102 
__ _ American Agriculturist, August 16, 1924 
How the Binder Ties the Knot 
F . G. Behrends Tells How to Overcome Common Knotter Troubles 
I N the various binders, the knotter 
head is, with the exception of one 
make, very much like the one illustrated 
in fig. (1). In the following article, the 
principles discussed may be applied to 
the various makes of knotter heads. In 
each case the function of the bills and 
discs is the same and their operation very 
similar, altho with different makes they 
will vary somewhat in shape and position. 
Previous to a discussion of the troubles. 
Tyfftead Shaft 
disc. See fig. (4). As the bills further 
rotate, they will be closed thru the mech¬ 
anism of the bill roller and cam. In 
closing, they will grab the double twine 
passing to the twine holder disc. See 
fig. (5). How firmly they will grab this 
double twine will depend upon the tension 
of the knotter bills spring fig. (5) against 
the cam roller. The stripper now starts 
forward, the knife severs the twine be¬ 
tween the bills and the twine holder disc 
and the stripper 
Fio.i 
Packer Crank 
it would be well to run thru the steps in 
the tying of the knot around the bundle. 
Let us assume that the machine has been 
threaded. One end of the twine is held 
bv the twine holder disc. From here, 
it passes back over the knotter bills thru 
the eye of the needle, along the needle, 
thru the twine tension and to the ball of 
twine in the twine can. As the grain 
slides down the deck, it falls on top of the 
pulls the looped 
twines off the 
bills. Since the 
ends are held, the 
pulling of the 
looped twines off 
the bills ties the 
knot. The bun¬ 
dle is now tied. 
The compresser 
hook drops from 
in. front of the 
bundle, and the 
discharge arm 
kicks it from the 
binder head. 
The needle is now 
receded to below 
the table and the 
operation is again 
repeated. 
If the function 
and the operation of the twine holder 
tight. The explanation of the formation 
of band No. 2 is identical with that given 
for band No. 1 except that in this case, 
the needle can neither draw the twine 
freely from the can nor pull it from the 
twine holder disc; the result is that the 
end held in the tight disc, having been 
slightly crushed and weakened, is broken. 
The action of the bills and stripper is as 
explained for band No. 1. 
Remedy: Loosen tension on the twine 
can and if this does not completely remedy 
the trouble, slightly loosen the tension 
on the twine holder disc. 
Trouble, knotter bill spring is too loose. 
The explanation for this band is as fol¬ 
lows : As the bills rotate, the two ends of 
the band are looped around them thus 
bending the ends. The bills open, grasp 
the ends of the band and then close. The 
stripper moves forward to pull the looped 
twines off from the bill, but since the bills 
are not holding the ends securely enough, 
the ends are not pulled thru the looped 
•Cc w/jo/mssor /Vo on 
Band Three 
Upon examination, the band is found 
with the bundle instead of with the bills. 
A knot is tied in one end with the free end 
cut off square. Here the twine tension 
on the can is in correct adjustment. The 
twine holder disc adjustment is, however, 
too loose. As the needle rises from below 
the deck, the twine, pulling freely from 
the ball, is carried over the bills and 
placed in the twine holder disc. As the 
bills revolve, the»necessary twine to make 
the loop around the bills is drawn from 
the twine holder disc. Under the con¬ 
ditions set forth for band No. 3, the disc 
is so loose that the free end of the twine 
slips completely out of the disc. The 
result is that a knot is tied in the long end 
of the twine around the free end. The 
ffnofterBi// 
Breastplate 
-Qond/e 
.Bi/tejwrre moved tkri/d foft turn of 360* 
knot ready to atrip off 
strands when the latter are stripped from 
the bills. Therefore no knot is tied. 
Remedy: Tighten the knotter bill 
spring, see fig. (2). 
Band Seven 
disc, the bills, the needle and the twine 
tension are understood, binder knotter 
troubles can be diagnosed from the con¬ 
dition of the bands. 
Apple by Khqttep 
Need/e 
twine. 
tinuous operation, form and compact the 
bundle between the compresser hook and 
Binder Knotter Troubles 
If the binder misses a number of 
bundles, stop the machine as soon as the 
next trouble bundle is cast and study it 
The packers, which are in con- ne ^ trouble bundle is cast and study it 
operation, form and compact the referring to the illustrations of Bands 1 
Ten^/on 
Spring, or ' 
/f not-ter G/tl 
•Spring- 
Tlvtneho/der 
Str/ppe, 
thru 8 and the following explanations. 
Band One 
Upon examination, the band is found 
clinging to the bills with the loose end cut 
off square. The trouble is the twine 
tension is too tight and the twine disc too 
loose. When the needle rose from below 
the deck, the twine tension being too 
light, did not allow the extra twine that 
was needed to feed regularly from the ball. 
Not being able to pull the twine from the 
ball, the needle pulled free the other end 
which was held too loosely in the twine 
/3/Z/s hare mo red Zhro 
knot in the single twine is stripped from 
the bills and is cast with the bundle. The 
end may be pulled thru the knot either by 
the falling bundle or by someone picking 
-up the bundle by the band. 
