Moveable Rotor Troughs for Round Baler Plug Clearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Crop material plugging occurs at the rotor assembly and augers in round balers due to variations in crop material, particularly when the crop pick-up device width exceeds the entrance to the bale formation chamber, leading to inefficiencies in crop material conveyance.
Innovation Solution
A moveable stripper backbone assembly is integrated with the rotor assembly, allowing adjustable sizing of the auger discharge pocket and enhanced movement of crop material by guiding plates to prevent and clear plugging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the crop pick-up device width is increased to handle more crop material, then the productivity is improved, but crop material plugging occurs at the rotor assembly due to the width exceeding the entrance to the bale formation chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The auger discharge pocket is made moveable relative to the rotor assembly, allowing dynamic adjustment of the pocket size and position. This enables the system to adapt to variations in crop material flow and prevent plugging while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The size and configuration of the auger discharge pocket can be adjusted by moving the plate relative to the rotor assembly. This parameter change allows optimization of the discharge pocket dimensions to match the crop material characteristics and flow rate, preventing plugging.
2Device complexity
If a fixed rotor assembly configuration is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but crop material plugging cannot be effectively prevented or cleared
Solution Approach 1:
The plate forming the auger discharge pocket is made moveable, allowing the pocket size to be dynamically adjusted. This simple dynamic mechanism enables plug prevention and clearing without significantly increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor assembly is divided into separable components including the moveable plate and the rotor assembly itself. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of the discharge pocket without affecting the entire rotor assembly, maintaining simplicity while improving reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a forage harvest machine (1) including a crop pick-up (20), a rotor assembly (40) that rotates about a rotor axis (R), and one or more plates (216). The rotor assembly includes a rotor shaft (44), a plurality of teeth (48) attached to the rotor shaft for rotation in a teeth rotation area, and one or more augers (50, 51) for directing crop material inward toward the plurality of teeth. The one or more plates (216) radially outward from the teeth rotation area form a first trough (217, 218) and a second trough (248) in which each of the one or more augers (50, 51) is at least partially disposed, at least one of the first and second troughs being moveable relative to the other trough to adjust sizing of an auger discharge pocket (252), thereby preventing or clearing a plugging state of the rotor.