Abstract: A longwall shearer is positioned adjacent a face conveyor for transporting material that is cut from a mining face. The longwall shearer includes a chassis, an arm pivotably coupled to the chassis, a cutting drum for engaging the mining face, and a lump breaker for engaging material on the face conveyor. The chassis includes a first end and a second end, and the chassis is movable in at least a first direction that is generally parallel to the mining face. The cutting drum is rotatably supported on the arm. The lump breaker is pivotably coupled to the chassis about an axis, and the lump breaker includes at least one tooth for breaking apart the cut material.

Abstract: A machine is employed for recovering heavy metals and precious or semi precious minerals, such as gold, copper, lead, diamonds, and garnets from placer, or hard rock ore. The machine employs a cylindrical, annular outer drum mounted for rotation at an inclination to the horizontal and including at least one spiral vane extending the length of its inner surface. A cylindrical, annular inner barrel is mounted within the drum and has an upper fragmentation section, an intermediate screened section, and a lower discharge section. A spray of water is directed into the inner barrel and a water spray bar is located in the annulus between the inner barrel and the outer drum. A fine sluice box is located to receive under one-quarter material input from a side trommel and a coarse sluice box located to receive discharge from the side trommel and discharge from the fine sluice box. The sluice box includes a plurality of landings, matting and screens upon which heavy materials, such as gold or precious stones, collect.

Abstract: A solids supply systems having a solids deaeration zone and a solids pump zone, and to methods for supplying the solids e.g., pulverized dry coal, to an application, e.g., gasification process. The solids deaeration zone includes a roller system containing a plurality of porous roller assemblies, or a belt system containing a plurality of porous belt assemblies. The solids deaeration zone is operable to deaerate and convey the solids to the solids pump zone. In the solids deaeration zone, the solids become sufficiently compacted prior to and upon entry into the solids pump zone to be effectively conveyed through the solids pump zone.

Abstract: An asphalt roofing material recycling system and method is used to recycle new and used (post consumer) asphalt materials, such as asphalt shingles, rolled roofing and tar paper that may include granules, fibers or other particles. The asphalt material, which may be in bundles, is broken up and separated and then provided to a cooled recycling vessel. Dry ice is added along with the asphalt material to be recycled. The dry ice removes any moisture present and super-cools the material making it brittle and easier to chip and break up. The recycle vessel includes a number of high speed shippers having tulip hear chipping teeth as well as one horizontal mixer element which stirs the material and makes sure all material is ground. The resulting course to fine powder can be separated by screening and stored as power or compressed into bricks or briquettes.

Abstract: A document shredder is provided with a transport system that holds and transports paper, and a shredding system that shreds the paper while rotating at a circumferential speed higher than a transporting speed of the transport system, wherein, a part of elements constituting the transport system is in common with a part of elements constituting the shredding system and a point of action of the transport system is placed substantially at the same position as a point of action of the shredding system, with respect to a paper transporting direction, and alternatively, the shredding system is arranged successively from the transport system. Since this shredder is assembled in such a manner that a part of elements constituting the transport system to hold and transport the paper is in common with a part of elements constituting the shredding system, it is possible to be downsized.

Abstract: A machine for quenching, crushing and feeding material that includes a continuous loop drag chain conveyor. A first portion of the conveyor travels through a quenching tank and a second portion travels beneath the tank's bottom wall. Large blocks of hot material are dropped onto the conveyor inside the tank. A rotary crusher is positioned to crush the cooled blocks into sized pieces as they exit the tank. The sized pieces drop through an opening in the conveyor's frame and onto the second portion of the conveyor. The pieces dewater on the second portion of the conveyor and drop through a discharge opening and into a removal device for transfer to a remote location for further processing.

Abstract: A round module opener for use with a round module of cotton including a first cradle movably mounted to a first frame, the first cradle including a first peeler belt that is configured for rotary motion, and a second cradle movably mounted to a second frame, the second cradle including a second peeler belt that it configured for rotary motion. The first cradle and the second cradle are disposed on opposing sides of a feeder bed such that the first cradle and the second cradle can be moved inwardly toward each other and toward a longitudinal centerline of the feeder bed to engage the round module of cotton.

