Pivoting Knife Drive Mount for Terrain Following
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional draper headers in agricultural combines have rigidly supported knife drives that prevent the arms from pivoting to follow the terrain, leading to inefficient crop harvesting due to the inability to flex and adapt to ground undulations.
Innovation Solution
A draper platform with pivotally coupled reciprocating knife support arms and a sub-frame with resilient mounts allows the knife drive elements to flex and pivot up and down, enabling the support arms to independently adjust to terrain changes, facilitating effective crop cutting and conveying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the knife drive is rigidly supported on arms extending from the frame, then the structure is simple and stable, but the arms cannot pivot to follow the terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The knife drive support structure is transformed from a rigid static configuration to a dynamic pivoting system. The sub-frame is pivotally coupled to the support arms, allowing the knife drive to move relative to the arms and follow terrain undulations. This dynamic coupling enables the arms to pivot while maintaining stable support for the knife drive components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the support arms are made pivotally coupled to allow flexing, then the ability to follow ground improves, but the stability of the knife drive decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The knife drive support system is segmented into multiple independent components: the frame, the support arms, and the sub-frame. Each segment can move independently through pivotal connections, allowing the arms to pivot for terrain following while the sub-frame maintains stable support for the knife drive elements relative to the arms.
Solution Approach 2:
The sub-frame acts as an intermediary element between the support arms and the knife drive components. It provides a stable mounting platform for the knife drive while being pivotally connected to the arms, thereby mediating between the moving arms and the stationary knife drive elements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the knife assembly is made flexible to permit independent arm pivoting, then each arm can pivot independently, but the structural strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The knife assembly is segmented into multiple sections that can flex relative to each other. This segmentation allows individual support arms to pivot independently while the overall knife assembly maintains sufficient strength through the distributed structure and rigid connections within each segment.
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 flexible support system enhances the draper platform's ability to follow the ground, improving crop cutting efficiency and reducing mechanical stress, thereby optimizing the harvesting process.
Implementation Method 1
a sub-frame (258) that is disposed between and supported on two adjacent support arms with first and second resilient mounts
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A draper platform (100) has a knife drive (250) for driving a knife assembly (140) that is supported on and between two adjacent support arms (246) that pivot with respect to each other and with respect to the frame (102, 104, 106) of the draper platform (100) to which the two adjacent support arms (246) are pivotally connected. The two adjacent support arms support a sub-frame (258) of the knife drive, the sub-frame supporting a pivoting drive member (254) on a vertical pivot axis (264).