Automatic batt packer and method of packing

A method of compressing batts into a bale size load in a compression packer machine that has a bottom press plate at one end of a loading chamber, a top frame portion at the opposite end of the chamber, a vertically reciprocal movable press plate assembly that includes a movable press plate extendable generally horizontally longitudinally across the chamber and retractable out of the chamber, a vertically reciprocal precompression assembly that includes precompression fingers extendable generally horizontally longitudinally across the chamber and retractable out of the chamber, and a ram assembly for moving compressed batts out of the chamber wherein a first series of uncompressed batts are successively conveyed into the loading chamber to be supportingly carried by the movable press plate as it is indexed vertically downwardly in the chamber; next the precompression fingers are moved into the chamber between the first series of batts and the top portion and as a second series of batts are successively conveyed into the chamber to be supportingly carried by the fingers, index the movable press plate and fingers downwardly and retract the movable press plate when it is adjacent the bottom press plate whereby the first series is precompressed between the bottom press plate and fingers; thence moving the movable press plate into the chamber between the second series and the top frame portion, successively conveying a third series of batts onto the movable press plate to be supportingly carried thereby while indexing the movable press plate downwardly to compress the first and second series and retracting the fingers from between the first and second series. The last mentioned indexing movement is stopped for a dwell period when the first and second series are fully compressed and the ram assembly ejects the fully compressed first and second series from the loading chamber. A conveyor conveys the batts into the loading chamber adjacent the top frame portion.