Abstract: A machine for quenching, crushing and feeding material that includes a continuous loop drag chain conveyor. A first portion of the conveyor travels through a quenching tank and a second portion travels beneath the tank's bottom wall. Large blocks of hot material are dropped onto the conveyor inside the tank. A rotary crusher is positioned to crush the cooled blocks into sized pieces as they exit the tank. The sized pieces drop through an opening in the conveyor's frame and onto the second portion of the conveyor. The pieces dewater on the second portion of the conveyor and drop through a discharge opening and into a removal device for transfer to a remote location for further processing.

Abstract: A jaw crusher having two jaws which define an upwardly open crushing chamber for receiving crushable material and a discharge opening between the lower ends of the jaws for discharging crushed material, in which the jaws are relatively movable so as to vary the size of the crushing chamber and apply a working action and a relieving action on the crushable material each jaw has a durable facing surface which is engagable with the crushable material; and a set of interconnected jaw plates is provided for at least one of the jaws and is arranged so that at least some of the jaw plates form at least part of the facing surface of the jaw, said set of jaw plates being movably mounted on the jaw.

Abstract: An un-baling system for transforming substantially rectangular bales of farm product into smaller substantiality rectangular sized bales of farm products. The un-baling system incorporates a first rail mounted conveyor subsystem connected to a first rail mounted conveyor-thrasher subsystem. The first rail mounted conveyor-thrasher subsystem is connected to a platform conveyor subsystem in such a way as to enable the first rail mounted conveyor subsystem to convey the farm product to the first rail mounted conveyor-thrasher subsystem wherein the farm product is thrashed. The thrashed farm product is gravity fed onto the platform conveyor subsystem. The platform conveyor subsystem then feeds the thrashed farm product into the baling machine. A plurality of un-baling systems may be ganged together to further increase the volume of production in transforming large substantially rectangular bales of farm products into smaller substantiality rectangular sized bales of farm products.

Abstract: An apparatus for chopping continuous materials comprises a chopper comprising a cutting roll and a cot belt, the cutting roll and the cot belt both being rotatably mounted on substantially parallel axes. The cutting roll has at least one cutting blade for cutting continuous materials, and the cot belt engages the cutting roll.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process and the associated device for the fine crushing of solid mineral and non-mineral substances, preferably cement raw materials and cement clinker, by single or repeated compressive-load application using medium to high pressures with subsequent disagglomeration of the produced ground material in the same device. The object of the invention is to create a crushing device which, under defined conditions of control of, and load application by, the material to be ground, combined in a single device, carries out several process steps in succession, continuously feeds the material to be ground, as a defined material layer, to the grinding gap formed from pressure roller and level load-application path and, through the free choice of grinding path speed and grinding pressure, has a favorable throughput behavior with a high energy utilization and low outlay on plant.

Abstract: A system suitable for counting strings of arcade type tickets comprising a transport mechanism, a sensing system for reading bar coded information and counting marks, a computer program and computer to tally, sort and compile management reports, and a video monitor to display the counting results, or additionally, display entertainment items or advertising to the customer while using the counter. The transport mechanism is especially designed to handle the new “paper” style tickets and is capable of handling tickets of varying sizes.

Abstract: A waste processing machine according to the invention is ideally suited for reducing virtually any products. The waste processing machine includes a rotor having multiple processing tools pivotally mounted thereon wherein each tool is adapted to self-limit the depth of the cut into the waste material. In addition, the pivotally mounted processing tools are staggered and spaced along the length of the rotor so that a limited number of tools will contact the waste product at any one point in time. Once the processing tool cuts or otherwise reduces the waste product to smaller bits of waste material, the bits are drawn out of the rotor system by screens having angled surfaces formed thereon.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for loosening a block of compressed loose material, such as potting compost, comprising a container with a plurality of support wall members for receiving the block, a scraper cooperating with one of the supporting wall members and a discharge opening. The device provides a good scraping activity and the original structure of the loose material is nearly restored.

