Swath Roller with Adjustable Anchoring Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing swath rollers fail to provide adequate anchoring force for crops in varying conditions, leading to crop loss and reduced harvesting efficiency due to wind displacement, as they either apply insufficient force in heavy crops or excessive force in light crops, causing difficulties during harvesting.
Innovation Solution
A swath roller apparatus with a rotatably attached drum that moves up and down and is equipped with bias elements and a control system to vary the anchoring force, allowing the operator to adjust the anchoring force based on crop conditions, ensuring optimal contact with the stubble.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the drum is allowed to float up and down with the swath, then the swath roller adapts to varying crop volumes and terrain, but the anchoring force becomes insufficient in heavy crop areas where high stubble causes the drum to float upward
Solution Approach 1:
A bias element (spring or hydraulic cylinder) exerts an upward bias force on the drum to counterbalance the downward force of gravity. This creates a controlled anchoring force that prevents the drum from floating upward in heavy crop areas while still allowing adaptation to varying terrain and crop volumes. The bias element essentially provides a counteracting force that stabilizes the drum position.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum mounting system transitions from a static fixed position to a dynamic floating position, and then to a controlled dynamic position with the bias element. The bias element allows the drum to move dynamically with terrain variations while maintaining a minimum anchoring force through the bias force, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and force consistency.
2Force
If the drum is held at a fixed height above the ground, then the anchoring force remains consistent, but the drum cannot adapt to varying crop volumes and terrain slopes
Solution Approach 1:
The drum mounting system transitions from a static fixed position to a dynamic floating position, allowing the drum to move up and down with terrain variations and crop volume changes. This dynamic mounting enables the drum to maintain contact with the swath across varying terrain while still providing anchoring force through the bias element.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating drum mounting allows the swath roller to self-adjust to varying crop volumes and terrain conditions without operator intervention. The drum automatically floats up and down to maintain optimal contact with the swath, and the bias element automatically provides the necessary anchoring force.
3Force
If the anchoring force is increased for heavy crops, then wind resistance improves, but harvesting becomes difficult in light crop areas where excessive force is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The bias element (spring or hydraulic cylinder) provides a dynamic anchoring force that automatically adjusts to crop conditions. In heavy crop areas, the bias element exerts sufficient force to maintain anchoring; in light crop areas, the drum floats lower and the bias element naturally reduces the anchoring force, preventing excessive force application and harvesting difficulties.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchoring force parameter is made variable through the bias element system. The spring constant or hydraulic pressure can be adjusted to change the bias force, thereby changing the anchoring force parameter to match different crop conditions. This allows optimization of anchoring force for both heavy and light crops.
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 adjustable anchoring force ensures effective anchoring of the crop in both heavy and light conditions, reducing wind-induced loss and facilitating efficient harvesting by maintaining optimal contact with the stubble.
Implementation Method 1
a bias element operative to exert a bias force on the axle
Data Source
AI summary
A swath roller apparatus is adapted to be attached to a swather, where the swather is operative to cut standing crop plants and lay cut plants in a swath as the swather moves along the ground in an operating travel direction. A drum is rotatably attached to an axle that is adapted to be movably attached to a rear portion of the swather such that the axle is oriented substantially horizontally and perpendicular to the operating travel direction, and such that the drum moves up and down and rolls along a top of the swath exerting a downward anchoring force on the swath. A bias element is operative to exert a bias force on the axle, and a bias force control is operative to vary the bias force to vary the anchoring force.