Bale-forming machine and process

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR FORMING BALES OF A DEFORMABLE MATERIAL, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE ADVANCING SAID MATERIAL UNDER PRESSURE ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH, FROM THE OUTLET OF A FEED MEANS TO A DEFORMING CHAMBER ARRANGED IN FIXED POSITIONS DOWNSTREAM OF AND IN PRESSURE COMMUNICATION WITH SAID FEED MEANS OUTLET, COMPRESSING SAID DEFORMABLE MATERIAL IN A FIRST SECTION OF SAID DEFORMING CHAMBER WHICH SECTION HAS A CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA REDUCING IN A DOWNSTREAM DIRECTION AND WHICH TERMINATES IN A RESTRICTED THROAT, FORCING SAID MATERIAL THROUGH SAID THROAT AND ALLOWING SAID MATERIAL TO EXPAND IN AN EXPANSION SECTION OF SAID DEFORMING CHAMBER WHICH SECTION EXPANDS IN A DOWNSTREAM DIRECTION FROM SAID THROAT, ALLOWING SAID MATERIAL TO PASS FROM SAID DEFORMING CHAMBER INTO A SECOND CHAMBER, LOCATED DOWNSTREAM OF SAID DEFORMING CHAMBER, AND ADAPTED TO SLIDE AXIALLY BACK AND FORTH OVER A PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF THE DOWNSTREAM END OF THE EXPANSION SECTION, AND IN WHICH SAID MATERIAL IS COMPLETELY CONFINED BY A CUTTING MEANS DISPOSED ACROSS THE DOWNSTREAM END OF SAID SECOND CHAMBER, SAID CUTTING MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO MOVE IN UNISON WITH SAID SECOND CHAMBER, PERIODICALLY RETRACTING SAID CUTTING MEANS TO ALLOW PERIODIC DISPLACEMENT OF SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID CHAMBER, THEN RETRACTING SAID SECOND CHAMBER IN AN UPSTREAM DIRECTION TO DISPLACE FURTHER SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID CHAMBER, AND THEN ACTUATING SAID CUTTING MEANS TO CUT OFF SAID DISPLACED MATERIAL.