Harrow Linkage Assemblies for Consistent Tooth Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior harrow implements with linkage assemblies fail to maintain all support bars and their teeth in proper orientations during operation, leading to incorrect attack angles, especially those closer to the tractor.
Innovation Solution
The harrow implement features a configuration where linkage assemblies are maintained in a generally horizontal orientation, with adjustable linking elements and stop surfaces to ensure teeth are oriented at specific angles of attack when pulled from either the front or rear end, ensuring all teeth engage the soil effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If simple chains or conventional linkage assemblies are used to connect support bars, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the linkage assemblies fail to maintain all support bars and teeth in proper orientations during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The linkage assembly incorporates a horizontal link connected to a slot in the support bar, allowing the support bar to rotate dynamically within the slot. This dynamic mechanism ensures that the teeth maintain the proper attack angle relative to the horizontal linkage during operation, while the linkage itself remains relatively simple to manufacture.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the harrow implement is designed to be pulled from either front end or rear end with different attack angles, then the adaptability is improved, but the linkage assemblies cannot maintain proper orientation of all support bars simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The linkage assembly design with horizontal links and slots provides a universal mechanism that maintains proper tooth orientation regardless of which end of the harrow is pulled. The slot allows the support bar to self-adjust its angle within the linkage, ensuring consistent performance whether the implement is pulled from the front or rear.
3Productivity
If support bars closer to the tractor are used, then the productivity is improved by covering more area, but the teeth form improper attack angles due to linkage assembly deficiencies
Solution Approach 1:
The linkage system segments the orientation control for each support bar individually through separate horizontal links and slots. This allows each support bar, including those closer to the tractor, to maintain its proper attack angle independently, ensuring uniform soil engagement across the entire width of the harrow implement.
Data Source
AI summary
Linkage assemblies for harrow implements are provided that facilitate the consistent positioning of all teeth of the harrow implements in an appropriate orientation (i.e., the appropriate attack angle) during operation. Beneficially, due to the configuration of the linkage assemblies within the harrow implements, the linkage assemblies are configured to be maintained in a generally horizontal orientation during operation. As such, each of the linking elements of the linkage assemblies will have their orientations aligned, such that a horizontal plane will encompass all of the linking elements of a given harrow implement. This allows for all of the teeth of the harrow implement to be positioned at the desired and appropriate orientation.