Lid to lower basket sealing apparatus for a cotton packager machine

A cotton receiving basket for an on-board cotton harvesting machine, comprising:

• a lower basket having a plurality of upwardly extending walls having elongate upper seal elements extending along upper peripheral edges thereof, each of the upper seal elements having a tapered seal surface extending longitudinally therealong;
• a basket lid having a plurality of downwardly extending walls having lower peripheral edge portions having elongate lower seal elements extending therealong, each of the lower seal elements having a tapered seal surface extending longitudinally therealong;
• and
• the lower basket and the basket lid being telescopically related so as to be movable one relative to the other between a telescopically retracted position and a telescopically extended position, and wherein the tapered seal surfaces of the upper seal elements are in opposing relation to the seal surfaces of the lower seal elements, and wherein the seal surfaces of the upper and lower seal elements are brought into cooperative engagement along substantially the lengths thereof when the lower basket and the basket lid are brought into the telescopically extended position, forming a substantially sealed condition between the lower basket and the basket lid.