Remedy: Tighten the disc spring. 
ffreoatpiate 
themselves. Soon sufficient pressure is 
exerted against the compresser hook to .. m me uvmc 
cause it to trip the mechanism and throw holder disc. The end being pulled from 
the knotter head into operation. The ^he twine holder disc was also pulled off 
needle swings from below the deck. Fig. 1, froni the top of the bills. The needle 
carrying the twine over the top of the continuing to advance lays the end of the 
bundle and placing it in the twine holder twine going to the ball over the bills into 
disc. The shank of the needle further the twine holder disr. Therp is nnw W 
This band will be found on the bills and 
will be broken. This is usually caused by 
having the knotter bill spring much too 
tight and having the machine set to pro¬ 
duce very loose bundles. Under these 
conditions, the .stripper, instead of pulling 
the knot off the bills, pulls the band up 
from below. When the discharge arms 
kick out the bundle, the band is broken, 
since the ends of the band are firmly held 
in the knotter bills. 
Remedy: Loosen the knotter bill spring 
and set the machine to make tighter 
bundles. 
Band Eight 
This band is found with the bundle. 
Upon examination, it will be noted that a 
slip noose is tied around the bundle and 
twine extends from the cast bundle to the 
eye of the needle. The usual cause of this 
band is that the eye of the needle is badly 
worn back. This band may, however, be 
caused by the needle not advancing far 
enough. In either case, the formation of 
this band may be explained as follows: 
As the needle advances, the twine is not 
Band Four 
compresses the bundle while the back of 
the needle holds the accumulating grain 
while the bundle is being tied. It is quite 
obvious that as the needle rises from 
below the deck and places the twine over 
the top of the bundle, the twine must be 
free to slide easily thru the eye of the 
needle, the twine tension and from the 
ball of twine. 
How is the Knot Tied? 
The position of the needle just de¬ 
scribed is shown in fig. (1). In fig. (2) a 
close-up view of the knotter is shown cor¬ 
responding to the position of the needle in 
fig. (1). The twine just brought forward 
by the' needle is laid and held in the 
twine holder disc. In the picture, the 
the twine holder disc, 
one twine laying over 
There is now but 
the bills. The 
knotter rotates, opens, grasps the single 
twine between the bills and the disc, the 
stripper moves forward and the knife cuts 
the twine, but since one end of the band is 
/Veed/e 
khotterBi// 
Sjor/r>g 
Ttr/neho/der One' 
FOUND 
ON . 
•BILLS 
3&n</ 
/ 
Str/ppc- 
Srtastp/afe ^ 
—Goncf/e 
9/ZZs hare rnared rnru /Qo\ ftvineho/det cf/jc thru 60* 
-- - ? 
twine at the left passes over the bills, over i ,i , • , . 
the stripper, around the bundle, again l^ff’j the ff S f nPPe fb C T i ‘i P ^v, lo ° pe - d 
over the* ftripper, over the bills, thru the the bills. The grain is 
twine holder dise into the eve of the ^ ^“bdf ^ ‘ “ han « ln « 
twine holder disc into the eye of the 
needle. Notice that the twine is doubled 
over the bills. The bills now make one- 
half of a revolution see fig. (3). It will be 
noticed that they must pull a little twine 
from the disc hi order to form a loop about 
themselves. As the bills continue in 
theix revolution, the bill roller riding over 
the cam causes them to open. This is 
shown in fig. (4). As the open bills con¬ 
tinue to revolve, they wjill pass around the 
double twine going to the twine holder 
Remedy: Loosen the twine tension on 
the twine can. If this does not correct 
the trouble, tighten slightly the tension on 
the twine holder disc. 
This band, like band 
No. 3, will be found 
with the bundle. A 
knot is tied in one end 
and the free end is 
broken and ragged. 
Here again the twine 
tension on the can is 
’n correct adjustment, 
but the adjustment on 
the twine holder disc 
is too tight. The ex¬ 
planation of the forma¬ 
tion of this band is 
identical with that 
given for band No. 3, 
except that as the bills 
rotate, the free end, 
which has been crushed 
by the tight disc adjust- bundle 
ment, is broken instead 
of pulled from the disc. . n> 
Remedy: Loosen the * 
disc spring. 
Band Five 
Upon observation, 
the band is found with 
the bundle with both 
ends crushed and ragged. The twine 
tension on the can is correct, but the 
FOUND 
WITH 
FOUND 
ON 
BILLS 
carried forward enough to catch in the 
tw-ine holder disc. The bills tie a knot 
around the needle end of the band with 
the short end, thus forming a slip noose. 
Since the needle end of the twine, not 
being held in the twine holder disc, has 
not been cut, it is drawn out when the 
bundle is cast. 
Remedy: If the needle does not carry 
tension on the twme [holder disc is much a special wearing piece which can b( 
too tight. As the bills rotate, the twine renewed, a new needle must be supplied 
flOPQ -nrtf errup* of + A i co onrl ic 
Band Two 
Upon examination, the band is found 
clinging to the bills with the free end torn 
and ragged. Here again the twine 
tension on the twine can is too tight and 
the tension on the twine holder disc is too 
does-not give at the disc and is conse¬ 
quently broken. Neither end of the twine 
being held in the disc, no knot can be tied. 
Remedy: Loosen the disc spring. 
Band Six 
This band will be found with the 
bundle and both ends will be bent. 
Cautions 
Make all knotter bill spring and disc 
spring adjustments gradually. Each time 
when making a change, a quarter of a 
turn is sufficient. 
Do not try to make a tight bundle by 
tightening the twine tension. 
