Patents by Inventor Ethen D. WENTZ
Ethen D. WENTZ has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11771012Abstract: A bale processing apparatus include a frame, a bale hopper defining a bale chamber for receiving a bale, a bale shredding assembly including a shredding rotor rotatable in a rotor chamber, and a bale movement assembly configured to move a bale in the bale chamber toward the bale feed opening and the shredding rotor. In embodiments, the apparatus may be mountable on support arms of a loader such that the bale processing apparatus is liftable off of the ground surface, and may include a rotor operating assembly may be mounted on the frame and configured to rotate the shredding rotor, and the operating assembly may include an engine fully mounted on the frame such that the frame and the engine may be removed as a unit from the loader. Other embodiments are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2020Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Inventor: Ethen D. Wentz
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Patent number: 11641808Abstract: A bale processing apparatus include a frame, a bale hopper defining a bale chamber for receiving a bale, a bale shredding assembly including a shredding rotor rotatable in a rotor chamber, and a bale movement assembly configured to move a bale in the bale chamber toward the bale feed opening and the shredding rotor. In embodiments, the apparatus may be mountable on support arms of a loader such that the bale processing apparatus is liftable off of the ground surface, and may include a rotor operating assembly may be mounted on the frame and configured to rotate the shredding rotor, and the operating assembly may include an engine fully mounted on the frame such that the frame and the engine may be removed as a unit from the loader. Other embodiments are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2020Date of Patent: May 9, 2023Inventor: Ethen D. Wentz
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Patent number: 11202412Abstract: A bale processing apparatus include a frame, a bale hopper defining a bale chamber for receiving a bale, a bale shredding assembly including a shredding rotor rotatable in a rotor chamber, and a bale movement assembly configured to move a bale in the bale chamber toward the bale feed opening and the shredding rotor. In embodiments, the apparatus may be mountable on support arms of a loader such that the bale processing apparatus is liftable off of the ground surface, and may include a rotor operating assembly may be mounted on the frame and configured to rotate the shredding rotor, and the operating assembly may include an engine fully mounted on the frame such that the frame and the engine may be removed as a unit from the loader. Other embodiments are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2018Date of Patent: December 21, 2021Inventor: Ethen D Wentz
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Patent number: 11191218Abstract: A bale shredder may comprise a bale hopper defining an interior bale chamber for receiving a bale to be shredded, a bale shredding assembly to shred a bale in the chamber including a shredding rotor having a plurality of flails to contact a bale in the bale chamber, and a passage for receiving material shredded by the shredding rotor. In embodiments, a conveying assembly may facilitate material flow through the passage with a moving conveying surface. A collecting auger assembly may collect material ejected by the shredding rotor through the passage and may include an auger with an auger shaft rotatable about a rotation axis. In embodiments, a discharge assembly with a discharge rotor configured to receive the shredded material from the collecting auger assembly and expel the material through a discharge opening, and the discharge rotor may rotate on the auger shaft of the collecting auger assembly.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2016Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Inventor: Ethen D Wentz
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Patent number: 9807942Abstract: A bale shredder apparatus may comprise a frame and a bale hopper mounted on the frame and defining an interior bale chamber for receiving a bale to be shredded with a bale feed opening. A bale shredding assembly may be in communication with the bale chamber through the opening to shred a bale in the bale chamber. A side wall of the hopper may be movable away from the primary side wall to permit removal of a bale from the bale chamber. A primary bale movement assembly may move a bale in a lateral direction toward the opening and a secondary bale movement assembly may move the bale in a direction substantially transverse to the lateral direction. A shredding rotor of the shredding assembly may include at least one brace including at least one leg extending outwardly from the outer surface of the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2016Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Inventors: Ethen D. Wentz, Walter R. Fair, Jr.
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Publication number: 20160353667Abstract: A bale shredder apparatus may comprise a frame and a bale hopper mounted on the frame and defining an interior bale chamber for receiving a bale to be shredded with a bale feed opening. A bale shredding assembly may be in communication with the bale chamber through the opening to shred a bale in the bale chamber. A side wall of the hopper may be movable away from the primary side wall to permit removal of a bale from the bale chamber. A primary bale movement assembly may move a bale in a lateral direction toward the opening and a secondary bale movement assembly may move the bale in a direction substantially transverse to the lateral direction. A shredding rotor of the shredding assembly may include at least one brace including at least one leg extending outwardly from the outer surface of the rotor.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2016Publication date: December 8, 2016Inventors: ETHEN D. WENTZ, WALTER R. FAIR, JR.
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Patent number: 9456553Abstract: A bale shredder apparatus may comprise a bale hopper defining a bale chamber configured to receive a bale to be shredded and including a perimeter formed of walls with a bale feed opening formed in the perimeter and a floor positioned toward a bottom of the bale chamber. A bale shredding assembly may include a shredding rotor having a plurality of flails positioned with respect to the bale chamber to contact a bale in the bale chamber through the bale feed opening. The apparatus may include a bale flipping assembly configured to engage a bale positioned in the bale chamber of the bale hopper and flip an orientation of the bale with respect to the hopper. Optionally, the apparatus may include a primary bale movement assembly positioned toward the chamber bottom to move a bale in the bale chamber toward the shredding rotor of the bale shredding assembly.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2015Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Inventors: Ethen D. Wentz, Walter R. Fair, Jr.
