An apparatus for encasing a bale of compressed, expandable material, including a compliant sleeve, surrounding the bale of material; first and second sideframes arranged at opposing sides of the bale; and first and second slats, arranged at opposing sides of the bale and between the first and second sideframes, the slats interlocking with the sideframes for retaining the sideframes in position. Another aspect of the invention is a warehousing system for storing and retrieving bales of material. The system includes storage means for encasing the bales of material. The storage means includes a compliant sleeve, surrounding the material; first and second sideframes arranged at first and second opposing sides of the bale; and first and second slats, arranged at third and fourth opposing sides of the bale and between the first and second sideframes, the slats interlocking with the sideframes for retaining the sideframes in position. The system also includes automated means for removing the storage means from the bales of material. In one aspect the automated means includes means for positioning one or more of the bales in a de-casing region, and de-casing means for simultaneously securing the slats and removing the sideframes. In another aspect of the invention, the automated means further includes means for stacking the removed sideframes, and means for stacking storage pallets on which a plurality of bales are stacked.
A bale stacker for consolidating a plurality of bales into a bale bundle. The bale stacker includes a compression chamber at least partially defined by a floor, sidewalls, and a ceiling. The compression chamber extends between an upstream opening and a downstream opening thereof. The bales are receivable in the compression chamber via the upstream opening and the bale bundle is configured to exit the compression chamber via the downstream opening. The compression chamber ceiling includes a substantially planar rear portion positioned substantially parallel to the floor. The compression chamber ceiling also includes a front portion positioned upstream from the rear portion, and located in a non-parallel relationship relative to the floor for engaging the bales as they are moved past the front portion in a downstream direction of travel toward the downstream opening, so that the bales are compressed between the front portion and the floor.
