Baling apparatus and method

A baling apparatus for bailing material comprising:

• a bale chamber having a material receiving opening for receiving balable material from beneath said bale chamber, said material receiving opening located at a lower portion of said chamber and said bale chamber having a bale discharge opening located at an upper portion of said chamber for discharge of a bale formed in said bale chamber;
• a conveyor positioned between the bale chamber and the material to be baled for transporting a mat of baling material toward the bale chamber;
• a conveyor sweep mounted above the conveyor for engaging a segment of the mat of baling material on the conveyor and carrying the segment to an area adjacent to the material receiving opening of the bale chamber;
• a compression ram positioned adjacent to the material receiving opening of the bale chamber, said compression ram compresses the baling material adjacent to the material receiving opening into the bale chamber thereby compressing material within the bale chamber to form a bale of material therein;
• and
• a moveable supporting gate positioned at or above the material receiving opening of the bale chamber for supporting the material contained in the bale chamber having an actuator for opening the supporting gate during the compression stroke of the compression ram.

A method for forming bales of material comprising the steps of:

• forming and transporting a mat of baling material from an area containing the material;
• periodically separating and delivering a segment of the mat of baling material to an area beneath a bale chamber and adjacent a material receiving opening of said bale chamber and thereafter;
• upwardly compressing each said segment of baling material into the bale chamber through the material receiving opening of the bale chamber, the compression forming a substantially horizontal compressed layer of fibrous material that becomes part of the bale;
• and
• supporting from below any compressed layers in the bale chamber after completion of each compressing step.