Patent ID: 7975607

Claim:
A mechanism for applying a uniform tension to a bale in the bale case of an agricultural baler, the bale case having four sides defining a generally rectangular opening through which a bale is urged along a bale travel axis from a forward end toward a rearward end, said mechanism comprising: a first pair of elongate tension rails arranged along two opposing sides of the bale case, each of said first pair of tension rails being pivotally connected at one end adjacent to the forward end of the bale case and extending rearwardly therefrom in a manner to allow said first pair of tension rails to be selectively pivoted inwardly and outward relative to the bate travel axis; a second pair of elongate tension rails arranged along two opposing sides of the bale case generally perpendicularly oriented to said first pair of tension rails, each of said second pair of tension rails being pivotally connected to the bale case and extending rearwardly therefrom in a manner to allow said second pair of tension rails to be selectively pivoted inwardly and outward relative to the bale travel axis; a first positioner mechanism connected to said first pair of tension rails for simultaneously moving said first pair inwardly or outwardly with respect to the bale travel axis; a second positioner mechanism separate from said first positioned mechanism connected to said second pair or tension rails for simultaneously moving said second pair inwardly or outwardly with respect to the bale travel axis, wherein said first positioner mechanism and said second positioner mechanism enable selective and independent positioning of said first pair of tension rails and said second pair of tension rails, respectively, to apply a pressure on the sides of a bale in the bale case; and wherein said first pair of tension rails and said second pair of tension rails each have an offset bend oriented generally parallel to respective said pivotal connections and rearwardly displaced therefrom said offset bend in each said tension rail creating a generally planar first surface and and generallv planar second surface wherein said first and second surfaces are angled with respect to each other, the offset bends of said second pair of tension rails located rearward alone the bale travel axis from the offset bends of the first pair of elongate tension rails, and wherein pivotal connections of the second pair of tension rails are located rearward along the bale travel axis from pivotal connections of the first pair of tension rails.