A twine tensioner arrangement for a baler including a pair of rollers, each of the rollers being rotatable about a shaft and having circumferential lobes, at least one of the shafts being mounted on a displaceable armature, displacement measurement apparatus to measure the displacement of the displaceable armature and a signalling apparatus to generate a signal if the displacement of the displaceable armature exceeds a predetermined value. This enables monitoring of the tension in a strand of twine entering the twine tensioner arrangement and when the tension exceeds a predetermined value, allows action to be taken to avoid a mistie or damage to the baler components.

A twine tension relief assembly for a baler including a tension detection apparatus for detecting the tension in a line of twine, a biased cutting element displaceable between a first retained position and a second released position and an actuator adapted to cause the biased cutting element to move from the first retained position to the second released position in response to a signal issued by the tension detection apparatus. The practical application includes when the tension in a strand of twine exceeds a predetermined threshold, the tension detection apparatus causes movement of the biased cutting element so that a strand of twine passing though the twine tension relief assembly is severed and damage to the knotter mechanism and its component parts is avoided.

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.

A tying device for an agricultural crop press has a drive unit for driving the tying device and a work unit for processing crop which is switchable from a coupled state, in which it is coupled to the drive unit and driven, into a decoupled state, in which it is not coupled to the drive unit and not driven. The work unit has a pawl and the drive unit has a coupling device with which the work unit and the drive unit are operatively connectable. The coupling device interacts in the coupled state of the work unit with the pawl. The drive unit has an electromagnetically acting switch that is switchable reversibly from an inactive into an active state and that is configured to trigger or to terminate the operative connection of the coupling device with the pawl. An agricultural crop press is provided with such a tying device.

The present invention provides improved throughput in cotton baling machines by utilizing an electronically actuated apparatus for reliably, efficiently and precisely moving a chute frame into and out of position adjacent to a compressed cotton bale. Embodiments of the invention may include an electronic actuator that may be operated using a programmable logic control (PLC), and a control shaft having at least three distinct stops corresponding to raised, lowered and intermediate positions of the chute frame. Embodiments of the invention may be used to replace existing pneumatic apparatus, and may include an adapter for installing an electronic actuator to the mounts of the replaced pneumatic piston.

The present invention provides improved throughput in cotton baling machines by utilizing an electronically actuated apparatus for reliably, efficiently and precisely moving a chute frame into and out of position adjacent to a compressed cotton bale. Embodiments of the invention may include an electronic actuator that may be operated using a programmable logic control (PLC), and a control shaft having at least three distinct stops corresponding to raised, lowered and intermediate positions of the chute frame. Embodiments of the invention may be used to replace existing pneumatic apparatus, and may include an adapter for installing an electronic actuator to the mounts of the replaced pneumatic piston.

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 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 baler for agricultural crop has a pressing channel and a needle rocker pivotably arranged at the pressing channel about a rocker pivot axis arranged in a plane that is orthogonal to the longitudinal center axis of the pressing channel. A drive arrangement connected to the needle rocker pivots the needle rocker relative to the pressing channel. The needle rocker has tying needles that are moved through the pressing channel when the needle rocker is pivoted. The drive arrangement has a drive element, rotatably supported about a drive axis of rotation; a coupling device pivotably supported about a coupling pivot axis positioned stationarily relative to the pressing channel; and a drive lever with a first end eccentrically connected to the drive element and a second end connected to the coupling device. The coupling device is connected to the needle rocker spaced from the rocker pivot axis of the needle rocker.

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.