LIFTING DEVICE FOR LIFTING ROOT CROPS

Abstract

A lifting device for lifting root crops is provided, comprising at least one lifting share mounting which supports at least one lifting share. The at least one lifting share includes a front pick-up region in a lifting direction and a rear ejection region in the lifting direction for the root crops. The lifting share mounting is coupled to a lifting device frame, and during operation is pulled thereby in the lifting direction. The lifting share mounting is movable relative to the lifting device frame and, viewed in the lifting direction, laterally from an initial position into an offset position. A guide arrangement is configured to guide the lifting share mounting such that with the movement of the lifting share mounting from the initial position into the offset position the pick-up region is laterally displaced further than the ejection region, as well as a harvesting machine, in particular for harvesting beets.

Claims

1. A lifting device for lifting root crops, the lifting device comprising: at least one lifting share mounting supporting at least one lifting share, the at least one lifting share having a front pick-up region in a lifting direction and a rear ejection region in the lifting direction for the root crops, a lifting device frame to which the lifting share mounting is coupled, such that during operation the lifting share mounting is pulled by the lifting device frame in the lifting direction, wherein said lifting share mounting being movable relative to the lifting device frame and, viewed in the lifting direction, laterally from an initial position into an offset position, wherein a guide arrangement is configured to guide the lifting share mounting such that with the movement of the lifting share mounting from the initial position into the offset position, the pick-up region is laterally displaced further than the ejection region.

2. The lifting device according to claim 1, further comprising a pivot axis which is pivoted relative to the horizontal, and which is arranged in a vertical frame longitudinal plane in the lifting direction behind the lifting share mounting, the lifting share mounting pivoting at least partially about said pivot axis with the movement from the initial position into the offset position.

3. The lifting device according to claim 1, further comprising a tilt axis parallel to the lifting direction, the lifting share mounting tilting at least partially about said tilt axis, with the movement from the initial position into the offset position, wherein viewed in the lifting direction the tilt axis is arranged above the lifting share.

4. The lifting device according to claim 1, wherein the lifting share mounting is displaced at least partially in the lifting direction, with the movement from the initial position into the offset position.

5. The lifting device according to claim 1, wherein the guide arrangement comprises a plurality of guide bearings which are configured as spherical bearings between the lifting share mounting and the lifting device frame.

6. The lifting device according to claim 5, wherein the lifting share mounting is mounted by three guide bearings which span a bearing plane which is pivoted relative to a frame longitudinal plane at least in the initial position.

7. The lifting device according to claim 5, wherein at least one guide bearings are arranged in the lifting direction upstream of the lifting share part which during operation penetrates the lowest point in the soil in the initial position.

8. The lifting device according claim 5, wherein the guide arrangement comprises at least one guide element which is coupled by guide bearings to the lifting share mounting and to the lifting device frame.

9. The lifting device according to claim 8, wherein one of the guide bearings for connecting the guide element to the lifting device frame is arranged upstream in the lifting direction and relative to the horizontal above a further of the guide bearings for connecting the guide element to the lifting share mounting.

10. The lifting device according to claim 8, wherein the guide arrangement comprises two guide elements which at least in the initial position are arranged at least partially on different sides of a frame longitudinal plane as a mirror image relative thereto.

11. The lifting device according to claim 8, wherein the guide elements are configured to be variable in terms of length and comprise a return element and/or a damping element.

12. The lifting device according to claim 1, wherein the lifting share mounting has just one degree of freedom relative to the lifting device frame.

13. The lifting device according to claim 1, wherein two lifting shares are arranged on the lifting share mounting, said lifting shares being arranged as a mirror image in the initial position on the frame longitudinal plane and preferably rotating during operation.

14. The lifting device according to claim 1, further comprising an ejection element mounted on the lifting device frame and circulating during operation and partially running through an intermediate space of two lifting shares supported by the same lifting share mounting, for separating the picked-up root crops from the lifting shares.

15. A harvesting machine comprising a drive unit comprising a lifting device according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the views.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a harvesting machine according to the invention.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the front part of the harvesting machine according to FIG. 1.

[0046] FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of the front part of the harvesting machine according to FIG. 2.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows an isometric schematic view of a lifting device according to the invention.

[0048] FIG. 5 shows a side view of a lifting device according to the invention.

[0049] FIGS. 6 and 7 show isometric views of the lifting device according to FIG. 5.

[0050] FIG. 8 shows a front view of the lifting device according to FIG. 5 during operation.

[0051] FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show isometric views of the lifting device according to FIG. 5 during operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] The features of the exemplary embodiments according to the invention described hereinafter may also be the subject of the invention both individually or in other combinations from those shown or described. If expedient, parts which are functionally the same are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0053] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a harvesting machine 34 according to the invention with a lifting device 2 according to the invention. The lifting device 2 in this case during operation leads in the lifting direction 8 relative to the wheels of the harvesting machine 34. The lifting device 2 comprises a plurality of lifting share mountings 16 which are arranged one behind the other in a transverse direction 36 at right angles to the lifting direction 8 and which have in each case two lifting shares 6.

