APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND CONVEYING ROOT CROPS

Abstract

An apparatus for conveying root crops is provided. The apparatus includes a carrying device which circulates in a circulation direction during operation. The carrying device partly forms at least one receiving region and carries the root crops. At least one transverse separating device extends at least partially in a transverse direction. This delimits the receiving region in the circulation direction. From the outside, the receiving region adjoins an interior space which extends inside an interior space surface. The interior space surface extends parallel to the transverse direction and in side view runs exclusively in the circulation direction. At least one protruding part of the transverse separating device is arranged, in side view, outside the interior space.

Claims

1. An apparatus for conveying root crops, the apparatus comprising: a carrying device which circulates in a circulation direction during operation, the carrying device partly forming at least one receiving region, the carrying device being configured to carry the root crops, and at least one transverse separating device which extends at least partially in a transverse direction and delimits the receiving region in the circulation direction, wherein the receiving region from the outside adjoins an interior space which is bordered by an interior space surface extending parallel to the transverse direction and in side view running exclusively in the circulation direction, and wherein at least one protruding part of the transverse separating device is arranged, in side view, outside the interior space, and at least one longitudinal separating device which extends at an angle to the extent direction of the transverse separating device and parallel to the interior space surface, of which at least one protruding part is arranged, in side view, outside the interior space, and which delimits from one another two receiving regions which are adjacent in the transverse direction.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving region is formed at least partially as a trough or dish.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one longitudinal separating device is configured such that it circulates with the carrying device in operation.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one transverse separating device and/or the at least one longitudinal separating device is at least partly formed by a plurality of separating elements, which are arranged in a row along the transverse direction or along a direction at an angle to the transverse direction and extend towards the outside in side view.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the separating elements extend by at least 15 mm in a direction at right angles to the interior space surface.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transverse separating device has a transverse separating element which extends linearly in the transverse direction and at least partially outside the interior and/or is arranged on the separating elements.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal separating device comprises a longitudinal separating element delimiting several receiving regions which are adjacent in the circulation direction.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving region is partly formed by at least one forming element which extends outward from the interior space surface, and does not extend as far at right angles to the interior space surface as the transverse separating device and/or the longitudinal separating device.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein, viewed in the circulation direction, the forming element is arranged eccentrically between two longitudinal separating devices which are adjacent in the transverse direction.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the carrying device is at least partly formed by a plurality of carrying elements which are movable relative to one another.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further including at least two endless carriers which extend in the circulation direction on which the carrying elements are attached, wherein the transverse separating device and/or the longitudinal separating device extends at least partially in the region of at least one of the endless carriers, such that a theoretical straight line at right angles to the interior space surface intersects both the endless carrier and also the transverse separating device or the longitudinal separating device.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the theoretical straight line intersects both the endless carrier and also at least one separating element.

13. A separating apparatus comprising: an apparatus as claimed in claim 1, an apparatus frame and at least two deflecting elements arranged on the apparatus frame, which mount the apparatus such that at least one conveying portion of the apparatus at least partially has an upward or downward slope.

14. The separating apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein a first conveying portion of the apparatus has a steeper upward or downward slope than a second conveying portion which is adjacent thereto in the circulation direction.

15. The separating apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further including at least one slide element, which does not circulate in operation and is arranged below at least a part of the conveying portion or the second conveying portion, for guiding the apparatus.

16. The separating apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further including at least one movable impact element which is configured to generate impacts on at least a part of the conveying portion or the first conveying portion.

17. The separating apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further including at least one rotatably mounted scraper element which is arranged above the conveying portion or the first conveying portion.

18. A mobile root crop harvesting machine with a separating apparatus as claimed in claim 11.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] 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.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a perspective illustration of a portion of the first embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a top view of a portion of the first embodiment.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a perspective, detail illustration of the first embodiment.

[0041] FIG. 4a shows a carrier element of the first embodiment, viewed in the circulation direction.

[0042] FIG. 4b shows the carrier element of the first embodiment in top view.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows a perspective illustration of a portion of a second embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention.

[0044] FIG. 6 shows a top view of a portion of the second embodiment.

