Vine Tying Machine Integrated Magazine and Knife Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machines for tying vegetation branches are unreliable due to complex and delicate tying mechanisms that require precise adjustments, which can be misaligned by vibrations, leading to inconsistent and inefficient tying operations.
Innovation Solution
A machine with integrated on-board tie magazines and pivoting arms that include a tying head with a knife mechanism, where the knife moves between passive and active positions to accurately align and fit ties onto the wires, ensuring consistent tying without manual adjustment, and uses wire guides and pulley systems for precise wire positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed tie magazine is housed in the machine frame with external arms, then the machine can perform tying operations, but the alignment between the magazine and tying head becomes misadjusted due to vibrations, reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The tie magazine is integrated directly into the tying head assembly, forming a single unified component. This eliminates the separate external magazine and its complex positioning requirements, ensuring permanent alignment between the magazine and tying head while simplifying the overall device structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual adjustment mechanisms are used for aligning the tying head with the magazine, then initial positioning can be achieved, but vibrations cause misalignment over time, making the machine unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment between the tying head and magazine is established permanently during manufacturing through integration, eliminating the need for field adjustments. This preliminary precise positioning ensures consistent tying performance throughout operation without degradation from vibration-induced misalignment.
3Measurement precision
If complex gripping heads and precise positioning systems are used, then tying accuracy can be maintained, but the mechanism becomes delicate and difficult to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The magazine and tying head are combined into a single integrated assembly, eliminating the need for separate positioning systems and complex gripping mechanisms. This integration maintains tying accuracy while dramatically simplifying the manufacturing and implementation process.
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 solution provides a simple, reliable, and efficient tying system that ensures accurate and consistent binding of vegetation branches, reducing the risk of damage and improving operational reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a knife aligned with the areas, this knife being coupled with an actuating mechanism in order to be moved between a passive position, in which it lies upstream of the receiving area in order to be located behind the tie, and an active position, in which it lies at least partly in the receiving area and to move the tie from the receiving area to the fitting area
Implementation Method 2
These pushing means comprise advantageously a pusher housed the magazine behind the ties and a system with pulleys and a cable, one end of the cable being fixed on the pusher and the other end carrying a counterweight
Data Source
AI summary
A machine (1) for tying vegetation, in particular vine, raspberry or similar branches, including a unit (4) for lifting up the branches, an element (5) for supplying tying-up wires (50) and members (7, 8) for binding the tying-up wires. These binding members include two pivoting arms (7, 8) that are mounted to pivot around vertical axes (A) and be moved by jacks. One of the arms (7) comprises an on-board tie magazine (71) that is arranged in the extension of a tying head (72), and the other arm (8) includes an insertion head (82) cooperating with the tying head (72) when the arms (7, 8) are in a working position in order to fit the tie (60) on the tying-up wires (50).