System and method for baling agricultural crop material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9351444-B2
Application number	US-201414777268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

An agricultural baler disposed on a movable agricultural implement is provided. The baler includes a first plunger and a second plunger. The baler also includes a strap feeding assembly and a track assembly disposed within a first slot formed on a first material-facing surface of the first plunger, a second slot formed on a second material-facing surface of the second plunger, a third slot formed on a third material-facing surface of a first wall of the baling chamber, and a fourth slot formed on a fourth material-facing surface of a second wall of the baling chamber. The first plunger is configured to compress material within the baling chamber, and the strap feeding assembly is configured to propel a strap through the track assembly, around the baling chamber, and into a sealing assembly configured to seal the strap into a loop around the bale.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural baler disposed on a movable agricultural implement comprising:
a first plunger and a second plunger, positioned on an opposite longitudinal end of a baling chamber from the first plunger;
a strap feeding assembly; and
a track assembly disposed within a first slot formed on a first material-facing surface of the first plunger, a second slot formed on a second material-facing surface of the second plunger, a third slot formed on a third material-facing surface of a first wall of the baling chamber, and fourth slot formed on a fourth material-facing surface of a second wall of the baling chamber, wherein the first and second walls are positioned on opposite lateral or vertical sides of the baling chamber;
wherein the first plunger is configured to compress material within the baling chamber into a bale, and the strap feeding assembly is configured to propel an end of a strap through the track assembly, around the baling chamber, and into a sealing assembly configured to bind a first portion of the strap to a second portion of the strap to seal the strap into a loop around the bale within the baling chamber, and wherein the agricultural baler is disposed on a movable agricultural implement.

2. The agricultural baler of claim 1 , wherein the track assembly comprises a gated channel.

3. The agricultural baler of claim 2 , wherein the gated channel comprises spring-loaded gates.

4. The agricultural baler of claim 2 , wherein the gated channel comprises actuated gates.

5. The agricultural baler of claim 2 , wherein the gated channel comprises gates recessed within the first slot, the second slot, the third slot, or the fourth slot.

6. The agricultural baler of claim 5 , comprising an actuator configured to enable the second plunger to move in a second direction to control the density of the bale.

7. The agricultural baler of claim 1 , wherein the strap feeding assembly is disposed proximal to a first end of the baling chamber and the sealing assembly is disposed distal from the first end of the baling chamber.

8. The agricultural baler of claim 1 , comprising one or more dogs configured to hold the bale within the baling chamber as the first plunger moves in a first direction.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Keller Donald P

Classifications

• B65B27/12

  Baling or bundling compressible fibrous material, e.g. peat · CPC title

• A01F15/14 Primary

  Tying devices specially adapted for baling presses · CPC title

• A01F2015/048

  Anti-return systems for the material in the pressing chamber when the plunger moves backwards · CPC title

• A01F15/042

  Plungers · CPC title

• B30B9/3096

  the means against which, or wherein, the material is compacted being retractable · CPC title