Pivotal Belt Frames for Draper Head Crop Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing draper heads for combines face challenges in maintaining consistent crop material collection over uneven ground, leading to gaps between the cutterbar and feed belts and subsequent loss of crop material.
Innovation Solution
A draper head with a center feed assembly featuring pivotally supported belt frames and a flexible cutterbar, allowing the belt frames to adjust their inclination in response to ground unevenness, ensuring continuous crop material conveyance into the feederhouse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the draper head uses fixed belt frames and rigid cutterbar, then the structure is simple and stable, but gaps form between the cutterbar and feed belts when traversing uneven terrain causing crop material loss
Solution Approach 1:
The belt frames are made movable relative to each other through a pivotal connection mechanism, allowing the feed belts to dynamically adjust their positions and inclinations in response to ground unevenness. This dynamic adjustment eliminates gaps between the cutterbar and feed belts, ensuring continuous crop material collection while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the belt frames by allowing them to pivot and adjust their inclination angles. This parameter adjustment enables the feed belts to adapt to varying ground conditions, maintaining consistent contact with the cutterbar and preventing crop material loss without requiring complex active control systems.
2Productivity
If the feed belts are positioned to minimize gaps on uneven ground, then crop material collection is improved, but the structural complexity and adjustment mechanisms increase
Solution Approach 1:
The belt support structure is divided into separate, independently movable belt frames rather than a single rigid structure. Each belt frame can pivot independently on the transverse axis, allowing localized adjustment to ground contours. This segmentation enables effective crop collection while keeping each individual adjustment mechanism simple and maintenance-friendly.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotal connection mechanism allows the belt frames to automatically adjust their positions in response to ground unevenness without requiring external control systems or complex actuators. The mechanism self-regulates to maintain optimal belt inclination and position, maximizing harvesting efficiency while minimizing mechanical complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A draper head for a combine includes a center section adapted for attachment to the combine. The center section is provided with a center feed assembly that includes first and second belt frames. Each of the first and second belt frames supports a drive roller, an idler roller, and a belt extending between the drive roller and the idler roller. The draper head also includes first and second wings extending in opposite lateral directions from the center section. Each of the first and second wings includes a draper belt operable to feed crop material toward the center section. The second belt frame is movable relative to the first belt frame.