Light weight plunger for a hay baler

Claim 2

A baler plunger of the type reciprocally mounted for foreand-aft movement in a bale case of a baler, comprising: a head construction including a plurality of laterally spaced heads; a knife structure mounted to one side of said head construction; two vertically spaced apart upper and lower tubular members extending substantially across the width of the bale case, each one of the two tubular members being directly secured to a portion of each of said laterally spaced heads; a pair of laterally spaced plates offset to the same side as the knife structure and mounted between said upper and lower tubular members; a cross connecting pin secured between said plates; and a connecting rod having one end secured to said cross connecting pin between said plates and the other end driven by said baler.

Claim 3

A baler plunger, as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said laterally spaced heads is of channel-shaped construction including a face portion spaced away from said tubular members and further includes a pair of vertically spaced, horizontally disposed reinforcing plates, each reinforcing plate extending between the face portion of a particular head and a respective transverse tubular member.

Claim 4

A baler plunger, as recited in claim 1, wherein said plunger further comprises a pair of vertically spaced fore-and-aft extending tubular members, each of said fore-and-aft tubular members being fixed to one end of a respective transverse tubular member on the same side as the knife structure and said laterally spaced plates, one end of each of said fore-and-aft tubular members extending into said head construction.

Claim 5

A baler plunger, as recited in claim 3, wherein said fore-and-aft tubular member form a portion of a guide arm assembly that projects away from said head construction, said guide arm assembly including roller means mounted about one end of one of said fore-and-aft tubular members which extends away from the head construction, said roller means being confined within tracks formed in the bale case.

Claim 6

A baler plunger of the type reciprocally mounted within a bale case of a baler and having a head construction including a plurality of laterally spaced head units for compacting crop materIal within said bale case, a knife structure mounted to one side of said head construction and particularly adapted to cut through portions of the crop material being fed into the bale case as a plunger compacts crop material, and a driven connecting rod operative to reciprocate said plunger head construction within said bale case, the improvement comprising: a tubular subframe assembly disposed adjacent to said head construction and including a pair of vertically spaced transversely extending tubular members secured to said head construction; a pair of laterally spaced plates secured between said transverse tubular members and offset to the same side as the knife structure; a cross connecting pin secured between said plates, one end of said connecting rod being journelled about said pin between said plates; and a fore-and-aft tubular assembly including at least one fore-and-aft tubular member, a side portion of said one fore-and-aft tubular member being fixed to one end of a respective transverse tubular member on the same side as the knife structure, one end of said fore-and-aft tubular member extending into said head construction and being secured thereto.

Claim 7

A baler plunger of the type reciprocally mounted within a bale case of a baler and having a head construction including a plurality of laterally spaced head units for compacting crop materIal within said bale case, a knife structure mounted to one side of said head construction and particularly adapted to cut through portions of the crop material being fed into the bale case as a plunger compacts crop material, and a driven connecting rod operative to reciprocate said plunger head construction within said bale case, the improvement comprising: a tubular subframe assembly disposed adjacent to said head construction and including a pair of vertically spaced transversely extending tubular members secured to said head construction; a pair of laterally spaced plates secured between said transverse tubular members and offset to the same side as the knife structure; a cross connecting pin secured between said plates, one end of said connecting rod being journelled about said pin between said plates; and a fore-and-aft tubular assembly including at least one fore-and-aft tubular member, a side portion of said one fore-and-aft tubular member being fixed to one end of a respective transverse tubular member on the same side as the knife structure, one end of said fore-and-aft tubular member extending into said head construction and being secured thereto.

Claim 8

A baler plunger, as recited in claim 5, wherein each of said heads is of channel shaped construction including a face portion spaced away from said tubular subframe assembly and further including a pair of vertically spaced horizontally disposed reinforcing plates, each reinforcing plate extending between a face portion of the channel member and a respective transverse tubular member, whereby the forces encountered by the face portion of the channel shaped members while compacting crop material is transferred to the tubular transverse members of the subframe assembly by said reinforcing plates.

