Agricultural Land Roller Implement with Foldable Outer Frame Sections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing land roller implements face challenges in reducing transport width while maintaining effective rolling coverage, as the folding mechanisms often require additional packer wheels and result in a significant overall width during transport.
Innovation Solution
The land roller implement features pivotally coupled intermediate and outer frame sections that can be folded to directly adjacent each other behind a narrower center frame section, with separable outer brace portions and transport wheels to reduce the overall width for transport, allowing for a configuration similar to a smaller land roller with reduced transport width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If roller sections are mounted in series with overlapping trailing relationships, then rolling coverage is improved, but transport width increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The implement is divided into a center frame section and multiple separable outer frame sections. The outer frame sections can be detached from the center frame section, allowing the rolling coverage to be segmented into a permanent center portion and removable outer portions, thus reducing transport width while maintaining working area when deployed
Solution Approach 2:
The outer frame sections are designed to nest alongside the center frame section when detached, with the outer sections positioned to overlap the center section in a trailing relationship during transport. This nesting arrangement minimizes the overall transport width while preserving the overlapping configuration needed for effective rolling coverage during operation
2Area of moving object
If additional packer wheels are added to align with gaps between roller sections, then rolling coverage is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The outer frame sections are merged with the center frame section through pivotal coupling mechanisms that allow the outer sections to pivot between a working position (spanning outwardly) and a transport position (folded rearwardly). This merging eliminates the need for separate packer wheels to bridge gaps, as the pivotal connection maintains continuous structural support while enabling compact transport configuration
3Length of stationary object
If outer frame sections are made separable from intermediate frame sections, then transport width is reduced, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The outer frame sections are pre-configured with pivotal coupling mechanisms that automatically align with corresponding coupling points on the center frame section. This preliminary arrangement of coupling interfaces allows the outer sections to be quickly attached or detached without complex alignment procedures, maintaining ease of operation while enabling transport width reduction through separability
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 configuration allows for a significant reduction in transport width, enabling regular transport on conventional roadways and efficient folding for working positions, while maintaining effective rolling coverage and structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
the intermediate rollers are in a trailing relationship with the main roller on the main frame section for rolling movement across the ground in the forward working direction
Implementation Method 2
the outer rollers are in a leading relationship with the intermediate rollers on the intermediate frame sections for rolling movement across the ground in the forward working direction
Data Source
AI summary
A land roller implement includes a main frame section, two intermediate frame sections extending laterally outward from opposing sides of the main frame section in a trailing relationship therewith in a working position, and a pair of outer frame sections extending laterally outward from respective intermediate frame sections in a leading relationship therewith in the working position. The outer frame sections are coupled to the intermediate frame sections by readily removable outer brace portions to reduce the transport width if required. Inner brace members are coupled between the main frame section and the intermediate frame sections by coupling to the outer brace portions at the outer ends and by pivoting on the main frame section about a floating axis which is coaxial with floating movement of the intermediate frame sections relative to the main frame section.