Tractor Drag Bar with Segmented Frame and Pivotal Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drag bars for tractors lack effective features for efficiently leveling ground over rough terrain, particularly on gravel roads, and do not adequately address the need for adjustable operation and aggressive soil engagement.
Innovation Solution
A drag bar apparatus with a planar frame having parallel transverse members, one with carbide teeth for scraping and the other for leveling, and a pivotal drag plate for guiding material, along with adjustable components and a flex cable system for flipping orientations, allowing for efficient ground engagement and material handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a drag bar uses a single transverse member for ground engagement, then the structure is simpler, but it cannot simultaneously perform both breaking and leveling functions
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is divided into two separate transverse members: a front transverse member with scraping elements for breaking the ground surface, and a rear transverse member with a leveling surface for compressing and leveling. This segmentation allows each member to specialize in one function, achieving versatile ground engagement while maintaining reasonable structural complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines two distinct ground engagement functions (breaking and leveling) into a single integrated frame structure that operates sequentially. The front and rear transverse members work together in sequence during forward and rearward movement, merging multiple functions into one apparatus without requiring separate machines.
2Reliability
If the drag bar uses fixed scraping elements, then the structure is simpler, but it cannot maintain effectiveness as the elements wear
Solution Approach 1:
The scraping elements are designed to be adjustable in position and replaceable. The front transverse member allows vertical adjustment of the scraping elements to maintain optimal ground engagement depth, and the elements can be individually replaced when worn. This dynamic design maintains reliability over time while making repair straightforward through adjustment or replacement of individual elements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the drag plate is fixed in position, then the structure is simpler, but it cannot adapt to different material flow conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The drag plate is made pivotal about an axis along the transverse member, allowing it to rotate between a first position inclined forwardly and downwardly, and a second position inclined rearwardly and downwardly. This dynamic positioning adapts to different material flow conditions and grading requirements, while the pivotal mechanism remains relatively simple in structure.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the fork ports are designed for one tractor type, then the attachment is simpler, but it cannot accommodate different tractor configurations
Solution Approach 1:
Each fork port includes both an upper receptacle for receiving a fork of a larger tractor and a lower receptacle for receiving a fork of a skid steer loader. This universal design allows the same apparatus to be attached to different tractor types with different fork configurations, achieving broad compatibility while maintaining a relatively simple dual-receptacle structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A drag bar for attachment to forks of a tractor for ground levelling includes a frame with two parallel fork ports and two transverse members one of which is a plate having ground scraping elements for breaking the surface of the ground and the other has a leveling surface for compressing and levelling the ground surface. The plate carries front and rear alternately offset rows of the elements and has front and rear edges shaped in a wave pattern. The transverse member further carries a pivotal drag plate with a bottom edge at a height above a lowermost tip of the ground scraping elements. Each of the fork ports includes an upper receptacle for receiving a fork of a tractor and a lower upwardly inclined receptacle for receiving a fork of a skid steer loader. The frame can be divided into separate sections for grading traffic wheel strips of a gravel road.