[0054] FIGS. 4 to 10 show the lifting device 2 according to the invention in various views and from various perspectives. The lifting device 2 shown comprises a lifting share mounting 16 with two lifting shares 6. The lifting shares have a front pick-up region 10 in the lifting direction 8 and a rear ejection region 12 in the lifting direction 8 (see FIGS. 8 to 10). During operation, the lifting device 2 advances in the lifting direction 8, wherein the root crops 4 pass between the pick-up regions 10 of the lifting shares 6. By a rotation of the lifting shares 6, the root crops 4 are lifted at the same time out of the ground and then leave the intermediate space between the two lifting shares 6 from the ejection regions 12 of the lifting shares 6.

[0055] Both lifting shares 6 are rotatably mounted relative to the lifting share mounting 16 and in an initial position of the lifting device 2 are arranged mirror-symmetrically relative to a frame longitudinal axis 20 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The share rotational axes 40 (see FIG. 6) in each case are pivoted by an angle<90° relative to the frame longitudinal axis 20 as a mirror-image of one another and accordingly intersect in the frame longitudinal axis 20.

[0056] The lifting share mounting 16 is coupled by means of the guide arrangement 18 to the lifting device frame 14, wherein during operation the lifting share mounting 16 is pulled by the lifting device frame 14. The guide arrangement 18 permits a lateral deflection of the lifting share mounting 16 when viewed in the lifting direction 8 and relative to the lifting device frame 14. As a result, the lifting device frame 14 is movable from an initial position (see FIGS. 4 to 7) into an offset position (see FIG. 8).

[0057] The guide arrangement 18 is configured such that with the movement of the lifting share mounting 16 from the initial position into the offset position the pick-up region 10 is laterally displaced further than the ejection region 12. To this end, with the movement from the initial position into the offset position the lifting share mounting 16 is pivoted at least partially about a pivot axis 22, which pivots relative to a horizontal, in particular at right angles, and is arranged in the vertical frame longitudinal plane 20. Moreover, with the movement from the initial position into the offset position the lifting share mounting 16 tilts at least partially about a tilt axis 24 which is parallel to the lifting direction 8 and which, viewed in the lifting direction 8, is arranged above the lifting share 6. FIG. 5 is a side view taken from a perspective at right-angles to the frame longitudinal plane 20 and illustrates the positions of the pivot axis 22 and the tilt axis 24.

[0058] The guide arrangement 18 comprises in the exemplary embodiments shown by FIGS. 4 to 10 a total of five guide bearings 26 which are configured as spherical hearings, wherein the lifting share mounting 16 is directly mounted by means of three guide bearings 26. These three guide bearings 26 span a bearing plane 28 which is pivoted relative to the frame longitudinal plane 20 (see FIG. 4). In addition to the guide bearings 26, the guide arrangement 18 comprises two guide elements 30 which are configured as coupling rods and which on both sides are coupled by one respective guide bearing 26 to the lifting share mounting 16 and to the lifting device frame 14. The guide elements 30 are arranged in the initial position on different sides of the frame longitudinal axis 20 and, in particular, parallel thereto. Of the three guide hearings 26, the guide bearing which is not configured by one of the guide elements 30 is arranged centrally, i.e. inside the frame longitudinal axis 20.

[0059] All of the guide bearings 26 are arranged in the lifting direction 8 upstream of the lifting share part 29 which during operation penetrates the lowest point in the soil in the initial position (see FIG. 5). Thus during operation, pulling forces are transmitted by the guide elements 30 from the lifting device frame 14 onto the lifting share mounting 16.

[0060] The exemplary embodiment shown has an ejection element 32 which during operation passes through the intermediate space of the lifting shares 6 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The ejection element 32 which is configured as a paddle wheel rotates during operation about a rotational axis of ejection 38 which is arranged during operation, irrespective of the position of the lifting share mounting 16, at right angles to the frame longitudinal axis 20.

[0061] During operation, the guide arrangement 18 enables the lifting share mounting 16 with the lifting shares 6 to follow a row of root crops 4 to be lifted, even if this row does not exactly extend in the lifting direction 8. With the movement of the lifting share mounting 16 from the initial position into the offset position, the lifting share mounting 16 is pivoted about all three spatial axes and, in particular, the pick-up region 10 is moved laterally further than the ejection region 12 (see FIG. 8). As a result, even root crops 4 which are located relatively far to the side of the frame longitudinal axis 20 may be picked up by the lifting device 2 and the non-displaceable ejection element 32 may still be used for the ejection of the root crops 4 from the intermediate space of the lifting shares 6. As the lifting shares 6 are displaced in the lifting direction 8 with the movement from the initial position into the offset position, in the absence of root crops 4 it leads to an automatic return of the lifting share mounting 16 into the initial position, due to a lifting resistance force oriented counter to the lifting direction 8.