US 11,930,742 B2
V-notch twine disk for variable twine quantity hay baler knotter
Owen J. Brown, Jr., Pittsfield, IL (US); Bensend Thompson, Louisiana, MO (US); and Thomas J. LePoidevin, Louisiana, MO (US)
Assigned to Pike Mfg. Corp., Alpena, MI (US)
Filed by Pike Mfg. Corp., Alpena, MI (US)
Filed on Feb. 12, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/789,343.
Application 16/789,343 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/175,780, filed on Oct. 30, 2018, granted, now 11,419,274.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/804,654, filed on Feb. 12, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0178470 A1, Jun. 11, 2020
Int. Cl. A01F 15/14 (2006.01)
CPC A01F 15/145 (2013.01) 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A twine disk configured for a mechanical knotter of a hay baler, the twine disk comprising:
a vee shaped V-notch extending inward from an outer periphery of the twine disk, the V-notch including a mouth and a vertex;
a first straight notch edge of the V-notch formed in a substantially straight-line and terminating at the vertex, the vertex comprising a bottom curved portion of the V-notch;
a hook portion at the mouth of the V-notch, the hook portion interconnecting the outer periphery of the twine disk and the first straight notch edge of the V-notch, wherein the hook portion includes a straight hook edge and a concave hook edge, wherein the straight hook edge intersects the concave hook edge at a rounded terminus;
a second straight notch edge of the V-notch formed in a substantially straight-line from the outer periphery of the twine disk to the bottom curved portion of the V-notch, the second straight notch edge forming a vee angle with the first straight notch edge of between 45 degrees and 120 degrees;
wherein the V-notch is configured to accept and hold two twine strands and alternatively four twine strands during a knotting process of the hay baler, such that a lowermost one of the two twine strands and alternatively a lowermost one of the four twine strands is wedged against the first straight notch edge and the second straight knot edge when within the V-notch;
wherein the V-notch defines a first width (Bw) at 15% above the vertex and defines a second width (Vw) across the mouth of the V-notch, inclusive of the hook portion, wherein a ratio of the first width (Bw) relative to the second width (VW) is not more than 0.45.