In 1947, Otto Wolff patented his mechanical wool sacker. On the front of this early wool bagger, there is an auger where wool would be placed. This leads to a cylinder on top of a trailer. The cylinder measures about 4 feet in diameter and about 15 feet high with various pullies and supports attached to it. These various pullies worked the mechanism that would fill long canvas bags with wool. Written on the reverse of this photograph is “Early wool bagger Otto Wolff.” Notice the large full wool sack in the lower left of photo. Burlap wool sacks measure approximately 40 inches x 90 inches and hold 30-35 fleece.
For nearly 60 years, Otto Wolff was a sheep rancher in the northern plains and gained a reputation as a top wool producer. He was a field man and wool buyer for the South Dakota Cooperative Wool Growers Association. He was instrumental in drafting and lobbying for the Berry Wool Amendment to the Wool Act. This 1941 law required the U.S. military to purchase domestic (made in America) wool, food and other supplies.