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3.24.23

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U.S. Patent No. 11,606,908 entitled “Intermittent Knotter Gear” issued March 21, 2023 to Deere & Company of Moline, Iowa. Invented by Joshua Pasa of Centerville, Iowa; Kyle Teach of Outtumwa, Iowa; Eric Lang of Vinton, Iowa; Carl Demulder of Ankeny, Iowa and David Rotole of Bloomfield, Iowa. Abstract: A knotter drive apparatus for a baler includes a knotter gear drive shaft having a drive shaft axis and a shaft outside diameter. A plurality of knotter assemblies are mounted on the knotter gear drive shaft. Each assembly includes a first knotter gear sector including a first sector hub portion and a first sector radial portion. The first sector hub portion includes a central passage at least partly defined in the first sector hub portion for receiving the knotter gear drive shaft. The first sector radial portion extends radially outward from the first sector hub portion relative to the drive shaft axis, and has defined thereon a plurality of intermittent gear tooth segments. The first sector hub portion has a circumferential gap defined therein greater than the shaft outside diameter such that the first knotter gear sector is removable radially, relative to the drive shaft axis, from the knotter gear drive shaft.