Oscillating Rake Teeth for Soil Fragment Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current agricultural stone burier machines face issues with fragment accumulation and dust, leading to reduced production capacity, mechanical stress, and maintenance challenges due to the need for frequent cleaning and potential breakage of the fixed rake, especially in moist conditions, which affects the soil preparation process and machine reliability.
Innovation Solution
The agricultural machine incorporates a comb unit with alternating oscillating teeth that interlace to continuously clean and manage fragments, preventing accumulation and reducing mechanical stress, combined with a compactor roller for optimal soil compaction, eliminating the need for thorough cleaning and minimizing maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a fixed rake is used to stop fragments, then the machine can prepare the seed bed, but fragment accumulation occurs between the teeth requiring frequent cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing the fixed rake with oscillating rakes that move back and forth. This dynamic motion prevents soil fragments from accumulating between the teeth, as the continuous oscillation actively dislodges and redistributes fragments. The oscillating mechanism is driven by the tractor's PTO, converting rotational motion into reciprocating linear motion of the rake teeth, thereby maintaining cleaning efficiency without requiring separate cleaning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The oscillating rakes utilize mechanical vibration to prevent fragment accumulation. The rapid back-and-forth motion creates vibrational forces that prevent soil particles from adhering to or becoming trapped between the rake teeth. This vibrational action continuously clears the working surface of the rake, eliminating the need for manual cleaning and maintaining consistent fragment stopping performance throughout operation.
2Productivity
If the rake teeth are closely spaced, then fragment stopping is effective, but mechanical stress and wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The oscillating motion of the rake teeth reduces mechanical stress and wear by distributing the impact forces of fragment engagement across multiple cycles rather than concentrating them on static teeth. The dynamic movement allows teeth to flex and reset, preventing permanent deformation and reducing wear accumulation. This extends the service life of the rake teeth while maintaining close spacing for effective fragment stopping.
Solution Approach 2:
The periodic oscillation of the rake teeth creates repeated cycles of engagement and disengagement with soil fragments. This periodic action allows the teeth to recover between impacts, reducing cumulative stress and wear. The rhythmic motion ensures that no single tooth position bears continuous load, distributing mechanical stress evenly across all teeth and extending their operational lifespan.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the machine operates in moist soil conditions, then seed bed preparation is possible, but fragment accumulation increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The oscillating rakes are particularly effective in moist soil conditions because the dynamic motion prevents the cohesive, sticky fragments characteristic of wet soil from adhering to the rake teeth. The continuous movement creates shear forces that break apart clumps of moist soil and prevent them from bonding to the metal surfaces, maintaining fragment stopping effectiveness even when soil moisture content would cause severe accumulation on fixed rakes.
Solution Approach 2:
Mechanical vibration from the oscillating rakes counteracts the adhesive properties of moist soil fragments. The vibrational forces exceed the adhesive bonds that moist soil forms with metal surfaces, preventing accumulation. This allows the machine to operate effectively in a broader range of soil moisture conditions without the fragment buildup problems that plague fixed rake systems.
4Device complexity
If a fixed rake is used, then the structure is simple, but frequent cleaning and potential breakage require maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
While the oscillating rake mechanism adds some complexity compared to a fixed rake, it significantly improves reliability by eliminating the fragment accumulation problems that lead to breakage and downtime. The dynamic design prevents the buildup of soil loads that would otherwise cause structural failures, making the additional mechanical complexity worthwhile for the gain in operational reliability and reduced maintenance requirements.
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 design enhances machine reliability and efficiency by preventing fragment accumulation, maintaining optimal soil preparation, and reducing maintenance requirements, ensuring consistent performance across varying soil conditions without the need for extensive cleaning or risk of component breakage.
Implementation Method 1
a comb unit (5) for stopping the fragments raised during the working of the land by the cutter (4)
Implementation Method 2
a compactor roller for levelling and compacting the soil
Implementation Method 3
the entire volume of the fragments resulting from the breaking up does not immediately fall due to the effect of gravitational acceleration
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
Described is an agricultural machine comprising: -a frame (2) movable over land (200); - means (4) for working the land, mounted on the frame (2) of the machine in a corresponding work area (31) and positioned in such a way that it faces the land (200); - a first comb unit (5) equipped with teeth (12), mounted on the frame (2) and facing the means (4) for working the land for delimiting at least in part the work area (31) and stopping fragments of land coming from the moving working means (4). The agricultural machine comprises cleaning means (14) mounted on the frame (2) and operatively associated with the comb unit (5) for mechanically removing fragments of land (200) and/or detritus from the teeth (12) of the above-mentioned comb unit (5).