Foldable Agricultural Implement Frame with Bracing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural implements, such as subsoilers, face challenges in withstanding and transferring large forces while being restricted in width for transportation due to the need for a rigid frame, which limits adjustability of tine spacing according to soil conditions or applications.
Innovation Solution
A foldable frame design with pivotally connected wings and a bracing arrangement, including hydraulic rams and actuators, allows the frame to expand for working and retract for transportation, enabling flexibility and adjustability in tine spacing without the need for a rigid structure, thus reducing stress and fatigue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid frame is used to withstand and transfer large forces, then the strength and stability of the implement is improved, but the width of the implement is restricted for transportation and the adjustability of tine spacing is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid frame is segmented into two separate wings that are pivotally connected to the drawbar. This segmentation allows the wings to be folded for transportation while maintaining structural strength during operation, and enables independent adjustment of tine spacing on each wing to adapt to different soil conditions and applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic foldable structure. The wings can pivot between an extended working configuration for strength and a retracted transport configuration for mobility. This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction between maintaining strength and enabling adjustability/transportation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid frame is used to withstand large forces, then the stability of the implement is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for a heavy single-piece structure
Solution Approach 1:
The single-piece rigid frame is divided into modular components (drawbar and two wings) connected by pivotal joints. This segmentation reduces the complexity of manufacturing and assembling a single heavy frame, while the bracing arrangement ensures stability during operation. The modular design also facilitates easier maintenance and adjustment.
3Strength
If tines are individually bolted in set positions to a rigid frame, then the strength of the frame is maintained, but the ease of operation is reduced due to the inability to adjust tine spacing
Solution Approach 1:
The frame structure enables dynamic adjustment of tine spacing by allowing the wings to be repositioned relative to the drawbar. Tines can be moved to different positions on the adjustable wings, and the wings themselves can be folded or repositioned to change the overall spacing. This maintains frame strength while significantly improving ease of operation for different soil conditions.
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 design provides a strong working configuration while allowing for compact transportation, reduces the risk of frame failure due to fatigue, and enables adjustable tine spacing to accommodate varying soil conditions and applications.
Implementation Method 1
a drawbar extension member connected at a front end to the drawbar at or towards the rear of the drawbar and connected at a rear end to the proximal ends of the bracing members, the extension member being arranged to move between a retracted position, where the proximal ends of the bracing members are in a forward position retaining the wings in the transport configuration and an extended position where the proximal ends of the bracing member are in a rearward position and the bracing members act in compression to retain the wings in the outwardly extending working configuration
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides an agricultural implement 28 comprising: a drawbar 29 having a towing point30 or linkage at a front end thereof; left and right hand wings 34, 35 foldable between an extended working configuration, where they extend outwardly to respective sides of the drawbar 29, and a retracted transport configuration, where they are folded in towards a longitudinal axis of the implement 28, each wing 34, 35 being pivotally connected at a proximal end to the drawbar 29, at or towards a rear end of the drawbar; a plurality of spaced apart tools 38 attached along each wing 34, 35; and a bracing arrangement 46 to 50 for maintaining the wings 34, 35 in the open working configuration, the bracing arrangement comprising: a left hand bracing member 46 pivotally connected at a distal end to the left hand wing 34 at a point remote from the proximal end of the left hand wing 34; and a right hand bracing member 47 pivotally connected at a distal end to the right hand wing 35 at a point remote from the proximal end of the right hand wing 35, wherein the left and right hand bracing members 46 ,47 are, directly or indirectly, pivotally connected together at their proximal ends and are arranged in the working configuration to be held at a predetermined angle relative to each other in order to retain the wings 34, 35 in the working configuration. The invention provides an implement 28 which may be folded for transportation and may in certain embodiments be arranged to alter the tool spacing in a width direction of the implement, by folding the wings 34, 35 to one or more working configurations. The invention may be particularly applicable to a subsoiler where the tools 38 are tines.