Pneumatic Staple Feeder Actuation for Vine Trellising
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing staple laying devices for vine trellising face issues such as oil leaks, toxic hydraulic fluid pollution, frequent maintenance needs due to worn parts, and inefficiencies in handling multiple staple bars, leading to increased working time and potential accidents.
Innovation Solution
A device with a storage magazine capable of holding multiple staple bars, utilizing a pressurized fluid to push staples through a distribution channel, featuring a reciprocating pusher and an electromagnet actuator with a return spring, allowing for sealed fluid operation and reduced maintenance, and enabling continuous operation without frequent reloading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If hydraulic actuators are used to actuate the pusher, then the pusher can be actuated with sufficient force, but oil leaks and toxic hydraulic fluid pollution occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the hydraulic actuation system with a pneumatic system using a compressed air tank. The pneumatic pusher is actuated by compressed air instead of hydraulic fluid, eliminating the risk of toxic fluid leakage and pollution while maintaining the necessary actuation force for pushing staples through the distribution channel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a pneumatic system (compressed air) to actuate the pusher mechanism. The compressed air tank provides the necessary pressure and force to move the pusher back and forth, replacing the hydraulic system and eliminating the harmful effects of hydraulic fluid leakage.
2Ease of operation
If multiple parts subject to wear such as pulleys, belts, gears are used, then the device can transmit motion, but regular and costly maintenance is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical transmission components (pulleys, belts, gears) with a direct pneumatic actuation system. The compressed air tank directly actuates the pusher through pneumatic pressure, eliminating the need for intermediate mechanical transmission parts that would wear and require maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the problematic mechanical transmission components (pulleys, belts, gears) from the system entirely. By using direct pneumatic actuation, the design extracts and eliminates the parts that caused maintenance issues while retaining the essential motion transmission function.
3Device complexity
If only one bar of staples is allowed in the distribution channel, then the device structure is simple, but the trellising process must be stopped frequently to set up a new bar
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the staple storage into multiple separate bars that can be independently managed. Instead of having one large staple bar, the system uses multiple smaller bars that can be sequentially loaded into the distribution channel, allowing continuous operation without stopping to reload.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a preliminary action system where multiple staple bars are pre-loaded into the storage magazine before operation begins. This allows the operator to have multiple bars ready in advance, enabling continuous stapling operation without frequent interruptions for reloading.
4Force
If hydraulic fluids are used, then the actuators can provide sufficient force, but the fluids are hot and toxic causing burns to the driver
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the hydraulic fluid system with a pneumatic system using compressed air. This substitution eliminates the toxic and hot hydraulic fluid entirely, replacing it with inert air that cannot cause burns or pollution, while maintaining the necessary actuator force through pneumatic pressure.
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
Significantly reduces the risk of pollution and accidents, enhances productivity by allowing continuous operation with multiple staple bars and minimizing the need for frequent reloading, and reduces maintenance costs by using compressed air and electromechanical components.
Implementation Method 1
a piston disposed between the bar and the orifice and capable of pushing the bar of staples in the direction of the opening under the action of a pressurized fluid admitted through the orifice
Implementation Method 2
a reciprocating pusher slidable in said distribution channel to detach from the bar and drive the clip positioned in said distribution channel
Implementation Method 3
the actuator is an electromagnet and the return means is a return spring or a magnetic field
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The device (1) has a rear flange (25) comprising an opening (26) that is arranged to be connected to a flexible device that is utilized for supplying of a fluid under pressure and is ready to cooperate in an approximately watertight manner with an opening (17) of a magazine (11) so as to allow fluid to enter a housing (15). A push rod (30) is arranged with reciprocating motion and is ready to slide in a transverse distribution passage so as to detach from a bar (10) and to actuate pins positioned in the distribution passage.