Dual auger baler

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.

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.

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.