Ground Engaging Roller Assembly Torque Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ground engaging roller assemblies for detonating explosive devices face issues where rollers engaging depressions apply reduced force, and the complexity of maintaining rolling motion leads to increased construction costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A ground engaging assembly with pivotably connected support members and interconnected piston cylinders ensures consistent pressure across all rollers, opposing torque to maintain horizontal orientation and ensuring sufficient force application, simplifying construction and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If individual pressure chambers are used for each roller, then each roller can independently apply force, but the force becomes insufficient when a roller encounters a depression
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pressure chambers are interconnected to form a common pressure system, allowing pressure to be distributed across multiple rollers simultaneously. This ensures that if one roller encounters a depression, the interconnected system maintains sufficient force on that roller through pressure redistribution from other rollers in the same gang.
2Reliability
If a single common pressure chamber is used for all rollers, then force consistency is improved, but the ability to counteract rolling motion is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The roller assembly is divided into multiple gangs, with each gang having its own interconnected pressure chambers. This segmentation allows each gang to maintain force consistency internally while providing independent rolling control capability through the pivotable support members, resolving the contradiction between force consistency and rolling motion control.
3Ease of operation
If additional apparatus is added to maintain rolling motion, then rolling control is improved, but construction complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support members are pivotally connected to the vehicle body, enabling them to automatically maintain rolling motion through their own mechanical properties without requiring additional active control apparatus. The system uses the natural rolling motion and ground reaction forces to maintain operation, eliminating the need for complex additional control mechanisms.
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 ensures consistent force application to detonate explosive devices and maintains rolling motion without additional apparatus, reducing complexity and cost while ensuring effective engagement with uneven terrain.
Implementation Method 1
the piston cylinders being interconnected to form a respective single pressure chamber applying the same pressure to each said piston to resist movement of said second support members towards the corresponding said first support member
Implementation Method 2
the ground reaction force acting on the rollers applies a torque about a transverse axis, the torque acting to counteract the rolling motion
Data Source
AI summary
A roller assembly for applying force to the ground is disclosed. The assembly includes a body adapted to be mounted to a vehicle for moving the assembly, and supports including a first support member supporting a plurality of rollers for applying force to the ground, and a respective piston connected to each roller, the rollers connected via a respective pressure chamber to the corresponding first support member to resist movement of the pistons towards the first support member. The first support member pivotably connected to the body via a first axis such that pivoting movement of the first support member about the first axis as a result of a first torque about an axis has a component about an axis transverse to the direction of travel such that engagement of the rollers with the ground causes a second torque on the first support member opposing the first torque.