A shredding and baling apparatus comprising:
- a shredding assembly comprising:
- an intake hopper for receiving material to be shredded, said intake hopper having an open bottom portion for allowing shredded material to freely pass therethrough;
- a shredding mechanism comprising a cutting drum rotatable along a rotational axis and oriented along a horizontal axis, the cutting drum being positioned in a central portion of said intake hopper and capable of free rotation through said open bottom portion thereof;
- a plurality of cutting teeth arranged spirally and carried on an outer portion of said cutting drum;
- a means for conveying operatively connected to and disposed below said shredding mechanism, the front of said means for conveying being aligned with the front of said shredding mechanism, whereby shredded material is gravity fed from said shredding mechanism onto said means for conveying;
- said means for conveying being operatively connected to and terminating above a baling assembly such that shredded material may be carried to and gravity fed into said baling assembly, said baling assembly comprising:
- a housing having a fixed member and a pivoting door member, said housing defining a baling cavity on an inside portion thereof;
- a series of rotatable rollers positioned within said housing, and wherein a first set of said rollers are rotatably attached within said fixed member of said housing, and a second set of said rollers are rotatably attached within said pivoting door member of said housing;
- a series of belts disposed about said rollers, so that said belts may rotate about said rollers;
- a drive mechanism attached to said housing and operatively connected to at least one of said rollers, wherein said drive mechanism rotates said at least one roller that is operatively connected thereto;
- a baler hopper attached to an upper portion of said housing for receiving shredded material, wherein said baling material is fed through said baler hopper into said shredded chamber;
- a wrap feeder disposed on an outer portion of said housing, said wrap feeder being used to feed a wrap material to said baling cavity to wrap around a bale of baling material after said bale has been formed therein;
- a power unit for powering said shredding assembly, said baling assembly, and said means for conveying, said power unit comprising;
- at least one hydraulic motor operative connected to at least one hydraulic pump and at least one hydraulic line, said at least one hydraulic line operatively connecting each of said shredding assembly, said baling assembly, and said means for conveying;
- and
- a computer operationally connected to said power unit for automating and controlling said apparatus.