[0045] FIG. 7 shows a perspective, detail illustration of the second embodiment.

[0046] FIG. 8 shows a portion of the second embodiment, viewed in the circulation direction.

[0047] FIG. 9 shows a perspective illustration of a portion of a third embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention.

[0048] FIG. 10 shows a top view of a portion of the third embodiment.

[0049] FIG. 11 shows a perspective, detail illustration of the third embodiment.

[0050] FIG. 12a shows a carrying element of the third embodiment, viewed in the circulation direction.

[0051] FIG. 12b shows a top view of the carrying element of the third embodiment.

[0052] FIG. 13a shows a transverse separating device of one of the first or third embodiments, viewed in the circulation direction.

[0053] FIG. 13b shows a top view of the transverse separating device from FIG. 13a.

[0054] FIG. 14 shows a schematic illustration of a separating apparatus according to the invention in side view.

[0055] FIG. 15 shows a perspective illustration of a root crop harvesting machine according to the invention.

[0056] FIG. 16 shows a perspective illustration of a portion of a fourth embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention.

[0057] FIG. 17 shows a top view of a portion of the fourth embodiment.

[0058] FIG. 18 shows a perspective, detail illustration of the fourth embodiment.

[0059] FIG. 19a shows a carrying element of the fourth embodiment, viewed in the circulation direction.

[0060] FIG. 19b shows the carrying element of the fourth embodiment in a top view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] The features presented below of the exemplary embodiments according to the invention may be the subject of the invention both individually or in combinations other than those illustrated or described. Where suitable, parts with similar function carry identical reference signs.

[0062] The illustrated embodiments of the apparatus 2 according to the invention are multipiece belts for conveying root crops. FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6, 9 and 10 each show only a portion of the respective embodiment, which in each case is shown substantially flat. The end shown can be coupled to the opposite end (not shown) in order to form a closed circulating belt. The embodiments comprise a carrying device 7 which circulates in a circulation direction 8 during operation. This comprises a plurality of carrying elements 6 formed a screening bars (see FIGS. 4a, 4b, 8, 12a and 12b). The carrying device 7 partly forms a plurality of receiving regions 18 which are arranged offset to one another in the circulation direction 8 and/or in a transverse direction 12. The carrying device 7 is configured for carrying root crops.

[0063] The apparatus 2 comprises a plurality of transverse separating devices 14 which extend in the transverse direction 12 and delimit from one another receiving regions 18 which are adjacent to one another in the circulation direction 8. The transverse separating devices 14 serve to prevent root vegetables, lying inside the receiving regions 18 on the carrying device 7, from emerging from the receiving region 18.

[0064] From the outside, the receiving regions 18 adjoin an interior 11 which extends inside a theoretical interior space surface 10. The interior space surface 10 extends parallel to the transverse direction 12 (see FIGS. 4a, 8 and 12a) and runs exclusively in the circulation direction, viewed in side view. In particular, the lowest part of the receiving regions 18 formed by the carrying device 7 touches the interior space surface 10 or interior 11. The interior space surface portions corresponding to the apparatus portions shown are flat. The interior 11 of the apparatus 2 shown partially in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4b, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12b extends, in the respective perspectives, in each case mainly behind the carrying elements 6 shown. In the top views of FIGS. 2, 6 and 10, the receiving regions 18 are substantially rectangular (see also FIGS. 3, 7, 11).

[0065] At least a protruding part of the transverse separating device 14 is arranged outside the interior 11, viewed in side view, i.e. above the interior space surface 10, when conveying root vegetables. This is the case for the first and third embodiments of the separating elements 13 (see FIGS. 13a and 13b); in the second embodiment, also for some the transverse separating elements 24 formed as transverse webs (see FIG. 8).

[0066] Three (first and third embodiments) or four (second embodiment) separating elements 6, formed as screening bars, are arranged between two transverse separating devices 14 which are adjacent to one another in the circulation direction 8. In the second embodiment, two carrying elements 6 following one another in the circulation direction 8 are in each case formed as one piece. The carrying elements 6, like the transverse separating elements 24, are attached at the side to two endless carriers 4 of the apparatus 2.

