Auxiliary Drive Motor for Hay Conditioner Rolls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wide cut rotary harvesters face challenges in smoothly conveying outboard severed crop materials to conditioner rolls, leading to hesitation and quality issues in windrows and cutoff, with belt drive systems becoming a limiting factor in heavy crops, and reducing cutterbar speed to alleviate these issues compromises power and stability.
Innovation Solution
A crop harvesting header with an auxiliary drive motor directly connected to one of the conditioner rolls, in addition to a belt and sheave drive system, to enhance power transmission and control crop flow, improving conditioner roll power and reducing belt drive limitations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the cutterbar rotational speed is reduced to improve cut-off quality, then cut-off quality is improved, but the maximum power potential of the hydrostatic system is reduced and header speed becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The power transmission system is segmented into two independent paths: the main hydrostatic drive for the cutterbar and an auxiliary mechanical belt drive for the conditioner rolls. This segmentation allows the cutterbar speed to be optimized for cut-off quality while the conditioner rolls receive dedicated mechanical power, preventing the hydrostatic system from being overloaded and maintaining stability.
2Device complexity
If the belt drive system is used to transmit power to conditioner rolls, then power transmission is simplified, but the system becomes a limiting factor for machine capacity in heavy, bulky crops
Solution Approach 1:
A mechanical belt drive system acts as an intermediary power transmission mechanism between the main hydrostatic drive and the conditioner rolls. This intermediary system provides adequate power transmission capability for heavy crops without requiring modifications to the main hydrostatic system, thus maintaining machine capacity while simplifying the overall power transmission architecture.
3Speed
If the flow rate of oil in the hydrostatic drive system is reduced to lower cutterbar speed, then cutterbar speed is reduced, but the hydraulic system pressure increases and can exceed the relief valve setting
Solution Approach 1:
The power transmission is segmented so that conditioner roll power is transmitted through a separate mechanical belt drive system rather than through the hydrostatic oil flow. This segmentation allows the hydrostatic system to operate at optimal flow rates for cutterbar speed control without the pressure increases that would result from flow rate reduction, as the mechanical belt drive provides an alternative power path.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a crop harvesting header configured for attachment to a mobile frame of a harvesting machine. The header has a cutter mechanism to cut crop material and a pair of laterally extending crop conditioner rolls to condition crop material cut by the cutter mechanism. The header includes a header power system having first and second main hydraulic motors and a belt and sheave drive configured to transmit power from the main hydraulic motors to the pair of conditioner rolls. The header also includes an auxiliary drive motor directly connected one of the conditioner rolls of the pair of conditioner rolls.