Pivoting Header Tongue Retaining System for Lateral Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural mowers face challenges in transporting their wide headers between fields without exceeding practical or regulatory limits, as existing solutions require additional trailers that are costly, difficult to load/unload, and necessitate separate transportation.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable transport arrangement for pull-behind mower headers that allows lateral transport while attached to a tractor, using a tongue arrangement and retaining system with a hook and pin to maintain the header in an elevated position, leveraging hydraulic controls for easy transition and passive retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a separate trailer is used for lateral transport of the mower header, then the header can be transported in a narrowed orientation, but the cost, complexity, and operational difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the transport function into the mower header itself by integrating a tongue arrangement with pivot capability directly onto the header structure. This eliminates the need for a separate trailer, as the header can independently pivot to a transport orientation and be towed by the tractor, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining transport adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The header is designed with multi-functionality: it serves both as the cutting implement during field operations and as a self-contained transport unit during relocation. The integrated tongue and pivot mechanism enable the header to perform both mowing and transport functions, eliminating the need for dedicated transport equipment
2Adaptability or versatility
If a separate trailer is used for lateral transport, then the header can be transported, but additional cost and separate transportation requirements arise
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the transport function into the header structure itself through the integrated tongue arrangement, the patent eliminates the need to manufacture and maintain a separate expensive trailer. The header becomes a self-sufficient transport unit, reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining transport capability
3Adaptability or versatility
If a tongue swing mechanism with multiple components is used, then lateral transport is enabled, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential transport function from complex multi-component mechanisms and implements it through a simplified tongue arrangement with pivot capability. By removing unnecessary components and retaining only the critical pivot and latch functions, the system achieves lateral transport capability with reduced complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs simple, inexpensive components for the tongue mechanism - a basic tongue plate, pivot points, and latch - rather than complex hydraulic or multi-stage mechanisms. These simple mechanical components achieve the transport function at lower cost and complexity while remaining sufficiently durable for the application
Data Source
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AI summary
An agricultural machine (10) including a chassis (12), a header unit (42), a tongue arrangement (18) and a retaining system (40). The header unit (42) interacts with crop material, and is carried by the chassis (12). The tongue arrangement (18) is coupled to the chassis (12) and facilitates a coupling with a traction unit. The tongue arrangement (18) is pivotal about an axis relative to the header unit (42) and the chassis (12). The retaining system (40) is configured to releasably couple the tongue arrangement (18) to at least one of the header unit (42) and the chassis (12) to thereby retain the header unit (42) in an elevated position.