Ring elevator for lifting root crops in a root crop harvester and root crop harvester comprising such a ring elevator

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a ring elevator for lifting root crops in a root crop harvester, including a first and a second pair of endless carrying strips, each pair arranged in parallel and drivable over a closed path; first and second parallel transverse elements attached between and to, respectively, the first and second strips; flexible support elements, each attached to a first transverse element and to a second transverse element. The first strips can be arranged around the second strips at a distance which varies along the paths between a minimum distance (d.sub.min) and a maximum distance (d.sub.max), and in an ascending part equals a carrier distance (c), such that the flexible support elements form baskets for receiving the root crops. The useful volume (V.sub.u) in the baskets takes up at least 50% of the total volume (V.sub.t) delimited by the transverse elements.

Claims

1. Ring elevator for lifting root crops in a root crop harvester, the elevator comprising: a first pair of endless carrying strips, belts, or chains, arranged in parallel, which are drivable over a first closed path; a second pair of endless carrying strips, belts, or chains, arranged in parallel, which are drivable over a second closed path; first parallel transverse elements attached between and to the first strips, belts, or chains; second parallel transverse elements attached between and to the second strips, belts, or chains; flexible support elements, each attached to one of the first parallel transverse elements and to one of the second parallel transverse elements; the first strips, belts, or chains being arranged around the second strips, belts, or chains at a distance, which, when in use, varies along the paths between a minimum distance and a maximum distance, and in an ascending part of the paths equals a carrier distance, such that the flexible support elements form baskets for receiving the root crops, wherein in the second path, the second strips, belts, or chains begin to rise towards the ascending part in an ascending point of the second path; wherein in said ascending part a useful volume in the baskets for receiving the root crops takes up at least 50% of a total volume delimited by the baskets, wherein the baskets comprise a first basket and a second basket, wherein the total volume for the first basket is defined by (i) a first plane through the first and the second parallel transverse elements to which the first basket is attached, (ii) a second plane through the first and the second parallel transverse elements to which the second basket is attached, the second basket hanging below the first basket, (iii) a third plane through the first parallel transverse elements to which both the first basket and the second basket are attached, and (iv) a fourth plane through the second parallel transverse elements to which both the first basket and the second basket are attached.

2. Ring elevator according to claim 1, wherein the useful volume takes up between 50% and 76% of the total volume.

3. Ring elevator according to claim 1, wherein in the paths, in zones where the distance between the first strips, belts, or chains and the second strips, belts, or chains equals the minimum distance, one of the flexible support elements is entirely overlapped with others of the flexible support elements.

4. Ring elevator according to claim 1, wherein in a descending part of the paths, the distance between the first strips, belts, or chains and the second strips, belts, or chains equals the minimum distance, that between the said descending part and the said ascending part, the first strips, belts, or chains are maximally situated at an underlying distance below the second strips, belts, or chains and that in an increasing zone of the paths situated between the descending part and the ascending part, the distance between the first strips, belts, or chains and the second strips, belts, or chains, increases from the minimum distance towards the underlying distance.

5. Ring elevator according to claim 4, wherein the increasing zone is starting at a formation distance of the ascending point, this formation distance being at least the length of the carrier distance.

6. Ring elevator according to claim 4, wherein the increasing zone is situated in the paths before the ascending point.

7. Ring elevator according to claim 1, wherein the ring elevator comprises a loading zone, for loading root crops on the flexible support elements, which loading zone is situated before the ascending point and that in at least part of the loading zone the first strips, belts, or chains descend towards the ascending point.

8. Ring elevator according to claim 4, wherein the distance between the first strips, belts, or chains and the second strips, belts, or chains increases gradually in the increasing zone.

9. Ring elevator according to claim 1, wherein the ring elevator comprises an unloading zone, for unloading root crops from the flexible support elements, that in the second path, after said ascending part, the second strips, belts, or chains have a rising slant towards the unloading zone in a slanted zone, wherein the second strips, belts, or chains rise up to an unloading point, in such a way that root crops remain in the flexible support elements as long as the second strips, belts, or chains rise.

