Flex Arm Air Bag Linkage for Consistent Cutter Bar Lift
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flexible headers in agricultural vehicles, particularly those with torsion block systems, fail to provide consistent and sufficient lift force to the cutter bars, leading to inadequate adjustment over undulating terrain, causing crop or dirt buildup.
Innovation Solution
A flexible header with an adjustment system comprising a linkage assembly and an air spring, which translates linear movement of the fluid spring to adjust the cutter bar position, allowing for a constant or variable spring rate and maintaining torque throughout extension, enabling the cutter bar to float and follow ground undulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a torsion block system is used to control tension on cutter bars, then the system provides sufficient tension throughout the range of motion, but the spring unwinds and loses force as the arm travels upward, resulting in inadequate lift force at the center of the cutter bar
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical torsion block spring system with a pneumatic air spring system. The air spring maintains constant pressure and force output throughout its extension range, eliminating the force loss characteristic of unwinding torsion springs. This pneumatic system connects to the cutter bar support arm to provide consistent lift force, ensuring uniform contact pressure across the entire cutter bar width including the center section.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the spring system by transitioning from a mechanical torsion spring with variable spring rate to a pneumatic air spring with constant pressure characteristics. This parameter change enables the system to maintain stable force output throughout the full range of motion, directly addressing the force consistency issue with traditional torsion block systems.
2Ease of operation
If a torsion block system is used with disparate loadings on various sections of the cutter bar, then outer sections may be sufficiently lifted, but the center section fails to lift adequately, causing crop or dirt buildup
Solution Approach 1:
The pneumatic air spring system provides distributed force application across the cutter bar support structure. By connecting the air spring to the linkage system that supports the entire cutter bar assembly, it ensures uniform lift force distribution to all sections including the center, preventing crop and dirt accumulation that occurs with inadequate center section lifting.
Solution Approach 2:
The air spring system automatically adjusts to maintain consistent cutter bar contact with the ground by responding to changes in terrain and crop conditions. The pneumatic system's constant pressure characteristic allows it to self-regulate and maintain proper cutter bar floating capability without manual intervention, preventing buildup issues.
3Device complexity
If conventional springs are used to adjust cutter bar position, then the system structure remains simple, but the spring rate varies and cannot provide consistent force throughout extension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pneumatic air spring into the cutter bar adjustment system. While this adds a fluid system component, it eliminates the need for complex mechanical spring rate adjustment mechanisms. The air spring's inherent constant pressure characteristic provides consistent force throughout extension with a relatively simple single-component design, improving force consistency without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible header for an agricultural vehicle including a frame, at least one cutter bar movably coupled to the frame, and an adjustment system coupled to the frame and the at least one cutter bar. The adjustment system is configured to adjust a position of the at least one cutter bar. The adjustment system includes at least one linkage assembly. The linkage assembly includes a first link member and a second link member. Each of the first and second link members are rotationally coupled to the frame. The adjustment system also includes at least one fluid spring coupled to the first link member and the second link member such that the at least one linkage assembly translates a substantially linear movement of the at least one fluid spring to adjust the at least one cutter bar.