Articulated Disk Harrow Frame for Soil Contour Following
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current disk harrows with significant lateral spans face difficulties in following soil contours, especially during vertical tillage, due to their rigid structural platform and increased distance between forward and rear frames, which limits their ability to engage with the soil profile effectively.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a disk harrow with a carriage frame assembly featuring forward and rear secondary frames that diverge at angles, allowing for independent articulation of the outermost portion of the forward secondary frame to adjust its position relative to the soil, enabling closer contour following with minimal added complexity or expense.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the lateral span of the disk harrow is increased to improve efficiency and speed, then productivity increases, but the ability to follow soil contours deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The disk harrow is divided into multiple independent gangs (front gang, intermediate gangs, rear gang) that can operate independently. Each gang is mounted on its own frame section that can articulate relative to adjacent sections, allowing each segment to follow ground contours independently while maintaining overall wide coverage for high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The frame sections are made dynamic through articulation joints that allow relative movement between front, intermediate, and rear sections. This dynamic capability enables the wide-span implement to adapt to varying ground contours while maintaining its large lateral footprint for efficient tillage coverage
2Productivity
If the distance between forward and rear frames is increased to accommodate wider lateral span, then productivity improves, but the ability to follow soil contours deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The long distance between forward and rear frames is segmented into multiple shorter sections connected by articulation joints. This breaks down the rigid long-span structure into manageable segments that can independently adjust to ground variations while maintaining the overall wide working width for high-speed operation
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure transitions from a rigid two-dimensional plane to a three-dimensional articulated system. The articulation joints introduce an additional degree of freedom, allowing the frame sections to pivot and adjust their vertical positions independently, enabling contour following across the long span distance
3Manufacturing precision
If a rigid structural platform is used to support disk blades, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability to uneven terrain deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid structural platform is segmented into multiple frame sections that maintain structural integrity within each section but can articulate relative to one another. This allows each section to preserve manufacturing precision and rigidity while the overall system adapts to terrain variations through joint movement
Solution Approach 2:
The frame system incorporates flexible connections (articulation joints) between rigid structural sections. These joints provide the necessary flexibility for terrain adaptation while the rigid sections themselves maintain their manufactured precision and structural strength for reliable disk blade support
Data Source
AI summary
A disk harrow having a carriage frame and diverging forward and rear secondary frames extending laterally with respect to a travel direction. Gangs of disk blades are connected to and supported by the secondary frames. A portion of the outermost portion of the forward secondary frame is articulated relative to the remainder of the frames and has a ground support wheel allowing its height to be independently controlled relative to the remainder of the secondary frames.