Patent ID: 7448196
Filing Date: 2008-11-11
Classification: A01D,A01F

Abstract:
1. In a rectangular baler having a fore-and-aft, generally horizontally extending baling chamber, a plunger reciprocable within said chamber in compression and retraction strokes, and an opening in the bottom of the baling chamber through which charges of crop material are introduced into the chamber between compression strokes of the plunger, the improvement comprising: a pickup for lifting crop materials off the ground as the baler advances; structure defining a passage leading from the pickup to the opening in the bottom of the baling chamber, said passage including an inlet for receiving materials from the pickup; and feeding mechanism adjacent said inlet for moving crop materials within the passage, said inlet being transversely narrower than the effective operating width of the pickup, said pickup including a pair of transversely extending and axially spaced apart lower stub augers positioned on opposite lateral sides of said inlet and disposed forwardly thereof for consolidating picked up crop materials centrally toward the inlet from opposite, laterally outboard areas of the pickup during rotation of the lower stub augers, said pickup further including a pair of transversely extending and axially spaced apart upper stub augers positioned on opposite lateral sides of said inlet above the lower stub augers, said upper stub augers being configured to consolidate crops centrally during rotation of the upper stub augers, said upper and lower stub augers cooperating to define a crop consolidation zone in front of said inlet and between inboard ends of the upper and lower stub augers, said feeding mechanism including a portion that is operable to reach forwardly beyond said inlet into said crop consolidation zone along a path of travel that overlaps the cross-sectional outline of the upper and lower stub augers when viewed in side elevation for feeding crop materials rearwardly through the inlet and into the passage.