Agricultural bagger with upper tunnel compaction

Abstract

An agricultural bagger apparatus and method for compacting feed into a horizontally deployed bag including a compression mechanism and an input hopper that receives agricultural feed. The hopper has a sloping wall and a lower end exit chute located to transfer the feed into the primary compression mechanism (e.g., a rotating toothed cylinder). The tapered hopper causes the feed to bridge, stopping the feed from falling through the chute. A new distribution mechanism in the hopper sweeps the feed adjacent to the sloping wall to prevent feed bridging. By preventing the feed from clogging, there is less reason to risk one's safety by foolishly inserting their limb into the hopper. Some embodiments also compact feed in the upper portion of the tunnel, for example, by reciprocating a hinged piston above the primary compression mechanism. This increases the compaction on the top portion of the tunnel without unduly juicing the feed.

1 . A method comprising: 
 providing an agricultural bagger having a first feed-compression rotor having a plurality of teeth located around a circumference of the first feed-compression rotor, an input hopper that receives agricultural feed, a tunnel having an internal cavity, and connected to the first feed-compression rotor to receive the feed output from the first feed-compression rotor and operable to extrude the feed into the bag deployed from around the tunnel, and a second feed-compression rotor having a plurality of teeth located around a circumference of the second feed-compression rotor, which is located above the first feed-compression rotor; and    transferring the agricultural feed from the hopper into the first feed-compression rotor;    forcing feed into the tunnel using the first feed-compression rotor    forcing feed from above the first feed-compression rotor and toward an upper portion of the tunnel cavity using the second feed-compression rotor.    
   
   
       2 . An agricultural bagger apparatus for compacting feed into a horizontally deployed bag, the apparatus comprising: 
 a first feed-compression rotor having a plurality of teeth located around a circumference of the first feed-compression rotor;    an input hopper that receives agricultural feed, the hopper having a lower-end exit located to transfer the agricultural feed from the hopper into the primary compression mechanism;    a tunnel having an internal cavity, and connected to the primary compression mechanism to receive the feed output from the primary compression mechanism and operable to extrude the feed into the bag deployed from around the tunnel; and    a second feed-compression rotor having a plurality of teeth located around a circumference of the second feed-compression rotor, which is located above the first feed-compression rotor and connected to force feed from above the first feed-compression rotor and toward an upper portion of the tunnel cavity.    
   
   
       3 . An agricultural bagger apparatus for compacting feed into a horizontally deployed bag, the apparatus comprising: 
 a first rotary compression mechanism having a plurality of teeth located around a circumference of the first rotary compression mechanism;    an input hopper that receives agricultural feed, the hopper having a sloping wall and a lower end exit chute located to transfer the agricultural feed into the first compression mechanism; and    a first distribution mechanism inside the hopper configured to move the agricultural feed adjacent to the sloping wall in order to prevent feed bridging before the primary compression mechanism.    
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 a second feed-compression rotor having a plurality of teeth located around a circumference of the second feed-compression rotor, which is located above the first feed-compression rotor and connected to force feed from above the first feed-compression rotor and toward an upper portion of the tunnel cavity.