Patent ID: 11930742
Assignee: PIKE MFG. CORP.
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 7:
8. A method of producing a V-notch in a twine disk configured for a mechanical knotter of a hay baler, the method comprising:
forming the V-notch in a vee shape extending inward from an outer periphery of the twine disk, the V-notch including a mouth and a vertex;
forming a first straight notch edge of the V-notch in a substantially straight-line; and
forming a second straight notch edge of the V-notch in a substantially straight-line, the second straight notch edge forming a vee angle with the first straight notch edge of between 45 degrees and 120 degrees;
forming a bottom curved portion of the V-notch, wherein the first straight notch edge and the second straight notch edge each terminate at the bottom curved portion;
forming a hook portion at the mouth of the V-notch, the hook portion, the hook portion extending inward from the first straight notch edge of the V-notch towards the second 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;
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.