Patent ID: 7021207

Claim:
In a rectangular baling press including a pressing area, a supply channel leading to an inlet of the pressing area, a binding device, a crop receiving device located upstream from said supply channel and a cutting device located between said receiving device and said supply channel and including a plurality of knives mounted for movement between a cutting position, wherein the knives are positioned so as to be in a stream of crop delivered towards the supply channel by the receiving device, and an inactive position, wherein the knives are withdrawn so as to be free of the stream of crop, and a positioning device coupled to said knives and being responsive to a control device for selectively moving the knives between said cutting and inactive positions, the improvement comprising: a sensing device for determining that a condition exists for starting formation of a new bale in said pressing area and for sending a signal to said control device for causing the latter to operate said positioning device so as to move said knives to said inactive position for a first period of time, to then move said knives back to said cutting position, for a second period of time which ends before the formation of the new bale is ended, and then to again move said knives to said inactive position until the bale is finished.