Agricultural Baling Press Automatic Winding Roll Exchange

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing agricultural baling presses have complex and error-prone transport and transfer devices for exchanging winding rolls, requiring manual intervention and interrupting the baling process when wrapping material runs out.

Innovation Solution

A baling press with a transfer device featuring a loading arm equipped with a gripper and translational and rotational mobility, allowing for automatic exchange of winding rolls between the roll bearing and the wrapping arm, enabling continuous operation without manual intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If a complex transport device and transfer device are used for automatic winding roll exchange, then the automation level increases and manual intervention is reduced, but the device complexity increases and error susceptibility increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomation of winding roll exchangeVSAvoidcomplexity of transport and transfer device
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The exchange mechanism is divided into separate functional components: a transport device for moving rolls along the support frame and a transfer device for exchanging rolls between the transport device and wrapping arm. This segmentation allows each component to be simpler and more reliable while achieving overall automation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A transport device acts as an intermediary between the roll storage and the wrapping arm, providing a buffer that decouples the loading and unwrapping operations. This intermediary enables automatic exchange without requiring complex direct transfer mechanisms between storage and usage points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If manual replacement of wrapping rolls is performed, then the device complexity remains low, but the productivity decreases and work process is interrupted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous operation capabilityVSAvoidcomplexity of exchange mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Full wrapping rolls are pre-loaded onto the support frame in advance, allowing the baler to operate continuously without stopping for roll changes. The transport device automatically delivers pre-positioned rolls to the wrapping arm, eliminating work interruptions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service through automatic detection of empty rolls and automated transport and exchange of full rolls. The wrapping arm, transport device, and control system work together autonomously to maintain continuous operation without manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Stability of the object's composition

If a rigid support frame is used for the wrapping device, then the structural stability is high, but the space requirements and design complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability of support frameVSAvoiddesign complexity of support frame
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support frame incorporates movable elements including the transport device that can translate along the frame and the wrapping arm that can rotate. These dynamic components are mounted on the stable rigid support frame, combining structural stability with operational flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The transport device moves along the longitudinal axis of the support frame, while the wrapping arm rotates in a different dimensional space. This multi-dimensional arrangement allows compact design while maintaining frame stability and enabling full wrapping coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3461317B1Agricultural baling press
Publication Date: 2020.05.13 USINES CLAAS FRANCE SAS
  • EP3461317B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3461317B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3461317B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present application relates to an agricultural baler (1) comprising a pressing device (2) for pressing crops into a bale, a wrapping device (3) for wrapping a pressed bale with a wrapping material, a roller bearing (4) for storing at least one wrapping roll (5) on the baler (1), and a transfer device (6) for transferring a wrapping roll (5) to the wrapping device (3) and for receiving a wrapping roll (5) from the wrapping device (3), wherein the wrapping device (3) comprises a support frame (7) and a wrapping arm (8), wherein the wrapping arm (8) has a roller holder (9) by means of which a wrapping roll (5) can be stored on the wrapping arm (8), and wherein a wrapping roll (5) can be transferred to and/or received from the roller holder (9) of the wrapping arm (8) by means of the transfer device (6).In order to provide a baler in which reloading a new wrapping roll is as simple as possible compared to the prior art, it is proposed according to the invention that the transfer device (6) has a loading arm (10) movable on the baler (1) which includes at least one gripper (12), wherein the gripper (12) has at least two gripping elements (20, 21) movable relative to each other, which can be moved between a gripping position and a release position.