[0067] The embodiments of the apparatus 2 shown have a plurality of longitudinal separating devices 16 which extend in the circulation direction 8 at right angles to the transverse direction 12. These devices are arranged outside the interior 11. The longitudinal separating devices 16 each delimit from one another two respective receiving regions 18 which are adjacent to one another in the transverse direction 12. The longitudinal separating devices 16 circulate with the carrying device 7 in operation.

[0068] In the first and third embodiments of the invention, both the transverse separating devices 14 and the longitudinal separating devices 16 are at least partly formed by a plurality of separating elements 13, 15, which are arranged in a row in the transverse direction 12 or circulation direction 8 and extend outward in side view. The longitudinal separating devices 16 are formed exclusively by the separating elements 15. The transverse separating devices 14 are formed both by the separating elements 13 and by transverse separating elements 24 running parallel to the carrying elements 6. In the region of their ends, the transverse separating devices 14 are arranged on the endless carriers 4. In the second embodiment of the invention, the longitudinal separating devices 16 are formed by belts running in the circulation direction 8. In this embodiment, two separating elements are arranged between two adjacent longitudinal separating devices 16 per transverse separating device 14; in the other embodiments, one separating element is arranged between two adjacent longitudinal separating devices 16 per transverse separating device 14. The separating elements have a height of at least 25 mm starting from the carrying element or the transverse separating element on which they are arranged.

[0069] The third embodiment of the apparatus 2 according to the invention has trough-like receiving regions 18 (see in particular FIG. 12). These are formed by forming elements 20 which, in the top view of FIG. 10, are arranged on the carrying device 7 inside the receiving regions 18 and extend outward from the interior space surface 10, but not as far as the surrounding separating elements. Viewed in the circulation direction, the forming elements are arranged eccentrically and adjacent to two longitudinal separating devices 16 delimiting the respective receiving regions 18. In particular, two forming elements 20 are arranged on each carrying element 6 per receiving region 18.

[0070] The fourth embodiment of the apparatus 2 according to the invention, as shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, largely resembles the first embodiment. In contrast to the first embodiment, the fourth embodiment has receiving regions 18 which extend mainly above one of the endless carriers 4. To form these, the fourth embodiment has separating elements 13, 15 also above the endless carriers 4, via which the transverse separating device 14 extends up to over the endless carriers 4, and via which a respective longitudinal separating device 16 extends completely over an endless carrier 4 and along an outer edge of the apparatus 2. FIGS. 19a and 19b show the separating elements 15 also arranged at the ends of the carrying elements 6.

[0071] FIG. 14 shows a separating apparatus 30 with an apparatus 2. The separating apparatus 30 has a rigid apparatus frame (not shown) which does not circulate with the apparatus in operation, and a plurality of deflection elements 22 for guiding the apparatus 2. The separating apparatus 30 forms a first conveying portion 26 and a second conveying portion 28. In the first conveying portion 26, the apparatus 2 has an upward slope, while the second conveying portion 28 adjoining the circulation direction 8 runs horizontally. Below the second conveying portion 28, at least one slide element 32 is arranged, on which the apparatus 2 slides in the second conveying portion 28. Below the first conveying portion 26, at least one impact element 34 is arranged which rotates in operation and is configured to generate impacts on the apparatus 2 in the first conveying portion. Both the slide element 32 and the impact elements 34 are arranged inside the interior 11. Above the first conveying portion 26, a scraper element 36 is arranged which is rotatable in operation and elastically flexible in operation. In particular, a separating unit 44 is arranged on a drop step for the root vegetables, which follows the apparatus 2 in the product flow direction; said unit has a row of deflection elements 42 which are individually controllable and correspond in number to at least the number of receiving regions 18 arranged next one another in the transverse direction 12. The deflection elements 42 are actuated depending on information from an optical sensor 46 which is arranged above the second conveying portion 28 and optically detects the root crops or foreign bodies to be deflected.

[0072] FIG. 15 shows a mobile root crop harvesting machine 40 with a separating apparatus 30 as described above.