Bale opening and blending apparatus

Claim 1

A BALE OPENING AND BLENDING APPARATUS COMPRISING RECIPROCATING CONVEYOR MEANS FOR MOVING A PLURALITY OF BALES OF FIBERS THROUGH A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PATH OF TRAVEL, SAID PATH OF TRAVEL BEING INTERRUPTED BY TRANSVERSE SPACES, BRIDGE MEANS ACROSS SAID SPACES FOR SUPPORTING BALES MOVED ALONG SAID PATH OF TRAVEL, FRAME MEANS MOUNTING SAID BRIDGE MEANS BELOW SAID PATH OF TRAVEL SO THAT PORTIONS OF THE BALES ON SAID BRIDGE MEANS MAY BREATHE DOWNWARDLY TO EFFECT A REDUCTION IN FIBER DENSITY, PLUCKER MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FRAME MEANS IN SAID SPACES FOR PLUCKING SMALL TUFTS OF FIBERS FROM THE PORTIONS OF THE BALES ON SAID BRIDGE MEANS, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FRAME MEANS TO REMOVE TUFTS OF FIBERS FROM THE PLUCKER MEANS, DRIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONVEYOR MEANS FOR ROVIDING RECPIROCATING MOVEMENT OF EACH BALE OF FIBERS OVER ONE OF SAID BRIDGE MEANS, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FRAME MEANS FOR COLLECTING THE TUFTS OF FIBERS, AND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FRAME MEANS FOR RIGIDLY CONFINING A ROW OF BALES ON SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, SAID CONFINING MEANS INCLUDING RELATIVELY MOVABLE WALL MEANS AND MEANS VERTICALLY MOVABLE TOWARDS SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID CONFINING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT WITH SAID CONVEYOR MEANS.