Front-Mounted Hay-Making Machine with Overlapping Tine Orbits

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional front-mounted hay-making machines are structurally complex, prone to damage, and inefficient in clearing the tractor track, leading to poor crop handling and uneven drying due to their multiple conversion options and design limitations.

Innovation Solution

A front-mounted hay-making machine design featuring overlapping outer tine orbits with outward-facing rotation directions, inclined tines, and a stable support frame, which clears the tractor track by forming two side swaths and ensures gentle crop processing and even drying by integrating with a rear-mounted machine.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional front-mounted hay-making machines use multiple conversion options and complex designs, then they attempt to handle various working conditions, but the structure becomes complex and prone to damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconversion optionsVSAvoidstructure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the conversion mechanisms from the front-mounted hay-making machine, designing it as a dedicated single-function device. By removing the ability to convert between different mounting configurations, the structure is simplified while still achieving the desired versatility through optimized rotor positioning and tine orbit design that works effectively in the front-mounted configuration alone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If the hay-making machine uses aggressive engagement to clear the tractor track, then it can pick up pressed crop, but the crop processing becomes rough and contaminated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrop pickup capabilityVSAvoidcrop contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The front-mounted hay-making machine performs preliminary action by clearing the tractor track area before the rear-mounted machine processes the crop. The rotors are positioned and rotated to sweep away crop from between the tractor wheels, creating a clean path that prevents contamination. This preliminary clearing action allows the rear machine to process crop without picking up contaminated material from the track area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The front-mounted hay-making machine acts as an intermediary device between the tractor and the rear-mounted hay-making machine. It prepares the working area by clearing the track, thereby mediating the interaction between the tractor wheels and the crop that the rear machine will subsequently process. This intermediary action prevents direct contact between the tractor wheels and the crop intended for processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If the hay-making machine forms a central swath between tractor wheels, then it clears the track, but the area between rotors is not processed and drying is uneven

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrack clearing efficiencyVSAvoiddrying uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of forming a central swath between the tractor wheels as in conventional designs, this patent inverts the approach by having the rotors clear the track area and deposit crop in side swaths outside the tractor track. The rotors are positioned and rotated to sweep crop from the central track area outward, ensuring that the entire working area including the previously unprocessed region between the rotors is thoroughly mixed and deposited for uniform drying.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Productivity

If large-diameter rotors are used to increase working efficiency, then they clear the track effectively, but they exceed transport width regulations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveworking efficiencyVSAvoidtransport width

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves the width constraint by changing the spatial arrangement from horizontal extension to vertical positioning. The rotors are mounted on an elevated support frame structure, allowing them to operate at a height that provides effective track clearing coverage without increasing the horizontal transport width. This dimensional change allows large-diameter rotors to be used for high productivity while complying with transport regulations through vertical rather than horizontal dimensioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3881670B1Hay-making machine

Publication Date: 2022.08.10 KVERNELAND GROUP KERTEMINDE AS

Figure 1~2

AI summary

In a front-mounted haymaking machine (M), with a support frame (4) on which two counter-rotating rotary heads (7) with tine arms (11) and tines (12) are arranged side by side transversely to the direction of travel (R), the outer orbits (13) of the tines (12) overlap in the middle and the rotary directions (X) of rotation of the heads are directed outwards in the direction of travel (R).