Rotary Disk Crop Header Auger Converging System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing crop harvesting headers with rotary cutters face inefficiencies in transferring cut crop material from outer disks to a discharge opening, leading to incomplete swath consolidation and reduced efficiency in crop handling.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a crop harvesting header with a cutter bar and transversely spaced rotary disks, where additional cutter disks are positioned outwardly of the discharge opening, and crop converging auger elements with rotating surfaces are used to move cut crop inwardly toward the discharge opening, ensuring effective transfer and consolidation of the crop material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If additional cutter disks are positioned outwardly of the discharge opening, then crop transfer efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutter bar is segmented into multiple functional zones with disks positioned at different locations (inboard and outboard of discharge opening), allowing specialized functions for each zone. The outboard disks specifically handle crop convergence while inboard disks handle cutting, resolving the contradiction by dividing the cutting function across multiple segments rather than using a single complex unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The auger element acts as an intermediary mechanism between the outboard cutter disks and the discharge opening. It receives crop from the disks and actively transports it inwardly to the discharge opening, improving transfer efficiency without requiring the disks themselves to be more complex or numerous.
2Stability of the object's composition
If crop converging auger elements are used to move crop inwardly, then swath consolidation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The auger element performs multiple functions: it acts as a crop collector from the outboard disks, a transport mechanism moving crop inwardly, and a consolidation device that feeds crop uniformly to the discharge opening. This multi-functionality improves swath consolidation without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Productivity
If outboard disks rotate to carry crop inwardly, then crop handling efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The outboard cutter disks are merged with the crop convergence function. Instead of separate mechanisms for cutting and converging, the outboard disks perform both cutting and inward crop transport through their rotation, improving handling efficiency while using the same driving energy source for both functions.
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
This configuration enhances the efficiency of crop transfer and consolidation, improving the formation of a uniform swath behind the header by ensuring that cut crop material is effectively carried into the discharge opening, even when cutting less than a full head width, thereby reducing crop build-up and improving drying conditions.
Implementation Method 1
behind each end portion of the cutter bar there being provided a respective crop converging auger element arranged to receive crop cut by the cutter disks and arranged to move the crop inwardly toward the discharge opening, each auger element including a rotating surface with a flight on the surface
Data Source
AI summary
A crop header has generally horizontal flail disks mounted for driven rotation about generally upright axes. A pair of conditioner rolls is mounted in a discharge opening. A crop converging system includes two over-shot auger elements defined by a common auger shaft with an auger flight carried thereon arranged generally longitudinal of the cutter bar so as to carry the cut crop longitudinally of the cutter bar to the entrance opening. Each auger element is arranged with a forwardmost tangent to the auger flight located behind the axes of the rotary disks and with an outer end thereof spaced outwardly of the respective end of the entrance mouth. The common auger shaft is driven by a common rotary drive with the bottom roll of the conditioner rolls. The augers terminate inwardly of the outer end of the cutter bar to locate the drive inboard of the end plates.