Auger-Mounted Bale Cutting Assembly with Angled Slicer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional auger-mounted knives in agricultural mixer apparatuses have limited reach and influence, prolonging the time required to achieve desired mixing or size reduction, especially when processing materials like hay that tend to 'ball up' and roll along the tub walls, avoiding effective engagement by standard knife designs.
Innovation Solution
A bale cutting assembly is mounted on the auger flighting, comprising a cutting knife with a knife edge oriented parallel to the flighting and a bale slicer with a serrated slicer edge angled upwardly, allowing effective cutting of materials both between the flighting and tub perimeter and those moving laterally outward, enhancing the cutting influence over the entire tub area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional auger-mounted knives are used, then the structure is simple, but the cutting reach and influence are limited, prolonging mixing time
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting assembly is segmented into multiple cutting elements (cutting knife and bale slicer) mounted at different positions and angles on the auger flighting. This segmentation allows each element to target different material zones, expanding the overall cutting influence area and reducing mixing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The bale slicer is positioned superior to the cutting knife and angled upwardly at an angle between 10-45 degrees relative to the knife plane. This dimensional arrangement allows the slicer to engage materials moving laterally outward on the upper surface of the flighting, while the knife engages materials between the flighting and tub perimeter, creating multi-level cutting coverage.
2Area of stationary object
If conventional knives are used, then the device complexity is low, but the cutting coverage area is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting knife and bale slicer are merged into a single integrated bale cutting assembly that mounts together on the auger flighting. This combination allows both cutting elements to be positioned and operated simultaneously, maximizing cutting coverage without requiring separate mounting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the cutting assembly have specialized functions: the cutting knife is optimized for engaging materials between the flighting and tub perimeter, while the bale slicer is optimized for engaging materials on the upper surface of the flighting. This local specialization of cutting functions expands overall coverage area.
3Reliability
If standard knife designs are used, then the manufacturing is simple, but materials like hay that ball up and roll along tub walls avoid effective engagement
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting assembly utilizes the dynamic rotation of the auger to move the cutting elements through different zones of the tub. As the auger rotates, the knives and slicers sequentially engage materials at different positions, ensuring that balled-up hay and wall-rolling materials are eventually captured and cut by the appropriate cutting element.
Solution Approach 2:
The auger flighting itself acts as an intermediary that transports materials toward the cutting elements. The flighting carries balled-up hay and wall-rolling materials into contact with either the cutting knife or bale slicer, ensuring effective engagement without requiring complex positioning mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A bale cutting assembly for mounting on an agricultural mixer apparatus includes a cutting knife for cutting material located in the tub interior of the mixer apparatus and having a knife edge. The cutting knife being configured to extend in a knife plane oriented substantially parallel to a plane defined by flighting of the auger of the mixer apparatus at a location at which the bale cutting assembly is mounted on the flighting. The bale cutting assembly further including a bale slicer for cutting material located in the tub interior and having a slicer edge. The bale slicer may be positionable adjacent to the cutting knife in a position superior to the cutting knife. The bale slicer may have a portion with the slicer edge, and the portion may be oriented in a slicer plane angled upwardly with respect to the knife plane.