Knife Retainer Cross-Bolt Structure for Shorter Harvest Cutting Length
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural harvesting machines face limitations in shortening the cutting length due to the design of knife retainers, which require significant installation space and axial stability, leading to potential false triggering and cutting losses when obstacles are encountered.
Innovation Solution
The cross-bolt connection is redesigned with a nested structure of a cross-bolt and a bolt sleeve, featuring integrally formed bolt heads for axial security, allowing for reduced lateral projection and enabling closer knife spacing without compromising precise triggering or stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cross-bolt connection is designed with sufficient axial projection and locking pins to withstand high cutting forces, then the reliability and stability of the knife retainer is improved, but the lateral space required increases, preventing shorter cutting lengths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by placing the cross-bolt inside a bolt sleeve, where the cross-bolt is received within the hollow cylindrical sleeve structure. This nested arrangement allows the connection components to occupy less lateral space while maintaining their load-bearing capacity, enabling shorter knife spacing without compromising retainer stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a lateral locking mechanism (locking pins protruding sideways) to an axial locking mechanism (deformed bolt end inserted axially into the sleeve). This dimensional change in the locking direction reduces lateral projection while maintaining connection reliability under high cutting forces
2Strength
If the cross-bolt connection uses locking pins and sufficient projection to secure against lateral forces, then the connection strength is improved, but the device complexity and number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-bolt is nested within the bolt sleeve, creating a compact integrated structure that reduces the number of separate components. The sleeve houses the cross-bolt and provides both lateral and axial constraints, eliminating the need for separate locking pins and reducing overall structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The bolt sleeve combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides lateral constraint, axial positioning, and housing for the cross-bolt. This merging of functions reduces the total number of parts while maintaining connection strength under high cutting forces
3Stability of the object's composition
If the cross-bolt projects significantly on both sides with locking pins for secure attachment, then the axial stability is improved, but the lateral space requirement increases, limiting knife spacing reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the locking direction from lateral (locking pins protruding sideways) to axial (deformed bolt end inserted into the sleeve). This dimensional shift maintains axial stability while dramatically reducing lateral space requirements, enabling shorter knife spacing
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-bolt is nested within the bolt sleeve, with the deformed end of the cross-bolt inserted axially into the hollow sleeve. This nested arrangement provides secure axial attachment while minimizing lateral projection, allowing closer knife spacing without compromising stability
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~4
Figure 5
AI summary
Harvesting machine, in particular in the form of a forage wagon or a baler, with a cutting unit (7) comprising knives (8) arranged on a cutter bar (9), which in their cutting position project into a conveying channel (4) for the harvested crop, wherein the knives (8) are movably mounted on the cutter bar (9) to avoid obstacles and are each held in the cutting position by a retainer (11), wherein said retainer (11) comprises a holding fork (13) and a knife engagement piece (12) which is mounted on the holding fork (13) by a transverse bolt connection (15), wherein the transverse bolt connection (15) comprises a transverse bolt (17) and a bolt sleeve (16) which are attached to one another in a nested manner and have widened, integrally molded sleeve and bolt heads (20, 22) at opposite ends of the transverse bolt connection (15) for axial securing of the possess transverse bolt connection (15).