Abstract: A multiplicity of teeth are mounted to a beam in a comb structure, with the space between the teeth defining slots. The edges of the slots are lined with upstanding flanges which are sharpened to form cutting edges. The comb structure is arranged to be substantially parallel to an array of bag breaking bars. The bars interdigitate with the teeth and thus pass through the narrow openings between the teeth where the knife edges scrape the bars, thereby cutting free any material adhering to or impaled upon the bag breaking bars. Alternatively, an apparatus for cleaning a bag breaker has a pivotally mounted are having a fork which is aligned to receive a bar between the tines of the fork. The fork engages the base of the bar and then proceeds to slide up the bar as the forward motion of the bar causes the arm to pivot. In this way, material impaled upon a bar is slid or scraped upwardly towards the top of the bar.

Abstract: There is described a process for the disposal and recycling of resistance (or incandescent) and/or discharge lamps by crushing the lamp bodies and separating the glass, metal, heavy metal and, if appropriate, fluorescent components of the lamps by crushing the lamp bodies by means of a squeezing device whose effective distance can be adjusted in such a way that no separation of the base glass and the lamp base will be effected. Another subject-matter of the invention is a squeezing device for carrying out the process, comprising a double-belt press with an adjustable distance between the upper and the lower belt.

Abstract: A mobile vehicle containing fluorescent lamp separation apparatus is transported to the site of a facility which uses fluorescent lamps and collects used lamps for processing. The lamps are loaded into a bin in the vehicle, the bin is closed to enclose the apparatus from the atmosphere, and the apparatus is then operated to crush the lamps and separate the crushed lamp debris into solid particular matter and dust which can be carried by airflow. The particulate matter which is substantially cleansed of mercury and phosphor powder is discharged into a first receptacle outside the vehicle, and the dust entrained in the air is trapped in a dust filter and discharged into a second receptacle which primarily contains the more hazardous dust materials. The air drawn through the dust filter is further passed through a charcoal filter to filter out mercury and other potentially hazardous vapors from the air before it is discharged to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A method of converting a mass of berries which have superficially adhered together during storage in a container back to individual berries, said method including the steps of directing the berry mass against an apertured stationary breaking means (9) to randomly disassociate the adhered berries and produce berries and secondary masses of berries able to pass through the apertures, providing a moving breaking means (16) in adjacent relationship to said apertures and repeatedly impacting said secondary masses after passage through said apertures with said moving breaking means to disassociate adhered berries of said secondary masses and thereby reduce the secondary masses to individual berries.

Abstract: An apparatus for charging a trash sorting device with the contents of trash bags has a feed apparatus of the trash bags connected to an inclined conveyor belt suitable for bearing and transporting trash bags, the upper end of which is located above the charging point of a conveyor which traverses the sorting area. Located above and near the upper end of the conveyor belt is a deflector rake which can be swiveled around an axle which traverses the conveyor belt, the tines of which rake when in the pick up position approach the conveyor belt at a downward angle in the direction opposite the direction of transport of the belt and can be moved from this pick up position opposite the direction of transport to a reject position above the conveyor belt. The deflector rake can be driven in a back-and-forth motion between the pick up position and the reject position.

Abstract: A multiplicity of teeth are mounted to a beam in a comb structure, with the space between the teeth defining slots. The edges of the slots are lined with upstanding flanges which are sharpened to form cutting edges. The comb structure is arranged to be substantially parallel to an array of bag breaking bars. The bars interdigitate with the teeth and thus pass through the narrow openings between the teeth where the knife edges scrape the bars, thereby cutting free any material adhering to or impaled upon the bag breaking bars. Alternatively, an apparatus for cleaning a bag breaker has a pivotally mounted are having a fork which is aligned to receive a bar between the tines of the fork. The fork engages the base of the bar and then proceeds to slide up the bar as the forward motion of the bar causes the arm to pivot. In this way, material impaled upon a bar is slid or scraped upwardly towards the top of the bar.

