A forage bale feed out apparatus is described. The apparatus comprises a chassis arranged to be operatively mounted on or in association with a vehicle in use; feed out means comprising a feed out roller having an axis of rotational symmetry about which the roller is arranged to rotate, a drive motor arranged to rotate the feed out roller, conveying means for urging a bale towards said feed out roller as the size of a bale diminishes. The feed out roller is located at a feed out region, and the conveying means is orientated such that the end of the conveying means proximate the feed out region is elevated towards the axis of rotational symmetry of the feed out roller. The apparatus further comprises a spreader tool adapted to spread and distribute the forage bale portions fed out from the feed roller at the feed out region, wherein the spreader comprises a roller having an axis of rotational symmetry about which the roller is arranged to rotate. The spreader roller has radially extending tines at intervals which tines co operate in use to spread feed from a bale, and further comprising a spreader drive motor arranged to rotate the spreader roller, wherein the feed out roller and the spreader roller are parallel and driven in opposite directions.

A forage bale feed out apparatus is described. The apparatus comprises a chassis arranged to be operatively mounted on or in association with a vehicle in use; feed out means comprising a feed out roller having an axis of rotational symmetry about which the roller is arranged to rotate, a drive motor arranged to rotate the feed out roller, conveying means for urging a bale towards said feed out roller as the size of a bale diminishes. The feed out roller is located at a feed out region, and the conveying means is orientated such that the end of the conveying means proximate the feed out region is elevated towards the axis of rotational symmetry of the feed out roller. The apparatus further comprises a spreader tool adapted to spread and distribute the forage bale portions fed out from the feed roller at the feed out region, wherein the spreader comprises a roller having an axis of rotational symmetry about which the roller is arranged to rotate. The spreader roller has radially extending tines at intervals which tines co operate in use to spread feed from a bale, and further comprising a spreader drive motor arranged to rotate the spreader roller, wherein the feed out roller and the spreader roller are parallel and driven in opposite directions.

A bale processor has a towed body that includes one or two hay bale shredders in the form of a flail drum. The bale processor is self-loading such that bales may be loaded in the processing tubs by a set of rear mounted arms and various conveyor chains. The processor also includes a grain tank, a grain metering system, and a grain cracker, all mounted in series. The grain cracker may have a choice of outputs, including back to the grain tank. The cracked grain is fed into the tub to be mixed with other feed materials, such as shredded straw, and is then discharged to the opposite side of the unit. There may be a feed chopper mounted downstream of the tub, such that the feed chopper receives both the grain material and the shredded hay feed. The feed chopper and the grain cracker operate independently, and may have different setting of size, speed, and weight or volume per minute or per unit of distance travelled. The output may have a curtain assembly to facilitate deposit in windrows.

A bale processor with extended bale capacity and a kit for extending a bale capacity of a bale processor is disclosed. The extended bale capacity is provided by a bale holder mechanically coupled to the frame the bale processor. When in use, the bale holder is capable of supporting an additional bale in an intermediary position between a first bale above a disintegration rotor of the bale processor and a second bale supported by a bale carrier of the bale processor. The kit comprises an intermediary bale holder and a support frame mechanically mountable to a back section of a bale processor.

A bale processor with extended bale capacity and a kit for extending a bale capacity of a bale processor is disclosed. The extended bale capacity is provided by a bale holder mechanically coupled to the frame the bale processor. When in use, the bale holder is capable of supporting an additional bale in an intermediary position between a first bale above a disintegration rotor of the bale processor and a second bale supported by a bale carrier of the bale processor. The kit comprises an intermediary bale holder and a support frame mechanically mountable to a back section of a bale processor.

The present invention provides a system for processing a bale of straw to provide a hurd fraction, a fiber fraction and a dust fraction. The system comprises a bale cutting assembly configured to cut the bale into a plurality of vertically stacked cut bale segments by making one or more horizontal cuts through the bale and to eject a lowermost one of the plurality of the cut bale segments onto a first conveyor assembly, which separates the bale segment into straw wafers and convey them into a flail assembly comprising a plurality of flails/beaters to convert straw wafers into loose straw. The loose straw are discharged into a grinding assembly via a second conveyor assembly, to provide a mixture of hurd, fiber and dust. A separation assembly receives and separate the mixture of hurd, fiber and dust into the hurd fraction, the fiber fraction and the dust fraction.

