Grasping Bale Release Ramp for Controlled Baler Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural balers face the issue of bales rolling away from their discharge location, especially on inclines, which disrupts efficient collection and can lead to damage or loss.
Innovation Solution
A bale release assembly with grasping arms that pivot and move between different positions, forming a ramp or squeezing the bale to control its movement, using a controller to adjust the position based on terrain conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If bales are discharged onto the field, then the bale release opening must be opened wide enough to allow bale passage, but the bales will roll away from the discharge location
Solution Approach 1:
The grasping arms are made movable between a ramp position (where they form a stable discharge ramp) and a grasping position (where they close around the bale). This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to adapt its function based on the discharge phase, preventing bale rolling while maintaining ease of discharge.
Solution Approach 2:
The grasping arms act as an intermediary mechanism between the bale release opening and the ground. They form a ramp structure that mediates the bale's transition from the chamber to the ground, controlling the discharge path and preventing uncontrolled rolling.
2Ease of operation
If the grasping arms are positioned to form a ramp for bale discharge, then bale release is facilitated, but the arms cannot grasp the bale to prevent rolling
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically transitions the grasping arms from a ramp-forming configuration to a grasping configuration. The arms pivot about a horizontal axis to move from the ramp position to the grasping position, enabling the same structure to perform both functions at different times.
Solution Approach 2:
The grasping arms are positioned in the ramp configuration before bale discharge to facilitate easy release. After the bale is discharged, the arms then move to the grasping position to grasp and stabilize the bale, preventing rolling. The preliminary ramp positioning enables smooth discharge, followed by the grasping action.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the grasping width is increased to grasp bales effectively, then bale control is improved, but the opening width for discharge is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The grasping arms dynamically adjust their position and the effective grasping width. During discharge, they are positioned to form a wide ramp opening. After discharge, they pivot to close around the bale, creating an effective grasp. The same movable structure provides both wide opening and tight grasping capabilities at different phases.
Data Source
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AI summary
A bale release assembly (100) for an agricultural baler (10) includes: a pair of spaced apart side sheets (101A, 101B) defining a bale release opening (102) with an opening width (OW) therebetween; and a tailgate (50) associated with the bale release opening (102) and defining a closed position where the tailgate (50) closes the bale release opening (102) and an open position where the bale release opening (102) is open. A pair of grasping arms (201A, 201B) are associated with the bale release opening (102) and pivotable about a pivot axis (PA), the grasping arms (201A, 201B) each being movable between a respective ramp position to form a ramp (202) from the bale release opening (102) to the ground and a respective grasping position where a grasping width (GW) defined between the grasping arms (201A, 201B) is greater than the opening width (OW), the grasping arms (201A, 201B) defining a ramp width (RW) therebetween that is less than the grasping width (GW) when each grasping arm (201A, 201B) is in its respective ramp position.