Abstract: Disclosure is made of baled material disintegrator, or debaler or pull apart apparatus having a bale conveyor and conveyor chute and at the outlet of the conveyor, a multi picker wheel debaler cartridge suspended on a swing shaft or axle, and hydraulic piston means connected to the debaler cartridge to swing the cartridge to and from the bale to be disintegrated or debaled, and further disclosure is made of removal from a bale of material such as paper, the bale binding wire scrap on breaking of the wire by action of debaler cartridge picker wheels, and a scraper bar with tooth segments extending to the tooth wheel shafts and the teeth of the scraper bar straddle the picker tooth wheels to remove the scrap wire from the shafts of the picker cartridge and collection of the cut bale binding wire on a magnet mount bank, set on an incline at the outlet of the debaler cartridge, and the magnet bank overlaid by an endless conveyor belt, and removal of the binding wire scrap, or other tramp iron from the disintegrat

Abstract: A plurality of parallel chain loops have outwardly extending blades and travel in plastic channels over an inclined deck. The chains extend between shafts which rotate in opposite directions and are mounted to the shafts so that alternating chains move up the incline and the others move down. Refuse bags deposited on the deck are torn open by the blades. Small refuse objects fall between the chains and slide down the deck to be discharged, while larger objects are carried by the upwardly moving chains to the top of the deck. Refuse objects are thereby initially segregated by size.

Abstract: A ground supported excavating machine of the type having a main frame and a prime mover for propelling the machine along the ground, and a boom supported from the frame that has an endless chain type digging member rotated by sprockets on a head shaft that is mounted at one end of the boom, and on a tail wheel shaft mounted at the opposed end thereof, to provide a lower run that engages the lower surface of the boom. The interior of the boom is made into a liquid container that communicates with the bottom surface of the boom, which is filled with sufficient liquid to transfer heat from the relatively hot boom lower surface to a relatively cold boom surface.

Abstract: A can compactor includes an electric motor connected to drive a chain which, in turn, drives a pair of crushing belts arranged in opposing fashion to form a V. One of the belts is driven clockwise while the other belt is driven counterclockwise. Cans to be crushed are placed through a guide in an open area at the top of the two belts, where they break a light beam, triggering a photo-sensitive switch, which starts the motor. A normally closed limit switch is placed in close proximity to the chain drive, and a special link on the chain is positioned to engage the limit switch to open the normally closed switch, and thus stop the motor after a single revolution of the chain. This is sufficient time for the crusher belts to thoroughly flatten the can. Can gripping lugs on at least one of the belts assure that the cans are positively fed through the mechanism and out the bottom of the V.

Abstract: An apparatus for mixing propellant charge powder rods. The apparatus comprises a flexible band (1) which is suspended freely in a loop between two paraxial, radially spaced drums (2,3) and is movable back and forth between the drums (2,3) by drive motors (6,7). The band (1) is finite or endless and movable in reciprocation between two winding drums (4,5) each adapted to be driven in either direction of rotation by the drive motors (6,7). The propellant charge powder rods (30) are placed in the suspended loop of the flexible band (1)--transversely of the longitudinal direction of the band--and are mixed together by moving the band (1) back and forth. The length of the loop is increased and decreased periodically during this process.

Abstract: A method for mixing propellant charge powder rods utilizes a flexible band (1) which is suspended freely in a loop between two paraxial, radially spaced drums (2,3) and is movable back and forth between the drums (2,3) by drive motors (6,7). The band (1) is finite or endless and movable in reciprocation between two winding drums (4,5) each adapted to be driven in either direction of rotation by the drive motors (6,7). The propellant charge powder rods (30) are placed in the suspended loop of the flexible band (1)--transversely of the longitudinal direction of the band--and are mixed together by moving the band (1) back and forth. The length of the loop is increased and decreased periodically during this process.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing recyclable materials from bags. The apparatus includes a conveyor having tines which engage and assist the conveyor in transporting the bags of materials to a discharge bin. A cutting element cooperates with the conveyor to open the bags allowing the materials to be emptied from the bags at one end of the conveyor into the bin where the materials are subsequently discharged onto compost piles. The bags are then removed from the tines and transferred into a mechanism where they are bundled for disposal or recycling.

