Filling Vented Bags

[windfall]

Hi All,

 

Having filled 50 m3 bags by hand a few weeks back i now have a knackered left elbow, the right one seems ok... must be used to repetative strain... . Anyway i have spent the day building what can only be described as a massive funnel!

 

I started with 4 scaffold up rights and cross bars, i have then welded in bars so i have a bag sized hole. Finally i have welded in bars on angles that i will put inch ply onto tommorow.

 

There is plenty of space under the tower but i am still at a bit of a loss as to what to do with the bags. Best suggestion so far is to simply tie the bags with bailing twine to the 4 corners of the hole. Then when its full just cut the twine and hook the bag to my hiab and drag it out.

 

Other way would be more machine heavy but its really what i want to do, use the skid steer to hold the bag under the hole and a digger to fill the 'hopper'. When full drive the skid steer out and stack the bag for transport. Again this will proabably need me to get help in for a day and pay for the diggers use.

 

Any cunning suggestions?

 

Ill post some pictures tomorrow, forgot my camera today.

[pgkevet]

This may be a crazy suggestion:

 

How about a seesaw platform with a chute that goes to a frame opening. Attach bag to the frame, fill chute, tip seesaw, fills bag, detach bag, tip seesaw to start over?

[windfall]

Forgot i took a pic on my phone.

 

The boards are just in there so i could see if it would work...

 

 

Builders bag is for mock up purposes, didnt want to burn a vented bag ;-)

Edited July 21, 2011 by windfall

[davidjm55]

Hello there, we are going to adapt some empty IBC containers we have in the depot. We are going to take the plastic tank out and then ply line the IBC to prevent the logs sticking out between the gaps after you have filled the vented bag. All we have to do then is put the m3 vented bag in the IBC, secure the loops to a hook or something to keep it open and away you go. The IBC is already fixed to a pallet so it's easy to handle.

We are going to adapt a couple tomorrow and try them next week.

[Marko]

Good idea. Please let us know how it goes and some photos.

[Michael C]

What do you intend filling the hopper with?

[farmer_ben]

Nice idea but surely logs falling from that height are going to damage the odd bag? you really want the bag on the ground so no weight is on the handles, otherwise you'll struggle like hell to lift handles off hooks etc

[Alycidon]

Bedford TM, thats a mans truck as long as you dont have a Detroit under it . Good old 500 engine goes for ever.

 

We built a frame from square steel tube and hang the bags on it under the processor eleveator. I did 18 cu m this week just by hanging bags from a teleporter arms.

 

That bag when full will weigh getting on for .75 tonne, how are you going to get it off the frame?.

[windfall]

I have asked for cunning ideas and suggestions as to how i am going to deal with the bag while filling. I recon seeing that Bedford meant you didnt read the post ;-)

 

i do think that using the pallet forks on the the skid steer to hold the bag and a digger or tractor with loader to fill the funnel is going to be the only way to go really.

 

edit:

 

Could also extend the funnel down from the hole so that the bag is able to be rested on the floor.

Edited July 21, 2011 by windfall

[david]

forgive me but im not really getting this.

 

are you shoveling up from the ground? on concrete?

 

are you using a procecor or a log splitter and could you load straight from this into the bag being held by the skid steer?

 

when your talking about loading your funnel with a digger it would have to be a big machine to reach up to there.

 

your best way will depend on your machinery and site. i have a big funnel but only really use it for bagging stone chips etc not for firewood. i either load into telehandlers bucket or straight into bag from my table saw.