Apparatus for opening and mixing fibrous material, e.g. cotton

A system for opening and mixing bales of fibrous material comprising means for feeding bales of fibrous material along a first path of travel in a first direction from an input end toward an end remote therefrom, means for defining an inclined surface against which bales are urged by said feeding means during the movement of said bales in said first direction, said inclined surface having opposite ends disposed remotely from and more closely adjacent to said respective input and remote ends of said path of travel, said inclined surface defining an acute angle with said feeding means, means for removing the fibrous material from the bales thereof, means for moving said fibrous material removing means along a second path of travel during the operation thereof, means above said inclined surface for collecting the removed fibrous material, said collecting means including means for moving the collected fibrous material along a third path of travel in a direction corresponding to said first direction generally parallel to said inclined surface between an input end of said third path toward an end remote therefrom, said first path remote end and third path remote end being contiguous each other, means for discharging the collected fibrous material from said collecting means at an area of maximum depth of the collecting means and the selected fibrous material therein, and said area of maximum depth being located generally above and contiguous said third path remote end.