Livestock feeding machine

Claim 1

An apparatus for feeding baled hay to livestock comprising, a mobile platform moveable past said livestock, said platform being formed to carry a plurality of bales of baled hay, a hay bale cutter having a first opening for receiving a bale of hay and a second opening for discharging small masses of cut hay therefrom, means in said cutter operating to cut a bale of hay received in said first opening into small masses of cut hay and directing said cut hay to said second opening, said cutter mounted on one side of said platform, and a conveyor operable to receive cut hay on one end thereof and to deliver and drop said cut hay from the other end thereof, said conveyor mounted on said platform so that said one end thereof is disposed in receiving relation to said cut hay discharged from said second opening of said cutter and so that said other end thereof is disposed as a cantilever over said one side of said platform, whereby cut hay is dropped from said conveyor to said livestock as said platform is moved past said livestock and as baled hay carried on said platform is deposited in said cutter, said hay bale cutter comprising a bale cutting chamber between said first and second openings, a plurality of elongated cutter assemblies, support means carrying said cutter assemblies in a parallel spaced apart relationship to extend substantially across said cutting chamber, said cutter being mounted on said platform so that said first opening is substantially vertically above said second opening, and said one end of said conveyor is disposed below said second opening, whereby a bale of hay deposited in said first opening is moved through said cutting chamber under the force of gravity and the small masses of cut hay are discharged from said second opening onto said one end of said conveyor under the force of gravity.

Claim 2

An apparatus for feeding baled hay to livestock comprising, a mobile platform moveable past said livestock, said platform being formed to carry a plurality of bales of baled hay, a hay bale cutter having a first opening for receiving a bale of hay and a second opening for discharging small masses of cut hay therefrom, means in said cutter operating to cut a bale of hay received in said first opening into small masses of cut hay and directing said cut hay to said second opening, said cutter mounted on one side of said platform, and a conveyor operable to receive cut hay on one end thereof and to deliver and drop said cut hay from the other end thereof, said conveyor mounted on said platform so that said one end thereof is disposed in receiving relation to said cut hay discharged from said second opening of said cutter and so that said other end thereof is disposed as a cantilever over said one side of said platform, whereby cut hay is dropped from said conveyor to said livestock as said platform is moved past said livestock and as baled hay carried on said platform is deposited in said cutter, said hay bale cutter comprising a bale cutting chamber between said first and second openings, a plurality of elongated cutter assemblies, support means carrying said cutter assemblies in a parallel spaced apart relationship to extend substantially across said cutting chamber, said cutter being mounted on said platform so that said first opening is substantially vertically above said second opening, and said one end of said conveyor is disposed below said second opening, whereby a bale of hay deposited in said first opening is moved through said cutting chamber under the force of gravity and the small masses of cut hay are discharged from said second opening onto said one end of said conveyor under the force of gravity.