Angled Pruning Head for Horizontal Vine Training
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pruning machines are ineffective for table grapes due to their horizontal growth orientation, requiring a device that can pre-prune horizontally trained vines without high-speed components, with reduced maintenance and parts costs, and the ability to navigate trellis wires and support arms without damage.
Innovation Solution
A device with an angled pruning head featuring cutting disks and an anvil assembly, adjustable to rotate between 45 to 90 degrees, equipped with hydraulic cylinders for height adjustment and alignment, and serrated anvils to engage and direct plant growth, allowing safe passage of trellis cross-arms, and a sensor to manage cutting force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional vertical pruning machines are used on horizontally trained table grape vines, then the machine structure remains simple, but the device cannot effectively prune horizontally oriented canes and may damage trellis wires and support arms
Solution Approach 1:
The pruning head is made adjustable with rotation capability between 45 to 90 degrees, allowing the cutting disks and anvils to be positioned at different angles to match the horizontal cane orientation. This dynamic adjustment enables the same device to adapt to different training systems without requiring multiple specialized machines.
Solution Approach 2:
The pruning head is divided into separate functional components: cutting disks mounted on one shaft and anvil assemblies mounted on another parallel shaft. This segmentation allows independent adjustment and optimization of each component while maintaining overall device flexibility for horizontal training configurations.
2Productivity
If high-speed rotating blades are used to increase cutting speed, then productivity increases, but maintenance costs and parts replacement frequency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses cutting disks that can be easily replaced rather than high-speed rotating blades that require maintenance. The cutting disks are mounted on shafts that allow for simple removal and replacement, reducing maintenance costs and operational complexity while maintaining effective cutting performance.
3Ease of operation
If the pruning device uses fixed cutting position, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to control cut location and alignment down the vine row is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The pruning head incorporates adjustable components including rotation capability (45 to 90 degrees) and hydraulic cylinders for height adjustment. These dynamic elements allow the operator to precisely control cut location and alignment along the vine row while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Hydraulic cylinders serve as intermediaries between the operator and the cutting mechanism, providing smooth and precise height adjustment. This intermediary system allows for easy control of cut location without requiring complex mechanical linkages or multiple adjustment mechanisms.
4Reliability
If the cutting device does not account for trellis wires and support arms, then device structure remains simple, but damage to trellis components occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil assemblies serve as intermediaries between the cutting disks and the trellis components. The anvils are positioned to engage with canes while allowing trellis wires and support arms to pass through or around them, preventing damage to the trellis system while maintaining cutting functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The separation of cutting disks and anvil assemblies on parallel shafts allows the cutting function and the navigation function to be independently optimized. The anvil assemblies can be positioned and adjusted to navigate around trellis components while the cutting disks perform the cutting function, reducing the risk of damage to trellis wires and support arms.
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
Enables efficient pre-pruning of table grapes by reducing cane sections into manageable lengths, minimizing damage to trellis wires and support arms, and reducing maintenance and operational costs through controlled cutting and alignment.
Implementation Method 1
at least one cutting disk attached to a first shaft... aligned to be selectively positionable between the anvils of the at least one anvil pair
Implementation Method 2
anvil assembly having at least one anvil pair attached to a second shaft... each of the anvils of the anvil assembly has a serrated edge
Implementation Method 3
hydraulic cylinders for height adjustment
Data Source
AI summary
A device for pruning plant material includes a frame, a vertical arm extending from the frame, and an angled pruning head extending from the vertical arm. The angled pruning head includes at least one cutting disk attached to a first shaft, and an anvil assembly having at least one anvil pair attached to a second shaft. The first and second shafts are substantially parallel to one another. The at least one cutting disk is aligned to be selectively positionable between the anvils of the at least one anvil pair.