Patent ID: 8381503
Filing Date: 2013-02-26
Classification: A01F

Abstract:
1. A baler comprising: a bale forming chamber having an inlet opening, a pickup assembly for conveying crop material from the ground to a bale-forming chamber, said pickup assembly comprising: a forwardly disposed tine reel configured for rotation about a transverse tine reel axis; a rearwardly disposed floor roll configured for rotation about a floor roll axis, said floor roll axis being generally parallel to a tine reel axis, said floor roll having a transverse width and forming a bottom boundary of the inlet opening of the chamber and a plurality of circumferential grooves recessed into a peripheral surface and spaced apart along said transverse width wherein the floor roll is a bale forming roll of the bale chamber; and a rotary feeder configured for rotation on an intermediate axis, said intermediate axis being generally parallel to said tine reel axis and said floor roll axis and positioned therebetween, said rotary feeder having a plurality of generally radially extending feed fingers spaced apart along said intermediate axis, proximity of said intermediate axis; and wherein said floor roll and rotary feeder are positioned and configured such that said feed fingers of the rotary feeder intermesh with said circumferential grooves of said floor roll.