Angled Auger Stripper Layout to Prevent Crop Wrapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing agricultural harvesters face issues with crop material wrapping around augers and inefficient transport of material away from the leading edge of the auger, particularly in corn headers.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a transitional auger stripper that is angularly disposed relative to the centerline of the auger, positioned to strip crop material effectively from the auger and facilitate its rearward transport.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If an auger stripper is placed in line with the inside edge of the hood of the end row divider, then crop material wrapping is reduced, but stripping effectiveness and transport efficiency are suboptimal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrop material wrappingVSAvoidstripping and transport efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The auger stripper is repositioned from a location in line with the hood edge to an angularly disposed position relative to the auger centerline. This dimensional repositioning allows the stripper to simultaneously contact crop material at multiple points on the auger surface, improving both wrapping prevention and transport efficiency without requiring additional components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The angularly disposed stripper is positioned to intercept and strip crop material from the auger before it can wrap around. By placing the stripper at an angle that intersects the auger's rotational path, the system performs the stripping action proactively, preventing the harmful wrapping effect before it occurs while maintaining continuous material flow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the auger stripper is positioned to maximize stripping action, then crop material wrapping is reduced, but transport of material away from the leading edge becomes inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrop material wrappingVSAvoidmaterial transport speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The auger stripper is designed with an asymmetric angular disposition relative to the auger centerline, rather than being symmetrically positioned. This asymmetric positioning creates an optimal balance where one side of the stripper provides strong stripping action to prevent wrapping, while the other side facilitates smooth material flow and transport away from the leading edge, resolving the contradiction between stripping effectiveness and transport speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentUS12501862B2Transitional auger stripper

Publication Date: 2025.12.23 BLUE LEAF I P INC

AI summary

An agricultural harvester includes: a harvester frame; and an agricultural header coupled with the harvester frame, the agricultural header including: a header frame; an end row divider coupled with the header frame; an auger mounted to the end row divider and configured for moving a crop material rearwardly, the auger including a centerline; and an auger stripper coupled with the end row divider and configured for stripping the crop material from the auger, the auger stripper being angularly disposed relative to the centerline.