Agco Corporation

Jeffery A Baldauf

Patrick Kendrick

Thomas G Schrag

Robert J Waggoner

Nathan K Ensminger

Erik L Barnes

David A Becker

Linda L Heidebrecht

A bale binding mechanism is configured to secure a strand of binding material around a bale of severed crop material. The bale binding mechanism includes a chassis, a knotter head assembly, and a captive lock. The knotter head assembly is operable to form at least one knot in the strand of binding material. The knotter head assembly includes a knotter head frame swingably mounted relative to the chassis and rotatable into and out of an operating position where the knotter head assembly can form the at least one knot. The captive lock is shiftably supported by one of the chassis and the knotter head frame. The captive lock is removably engaged with the other one of the chassis and the knotter head frame to secure the knotter head assembly in the operating position, with the captive lock being releasable to permit rotation of the knotter head assembly out of the operating position.

Quick-release lock for baler knotter head

A land vehicle includes a wheeled axle that is operable to be selectively self-steering. The axle includes a ground wheel that is operable to be selectively locked into a straight-ahead position so that self-steering is restricted. The land vehicle also includes a wheel lockout indicator system that is operable to sense when the ground wheel is locked in the straight-ahead position and can alert an operator by confirming that the ground wheel has been locked in the straight-ahead position.

Steering lock indicator for self-steering axle

Cylindrical twineballs are stored on their sides with the twine dispensing end of each ball facing outwardly away from the baler to facilitate operator access. The twineballs are stored in a pattern consisting of horizontal rows and upright columns, with the upright columns inclined laterally so as to present an overall, generally skewed parallelogram effect to maximize the packing density within a given amount of space. The balls are supported within cradles that may advantageously be interconnected to present multiple, horizontally extending, transversely corrugated shelves. The shelves are upwardly and outwardly inclined to help retain the balls in place.

Twineball storage for balers

A crop baler having a bank of knotters employs a cross flow blower to produce a full width stream of air transversely across the line of knotters to keep them free of debris and residue. The blower is hingedly mounted on an enclosure over the knotters for selective movement between a lowered operating position and a raised access position.

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Hesston, KS, United States of America

Jeffery A Baldauf