10. Ring elevator according to claim 9, wherein a width of the slanted zone is wider than the carrier distance.

11. Ring elevator according to claim 1, wherein all parallel transverse elements have one of said flexible support elements attached thereto.

12. Root crop harvester, comprising a ring elevator for lifting root crops, wherein the ring elevator is a ring elevator according to claim 1.

13. Root crop harvester according to claim 12, wherein the root crop harvester comprises a feeding unit for feeding root crops towards the ring elevator and that in a slope zone at the height of the feeding unit, at least one of the strips, belts, or chains which is situated furthest from the feeding unit is situated lower than a corresponding strip, belt, or chain which is situated closest to the feeding unit.

14. Root crop harvester according to claim 12, wherein the root crop harvester comprises a discharge conveyor for receiving the root crops from the ring elevator and that this discharge conveyor is positioned under an angle with respect to a travel direction of the root crop harvester.

15. Root crop harvester according to claim 12, wherein the root crop harvester comprises a discharge conveyor for receiving the root crops from the ring elevator and feeding these root crops in a discharge direction, wherein seen in the discharge direction at a first side of the ring elevator the discharge conveyor is positioned below the second strips, belts or chains, higher than at the second side of the ring elevator, downstream the first side.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will now be explained in more detail by means of the following description of a harvester according to some embodiments of the present invention. The sole aim of this description is to give explanatory examples and to indicate further advantages and particulars of the present invention, and can thus by no means be interpreted as a limitation of the area of application of the invention or of the patent rights defined in the claims.

(2) In this description, reference numerals are used to refer to the attached drawings, in which:

(3) FIG. 1 shows an example of a ring elevator of the state of the art illustrated in perspective;

(4) FIG. 2 shows the ring elevator of FIG. 1 illustrated in back view;

(5) FIG. 3 shows parts of a root crop harvester, comprising a ring elevator according to some embodiments of the invention and are schematically illustrated in perspective;

(6) FIG. 4 shows the ring elevator of the root crop harvester of FIG. 3 illustrated separately in back view;

(7) FIG. 5 shows the top part of the ring elevator of FIG. 4 illustrated in more detail;

(8) FIG. 6 shows the bottom part of the ring elevator of FIG. 4 illustrated in more detail;

(9) FIG. 7 shows the descending part of the ring elevator of FIG. 2 illustrated in more detail;

(10) FIG. 8 shows the descending part of the ring elevator of FIG. 4 illustrated in more detail;

(11) FIG. 9 shows the total volume and the useful volume for a basket of a ring elevator according to the prior art schematically illustrated;

(12) FIG. 10 shows the total volume and the useful volume for a basket of a ring elevator according to some embodiments of the invention schematically illustrated;

(13) FIG. 11 shows the drop height for a root crop illustrated with both the feeding unit and the loading zone being horizontal; and

(14) FIG. 12 shows the drop height for a root crop illustrated when the feeding unit is horizontal, but the loading zone is descending.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(15) In this application, the length of the elevator (2) is the dimension of the elevator (2) in the length or travel direction (Y) of the root crop harvester (1) in which it is installed, the width of the elevator (2) is the dimension of this elevator (2) in a horizontal direction (X) perpendicular to this travel direction (Y) of the root crop harvester (1) in which it is installed and the height of the elevator (2) is the dimension of this elevator (2) in a vertical direction (Z) of the root crop harvester (1) in which it is installed.

(16) FIG. 3 illustrates a possible position of a ring elevator (2) in a root crop harvester (1). Such a root crop harvester (1) comprises a crop-digger section with e.g. one or more harvesting shares, which are not illustrated. A sieving unit (27), comprises sieving conveyors (37), a feeding conveyor (31), a pintle belt (35) and axial rollers (36). This sieving unit (27) is positioned downstream of the harvesting shares for transporting root crops (8) towards the ring elevator (2) and in the meantime, to sieve dirt from the harvested root crops (8). With the elevator (2), the root crops (8) are then lifted towards a discharge conveyor (28) onto a transfer elevator (29). The feeding conveyor (31) preferably does not have a sieve function when passing through the ring elevator (2).

