Baler Knotter Billhook Full Rotation Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing knotter systems for balers require critical settings and high-quality twine to form good loop knots, making them less efficient and more prone to errors, especially when non-optimal settings or reduced-quality twine are used.
Innovation Solution
A knotter system with a billhook assembly and drive mechanism that includes a pinion and gear system, allowing the billhook to rotate fully during each knot cycle and briefly open to form loop knots, reducing the criticality of settings and twine quality, and featuring a recess and obstacle to control the pinion's rotation and ensure secure knot release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional knotter systems are used to form loop knots, then knot formation is achieved, but the settings become very critical and twine quality becomes critical
Solution Approach 1:
The billhook is designed to perform a full rotation around an inclined rotation axis during each knot cycle, dynamically changing its position and orientation. This rotational movement allows the billhook to automatically adjust to different twine conditions and settings, reducing the criticality of precise knotter settings while maintaining reliable loop knot formation
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters by implementing a full rotation mechanism with a recess and obstacle that causes the billhook to open briefly during rotation. This parameter change in the billhook's movement pattern allows for more tolerant settings and reduced dependence on twine quality while maintaining knot formation reliability
2Ease of operation
If the billhook rotates fully during knot cycle, then loop knot formation is improved and settings become less critical, but additional mechanism components are required
Solution Approach 1:
The recess and obstacle are integrated directly into the existing knotter disc structure, merging the new full rotation functionality with the existing drive mechanism. This integration approach allows the billhook to perform full rotations with improved settings tolerance while minimizing the addition of separate complex components
Solution Approach 2:
The obstacle in the recess automatically engages with the pinion during the billhook's rotation, causing the billhook to open briefly without requiring external control mechanisms. This self-service mechanism achieves the desired billhook movement and improved knot formation while keeping the drive mechanism relatively simple
Data Source
Figure 1~1A
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A knotter system for a baler, comprising: a needle (11); a tucker arm (31); a billhook (100); a drive means adapted to make the billhook perform at least a first full rotation during the first knot forming cycle and a second full rotation during the second knot forming cycle. The drive means comprise a pinion (503) and at least a first and second gear stretch (504, 505) provided along the circumference of a disc (501). The disc is provided with a recess (550; 555) downstream of at least one of said first gear stretch (504) and said second gear stretch (505). An obstacle (560; 565) is arranged for engaging the pinion (503) when moving in the recess. The recess and obstacle are configured to rotate the pinion over a determined angle and back to move the upper lip (101) of the billhook away from the lower lip (102) and back after at least one of said first full rotation and said second full rotation.