Pivoting Row Cleaner Assembly for Residue Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In no-till or reduced-till agricultural applications, single disk drill openers often fail to cut through tough residue, leading to 'hairpinning' of seeds or commodities, which prevents proper soil distribution and germination, and excessive residue can prevent soil heating necessary for seed emergence.
Innovation Solution
A seeder assembly with a rockshaft and disk opener assemblies that pivot between raised and lowered positions, coupled with row cleaner assemblies that apply downforce to clear residue, ensuring effective cutting and seed placement, and a residue guard to prevent debris from covering adjacent rows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single cutting disk is used to cut through residue, then the machine structure is simplified, but the cutting effectiveness deteriorates when residue is too tough
Solution Approach 1:
The row cleaner assembly is made pivotally movable between a lowered working position and a raised non-working position. This dynamic configuration allows the system to adapt to different field conditions - using the row cleaner when tough residue requires additional clearing capability, and raising it when conditions are favorable, thus maintaining reliability without permanently increasing complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If row cleaner is continuously applied to clear residue, then seed distribution quality is improved, but the machine structure and operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The row cleaner assembly can be dynamically positioned - lowered to the working position when residue clearing is needed to ensure proper seed distribution, and raised when not needed. This on-demand operation maintains seed distribution quality while avoiding continuous operation that would unnecessarily complicate the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The row cleaner assembly serves multiple functions: it clears tough residue, prevents hairpinning of seeds, and can be adjusted for different field conditions. This multi-functionality justifies the added mechanism by consolidating several potential devices into one versatile assembly.
3Productivity
If row cleaner applies downforce to clear residue, then residue clearing effectiveness is improved, but the risk of damaging the implement on hard ground increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring element provides beforehand cushioning by absorbing shock loads when the row cleaner encounters hard ground or obstructions. This cushioning effect protects the implement from damage while maintaining sufficient downforce for effective residue clearing under normal conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring element allows the downforce parameter to be dynamically adjusted based on ground conditions. Under normal conditions, the spring maintains adequate downforce for residue clearing. When encountering hard ground, the spring compresses to reduce the effective downforce, preventing implement damage while maintaining productivity.
4Ease of operation
If rockshaft is raised to clear obstructions, then the implement can pass over obstacles, but the row cleaners and disk openers are spaced from the underlying surface reducing their effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The implement is segmented into independently controllable sections - the rockshaft can be raised to pass over obstacles while the row cleaner and disk opener assemblies can remain in their working positions or be independently adjusted. This segmentation allows the implement to maintain operational effectiveness even when navigating obstacles.
Solution Approach 2:
The rockshaft and row cleaner/disk opener assemblies have independent positioning capabilities. The rockshaft can be dynamically raised to clear obstructions while the row cleaners and disk openers maintain their lowered working positions through independent control mechanisms, ensuring seed placement effectiveness is not compromised when crossing obstacles.
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 clears residue, preventing hairpinning and ensuring proper seed distribution and germination by maintaining the row cleaners in a position to clear the soil surface, enhancing crop yield and emergence.
Implementation Method 1
a spring coupled to the rockshaft on one end and the arm on the other end, said spring providing a downforce to the row cleaner towards the underlying surface
Data Source
AI summary
A seeder assembly for placing a commodity in underlying soil that has a frame member having at least one ground engaging mechanism configured to contact an underlying surface, a rockshaft pivotally coupled to the frame member and pivotal between a lowered position and a raised position, a plurality of disk opener assemblies coupled to the rockshaft, the disk opener assemblies each having a single disk opener configured to cut into the underlying soil to provide an opening for the commodity, a plurality of row cleaner assemblies pivotally coupled to the frame member and each having a row cleaner configured to move residue on the underlying surface, and a plurality of linkages each coupling the rockshaft to a corresponding one of the plurality of row cleaner assemblies. When the rockshaft is in the raised position, the plurality of linkages maintain the corresponding plurality of row cleaner assemblies in a raised position.