A method of loading bales into a bale processing chamber of a bale processor. The bale processing chamber is mounted on a chamber frame mounted on wheels for travel on a ground surface in a forward operating travel direction. A bale fork is pivotally mounted on the chamber frame such that in a lowered position the bale fork is oriented substantially horizontally and rests on the ground surface. The chamber frame is moved rearward such that the bale fork slides under a bale resting on the ground surface with a bale axis oriented substantially horizontally in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the operating travel direction. The bale fork and the bale supported thereon are raised above the ground surface. The bale fork is turned such that the bale axis turns to a second direction substantially parallel to the operating travel direction while maintaining the bale rearward of the bale processing chamber. The bale fork is raised to a raised position where the bale falls into the bale processing chamber with the bale axis oriented in the second direction.

A method of loading bales into a bale processing chamber of a bale processor. The bale processing chamber is mounted on a chamber frame mounted on wheels for travel on a ground surface in a forward operating travel direction. A bale fork is pivotally mounted on the chamber frame such that in a lowered position the bale fork is oriented substantially horizontally and rests on the ground surface. The chamber frame is moved rearward such that the bale fork slides under a bale resting on the ground surface with a bale axis oriented substantially horizontally in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the operating travel direction. The bale fork and the bale supported thereon are raised above the ground surface. The bale fork is turned such that the bale axis turns to a second direction substantially parallel to the operating travel direction while maintaining the bale rearward of the bale processing chamber. The bale fork is raised to a raised position where the bale falls into the bale processing chamber with the bale axis oriented in the second direction.

The invention relates to a bale breaker (1) for a bale (2) of hay, straw, litter and/or fodder, comprising support means (3) for the bale (2) and breaker means (4) adapted to detach hay, straw, litter and/or fodder from a bale (2) provided on the support means (3) and to transport it to discharge means (5) arranged downstream of the breaker means (4), wherein feed means (6) for feeding a bale (2) provided on the support means (3) in a feed direction (Z) toward the disintegrating means (4) are associated with the support means (3), and wherein feed drive means (7) for driving the feed means (6) and disintegrating drive means (8) for driving the disintegrating means (4) are further provided, wherein control devices (9) are associated with the feed drive devices (7) and/or the opening drive devices (8) and/or the discharge devices (5), which are designed to control the feed drive devices (7) and/or the opening drive devices (8) and/or the discharge devices (5) in such a way that a malfunction or disturbance, such as in particular a jam or a blockage by the bale (2), in particular at the opening devices (4) and/or the discharge devices (5), is avoided or eliminated. Furthermore, the invention relates to a bale unraveling method in which a bale (2) of hay, straw, litter and/or fodder is transported on support devices (3) by means of their feed devices (6) driven by feed drive devices (7) to unraveling devices (4) driven by unraveling drive devices (8), which unravel hay, straw, litter and/or fodder from the bale (2) and transport it to output devices (5), wherein the feed drive devices (7) and/or the unraveling drive devices (8) and/or the dispensing devices (5) are controlled by means of control devices (9) in such a way that a malfunction or disturbance, such as in particular a jam or a blockage by the bale (2), in particular at the unraveling devices (4) and/or the dispensing devices (5), is avoided or eliminated.

The invention relates to a bale breaker (1) for a bale (2) of hay, straw, litter and/or fodder, comprising support means (3) for the bale (2) and breaker means (4) adapted to detach hay, straw, litter and/or fodder from a bale (2) provided on the support means (3) and to transport it to discharge means (5) arranged downstream of the breaker means (4), wherein feed means (6) for feeding a bale (2) provided on the support means (3) in a feed direction (Z) toward the disintegrating means (4) are associated with the support means (3), and wherein feed drive means (7) for driving the feed means (6) and disintegrating drive means (8) for driving the disintegrating means (4) are further provided, wherein control devices (9) are associated with the feed drive devices (7) and/or the opening drive devices (8) and/or the discharge devices (5), which are designed to control the feed drive devices (7) and/or the opening drive devices (8) and/or the discharge devices (5) in such a way that a malfunction or disturbance, such as in particular a jam or a blockage by the bale (2), in particular at the opening devices (4) and/or the discharge devices (5), is avoided or eliminated. Furthermore, the invention relates to a bale unraveling method in which a bale (2) of hay, straw, litter and/or fodder is transported on support devices (3) by means of their feed devices (6) driven by feed drive devices (7) to unraveling devices (4) driven by unraveling drive devices (8), which unravel hay, straw, litter and/or fodder from the bale (2) and transport it to output devices (5), wherein the feed drive devices (7) and/or the unraveling drive devices (8) and/or the dispensing devices (5) are controlled by means of control devices (9) in such a way that a malfunction or disturbance, such as in particular a jam or a blockage by the bale (2), in particular at the unraveling devices (4) and/or the dispensing devices (5), is avoided or eliminated.