Granted Patent B2

US 10,266,289 · App. 14/735,722 · Granted Apr 23, 2019

Inventors: Craig V. Millett (Granby, MO); J. Scott Giett (Carthage, MO); Brian C. Edgar (Burlington, NJ)

Assignee: ACCENT PACKAGING. INC.

B65B13/26B23P11/00B65B13/06B65B13/18B65B13/28B65B59/04B65B63/02Y10T29/49716Y10T29/49723Y10T29/49815Y10T29/49817

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A method for removing and reinserting a twist-module sub-assembly in a knotter assembly on a material baling apparatus, the twist-module sub-assembly accessible from a first side of the knotter assembly, the method comprising:

rotating a knotter cover arm assembly of the knotter assembly outwardly from the first side of the knotter assembly;

securing the knotter cover arm assembly in a raised rotated position;

accessing, through the first side of the knotter assembly, one or more coupling devices securing the twist-module sub-assembly to the knotter assembly;

removing the one or more coupling devices; and

extracting the twist-module sub-assembly as a unit from the knotter assembly substantially via the first side of the knotter assembly,

wherein upon extraction of the twist-module sub-assembly as a unit from the knotter assembly substantially via the first side of the knotter assembly, the knotter assembly is configured to receive the twist-module sub-assembly reinserted into the knotter assembly substantially via the first side of the knotter assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

reinserting the twist-module sub-assembly into the knotter assembly substantially via the first side of the knotter assembly;

installing the one or more coupling devices;

releasing the knotter cover arm assembly from the raised rotated position; and

rotating the knotter cover arm downwardly to a substantially vertical original position.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the reinserted twist-module sub-assembly is configured for operation of the knotter assembly using a different gauge of a wire in said knotter assembly.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the reinserted twist-module sub-assembly includes one or more new or remanufactured wear components.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the knotter assembly includes a ratchet assembly configured to lock the knotter cover arm assembly in the raised rotated position and a frame assembly, and wherein securing the knotter cover arm assembly in a raised rotated position further comprises:

engaging a ratchet gear associated with the knotter cover arm assembly with a pawl associated with the frame assembly.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the raised rotated position is approximately 60 degrees from vertical.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the knotter assembly includes a frame assembly and wherein extracting the twist-module sub-assembly from the knotter assembly substantially via the first side of the knotter assembly comprises sliding the twist-module sub-assembly along one or more guide rails associated with the frame assembly.

8. A method for replacing a twist-module sub-assembly, as a unit, from a knotter assembly on a material baling apparatus, the method comprising:

accessing a first twist-module sub-assembly from a first side of the knotter assembly, said knotter assembly comprising a knotter cover arm assembly pivotably coupled to the knotter assembly, said knotter cover arm assembly having a knotter cover, wherein accessing the first twist-module sub-assembly comprises:

(1) rotating at least a portion of the knotter cover arm assembly outwardly from the first side of the knotter assembly from an original position to a raised position relative to the knotter assembly, wherein rotation of at least a portion of the knotter cover arm assembly causes rotation of the knotter cover away from the knotter assembly first side;

(2) securing the at least a portion of the knotter cover arm assembly in the raised position relative to the knotter assembly; and

(3) removing, through the first side of the knotter assembly, one or more coupling devices securing the first twist-module sub-assembly to the knotter assembly; and

extracting the first twist-module sub-assembly as a unit from the knotter assembly substantially via the first side of the knotter assembly, wherein upon extracting the first twist-module sub-assembly from the knotter assembly, the knotter assembly is configured to receive a second twist-module sub-assembly via the first side of the knotter assembly.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

inserting the second twist-module sub-assembly into the knotter assembly;

installing the one or more coupling devices;

releasing the at least a portion of the knotter cover arm assembly from the raised position; and

rotating the at least a portion of the knotter cover arm assembly downwardly to the original position;

wherein the second twist-module sub-assembly is inserted into the knotter assembly substantially via the front of the knotter assembly.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second twist-module sub-assembly is configured for operation of the knotter assembly using a different gauge of wire than the first twist-module sub-assembly.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a user time required for replacing the first twist-module sub-assembly with the second twist-module sub-assembly for operation of the knotter assembly using a different gauge of wire is shorter than a user time required for replacing one or more gauge-specific components in the first twist-module sub-assembly and reinstalling the first twist-module sub-assembly.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second twist-module sub-assembly includes one or more new or remanufactured wear components.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein a user time required for replacing the first twist-module sub-assembly with the second twist-module sub-assembly is shorter that a user time required for replacing one or more wear components in the first twist-module sub-assembly and reinstalling the first twist-module sub-assembly.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the knotter assembly includes a ratchet assembly configured to lock the knotter cover arm assembly in the raised position, and wherein securing the knotter cover arm assembly in a raised position further comprises: engaging a ratchet gear associated with the knotter cover arm assembly with a pawl associated with the knotter assembly.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the raised position is approximately 60 degrees from vertical.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein said knotter assembly further comprises a front and a back and wherein extracting the first twist-module sub-assembly from the knotter assembly substantially via the front of the knotter assembly comprises sliding the first twist-module sub-assembly along one or more guide rails associated with the knotter assembly.

Assignments (8)

Continuity (4)