Non-row Sensitive Forage Harvester Header with Single Rotary Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional forage harvester headers face difficulties in delivering severed stalks to the cutterhead due to uncontrolled movement of crop material, leading to clogging issues, especially in high-capacity harvesters with multiple transfer members.
Innovation Solution
A non-row sensitive forage harvester header design featuring a single rotary transfer member and counter-rotating cutting members with angled transfer arms and fixed guide plates to facilitate the radial inward movement of severed crop material into the feed rolls, ensuring efficient delivery to the cutterhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple transfer members are used to increase harvesting capacity, then productivity is improved, but device complexity and clogging risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple transfer members into a single rotary transfer member that receives crop from multiple cutting members and delivers to the cutterhead. This merging approach maintains high harvesting capacity while reducing the number of separate transfer components, thereby simplifying the overall device structure and reducing clogging risks associated with multiple transfer members.
Solution Approach 2:
The single rotary transfer member performs multiple functions: it receives severed crop from multiple cutting members simultaneously, conveys the crop rearwardly, and delivers it to the cutterhead. This multi-functional design replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate transfer members, reducing complexity while maintaining productivity.
2Device complexity
If conventional transfer members are used, then device simplicity is maintained, but crop material flow becomes uncontrolled leading to clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a rotary transfer member that rotates to dynamically receive and convey crop material. The rotation creates a controlled flow path where crop is picked up at the forward portion and delivered at the rearward portion, ensuring continuous and controlled material flow to the cutterhead, thereby preventing clogging while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotary transfer member acts as an intermediary between the cutting members and the cutterhead. It receives crop from the cutting members, controls its movement through rotation, and delivers it to the cutterhead in a controlled manner, preventing the uncontrolled flow that causes clogging in conventional designs.
3Manufacturing precision
If row units are aligned with crop rows, then cutting precision is improved, but adaptability to different row spacings and non-row patterns is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The header design with multiple cutting members arranged in a specific pattern and a single rotary transfer member creates a universal system that can handle various row spacings and even non-row planting patterns. The cutting members are positioned to engage crop regardless of exact row alignment, and the rotary transfer member collects and consolidates material from all cutting members, providing adaptability while maintaining effective cutting.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotary transfer member's rotation allows it to dynamically adjust to crop material coming from different directions and positions. This dynamic motion enables the system to adapt to various row configurations and spacings, as the rotating member can pick up and convey material regardless of the precise alignment of cutting members with crop rows.
Data Source
AI summary
A non-row sensitive forage harvester header utilizes a single rotary transfer member to convey severed crop material from the forwardly positioned rotary cutting members to the feed rolls of the forage harvester. A fixed guide plate dislodges severed crop from the right cutting member to transfer the crop material to the left cutting member to convey the crop further rearwardly to the rotary transfer member. Additional fixed guide plates establish a flow path for the severed crop material and facilitate the movement of the severed crop from the left cutting member to the rotary transfer member and then to the feed rolls. A drive mechanism is provided to power the rotation of the cutting members and the rotary transfer member with a cutting disk on each cutting member being driven faster than the multiple crop engaging members also carried on the cutting members above the cutting disk.