Agricultural Baler Needle Coupling Device for Compact Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional agricultural balers require long connection arms for driving needles, which results in a less compact design and can lead to needle damage if not withdrawn in time during the baling process.
Innovation Solution
A baler design featuring a bale length measurement and trigger device that uses a driving shaft above the bale chamber and a needle coupling device to move the needle yoke from a rest to a twine delivery position, ensuring the needles are withdrawn by the same drive that powers the knotters, allowing for a more compact structure and preventing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If long connection arms are used to drive the needles, then the needles can be driven reliably, but the baler becomes less compact and the structure more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the driving shaft above the bale chamber rather than using long horizontal connection arms, transitioning the drive mechanism to a vertical arrangement. This dimensional change allows the needles to be driven reliably while maintaining a compact baler structure, as the vertical positioning eliminates the need for extended horizontal connections.
2Productivity
If the needles are not withdrawn in time, then the plunger can continue compressing, but the needles will be hit by the plunger causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a trigger device that monitors bale length and provides feedback to the driving shaft. When the predetermined bale length is reached, the trigger device automatically withdraws the needles from the bale chamber before the plunger continues compression. This feedback mechanism ensures needle durability while maintaining continuous productivity, as the needles are withdrawn at the precise moment needed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate drive systems are used for needles and knotters, then each can be optimized independently, but the timing coordination becomes more complex and safety mechanisms are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the needle drive and knotter drive into a single integrated system driven by one common driving shaft. The driving shaft simultaneously drives both the needles (via connection arms) and the knotters (via gear connections), eliminating the need for separate drive systems. This merging simplifies timing coordination while maintaining the ability to optimize both functions, as they are now synchronized by design rather than requiring complex control mechanisms.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 2A
AI summary
A baler (10) comprising a bale chamber (26); a plunger (30) configured to compress crop material in said bale chamber (26) in order to form a bale; a needle yoke (42) with a plurality of needles (36) configured to deliver twine through said bale chamber (26); a plurality of knotters (34) configured to receive the twine from said plurality of needles (36); a bale length measurement and trigger device (150) configured to measure the length of the bale in the bale chamber (26) and to generate a trigger when a predetermined length is reached; a driving shaft (90) located above the bale chamber (26) and extending in a traverse direction of the baler (10); a needle coupling device (100) between the driving shaft (90) and the needle yoke (42), said needle coupling device (100) being configured for moving said needle yoke (42) from a rest position to a twine delivery position and back, when said bale length measurement and trigger device (150) generates a trigger