(17) Other configurations are of course conceivable wherein e.g. the root crop harvester (1) is provided with a bunker instead of a transfer elevator (29) and/or without axial rollers (36), and/or without pintle belt (35) and/or with the ring elevator (2) being positioned fully at the back of the root crop harvester (1), and/or with additional or less conveyors (28, 29, 31, 34, 37) and/or other transfer means etc.

(18) The parts of the harvester machine (1) besides the ring elevator (2) can be of any known design.

(19) In FIGS. 1-2, 7 and 9, a ring elevator (2) of the prior art is illustrated.

(20) Both this ring elevator (2) of the prior art and the illustrated embodiment of a ring elevator (2) according to the invention (FIGS. 3-6, 8 and 10) comprise: a first pair of endless carrying strips (3), belts, chains or the like, arranged in parallel, which are drivable over a first closed path; a second pair of endless carrying strips (4), belts, chains or the like, arranged in parallel, which are drivable over a second closed path; first parallel transverse elements (5) attached between and to the first strips (3), belts, chains or the like; and second parallel transverse elements (6) attached between and to the second strips (4), belts, chains or the like.

(21) The closed paths are defined by driving rollers (14), deflection rollers (15) and carrying rollers (16) onto which the strips (3, 4) are arranged and pass while being driven.

(22) The transverse elements (5, 6) may include bars and/or slats and/or profiles and/or tubes and can be made of metal or plastic. If necessary, they can be provided with a cover. In addition, they can also be provided with one or more indentations.

(23) It is preferable to use transverse bars (5, 6) that are riveted to the strips (3, 4), belts, chains or the like, as this provides a strong connection.

(24) Flexible support elements (7) are each attached to a first transverse element (5) and to a second transverse element (6).

(25) These flexible support elements (7) may e.g. be made of plastic. These may be attached to the transverse elements (5, 6) as in the prior art, or as described in BE 2019/5181.

(26) Although an elevator (2) to which at least one embodiment of the invention relates does not have a sieving function, it is possible to provide such flexible support elements (7) with perforations, this primarily in order to reduce weight of the ring elevator (2).

(27) In the elevator (2) according to the state of the art, additional transverse elements (5, 6) are provided, to which no flexible support elements (7) are attached. This is also possible with elevators (2) according to at least one embodiment of the invention. In order to reduce the weight of the ring elevator (2), it is however preferable, not to have such additional transverse elements (5, 6), this as in the illustrated elevator (2) according to at least one embodiment of the invention.

(28) The first strips (3), belts, chains or the like are arranged around the second strips (4), belts, chains or the like in such a way that the flexible support elements (7) form baskets for the transport of the root crops (8) in an ascending part (32) of their path and are stretched out to save space in a descending part (33) of their path, where the root crops (8) do not have to be transported. The strips (3, 4) are therefore positioned at a distance, which, when in use, varies along the paths between a minimum distance (d.sub.min) and a maximum distance (d.sub.max).

(29) In an ascending part (32) of the paths, the distance between the strips (3, 4), belts, chains or the like, equals a carrier distance (c), for forming the baskets (7) for receiving the root crops (8).

(30) The second strips (4), belts, chains or the like begin to rise towards the ascending part (32) in an ascending point (9) of the second path.

(31) In a descending part (33) of the paths, the distance equals said minimum distance (d.sub.min).

(32) The ring elevator (2) comprises a loading zone (10), situated before the ascending point (9), for loading root crops (8) on the flexible support elements (7) and an unloading zone (11), situated after the ascending part (32), for unloading root crops (8) from the flexible support elements (7).

(33) In the illustrated embodiment, the distance between the first strips (3), belts, chains or the like is larger than the distance between the second strips (4), belts, chains or the like. The first strips (3), belts, chains or the like are thus placed on both sides of the second strips (4), belts, chains or the like. It is however also possible to position the first strips (3), belts, chains or the like at a smaller distance than the second strips (4), belts, chains or the like, such that the second strips (4), belts, chains or the like are placed on both sides of the first strips (3), belts, chains or the like.

