Adjustable Cam Track Feed Rake Trajectory Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional agricultural ram presses face challenges in defining precise trajectories for the feed rake motion, leading to inefficient crop gathering and filling into the bale chamber, with existing drive mechanisms failing to ensure exact conformity between gathering and filling strokes.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a drive system for the feed rake that includes an adjustable cam track and a control rod with a roller, allowing for arbitrary control of the feed rake motion through a rotatable cam track, and a coupling element that can adjust the force applied during the filling stroke, enabling the feed rake to follow a distinct trajectory.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional drive mechanism with a feed rake control rod is used, then the structure is relatively simple, but the freedom in defining feed rake motion trajectories is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cam track is made adjustable and rotatable, allowing the feed rake motion trajectory to be dynamically modified. The cam track can be positioned at different angles and configurations to define different trajectories for the feed rake, enabling adaptation to various operating conditions while maintaining a relatively simple mechanical structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the cam track position and orientation to define different motion trajectories. By adjusting the cam track's angular position and physical location, the trajectory parameters of the feed rake are modified, providing flexibility in defining motion paths without complex control systems.
2Manufacturing precision
If the feed rake control rod is moved continuously during the filling stroke, then the filling motion is achieved, but the trajectories of the agitator tines cannot exactly conform between gathering and filling strokes
Solution Approach 1:
The cam track serves as an intermediary element that translates the continuous rotation into controlled feed rake motion. By designing the cam track profile and position appropriately, it mediates between the continuous rotational motion and the required discrete gathering and filling strokes, enabling trajectory conformity while maintaining continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam track is rotated periodically to control the feed rake through distinct phases: one phase for gathering strokes and another phase for filling strokes. This periodic rotation of the cam track creates the alternating motion pattern required, ensuring trajectory conformity during gathering while enabling efficient filling during the opposite phase.
3Adaptability or versatility
If an adjustable cam track is introduced to control feed rake motion, then trajectory freedom is enhanced, but friction and wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces complex multi-link mechanical control systems with a cam-based control mechanism. The cam track converts rotational motion into the desired feed rake trajectories through its geometric profile, reducing the number of mechanical joints and contacts that generate friction and wear, while maintaining trajectory control flexibility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances the freedom in defining feed rake motion trajectories, ensuring efficient crop gathering and filling, minimizing friction and wear, and allowing for uniform bale formation with adjustable dimensions.
Implementation Method 1
a roller which interacts with the cam track
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural ram press has a bale chamber, a baling ram moveable in an oscillating manner in the bale chamber, a feed channel, a feed rake arranged in the feed channel and switchable between a gathering stroke motion which compresses crop in the feed channel and a filling stroke motion which moves the crop from the feed channel into the bale channel, and a drive for driving the feed rake and having a control rod interacting with an adjustable stop to control at least one of the motions of the feed rake.