Dually Drive Wheel Assembly for Traction and Mobile Livestock Enclosures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional livestock production in stationary facilities leads to health issues, high costs, and environmental concerns, while pasture raising methods are expensive and not scalable for commercial farmers due to land and labor requirements.
Innovation Solution
A dually drive wheel assembly with a motor between two wheels, enclosed in a housing, allowing easy maintenance and improved traction, and a rotatable mechanical linkage for maneuverability, integrated into mobile agricultural structures like enclosures and fences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional stationary facilities are used for livestock production, then management and control are easier, but livestock health deteriorates due to dirty conditions and high operational costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by transforming stationary livestock facilities into mobile structures that can be moved across pastures. The mobile livestock enclosure system with wheeled assemblies allows the facility itself to move, enabling continuous access to fresh grazing land while maintaining controlled management conditions. This resolves the contradiction by providing both improved livestock health through pasture rotation and manageable operational costs through automated movement capabilities.
2Reliability
If pasture raising methods are used to improve livestock health, then animal welfare improves, but scalability and cost-effectiveness deteriorate due to high land and labor requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the self-service principle through automated control systems that manage the movement of mobile livestock enclosures. Controllers automatically navigate the mobile facilities across pastures, adjust positioning, and manage wheel assemblies without requiring manual labor. This enables pasture-raised livestock operations to scale commercially by reducing labor requirements while maintaining animal welfare benefits.
3Ease of operation
If large expensive tires are used to improve mobility across terrain, then movement capability improves, but cost and device complexity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the segmentation principle by dividing the mobility function across multiple smaller wheel assemblies rather than relying on a single large wheel or tire system. Each mobile livestock enclosure has multiple wheeled assemblies with dual wheels, distributing the weight and mobility requirements across several components. This segmentation reduces the size and cost of individual wheels while maintaining overall mobility capability across varying terrain.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the nesting principle by placing the motor within the housing structure of each wheel assembly. The motor is enclosed within the same housing that contains the wheel mechanism, creating a compact integrated unit. This nesting reduces the overall space requirements and allows the use of smaller, more cost-effective wheel components while maintaining full mobility functionality.
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
Enhances traction and floatation, simplifies maintenance, and enables scalable mobile livestock management, reducing costs and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
a motor disposed between two of the wheels, a drive transference mechanically coupled to the motor and the wheels, wherein the motor is configured to turn the drive transference and the wheels together
Implementation Method 2
The dually drive wheel assembly enhances traction... allowing mobile livestock enclosures and fences to move efficiently across varying terrain
Data Source
AI summary
In general, one aspect disclosed features an apparatus comprising: a mobile agricultural structure; and at least one wheel assembly mechanically coupled to the mobile agricultural structure, wherein each wheel assembly comprises: two or more wheels, a motor disposed between two of the wheels, a drive transference mechanically coupled to the motor and the wheels, wherein the motor is configured to turn the drive transference and the wheels together, a housing, wherein the motor is enclosed by the housing, and a rotatable mechanical linkage mechanically coupled between the housing and the mobile agricultural structure.