Method and system for palletizing peat moss

Abstract

A system for palletizing peat moss in bulk form, comprising a dosing and feeding unit; a filling and compaction unit, receiving an amount of peat moss determined by the dosing and feeding unit, and compressing each determined amount of peat moss into a compressed bloc of peat moss on a pallet; a stabilization unit, receiving, from the filling and compaction unit, pallets, each pallet supporting a compressed bloc of peat moss, and wrapping the compressed bloc for stabilization thereof; a weighing and height measuring unit, measuring each compressed bloc received from the stabilization unit; and a wrapping unit, finally wrapping each measured compressed bloc.

1 . A system for palletizing peat moss in bulk form, comprising:
 a dosing and feeding unit;   a filling and compaction unit, receiving an amount of peat moss determined by said dosing and feeding unit, and compressing each determined amount of peat moss into a compressed bloc of peat moss on a pallet;   a stabilization unit, receiving, from said filling and compaction unit, pallets, each pallet supporting a compressed bloc of peat moss, and wrapping the compressed bloc for stabilization thereof;   a weighing and height measuring unit, measuring each compressed bloc received from said stabilization unit; and   a wrapping unit, finally wrapping each measured compressed bloc.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said dosing and feeding unit comprises at least one feeding line, each line comprising a doser. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said dosing and feeding unit comprises a conveyor feeding peat moss and an equalizer automatically selecting amounts of peat moss to be conveyed to said filling and compaction unit. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said dosing and feeding unit comprises a conveyor feeding peat moss, an equalizer automatically selecting amounts of peat moss to be conveyed to said filling and compaction unit, and a sampler collecting reference samples. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said filling and compaction unit comprises a compaction box, said compaction box comprising a top part and a bottom part, said bottom part being mobile and adapted to move away from the top part after compression of the determined amount of peat moss into a compressed bloc to deliver a pallet supporting the compressed bloc of peat moss from said filling and compaction unit to said stabilization unit and return to said filling and compaction unit and reunite with said top part for compression of a next determined amount of peat moss. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said top and bottom parts are sealed together by a mobile flange during compaction, said mobile flange being adapted to disengage the two parts to allow the bottom part to move away from the top part. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said filling and compaction unit comprises a pallet manipulator feeding the filling and compaction unit with pallets for receiving loads of peat moss as determined by said dosing and feeding unit. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said filling and compaction unit comprises a pallet manipulator positioned at the back of the compaction box, said pallet manipulator depositing one pallet at a time at the back of the compaction box, and, when the bottom part is ready to receive a load of peat moss as determined by said dosing and feeding unit, letting the pallet slide inside the bottom part for receiving the determined amount of peat moss. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said filling and compaction unit comprises a piston and cylinder arrangement controlling a compaction ratio and a height of the compressed bloc of peat moss. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said compaction box comprises tapered bores on walls thereof as air vents. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said compaction box comprises inner round corners. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said stabilization unit comprises a stationary rotary arm stretch wrapper. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said stabilization unit comprises a top platen, adapted to move to contact the top surface of the bloc upon arrival from the filling and compaction unit. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said weighing and height measuring unit comprises a scale and a linear resistance. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said wrapping unit comprises a turn table. 
     
     
         16 . A method for palletizing peat moss in bulk form, comprising:
 a) determining an amount of peat moss corresponding to a target bloc;   b) feeding the determined amount to a compaction box and compacting into a compacted bloc supported by a pallet;   c) stabilizing the compacted bloc;   d) measuring the compacted bloc; and   e) wrapping the pallet with the compacted bloc thereon.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step a) comprises automatically determining a volume of peat moss according to a target peat moss bloc. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step a) comprises automatically determining a volume of peat moss according to a target peat moss bloc and collecting a sample amount of peat moss as a reference for calculating a volume in a bloc in said step d). 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step b) comprises feeding the amount of peat moss determined in step a) in the compaction box, compressing the peat moss on a pellet inserted in the compaction box, and conveying the compacted bloc on the pallet to a stabilization unit. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step b) comprises feeding the determined amount of peat moss compressing the determined amount of peat moss once. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step b) feeding a first portion of the determined amount of peat moss, compressing the first amount, feeding a remaining portion of the determined amount of peat moss, and compressing. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step b) comprises feeding the determined amount of peat moss compressing the determined amount of peat moss twice. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step b) comprises inserting one pallet at a time in the compaction box for receiving a next load of peat moss. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step c) comprises wrapping a first layer of film about the compressed bloc. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step d) comprises measuring the height and the weight of the compacted bloc.