Segmented Chain Link for Plant Stem Conveying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing conveyor chain designs for transporting plant stems, such as flax or hemp, face issues with fragility, difficulty in adjustment, and inadequate interlocking due to bending or casting processes, leading to potential sticking and falling of stems during operations.
Innovation Solution
A chain link design comprising two separate pieces, an internal and an external part, with complementary end portions and offset side branches, forming a continuous chain that doubles the thickness and maintains a constant width, preventing folding and ensuring robust interlocking without additional bending, thus enhancing the chain's rigidity and preventing plant stems from getting stuck.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the link is produced by folding or stamping sheet metal, then the link can be manufactured with thin material, but the link becomes fragile and difficult to adjust due to radii of curvature during bending
Solution Approach 1:
The link is divided into two separate pieces (internal and external parts) that are assembled together. This segmentation allows each part to be manufactured separately without folding or bending operations, eliminating the fragility issue while maintaining ease of manufacture through simple assembly of the two pieces.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal part is nested within the external part to form the complete link. This nesting arrangement allows both parts to be manufactured as simple U-shaped pieces without bending operations, while their combined structure provides the necessary strength and rigidity, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and link strength.
2Reliability
If the link is produced by casting in cast iron, then the link can be manufactured robustly, but the link becomes very thick and has taper on side edges due to mold clearance angle, resulting in poor interlocking
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the link into internal and external parts with complementary shapes, the design achieves robust construction without requiring thick cast iron material. The segmentation allows for precise interlocking through the complementary end portions and offset side branches, eliminating the taper issue inherent in casting while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal and external parts have asymmetric designs with offset side branches and complementary end portions. This asymmetry enables precise interlocking between links without the uniform taper caused by mold clearance angles in casting, thereby improving manufacturing precision while maintaining robust construction.
3Area of stationary object
If the link has small dimensions (width of 30-40 mm) to limit machine size, then the machine footprint is reduced, but the link becomes more fragile and difficult to manufacture without folding
Solution Approach 1:
The nesting of the internal part within the external part effectively doubles the thickness of the link within the same small footprint. This allows the link to maintain small dimensions (30-40 mm width) to limit machine size while achieving sufficient strength and rigidity through the combined structure, resolving the contradiction between compact size and link strength.
Solution Approach 2:
Dividing the link into two separate pieces that assemble together allows each piece to be manufactured simply without folding operations, maintaining reliability even in small dimensions. The segmented design enables precise manufacturing of thin-walled U-shaped parts that, when assembled, provide the necessary strength for small-sized links.
4Ease of manufacture
If the link has tapered side edges due to mold clearance angle in casting, then the link can be manufactured easily by casting, but the interlocking between links is not rigorous, causing plant stems to get stuck
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the link into internal and external parts with complementary shapes, the design eliminates the need for casting operations that require clearance angles. The parts can be manufactured by simple bending or stamping without taper, ensuring rigorous interlocking and smooth plant stem transport while maintaining ease of manufacture through straightforward assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The asymmetric design of the internal and external parts with complementary end portions and offset side branches enables precise interlocking without the symmetric taper caused by casting molds. This asymmetric geometry ensures that the links fit together rigorously, preventing plant stems from getting stuck during transport.
Data Source
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a chain link (1) for holding and conveying plant stems on industrial machines, in particular the stems of fibrous plants. The link is attached to a belt (5) and engages adjacent links (1', 1') in order to form a chain (39). It comprises an outer part (3) and an inner part (7), the inner part fitting into the outer part. The link includes a first end portion (25) and a second end portion (27) opposite the first one, the first end portion and the second end portion being complementary. The invention also relates to a chain (39) including a belt and links, and to an assembly comprising a chain and a blocking belt, said blocking belt being adapted so as to be inserted into the inner parts of the links and to retain the plant stems.