GB2213765A

GB2213765A - Forage presses

Info

Publication number: GB2213765A
Application number: GB8729693A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Thorne
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-12-21
Filing date: 1987-12-21
Publication date: 1989-08-23
Also published as: GB8729693D0

Abstract

A press for compressing a bale of forage has a chamber 4 for receiving a bale, a ram 3 for compressing the bale longitudinally, a ram 7 for extruding the compressed bale transversely from the chamber 4, and a spout 8 for mounting a plastics bag to receive the bale after extrusion. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE: Forage Presses DESCRIPTION The invention relates to apparatus for pressing and packaging bales of forage.

Forage for horses and ruminants, such as hay and straw is conventionally stored in the form of exposed bales bound with twine. Such bales often have a volumetric air content of as much as eighty percent and tend to be cumbersome to handle and occupy a large amount of unnecessary space during storage and transportation. The continual exposure of the bale to the atmosphere eventually results in a deterioration of the quality of the forage due to the effects of moisture and/or aerobically respirating bacteria.

This deterioration limits the useful lifespan of the forage. Machines have been devised which compress forage into smaller bales. However, these machines are mechanically complex. The problem is to design apparatus capable of compressing a conventional bale into a size which is both easily manageable and economical to store and transport. The invention provides a forage press comprising a chamber for receiving a bale, a ram for compressing a bale longitudinally in the chamber, a ram for extruding the bale transversely from the chamber after compression, and means for mounting a plastics bag to receive the bale after extrusion.

By packaging the base in a sealable material, contact with atmospheric moisture is reduced, the respiration of aerobic bacteria is limited, the useful lifetime of the forage is enhanced and its nutrient qualities > -r; preserved. Grass part-dried so that its moisture content is reduced to from about 30 to 70% may be preserved in the same way. The exclusion of atmospheric air by the sealing of the packaging permits the desirable anaerobic (lactic) fermentation to proceed for the benefit of the forage.

Both of the rams may be either mechanically, pneumatically or hydraulically powered and fed by either an integral pump or an external source.

Drawings Figure 1 is a front sectional view of a forage press according to the invention taken along the line C-C of Figure 3; Figure 2 is a plan sectional view of a forage press according to the invention taken along the line B-B of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side sectional view of a forage press according to the invention taken along the line A-A of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an isometric view of a forage press according to the invention; and Figure 5 is a front view of a forage press according to the invention excluding the facia.

With reference to Figures 1,2,3 and 4, a forage press indicated generally at 1 has a compression cylinder 2, a compression ram 3, a compression chamber 4, an access doorway 5, an extrusion cylinder 6, an extrusion ram 7, a delivery spout 8 and a pump 9.

The doorway 5 enables access to the compression chamber 4.

A bale of forage (not shown) is inserted into the compression chamber 4 and the twine is manually removed from around the bale. The doorway 5 is closed by a closing mechanism 10. The pump 9 is engaged to pump fluid to the compression ram 3 providing a pressure sufficient longitudinally to compress the bale in the chamber 4.

Once the bale has been compressed to the required dimensions the ram 3 is halted in the position shown in Figure 5. Whilst the pressure exerted upon the compression ram 3 is maintained, the pump is engaged to pump fluid to the extrusion ram 7 which forces the bale out through the delivery spout 8 as shown in Figure 5. The neck of a plastics bag (not shown) is slid over the open end 11 of the spout 8 and the compressed bale is delivered directly into the bag which is removed from the spout 8 and heat sealed. Both rams are then released and return to their unpressurised positions ready for compression of the next bale.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A forage press comprising a chamber for receiving a bale of forage, a first ram for compressing the bale longitudinally in the chamber, a second ram for extruding the bale transversely from the chamber after compression, and means for mounting a plastics bag to receive the compressed bale after extrusion.

2. A forage press according to claim 1 wherein the first ram and the second ram are powered hydraulically.

3. A forage press according to claim 1 wherein the first ram and the second ram are powered pneumatically.

4. A forage press according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein fluid pressure is supplied to the first ram and the second ram by a pump integral with the forage press.

5. A forage press according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein fluid pressure is supplied to the first ram and the second ram by a source external to the forage press.

6. A forage press according to claim 1 wherein the first ram and the second ram are mechanically powered.

7. A forage press substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.