Agricultural Roller Pair Spur Gear Layout for Adjustable Gaps

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing agricultural roller drive devices with spur gear transmissions are bulky, subject rollers to high torsional stress, and require complex mechanisms to adjust the gap between rollers, leading to inefficiencies in power transmission and processing force.

Innovation Solution

A drive device with two spur gear drives, each with a different number of spur gears, is used to drive a roller pair from a common shaft, allowing for compact design and synchronized counter-rotation without transmitting torque between rollers, and includes separate gearbox housings and lubricant reservoirs to simplify sealing and accommodate angular errors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single spur gear drive is used to transmit drive motion between rollers, then the structure is simpler, but the rollers cannot rotate in opposite directions with synchronized speeds

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidsynchronization precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The drive system is segmented into two independent spur gear drives, each with an odd number of gears, both driven from a common drive shaft. This segmentation allows each roller to be driven independently while maintaining synchronized counter-rotation, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and synchronization precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If spur gears are arranged to allow roller adjustment movements, then the adaptability is improved, but the device becomes bulky and complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroller adjustment capabilityVSAvoiddrive mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The spur gear drives are designed to be movable relative to the rollers, allowing them to accommodate adjustment movements of the rollers. This dynamic arrangement enables the drive mechanism to adapt to roller position changes without requiring complex additional mechanisms, maintaining simplicity while improving adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If the drive shaft is positioned to accommodate roller movements, then the ease of operation is improved, but the power transmission efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroller adjustabilityVSAvoidpower transmission loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The spur gear drives act as intermediary elements between the common drive shaft and the rollers. They transmit drive motion while accommodating roller adjustments, minimizing power transmission losses despite the offset position of the drive shaft. The gear meshing ensures efficient torque transfer even during roller movement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Volume of moving object

If a common drive shaft is used for both spur gear drives, then the device compactness is improved, but the sealing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrive device volumeVSAvoidsealing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The common drive shaft system is segmented into two separate, sealed gear drive units. Each unit with an odd number of spur gears is independently sealed, allowing the compact common drive shaft arrangement while simplifying the sealing requirement compared to a fully integrated system. This segmentation maintains compactness while managing sealing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 enables efficient, compact, and synchronized roller operation with minimal power loss and backlash, allowing adjustable gaps between rollers to adapt to crop flow, while avoiding excessive stress and maintaining processing efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

drive the rollers of the cooperating roller pair from a separate drive shaft via two spur gear drives, each transmitting the drive motion from the drive shaft to the respective roller

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGear transmission: Gear

Data Source

PatentEP4094565B1Drive device for driving an agricultural roller pair and agricultural machine with such a drive device
Publication Date: 2025.12.24 ALOIS POETTINGER MASCHFAB
  • EP4094565B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4094565B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4094565B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present invention relates generally to agricultural machinery with a cooperating pair of rollers, the rollers of which can be driven in opposite directions by a drive device. The invention relates in particular to the drive device for driving such a pair of rollers with a spur gear transmission. According to the invention, the drive device has a first spur gear transmission with an odd number of spur gears for driving a first roller of the pair of rollers and a second spur gear transmission with an even number of spur gears for driving a second roller of the pair of rollers, wherein a common drive shaft, on which both spur gear transmissions, each with an input spur gear, are mounted, is provided and is arranged offset from the rollers.