21 



they have the advantage of yielding sHghtly while a bundle is being 

 tied. This is important, as many ears would otherwise be knocked 

 from the stalks ])y jamming the stalks ])eliind the needle. 



The needle and tli(> knotter form the l)inding attachments. They 

 are in nearly all cases of the same pattern as are those of the grain 

 binders of the same makes, but are made heavier to meet the require- 

 ments of the work. 



The packers on these machines (fig. 14) must have such a motion as 

 to travel toward the back of the machine as long as they project 

 above the ])inding deck,' 

 their travel thru the deck 

 being fast and of short 

 duration. There is one 

 machine on the market 

 which does not use })ack- 

 ers at all, l)ut has in- 

 stead several chains with 

 collapsing fingers. While 

 the l^imdle is being 

 formed, these fingers as- 

 sume a position perpen- 

 dicular to their chains, 

 being held so by the 

 guides over which they 

 travel. As soon, how- 

 ever, as the needle moves, 

 these guides no longer 

 bear against the fingers, 

 which collapse when pres- 

 sure is brought to bear 

 against them. This pre- 

 vents their jamming the 

 incoming corn against 

 the rib of the needle 

 while a bundle is being 

 tied and avoids the break- 

 ing off of ears that would often occur otherwise. 



When the bundle has be'en bound the two or three discharge arms 

 on the binding shaft have reached the back side of the bundle, and 

 by the continuous motion of the shaft the arms force the bundle off 

 the deck and discharge it, after which the compressor hook returns 

 automatically to its place and the binding shaft stops until another 

 bundle is formed, when the operation is repeated. Figure 14 shows 

 the binding mechanism and the general arrangement of the several 

 parts referred to. 



Fig. 14.— Binder attachment: a, needle; 66, packers; c, knot- 

 ter cam; dd, compressor hook; eee, discharge arms; /, Butt 

 table or butt shoe; g, twine cam. 



