Endlessly Rotating Cutting Device for Harvesting Machines
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-propelled harvester attachments experience transverse acceleration forces due to the inertia of cutter bar sections during oscillating movement, limiting harvesting speed and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An endlessly rotating cutting device with a cylindrical cross-section, coated with hard material, is used instead of traditional cutter bar sections, eliminating the need for reversing drives and allowing higher operational speeds by guiding cutting teeth through deflection elements, reducing weight and transverse accelerations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cutter bar sections are driven in an oscillating manner by a mower blade drive train, then crop separation is achieved, but large transverse acceleration forces occur at the points of reversal due to inertia
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using an oscillating cutting device that reverses direction, the patent employs an endlessly rotating cutting device that continuously rotates in one direction. This inversion of the motion pattern eliminates the reversal points where transverse acceleration forces would occur, while still achieving effective crop separation through the continuous rotation and engagement of cutting elements with the crop.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the motion parameter from oscillating (back-and-forth) motion to continuous unidirectional rotation. By altering the fundamental motion pattern from periodic reversal to continuous rotation, the inertial forces are transformed from large transverse acceleration spikes to more uniform centrifugal forces, thereby reducing the harmful transverse acceleration forces at reversal points.
2Productivity
If cutter bar sections are used with oscillating drive, then cutting function is provided, but the attachment can only move across fields at lower speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional oscillating cutting mechanism into an endlessly rotating system. This allows the attachment to operate at higher speeds without the destabilizing effect of reversal forces, thereby improving both harvesting speed and operational stability simultaneously.
3Productivity
If cutter bar sections with oscillating drive are used, then cutting action is achieved, but the cutting device has higher weight
Solution Approach 1:
By replacing the heavy oscillating cutter bar section mechanism with a lighter endlessly rotating cutting device, the patent achieves the same cutting performance with reduced weight. The continuous rotation eliminates the need for heavy reversing drive mechanisms and complex oscillating linkages.
4Force
If an endlessly rotating cutting device is used, then transverse acceleration forces are eliminated, but guidance of cutting teeth must be ensured through deflection elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces deflection elements as intermediary components that guide the endlessly rotating support element and its cutting teeth. These deflection elements act as mediators between the rotating support element and the crop, ensuring proper alignment and engagement while eliminating the need for complex reversal mechanisms.
Data Source
Figure 1~1A
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to an attachment (1) for harvesting stem-like crop material (6) for a self-propelled harvesting machine, which has at least one cutting device (5, 14) for separating the stem-like crop material (6) and at least one transverse conveying device (4, 7) for conveying the separated crop material to a feed device of the harvesting machine, wherein the at least one cutting device (5, 14) is designed as at least one continuously rotating carrier element (8, 8', 8") having a cylindrical cross-section, which has at least one cutting element (11, 21) with a hard-material-containing coating (12), wherein the attachment (1) comprises at least one pair of deflection elements (9, 9', 9") which serve to drive and guide the at least one cutting device (5, 14).