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 and revolving 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 a bag deployed from around the tunnel, and  
 a second feed-compression rotor having a plurality of teeth located and revolving around a circumference of the second feed-compression rotor, which is located, at least partly, in the tunnel and above the first feed-compression rotor and located above a midpoint of the tunnel's height; 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; and    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 and revolving 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 first feed-compression rotor;    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 and revolving around a circumference of the second feed-compression rotor, which is located, at least partly, in the tunnel and above the first feed-compression rotor and above a midpoint of the tunnel's height and connected to force feed from above the first feed-compression rotor toward an upper portion of the tunnel cavity.    
   
   
       3 - 4 . (canceled)  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the input hopper includes having an inwardly sloping wall and having a lower end exit chute located to transfer the agricultural feed into the first feed-compression rotor.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein providing the input hopper includes: 
 providing a first motor coupled to the sloping wall of the input hopper; and    providing a first distribution mechanism driven by the first motor and located inside the hopper to move the agricultural feed adjacent to the sloping wall in order to prevent feed bridging before the first feed-compression rotor, having the distribution mechanism powered by the first motor.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein providing the first motor includes a rotary motor and wherein the providing distribution mechanism further includes having an elongated first bar attached along its length to the first motor such that the first motor sweeps the first bar in a curvical motion in a plane substantially parallel to and along the sloping wall, wherein a plane of the first bar is substantially parallel to the sloping wall and an axis of rotation of the first motor is substantially perpendicular to the sloping wall.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein a leading edge of the first bar forms a non-parallel angle relative to a radius of rotation of the first bar.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein providing the input hopper includes: 
 providing a second motor coupled to the sloping wall of the input hopper; and    providing an elongated second bar attached along its length to the second motor such that the second motor sweeps the second bar in a curvical motion along the sloping wall.    
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising: the input hopper having an inwardly sloping wall and a lower end exit chute located to transfer the agricultural feed into the first feed-compression rotor.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a first motor coupled to the sloping wall of the input hopper; and    a first distribution mechanism driven by the first motor and located inside the hopper to move the agricultural feed adjacent to the sloping wall in order to prevent feed bridging before the first feed-compression rotor, the distribution mechanism powered by the first motor.    
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first motor is a rotary motor and wherein the distribution mechanism further comprises an elongated first bar attached along its length to the first motor such that the first motor sweeps the first bar in a curvical motion in a plane substantially parallel to and along the sloping wall, wherein a plane of the first bar is substantially parallel to the sloping wall and an axis of rotation of the first motor is substantially perpendicular to the sloping wall.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein a leading edge of the first bar forms a non-parallel angle relative to a radius of rotation of the first bar.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 a second motor coupled to the sloping wall of the input hopper; and    an elongated second bar attached along its length to the second motor such that the second motor sweeps the second bar in a curvical motion along the sloping wall.    
   
   
       15 . An agricultural bagger apparatus for compacting feed into a horizontally deployed bag, the apparatus comprising: 
 means for providing 
 an agricultural bagger having a first feed-compression rotor having a plurality of teeth located and revolving 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 a bag deployed from around the tunnel, and  
 a second feed-compression rotor having a plurality of teeth located and revolving around a circumference of the second feed-compression rotor, which is located, at least partly, in the tunnel and above the first feed-compression rotor and located above a midpoint of the tunnel's height; and  
   means for transferring the agricultural feed from the hopper into the first feed-compression rotor;    means for forcing feed into the tunnel using the first feed-compression rotor; and    means for forcing feed from above the first feed-compression rotor and toward an upper portion of the tunnel cavity using the second feed-compression rotor.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein means for providing the input hopper includes means for having an inwardly sloping wall and having a lower end exit chute located to transfer the agricultural feed into the first feed-compression rotor.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein means for providing the input hopper includes: 
 means for providing a first motor coupled to the sloping wall of the input hopper; and    means for providing a first distribution mechanism driven by the first motor and located inside the hopper to move the agricultural feed adjacent to the sloping wall in order to prevent feed bridging before the first feed-compression rotor, having the distribution mechanism powered by the first motor.    
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein means for providing the first motor includes a rotary motor and wherein the means for providing distribution mechanism further includes having an elongated first bar attached along its length to the first motor such that the first motor sweeps the first bar in a curvical motion in a plane substantially parallel to and along the sloping wall, wherein a plane of the first bar is substantially parallel to the sloping wall and an axis of rotation of the first motor is substantially perpendicular to the sloping wall.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein a leading edge of the first bar forms a non-parallel angle relative to a radius of rotation of the first bar.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein means for providing the input hopper includes: 
 means for providing a second motor coupled to the sloping wall of the input hopper; and    means for providing an elongated second bar attached along its length to the second motor such that the second motor sweeps the second bar in a curvical motion along the sloping wall.