Method and apparatus for opening fiber bales

A method of operating a bale opener having an opening device arranged for a horizontal back-and-forth travel above a row of fiber bales;

• said opening device having two parallel-arranged and horizontally oriented opening roller provided with teeth;
• said opening rollers being spaced from one another in a direction parallel to the direction of back-and-forth travel;
• each said opening roller having an axis of rotation oriented perpendicularly to the direction of the back-and-forth travel;
• said opening device further having a bale hold-down device through which the teeth of the opening rollers project for penetrating into upper faces of the bales and suction means for removing fiber tufts detached by said opening rollers;
• including the steps of propelling the opening device to perform back-and-forth travel;
• rotating the opening rollers for removing fiber tufts from the upper bale faces and removing the detached fiber tufts by suction;
• the improvement comprising the step of codirectionally rotating said opening rollers during said back-and-forth travel.