Abstract: The invention concerns equipment for continuous chopping of municipal refuse and other solid wastes in general, consisting of: Section I: refuse collection subsystem, first compaction and conveyance to chopping section; Section II: subsystem for final compaction and chopping ribbon of refuse; Section III: subsystem for collection of chopped refuse and conveyance to landfill sites; Section IV: subsystem for collection and disposal of wastewaters. The equipment permits a ten-to fifteen-fold reduction in the initial volume of the refuse, together with a chopping operation which allows this volume to be maintained and to obtain refuse of a sufficiently uniform size prior to transportation or to disposal in landfill sites.

Abstract: A device for loading waste material into a refuse collection vehicle including a trough attached to a rear end of the vehicle. An inclined conveyor, having a lower end and an upper end, is disposed in the trough. An anchor is disposed at the lower end of the conveyor for holding a plastic bag containing waste material. The conveyor has slats with teeth for tearing open the plastic bag so that the waste material is emptied from the bag and then carried by the conveyor to the rear end of the vehicle. A hydraulic motor drives the conveyor, and a control bar is provided to activate and deactivate the hydraulic motor. A latch bar latches the control bar in a nondriving position wherein the hydraulic motor is deactivated.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing compostable materials from plastic bags. The apparatus includes a conveyor having retaining members which engage and assist the conveyor in transporting the bags of compostable materials to a discharge bin. A cutting element cooperates with the first conveyor to open the bags allowing the compostable material to be emptied from the bags at one end of the conveyor into the bin where the compostable materials are subsequently discharged onto compost piles. The bags are then removed from the retaining members and transferred into a mechanism where they are bundled for disposal or recycle.

Abstract: The can flattening machine of the present invention comprises a first conveyor for carrying the cans to the upper end of a hopper located above a pair of belt assemblies. The belt assemblies are elongated and are positioned relative to one another so as to create a V-shaped notch therebetween. The cans fall between the belt assemblies and are flattened between the lower ends of the belt assemblies. One of the lower ends of the belt assemblies is spring mounted with respect to the other so as to be yieldably movable away from the other belt assembly.

Abstract: A densification apparatus for use in recycling plastic containers utilizes a hopper with a movable lid to feed collected plastic containers to a continuous chain conveyor having a plurality of wedge-shape teeth which perforate the containers and urge them between a set of compression plates and rollers such that the plastics are compressed beyond their ability to resume their original shape. The vertical conveyor and hopper-closing lid prevent ballistic rejection of containers and enable iterative processing of plastic in a movable or stationary curbside apparatus.

Abstract: A material reducing apparatus includes a hopper having a pair of opposed sides, a front end and a back end. The back end has a top and bottom and a shearing edge at the bottom. A chain with bits forms the floor of the hopper. The chain is on a boom. Drive means drives the chain so that the bits move towards the shearing edge. The moving bits cooperate in reducing material conveyed on the chain and cooperate further with the shearing edge to reduce the material to a predetermined size.

Abstract: A jaw crusher is equipped for the first time with a horizonal crushing chamber and, for replacement of gravity for the conveyance of the material being crushed through the crushing chamber, with an abutment comprising a chain conveyor. The mechanism for applying the crushing force on the jaw rocker (10) is selected so that the action is equivalent to that of a double bell-crank jaw crusher even for hardest material and in particular for recycling material such as reinforced concrete.

