US 4,991,498 AGranted

Leaf baler

OwnerHarold L. McCurdyinventor

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Abstract

A leaf baler including a compression chamber, a feed chamber, and a hydraulic ram being longitudinally aligned and mounted on a portable frame. The compression chamber includes an end wall and top and bottom walls that include pairs of communicating slots for receiving a flexible line, such as baling twine. A foot member is attached to the end of the hydraulic ram and is disposed to selectively extend through the open end of the compression chamber. The foot member also includes a pair of slots that communicate with the slots of the top and bottom walls when the foot member extends into the compression chamber. A needle including both a top and bottom notched eye is selectively received into the end wall slots and foot member slots to train and guide a pair of twine strings around a compressed bale to secure it before releasing it fromt he compression chamber.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A leaf baler, comprising:

a frame;
a compression chamber mounted on said frame;
said compression chamber including:
an end wall having a pair of vertical slot recesses formed therein;
a bottom wall extending from said end wall and having a first pair of horizontal slot openings formed therein and disposed in communication with said end wall slots;
a top wall extending from said end wall and having a second pair of horizontal slot openings formed therein and disposed in communication with said end wall slot;
a rear wall attached to and disposed to interconnect said end wall, bottom wall, and top wall;
a front wall attached to and disposed to interconnect said end wall, bottom wall, and top wall;
and
an open end disposed opposite said end wall and adapted to receive compressible materials;
a feed chamber mounted on said frame and being disposed in communication with the open end of said compression chamber, said feed chamber including a selectively closable top door pivotally attached to said feed chamber and being movable between a closed position and an open position;
a hydraulic cylinder mounted on said frame in longitudinal alignment with said compression chamber, said cylinder being selectively movable between a retracted and an extended position;
a foot member attached to said hydraulic cylinder and disposed to extend through said open end when said cylinder is in the extended position, said foot member having a pair of vertical slot recesses formed therein and disposed in communication with said first and second pairs of slot openings when said cylinder is in the extended position;
means for controlling said hydraulic cylinder wherein said cylinder is prevented from travelling between its retracted position and its extended position when said top door is in the open position;
means for training a flexible line through said end wall slots, first slot openings, and second slot openings and around said compressed bale to form a tied bale;
and
means for releasing said tied bale from said compression chamber.

14 more elements

A leaf baler, comprising:

a frame;
a compression chamber mounted on said frame;
said compression chamber including:
an end wall having a pair of vertical slot recesses formed therein;
a bottom wall extending from said end wall and having a first pair of horizontal slot openings formed therein and disposed in communication with said end wall slots;
a top wall extending from said end wall and having a second pair of horizontal slot openings formed therein and disposed in communication with said end wall slot;
a rear wall attached to and disposed to interconnect said end wall, bottom wall, and top wall;
a front wall attached to and disposed to interconnect said end wall, bottom wall, and top wall;
and
an open end disposed opposite said end wall and adapted to receive compressible materials;
means for feeding compressible materials into said compression chamber through said open end;
a hydraulic cylinder mounted on said frame in longitudinal alignment with said compression chamber, said cylinder being selectively movable between a retracted and an extended position;
and
a foot member attached to said hydraulic cylinder and disposed to extend through said open end when said cylinder is in the extended position, said foot member having a pair of vertical slot recesses formed therein and disposed in communication with said first and second pairs of slot openings when said cylinder is in the extended position;
means for training a flexible line through said end wall slots, first slot openings, and second slot openings and around said compressed bale to form a tied bale;
said means for training a flexible line including:
a needle having an elongated shaft adapted to be selectively received in said end wall slots, said needle including a first notched eye formed at one end and a hand grip formed at the opposite end, said first eye being adapted to receive and guide a section of sake flexible line through said end wall slots, and a second notched eye formed adjacent said first eye and being oppositely directed, said first eye being adapted to push a section of flexible line through said end wall slots, and said second eye being adapted to pull a section of flexible line through said foot member slots;
and
means for releasing said tied bale from said compression chamber.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.