Harvester Support Wheel and Movable Ballast Load Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Self-propelled harvesters face challenges in maintaining legal axle load compliance during road transport and harvesting operations due to the increasing weight and width of harvesting headers, requiring complex systems and additional ballast that can be ecologically undesirable and impractical.
Innovation Solution
A self-propelled harvester with a support wheel that can be engaged or disengaged electronically, accompanied by a ballast weight adjustment system controlled by an electronic control device, ensures optimal load distribution on both front and rear axles regardless of the support wheel's engagement state, maintaining steerability without additional ballast.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a support wheel is used to reduce front axle load during road transport, then compliance with legal axle load regulations is improved, but the load on rear wheels is reduced making the harvester difficult to steer
Solution Approach 1:
The ballast weight is made movable between different positions (front and rear of the chassis) rather than being fixed. This allows the system to dynamically adapt to different operational states: during road transport the ballast can be positioned to maintain rear axle load for steerability, while during harvesting it can be repositioned to optimize load distribution. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between reducing front axle load and maintaining steerability.
2Ease of operation
If additional ballast material is carried to compensate for reduced rear axle load after removing the support wheel, then steerability is improved, but ecological concerns arise and the system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing movable ballast weight already present on the harvester to automatically compensate for load changes. When the support wheel is removed or engaged, the control unit automatically repositions the ballast weight to maintain appropriate rear axle load. This eliminates the need for additional ballast material and manual intervention, allowing the system to self-adjust based on operational state while using existing components.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit receives signals about the operational state (support wheel engagement status) and automatically adjusts the ballast weight position accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that the rear axle load is maintained at appropriate levels without requiring additional ballast or complex manual management, resolving the contradiction between steerability and system complexity.
3Productivity
If the support wheel is removed during harvesting operations, then the harvesting function is improved, but the front axle load increases becoming problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The ballast weight position is dynamically adjusted based on the operational state. When the support wheel is removed for harvesting, the ballast can be repositioned to compensate for the increased front axle load, ensuring that legal limits are not exceeded while maintaining full harvesting capability. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to switch between transport and harvesting modes without compromising either function.
Data Source
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AI summary
A self-propelled harvesting machine (10) comprises a chassis (12) supported on the ground by front and rear wheels (14, 16) and/or crawler tracks, a feed conveyor (30) to which a harvesting head (20) is attached, and at least one support wheel (54) positioned in front of the front wheels (14) or crawler tracks and capable of engaging the ground. An electronic control unit (76) can be supplied with a signal regarding the ground engagement state of the support wheel (54) and is configured to control an actuator (80) for adjusting the position of a ballast weight (82) depending on the signal.