Auger-Based Wheel Track Renovator for Soil Compaction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing machines for filling agricultural traffic lanes created by controlled traffic farming often produce uneven, cloddy, and insufficiently compacted results due to limitations in disc-based designs, which also lead to impassable tracks when waterlogged.

Innovation Solution

A wheel track renovator comprising a body attachable to a vehicle with one or more augers driven by a hydraulic motor, featuring counter-clockwise and clockwise screws that move soil into the track, and packing wheels for stability and compaction, along with a smoothing device to ensure even filling and compaction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If disc-based machines are used to fill tracks, then soil is shifted into the traffic lane, but the filled tracks become uneven and cloddy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrack filling uniformityVSAvoidtrack passability

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the disc-based mechanical system with an auger-based system. The augers mechanically transport soil from the sides of the track into the track in a controlled manner, eliminating the uneven and cloddy results produced by disc-based machines. This substitution of mechanical principle directly resolves the contradiction between achieving uniform filling and maintaining track passability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operational parameters of soil movement by using rotating augers that can be controlled to deposit soil at specific rates and locations. This allows for precise control over the filling process, creating smooth, uniform tracks that are passable, rather than the uneven results from disc-based systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If repeated wheeled traffic passes over the same place, then the soil slumps down in the track bottom, but the track becomes too deep to plant seed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrack depth controlVSAvoidplanting feasibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The auger system performs preliminary action by proactively filling the slumped track bottom with soil from the sides before planting occurs. This prevents the track from being too deep for seed planting by restoring the original track profile, thereby resolving the contradiction between depth control and planting feasibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If simple grader blades or inclined discs are used, then the structure is simple, but the tracks are not sufficiently compacted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemachine structureVSAvoidtrack compaction

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the soil movement function (augers) with the compaction function (packing wheels) into a single integrated system. The packing wheels are positioned to follow the augers and immediately compact the deposited soil, ensuring sufficient compaction while maintaining reasonable structural complexity. This combination resolves the contradiction between simple structure and adequate compaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS10653052B2Wheel track renovator and method of use

Publication Date: 2020.05.19 TYNAB PTY LTD

AI summary

A wheel track renovator including a body attachable to a device, one or more augers mounted to the body and at least one drive connected to the one or more augers to drive the one or more augers.