Pivotable Track Assembly for Uneven Road Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern farm implements with rubber track undercarriages face increased wear and reduced load capacity due to crowned or uneven road surfaces, leading to localized heating and damage during transportation.
Innovation Solution
A track assembly is pivotably connected to the undercarriage arm, allowing it to pivot around a pivot axis parallel to the primary roll axis of the farm implement, maximizing contact area with the road surface and reducing localized heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the farm implement uses rubber track undercarriage to distribute weight, then soil compaction is reduced and load capacity is improved, but wear on the rubber track increases when traveling on crowned or uneven road surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The track assembly is made dynamically adjustable through a pivotable connection to the undercarriage arm, allowing the track surface angle to be changed in response to road conditions. This dynamic adaptation enables the track to maintain optimal contact with crowned or uneven road surfaces, distributing weight evenly and preventing localized wear while preserving load capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameter of the track assembly by allowing pivoting about a pivot axis parallel to the primary roll axis. This parameter change adjusts the track surface angle relative to the road surface, enabling the track to conform to crowned or uneven road surfaces and distribute weight uniformly across the contact area, thereby reducing wear.
2Ease of operation
If the road surface is crowned or angled to drain precipitation, then water runoff is improved, but the contact area between track and road is reduced causing localized heating and increased wear
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable track assembly dynamically adjusts the track surface angle to match the road crown or angle, maintaining maximum contact area even on drained road surfaces. This dynamic adjustment prevents weight concentration and the resulting localized heating while allowing the road to maintain its drainage function.
3Device complexity
If the track assembly is fixed to the undercarriage arm, then structural simplicity is maintained, but the ability to adapt to angled road surfaces is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The track assembly is connected to the undercarriage arm through a pivotable joint rather than a fixed connection. This dynamic connection allows the track assembly to pivot about an axis parallel to the primary roll axis, enabling adaptation to angled road surfaces while adding minimal structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The undercarriage system is segmented into separable components: the undercarriage arm and the track assembly. This segmentation allows the track assembly to be independently pivoted relative to the undercarriage arm, providing adaptability to road surface angles while maintaining overall structural simplicity.
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 configuration increases the contact area between the track and road surface, reducing wear and maintaining load capacity by distributing weight evenly, thus extending the life of the rubber tracks and supporting structures.
Implementation Method 1
The increased friction between the contact portion and the road can cause localized heating increasing the wear rate at which the contact portion
Implementation Method 2
rubber tracks that distribute the weight of the farm implement over a larger surface area
Implementation Method 3
The residual heat of the road or the heat generated from friction between the rubber track and the tarmac can destroy or greatly reduce the effective life of the rubber track
Data Source
AI summary
An undercarriage assembly including a track assembly that can be oriented to align with the primary roll axis of the farm implement. The track assembly can be pivotably connected to an undercarriage arm of the farm implement such that the track assembly can be pivoted about a pivot axis parallel to the roll axis of the farm implement. In this configuration, when moving a farm implement in a direction parallel to the roll axis, the track assembly can pivot around the pivot axis in response to an angled road surface to maximize the amount of the track surface that contacts the road surface.