Agricultural Crawler Drive with Dual Piston-Cylinder Torque Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing caterpillar drives for agricultural work machines lack flexibility in handling various operating states, such as driving on public roads, harvesting with a loaded grain tank, and turning maneuvers, due to inadequate power distribution across wheels, leading to uneven force application and potential surface damage.
Innovation Solution
The caterpillar drive incorporates a first piston-cylinder unit linking the rear main frame and support wheel swing, and a second piston-cylinder unit connecting the front and rear main frames, allowing for adjustable torque and power distribution between main wheels and support wheels, ensuring continuous force application through all wheels, even when encountering obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional crawler drive with fixed main wheels is used, then the structure is simple, but the power distribution across wheels is inadequate leading to uneven force application and potential surface damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the main wheels capable of pivoting relative to their respective main frames through pivot arms. This allows the wheels to dynamically adjust their position and orientation based on operating conditions, enabling flexible power distribution across different wheels (main wheels and support wheels) while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure. The pivot joints enable the system to adapt to various operating states without requiring complex additional components.
2Ease of operation
If the front main wheel is directly mounted on the front main frame, then the structure is simple, but the belt tension cannot be adjusted when pivoting occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a pivot arm as an intermediary element between the front main frame and the front main wheel. The pivot arm acts as a mediator that allows the wheel to pivot while maintaining proper belt tension through its articulated connection. This intermediary structure enables both pivoting movement and tension maintenance without requiring complex additional tensioning mechanisms.
3Reliability
If only main wheels are used for force transmission, then the structure is simple, but the support wheels cannot contribute to force dissipation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the force transmission function across multiple independent wheels - both main wheels and support wheels. Each wheel is equipped with pivot capability, allowing them to independently adjust and contribute to force dissipation. This segmentation of the force transmission system enables reliable power distribution across all wheels while maintaining a relatively simple modular structure where each wheel assembly can function semi-independently.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present application relates to a crawler track (1) for an agricultural machine (2), comprising a front main wheel (3), a rear main wheel (4), a front main frame (5) associated with the front main wheel (3), a rear main frame (6) associated with the rear main wheel (4), at least two support wheels (9, 10), a running belt (11) spanning the main wheels (3, 4) and a pivot point (12) by means of which the crawler track (1) can be pivotably connected to a body (42) of the machine (2) by forming a machine axle (13), wherein the two main frames (5, 6) are pivotably coupled to each other about a common pivot axis (14), wherein the support wheels (9, 10) are arranged on a common support frame (15), wherein the support frame (15) is pivotably connected to the front main frame (5) by means of a support wheel arm (17).In order to provide a track drive for an agricultural machine which is more flexible in its application to different operating conditions of the machine compared to the prior art, the invention proposes a first piston-cylinder unit (18) which is coupled at its first end (19) to the support wheel swing arm (17) and at its second end (20) to the rear main frame (6), and a second piston-cylinder unit (28) which is coupled at its first end (40) to the front main frame (5) and at its second end (41) to the rear main frame (6).