Abstract: The hay shaker and livestock feeder is configured for use with livestock. The hay shaker and livestock feeder is configured for use with livestock feed. The hay shaker and livestock feeder removes detritus, such as dust, from the livestock feed. The hay shaker and livestock feeder comprises a separating chamber, a plurality of stanchions, a vacuum system, and one or more vibration motors. The plurality of stanchions elevates the separating chamber above the ground. The vacuum system and the one or more vibration motors attach to the separating chamber. The separating chamber contains the livestock feed. The vacuum system and the one or more vibration motors combine to remove the detritus from the livestock feed contained within the separating chamber.

Abstract: A block baling press has a bale chamber and a baling ram moveable in the bale chamber in an oscillating manner to compress bale material. An end face of the baling ram facing the bale material is divided into ram segments separated from one another by needle slots. At least a first needle slot is flanked by ram segments with a profiling transverse to the first needle slot. The profiling brings about a weaker compression of the bale material in an edge region of the ram segments adjacent to the first needle slot than in a region of the ram segments spaced apart from the first needle slot. Bales are obtained in which zones of high compression and low compression alternate across the width of the bale chamber. The bales are held together by twine placed around the zones having low compression.

Abstract: A baling apparatus is provided for forming fibrous material into rectangular bales. The apparatus includes a bale chamber having a rectangular cross-section with a substantially vertically (typically 10.degree.-12.degree. from vertical) disposed inlet end. Structure is disposed forwardly of the bale chamber for delivering a mat of material to be baled to the bale chamber. The structure includes a conveyor having a vertically reciprocating discharge chute for discharging the mat of fibrous material in a vertical zig-zag pattern at the inlet end of the bale chamber to form successive layers of folded material within the bale chamber. Dedicated structure is provided for compressing the fibrous material with a flat surface at upper and lower portions of the bale chamber in a direction towards the rear of the bale chamber.

Abstract: The apparatus accepts dry stripped crude fiber such as straw or sugar cane wastes, coconut husks, or elephant grass, compacts them into a relatively dense sheet, and bonds a strong surfacing material such as a heavy paper to the faces and edges. The sheet, continuously flowing from the apparatus, is cut into standard lengths and the cut ends are capped with the same surfacing material. A precompactor near the end of an entrance chute into the apparatus uniformly predensifies the incoming fiber prior to its compaction by means of a ram. The ram is carried on roller bearings especially adapted to withstand the weight and other forces associated with the continuous movement of the ram. The compacted material is continuously propelled by the ram and enters a press, where heat and pressure produce a dimensionally stable sheet bonded together partially by natural resins released from the fibers by the heat, and partially by mechanical interlinking between fibers.

Abstract: A device for compressing crop, for example grass, hay or the like, into bales comprising a baling chamber and a ram adapted to reciprocate therein, provided with at least one retaining member operating in the compression chamber and removable therefrom, in order to prevent that after compression the crop rebounds so that part of the empty space between the crop already compressed and the retreating ram is re-occupied by the rebounding crop, the freshly introduced quantity of crop being thus reduced.

Abstract: An apparatus for compressing material includes a hollow chamber defined by a plurality of walls, a piston-plate, and means for moving the piston-plate between maximum inner and outer limits, a hopper being in one of the walls located between those two maximum limits of movement. The apparatus further includes a plurality of engaging means located at the maximum outer limit of the piston-plate for engaging the compressed material and stopping rearward movement thereof. There is further included adjusting means for adjusting the distance between portions of the opposite walls located beyond the outer limit of the piston-plate.

Abstract: Process for dewatering thickened sludge comprising the steps of depositing thickened sludge onto a porous support, partially dewatering the thickened sludge by establishing a vacuum within said porous support, compressing the partially dewatered sludge on said porous support at a pressure of from 1 to 10 kp/cm.sup.2 to further dewater the sludge and to form a sludge cake, compressing the sludge cake on the porous support at a pressure of from 10 to 300 kp/cm.sup.2 to further dewater the sludge cake and discharging the dewatered sludge cake from the porous support.

Abstract: A compactor device for refuse material such as garbage, industrial refuse or dung, comprising a housing having a compression chamber formed as a segment in which a swing piston is pivotally reciprocal from a retracted position outside the chamber in which material may be fed to the chamber and through the chamber towards an outlet opening thereof, whereby the material is forced through a tapering channel portion resisting the movement of the material so as to cause the material to be compressed before it leaves the outlet opening.

Abstract: Baling apparatus including a baling chamber and a compression ram mounted for reciprocal movement therein and a bale strapping chamber positioned adjacent the baling chamber. The cycle is started by positioning a strapped bale in the strapping chamber between upper and lower platform members. Bale material such as newspapers and cardboard is introduced into the baling chamber and the compression ram is reciprocated to progressively form a bale against one end of the strapped bale in the strapping chamber. During such bale forming operation the newly formed bale is gradually pushed between the upper and lower platform members to thereby force the strapped bale out from between such platform members on to a take-away conveyor. A pair of pivotally mounted gate members are mounted on opposite sides of the baling chamber at the exit thereof. The take-away conveyor can be tilted to separate the adjacent ends of the unstrapped and strapped bales.