Pawl-and-Lever Locking for Continuous Agricultural Structure Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locking systems for mobile agricultural structures, such as cattle corrals, require manual operation at each level to lock and unlock, diverting the farmer's attention and compromising safety, or necessitate holding a handle to prevent unintended movement, limiting the farmer's ability to interact with animals.
Innovation Solution
A locking system with a pawl and actuating lever that allows selective locking in either a forward or backward direction, enabling continuous movement without manual intervention at each level, using a pivoting mechanism and wedging means to secure the pawl in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a return spring pushes a cleat into holes in the rail during barrier movement, then locking is achieved automatically at each level, but the farmer must operate the handle at each level to unlock the barrier, preventing continuous use
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional locking logic: instead of automatically locking at each level and requiring manual unlocking, the system automatically unlocks at each level and requires manual locking only when the farmer intentionally wants to stop. The lever normally holds cleats extracted from holes, allowing free movement, and the farmer must actively engage the lever to insert cleats into holes for locking.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the barrier's own movement to automatically extract cleats from holes and reset the locking mechanism for the next level, eliminating the need for manual intervention during continuous operation. The movement itself services the locking mechanism by preparing it for the next intentional lock point.
2Reliability
If the farmer holds the operating handle pulled downwards to keep cleats in extraction positions, then unintended locking is avoided, but the farmer cannot manually reach animals on the other side of the barrier
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the safety function from the operating handle position. Instead of requiring the handle to be held in a specific position to prevent locking, the system uses a separate lever mechanism that defaults to the unlocked state. The farmer can operate the barrier with one hand while the lever automatically prevents unintended locking, freeing the other hand to reach animals.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever acts as an intermediary between the farmer's intent and the locking mechanism. It provides a dedicated control element that separates the safety function from the movement control, allowing the farmer to manipulate the barrier movement and animal handling independently without compromising safety.
3Reliability
If the farmer operates the handle to insert cleats into holes at each level, then locking is achieved, but the farmer's attention is diverted from the animals, compromising safety
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically preparing the locking mechanism during barrier movement. Cleats are automatically extracted from holes and positioned for the next lock point as the barrier moves, so when the farmer does engage the lever, the locking action is already prepared and requires minimal attention, allowing the farmer to maintain focus on animal safety.
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
Enables safe and efficient operation of mobile agricultural structures by allowing continuous movement in one direction while blocking the opposite, keeping both hands free for handling animals, thus improving safety and ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
at least one pawl capable of cooperating with orifices distributed along the rail, the pawl comprising a first longitudinal rim and a second longitudinal rim, and being configured to pivot about a first axis of rotation
Implementation Method 2
the actuating lever in the first position allows movement of the mobile agricultural structure along the rails in a first direction of movement, and blocking of the movement of said structure in a second direction of movement opposite to the first direction, due to the limitation of the rotation of the ratchet in the counterclockwise direction
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
Locking system (100) for a mobile agricultural structure (20) capable of moving in a longitudinal direction (X) along a rail (2), configured to be integral in movement with the mobile agricultural structure (20), and comprising a pawl (110) comprising a first longitudinal rim (111) and a second longitudinal rim (112), and capable of pivoting about a first axis of rotation (R1), the locking system (100) comprising an actuating lever (120) movable between a first position in which it is capable of limiting a rotation of the pawl (110) in an anticlockwise direction by contact of the second rim (112) against the actuating lever (120) during rotation in the anticlockwise direction, and a second position in which it is capable of limiting a rotation of the pawl (110) in a clockwise direction by contact of the first rim (111) against the actuating lever (120) during rotation in the anticlockwise direction. hourly.