Apparatus and methods for bagging organic and other materials

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for bagging organic and other material such as silage, compost, grain, sawdust, dirt, sand, etc., wherein plastic material is dispensed from a roll mounted on the bagging machine so that the plastic material is at least partially wrapped around the material being bagged as the bagging machine moves ahead during packing and filling.

1 . A method of bagging material, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a mobile bagging machine having rearward and forward ends and a rearwardly extending tunnel;    positioning a roll of flexible plastic material on said bagging machine;    causing said plastic material to unroll from said roll as material is forced through said tunnel and to pass around said tunnel to at least partially enclose the material being discharged from said tunnel; and    controlling the packing density of the material at least partially enclosed by the plastic material.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the material at least partially enclosed comprises organic material.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said plastic material passing around the tunnel has opposing side edges.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said plastic material forms a bag-like enclosure in which the material is placed.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said opposing side edges of said plastic material are positioned below the material in a horizontally spaced-apart manner.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said side edges of said plastic material are positioned below the material in an overlapping manner.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said overlapping side edges of said plastic material are sealed together.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the plastic material on the roll includes a folded sheet material having opposing sides.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the plastic material on the roll includes tubular material; and wherein the method further comprises the step of slitting the tubular material prior to passing the plastic material around the tunnel to create a sheet having opposing side edges.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising the step of passing the plastic material through a guide assembly operatively coupled to the tunnel.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the guide assembly is adapted to draw the opposing side edges of the plastic material toward a centerline of the tunnel.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the material being at least partially enclosed by the plastic material includes at least one of agricultural material, silage material, waste material, or compost material.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of passing the flexible plastic material over a sizing assembly as the plastic material passes around the tunnel.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of passing the flexible plastic material through a smoothing assembly as the plastic material passes around the tunnel.  
   
   
       15 - 24 . (canceled)  
   
   
       25 . A bagging machine for bagging material, comprising: 
 a mobile frame having rearward and forward ends;    a rearwardly extending tunnel operatively coupled to the mobile frame;    a density control assembly operatively coupled to the tunnel; and    a roll of flexible plastic material mounted on said mobile frame, wherein said plastic material is pulled from said roll as the bagging machine moves forwardly during the bagging operation, wherein said plastic material passes at least partially around said tunnel to at least partially enclose the material being discharged from said tunnel in a bag-like enclosure, and wherein said plastic material has opposing side edges as it passes at least partially around said tunnel.    
   
   
       26 . The bagging machine of  claim 25  wherein the plastic material on the roll includes a folded sheet material having opposing sides.  
   
   
       27 . The bagging machine of  claim 25  wherein the plastic material on the roll includes tubular material; and wherein the bagging machine further comprises a slitter operatively coupled to the mobile frame and adapted to slit the tubular material to create a sheet having opposing side edges.  
   
   
       28 . The bagging machine of  claim 25  wherein said roll of flexible plastic sheet material is mounted on said mobile frame means above said material forming means.  
   
   
       29 . The bagging machine of  claim 25  wherein said roll of flexible plastic sheet material is rotatably mounted on said mobile frame means.  
   
   
       30 . The bagging machine of  claim 25  further including a plastic material guide assembly.  
   
   
       31 . The bagging machine of  claim 30  wherein said plastic material guide assembly positions said opposing side edges of said plastic material beneath said tunnel.  
   
   
       32 . The bagging machine of  claim 30  wherein said plastic material guide assembly positions said opposing side edges of said plastic material beneath said tunnel in a horizontally spaced-apart relationship.  
   
   
       33 . The bagging machine of  claim 30  wherein said plastic material guide assembly positions said opposing side edges of said plastic material beneath said tunnel in an overlapping relationship.  
   
   
       34 . The bagging machine of  claim 30  wherein said plastic material guide assembly comprises guide rollers.  
   
   
       35 . The bagging machine of  claim 34  wherein said guide rollers are driven.  
   
   
       36 . The bagging machine of  claim 30  wherein said plastic material guide assembly comprises guide wheels.  
   
   
       37 . The bagging machine of  claim 36  wherein said guide wheels are driven.  
   
   
       38 . The bagging machine of  claim 30  wherein said plastic material guide assembly is positioned beneath said tunnel.  
   
   
       39 . The bagging machine of  claim 25  wherein the material being at least partially enclosed by the plastic material includes at least one of agricultural material, silage material, waste material, or compost material.  
   
   
       40 . The bagging machine of  claim 25 , wherein the bag-like enclosure has a diameter and further comprising a sizing assembly operatively coupled to the tunnel to adjust the diameter of the bag-like enclosure formed by the plastic material.  
   
   
       41 . The bagging machine of  claim 25  further comprising a smoothing assembly operatively coupled to the tunnel to smooth the plastic material passing around the tunnel.  
   
   
       42 - 53 . (canceled)  
   
   
       54 . A bagging machine for bagging material, comprising: 
 a mobile frame having rearward and forward ends;    a rearwardly extending tunnel operatively coupled to the mobile frame;    a density control assembly operatively coupled to the tunnel; and    a source of flexible plastic material mounted on said mobile frame, wherein said plastic material is pulled from said source as the bagging machine moves forwardly during the bagging operation, wherein said plastic material passes at least partially around said tunnel to at least partially enclose the material being discharged from said tunnel in a bag-like enclosure, and wherein said plastic material has opposing side edges as it passes at least partially around said tunnel.    
   
   
       55 . A method of bagging material, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a mobile bagging machine having rearward and forward ends and a rearwardly extending tunnel;    positioning a source of flexible plastic material on said bagging machine;    causing said plastic material to dispense from said source as material is forced through said tunnel and to pass around said tunnel to at least partially enclose the material being discharged from said tunnel; and    controlling the packing density of the material at least partially enclosed by the plastic material.