Patent ID: 7097123

Claim:
A bale processor comprising: a hopper for receiving a material in a bale to be processed having four walls including two side walls and two end walls arranged to define an open top through which the bale is loaded; the two side walls converging inwardly and downwardly to a lower disintegration area; a flail roller mounted in the disintegration area and rotatable about an axis extending generally along the side walls and transverse to the end walls to generate processed material removed from the bale; at least one drive member in the hopper for applying a rotation force to the bale tending to rotate the bale around an axis generally parallel to the flail roller axis; one of the side walls having a discharge opening at the disintegration area for discharge of the processed material removed from the bale by the flail roller; the hopper being arranged to be mounted on a wheeled vehicle for movement forwardly in a direction of operation; the discharge opening being arranged to form the processed material into a row along the side of the wheeled vehicle as the vehicle moves forwardly; a container arranged to be carried on the vehicle for receiving a particulate material; a conveyor for transporting the particulate material from the container; the conveyor being arranged to transport the particulate material into the hopper so as to be discharged from the conveyor into the hopper to mix with the material prior to discharge through the discharge opening.