A clutch system for use with an agricultural baler to create a single hay bale that is easily separable into two or more smaller, lighter bales that remain tied after separation is provided herein. The clutch system controls the center knotter of a three-tie baler to be activated every other time the other two knotters are activated to tie two 2′×2′ bales into a single 2′×4′ bale. The two 2′×2′ bales are individually tied so that if a user separates the 2′×′4 bale, the smaller bales remain intact.

A multi-part square baler produces multi-part bales that each include two smaller single bales. The baler includes a double knotter configured to tie first and second four string knots that connect the ends of a multi-bale top-string and a multi-bale cincture string encompassing the two small single bales. The double knotter is also configured to tie a two-string knot on the strings encompassing the first small bale and another two-string knot on the strings encompassing the second small bale. The strings encompassing each of the small single bales are also tied into a respective one of the two four-string knots.

A twine knotter (10) for forming two knots (16, 33) in a pair of twine strands comprising: a drive pulley (20), a bill hook (9) rotatably driven by the drive pulley (20) about a knotter axis (K) to form two successive knots (16, 33) in the pair of twine strands (5, 7), a twine holding device (18) for clamping the pair of twine strands (5, 7) between a first clamping element (21) and a second clamping element (22), and a twine knife (13) for cutting the pair of twine strands (5, 7). The second clamping element is driven rotatably about a twine holder axis (G) by the drive pulley such that the rotatable second clamping element completes two rotations for one rotation of the drive pulley, and the twine holder axis (G) and the knotter axis (K) enclose an angle of less than 45° with one another.

Baling apparatus including a baling chamber having a splitting knife for dividing crop material picked up from a field to discharge divided bales simultaneously. Bale depth control means allows production of bales of predetermined selected depths (or widths) by repositioning the roof of the baling chamber, using extensions to alter the crop-engaging surface of a plunger movable in the baling chamber and repositioning the splitting knife.

A bale binding mechanism is configured to form crop material into a bale. The bale binding mechanism includes a baling needle and a twine tensioner. A baler chassis presents a baling chamber in which the bale is formed. The baling needle is shiftable up and down relative to the baling chamber, with the needle being shiftable to advance twine upwardly along an end of the bale. The twine tensioner is configured to maintain tension on a tensioned twine section extending between the twine tensioner and the needle, with the tensioned twine section defining a twine feed axis. The twine tensioner includes a tension device that restricts upward advancement of the tensioned twine section. The twine tensioner also includes a shiftable guide element. The guide element is shiftable into and out of a twine feed position associated with upward advancement of the tensioned twine section, with the guide element operable to define an offset twine section offset from the twine feed axis in the twine feed position. The twine tensioner includes a cutting device that severs the offset twine section when a twine over-tension condition causes the guide element to shift out of the twine feed position toward the twine feed axis.

A square baler comprising a gear box configured to receive power from a rotating power source. The baler additionally comprises first and second drive shaft sections extending outwardly from generally opposite sides of the gear box. The gear box is configured to rotate said first and second drive shaft sections using power from the rotating power source. The baler further comprises first and second reciprocating plungers respectively coupled to the first and second drive shaft sections in a manner such that rotation of the first drive shaft section causes reciprocation of the first plunger and rotation of the second drive shaft section causes reciprocation of the second plunger.

A bale binding mechanism is configured to secure a strand of binding material around a bale of severed crop material. The bale binding mechanism includes a chassis, a knotter head assembly, and a captive lock. The knotter head assembly is operable to form at least one knot in the strand of binding material. The knotter head assembly includes a knotter head frame swingably mounted relative to the chassis and rotatable into and out of an operating position where the knotter head assembly can form the at least one knot. The captive lock is shiftably supported by one of the chassis and the knotter head frame. The captive lock is removably engaged with the other one of the chassis and the knotter head frame to secure the knotter head assembly in the operating position, with the captive lock being releasable to permit rotation of the knotter head assembly out of the operating position.

An agricultural baler includes a main bale chamber in which crop material is compressed into bales. The main bale chamber includes an inlet for receiving a wad of crop material from a pre-compression chamber of the agricultural baler, and an outlet for discharge of compressed crop material into a bale. The bale includes a plurality of flakes that are incrementally added to form the bale. A bale length sensor is configured to determine a current length of the bale as the bale is being formed in the main bale chamber. A controller is configured to estimate a completed length of the bale during formation of the bale based on (i) the current length of the bale being formed and (ii) a predicted thickness of an impending flake to be added to the bale.

An agricultural baler includes a main bale chamber; a bale length sensor that is configured to determine a length of the bale as the bale is being formed in the main bale chamber and output a bale length signal representative of the bale length; a knotter that is configured to wrap and tie twine around the bale in the main bale chamber; and a controller that is configured to output a knotter cycle initiation signal to the knotter when the length of the bale, as determined in the controller by the bale length signal, reaches a pre-determined bale length threshold value, and wherein the knotter cycle initiation signal actuates the knotter to wrap and tie twine around the bale. A remote control device, which is remote from the baler, is configured to communicate with the controller to remotely adjust the pre-determined bale length threshold value.

A high capacity square baler comprising a pickup mechanism configured to pick up a single windrow of crop material off the ground. The baler additionally comprising one or more stuffer chutes each configured to receive at least a portion of the crop material picked up by the pickup mechanism. The baler additionally comprising one or more stuffer assemblies each configured to push crop material generally upward through one or more of the stuffer chutes. The baler additionally comprising a plurality of bale-forming chambers each configured to receive crop material from one or more of the stuffer chutes. The baler further comprising a plurality of knotter assemblies each associated with one of the bales forming chambers and each configured to wrap and tie securement lines around each formed bale. The knotter assemblies are configured to operate independently of one another, such that formed bales can be tied at different times.