Pivoting Support Wheel for Rotary Plow Lateral Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pivoting support wheels for rotary plows often result in unstable lateral guidance and uneven plowing patterns due to their design, which requires larger pivoting clearance and lacks ground clearance during turning, leading to suboptimal performance in boundary plowing.
Innovation Solution
A pivoting support wheel that describes a semicircular segment in the direction of travel, with self-steering characteristics enabled by a pivot arm that rotates freely or partially freely about a second axis, allowing for exact lateral guidance and reduced space requirements, and is adjustable through various mechanisms such as telescopic designs and external power devices to optimize plowing depth and width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the support wheel pivots in the direction of travel, then the clearance with respect to the plow frame is reduced, but the wheel lacks ground clearance when turning the lifted plow
Solution Approach 1:
The support wheel is designed with dynamic pivoting capability about a first axis perpendicular to the direction of travel, allowing it to adapt its position based on operational conditions. The wheel can pivot forward during plowing to maintain ground clearance while describing a semicircular segment that keeps it in a pushed position, and pivot backward during turning to clear the ground. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between maintaining small pivoting clearance and ensuring adequate ground clearance during turns.
2Length of moving object
If the support wheel pivots counter to the direction of travel, then ground clearance during turning is improved, but larger pivoting clearance is required relative to the plow frame
Solution Approach 1:
The support wheel incorporates dual-axis pivoting capability: a first axis perpendicular to the direction of travel for lateral pivoting, and a second axis parallel to the direction of travel for longitudinal pivoting. This dynamic configuration allows the wheel to pivot counter to the direction of travel (backward) when needed for ground clearance during turns, while minimizing the required pivoting clearance through the semicircular segment motion path that keeps the wheel in a pushed position.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the pivot arm is inclined backwards, then self-stabilization and self-alignment are improved, but the support wheel may pivot forward upon touching the ground
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot arm is designed with a specific inclination angle that balances self-stabilization and depth control functions. The arm is inclined backward to provide self-alignment and stability, while the dual-axis pivoting mechanism prevents forward pivoting upon ground contact by allowing controlled motion about the first axis perpendicular to the direction of travel. This dynamic configuration ensures the support wheel maintains its depth control function while achieving self-stabilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The inclination angle of the pivot arm is optimized to achieve the desired balance between self-stabilization and preventing forward pivoting. By carefully selecting this geometric parameter, the design ensures that the support wheel achieves self-alignment while the dual-axis pivoting capability prevents unwanted forward motion when the wheel touches the ground, maintaining reliable depth control.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the support wheel is arranged behind the plow frame, then boundary plowing is enabled, but lateral guidance of plow tools becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The support wheel is positioned behind the plow frame to enable boundary plowing, and its dual-axis pivoting capability provides dynamic stabilization. The first axis perpendicular to the direction of travel allows lateral pivoting that maintains stable guidance of plow tools, while the second axis enables longitudinal pivoting for boundary operations. This dynamic configuration resolves the contradiction by providing both boundary plowing capability and stable lateral guidance through adaptive pivoting motion.
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 provides stable and precise lateral guidance, reduces space requirements, and facilitates efficient boundary plowing by maintaining a pushed position and self-steering capabilities, enhancing plowing performance and reducing the prominence of the support wheel during turns, thus improving plowing patterns and reducing the need for larger levers and bearings.
Implementation Method 1
self-steering characteristics which have different support or steering forces which act on the support wheel or the plow frame through the pushed or forwardly-directed arrangement of the pivot arm, and thus enable an exact lateral guidance of the plow
Data Source
AI summary
A rotary plow (1) with pivoting support wheel (2) for mounting on a plow frame (3). The pivoting support wheel (2) is suitable for plows projecting far behind, such as multi-plowbody mounted, reversible plows or semi-mounted reversible plows with a movable rear part. Furthermore, the pivoting support wheel (2) exhibits self-steering characteristics which have different support or steering forces which act on the pivoting support wheel (2) or the plow frame (3) through the pushed or forwardly-directed arrangement of the pivot arm, and thus enables an accurate lateral guidance of the plow.