Tying device for cylindrical-bale-forming baler

Claim 2

In a baler for forming cylindrical bales, said baler including a bale-forming chamber and a tying mechanism for tying a bale formed in said chamber, said mechanism comprising a rectilinear guide adjacent an entrance to the chamber, a supply of bale-tying twine and a twine guide means movable on said rectilinear guide, said twine engaged with said twine guide means intermediate said supply and said bale-forming chamber; wherein the improvement comprises said rectilinear guide is a threaded screw and said twine guide includes a pulley engaged with the threads of said screw and is displaceable on said screw responsive to the force exerted on the twine wrapped around a bale in said chamber when the bale in said chamber is rotated.

Claim 3

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said screw has a reversible screw thread.

Claim 4

The improvement of claims 1 or 2 wherein said screw is nonrotatable.

Claim 5

The improvement of claim 3 wherein said pulley comprises an outer rim, a hub and epicyclic gear train means interconnecting said outer rim and said hub.

Claim 6

The improvement of claim 4 wherein said hub of said pulley includes a rotatable hub section and a nonrotatable hub section, said epicyclic gear train means comprises a first and second sets of gear teeth formed on said rotatable and nonrotatable inner hubs, respectively, said sets of gear teeth having different diameters; said epicyclic gear train means comprises a pair of pinion gears rotatably mounted in said outer rim and a first and second of said pair of pinions are engaged with the first and second sets of gear teeth, respectively, said epicyclic gear train means producing a speed of transverse movement of said twine guide means along said screw less than the linear speed of the twine as the twine is wrapped around a bale in said chamber.

Claim 7

The improvement of claim 5 further comprising a stationary guide member disposed parallel to said screw and wherein said pulley further comprises an arm having a roller mounted thereon said roller is movably mounted relative in said stationary guide.

Claim 8

The improvement of claim 2 further comprises bearings mounted on the baler, said screw is journalled in said bearings, and wherein said twine guide means comprises a first pulley keyed to said screw at one end of said screw, and a second pulley having a hub in engagement with the threads of said screw, the tying twine path from said supply is first around the first pulley and then around the second pulley, said first and second pulley having different winding diameters.

Claim 9

The improvement of claim 7 wherein said second pulley includes a first, nonrotatable twine guide arm, said second pulley rotatably mounted to said first arm.

Claim 10

The improvement of claim 8 further comprising a stationary guide member disposed parallel to said screw, said second pulley comprises a second arm with a roller mounted thereon and movably mounted in said stationary guide, said first arm comprises an eyelet through which twine passes, said first and second arms are rigidly interconnected.