Grease-Adjusted End Stop for Accessible Hitch Sway Limiting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjustable end stops for three-point hitches require complex and inaccessible adjustment processes, necessitating multiple operations and tool usage, which is inefficient and cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable end stop mechanism utilizing a piston within a cavity filled with a flowable material, such as grease, to adjust the end stop height by introducing or removing the material through a grease nipple, allowing for simple and tool-free height adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing adjustable end stop mechanisms are used, then the end stop height can be adjusted, but the adjustment process requires complex tools and extensive access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a hydraulic piston system where grease is pumped through a grease nipple to extend the piston, thereby adjusting the end stop height. This hydraulic mechanism eliminates the need for complex mechanical adjustment tools and allows operation through a simple grease gun interface, directly resolving the contradiction between adjustability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces traditional mechanical adjustment mechanisms (screws, slots, manual positioning) with a hydraulic actuation system. The grease-filled piston converts fluid pressure into mechanical displacement, substituting complex mechanical adjustment with a simpler fluid-based system that requires minimal user intervention and no special tools beyond a standard grease gun.
2Adaptability or versatility
If existing adjustable end stop mechanisms are used, then the end stop height can be adjusted, but multiple operations and tool usage are required
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic piston system consolidates multiple adjustment operations into a single action: pumping grease through the grease nipple. This single operation simultaneously achieves height adjustment without requiring disassembly, tool changes, or sequential mechanical steps, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining full adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The grease nipple serves multiple functions: it acts as the filling port for the hydraulic system, the actuation interface for adjustment, and the pressure input for piston extension. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate adjustment mechanisms, reducing overall device complexity while preserving height adjustability.
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
Facilitates easy and efficient adjustment of the end stop height without requiring complex tools or extensive access, enhancing usability and reducing wear on components.
Implementation Method 1
filling the cavity with a flowable filling material via the grease nipple causes the piston to move towards the extended position
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
An adjustable end stop (205) comprises a body (301, 406) having a cavity (401) fluidly connected to a port (303) fitted with a grease nipple (303a). A piston (403) has a first end (404) slidably mounted in the cavity (401) and moveable between a retracted position and an extended position. Filling the cavity (401) with a flowable filling material such as grease via the grease nipple (303a) causes the piston (403) to move towards the extended position to adjust the overall height of the end stop. The end stop (205) is suitable for use in limiting sway of a draft link of a three-point hitch.