Folding Manure Pump Trailer for Confined-Space Maneuvering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing PTO trailer-mounted manure pumps are cumbersome and difficult to maneuver due to their length, making it challenging to position and attach to a tractor, especially in confined spaces, and require additional components like carrier bearing systems, increasing cost and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A trailer for a PTO driven manure pump featuring a folding system with pivotally connected members, a ground support system, and a guide member, allowing the pump to be positioned efficiently in an operating mode with hydraulic or mechanical systems, reducing the trailer's length during transport and enhancing maneuverability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the trailer is made long to accommodate the pump in a horizontal transport position, then the pump can be transported and positioned for operation, but the trailer becomes difficult to maneuver and back into position, especially in confined spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The trailer employs a folding tongue mechanism that allows the tongue to transition between extended and retracted positions. During transport, the tongue is extended to provide a long, stable platform for carrying the pump horizontally. When maneuvering into confined spaces, the tongue can be folded back, reducing the overall length and improving ease of operation. This dynamic structural change resolves the contradiction between needing length for transport stability and needing compactness for maneuverability.
2Ease of operation
If the trailer is made long to transport the pump horizontally, then the pump can be easily positioned for operation, but the distance from the tractor increases, making it difficult for the operator to see what is happening in the manure pit opening
Solution Approach 1:
The folding tongue mechanism allows the trailer to be extended during pump positioning operations, providing the necessary length for stable pump placement. Once the pump is positioned, the tongue can be retracted, bringing the tractor and operator closer to the manure pit opening, thereby improving visibility without sacrificing positioning capability.
3Length of moving object
If a very long PTO shaft or multiple PTO shafts are used to connect the long trailer to the tractor, then the pump can be powered, but the complexity and cost of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
By using a folding tongue, the trailer length can be dynamically adjusted. During operations requiring long reach, the tongue is extended. During transport or maneuvers, the tongue is retracted, allowing the use of a standard-length PTO shaft. This eliminates the need for multiple PTO shafts or carrier bearing systems, reducing system complexity and cost while maintaining the capability to operate with extended reach when needed.
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 folding system enables easier positioning and attachment of the pump to a tractor, even in confined spaces, reducing the trailer's length for transport and minimizing maintenance requirements, thus improving operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a folding system including a first member and a second member that are pivotally connected to one another at a pivot point
Implementation Method 2
allowing the pump to be positioned efficiently in an operating mode with hydraulic or mechanical systems
Data Source
AI summary
An example trailer for a pump can include: a folding system including a first member and a second member that are pivotally connected to one another at a pivot point; a mechanism positioned to move the first member relative to the second member from a transport mode to an operating mode; a ground support system configured to support the trailer relative to a ground; and a guide member configured to hold the pump.