Bale wrapping apparatus

Abstract

A device is disclosed for introducing the free end of a wrapping material into the bale forming chamber of a round baler. The device comprises a pair of elongate plates 122 a and 122 b that are biased towards one another to grip the wrapping material between them One of the plates 122 a has a leading edge that projects further than the other in the feeding direction of the wrapping material 30. In the invention, the leading edge is formed with forward projecting resiliently flexible fingers 124 d which are transversely spaced from one another.

1 . A device for introducing the free end of a wrapping material into the bale forming chamber of a round baler, comprising a pair of elongate plates that are biased towards one another to grip the wrapping material therebetween, one of the plates having a leading edge that projects further than the other in the feeding direction of the wrapping material, wherein the leading edge is formed with forward projecting resiliently flexible fingers which are transversely spaced from one another.  
   
   
       2 . A device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tips of the fingers are rounded to avoid their piercing the wrapping material.  
   
   
       3 . A device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the fingers are part of an attachment formed separately from the two elongate plates.  
   
   
       4 . A device as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the attachment is formed of a plastics material.  
   
   
       5 . A device as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the plastics material is a polyamide.  
   
   
       6 . A device as claimed in claims  3 , wherein the attachment is secured to one of the elongate plates by means of mechanical fixings having heads, the heads of which fixings are received in recesses in the attachment so as not to project into contact with the wrapping material.  
   
   
       7 . A round baler having a bale forming chamber and a device having flexible fingers for feeding wrapping material from a supply roll into the bale forming chamber between two transverse rollers acting to cause the crop to rotate within the bale forming chamber, wherein the device is displaceably mounted in the baler for movement between a retracted position in which the flexible fingers lie outside the bale forming chamber and an advanced position in which the flexible fingers pass between and beyond a narrowest point of a gap between the transverse rollers so as to lie close to the path of the crop material within the bale forming chamber.