Claim 9

A baler plunger, as recited in claim 5, wherein said fore-and-aft tubular assembly includes a second fore-and-aft tubular member, a side portion of said second fore-and-aft tubular member being fixed to one end of the upper vertically spaced transversely extending tubular member on the same side as the knife structure, one end of said second fore-and-aft tubular member extending into said head construction and being secured thereto, the other end of said second tubular member projecting away from said head construction and carrying roller means mounted about the end away from said head construction, said roller means being confined within tracks formed in the bale case, said fore-and-aft tubular assembly also including an inclined tubular brace which extends from the end remote from said head construction of said one fore-and-aft tubular member to an intermediate portion of said second fore-and-aft extending tubular member.

Claim 10

A baler plunger of the type mounted within a bale case of a baler and connected to a connecting rod for reciprocal movement, said plunger comprising: a head construction including a plurality of laterally spaced head units for engaging and compacting crop material received in said bale case; a knife mounted on one side of said head construction for severing crop material being delivered into said bale case on said plunger''s compression stroke; a generally tubular subframe structure mounted behind said head construction and including a pair of vertically spaced transversely extending tubular members disposed in parallel relationship and fixed to one side of said head construction, each transversely extending tubular member extending substantially across the width of the bale case, a pair of laterally spaced plates secured between said pair of transverse tubular members, and a transverse cross connecting pin secured between said plates for receiving one end of said connecting rod, said laterally spaced plates being offset to the same side as said knife; and a guide rail assembly offset to the same side of the plunger as said knife structure so as to be more closely aligned with the fore-and-aft forces encountered by said knife, said guide rail assembly includiNg first and second fore-and-aft tubular members, said first fore-and-aft tubular member being fixed to said transverse tubular assembly and extending therefrom into said head construction, and said second fore-and-aft tubular member being fixed to said transverse tubular assembly and extending therefrom into said head construction in general parallel relationship with respect to said first fore-and-aft tubular member, said second tubular member extending away from said head construction and having roller means mounted thereon, said roller means being confined within a track structure formed within said bale case.

Claim 11

A baler plunger of the type mounted within a bale case of a baler and connected to a connecting rod for reciprocal movement, said plunger comprising: a head construction including a plurality of laterally spaced head units for engaging and compacting crop material received in said bale case; a knife mounted on one side of said head construction for severing crop material being delivered into said bale case on said plunger''s compression stroke; a generally tubular subframe structure mounted behind said head construction and including a pair of vertically spaced transversely extending tubular members disposed in parallel relationship and fixed to one side of said head construction, each transversely extending tubular member extending substantially across the width of the bale case, a pair of laterally spaced plates secured between said pair of transverse tubular members, and a transverse cross connecting pin secured between said plates for receiving one end of said connecting rod, said laterally spaced plates being offset to the same side as said knife; and a guide rail assembly offset to the same side of the plunger as said knife structure so as to be more closely aligned with the fore-and-aft forces encountered by said knife, said guide rail assembly includiNg first and second fore-and-aft tubular members, said first fore-and-aft tubular member being fixed to said transverse tubular assembly and extending therefrom into said head construction, and said second fore-and-aft tubular member being fixed to said transverse tubular assembly and extending therefrom into said head construction in general parallel relationship with respect to said first fore-and-aft tubular member, said second tubular member extending away from said head construction and having roller means mounted thereon, said roller means being confined within a track structure formed within said bale case.

Claim 12

A baler plunger, as recited in claim 8, wherein each of said head units comprises a channel shaped member having a face portion spaced away from said transversely extending tubular members and a pair of laterally spaced sides extending between said face portion and said transversely extending tubular members with each of said sides being fixed to said transversely extending tubular members, and wherein a pair of vertically spaced horizontally disposed reinforcing plates extend between said face portion and said transversely extending tubular members.