Knotter system having an improved twine receiver

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9736989-B2
Application number	US-201414909030-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2014
Priority date	Jul 31, 2013
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A knotter system has a billhook; a twine receiver; a twine delivering system for delivering twines across the billhook to the twine receiver; a swing arm having a lower end portion with a knife blade, moveable below the billhook, a first drive to make the billhook perform at least a first and a second full rotation to move the swing arm two times from a backward to a forward position and back to form respectively a first and second consecutive knot; wherein the twine receiver comprises a rotatable twine disc and a twine holder adapted to clamp twines against the twine disc; wherein said twine disc is provided with at least a first and a second notch for receiving the twines, and a protruding ridge located after the second notch, such that the twine holder is pushed by the ridge during and/or after the formation of the second knot.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Knotter system comprising:
a billhook for forming a knot;
a twine receiver for holding twines;
a twine delivering system for delivering twines across the billhook to the twine receiver;
a swing arm having a lower end portion; said swing arm being arranged for moving the lower end portion below the billhook, between a backward position and a forward position, said lower end portion being provided with a knife blade for cutting twines between the billhook and the twine receiver whilst moving from the backward position to the forward position;
a first drive adapted to make the billhook perform at least a first full rotation and a second full rotation and to move the swing arm at least two times from the backward position to the forward position and back during a full operation cycle to form respectively a first and second consecutive knot;
wherein the twine receiver comprises a rotatable twine disc and a twine holder, said twine holder being adapted to clamp twines against the twine disc;
wherein said twine disc is provided with at least a first and a second notch for receiving the twines, said twine disc being provided with a protruding ridge located after the second notch, seen in a direction of rotation of the twine disc, such that the twine holder is pushed away by the protruding ridge at least one of during and after the formation of the second knot.

2. Knotter system of claim 1 , further comprising a second drive adapted for rotating the twine disc from an initial position to a first position during a first turn whilst clamping twines in the first notch, for forming of the first knot, and for proceeding to rotate the twine disc from the first position to the initial position during a second turn whilst letting twines in the second notch slip during the forming of the second knot.

3. Knotter system of claim 1 , wherein said first and second notch are spaced apart along the circumference of the twine disc, at a first angle below 180 degrees.

4. Knotter system of claim 2 , wherein the first turn is a rotation over the first angle, and the second turn is a rotation over 360 degrees minus the first angle.

5. Knotter system of claim 1 , wherein the twine disc comprises a first disc and a second disc fixed to a rotatable axis, and the twine holder comprises a first press plate intended for being in operative contact with an outer side of the first disc and a second press plate intended for being inserted between inner sides of the first and second disc.

6. Knotter system of claim 5 , wherein the first disc is provided at at least one of its inner and outer side with the protruding ridge protruding in radial direction from the axis.

7. Knotter system of claim 5 , wherein said first disc is provided with an opening, and wherein said protruding ridge is formed by a part mounted in the opening and fixed to the second disc.

8. Knotter system of claim 5 , wherein said first disc and said second disc are mounted parallel to each other and have substantially the same shape and dimensions, wherein said first and second notches are formed by recesses at the circumference of the first and second discs.

9. Knotter system of claim 1 in combination with a baler, wherein the knotter system is mounted to the baler.

10. Method for making two consecutive knots, comprising:
guiding twines to be knotted over a billhook and clamping said twines at a clamping location;
making the billhook perform a first full rotation to form a first knot and moving a swing arm with a knife blade from a backward position to a forward position to remove the first knot from the billhook and to cut the twines between the first knot and the clamping location;
moving the swing arm back to the backward position, guiding the twines over the billhook, and making the billhook perform a second full rotation to form a second knot;
wherein during the forming of the second knot, the twines are clamped against a twine disc by a twine holder, and wherein at least one of during and after the formation of the second knot the twine holder is pushed away by a protruding part on the twine disc releasing the twines;
moving the swing arm from the backward position to the forward position following the formation of the second knot, wherein, due to the pushing away of the twine holder, the twines slide over the knife blade without cutting the twines; and moving the swing arm back to the backward position.

11. Method of claim 10 , wherein, before forming the first knot the twines are delivered across the billhook in a first notch of the twine disc; said twines being held in said first notch by the twine holder during the forming of the first knot; and
wherein said twine disc is rotated so that the twines are received in a second notch of the twine disc before cutting following the forming of the first knot; said twines being held in said second notch by the twine holder during the forming of the second knot.

12. Method of claim 11 , wherein the twine disc is rotated from an initial position to a first position during a first turn whilst clamping twines in the first notch, for forming of the first knot, and from the first position to the initial position during a second turn whilst letting twines in the second notch slip during the forming of the second knot.

13. Method of claim 12 , wherein the first turn is a rotation over a first angle below 180 degrees, and the second turn is a rotation over 360 degrees minus said first angle.

14. Method of claim 13 , wherein the first turn is a rotation over approximately 90 degrees and the second turn is a rotation over approximately 270 degrees.

15. Method of claim 10 , wherein the swing arm is maintained in the forward position after the second rotation of the billhook for a predetermined period which is sufficient to allow removal of the second knot from the billhook.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Verhaeghe Didier
• Maelfeyt Kenny
• Schoonheere Marnix J
• Vande Ryse Yannic
• Nortier Laurens

Classifications

• A01F15/145 Primary

  Twine knotters · CPC title

• B65B13/26

  by knotting · CPC title

• A01F15/14

  Tying devices specially adapted for baling presses · CPC title

• A01F15/0858

  for the tying devices or needles · CPC title