Agco Corporation

Dino Rey Valdez

Maynard M Herron

Bernard Dean Regier

Nathan K Ensminger

Patrick Kendrick

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.

Twine tension assembly

A knot stretcher for use in tightening splice knots that connect twine balls on an agricultural baler. The knot stretcher includes a pair of pulling bars connected at pulling bar pivot at one end of each of the pulling bars, and a pair of levers, where one of the pair of levers is attached in a middle section of its respective pulling bar. Each lever has a handle portion at one end and an arm portion extending from an elbow formed in the lever. Each lever attaches to its respective pulling bar with a fixed pivot located near the elbow and distal ends of the arm portions of the two levers are attached at a moving pivot. The knot stretcher has clamping jaws positioned on the pulling bars to securely clamp a respective one of the twine tails of the splice knot that is to be tightened.

Knot tightener for baler twine

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.

Baler slacker arm sensor for protecting against needle over-tension conditions

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.

Growing community of inventors

Hesston, KS, United States of America

Dino Rey Valdez