Dispersing machine for large bales

Claim 1

A machine for dispersing the material contained in large bales upon the ground or the like, comprising: a trough-shaped body having a front end, a rear end, a bottom, a stationary side and a movable side, wherein said movable side is pivotally connected between said front end and said rear end a fixed distance above said bottom forming a discharge opening; a supporting framework which unifies said trough-shaped body elements in such a manner that said framework and said trough-shaped body are not capable of independent movement, said framework having wheels near said rear end and means for hook-up of the machine to a tractor; a rotor centrally located near said bottom of said trough-shaped body, made up of a series of uniformly spaced, flat adjacent plates connected to a central shaft, tie rods connecting adjacent plates at positions equally distant about the periphery of said adjacent plates, hammer means pivotally connected to said tie rods between the adjacent plates and means for coupling said central shaft of said rotor to an external power source; grate means overlying said rotor for holding the bale above said rotor while still allowing said hammers to pass therethrough to engage and break up the baled material; and lift means connected to said movable side for moving said movable side only between a lowered, pick-up position in which said movable side wall contacts said ground, and a raised, operational position.