Patent ID: 7967231

Claim:
A bale processing apparatus for receiving and shredding a bale of material, the bale processing apparatus comprising: a hopper having a top and a bottom, a top opening through which a bale is received into the hopper and a bottom opening through which the material of the bale is dispersed, the bottom opening being at least partially positioned below the top opening; and a bale shredding assembly for removing material from a bale received in the hopper, the bale shredding assembly being located in an interior of the hopper below the top opening such that a bale dropped through the top opening into the hopper contacts the bale shredder assembly, and the bale shredding assembly being located above the bottom opening such that material removed from the bale by the bale shredding assembly falls through the bottom opening to a ground surface below the hopper; wherein the bale shredding assembly comprises a plurality of rotating structures, the plurality of rotating structures extending across the interior of the hopper between the top opening and the bottom opening; wherein each of the rotating structures includes: a rotatable shaft; and a plurality of paddle elements each mounted on the shaft and extending radially outwardly from the shaft.