Ballast Assembly with Segmented Weights and Hydraulic Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ballast assemblies for work vehicles, such as tractors, are cumbersome and time-consuming to mount and detach, especially when changing between different implements that require varying levels of ballast for tasks like heavy draft pulling and high-speed transport.
Innovation Solution
A ballast assembly with a central groove on the ballast weight and coupling pins, support rods, links, and an adjustable actuator allows for quick attachment and detachment by using a latch mechanism to secure the ballast brackets to the vehicle's frame, enabling rapid reconfiguration of ballast distribution between the front and rear axles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional mounting methods with separate U-shaped brackets and specialized wheel weights are used, then the ballast can be securely attached to the work vehicle, but the mounting and detachment process becomes time-consuming and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The ballast weight is divided into multiple segments with coupling pins extending across a central groove, allowing the ballast to be attached in sections rather than as a single cumbersome unit. This segmentation enables faster attachment and detachment while maintaining secure mounting through the distributed coupling pins.
Solution Approach 2:
The ballast assembly incorporates movable links with slots that slidably engage support rods, allowing the ballast position to be dynamically adjusted between front and rear axles. The hydraulic actuator provides dynamic control, enabling quick repositioning of the ballast weight without time-consuming manual reassembly operations.
2Force
If ballast weights are permanently fixed to accommodate heavy draft pulling tasks, then traction and pull efficiency are improved, but fuel efficiency and payload capability deteriorate during high-speed transport tasks
Solution Approach 1:
The ballast assembly is designed as a dynamic system that can be repositioned between front and rear axles based on task requirements. The hydraulic actuator enables quick adjustment of ballast distribution, allowing the system to optimize for traction during heavy draft pulling and for fuel efficiency during high-speed transport by moving the ballast to appropriate positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the ballast assembly by moving it between different positions on the vehicle frame. This parameter change (position of ballast weight) allows the same ballast mass to serve different functions: improving traction when positioned for heavy pulling, and being removed or repositioned to improve fuel efficiency during transport operations.
3Reliability
If specialized wheel weights are used for rearward ballast, then the ballast function is achieved, but the device complexity and ease of operation worsen due to cumbersome mounting procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The ballast assembly is designed as a universal system that can be positioned at both front and rear axles using the same basic structure and coupling mechanism. The standardized coupling pins, ballast brackets, and link assembly with hydraulic actuation provide a multi-functional solution that eliminates the need for specialized mounting procedures for different ballast locations, significantly improving ease of operation.
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 enables rapid and efficient change of ballast weight distribution, improving traction and fuel efficiency by allowing quick adjustment of ballast for different tasks without the need for complex mounting procedures.
Implementation Method 1
an adjustable length actuator, such as a hydraulic cylinder has a first end pivotally coupled to one of the links and having a second end pivotally fixed to the frame part
Implementation Method 2
A first link has an end pivotally coupled to the first ballast bracket, and has a body which slidably engages the first support rod
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A ballast assembly (15) for a work vehicle includes a ballast weight (30) having a central groove (36). Two pairs of coupling pins (39,41,43,45) extend across the central groove. A pair of support rods (26,8) are attached to an underside of a frame part of the vehicle. The assembly also includes a pair of ballast bracket (42, 44) , each of which is releasably coupled to a corresponding pair of the coupling pins.