Agricultural Round Baler Press Roller Speed Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Agricultural round balers face issues with maintaining a rotation-generating or rotation-maintaining engagement effect on round bales during unloading, particularly with dry crops, as the press rollers deviate from a cylindrical shape, leading to premature disengagement and requiring costly retrofit kits for improved engagement.

Innovation Solution

At least one press roller on the rear or front of the opening is driven at a higher speed than the others to maintain a stronger engagement effect on the round bale, compensating for the decreasing engagement of other rollers as the housing opens, and the increased weight of the bale enhances this effect.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the rear housing part opens for unloading the round bale, then the round bale can be discharged, but the press rollers deviate from cylindrical shape causing premature disengagement of the round bale

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveunloading capabilityVSAvoidengagement effect maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the function of specific press rollers. The last press roller (roller 26'') positioned at the opening has enhanced engagement features including longitudinal ribs or webs and increased diameter compared to other rollers. This local enhancement ensures that the roller maintaining contact with the round bale during housing opening has superior grip, compensating for the geometric deviation from cylindrical shape that occurs when the housing opens.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the press rollers are enhanced with conveyor belt system for dry harvesting conditions, then the engagement strength is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase requiring retrofit kits

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveengagement strengthVSAvoidsystem structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the press roller system into functionally distinct rollers. Instead of equipping all rollers with complex conveyor belt systems, only the last press roller (roller 26'') at the opening is enhanced with engagement-promoting features like longitudinal ribs or webs. This segmented approach provides the necessary engagement enhancement for dry crop conditions while avoiding the complexity and cost of retrofiting the entire roller system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If the last press roller is enlarged and equipped with engagement-promoting features, then the engagement effect is strengthened, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveengagement effectVSAvoidpress roller production
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by concentrating manufacturing enhancements on only one press roller (roller 26''). This roller is equipped with engagement-promoting features such as longitudinal ribs or webs and has an increased diameter compared to other rollers. By localizing these manufacturing complexities to a single component rather than distributing them across multiple rollers, the overall manufacturing burden is significantly reduced while still achieving the desired engagement effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution ensures the round bale remains rotating for a sufficient duration during unloading, maintaining a consistent rotational drive effect even as the press rollers move away, effectively addressing the premature disengagement issue without the need for costly retrofit kits.

Implementation Method 1

at least one of the press rollers arranged directly on the rear of the opening or directly on the front of the opening can be driven at a different speed than the other press rollers... to have a stronger overall effect of the affected press rollers on the circumferential surface of the round bale or to counteract a decreasing engagement effect

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP3103324B1Agricultural round baler
Publication Date: 2018.11.21 DEERE & CO
  • EP3103324B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3103324B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

An agricultural round baler (10) is disclosed. The agricultural round baler (10) comprises a baling chamber (20) consisting of several driven press rollers (26, 26', 26") arranged around the circumference of the baling chamber (20), by which a rotation-generating or rotation-maintaining engagement effect can be generated on a round bale located in the baling chamber (20), wherein the baling chamber (20) has an opening (25) through which the pressed round bale can be unloaded. In order to improve the engagement effect of the press rollers (26, 26', 26") during an unloading process for the round bale, it is proposed that at least one of the press rollers (26', 26") arranged directly behind or directly in front of the opening on an underside of the baling chamber (10) can be driven at a different rotational speed than the other press rollers (26).