Telescopic Bale Ejection System for Agricultural Balers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural balers face challenges in effectively ejecting the rearmost bale from the bale chamber onto the discharge chute, leading to potential bale dislodgment during transport and increased load on the baler.
Innovation Solution
A bale ejection system that extends rearward of the bale chamber outlet, incorporating an actuator, tines, and a tine extension/retraction device, with a center slat having a slot for tine extension past the outlet, ensuring the rearmost bale is discharged onto the chute with minimal modifications to the discharge chute.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the bale ejection system is positioned within the floor slat extending to the outlet of the bale chamber, then the structure remains compact and simple, but the rearmost bale cannot be effectively discharged onto the discharge chute
Solution Approach 1:
The bale ejection system employs a telescopic mechanism with extendible tines that can dynamically change length. During normal operation, the tines remain retracted within the floor slat structure. When bale ejection is required, the tines extend beyond the outlet to effectively push the rearmost bale onto the discharge chute, then retract back to the original compact position.
Solution Approach 2:
The ejection system is divided into segmented components including the floor slat structure, extendible tines, and actuator mechanism. This segmentation allows the system to maintain a compact base structure while enabling extended functionality when needed, resolving the contradiction between operational effectiveness and structural compactness.
2Ease of operation
If the tines are extended past the outlet to eject the rearmost bale, then bale discharge effectiveness improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic tines are nested within the floor slat structure when retracted, similar to a nested doll configuration. This allows the extended functionality to be housed within the existing structural envelope, adding ejection capability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The ejection system utilizes the existing floor slat structure and outlet geometry as part of its operational mechanism. The tines use the available space within the existing structure, and the system leverages the natural bale formation and positioning processes already present in the baler, reducing the need for additional complex components.
Data Source
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AI summary
An agricultural baler (10) includes a main bale chamber (26) for the compressing of crop material into bales. The main bale chamber (26) has a floor (52) and an outlet (32) for discharge of compressed crop material in the form of bales. A bale ejection system (60) is at least partially incorporated in the floor (52), and is arranged to move and eject a rearward bale proximate to the outlet (32) of the main bale chamber (26). The baler (10) is characterized in that the bale ejection system (60) continuously extends longitudinally past the outlet (32) of the main bale chamber (26).