DEVICE FOR MOUNTING A SUPPORT ARM, WHICH MOVES A LIFTING TOOL, ON A HARVESTING MACHINE

Abstract

In the case of a mounting device for mounting a support arm, which moves a lifting tool, on a harvesting machine, a cylindrical bushing is mounted on a machine part. The bushing is enclosed by a retaining element on which the end of the support arm opposite the lifting tool is fixed. The bushing has a through-hole that receives a machine part and has an axis of symmetry extending eccentrically relative to the axis of rotation of the cylindrical bushing.

Claims

1. A mounting device for mounting a support arm, which moves a lifting tool, on a harvesting machine having a cylindrical bushing that is enclosed by a retaining element on which the end of the support arm opposite the lifting tool is fixed, the bushing having a through-hole receiving a machine part having an axis of symmetry extending eccentrically relative to the axis of rotation of the cylindrical bushing, the axis of symmetry extending at an angle a to the axis of rotation and intersecting said axis of rotation at an intersection point.

2. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the through-hole has two openings and at least one center of an opening is arranged offset to the axis of rotation of the cylindrical bushing.

3. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the machine part is a supporting component or a shaft driving the bushing.

4. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein a sleeve surrounding the bushing is arranged between the bushing and the retaining element.

5. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining element is mounted in an axially displaceable manner on the bushing.

6. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is mounted displaceably on the bushing.

7. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the bushing is mounted in an axially displaceable manner on the machine part.

8. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein a means of displacement that axially displaces the retaining element and/or the bushing is fixed on the retaining element and/or the bushing.

9. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein an adjustment means rotating the bushing and/or the retaining element is arranged on the bushing and/or the retaining element.

10. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein at least one further support arm is mounted on the retaining element, and the support arms are rotatable relative to each other in their mounts and thus movements of the lifting tools are adjustable relative to each other or in the same direction.

11. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein an alignment of the retaining element on the bushing and/or the positioning of the bushing on the machine part can be adjusted manually or automatically.

12. A harvesting machine for harvesting root crops having a mounting device according to claim 1, a mobile frame and at least one lifting tool that is movably mounted on the mounting device via a support arm.

13. The harvesting machine according to claim 12, wherein a tool is provided for removing heads from the root crops.

14. The harvesting machine according to claim 12, wherein a tool is provided for picking up and further processing the root crops lifted up by the lifting tool.

15. The harvesting machine according to claim 12, wherein a plurality of mounting devices is provided and at least one support arm having a lifting tool is arranged on each mounting device.

16. A method for adjusting a mounting device according to claim 1, in which the bushing, the sleeve and/or the retaining element is or are automatically or manually adjusted or displaced relative to the machine part.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the position of the bushing, the sleeve and/or the retaining element relative to the machine part is or are detected by sensors and transmitted to an evaluation unit and, based on an evaluation of the measured values recorded by the sensors, an automatic or manual change in the position of the bushing, the sleeve and/or the retaining element relative to the machine part may be carried out by means of adjustment or displacement means.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein measured values of a plurality of mounting devices are recorded, and the mounting devices can be controlled and adjusted individually or in groups.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to embodiments of the invention, which are illustrated in the drawings. In the drawings:

[0040] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the device according to the invention,

[0041] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a further embodiment,

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a mounting device having a support arm and lifting tool, and

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the mounting device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a mounting device 1 for mounting a support arm 2, FIG. 3 showing a further embodiment of a mounting device 1 having a support arm 2. The mounting device 1 comprises an inner cylindrical bushing 3 having a through-hole 4 that creates an opening 5 on two opposite sides of the bushing 3. A machine part (not shown), such as a supporting axle or a shaft, can be introduced into the through-hole 4. The bushing 3 can be connected to the shaft in a rotationally fixed manner.

[0045] The machine part serves to support the bushing and, if it is designed as a shaft, can drive it by connecting the bushing 3 to the shaft in a rotationally fixed manner. The bushing 3 is secured against displacement in the longitudinal direction of the machine part by means of safeguards (not shown), it being possible for the bushing 3 to be displaced with the aid of a manual or automatic displacement means. The bushing 3 is rotatably mounted in a sleeve-shaped retaining element 7, which is also cylindrical and can be mounted in an axially displaceable manner. Here, too, safeguards (not shown) serve to prevent unintentional displacement of the retaining element 7.

