Rotor Arm Ring for Hay Accumulation in Haymaking Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Haymaking machines face issues with hay clumps accumulating on rotor arms due to centrifugal forces, leading to uneven distribution and maintenance challenges, with existing solutions being either specific to certain machine structures or increasing costs and weight.
Innovation Solution
A hay-making machine design featuring a ring-shaped compensating element that can be slid onto the rotor arm before tine installation, tapering towards the center, and made of lightweight materials like plastic, with optional rubber lips or sealing rings to prevent slipping, ensuring easy assembly and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If protective hoods are used to cover the ends of the tines, then hay accumulation is prevented, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential protective function from complex protective hoods and implements it through a simple ring element that compensates for the offset between rotor arm and tine. This ring is pushed onto the rotor arm before tine installation and eliminates hay accumulation without requiring complex hood structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring element is designed as a simple, inexpensive component that can be easily manufactured and replaced if needed. It provides the necessary protection against hay accumulation without the high cost and complexity of protective hoods.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If protective hoods are used to cover the ends of the tines, then hay accumulation is prevented, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention counteracts the weight increase problem by using a lightweight ring element instead of heavy protective hoods. The ring provides the necessary offset compensation and protection while minimizing additional weight through its simple design and use of lightweight materials.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If protective hoods are used to cover the ends of the tines, then hay accumulation is prevented, but assembly and maintenance difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ring element is pushed onto the rotor arm before the tines are installed, preparing the rotor arm in advance to prevent hay accumulation. This preliminary action simplifies the overall assembly process compared to installing complex protective hoods after assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding protective coverings over the tines and rotor arm interface, the invention inverts the approach by using a ring on the rotor arm that compensates for the offset, thereby preventing hay accumulation without interfering with tine installation or maintenance.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a rake is used instead of a tedder, then hay accumulation is reduced, but distribution effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The ring element provides a universal solution that can be applied to both tedders and rakes, preventing hay accumulation on rotor arms while maintaining the specific functional characteristics of each machine type for effective crop distribution and drying.
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 effectively prevents hay accumulation, ensuring reliable and even distribution, reducing maintenance costs and weight, while being adaptable to various tine profiles and easy to manufacture or retrofit.
Implementation Method 1
Hay in the air is caught by the rotor arms and is guided by the occurring centrifugal forces to the outer end of the rotor arm
Data Source
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AI summary
Haymaking machine consisting of a frame (3) on which at least one rotating working rotor (4) is attached, which is supported towards the ground by means of at least one wheel (8) arranged underneath and has rotor arms (6) on which tines (7) are arranged for processing the harvested crop, wherein at least one rotor arm (6) has at least one element (17) which compensates for offset (15) and/or steps on the rotor arm (6) that are caused by mounting tines (7).