Patent ID: 7784400

Claim:
In an agricultural round baler having a bale forming chamber defined by movable belts in contact with a plurality of rollers and/or pulleys disposed in a space between two opposing side walls, and a wrapping apparatus for selectively applying a dispenser-supplied elongate wrapping material to the exterior of a completed bale, the improvement comprising: an insertion mechanism for directing the wrapping material from the dispenser into the bale forming chamber, said insertion mechanism being pivotally connected to the baler and selectively positionable between a home position and a generally opposing insert position; a knife mechanism for severing the wrapping material from the dispenser, said knife mechanism movable between at least a cutting position and an armed pre-cut position, movement of said knife mechanism coordinated with movement of said insertion mechanism; a cam follower disposed on the baler and constrained for bi-directional movement along a single axis; an elongate link member having a first end connected to said knife mechanism and a second end connected to said cam follower; a groove cam disposed on said insertion mechanism for movement therewith, said groove cam comprising an arming profile configured to be engaged by said cam follower to coordinate movement of said knife mechanism with movement of said insertion mechanism wherein said arming profile is configured to reduce the rate of said knife mechanism movement as it is moved from said cut position to said armed pre-cut position, and to reduce the relative rate of movement of said knife mechanism relative to the degree of pivotal movement of said insertion mechanism from said home position toward said insert position; and said groove cam further comprises, a first arming profile, a second arming profile, and a transition point, said cam follower encountering said first arming profile, said second arming profile, and said transition point serially as said insertion mechanism is pivoted from said home position toward said insert position, said knife mechanism being positioned in said armed pre-cut position when said follower reaches said transition point, said knife mechanism moving at a first rate when said cam follower engages said first arming profile and moving at a second rate when said cam follower engages said second arming profile wherein said first rate is greater than said second rate.