Abstract: An ice storage bin and discharge apparatus for discharge of uniform size ice to an outlet station for bagging or other use, including an ice bin in the form of an elongated insulated storage receptacle for containing a mass of ice, and endless floor level conveyor adjacent and overlying the bottom wall spanning the length and width thereof defining an upper flight for advancing the mass of ice toward a discharge end wall of the bin. A first drive is provided for driving the floor level endless conveyor at a predetermined speed, and an ice shearing mechanism is provided at the discharge end wall comprising a plurality of ice shaving blades positioned to lie in a vertical cutting path extending above and aligned with a transverse discharge conveyor with the shear blades collectively transversely spanning substantially the width of the bin at plural levels above the discharge conveyor.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, on the periphery of the motor wheel (8) and the return wheel (9) of a cutting arm, grooves (18) are provided which are separated from one another by ridges (19). This arrangement enables the traction couple to be transmitted to the endless component (10), which is provided on the exterior with cutting tools (11) and on the interior with guide plates (12), by the assembly of fibers adjacent to the principal fibers of the endless component (10) and not by the guide plates (12).

Abstract: Apparatus for crushing cans or the like comprises a conveyor formed from a plurality of endless chains cooperating with a fixed inclined crushing plate converging toward the discharge end of the conveyor. The crushing plate includes an actuator strip-like member hinged to the plate which when depressed engages an electrical switch to operate a drive mechanism for the conveyor. A can deposited into the apparatus depresses the actuator which operates the electrical switch to start the drive mechanism. The can is gripped by the chain conveyor and pulled downward between the conveyor and crushing plate flattening the can. When the flattened can exits the crushing apparatus the actuator is released stopping the drive mechanism. A support housing for the apparatus is provided with an opening for receiving cans which is spaced a distance from the crushing plate and conveyor to reduce the risk of injury.

Abstract: A concrete mixer in this invention comprises an elastomeric lug belt carried by a first set of roller drums at least one of which is driven, the lug belt having a plurality of spaced elastomeric lugs thereon, and an elastomeric base belt carried by a second set of roller drums and depending between two of these roller drums to form a part-loop portion, at least one of the base belt roller drums also being driven to drive the lug belt past the base belt in a mixing zone in the part-loop portion, such that the base belt moves in the opposite direction from the direction of movement of the lug belt.

Abstract: A sheet breaking apparatus for breaking or cutting waste sheet materials according to the invention comprising a pair of endless band-like rotating body, one of which is driven downwardly or in a feeding direction of the sheet materials at a faster speed than that of the other rotating body driven upwardly in a direction opposite to the feeding direction, and cutting blades respectively fixedly arranged on the rotating bodies such that the cutting blades fixed to the downwardly driven rotating body are spaced apart with equal intervals respectively in longitudinal and transverse directions and the cutting blades fixed to the upwardly driven rotating body at least adjacent in the moving direction are not aligned with each other. With the arrangement, fibrous or soft synthetic resin sheets or the like difficult to be mechanically broken are easily and effectively cut or broken into small pieces to make easy next processes for burning, reclaiming or regenerating the waste materials.

Abstract: A grinding process and machine for granular particles comprising two flexible continuously moveable belts which form a cavity separated apart a critical distance. The granular particles rub against each other when the belts relatively moving at different speeds grind the materials to achieve a predetermined condition.

Abstract: A device for separating clods and stones from the soil includes a frame adapted to be drawn or carried across the land and one or more elements carried by the frame for raising the surface layer of material from the land and passing it to a first conveyor having apertures therethrough to permit material on the conveyor to pass through the conveyor and to be returned to the land, there being disposed above the conveyor a surface adapted to bear against material on the conveyor so as to crush and/or abrade material on the conveyor and thereby reduce its particle size to permit it to pass through the apertures. The first conveyor is adapted to discharge particles of material retained thereon to a device for returning those particles to the land on either or both sides of the device. The surface and/or the first conveyor are adapted to move apart from one another to permit the passage therebetween of resistent material.

Abstract: The ice harvesting machine described herein comprises one in which ice, formed in vertical cylinders, bars or sheets, is periodically thawed sufficiently to allow the ice to slide downward to a perforated endless belt having upwardly extending ribs or protrusions which strike the lower end of the ice and break it into pieces which are carried away by the endless belt. In a preferred modification, this machine comprises one in which cylinders of ice are formed on the inside and outside of two pipes arranged with an annular space between the two pipes, through which annular space a refrigerant, such as freon, is circulated while water is allowed to run down the outside surface of the outer pipe and also down the inside surface of the inner pipe. These streams of water are chilled by the refrigerant in the annular space until an appropriate thickness of cylinders of ice has been formed on the outside and inside surfaces where the water had been running.

