US 11,690,322 B1
Baler independent needle drive
Nathan A. Chaney, Bloomfield, IA (US)
Assigned to Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US)
Filed by Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US)
Filed on Jun. 6, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/832,819.
Int. Cl. A01F 15/14 (2006.01); A01F 15/08 (2006.01)
CPC A01F 15/0858 (2013.01) [A01F 15/145 (2013.01); A01F 2015/0866 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A knotter system for a baler, comprising:
a clutch bowl engaged with a gear box that provides rotational power to the clutch bowl, the clutch bowl comprising:
a first clutch pocket disposed in an interior wall of the clutch bowl proximate to the gear box; and
a second clutch pocket disposed in the interior wall of the clutch bowl distally from the first clutch pocket with respect to the gear box, the first and second clutch pockets radially offset from each other;
a knotter driven shaft having a center of rotation disposed along a first axis, the knotter driven shaft extending through the gear box in a free-floating, rotational arrangement;
a knotter shaft clutch is engaged with the knotter driven shaft such that the knotter shaft clutch and the knotter driven shaft operably rotate together, the knotter shaft clutch comprising a first clutch dog that operably engages with the first clutch pocket to provide rotational power to the knotter shaft clutch; and
a needle drive crank arm disposed on the knotter driven shaft, the needle drive crank arm comprising a second clutch dog that operably engages with the second clutch pocket to provide rotational power to the needle drive crank arm.