Plunger slot cover assembly for an agricultural baler

1. An agricultural baler, comprising:

a main bale chamber including a pair of opposed side walls, each said side wall including a plunger slot arrangement defining a plunger slot;

a pair of plunger slot rails positioned in each plunger slot, including a top rail positioned at a top of the respective plunger slot and a bottom rail positioned at a bottom of the respective plunger slot; and

a plunger reciprocally disposed within said main bale chamber, said plunger including a pair of opposed sides and at least one roller extending laterally outward from each said side, each said roller being positioned within a respective said plunger slot;

a pair of plunger slot cover assemblies, each said cover assembly being associated with a respective said plunger slot and having an upper cover and a lower cover, said upper cover extending downward from the top rail and having a lower edge positioned between at least one respective said roller and the plunger when the plunger is at a forward position, said lower cover extending upward from the bottom rail and having an upper edge positioned between at least one respective said roller and the plunger when the plunger is at the forward position; and

a plurality of scrapers, each said scraper being associated with a respective said roller and positioned within a corresponding said plunger slot.

2. The agricultural baler of claim 1 , wherein each said upper cover is connected to a laterally inside edge of a corresponding said top rail, and each said lower cover is connected to a laterally inside edge of a corresponding said bottom rail.

3. The agricultural baler of claim 2 , wherein each said upper cover and each said lower cover are positioned in an approximate forward half of the plunger slot.

4. The agricultural baler of claim 2 , wherein each said upper cover and each said lower cover are positioned in an area forward of the plunger when the plunger is at a rearward position.

5. The agricultural baler of claim 2 , wherein only a single roller is positioned between a corresponding said upper cover and said lower cover when the plunger is at a forward position.

6. The agricultural baler of claim 2 , wherein the plunger includes a plurality of roller shafts, with each said roller shaft carrying a corresponding said roller, and wherein the lower edge of each said upper cover and the upper edge of each said lower cover lie closely adjacent to at least one said roller shaft when the plunger is at a forward position.

7. The agricultural baler of claim 1 , wherein each said upper cover and each said lower cover are plates, each said upper cover being connected to a corresponding said top rail, each said lower cover being connected to a corresponding said bottom rail.

8. The agricultural baler of claim 7 , wherein each said upper cover is connected to a bottom surface of a corresponding said top rail, and each said lower cover is connected to a top surface of a corresponding said bottom rail.

9. The agricultural baler of claim 7 , wherein each said upper cover and each said lower cover are connected to a corresponding said top rail or bottom rail by welding, adhesive bonding, or fasteners.

10. The agricultural baler of claim 7 , wherein each said upper cover and lower cover is a plate formed from metal, plastic, fiberglass or rubber.

11. The agricultural baler of claim 1 , wherein the plunger includes two pairs of rollers, with each pair of rollers being located on a respective side of the plunger, and wherein the plurality of scrapers include at least one scraper located on a respective said side of the plunger, and each said scraper is located to the front of a respective forward roller or the rear of a respective rearward roller.

12. The agricultural baler of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of scrapers include two pairs of scrapers with each pair of scrapers being located on respective sides of the plunger, and each pair of scrapers having one scraper located to the front of a respective forward roller and one scraper located to the rear of a respective rearward roller.

13. The agricultural baler of claim 1 , wherein each said scraper is operable to remove crop material from within a respective said plunger slot during reciprocating movement of said plunger within said main bale chamber.

14. The agricultural baler of claim 1 , wherein the baler is a large square baler.