Patent ID: 7350459

Claim:
An organic foliage compactor for compacting organic foliage into a bale, the compactor comprising: a compactor frame; at least one ground engaging wheel operatively coupled to the compactor frame for transporting the compactor to a desired location; a hitch fixedly connected to a first end of the compactor frame for use in selectively attaching the compactor to a tow vehicle; a compacting tube coupled to a top of the compactor frame, the compacting tube including a first end, a second end and a housing that defines an interior passage extending between the first end and the second end through which the organic foliage is urged to compact said organic foliage; wherein the compacting tube has a top portion and a bottom portion, and the top portion and the bottom portion are at least partially separated by an adjustable gap; a force that urges the top and bottom portions together wherein the gap can be adjusted by adjusting the force; a feed tube to which the organic foliage is to be introduced in communication with the compacting tube and the feed tube is connected to a top of the compacting tube; a driver for providing an urging force to be imparted on organic foliage introduced to the feed tube; a platen operatively coupled to the driver for urging organic foliage introduced to the feed tube into the compacting tube where it is compacted as the organic foliage progresses through the interior passage defined by the housing between the first end and the second end of the compacting tube as a substantially steady-state process; a control device to control a direction in which the platen travels relative to the compacting tube; and a binder for inserting a binding cord through a bale to be discharged from the compacting tube; wherein the binder includes a hydraulically-actuated arm that is pivotally mounted on an underside of the frame, and the arm is hydraulically driven by a hydraulic cylinder that is coupled to the underside of the frame; wherein at least a portion of the hydraulically-actuated arm pierces the bale of organic foliage and extends at least a portion of a binding cord through the bale.