Hay processing machine

Claim 1

In a machine for processing forage material packages such as roll type bales including: a mobile frame having opposite sides, a front end and a back end; elevating means on said frame to engage and elevate a forage package, said elevating means including an elevating member movable on the front end of said frame and extending between the opposite sides of said frame; rotatable shredding means supported by said frame in a position to engage the forage material package when said package is raised by said elevating means into contact therewith; means pivotally connecting one end of said elevating member to said frame below the shredding means; means interconnecting said frame and said elevating member operable to raise and lower said member such that said elevating member is movable between a lower downwardly and forwardly extending position and an upper rearwardly and downwardly extending position, thereby defining its extreme limits of movement, so that when said elevating member is raised to said upper rearwardly and downwardly position gravity forces said forage material package toward said shredding means; delivery means positioned on said frame to receive the shredded material from said shredding means for discharge of the same from the machine, said delivery means including a rotatable auger and a shell extending around the lower portion of said auger; and means for driving said shredding means and said delivery means, the improvement in said delivery means comprising: a plate-like partial floor member having a first end and a second end and a plate-like auxiliary floor member positioned adjacent one another pivotally connected to each other along a pivot axis and extending transversely of said frame substantially between the opposite sides thereof and supported therebetween, said partial floor member sloping upwardly and forwardly away from shell, said auxiliary floor member being pivotable from a position generally below said first end to a position generally above said first end and said pivot axis, said pivot axis positioned in a horizontal plane spaced above a horizontal plane through said means pivotally connecting one end of said elevating member to said frame so that said auxiliary floor member continuously slidably engages said elevating member as it moves between its extreme limits to prevent material from escaping unintentionally from the machine.