Hay wafering apparatus

Claim 1

IN A APPARATUS FOR MAKING COMPRESSED HAY WAFERS, AND OF THE TYPE HAVING AN ANNULAR SERIES OF DIE CELLS INCLUDING ENTRANCE ENDS THEREOF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACE ABOUT AND COMMUNICATING WITH A WAFERING CHAMBER IN WHICH THERE IS MOUNTED ROTARY HAY COMPACTION MEANS FOR COMPACTING HAY RECEIVED WITHIN SAID CHAMBER INTO AND THROUGH SAID DIE CELLS TO FORM WAFERS, A FEED HOPPER HAVING ONE END THEREOF COMMUNICATING WITHIN SAIS CHAMBER, AND ROTATABLE FEED AUGER MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID FEED HOPPER TO FEED HAY TO BE WAFERED THEREFROM INTO SAID CHAMBER; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A PICK-UP UNITE FOR GENTLY PICKING UP HAY TO BE WAFERED FORM A FIELD, MEANS FOR FORMING PICKED-UP HAY INTO A MAT WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CONVEYING THE LATTER TO A REEL-TYPE CHOPPING UNIT, SAID CHOPPING UNIT BEING OPERABLE TO CUT THE MAT OF HAY CONVEYED THERETO TO SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM LENGTHS, MEANS FOR FEEDING CHOPPED HAY FROMS SAID CHOPPING UNIT THROUGH THE SIDE OF SAID FEED HOPPER FOR FEED THEREFROM BY SAID FEED AUGER MEANS, AND MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ADDING MOISTURE HAY BEING PICKED UP BY SAID PICK-UP UNIT AND THE MAT OF HAY BEING CHOPPING BY SAID CHOPPING UNIT.