Abstract: An apparatus for continuously forming round bales of forage material, and particularly round bales with compressed side walls, from windrowed harvested lines of forage, the apparatus including a continuous pickup, a continuous rotary chopper, an accumulation chamber with a compressed and chopped forage material entry slot and a decompressing exit slot plus a standard form intermittent round baler.

Abstract: A baling machine includes an accumulator chamber at least partially defined by a housing. The baling machine includes an infeed assembly that is configured to deliver material to an inlet of the accumulator chamber. The baling machine includes a lower rake assembly that is positioned within the accumulator chamber and is operable to move material toward an outlet of the accumulator chamber. The baling machine includes an upper conveyor rake that is movable within the accumulator chamber. The upper conveyor rake has a first end, a second end, and a range of motion between a raised position and a lowered position. The second end of the upper conveyor rake has a greater range of motion than the first end. Through the majority of the range of motion of the upper conveyor rake, the first end is positioned closer to the lower rake assembly than the second end.

Abstract: The invention provides an improved method of continuously forming round bales of forage material, and particularly round bales with compressed side walls, from windrowed harvested lines of forage and continuous baling apparatus including a continuous pickup, a continuous rotary chopper, an accumulation chamber with a compressed and chopped forage material entry slot and a decompressing exit slot plus a standard form intermittent round baler.