Sectional Driveshaft Arrangement for Corn Head Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing driveshaft arrangements for corn heads require extensive time and labor for removal and replacement, as they are typically long and must be supported by a tractor or truck, making maintenance inefficient.

Innovation Solution

A sectional driveshaft arrangement with slip clutches and inner sleeves that allow individual row units to be easily removed by sliding the inner sleeve along the driveshaft, eliminating the need for long driveshafts and reducing the complexity of replacement processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a long common driveshaft is used to drive multiple row units, then the driveshaft can power all row units on one side of the corn head, but the driveshaft becomes difficult and time-consuming to remove and replace

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveEase of driveshaft removal and replacementVSAvoidLength of driveshaft

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The single long driveshaft is divided into multiple separate driveshafts, each driving only one or a few adjacent row units. Each driveshaft is independently removable, eliminating the need to handle a 4.5-6m long driveshaft that requires tractor support and multiple people for installation and removal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If a long driveshaft extends through 6-8 row units, then all row units can be driven by one driveshaft, but the removal process requires extensive time and labor with multiple people

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveSpeed of row unit repairVSAvoidTime for driveshaft removal and replacement

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the driveshaft system into separate driveshafts for different row units, each driveshaft can be quickly removed and replaced independently. This eliminates the time-consuming process of supporting a long driveshaft with a tractor and coordinating multiple people, allowing single-operator maintenance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The driveshaft is extracted from being a single continuous component into separable units. Each driveshaft can be independently extracted from its row unit without affecting other driveshafts, enabling rapid replacement and minimizing equipment downtime.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of manufacture

If a single long driveshaft is used, then the structure is simpler, but the replacement process is even more time-consuming than removal

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveSimplicity of driveshaft structureVSAvoidTime for driveshaft replacement

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The driveshaft system is segmented into multiple short driveshafts rather than one long driveshaft. While this increases the number of components, each short driveshaft is simple in structure and can be quickly installed and removed independently, making the overall replacement process much faster than handling a single long driveshaft that requires threading through multiple row units.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2781149B1Sectional driveshaft arrangement for a corn head

Publication Date: 2016.01.20 DEERE & CO

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AI summary

A sectional driveshaft arrangement of a corn head comprises a first row unit that is driven by a first driveshaft. The first row unit in turn drives a second driveshaft that drives a second row unit.