Agricultural Harvester Support Wheel Contact Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural harvesting machines face challenges in maintaining standardized axle loads during road transport of increasingly wider and heavier attachments, as existing solutions either fail to distribute load effectively or require complex constructions to regulate contact pressure.
Innovation Solution
A contact pressure control system using height-adjustable lifting cylinders and a pressure control device to regulate the contact pressure of support wheels, ensuring a definable portion of the load is taken by the support wheels, thereby relieving the drive and steering axles, and maintaining permissible axle loads without additional hydraulic cylinders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If support wheels are arranged directly on the intermediate attachment, then the attachment can support its own weight during transport, but the intermediate attachment requires considerable stiffening to absorb shock loads
Solution Approach 1:
A carriage is introduced as an intermediary component between the support wheels and the intermediate attachment. The carriage absorbs shock loads from the support wheels, preventing these forces from being transmitted directly to the intermediate attachment. This mediator structure allows the intermediate attachment to remain less stiff while still enabling the support wheels to carry the attachment weight during transport.
2Device complexity
If support wheels are fixed to the intermediate attachment, then the structure is simplified, but vertical movement of support wheels relative to the attachment is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The support wheels are made dynamically adjustable through a height control system that allows vertical movement relative to the carriage. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the support wheels to adapt to varying terrain conditions and maintain optimal contact with the ground, while the carriage itself remains relatively simple in structure.
3Reliability
If additional lifting cylinders are added to regulate contact pressure, then contact pressure control is achieved, but the construction becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
Existing lifting cylinders on the intermediate attachment are made multi-functional by connecting them to control the height of the carriage relative to the attachment. These same cylinders simultaneously regulate the contact pressure of the support wheels on the ground. This universal use of existing components achieves contact pressure control without adding dedicated hydraulic cylinders for this specific function.
4Speed
If the intermediate hitch is lifted, then the attachment can be raised, but the load transmitted by support wheels to the ground decreases and becomes zero
Solution Approach 1:
A control system with feedback mechanisms monitors the position of the carriage relative to the intermediate attachment and automatically adjusts the lifting cylinders to maintain optimal contact pressure. When the hitch is lifted, the feedback system detects the change in position and regulates the hydraulic pressure to ensure the support wheels maintain reliable ground contact throughout the lifting operation.
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
This solution allows for simpler and cost-effective regulation of axle loads, ensuring compliance with standardized load proportions and providing operator feedback to maintain consistent axle load distribution even over uneven terrain.
Implementation Method 1
The contact pressure of the at least one support wheel on the ground can be regulated by applying pressure to and relieving the pressure of the at least one hydraulic cylinder arranged on the mounting device
Implementation Method 2
a definable part of the load of the front attachment is taken up by the support wheel
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The machine (1) i.e. field chopper (2), has a receiving device (6) for receiving agricultural attachments (3) e.g. maize header (4), where a height of the receiving device is adjusted using a lift cylinder (26). A support wheel (16) stays in contact with a field ground (5) and supports the attachments. A support pressure regulating device (25) regulates support pressure of the support wheel on the ground when the agricultural attachments take a non-working position. The regulating device constantly regulates a pressure level of the cylinder in a transport position of the attachments.