IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING AND BALING LINT COTTON.

The ‘Savannah Class’ of baling press introduces an apparatus and method for producing a bale of lint cotton fiber by pre-compressing each consecutive charge of fiber from the lint slide to a predetermined and uniform density. The apparatus includes a supply chamber predisposed with both vertical and horizontal platens driven by independent hydraulic cylinders. The movement and cycling of the platens is such that measured charges of fibers are presented to a vertical tramping device at consistent and uniform density. The tramping device, consisting of a platen driven by two hydraulic cylinders, packs each consecutive charge into a stationary box. This process continues until the desired bale weight is reached. The tramper cylinders are driven to a predetermined pressure setting during the tramping phase of each stroke (extension) resulting in uniform compression (density). To maintain optimum density throughout the tramping phase of bale formation, the tramper stroke is varied by means of a closed loop control and infinite position sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]