Dual Auger Baler for Stable Bale Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Single auger balers produce bales with unstable stacking characteristics due to a circular high-density region in the middle and lower density regions near the corners, leading to tipping when stacked vertically.
Innovation Solution
A dual auger system within a common auger housing produces bales with a rectangular cross-sectional shape, featuring multiple high-density points of contact when stacked, improving stability through a specific auger layout and stripper configuration to redistribute crop material effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single auger is used to compress crop material, then the bale production process is simple, but the stacking stability is poor due to circular high-density region and lower density regions near corners
Solution Approach 1:
The single auger compression system is segmented into multiple augers (first auger and second auger) positioned at different locations within the auger housing. Each auger creates its own compression zone and high-density region, resulting in multiple contact points that improve stacking stability while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the bale are given different density characteristics through the multi-auger configuration. The first auger creates a high-density region at its location, the second auger creates another high-density region, and corner regions are specifically addressed by stripper positioning. This local quality variation ensures stable stacking throughout the entire bale structure.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a dual auger system is implemented to improve stacking stability, then multiple high-density points of contact are created, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple augers are merged within a single common auger housing, sharing common structural support, drive mechanisms, and control systems. This combining approach creates multiple high-density contact points for improved stacking stability while avoiding the complexity of completely separate auger systems, as the augers operate cooperatively within a unified structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The common auger housing serves multiple functions: it contains both the first and second augers, provides structural support for the entire compression system, and facilitates the coordinated operation of multiple augers. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity by consolidating what could be separate systems into a single integrated unit.
3Manufacturing precision
If stripers are positioned to redirect crop material concentration, then the density distribution is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Strippers are positioned to redirect and concentrate crop material into the compression zone before the augers arrive. This preliminary action ensures that material is properly distributed and concentrated in advance, creating uniform density distribution in the final bale without requiring complex real-time adjustments during compression, thereby simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
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
The dual auger system enhances the stacking stability of bales by creating a wider and taller cross-sectional shape with multiple high-density points of contact, significantly improving the stacking characteristics compared to single auger balers.
Implementation Method 1
a compression system utilizing multiple augers to compress the crop material
Implementation Method 2
a first auger at least partially positioned within the volume and rotatable with respect to the auger housing about a first axis
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A baler is described. The baler comprises a frame (14), a feed system (22) coupled to the frame (14), an auger housing (160) coupled to the frame (14) and in operable communication with the feed system (22), the auger housing (160) having an exterior wall (180) including a first open end (168), a second open end (172) opposite the first open end (168), and defining a volume (184) therein, characterized in that a first auger (164a)is at least partially positioned within the volume (184) and rotatable with respect to the auger housing (160) about a first axis (176a); and a second auger (164b) is at least partially positioned within the volume (184) and rotatable with respect to the auger housing (160) about a second axis (176b).