevents said head means from picking up fiber from the remainder of said bales.

Claim 14

The combination defined in claim 8 and further characterized in that said secondary control means, upon receiving said generated signal, causes said head means to pick-up a relatively smaller amount of fibers from one or more of said bales and a relatively larger amount of fiber from the remainder of said bales.

Claim 15

The combination defined in claim 8 and further characterized in that said apparatus includes support means for supporting said head means above said selected plurality of bales during said transportation of said head means to said location adjacent each of said bales, in that rotatable driving means is provided for moving said head means from said first position thereof to said second position thereof, and in that said signal generating means is responsive to a predetermined number of revolutions of said rotatable drive means for generating said signal.

Claim 16

In combination with apparatus for removing fiber portions from a selected plurality of bales of fibers disposed adjacent said apparatus, said apparatus including head means selectively movable from a first position spaced from a bale to a second position adjacent such bale to remove fiber therefrom, and including primary control means for causing said head means to be transported to locations adjacent each of said selected plurality of bales in a predetermined sequence to remove fibers from at least some of said bales, the improvement comprising: (a) means for generating a signal when said head means has traveled a predetermined distance in moving from said first position thereof to said position thereof while removing fiber from any one of said selected plurality of bales; and (b) secondary control means for receiving said generated signal and thereafter causing said head means to pick-up fiber from said one bale in a lesser amount than is picked up from at least some of the remaining bales in said selected plurality of bales.

Claim 17

In combination with apparatus for removing fiber portions from a selected plurality of bales of fibers disposed adjacent said apparatus, said apparatus including head means selectively movable from a first position spaced from a bale to a second position adjacent such bale to remove fiber therefrom, and including primary control means for causing said head means to be transported to locations adjacent each of said selected plurality of bales in a predetermined sequence to remove fibers from at least some of said bales, the improvement comprising: (a) means for generating a signal when said head means has traveled a predetermined distance in moving from said first position thereof to said position thereof while removing fiber from any one of said selected plurality of bales; and (b) secondary control means for receiving said generated signal and thereafter causing said head means to pick-up fiber from said one bale in a lesser amount than is picked up from at least some of the remaining bales in said selected plurality of bales.

Claim 18

The combination defined in claim 12 and further characterized in that said secondary control means, upon receipt of said generated signal, causes said head means to thereafter continue picking up the same amount of fiber from said bale as was picked up prior to the receipt of said generated signal, and to pick-up a larger amount of fiber from all remaining bales in said selected plurality of bales until another signal is received from said signal generating means while said head is removing fiber from at least one of said remaining bales.

Claim 19

The combination defined in claim 12 and further characterized in that said secondary control means causes said head means to pick up a relatively small amount of fiber from each bale for which a signal has been generated by said signal generating means during the picking up of fibers therefrom and to pick up a relatively large amount of fibers from all of the remaining bales in said selected plurality of bales.

Claim 20

The combination defined in claim 12 and further characterized in that said head means includes a plurality of pivoted finger elements operated by motor means to close said finger elements to remove said fiber from said bales, and in that said secondary control means is operable, upon receipt of said generated signal, to regulate said motor means and cause said fingers to pick-up said lesser amounts of fiber from at least some of said bales in said selected plurality of bales.

Claim 21

The combination defined in claim 15 and further characterized in that said motor means for closing said finger elements is energized when said head means reaches a first predetermined spacing from a bale when said lesser amount of fiber is to be removed therefrom and is energized when said head means reaches a second predetermined spacing from a bale when said greater amount of fiber is to be removed therefrom, said second predetermined spacing being less than said first predetermined spacing.

Claim 22

The combination defined in claim 15 and further characterized in that said primary control means causes said head means to move downwardly from said first position thereof to said second position thereof and to then return upwardly to said first position at a predetermined speed of movement and causes said motor means for said finger elements to begin closing said finger elements when said head means reaches a predetermined spacing from the surface of a bale, and in that said secondary control means, upon receipt of said generated signal, slows down said speed of movement of said head means as it approaches and leaves said second position thereof adjacent any bale from which said greater amount of fiber is to be removed.

Claim 23

In combination with apparatus for removing fiber portions from a selected plurality of bales of fibers disposed adjacent said apparatus, said apparatus including head means selectively movable from a first position spaced from a bale to a second position adjacent such bale to remove fiber therefrom, and including primary control means for causing said head means to be transported to locations adjacent each of said selected plurality of bales in a predetermined sequence to remove fibers from at least some of said bales, the improvement comprising: (a) means for sensing the height of a bale during the moement of said head means between said first and second positions with respect to said bale and for generating a signal when said sensed bale height is below a predetermined vertical height; and (b) second control means for receiving said generated signal and thereafter controlling the operation of said head means to remove substantially less fibers from any bale having a height less than said predetermined vertical height than is picked up from any bale which has a height above said predetermined height.

Claim 24

In combination with apparatus for removing fiber portions from a selected plurality of bales of fibers disposed adjacent said apparatus, said apparatus including head means selectively movable from a first position spaced from a bale to a second position adjacent such bale to remove fiber therefrom, and including primary control means for causing said head means to be transported to locations adjacent each of said selected plurality of bales in a predetermined sequence to remove fibers from at least some of said bales, the improvement comprising: (a) means for sensing the height of a bale during the moement of said head means between said first and second positions with respect to said bale and for generating a signal when said sensed bale height is below a predetermined vertical height; and (b) second control means for receiving said generated signal and thereafter controlling the operation of said head means to remove substantially less fibers from any bale having a height less than said predetermined vertical height than is picked up from any bale which has a height above said predetermined height.

Claim 25

The combination defined in claim 18 and further characterized in that said secondary control means causes said head means to pick up fibers from any bale having a height above said predetermined vertical height prevents said head means from picking up fibers from any bale having a height less than said predetermined vertical height.

Claim 26

The combination defined in claim 18 and further characterized in that said secondary control means causes said head means to pick up fiber from all of said plurality of bales, and to pick up a relatively greater amount of fibers from bales having a height above said predetermined vertical height and to pick up a relatively smaller amount of fibers from bales having a height below said predetermined height.