Evolution of The Cotton Bale Adopted from ASABE Paper 100 Years Of Bale Packaging Andrew Jordan

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences lbs/cu.ft. 500 lbs. gross 28 lbs/cu.ft. 500 lbs. net

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 3 Bale Press

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 4 Bale Size “In the earlier gin houses there was a circular hole cut through the upper floor, probably three to three and one-half feet in diameter. Through this hole a large sack was suspended making for the market a “bag of cotton” ¹ (By 1901 old people still called bales a bag of cotton). ¹D. A. Tompkins, Cotton and Cotton Oil, 1901

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 5 “It afterwards became desirable to make bales 5 to 5 ½ feet long, about 30 inches thick and 40 to 48 inches wide weighing 400 to 500 pounds. This grew to be the standard size and shape of the bale. ¹ ¹D. A. Tompkins, Cotton and Cotton Oil, 1901

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 6 Plantation bale Density 12 lbs./cu.ft. 500 lbs.

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 7 The more modern gin transported ginned cotton to the screw press through metal ducts by air blasts created by the gin brushes and separated at a condenser handling cotton from a battery of gins.

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 8 Steam presses had been introduced after the civil war in some gins. Some presses operated under hydraulic pressure –water or oil at 600psi on 10” ram.

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 9 Bale Size and Weight “It was the result of the body of the wagon in which the bales were taken to market which, held four of them neatly. When it was desired to haul more than four bales, others could be loaded cross wise and on top of the four in the body of the wagon … 10 bales was the usual limit for a team of six mules.” ¹ ¹D. A. Tompkins, Cotton and Cotton Oil, 1901

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 10 Density for Shipping For short hauling distances the flat bale was sufficient For long shipping distances, boxcars could not be loaded to full weight capability. Same for ships This called for higher bale density

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 11 Square Bale 18 inches square 100 lbs. 30 lbs./cu.ft.

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 12 Round Bale 250 lbs. Density 30 lbs./cu.ft.

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 13

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 14 Standardized bale The cylindrical and small square high density bale did not gain acceptance. Significant effort to promote the round bale ca It is believed that between 1915 and 1924 cotton bales were “standardized” to 500 pounds.

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 15 Flat bales were shipped directly to local mills or were recompressed at a warehouse steam press –To standard density 23 lb/cu.ft. if domestic mill –To high density lbs./cu.ft. if export

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 16 Flat Bale 27x47x55 12 pounds/cu.ft. Standard 27X30X55 23 pounds/cu.ft. Flat Bale 27x45x55 12 lb/cu.ft.

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 17 Hi D Compression from two planes lbs./cu.ft.

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 18 Re-compression Process light pressure in dinky press–remove bands 6 long bands were cut shorter, spliced to make 8 bands to be reused on compress bale

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 19 Bale moved by hand truck to steam knuckle jointed compress Bales temporarily held together with steel wire hooks- (most of the time)

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 20 High density bales pressed from top to bottom AND side to side --caused textile mill difficulties

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 21 11“

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 22 By 1970 Five Bale Types Flat Compressed Standard Compressed High-D Gin Standard Gin UD 12 lb./cu.ft. 23 lb./cu.ft. 35 lb./cu.ft. 24 lb./cu.ft. 28 lb./cu.ft.

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 23 Industry Established a new Standard Universal Density bale 28 lb./cu.ft. All Bales will have a common density –Compress Universal –Gin Universal

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 24 Modifications All Flat Bale Gin Presses were modified to 24 inches wide –Wooden Shims (2x6 boards) on doors –Follow blocks trimmed Eliminated need for side pressure at compresses

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 25 Flat Bale 27x47x55 12 pounds/cu.ft. Compress UD 20X30X55 28 pounds/cu.ft. Modified Flat Bale 24x46x55 14 lb/cu.ft.

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 26 Compress UD 28X20X55 28 pounds/cu.ft. Gin UD 20x28x54 28 lb/cu.ft.

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences –100 % Gin Universal Density

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences lbs. Gross Weight 12 Lbs Jute Bagging And 9 Lbs Steel Bands And Buckles 12 lbs jute bagging 9 lbs bands and buckles Net weight 479 lb 480 lb “statistical bale”

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 29 Gross Weight Trading No incentive for innovation Thwarted new technology Delayed automation

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 30 Trade Rules Changed from Gross to Net Opened door to higher performance materials Opened door for automation Farmers objected (claimed they were cheated out of 21 pounds cotton) Basis immediately adjusted upward. New bagging and ties proposed

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences Coated Woven polypropylene Polyethylene film Lightweight cotton Burlap Wire and PET Loose-weave Jute 9 lbs. bands and buckles

1/11/ Beltwide Cotton Conferences 32 Wire 3 pounds Plastic Strapping 1 pound Wire 3 pounds Plastic Strapping 1 pound Banding Materials