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 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 wrapping system includes: a material roll configured to hold a roll of wrapping material; a knife assembly comprising a movable knife that is configured to cut wrapping material that comes off the material roll; a sensor associated with the material roll and configured to output a drawn material signal; and a controller. The controller is configured to: receive the drawn material signal; determine a length of wrapping material that is drawn from the material roll; output a cut signal to the knife assembly when the drawn length of wrapping material reaches a defined length; determine a length of wrapping material that is drawn from the material roll after outputting the cut signal; and output an excessive wrap signal when the length of wrapping material drawn after outputting the cut signal exceeds a threshold length.

A bale identification assembly for use with an agricultural baler (18) includes a first supply roll mounted on the baler providing a binding material (52) used by the knotter system to bind the formed bale, the binding material (52) on the first supply roll comprising identification tags (62) at spaced intervals along the binding material. The bale identification assembly includes a second supply roll mounted on the baler (18) providing a binding material without identification tags, wherein the knotter system combines the binding material with identification tags (62) from the first supply roll with the binding material without identification tags from the second supply roll to bind the formed bale. The bale identification assembly includes a read module with one or more antennas configured to transmit interrogator signals and also receive authentication replies from the identification tags (62).

A baler implement includes a housing defining a baling chamber for forming a bale having a parallelepiped shape, and a knotter system for wrapping and tying twine around the bale. A knotter controller is configured to determine a remaining length of a first twine in a first twine supply, and determine a remaining length of a second twine in a second twine supply. The knotter controller may then calculate an estimated remaining number of bales that may be secured based on the remaining length of the first twine and the second twine. The knotter controller may communicate an output signal to an output device indicating the estimated remaining number of bales that may be secured. The knotter controller may automatically communicate a resupply request when the first twine and/or the second twine are low.

A baler twine tension control assembly including a displacement detector and elements defining a twine path. The twine path enters and exits the twine tension control assembly and within the twine tension control assembly extends across a first fixed location and a second fixed location as well as across an intermediate displaceable location located between the first fixed location and the second fixed location. The displacement detector is connected to the intermediate displaceable location and generates a signal indicative of the displacement of the displaceable location.

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 baler twine tension measurement assembly including a displacement detector and elements defining a first twine path. The first twine path extends between a first location and a second location which is angularly displaceable with respect to the first location. The displacement detector operates to generate a signal indicative of the angular displacement of the second location with respect to the first location.

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.

A bale binding mechanism is configured to wrap twine around a bale of severed crop material. The bale binding mechanism broadly includes a baling needle, a twine tensioner, and a sensor. 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 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 sensor is operably associated with the guide element to sense guide element movement corresponding to a twine over-tension condition, with the bale binding mechanism restricting twine from being passed out of the twine tensioner in response to the sensed twine over-tension condition.