A knotter drive apparatus for a baler includes a knotter gear drive shaft having a drive shaft axis and a shaft outside diameter. A plurality of knotter assemblies are mounted on the knotter gear drive shaft. Each assembly includes a first knotter gear sector including a first sector hub portion and a first sector radial portion. The first sector hub portion includes a central passage at least partly defined in the first sector hub portion for receiving the knotter gear drive shaft. The first sector radial portion extends radially outward from the first sector hub portion relative to the drive shaft axis, and has defined thereon a plurality of intermittent gear tooth segments. The first sector hub portion has a circumferential gap defined therein greater than the shaft outside diameter such that the first knotter gear sector is removable radially, relative to the drive shaft axis, from the knotter gear drive shaft.

Systems and methods for orchestrating the operation of energy-consuming loads, so as to minimize power consumption, are described. In some embodiments, the loads can be HVAC, refrigeration systems, air compressors, and the like, and orchestration is effected either directly or by means of the loads' respective controllers. In some aspects, the controllers can be Smart Thermostats and orchestration is effected through a Cloud-based orchestration platform or “COP.” In certain aspects, a COP uses specifically programmed application programming interfaces, or APIs, to control the operation of a single manufacturer's Smart Thermostats, where the manufacturer provides its own Cloud-based control platform, through which the COP operates. The COP can similarly orchestrate the operation of two or more manufacturers' Smart Thermostats through their respective Cloud-based control platforms. By these and other means, the operation of a variety of energy-consuming loads can be more easily and efficiently orchestrated.

A twine tension monitoring apparatus is disclosed comprising a twine tension monitoring portion and a signalling portion. The twine tension monitoring portion includes a laterally extending finger moveable about a horizontally extending axis between a first position and a second position, in which the first position corresponds to a low tension condition and the second position corresponds to a tensioned condition. The signalling portion provides a signal indicating the position of the laterally extending finger and so indicates the tension being monitored.

A baling press having a rope tying system with a loop supply member for forming a loop of the second rope material across the bale pressing channel to the first side of the bale pressing channel and a loop of the first rope material at the first side. The loop supply member is suspended on the second side of said bale pressing channel and movable along a straight path between an extended position projecting across the bale pressing channel and a retracted position. The loop supply member has a turn guide for forming and guiding the loops in the first and second rope materials and a spreader for, when the loop supply member is in the extended position, holding the rope materials guided so that portions in the knotting area are spaced from a free end portion of the loop supply member.

A twine is disclosed. The twine comprises a mixture of at least 95 wt. % polypropylene and at most 5 wt. % additives. The twine is characterized by up to 8% vol. smectic phase. The percentage of the smectic phase is characterized using X-Ray Diffractometry (XRD). The additives are selected from, impact modifier, polyethylene, pigment, and UV stabilizer. The twine may be characterized by a ratio between a specific work to a relative stiffness, of between 40 to 55 [J*mm/KgF].

A twine knotter has a knotter frame (2). An intermediate shaft (3) is rotatably supported on the knotter frame (2) around a longitudinal axis L. A shaft input (4) connects the intermediate shaft (3) to an output element (61) of a knotter drive shaft (54). At least one knotter hook shaft (9, 10) is rotatably supported around a knotter hook axis (K1, K2) on the knotter frame (2). The at least one knotter hook shaft (9, 10) is drive-wise connected to the intermediate shaft (3). The at least one knotter hook shaft carries a knotter hook (11, 12) to form a knot. The twine knotter (1) is formed as an independent assembly. The twine knotter (1) is drive-wise detachably connectable, via the shaft input (4) of the intermediate shaft (3), to the knotter drive shaft (54).

A baler implement includes a twine storage box, and a door panel positioned in a substantially vertical orientation relative to the twine storage box. The door panel is moveably attached to the housing for movement between a lowered position enclosing the twine storage box, and a raised position providing external access to the twine storage box. A linkage system interconnects the housing and the door panel. The linkage system includes a first link and a second link, each interconnecting the door panel and the housing. The first link and the second link are configured to maintain the door panel in the substantially vertical orientation relative to the housing while moving between the lowered position and the raised position.

A baler a chute assembly extending in a rearward direction from a baling chamber configured to simultaneously receive first and second bales as the bales are urged out of the baling chamber. The chute assembly includes a rail assembly and an opposing shelf assembly, the rail assembly and the shelf assembly cooperating to form a cavity therebetween. The rail assembly includes an upper rail and a lower rail with the lower rail offset from the upper rail in a horizontal direction toward the cavity, and the shelf assembly includes a horizontal first surface, an ejection plate, an angled second surface and a guide rail. As the first and second bales are urged from the bale chamber the first bale engages the rail assembly and the second bale engages the shelf assembly. The chute assembly rotates the first and second bales as the bales drop from the chute assembly in a single line of bales arranged in an end-to-end orientation.

A baler a chute assembly extending in a rearward direction from a baling chamber configured to simultaneously receive first and second bales as the bales are urged out of the baling chamber. The chute assembly includes a rail assembly and an opposing shelf assembly, the rail assembly and the shelf assembly cooperating to form a cavity therebetween. The rail assembly includes an upper rail and a lower rail with the lower rail offset from the upper rail in a horizontal direction toward the cavity, and the shelf assembly includes a horizontal first surface, an ejection plate, an angled second surface and a guide rail. As the first and second bales are urged from the bale chamber the first bale engages the rail assembly and the second bale engages the shelf assembly. The chute assembly rotates the first and second bales as the bales drop from the chute assembly in a single line of bales arranged in an end-to-end orientation.

A baler including a needle yoke driven via a needle coupling device including a connection member pivotally mounted around a fixed pivot axis for swinging around the fixed pivot axis. The swinging corresponds to movement of the needle yoke. The connection member is cooperative with the needle yoke by (i) a shearbolt adapted to transfer a force from the connection member to the needle yoke during a forward movement and (ii) by a protrusion, formed at one of the connection member and the needle yoke, to abut against the other one of the connection member and the needle yoke during a backward movement of the needle yoke.