System and method for detecting bolt shear in a shank assembly of an agricultural implement
Pith reviewed 2026-06-19 20:02 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
A rod assembly linked to a shear bolt turns a rotary sensor to detect breakage in tillage shank assemblies.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
The agricultural system includes a tillage implement with a frame, shank mount, rotary sensor on the mount, shank attached to a bracket by a first fastener, and a rod assembly whose first end connects to the bracket by a shear bolt that shears on shank contact while its second end connects to the rotary shaft, with the rod also fastened at the second end to the shank mount.
What carries the argument
The rod assembly that attaches the bracket to the rotary sensor via the shear bolt, converting bolt shear into measurable shaft rotation.
If this is right
- The implement generates an immediate electronic signal when any shank's shear bolt fails.
- Operators can identify which specific shank has been damaged without stopping to inspect each one.
- The sensor output can feed into existing implement control systems for alerts or automatic responses.
- Detection hardware mounts to standard shank assemblies without requiring new bracket designs.
Where Pith is reading between the lines
- The same rod-and-sensor layout could be applied to other shear-bolt locations on the same implement frame.
- Logging sensor events with GPS position data would map field obstacles that repeatedly cause shear.
- Field debris or corrosion might block rod motion, so durability testing under real soil conditions would be needed.
Load-bearing premise
The shear bolt will break cleanly on obstacle contact and the rod will move the sensor shaft without jamming or producing false signals.
What would settle it
A controlled test in which the shank strikes an obstacle, the shear bolt visibly shears, yet the rotary sensor reports no change in shaft angle or output signal.
read the original abstract
1 . An agricultural system, comprising: a tillage implement, comprising: a frame; a shank mount coupled to or integrally formed with the frame; a rotary sensor coupled to the shank mount; a shank coupled to a bracket via a first fastener; and a rod assembly comprising a first end portion coupled to the bracket via a shear bolt that is configured to shear upon contact by the shank and a second end portion coupled to a rotary shaft of the rotary sensor, wherein the rod assembly comprises a rod that extends from a first end to a second end, and the first end is coupled to the bracket via the shear bolt and the second end is coupled to the shank mount via a second fastener.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript describes a system and method for detecting bolt shear in the shank assembly of an agricultural implement. The claimed system includes a tillage implement with a frame, shank mount coupled to the frame, rotary sensor on the shank mount, shank coupled to a bracket via a fastener, and a rod assembly with one end connected to the bracket via a shear bolt and the other end to the rotary sensor's shaft, allowing detection of shear when the shank encounters an obstacle.
Significance. If the system operates as described, it represents a mechanical approach to monitoring shear bolt integrity in tillage equipment through a linked rod and rotary sensor. This could enhance equipment reliability and operator safety in agricultural operations by providing a means to detect and respond to component failure without relying solely on visual inspection.
major comments (1)
- Abstract (Claim 1): The claim specifies the rod assembly extending from the bracket to the shank mount but does not provide any mechanism or consideration for ensuring the rod moves freely to actuate the rotary sensor upon shearing without binding or generating erroneous signals, which is load-bearing for the detection functionality.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for their review of our patent application. We respond point-by-point to the major comment below.
read point-by-point responses
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Referee: Abstract (Claim 1): The claim specifies the rod assembly extending from the bracket to the shank mount but does not provide any mechanism or consideration for ensuring the rod moves freely to actuate the rotary sensor upon shearing without binding or generating erroneous signals, which is load-bearing for the detection functionality.
Authors: Claim 1 is a system claim that recites the essential structural elements and their functional interconnections. The full specification and drawings describe the rod assembly's mounting (including the second fastener at the shank mount and the shear-bolt connection at the bracket) in a manner that permits the required linear-to-rotary motion transmission upon shearing. Standard engineering practice for such linkages incorporates sufficient clearance, pivoting freedom at the fasteners, and alignment to avoid binding; these details support enablement of the claim but are not required to be recited within the claim language itself. The novelty of the invention resides in the overall detection architecture rather than in specific anti-binding features, which are conventional. We therefore see no need to amend Claim 1. revision: no
Circularity Check
No circularity: descriptive patent claim with no derivations or predictions
full rationale
The document is a US patent that asserts a mechanical assembly (frame, shank mount, rotary sensor, bracket with shear bolt, rod assembly) for detecting shear. It contains no equations, no fitted parameters, no predictions, and no derivations. The central claim is the enablement and novelty of the physical configuration itself. No load-bearing steps exist that could reduce to inputs by construction, and there are no self-citations or ansatzes. This is a standard non-finding for a purely descriptive system patent.
discussion (0)
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