Reversible Shear Safety Apparatus for Combine Harvester Concave
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current shear-bolt systems in agricultural combine harvesters require downtime for maintenance after breakage, as the grain tank must be emptied to replace the shear bolt, leading to inconvenient interruptions in harvesting.
Innovation Solution
A positioning and safety apparatus with a control part and an auxiliary part, both pivotable about the same axis, maintained by spring force, allowing for rapid reassembly and adjustment using an actuator, mimicking the operation of a shear bolt to prevent damage and enable quick reset without tank emptying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a shear-bolt system is used for safety protection, then damage prevention is achieved, but downtime increases due to required replacement and tank emptying
Solution Approach 1:
The safety system is divided into a control part and an auxiliary part that can function independently. The auxiliary part can be quickly repositioned without replacing the entire safety mechanism or emptying the grain tank, thereby reducing downtime while maintaining damage prevention capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static shear-bolt mechanism to a dynamic system where the auxiliary part can be actively repositioned by an actuator. This dynamic capability allows the concave to be quickly reset to the correct position after safety activation, minimizing operational interruption
2Ease of repair
If the grain tank is emptied to replace the shear bolt, then the shear bolt can be replaced, but productivity decreases due to operational interruption
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the control part from the auxiliary part, the system allows the auxiliary part to be adjusted without requiring access to the shear bolt location. This eliminates the need to empty the grain tank for replacement operations, maintaining productivity while enabling easy repair
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator automatically repositions the auxiliary part after safety activation, eliminating the need for manual intervention and grain tank emptying. The system serves itself by automatically resetting the concave position, thereby maintaining harvesting efficiency
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
Enables reversible safety function without prolonged downtime, allowing for rapid reassembly and continued operation after breakage, similar to a shear-bolt mechanism but with reduced downtime and operational convenience.
Implementation Method 1
means to maintain these two parts in an assembled state by a spring force, as long as the component is subjected to forces below a given limit
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention is related to an apparatus that ensures the control of the position of a component (16) of a mechanical system, such as an adjustable concave in a combine harvester, while at the same time exhibiting a safety function that is reversible without requiring a long downtime of the system. The apparatus comprises a control part (35) and an auxiliary part (40), both pivotable about the same axis, and means to maintain these two parts in an assembled state by a spring force, as long as the component is subjected to forces below a given limit. When the forces exceed the limit, the auxiliary part and the control part are configured to become separated in such a manner that they can be reassembled by the intervention of an actuator (50) included in the apparatus of the invention and - during normal operation - used for controlling the position of the component. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus is designed so that its safety function resembles the operation of a shear bolt.