Abstract: A beverage container crusher which flattens beverage containers to reduce the volume thereof so that the resultant crushed containers require very little storage room. The crushing apparatus includes spaced shafts arranged parallel to one another, and an endless belt is supported by the shaft in such a manner that the belt describes an oval track. A fixed plate is arranged at an acute angle with respect to the oval track. A lower portion of the plate continues about one end of the track so that when a beverage container is dropped into the space between the plate and the track, the container gravitates into a position where it is engaged by the traveling belt, so that the belt forces the container through the narrow space formed between the curved part of the plate and one curved end of the oval track. The flattened container drops into a storage container located below the container crusher apparatus where the containers may be accumulated and subsequently recycled.

Abstract: A bale and grain feeder device includes an elongate conveyor and table structure which is mounted on the mixer-grinder vehicle chassis. The conveyor and table structure may be positioned to discharge slabs of hay and loose grain into the hammer mill of the mixer-grinder vehicle to permit such material to be chopped or ground into small pieces. A feed chute positions the baled hay on a conveyor and table structure to permit conveyor chains having paddles thereon to rip away portions of the bale. The feed chute may be removed for use with small grains or ear corn. A slab feeder roll cooperates with the conveyor paddles to convey the slabs of hay along the table where the hay or grain is directed to the hammer mill by paddles. A finger roll is used in the inlet area to precisely control the rate at which the bale is fed downwardly.

Abstract: The apparatus features a conveying means with rakes and other blade members for coarse crushing the chips. The conveying means is in the form of a chain conveyor contained in a trough. The members for coarse crushing of the chips consist of inverted L-shaped grapples, the leading edges of which have a curvature, and of blades, the cutting edges of which face the leading edges of the grapples and are provided with a curvature having a radius which is about equal to the radius of the curvature of the leading edge of each grapple. The blades are fitted to the inside surface of the trough, in at least two rows, above a zone traversed by the chain conveyor, so that the grapples pass between the rows of blades. The inverted L-shaped grapples are suitably attached to links of the chain.

Abstract: A large rolled bale of agricultural material is separated and distributed by placement upon a first and a second endless conveyer placed end to end and driven in the same direction to turn the rolled bale while drawing therefrom portions of the agricultural material from which the bale is composed. As the bale is rotated, agricultural material drawn from the bale by tines extending from the second endless conveyer is deposited from the discharge end of the second endless conveyer. The endless conveyers are arranged with an inclined posture relative to the horizontal with the second conveyer having a steeper incline than the first conveyer and with the second conveyer being driven at a higher speed than the first conveyer.

Abstract: A machine for tearing open small bags containing city solid waste material and for separating out plastic film material and/or the bags, includes an endless belt conveyor which carries on the surface thereof a plurality of aculei which engage bags containing waste material placed on the surface of the conveyor belt. The belt follows a path of a first straight or rectilineal length and a second or return straight or rectilineal length.

Abstract: A bale feeder device for a mixer grinder vehicle includes an elongate conveyor and table structure which is mounted on the mixer grinder vehicle chassis. The conveyor and table structure may be positioned to discharge slabs of hay into the hammer mill of the mixer grinder vehicle to permit the hay to be chopped or ground into small pieces. A feed chute positions the hay bale on the conveyor and table structure to permit conveyor chains having teeth thereon to rip away portions of the bale. A slab feeder roll cooperates with the conveyor chains to convey the slabs of hay along the table where the hay is directed to the hammer mill by feed rolls.

Abstract: A controlled hay bale metering and feeding device consists of a primary conveying channel and a secondary conveying channel in alignment therewith. The primary channel has means adjacent one of its ends for receiving and metering a hay bale placed therein and conveying means in the primary channel carries the metered bale to its other, delivery end where means associated with the secondary channel positively convey it from the primary channel either to storage or to an attachment.