Mounted Chopper Gearbox Positioning for Tractor Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chopper attachments for tractors are not designed to handle large attachments suitable for powerful tractors with 500 hp or more, leading to inefficiencies and potential overloading during harvesting.
Innovation Solution
A compact and modular chopper attachment with a gearbox connected to the PTO shaft, featuring a pre-pressing unit and shredding unit, and an ejection nozzle, allowing for efficient chopping and ejection of crops while maintaining a low center of gravity and minimizing stress on the tractor's drive components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the chopper attachment is designed to handle large attachments for powerful tractors (500 hp or more), then the harvesting capacity and productivity are improved, but the risk of overloading the tractor and excessive wear on drive components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the gearbox vertically below the shredding unit rather than horizontally beside it, utilizing the vertical dimension to achieve a more compact overall layout. This dimensional repositioning reduces the horizontal footprint and allows for better weight distribution, enabling the attachment to handle larger harvesting capacities without proportionally increasing the stress on tractor drive components.
2Shape
If the gearbox is positioned below the shredding unit, then the center of gravity is lowered and compactness is improved, but the complexity of connecting to the PTO shaft increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric positioning of the gearbox directly below the shredding unit rather than in a symmetric or conventional side-by-side arrangement. This asymmetric vertical placement creates an optimized center of gravity position and compact form factor. The asymmetric design is complemented by an articulated cardan shaft connection that accommodates the non-conventional geometry, resolving the complexity issue through flexible mechanical coupling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes an articulated cardan shaft connection between the PTO shaft and the gearbox input shaft, allowing dynamic adjustment of the connection angle. This dynamic capability enables the system to accommodate the vertically positioned gearbox while maintaining reliable power transmission, effectively managing the connection complexity despite the unconventional below-positioning of the gearbox.
3Force
If the mounted chopper is attached to the rear linkage of the tractor, then the tractor can carry larger loads in reverse driving mode, but the front axle is relieved too much and the tractor may become unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the gearbox in the vertical dimension below the shredding unit, which lowers the center of gravity of the entire chopper attachment. This vertical repositioning creates a more favorable weight distribution that enhances tractor stability when the attachment is connected to the rear linkage, counteracting the stability issue caused by rearward weight concentration.
Data Source
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Figure 3(a)
AI summary
The present invention relates to a mounted chopper (1) for mounting on a tractor (7), with a channel connection (91) to which a header (9) for harvesting crop (4) can be attached, wherein a pre-compression unit (60) for pre-compressing the crop (4) is directly connected in a crop flow direction (40), to which a shredding unit (62) for shredding the crop (4) is arranged, wherein the mounted chopper (1) comprises a gearbox (22) for driving the units (60, 62) and/or the header (9), which can be connected to a power take-off shaft (74) of the tractor (7), wherein the gearbox (22) and/or an output shaft (21) of the gearbox (22) extends in a direction of extension that is transverse to a working direction (41) of the mounted chopper (1), at least below a shredding unit (62) that delimits the shredding unit (62). fictitious installation level (I), or are arranged below the crushing unit (62).The present invention further relates to such a mounted chopper (1), wherein the shredding unit (62) is bounded in a transverse direction (43) extending transversely to the direction of extension and transversely to the working direction (41) by at least one housing wall (16), wherein the output shaft (21) of the transmission (22) is freely rotatable in the housing wall (16). The present invention further relates to a work train (100) comprising a tractor (7) and such a mounted chopper (1), as well as a method for adjusting the mounting height (H) of the mounted chopper (1).