Dual auger baler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10588271-B2
Application number	US-201715799940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2017
Priority date	Mar 3, 2017
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

A baler including a frame, a feed assembly coupled to the frame, an auger housing defining a volume therein, where the volume of the auger housing is configured to receive crop material from the feed assembly during operation, and one or more augers at least partially positioned within the volume and rotatable with respect to the auger housing, where the one or more augers define an auger inlet plane. The baler also including a plurality of strippers coupled to the auger housing and configured to engage crop material, where each stripper includes a leading edge, and where the leading edge of at least one stripper is positioned upstream of the auger inlet plane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A baler comprising:
a frame;
a feed assembly coupled to the frame;
an auger housing defining a volume therein, wherein the volume of the auger housing is configured to receive crop material from the feed assembly during operation; and
at least one auger at least partially positioned within the volume and rotatable with respect to the auger housing; wherein the at least one auger defines an auger inlet plane; and
a plurality of strippers each fixedly coupled to the auger housing and configured to engage crop material, wherein each stripper includes a leading edge, and wherein the leading edge of at least one stripper is positioned upstream of the auger inlet plane.

2. The baler of claim 1 , wherein the at least one auger includes a first auger rotatable about a first axis, and a second auger rotatable about a second axis.

3. The baler of claim 2 , wherein the first axis and the second axis lie on a first plane.

4. The baler of claim 1 , wherein each pair of adjacent leading edges defines an respective inlet therebetween forming a group of inlets, and wherein at least one inlet of the group of inlets has a different width than the other inlets.

5. The baler of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the strippers is helical in shape.

6. The baler of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the strippers extends axially along at least a portion of its length.

7. The baler of claim 1 , wherein each leading edge of the plurality of strippers is positioned upstream of the auger inlet plane.

8. A baler comprising:
a frame;
a feed assembly coupled to the frame, the feed assembly including an accelerator roll;
an auger housing defining a volume therein, wherein the volume of the auger housing is configured to receive crop material from the feed assembly during operation; and
at least one auger at least partially received within the volume and rotatable with respect to the auger housing; wherein the at least one auger defines an auger inlet plane; and
a stripper fixedly coupled to the auger housing and configured to engage crop material moving between the feed assembly and the auger housing, wherein the stripper includes a leading edge, and wherein the leading edge is positioned between the accelerator roll and the auger inlet plane.

9. The baler of claim 8 , wherein the stripper is adjustable with respect to the auger housing.

10. The baler of claim 8 , wherein the stripper is helical in shape.

11. The baler of claim 10 , wherein the helical shape is coaxial one of the at least one auger.

12. A baler comprising:
a frame;
a feed assembly coupled to the frame;
an auger housing coupled to the frame and configured to receive crop material from the feed assembly during operation, wherein the auger housing includes a pair a sidewalls, a first open end, and a second open end opposite the first open end, wherein the sidewalls define a space therebetween, and wherein the auger housing defines an axis positioned equidistant from both sidewalls;
at least one auger at least partially received within the volume and rotatable with respect to the auger housing; and
a plurality of strippers fixedly coupled to the auger housing and configured to engage crop material passing between the feed assembly and the auger housing, wherein each stripper includes a leading edge, and
wherein a first pair of adjacent strippers of the plurality of strippers defines at least one central inlet positioned proximate the axis of the auger housing, wherein the central inlet defines a first inlet width, and
wherein a second pair of adjacent strippers of the plurality of strippers defines at least one lateral inlet positioned a greater distance from the axis of the auger housing than the central inlet, and wherein the lateral inlet defines a second inlet width, and
wherein the first inlet width is greater than the second inlet width.

13. The baler of claim 12 , wherein the second pair of adjacent strippers are positioned proximate one of the pair of sidewalls.

14. The baler of claim 12 , wherein the at least one auger defines an auger inlet plane, and wherein at least one leading edge of the plurality of strippers is positioned upstream of the auger inlet plane.

15. The baler of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the plurality of strippers is helical in shape.

16. The baler of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the plurality of strippers extends axially.

17. A method of baling crop material, the method comprising:
providing a baler having a frame, a feed assembly coupled to the frame, an auger housing coupled to the frame and defining a volume therein, an auger at least partially positioned within the volume and rotatable with respect to the auger housing, and a stripper fixedly coupled to the auger housing and configured to engage crop material and having a leading edge;
collecting the crop material from a support surface with the feed assembly;
subdividing the crop material into at least two sub-flows with the leading edge of the stripper;
conveying the at least two sub-flows through the auger housing with the auger; and
compressing the crop material into a bale.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the leading edge of the stripper is located between the feed assembly and the auger.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the stripper is substantially helical in shape.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the auger defines an auger inlet plane, and wherein the leading edge of the stripper is positioned upstream of the auger inlet plane.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the stripper includes a trailing edge, and wherein the trailing edge is positioned in the volume.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Kraus Timothy J
• Sloan Charles Scott
• Anstey Henry D

Classifications

• A01F15/00

  Baling presses for straw, hay or the like · CPC title

• A01F15/0825

  Regulating or controlling density or shape of the bale · CPC title

• A01F29/04

  with feeding direction transverse to axis · CPC title

• A01F15/06 Primary

  with double-action plunger · CPC title

• A01F15/10 Primary

  Feeding devices for the crop material {e.g. precompression devices} · CPC title