Apparatus for packaging hay

• US 6,711,881 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2000
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edgar W. Mccracken, Gary D. Griggs, James B. Archer
• Original Assignee: Edgar W. Mccracken, Gary D. Griggs, James B. Archer
• Inventors: McCracken, Edgar W., Archer, James B., Griggs, Gary D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada, Rinaldi I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, THANH K
• Application Number:
  US09/576,659
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 535/29, 535/13, 535/21, 535/70, 532/847, 838/58, 838/57, 838/56, 834/373, 834/372
• US Class Current: 53/529
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 15/005 for conditioning bales, e.g. rebaling
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 25/14 Containers specially adapted for storing
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 27/12 Baling or bundling compressible fibrous material, e.g. peat
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6659 Hydraulically or pneumatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/9495 Nonparallel cutting edges

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for converting a large bale of hay into a plurality of smaller sized bales having the same nutritional composition and texture as the large bale. The apparatus comprises a first cutting assembly which has a first set of blades which are orthogonally oriented with respect to a second set of blades. The apparatus further comprises a driver head assembly which is used to force a large bale of hay through the first cutting assembly. The apparatus also has a second cutting assembly which comprises a metering knife oriented substantially orthogonal to both the first and second sets of blades of the first cutting assembly. The associated method for processing the large bale fibrous comprises a first step of producing bale sections by pushing the large bale through the first cutting assembly. The method has a second step of producing metered bales through operation of the second cutting assembly. The inventive method further comprises a third step of individually packaging the metered bales.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dividing bales of fibrous material, the apparatus comprising:

a staging area for receiving and supporting large bales of material, wherein the staging area comprises a floor having a substantially smooth surface;

a cutting grate assembly for longitudinally dividing the large bales into a plurality of bale sections, wherein the cutting grate assembly comprises a first plurality of blades oriented substantially perpendicular to a second plurality of blades;

a metering assembly for severing the bale sections into metered bales, the metering assembly comprising a metering knife and a metering limiter;

a driver head assembly for moving the large bales from the staging area through the cutting grate assembly and into the metering area;

a sorting assembly for selectively moving the metered bales from the metering assembly, wherein the sorting assembly includes a push-off head and a drop table that move together during the operation of the sorting assembly; and

a bagging assembly for packaging the metered bales.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a compression area for receiving and supporting the bale sections, wherein the compression area has a plurality of substantially parallel support members for maintaining the bale divisions imposed by the cutting grate assembly.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bale sections produced by the cutting grate assembly are of substantially uniform size and composition.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each blade of the cutting grate assembly has two leading edges which taper to a single point.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sorting assembly sequentially moves the metered bales from the metering assembly.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bagging assembly has an inclined delivery ramp and a ram for placing each metered bale into a unique bag.

7. An apparatus for dividing baled fibrous material, the apparatus comprising:

a driver head assembly configured to impart a force that moves the fibrous material through the apparatus;

a cutting grate assembly having a first plurality of blades oriented substantially perpendicular to a second plurality of blades, wherein each blade has two leading edges that taper to a single point;

a metering assembly having a metering knife and a metering limiter, wherein the metering limiter imparts a force on the fibrous material in opposition to the force produced by the driver head; and

a sorting assembly having a push-off head, a drop table, a first retaining wall and a second retaining wall, wherein the drop table is configured to move with the push-off head during the operation of the sorting assembly.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the metering assembly is configured to have a stroke of about two feet.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a limiter head and a limiter latch, wherein the limiter latch captures the limiter head, thereby isolating the force imparted by the limiter head from the fibrous material.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the leading edges of four connected blades forms an initial contact point.