A crank-operated packer mechanism includes crank pins and crank arms assembled by a tapered spline connection. The connection includes tapered spline features on outer ends of the crank pins and in openings provided at outer ends of the crank arms, which interlock when the crank pins are inserted in the openings. The connection further includes a locking feature for locking the connection, such as a locking nut screwed onto a threaded outer end of the crank pins when inserted into the opening. Fixing of rotary bearings onto the crank pins is done by a fixing nut which at the same time serves as a disassembling aid for the spline connection. The crank arms are shaped in a way that deviates from a straight shape to such an extent that the crank shaft is statically balanced about its central rotation axis. Also a baler including the aforementioned packer mechanism.

A crank-operated packer mechanism includes crank pins and crank arms assembled by a tapered spline connection. The connection includes tapered spline features on outer ends of the crank pins and in openings provided at outer ends of the crank arms, which interlock when the crank pins are inserted in the openings. The connection further includes a locking feature for locking the connection, such as a locking nut screwed onto a threaded outer end of the crank pins when inserted into the opening. Fixing of rotary bearings onto the crank pins is done by a fixing nut which at the same time serves as a disassembling aid for the spline connection. The crank arms are shaped in a way that deviates from a straight shape to such an extent that the crank shaft is statically balanced about its central rotation axis. Also a baler including the aforementioned packer mechanism.

A cutting blade overload protection device for a cutting mechanism of a harvester for leaf and stalk material, having a cutting blade pivotable about a cutting blade rotational axis and which is connected to a toggle lever mechanism. The toggle lever mechanism includes two coupled toggle levers pivotable about a toggle lever rotational axis and which move the cutting blade from an operating position to a resting position when a predefined force is exceeded. To protect the cutting blade better when contacting foreign objects, the device has a toggle lever mechanism which comprises a stop limit and a spring element, with the spring element and limit stop interacting such that when a predefined force is exceeded, the toggle lever rotational axis is moved past a dead center point, with the position of the toggle levers shifting from a first buckling position through a straight position into a second buckling position.

A pickup assembly for a baler includes crop strippers that loop around a reel, the crop strippers spaced such that spacing between adjacent strippers forms a slot that allows a tine to project outwardly from the reel. A pickup frame has upper and lower mounting stubs, wherein each of the upper mounting stubs has a notch located centrally in a forward end of the upper mounting stub. A rear end section of an upper leg of each stripper is engaged with a respective upper mounting stub and a rear end section of a lower leg is engaged with a respective lower mounting stub. A distal end of each upper leg has an outer plate separated from an inner plate so as to form a gap. The upper leg has an alignment tab such that when the leg is received on the stub, the tab engages with the notch in the stub. A gap-facing surface of one of the inner plate or the outer plate has a detent extending into the gap, and the upper mounting stub comprises a keyhole opening formed therein rearward of the notch.

A pickup assembly for a baler includes crop strippers that loop around a reel, the crop strippers spaced such that spacing between adjacent strippers forms a slot that allows a tine to project outwardly from the reel. A pickup frame has upper and lower mounting stubs, wherein each of the upper mounting stubs has a notch located centrally in a forward end of the upper mounting stub. A rear end section of an upper leg of each stripper is engaged with a respective upper mounting stub and a rear end section of a lower leg is engaged with a respective lower mounting stub. A distal end of each upper leg has an outer plate separated from an inner plate so as to form a gap. The upper leg has an alignment tab such that when the leg is received on the stub, the tab engages with the notch in the stub. A gap-facing surface of one of the inner plate or the outer plate has a detent extending into the gap, and the upper mounting stub comprises a keyhole opening formed therein rearward of the notch.

A conveying device for conveying crop material from a pick-up mechanism to a baler comprises a conveying channel having a base comprising an upstream base part and a downstream base part. The downstream end of the upstream base part is supported on a pair of first resilient mounting members and the upstream end of the downstream base part is supported on a pair of second resilient support members. The first and second resilient support members, in response to the force with which crop material is being urged by the feed rotor against the upstream and downstream base parts exceeding respective first and second predefined values, yield. This results in downward displacement of the upstream base part and the downstream base part to permit crop material to pass through the conveying channel.

A conveying device for conveying crop material from a pick-up mechanism to a baler comprises a conveying channel having a base comprising an upstream base part and a downstream base part. The downstream end of the upstream base part is supported on a pair of first resilient mounting members and the upstream end of the downstream base part is supported on a pair of second resilient support members. The first and second resilient support members, in response to the force with which crop material is being urged by the feed rotor against the upstream and downstream base parts exceeding respective first and second predefined values, yield. This results in downward displacement of the upstream base part and the downstream base part to permit crop material to pass through the conveying channel.

An agricultural crop baler (20) includes a baling chamber (44), a crop pickup (26), and an adjustable partition mechanism (28). The crop pickup (26) is upstream from the baling chamber (44) to collect severed crop material and direct a flow of crop material toward the baling chamber. The partition mechanism is located between the crop pickup and the baling chamber to control the flow of crop material from the crop pickup to the baling chamber. The partition mechanism (28) includes a wall assembly (68) that at least partly defines a crop passage (76) extending along a crop-flow direction between the crop pickup (26) and the baling chamber (44). The wall assembly (68) includes a shiftable wall (74a, b) that is shiftable transversely to the crop-flow direction to adjustably vary the crop passage and thereby the flow of crop material to the baling chamber (44).

An agricultural crop baler (20) includes a baling chamber (44), a crop pickup (26), and an adjustable partition mechanism (28). The crop pickup (26) is upstream from the baling chamber (44) to collect severed crop material and direct a flow of crop material toward the baling chamber. The partition mechanism is located between the crop pickup and the baling chamber to control the flow of crop material from the crop pickup to the baling chamber. The partition mechanism (28) includes a wall assembly (68) that at least partly defines a crop passage (76) extending along a crop-flow direction between the crop pickup (26) and the baling chamber (44). The wall assembly (68) includes a shiftable wall (74a, b) that is shiftable transversely to the crop-flow direction to adjustably vary the crop passage and thereby the flow of crop material to the baling chamber (44).

A shredding and baling apparatus provided includes a shredding assembly operatively connected to a baling assembly via a conveyor. A rotatable drum with cutting teeth spirally arranged along the drum is preferably centered within a lower portion of an intake hopper for cutting through material as it is fed into the hopper. Fixed cutting teeth are preferably arranged in a row or rows along each of the longitudinal sidewalls of the hopper, adjacent the cutting drum. A touch screen display and computer may be used in combination with sensors to monitor and control the shredding and baling operation, and a hydraulic system is used to drive the components. The shredding and baling assembly is preferably designed in an industrial size to handle high volumes of material and may be driven or transported from one location to another.