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Patent number: 9439360Abstract: A bale shredder apparatus may comprise a frame and a bale hopper mounted on the frame and defining an interior bale chamber for receiving a bale to be shredded with a bale feed opening. A bale shredding assembly may be in communication with the bale chamber through the opening to shred a bale in the bale chamber. A side wall of the hopper may be movable away from the primary side wall to permit removal of a bale from the bale chamber. A primary bale movement assembly may move a bale in a lateral direction toward the opening and a secondary bale movement assembly may move the bale in a direction substantially transverse to the lateral direction. A shredding rotor of the shredding assembly may include at least one brace including at least one leg extending outwardly from the outer surface of the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2014Date of Patent: September 13, 2016Inventors: Ethen D. Wentz, Walter R. Fair, Jr.
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Patent number: 9204597Abstract: A bale shredder apparatus may comprise a frame and a bale hopper mounted on the frame and defining an interior bale chamber for receiving a bale to be shredded with a bale feed opening. A bale shredding assembly may be in communication with the bale chamber through the opening to shred a bale in the bale chamber. A side wall of the hopper may be movable away from the primary side wall to permit removal of a bale from the bale chamber. A primary bale movement assembly may move a bale in a lateral direction toward the opening and a secondary bale movement assembly may move the bale in a direction substantially transverse to the lateral direction. A shredding rotor of the shredding assembly may include at least one brace including at least one leg extending outwardly from the outer surface of the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2014Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Inventors: Ethen D. Wentz, Walter R. Fair, Jr.
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Patent number: 9027863Abstract: A bale shredder apparatus may comprise a frame and a bale hopper mounted on the frame and defining an interior bale chamber for receiving a bale to be shredded with a bale feed opening. A bale shredding assembly may be in communication with the bale chamber through the opening to shred a bale in the bale chamber. A side wall of the hopper may be movable away from the primary side wall to permit removal of a bale from the bale chamber. A primary bale movement assembly may move a bale in a lateral direction toward the opening and a secondary bale movement assembly may move the bale in a direction substantially transverse to the lateral direction. A shredding rotor of the shredding assembly may include at least one brace including at least one leg extending outwardly from the outer surface of the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2013Date of Patent: May 12, 2015Inventors: Ethen D. Wentz, Walter R. Fair, Jr.
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Publication number: 20140374520Abstract: A bale shredder apparatus may comprise a frame and a bale hopper mounted on the frame and defining an interior bale chamber for receiving a bale to be shredded with a bale feed opening. A bale shredding assembly may be in communication with the bale chamber through the opening to shred a bale in the bale chamber. A side wall of the hopper may be movable away from the primary side wall to permit removal of a bale from the bale chamber. A primary bale movement assembly may move a bale in a lateral direction toward the opening and a secondary bale movement assembly may move the bale in a direction substantially transverse to the lateral direction. A shredding rotor of the shredding assembly may include at least one brace including at least one leg extending outwardly from the outer surface of the rotor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2014Publication date: December 25, 2014Inventors: ETHEN D. WENTZ, WALTER R. FAIR, JR.
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Publication number: 20140374521Abstract: A bale shredder apparatus may comprise a frame and a bale hopper mounted on the frame and defining an interior bale chamber for receiving a bale to be shredded with a bale feed opening. A bale shredding assembly may be in communication with the bale chamber through the opening to shred a bale in the bale chamber. A side wall of the hopper may be movable away from the primary side wall to permit removal of a bale from the bale chamber. A primary bale movement assembly may move a bale in a lateral direction toward the opening and a secondary bale movement assembly may move the bale in a direction substantially transverse to the lateral direction. A shredding rotor of the shredding assembly may include at least one brace including at least one leg extending outwardly from the outer surface of the rotor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2014Publication date: December 25, 2014Inventors: ETHEN D. WENTZ, WALTER R. FAIR, JR.
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Publication number: 20140326817Abstract: A bale shredder apparatus may comprise a frame and a bale hopper mounted on the frame and defining an interior bale chamber for receiving a bale to be shredded with a bale feed opening. A bale shredding assembly may be in communication with the bale chamber through the opening to shred a bale in the bale chamber. A side wall of the hopper may be movable away from the primary side wall to permit removal of a bale from the bale chamber. A primary bale movement assembly may move a bale in a lateral direction toward the opening and a secondary bale movement assembly may move the bale in a direction substantially transverse to the lateral direction. A shredding rotor of the shredding assembly may include at least one brace including at least one leg extending outwardly from the outer surface of the rotor.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2013Publication date: November 6, 2014Inventors: Ethen D. WENTZ, Walter R. FAIR, JR.