Abstract: A moisture control system including an apparatus for discharging independently variable amounts of working fluid toward selected cross-directional sections of a calendered sheet material after the material has left the calender stack and before it is taken up by a collection device. The apparatus includes a plurality of valves spaced across the width of the calendered material to control the amount of fluid applied to each section. Nozzles provided on the valves direct the fluid from the valves toward a surface of the calenderable material. The system permits cross-directional equalization of the moisture content of the calendered material without affecting other physical properties of the sheet, such as sheet finish.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for packaging flexible compressible strips of mineral fibers into rolls comprises an endless belt, means for supporting the belt in a manner to define a loop inside which the strips can be rolled, and a compression member from maintaining the strip in compression upstream from the loop, where the compression member is mounted for movement toward and away from the loop.

Abstract: The invention relates to processes and devices for automatically depositing and pressing continuous tows in containers moved to and fro on a traversing device, wherein the start of the tow is transferred via a chute to a catch box on the container and is retained there, the container is weighed during each traversing movement because of the extension of a weighing platform and, when the nominal weight is reached, the fed tow is held and severed in a cutting and fixing device, the tow ends obtained are fixed and marked, and the tow end belonging to the deposited material and the start of the tow are introduced into the full container from the catch box.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing elongate brush cuttings, such as those resulting from the pruning of almond trees. The method comprises collecting the cuttings, loading them into the compaction chamber of a packer, moving a plunger longitudinally through the chamber to compress the cuttings and force them into an orientation extending generally normal to the direction of plunger travel, and discharging the cuttings from one end of the chamber while maintaining said orientation. The apparatus comprises a wheel supported chassis which carries a transfer packer and a crane supported grapple for loading cuttings into the packer. The packer has an open topped hopper into which the cuttings are charged. The plunger moves through the hopper to compress cuttings received therein and force said cuttings through a discharge opening in one side of the hopper.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for delivering twine to a baler knotter. The baler (10) which performs the method includes a bale chamber (16) having a forward inlet end. A knotter (64) is disposed to one side of the bale chamber and the baler is of the type having feeding means including a pair of rollers (36) which are moved back and forth across the inlet end of the bale chamber. A portion (90) of the twine is supported on the lower feed roller as the rollers are moved back and forth across the inlet end of the bale chamber. A pickup needle (110 or 302) is associated with the knotter, and at the initiation of the tying cycle moves from an at rest position towards the lower roller to pick up the twine and then to a position above the twine disks (140) of the knotter to deliver the twine to the knotter and then returns to its at rest position. The twine is tensioned by a twine drag (144) and a pigtail type tensioning mechanism (146) both during the formation of a bale and during tying.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for unplugging or freeing a cylindrical baler which has a slug of crop material caught in the crop inlet of the bale forming chamber. A cylindrical baler used in the practice of this method is comprised of a plurality of belts supported on a plurality of rolls and defining a bale forming chamber. A pair of rolls on a carrier respectively engage a pair of stretches of the belts and substantially close an upper portion of the chamber. The rolls and carrier are upwardly moveable as the chamber expands responsive to the bale growth. The method comprises steps of (1) disengaging a drive means for the belts; (2) moving the carrier and rolls supported thereon upwardly away from the bale being formed in the chamber thereby enlarging the chamber; (3) automatically tensioning the belts responsive to carrier movement to cause the stretches to rotatably engage the bale and (4) re-engaging the drive means for feeding the slug into the chamber and wrapping the slug around the bale.

Abstract: Layers of fibrous material are deposited in a bale forming chamber in continuous folded-like arrangement. The deposition and compaction of the subsequent folded-like layers is accomplished in a continuous process in which the bale forming chamber and the feeder-compactor mechanism perform a reversing-oscillating motion relative to each other imparting the necessary forces and displacement on the fibrous material to form rectangular bales with sufficiently high density.

Abstract: In an apparatus for treating a blanket of rayon fibers with a treating solution having means for conveying said blanket and at least one means for compressing out excess solution prior to drying, including means along the edges of said blanket for causing the edges of said blanket to turn in and fold over on itself prior to compression during its advancement along the conveyor means.

Abstract: A flat compressible material is roll-formed into a cylindrical package by a belt drive. The diameter of the rolled package is controlled so that a fixed predetermined length of material forms a rolled package of a predetermined diameter. The length of belt drive in contact with the material is proportionate to the length of the material fed into the belt drive, and holds the finished package size to a predetermined diameter.

Abstract: Method for semicontinuous formation of round bales is permitted by positively capturing material introduced into the bale-forming chamber of a round baler after ejection of the last-formed bale and while the web normally defining the chamber remains displaced from its forming position. In one embodiment, the crop-capturing function is performed by a grid comprising a plurality of parallel, upwardly arcuate, elongate bars forwardly mounted on the baler for swinging movement about a transverse axis toward and away from the lower apron of the chamber. Another embodiment employs a rearwardly mounted, vertically swingable grid of parallel, substantially rectilinear, elongate bars to positively retain crop material in the chamber.