Auxiliary Wheel Stabilizer for Work Machine Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing forest work machines face stability and load-bearing capacity issues on uneven terrain, particularly when equipped with heavy extensions like harvester heads or handling grapples, and prior stabilization methods like additional weights or hydraulic legs are either ineffective or impractical for moving machines.
Innovation Solution
A stabilizing arrangement that supports an accessory wheel's hub on a support arm, allowing the wheel to move along the arm and adapt to terrain changes, enabling automatic tension adjustment of tracks and improving stability for use with both tracks and uneven terrain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If additional weights are added to the front part of the work machine for stabilization, then stability is improved, but the mass to be transported increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an auxiliary wheel as a counterbalancing element rather than adding weight. The auxiliary wheel, positioned on a support arm that can pivot, creates a stabilizing moment against the heavy work device extending from the machine. This mechanical counterbalancing approach improves stability without increasing the transported mass, as the stabilization is achieved through leverage and positioning rather than additional weight.
2Stability of the object's composition
If hydraulic support legs are used for stabilizing the work machine, then stability is improved, but the machine cannot move while stabilized
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm with the auxiliary wheel is designed to be dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The support arm can pivot to change the position of the auxiliary wheel, allowing the stabilization configuration to adapt as the machine moves or encounters different terrain. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the machine to maintain stability while remaining mobile, unlike fixed hydraulic legs.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary wheel serves multiple functions: it provides stabilization when the machine is stationary, and it can be repositioned when the machine moves. The same structural element (support arm with auxiliary wheel) performs both stabilization and adaptation to terrain changes, making the system versatile rather than requiring separate systems for different operational states.
3Device complexity
If a rigid connection is used between the support arm and accessory wheel, then structural simplicity is improved, but the machine cannot be used with tracks due to tension problems
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between the support arm and auxiliary wheel is made movable rather than rigid. The auxiliary wheel can move along the support arm, allowing the distance between the axle line of the actual wheel and the axle line of the auxiliary wheel to change as the support arm pivots. This dynamic connection accommodates terrain changes and maintains proper track tension, enabling the machine to be used with tracks while preserving relative structural simplicity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an arrangement for stabilizing a work machine, such as a forest work machine or another work machine comprising axled actual wheels. The arrangement comprises a bearing structure (B1) and a support arm (SA1) adapted vertically rotatably by means of the bearing structure to a frame (FR2) of the work machine and on the side of the outer end of the support arm a wheel hub (WB1), supported by the support arm, for an auxiliary wheel, and the auxiliary wheel (AW1), and that the arrangement further comprises a hydraulic actuator (HA1) to change the position of the wheel hub (AW1) and consequently also the auxiliary wheel (AW1), According to the invention, the wheel hub (WB1) is supported by the support arm (SA1) by means of a slide support structure (GS1) in connection with the wheel hub (AW1), to enable the auxiliary wheel (AW1) to move, supported by the support arm (SA1), in the direction of the support arm (SA1).