[0046] In FIG. 3, an adjustment means 6 designed as a lever is indicated with which a rotation of the bushing 3 can be achieved. The retaining element 7 can also be designed to be rotatable with an adjustment means 6 designed as a lever. The retaining element 7 can be part of a mobile frame (not shown) or be connected to one. The bushing 3 and the retaining element 7 can be made of a metal or a fibre composite material.

[0047] The through-hole 4 present in the bushing 3 and receiving the machine part has an axis of symmetry 8 extending eccentrically relative to the axis of rotation 9 of the cylindrical bushing 3. The axis of symmetry 8 of the through-hole 4 therefore does not extend coaxially relative to the axis of rotation 9 of the bushing 9. The axes are not congruent and can either extend in parallel offset to one another or at an angle a to one another. The through-hole 4 has two openings 5, the centres of which lie on the axis of symmetry 8 of the through-hole 4. However, it can also be provided that the through-hole 4 is designed to be eccentric at least in portions, and thus at least one centre point of the through-hole 4 does not lie on the axis of symmetry 8 of the through-hole 4.

[0048] The drawing shows an embodiment in which one of the centre points of the openings 5 is offset from the axis of rotation 9 of the cylindrical bushing 3. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the through-hole 4 can be introduced into the bushing 3 at the angle α. The axis of symmetry 8 of the through-hole 4 intersects the axis of rotation 9 of the cylindrical bushing 3 at an intersection point 10. The through-hole 4 can be arranged in the bushing 3 in such a way that the intersection point 10 lies in a centre plane of the bushing 3 perpendicular to the axis of rotation 9 or outside thereof. Depending on the angle a at which the through-hole 4 is introduced, the intersection point 10 shifts out of the centre plane. An acute angle a is shown by way of example in the drawing. However, another angle can also be provided that is selected such that the axis of symmetry 8 of the through-hole 4 is not aligned parallel to the axis of rotation 9, because otherwise no intersection point 10 would arise.

[0049] As indicated schematically in FIG. 3, a lifting tool 11 is attached to the free end of the support arm 2. The support arm 2 can be fixedly attached to the retaining element 7 and guided or even supported in its movement by guide elements. Such guide elements can be, for example, joints, bearings or other components that guide and possibly support a movement of the support arm 2. A supporting component can be, for example, a drive that engages the support arm 2 and transmits an oscillating movement to the support arm 2 and consequently to the lifting tool 11. The lifting tool 11 can be a digging instrument such as a ploughshare, a wheel ploughshare or a polder share, with the help of which root crops such as beets, chicory, beetroot or potatoes are lifted out of the ground.

[0050] If the mounting device 1 is used in a harvesting machine that does not have its own drive unit, and the harvesting machine is pulled by an agricultural machine, for example a tractor, the oscillating movement of the lifting tool 11 can take place via a power take-off. The position of the support arm 2 can also be rotated via a power take-off that acts on the adjustment means 6, for example. The harvesting machine can, however, also be designed to be self-propelled and have its own drive, which in turn can be used to move the lifting tool 11 and for an oscillating function.

[0051] If root crops are to be harvested using the harvesting machine, after the penetration depth of the lifting tool 11 has been determined, the lifting tool 11 is adjusted accordingly by, for example, moving the bushing 3 axially via the adjustment means 6. Alternatively, the retaining element 7 can be moved or rotated axially, which is indicated in FIG. 3 by the dashed line identified by the reference sign 6. The movement or rotation causes the lifting tool 11 to be adjusted in different spatial directions at the same time. On the one hand, the support arm 2 and the lifting tool 11 attached thereto move in an elliptical or circular path transversely to the axis of rotation 9, i.e. in an up and down movement. On the other hand, the support arm 2 is moved in a pendulum movement in the axial direction along the axis of rotation 9. In addition, the lifting tool 11 can perform a back and forth movement perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 3. In the event of such tilting, the position of the shares relative to the ground, i.e. the angle at which the shares are relative to the ground, is changed.

