Pivoting Header Wings for Wide Harvesting on Uneven Terrain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wider harvesting apparatuses face challenges such as exceeding tractor weight limits, difficulty navigating uneven terrain, and complicating transportation due to increased size, which affect harvesting efficiency and yield.
Innovation Solution
A crop harvesting apparatus with pivotable wing members and header assemblies that can transition between field and transport positions, allowing for increased width for efficient harvesting and reduced width for transportation, while maintaining stability and adaptability to terrain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the width of the harvesting apparatus is increased to harvest more crops simultaneously, then harvesting efficiency is improved, but the weight exceeds the tractor's carrying limit
Solution Approach 1:
The harvesting apparatus employs pivotable wing members that can dynamically change the operational width. The wing members are configured to pivot between extended positions for maximum harvesting width and retracted positions for reduced width during transport or when encountering weight limitations, allowing the system to adapt its effective width rather than being fixed at a maximum dimension that exceeds tractor capacity
2Productivity
If the width of the harvesting apparatus is increased to harvest more crops simultaneously, then harvesting efficiency is improved, but the apparatus has difficulty following uneven terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The wing members are designed with pivotability that allows them to dynamically adjust their position in response to terrain variations. When encountering uneven ground, the outer ends of the wing members can pivot independently to follow the contour of the terrain, maintaining ground contact and harvesting effectiveness across variable topography while preserving the extended width configuration for efficient crop capture
Solution Approach 2:
The harvesting apparatus is segmented into independent wing members that can move relative to the center frame. This segmentation allows each wing member to independently adapt to local terrain conditions while maintaining the overall wide configuration for high productivity, resolving the conflict between wide harvesting width and terrain adaptability
3Productivity
If the width of the harvesting apparatus is increased to harvest more crops simultaneously, then harvesting efficiency is improved, but transportation becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The wing members are equipped with pivot mechanisms that enable them to be retracted alongside the center frame during transportation. This dynamic reconfiguration reduces the overall width of the apparatus to standard transport dimensions, allowing easy movement between fields and storage while maintaining the extended wide configuration during harvesting operations for maximum efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A crop harvesting apparatus for use with an agricultural machine. The crop harvesting apparatus may be towed behind an agricultural machine, such as a tractor. The crop harvesting apparatus includes a center frame configured to be coupled to the agricultural machine. The crop harvesting apparatus further includes a pair of wing members each coupled to the center frame and pivotable about a respective wing axis for movement between a transport position and a field position. A first header assembly and a second header assembly are each coupled to one of the wing members and pivotable about a respective suspension axis. The first header assembly is independently pivotable from the second header assembly.