Abstract: A ram baler includes a charging passageway, a compacting chamber that is coupled to the charging passageway, a main platen, which moves back and forth in at least one direction in the passageway and compacting chamber, a floor, which bears the weight of the main platen, a series of guide strips on the floor, and a series of wear shoes which are attached to the bottom surface of the main platen, and the bottom surface of the main platen having one or more jack bolts or levers that allow for repair of the wear shoes without requiring the removal of the main platen from the baler. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing a baler that includes forming holes in the bottom surface of the main platen and coupling to the bottom surface of the main platen one or more jack bolts or levers that allow the main platen to have its wear shoes repaired without requiring removal of the main platen from the charging passageway or compacting chamber.

Abstract: A ram baler (20) having a platen (28) coupled to a plunger (26). A first cutting edge (32) is attached to platen (28) and a second cutting edge (30) attached to baler (20). Platen (28) includes a top assembly (27) for attachment of the first cutting edge (32). A bottom plate assembly (46) is included for forming a lower surface of platen (28). Top assembly (27) is vertically moveable with respect to bottom plate assembly (46). Platen (28) houses an adjuster assembly (110) for varying the distance between top assembly (27) and bottom plate assembly (46).

Abstract: A ram baler (20) having a compression ram (28) with plunger (29) and platen (31). A fixed knife assembly (50) with a first cutting edge (52) is attached to the ram baler (20) and a second cutting edge (42) is attached to the compression ram (28). Platen (31) includes a movable knife assembly (40) for attachment of the second cutting edge (42). The fixed knife assembly (50) includes a pair of adjusting assemblies (80) which allow adjustment of the vertical spacing between the first cutting edge (52) and the second cutting edge (42). This adjustment can be accomplished without disassembly of the components of the ram baler (20).

Abstract: A horizontal waste material baling machine has a charging passage which leads to a compressing chamber of generally parallelopiped configuration and in which a charging plunger is reciprocably moveable for pushing waste material into the compressing chamber and compressing it into a bale. A discharge passage leads from the compressing chamber at right angles to the charging passage, and an ejection plunger is advanceable through the chamber and the discharge passage to eject the baled waste material. To ease the ejection of an oversize bale, the discharge passage wall adjacent the exit end of the charging passage is a vertically oriented planar surface of a structure that is moveable by a linear motor, such as a hydraulic cylinder, from a normal operative position at which the vertical planar surface and the opposite sidewall of the discharge passage determine the exit width to a position at which the planar surface is displaced by an amount it is desired to increase the exit width of the discharge passage.

Abstract: An apparatus for compacting articles including a compaction chamber adapted to receive articles to be compacted. An article chute is positioned to feed articles into the compaction chamber. A tamper is mounted in the article chute for precompacting articles in the compaction chamber. A compaction platen is mounted for back and forth movement in the compaction chamber. In one embodiment, the force applied by the platen to the articles in the compaction chamber is measured when the platen is at a selected point of movement in the compaction chamber. If the force measured is less than a selected amount, additional articles are added to the compaction chamber. If, on the other hand, the force is at least equal to a selected amount, the articles are ejected from the compaction chamber. An another embodiment, the tamper is movable between an open and a closed position.

Abstract: In a method of compacting low density articles a conveyor supplies articles to be compacted to a hopper positioned alongside the upper end of a compression chamber in which a platen is adapted to be reciprocated. When the presence of a specified charge in the hopper is sensed, the conveyor is disabled, the hopper and hydraulic cylinder with the platen in the retracted position are swung laterally to bring the hopper over the compression chamber to dump the contained articles into the chamber. The hopper and cylinder are then returned to their initial positions, the cylinder is actuated to cause the platen to compress the dumped articles, and the conveyor is again enabled to supply articles to the hopper.

Abstract: Compactor apparatus comprises a conveyor for supplying articles to a hopper positioned alongside the upper end of a compression chamber in which a platen powered by a hydraulic cylinder is adapted to be reciprocated. The hopper is mounted at one end of a beam balance, the displacement of the other end of which measures the weight of a charge in the hopper. When the presence of a specified charge in the hopper is sensed, the conveyor is disabled, the hopper and hydraulic cylinder with the platen in the retracted position are swung laterally to bring the hopper over the compression chamber to dump the contained articles into the chamber. The hopper and cylinder are then returned to their initial positions, the cylinder is actuated to cause the platen to compress the dumped articles, and the conveyor is again enabled to supply articles to the hopper.

Abstract: A sprayer mixes water and concentrate on an "as-used" basis. A preselected amount of concentrate is dispensed into a mix tank for each reciprocation of a proportioning pump set. The amount of concentrate dispensed is selected by varying the pump set stroke. The pump set is reciprocated by reversing flow into one power line and out of another power line fluidly connected to the set. The flow is reversed by sliding a spool within a bore from one position, where sets of apertures in the spool are aligned with ports of the bore to connect a source of water under pressure to one power line and the other power line to an outlet line leading to the mix tank, to another position, where the aperture sets are realigned with the ports to reverse the connections. A meter measures the flow of water to the mix tank. The meter connects current to open one of two control valves connecting the bore ends with the source to move the spool to its next position hydraulically.