[0052] If root crops that are not precisely in a row or have grown crookedly require a displacement of the support arm 2, this is possible by displaceably mounting the retaining element 7 relative to the bushing 3 by means of a displacement means that can engage the retaining means. However, it can also be provided that the support arm 2 itself can be displaced on the retaining element 7 or be locked in different steps. The return of the retaining element 7 to a neutral central position in which the support arm 2 lies in a plane with the intersection point 10 can be achieved via a return spring. The displacement or adjustment of the position of the support arm 2 by means of the adjustment means 6 or the displacement means can be done manually or automatically using a control and regulation device that can be controlled by a farmer from the driver's cab and that receives data from sensors, for example. The adjustment or displacement can take place, for example, electrically, pneumatically or hydraulically or a combination thereof. Depth guidance, which controls the entry depth of the lifting tool 11 via sensors, such as optical sensors, sensing wheels, or electrohydraulically via the control and regulation device, can be provided for the lifting tool 11. In addition, the lifting tool 11 can automatically be controlled from the side by arranging mechanical buttons on the frame, such as leaf or root crop buttons, which transmit control pulses to hydraulic lateral displacement or to an automatic steering system.

[0053] A plurality of support arms 2 having lifting tools 11 can be attached to the retaining element 7, the lifting tools 11 being able to run in a phase-shifted manner, which in turn is achieved by the design of the mounting device according to the invention. Regardless of whether a support arm 2 has a plurality of lifting tools 11 or the harvesting machine comprises a plurality of mounting devices 1, each having a support arm 2, the support arms 2 can be mounted in a laterally displaceable manner, which can be achieved by a displaceable bushing 3 or a displaceable retaining element 7 or by a displaceable support arm 2. This allows the position of the lifting tools 11 to be easily adapted to the respective position of the root crops.

[0054] An additional oscillating movement of the support arms 2 or lifting tools 11 can be achieved with the aid of an oscillating device that is operatively connected to the support arm 2, for example. The oscillating movement leads to a pre-cleaning of the lifted root crops and the removal of soil.

[0055] The digging instrument can in particular be designed as ploughshares, for example polder shares or wheel ploughshares. Polder shares, also known as oscillating or winged shares, are in particular wing-shaped plates arranged in pairs that are moved simultaneously or in a phase-shifted manner with the aid of the mounting device 1, a support arm having a share being attached to a retaining element 7 in each case. The pairs of ploughshares can be individually height-adjustable by adjusting the positions of the mounting devices 1 relative to one another. This even allows the height difference between individual rows (tracks or furrows) to be compensated for. The pair of shares can be arranged in an oblique V-shape, with the tip pointing downwards to the rear. The root crop is pushed upwards by the forward movement of the lifting tool 11 and freed from soil by means of an oscillating movement. The crop can then be moved into storage by a conveyor device. The root crop can, however, remain in the field and be collected by a separate agricultural machine.

[0056] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of a mounting device. It can be provided that a sleeve 12 surrounding the bushing 3 is present between the bushing 3 and the retaining element 7. The sleeve 12, the bushing 3 and/or the retaining element 7 can be adjusted or displaced relative to one another or independently of one another and relative to the machine part, such that pendulum movements and oscillating movements of the support arm or the lifting tool can be achieved. The axis of symmetry 8 of the through-hole 4 extends eccentrically relative to the axis of rotation 9 of the bushing 3 and is arranged slightly offset in parallel thereto. However, it can also be provided that the axis of symmetry 8 of the through-hole 4 is arranged at an angle a to the axis of rotation 9 of the bushing 3. Both axes 8, 9 extend eccentrically relative to the axis 13 of the retaining element 7 or the sleeve 12 and are arranged either parallel or at an angle a thereto. Depending on the arrangement of the through-hole 4, the bushing 3 and the sleeve 12 or the retaining element 7 and, consequently, their axes 8, 9, 13 relative to one another, the axes 8, 9 intersect the axis 13 of the retaining element 7 either together at one point or at two points spaced apart.