Agricultural Harrow With Rotating Chain Links For Soil Leveling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current agricultural implements fail to effectively break up and incorporate stubble and weeds into the soil, while also leveling the ground surface efficiently, often exacerbating issues like nutrient removal and soil erosion.
Innovation Solution
An agricultural implement with a frame and multiple harrow members featuring discs and chains, where the discs face forward to engage the soil, allowing for effective furrowing and leveling, and offset wheels to prevent high-centering, enabling the broken-up material to be deposited back into the soil.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a heavy chain is used to clear debris and level ground, then material can be moved across the surface, but the material is swept away rather than settled in situ, and weeds and stubble are not effectively killed or uprooted
Solution Approach 1:
The chain is divided into multiple segments or links that can independently rotate and engage with the ground. Each segment acts as an individual working element that can break up stubble and weeds while allowing material to settle in place rather than being swept away continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
The chain is designed to be flexible and rotatable, allowing it to adapt to uneven ground conditions. The dynamic rotation of chain links enables them to engage deeply with the soil, break up stubborn material, and then release it to settle naturally, rather than forcing continuous movement that would sweep material away.
2Ease of operation
If chains are used to provide a raking effect, then surface material can be moved, but the material is pulled and swept away from its original location instead of being broken up and incorporated into the soil
Solution Approach 1:
The chain links are designed to rotate freely, transforming the static raking action into a dynamic breaking action. This rotation allows the chain to engage deeply with stubble and weeds, break them into smaller pieces, and then allow the broken material to fall back onto the ground surface to decompose and incorporate into the soil.
Solution Approach 2:
The chain's natural flexibility and rotatability, which might otherwise cause it to simply sweep material away, are converted into beneficial breaking and incorporating action. The same flexibility that prevents rigid sweeping also allows deep engagement with and breakdown of stubborn agricultural residue.
3Productivity
If multiple harrow members with discs and chains are used, then stubble and weeds can be broken up and incorporated, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The harrow is divided into multiple independent harrow members, each with its own chain and discs. This segmentation allows each member to work independently on different portions of the ground, improving overall productivity while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
Each harrow member is designed to perform multiple functions: breaking up stubble, uprooting weeds, and incorporating material into the soil. This multi-functionality is achieved through the combined action of discs and chains on each harrow member, reducing the need for separate specialized tools.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the chain is made flexible to navigate uneven terrain, then the implement can adapt to ground conditions, but the chain may become high-centered on uneven surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
Offset wheels are positioned to create a counterbalancing effect that prevents the flexible chain from becoming high-centered on uneven terrain. The offset positioning creates a stabilizing moment that counteracts the tendency of the flexible chain to rise on hills or bumps, allowing the implement to maintain stable contact with the ground while remaining adaptable to terrain variations.
Data Source
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AI summary
An agricultural implement (100) includes first (120a) and second (120b) outer harrows positioned adjacent front (112a) and left (112c) sides and front (112a) and right (112d) sides of a frame (110), respectively, at generally opposite diagonal directions. Third (120c) and fourth (120d) harrows are similarly positioned adjacent rear (112b) and left (112c) sides and rear (112b) and right (112d)sides of the frame (110), respectively, at generally opposite diagonal directions. The implement (100) may include inner harrows (120e, 120f) positioned to close gaps left by the outer harrows and positioned at generally opposite diagonal configurations. Each harrow (120) includes a plurality of discs (122) and a chain (124) with a plurality of links (125) that are rotatable about the longitudinal direction of the chain (124) so as to affect multi-purpose actioning of the soil by being able to level the surface rather than dragging material while also breaking up or uprooting weeds or stubble. Left (112c) and right (112d) sides of the frame (110) are foldable upwardly and inwardly for transport and storage.