Hinged Floating Wings for Uniform Soil Conditioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional towable agricultural pulverizers with folding wing sections face issues in maintaining uniform soil conditioning due to varying drawbar heights and weight distribution when operating on uneven ground, leading to inconsistent seedbed preparation and potential soil compaction.
Innovation Solution
A new hinge design featuring a ball joint and guide roller in a roller slot allows the wings to float independently, enabling them to follow soil contours and maintain uniform ground contact, preventing weight transfer between the wing and center sections, thus ensuring consistent soil conditioning across the entire width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the wings are rigidly connected to the center section at hinge points, then the structure is stable and easy to manufacture, but the wings cannot follow the contour of the field when drawbar heights vary, leading to inconsistent soil conditioning
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism is designed to allow dynamic adjustment of wing position relative to the center section. The hinge points enable the wings to rotate and adapt to varying drawbar heights and ground contours, transforming the rigid structure into a dynamic system that automatically adjusts to terrain variations while maintaining stable connection.
2Area of stationary object
If the wing rollers are set back from the center rollers to provide overlap, then the total width coverage is improved, but weight transfer between sections occurs on uneven ground, causing inconsistent soil conditioning and potential soil compaction
Solution Approach 1:
The pulverizer is divided into independent sections (center section and wing sections) that can operate independently. The hinge mechanism allows each section to respond independently to ground variations, preventing weight transfer between sections and ensuring that each roller consistently conditions the soil beneath it without being affected by terrain variations elsewhere.
3Ease of operation
If the wings are folded for transport, then the machinery can be transported on public roadways, but the hinge connection prevents the wings from following field contours during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism provides dynamic adaptability during operation, allowing the wings to adjust to ground contours. During transport, the same hinge mechanism allows the wings to be folded to a compact position, demonstrating the dual functionality of the dynamic connection - providing both transport capability and operational adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A towable soil pulverizer having a longitudinal center section, and foldable wings mounted by hinges on opposite sides of the center section to fold upwardly or downwardly about substantially longitudinal hinge axes. The wings and center section have ground working rollers. Each hinge has a spaced ball joint and guide roller in roller slot. A wing float axis for each wing extends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal hinge axis in a transverse direction, each wing also being pivotal about the float axis. The hinge design with the float axis prevents weight transfer between the center section and wing sections when the pulverizer operates over uneven soil, to provide uniform soil conditioning over the width of the pulverizer. The center section rollers are positioned ahead of (or behind or co-linear with) the wing rollers. Components of the ball joint and roller guide in slot are fixedly and non-rotationally attached to the center section.