Grasping Assembly for Continuous Bale Collection and Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bale transport machinery is inefficient, requiring multiple operators and machinery, leading to increased resource usage and bale damage due to frequent stops and double manipulation, which increases time and risk of tearing the wrapping material.
Innovation Solution
An automated apparatus with a grasping assembly and bale loading platform that allows single-operator collection and transport of bales without stopping, using a mechanical arm with multiple degrees of freedom to grasp and load bales onto a platform with minimal friction, and a tiltable platform for efficient discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single operator uses a tractor with clamping device and trailer to collect and transport bales, then the number of operators and machinery is reduced, but the tractor must stop frequently to unhook and rehook the trailer, increasing time consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two independent functional units: a tractor equipped with a grasping assembly for collecting bles, and a separate trailer for transporting them. This segmentation allows the tractor to continue moving and collecting bales without stopping to rehook the trailer, as the trailer is automatically coupled and uncoupled at predetermined locations, thereby reducing time loss while maintaining reduced operator count.
Solution Approach 2:
An automatic coupling mechanism acts as an intermediary between the tractor and trailer, enabling automatic connection and disconnection without requiring the tractor to stop. This intermediary system facilitates seamless transfer of bales between collection and transport functions, eliminating the time-consuming manual unhooking and rehooking operations.
2Productivity
If known machinery performs double capture and manipulation of bales for loading and unloading, then bales can be transported, but the time required increases and wrapping material is torn
Solution Approach 1:
The unloading operation is extracted from the loading location and performed at a separate predetermined discharge location. The trailer transports bales to this dedicated discharge point where they are unloaded using a discharge assembly, separating the loading and unloading operations in space. This eliminates the need for double manipulation at the same location, reducing time consumption and preventing wrapping material damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The trailer is pre-positioned at predetermined discharge locations where bles will be unloaded. The discharge assembly is prepared in advance to receive and unload bales efficiently. This preliminary positioning and preparation eliminates the need for additional manipulation steps during the unloading process, thereby reducing time loss and preventing damage to wrapping material.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If machinery stops to prevent dragging of bales on the ground during collection, then bale damage is prevented, but time consumption increases due to frequent stops
Solution Approach 1:
The tractor operates continuously without stopping to collect bles, maintaining continuous useful action. The grasping assembly on the tractor picks up bles during movement, and the automatic coupling system ensures continuous operation by automatically connecting and disconnecting the trailer at predetermined locations without requiring the tractor to stop, thus preventing bale damage while eliminating time loss from frequent stops.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical operation of stopping, unhooking, and rehooking the trailer is replaced by an automatic coupling system that performs these operations automatically during continuous movement. This substitution of automatic mechanical control for manual operation allows the tractor to maintain continuous motion, preventing bale dragging damage while eliminating time consumption associated with frequent stops.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for collecting and transporting bales. The apparatus includes a transport assembly and a grasping assembly operatively connected thereto. The transport assembly includes a bale loading platform extending above and mounted to a chassis. The bale loading platform comprises at least one bale conveying section in including a bale conveying mechanism. The grasping assembly includes a mechanical arm having a prehension end effector engageable with the bales. The grasping assembly is configurable between a bale engagement configuration for engaging a corresponding one of the bales laying on the ground, a bale capture configuration for capturing and lifting the corresponding one of the bales off the ground and a bale release configuration for releasing the corresponding one of the bales onto the bale loading platform and comprises a movement absorption mechanism operative to substantially cancel the forward displacement of the apparatus during the capture of the bales.