Hay wafer and method and apparatus for manufacture

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HAY WAFERS OR PELLETS FROM STEM AND LEAF FRAGMENTS OF DRIED HAY UTILIZING MEANS FORMING A DIE HAVING AT LEAST ONE DISCHARGE ORIFICE THEREIN, ADVANCING THE STEM AND LEAF FRAGMENTS OF DRIED HAY THROUGH THE DISCHARGE ORIFICE OF THE DIE TO FORM THE HAY WAFERS OR PELLETS, CONTROLLING THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE STEM AND LEAF FRAGMENTS OF DRIED HAY SO THAT A PREDETERMINED PRESSURE RANGING FROM 200 TO 2000 P.S.I. IS APPLIED TO THE STEM AND LEAF FRAGMENTS OF DRIED HAY BEFORE EMERGING FROM THE DISCHARGE ORIFICE IN THE DIE, AND SUPPLYING HEAT IN ADDITION TO SOME HEAT CREATED BY FRICTION TO THE STEM AND LEAF FRAGMENTS OF DRIED HAY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME RANGING FROM 1 TO 120 SECONDS BEFORE THEY EMERGE FROM THE DISCHARGE ORIFICE OF THE DIE SO THAT AT LEAST PORTIONS OF THE STEM AND LEAF FRAGMENTS OF DRIED HAY ASSUME AT TEMPERATURE RANGING FROM 212* F. TO 350* F. TO PROVIDE WAFERS OR PELLETS AND HAVING A DENSITY BETWEEN 30 AND 40 POUNDS PER CUBIC FOOT AND TO PROVIDE WAFERS WHICH ARE RELATIVELY STABLE IN SIZE AND WHICH HAVE GOOD HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS, SAID APPLICATION OF HEAT SERVING TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE POWER REQUIRED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THE HAY WAFERS OR PELLETS.