A method is provided for operating a machine for harvesting root crops and/or for separating root crops from further additionally conveyed material that includes at least soil in the form of loose earth and/or soil aggregates, and also, if applicable, leaves and/or stones. By means of at least one electromagnetic, in particular optical, or acoustic image capturing unit, at least one inspection image is captured of at least one portion of the material, moved relative to a machine frame of the machine by at least one transport element, in particular a screen belt. On the basis of at least one inspection data set generated using the inspection image and/or formed by this image, an evaluation device generates an adjustment signal for adjusting at least one operating parameter of the transport element and/or a further transport element of the machine. At least one feature for describing the ability to be screened of the additionally conveyed soil is determined by the evaluation device and is used for adjusting the operating parameter. The invention also relates to a machine for harvesting root crops and a computer program product.

A root crop harvester is provided, including a feed conveyor device for conveying conveyable material consisting of harvested crop and additional materials in a feed conveying direction. The root crop harvester also includes a separating device having at least one separating element for separating the additional materials from the harvested crop. The separating device has a conveyable material sensor, which is coupled to a first EDP evaluation unit and, during operation, is directed toward the conveyable material, and which is intended for recording conveyable material data. The conveyable material sensor may be directed toward the feed conveyor device during operation. In addition, the conveyable material sensor may be an optical conveyable material sensor.

A root crop harvester is provided, including a feed conveyor device for conveying conveyable material consisting of harvested crop and additional materials in a feed conveying direction. The root crop harvester also includes a separating device having at least one separating element for separating the additional materials from the harvested crop. The separating device has a conveyable material sensor, which is coupled to a first EDP evaluation unit and, during operation, is directed toward the conveyable material, and which is intended for recording conveyable material data. The conveyable material sensor may be directed toward the feed conveyor device during operation. In addition, the conveyable material sensor may be an optical conveyable material sensor.

A method is provided for controlling the operation of a machine for harvesting root crop and/or for separating root crop from the rest of the harvested material comprising extraneous materials. At least one optical image-capturing unit captures at least one test image of at least one part of the harvested material which is moved along relative to a machine frame by means of at least one conveyor element. An evaluation device generates, on the basis of a test data set which is generated using the test image or formed thereby, a separating device setting signal for setting at least one operating parameter of a separating device of the machine.

A method is provided for controlling the operation of a machine for harvesting root crop and/or for separating root crop from the rest of the harvested material comprising extraneous materials. At least one optical image-capturing unit captures at least one test image of at least one part of the harvested material which is moved along relative to a machine frame by means of at least one conveyor element. An evaluation device generates, on the basis of a test data set which is generated using the test image or formed thereby, a separating device setting signal for setting at least one operating parameter of a separating device of the machine.

Apparatus for cleaning narrow root crops including a roller device with two rotatable rollers forming a separating crop inlet, a separating track, a coarse material outlet, a fine material outlet, and a roller gap, and a conveyor downstream of the roller device. The separating track is formed by the top of the rollers and the fine material outlet is located below the roller gap. The coarse material outlet is at the end of the separating track opposite the separating material inlet. The roller gap is large enough to allow the narrow root crops to pass through to the fine crop outlet and small enough to retain coarse material that has a minimum dimension greater than the maximum root diameter, and transport it to the coarse material outlet. The conveyor is below the roller gap at the fine material outlet and receives all narrow root crops passing through the roller gap.

Apparatus for cleaning narrow root crops including a roller device with two rotatable rollers forming a separating crop inlet, a separating track, a coarse material outlet, a fine material outlet, and a roller gap, and a conveyor downstream of the roller device. The separating track is formed by the top of the rollers and the fine material outlet is located below the roller gap. The coarse material outlet is at the end of the separating track opposite the separating material inlet. The roller gap is large enough to allow the narrow root crops to pass through to the fine crop outlet and small enough to retain coarse material that has a minimum dimension greater than the maximum root diameter, and transport it to the coarse material outlet. The conveyor is below the roller gap at the fine material outlet and receives all narrow root crops passing through the roller gap.

A harvesting header is disclosed that comprises a support frame and a crop moving apparatus supported on the support frame and operable for moving cut crop material to a transfer region. The header also has a cavity located proximate and lower than an output end of the crop moving apparatus. The header has a crop flow assistance device having a plurality of transversely spaced elements that extend generally longitudinally at least partially above the cavity, and which are operable to assist cut crop material in being transferred from the output end of the moving apparatus to flow over the cavity. The cavity may be operable to receive rocks and/or debris carried by the conveyor to the transfer region. The header may include a rock trap located in the transfer region the cavity being part of the rock trap and may be operable to receive rocks and/or debris carried by the conveyor to the transfer region.

A harvesting header is disclosed that comprises a support frame and a crop moving apparatus supported on the support frame and operable for moving cut crop material to a transfer region. The header also has a cavity located proximate and lower than an output end of the crop moving apparatus. The header has a crop flow assistance device having a plurality of transversely spaced elements that extend generally longitudinally at least partially above the cavity, and which are operable to assist cut crop material in being transferred from the output end of the moving apparatus to flow over the cavity. The cavity may be operable to receive rocks and/or debris carried by the conveyor to the transfer region. The header may include a rock trap located in the transfer region the cavity being part of the rock trap and may be operable to receive rocks and/or debris carried by the conveyor to the transfer region.

A vehicle is configured to operate next to a harvesting machine, and comprises a first receptacle suitable to receive crops delivered by the harvesting machine through a delivering conveyor while the vehicle is driving alongside the harvesting machine during a mobile harvesting operation and a cleaning device adapted to receive the received crops of the first receptacle and automatically separate the received crops in excess materials and cleaned crops. The vehicle is operated such that the excess materials of the cleaning device are scattered on the agricultural field while the vehicle is driving along the agricultural field and in that the vehicle further comprises a second receptacle adapted to buffer the cleaned crops.