Land Roller Over-Center Locking Linkage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Land rollers pose a safety hazard due to their weight and potential for accidental deployment during transport, especially when hydraulic systems fail, risking injury and damage.
Innovation Solution
A land roller design featuring an over-center locking linkage arrangement and actuators that allow for safe conversion between transport and working configurations without relying on hydraulic systems for support, using a single controller to raise and lock the implement and fold the side frames, and incorporating shock absorbers for stability during towing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If hydraulic systems are used to support and pivot the rollers and side sections, then the implement can be converted between transport and working configurations, but the system becomes vulnerable to catastrophic failure that could cause the rollers to fall and cause injury or damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by implementing an over-center locking linkage arrangement that mechanically locks the transport wheels and side sections in their respective positions. This locking mechanism is engaged before any potential hydraulic failure could occur, creating a safety barrier that prevents catastrophic collapse even if the hydraulic system fails. The linkage arrangement ensures that the rollers cannot inadvertently fall into the working configuration during transport, thereby cushioning against the harmful effects of hydraulic system vulnerability.
2Reliability
If manual locking pins are used to secure the rollers in the transport configuration, then safety is improved by preventing accidental deployment, but the operator is exposed to injury risk during the pin insertion process if hydraulic failure occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing the over-center locking linkage arrangement that automatically secures the transport wheels and side sections in their locked positions as part of the normal configuration conversion process. This locking action occurs before the operator would need to manually insert pins, thereby eliminating the need for the operator to expose themselves to potential injury during a vulnerable period. The system performs the safety-critical locking function in advance, removing the operator from the danger zone.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the side sections are folded to narrow the implement width for road transport, then transportability is improved, but the connection points and pivot mechanisms become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining the side section folding function with the existing hydraulic actuation system and over-center locking linkage arrangement. The same hydraulic actuators that control the transport wheel positioning also control the side section folding, and the over-center locking mechanism that secures the wheels also secures the side sections. This integration reduces overall system complexity by reusing existing components for multiple functions rather than adding separate independent mechanisms for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A land roller is provided with an over-center locking linkage arrangement to help lock a roller frame of the land roller into a raised transport configuration to reduce the likelihood that a failure of the actuator system could cause the roller frame to inadvertently fall and injure a person or cause damage to property. The land roller may be further provided with actuators that are controlled in temporal series from a single controller to simplify and increase the safety of both converting the land roller between the transport configuration and a working configuration and converting side frame sections of the land roller between folded and unfolded positions.