Rotatable Infeed Chute for Wide-Load Chipper Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chippers face challenges in efficiently handling wide material loads due to limited infeed chute flexibility, which affects stability and maneuverability, particularly when transitioning between chipping and transport configurations.
Innovation Solution
A foldable and rotatable infeed chute design that allows for a wide opening for easy loading and a narrow configuration for transport, coupled with a discharge chute that can adjust its orientation for efficient material discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the infeed chute is made wide to facilitate material loading, then the material loading efficiency is improved, but the machine width increases making it difficult to pass through narrow locations
Solution Approach 1:
The infeed chute is made rotatable relative to the processing portion, allowing it to dynamically change its orientation between operational and transport configurations. This dynamic adjustment enables the chute to provide a wide opening during operation for efficient material loading, while rotating to a narrower profile during transport to pass through narrow locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The infeed chute rotates about an axis parallel to the feed axis, changing the spatial dimension in which the width is expressed. In the operational configuration, the wide dimension is presented to the operator for loading. In the transport configuration, the chute rotates 90 degrees, presenting its narrow dimension in the lateral direction while maintaining its functional width in the vertical or longitudinal direction.
2Length of moving object
If the infeed chute is made narrow for easy transport, then the machine can pass through narrow locations, but the material loading efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable infeed chute allows the machine to dynamically adjust its configuration based on operational needs. During transport, the chute is positioned in a narrow profile configuration. During operation, it rotates to provide a wide opening for efficient material loading, thus resolving the contradiction between narrow transport profile and wide operational opening.
3Productivity
If the infeed chute is fixed in a wide configuration, then material loading is efficient, but the machine cannot be easily transported through narrow spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The infeed chute is designed with rotational capability relative to the processing portion, enabling it to switch between a wide operational configuration for efficient material loading and a narrow transport configuration for easy passage through narrow spaces. This dynamic reconfiguration provides adaptability for both operational and transport scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
By rotating the infeed chute about an axis parallel to the feed axis, the patent changes the dimensional orientation of the chute. The wide dimension can be oriented in different directions depending on whether the chute is in operational or transport configuration, providing versatility for both material loading and transport through narrow spaces.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the infeed chute is made rotatable to provide both wide and narrow configurations, then the machine becomes more versatile, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable infeed chute introduces dynamic reconfiguration capability with a single rotational degree of freedom. The rotation is supported by a bearing that allows the chute to pivot between operational and transport configurations. This relatively simple mechanical addition provides significant versatility without substantially increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotational mechanism allows the infeed chute to change its spatial orientation by rotating about an axis parallel to the feed axis. This dimensional change enables the chute to present different profiles (wide or narrow) depending on the required configuration, achieving versatility through a straightforward rotational joint rather than complex multi-component mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
A material reduction machine includes an infeed chute and a processing portion. The infeed chute has a plurality of guide walls. The processing portion is coupled to the infeed chute. The processing portion has a rotatable cutting mechanism configured to receive material from the infeed chute along a feed axis. The infeed chute is rotatable relative to the processing portion about an axis parallel to the feed axis between an operational configuration and a transport configuration.