Combine Row Unit Kernel Loss Reduction via Rail and Brush Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grain harvesting combine row units experience significant yield loss due to kernel shelling and failure to capture loose kernels, resulting in substantial economic losses, as the prior art stripper plates allow kernels to fall through and do not effectively sweep loose kernels into the auger.
Innovation Solution
The use of upwardly projecting side rails on stripper plates and impact-absorbing paddles with attached brushes or scrapers to prevent kernel loss by cushioning impacts and sweeping loose kernels into the combine's thresher auger.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If prior art stripper plates with downward-inclined rectilinear edges are used, then crop flow is maintained, but kernel loss increases significantly as kernels fall through to the ground
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional downward-inclined edge design of stripper plates by implementing upwardly projecting side rails that extend vertically or upwardly from the planar surface. This inversion prevents kernels from falling through to the ground by creating an upward barrier, thereby reducing kernel loss while maintaining structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The upwardly projecting side rails act as an intermediary structure between the stripper plate surface and the falling kernels. These rails intercept kernels before they can fall to the ground and redirect them into the auger, serving as a mediating element that solves the kernel loss problem without requiring complete redesign of the stripper plate
2Loss of substance
If impact-absorbing bumpers are attached to paddles, then kernel shatter is reduced by cushioning impacts, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by attaching impact-absorbing bumpers to the paddles before they contact the ears of corn. These bumpers are positioned in advance to cushion the impact between the paddle and the ear, preventing kernel shatter before it occurs. The bumpers are made of elastomeric material that deforms to absorb impact energy
Solution Approach 2:
The paddle assembly becomes a composite structure combining the rigid paddle body with the elastomeric impact-absorbing bumper. This composite design allows the rigid portion to provide structural strength while the elastomeric portion provides impact cushioning, achieving kernel protection through material composition rather than complex mechanical mechanisms
3Productivity
If sweeping brushes or scrapers are attached to paddles, then loose kernel recovery is improved by sweeping kernels into the auger, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the paddle assembly: the paddle itself performs the conveying function, the attached bumpers perform impact cushioning, and the attached brushes or scrapers perform kernel sweeping. By combining these elements into a single integrated assembly, the patent improves kernel recovery without requiring separate independent mechanisms for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The paddle assembly is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously performs ear conveying, impact cushioning, and loose kernel sweeping. The single paddle structure with attached elements serves multiple purposes in the harvesting process, improving overall system efficiency without adding multiple separate devices
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 design reduces kernel loss by 85% compared to prior art, improving crop flow and retention of small cobs, and economically benefits farmers by minimizing yield loss during harvesting.
Implementation Method 1
Impact absorbing bumpers are attached to the plurality of paddles and are adapted to reduce shatter shelling by cushioning the impacts of ears of corn against the replacement stripper plates and paddles
Implementation Method 2
A plurality of sweeping brushes or scrapers are attached to the paddles and are adapted to move loose kernels from the stripper plates into the combine's thresher auger
Data Source
AI summary
Modifications to row unit that result in a greatly reduced loss of kernels due to chatter include substituting stripper plates that have rails upwardly projecting guard rails at the edges of the stripper plates that define their working gap to thereby inhibit escape of loose kernels. Further, the ear transport paddles are modified so as to reduce shelling due to chatter and to move loose kernels collected on the stripper plates to the machine's auger so that these loose kernels become part of the yield. Specifically, a cushioning device is attached to each of the paddles and the paddles further support brushes or scrapers that sweep loose kernels into the auger.