Piston Arm Assembly with Inclined Plane for Hay Bale Accumulators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hay bale accumulators experience mechanical timing issues during inconsistent baling conditions, leading to collisions between the push over arm and hay bales, which can jam the baler and destroy bales, with no mechanism to compensate for these collisions, resulting in halted operations and bale damage.
Innovation Solution
A push over arm retro-fit kit with a piston arm featuring an inclined plane and a bias element, such as a compression spring, that allows the piston arm to move lengthwise, preventing collisions by retracting upon impact and minimizing halting of the baling operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the push over arm is rigidly secured to the accumulator, then the structural strength is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to collisions jamming the baler and destroying hay bales
Solution Approach 1:
The push over arm is transformed from a rigid fixed structure to a dynamic movable structure by introducing a piston arm mechanism with inclined plane and bias element. The piston arm can move lengthwise upon impact from hay bales, converting the static rigid connection into a dynamic system that adapts to varying baling conditions and prevents jamming while maintaining structural integrity.
2Ease of manufacture
If the push over arm is made rigid, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the productivity deteriorates due to halting of the baling operation
Solution Approach 1:
The piston arm assembly introduces controlled movement to the push over mechanism, allowing it to dynamically respond to hay bale impacts. This dynamic capability prevents operational halts and maintains continuous baling flow, thereby improving productivity while the modular design keeps manufacturing complexity manageable.
3Device complexity
If no compensation mechanism is provided, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability worsens due to inability to compensate for collision forces
Solution Approach 1:
The piston arm with bias element creates a dynamic compensation mechanism that automatically responds to collision forces from hay bales. The bias element provides the necessary force to move the piston arm upon impact, compensating for collision forces without requiring complex external control systems, thus maintaining reliability while controlling complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston arm assembly is self-regulating through the bias element, which automatically provides the force needed to move the arm upon impact. The system serves itself by using the collision force to trigger the compensatory movement, eliminating the need for external sensors, actuators, or control systems to detect and respond to impacts.
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
The solution effectively prevents or minimizes the halting of the baling operation by allowing the piston arm to retract upon collision, thus preventing bale jamming and damage, enhancing the mechanical performance and speed of hay bale accumulators.
Implementation Method 1
a bias element that is configured to cooperate with the piston arm to bias the piston arm in a lengthwise direction
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is directed to a push over arm assembly and retro-fit kit for hay bale accumulators. In one embodiment, the push over arm kit includes a piston arm configured to be movably secured to a push over arm structure, such as that from a Hoelscher™ bale accumulator. An inclined plane is secured to a baler end of the piston arm and extends in a direction away from the piston arm forming an acute angle (Θ). And, a bias element, e.g., a spring, is configured to cooperate with the piston arm to bias the piston arm along its length. The spring controlled piston arm prevents or minimizes the occasional halting of a hay baling operation caused by jamming of the leading hay bale as it collides with a baler end of the piston arm.