(34) In the illustrated elevator (2) according to at least one embodiment of the invention, as can be seen in FIGS. 4-6: between the said descending part (33) and the said ascending part (32), the first strips (3), belts, chains or the like are maximally situated at an underlying distance (u) below the second strips (4), belts, chains or the like; in an increasing zone (i) of the paths situated between the descending part (33) and the ascending part (32), starting at a formation distance (f) of the ascending point (9), the distance between the first strips (3), belts, chains or the like and the second strips (4), belts, chains or the like increases from the minimum distance (d.sub.min) towards the underlying distance (u); the increasing zone (i) is situated in the paths before the ascending point (9); in the loading zone (10) the second strips (4), belts, chains or the like descend towards the ascending point (9); the formation distance (f) is more than half of the distance (W) between the descending part (33) and the ascending part (32); the length of the increasing zone (i) is about 7.5% of the distance (W) between the descending part (33) and the ascending part (32); after the ascending part (32), the strips (3, 4), belts, chains or the like keep rising slant towards the unloading zone (11) and in the second path, the second strips (4), belts, chains or the like rise up to an unloading point (12), in such a way that root crops (8) remain in the flexible support elements (7) as long as the second strips (4), belts, chains or the like rise.

(35) As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 in the paths, in zones where the distance between the first strips (3), belts, chains or the like and the second strips (4), belts, chains or the like equals the minimum distance (d.sub.min), in the ring elevator (2) according to the prior art, two flexible support elements (7, 7) overlap each other over part of their length, whereas in the ring elevator (2) according to at least one embodiment of the invention three flexible support elements (7, 7, 7) overlap each other over part of their length. In the ring elevator (2) according to the prior art, in the mentioned zones, two flexible support elements (7, 7) overlap each other over about 33% of their length, whereas in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, two flexible support elements (7, 7) overlap each other over about 57% of their length.

(36) In FIGS. 9 and 10, two baskets (7) are illustrated arranged above each other, with the transverse elements (5, 6) to which they are attached placed at said carrier distance (c) from each other and freely hanging down. Points B and D represent the places where first transverse elements (5) are situated and points A and C represent the places where second transverse elements (6) are situated. Seen in cross-section, these baskets (7) then theoretically take up a chainline.

(37) The total volume (V.sub.t) of these baskets (7) then equals the volume between the parallel transverse elements (5, 6), to which these baskets (7) are hung and is illustrated as the area (ABCD) in FIGS. 9 and 10. This is the fully shaded zone in these figures. This total volume is per basket (7) delimited by a plane through the transverse elements (5, 6) to which said basket (7) is attached, a plane through the transverse elements (5, 6) to which the basket (7) hanging just below it is attached, a plane through the first transverse elements (5) to which both said baskets (7) are attached and a plane through the second transverse elements (6) to which both said baskets (7) are attached. In order to calculate this total volume per basket (7), the surface area of area (ABCD) is to be multiplied by the length of the transverse elements (5, 6). With identical baskets (7), this zone also equals the volume delimited between a basket (7), freely hanging downwards, the basket (7) hanging just below it, the plane through the first transvers elements (5) to which these baskets (7) are attached and the plane through the second transverse elements (6) to which these baskets (7) are attached (again the corresponding surface area as illustrated in FIG. 9 multiplied by the length of the transverse elements). The sum of these theoretical total volumes of all the (parts of) baskets (7) extending in said ascending part (32) together form the total volume (V.sub.t) in this ascending part (32).

(38) The useful volume (V.sub.u) of a basket (7) can be defined as the volume, delimited by said basket (7), freely hanging downwards, a plane through the transverse elements (5, 6) to which this basket (7) is attached and, in case the basket just below it extends up to above the lowest point of this basket hanging down, a plane through the transverse elements (5, 6) to which the basket (7) just below it is attached. In FIG. 9, this is illustrated as the area (ABE). In FIG. 10, this is illustrated as the area (AFGB). These are the punctually shaded zones in these FIGS. 9 and 10. In order to calculate this useful volume per basket (7), the surface area of these areas (ABE, resp. AFGB) is to be multiplied by the length of the transverse elements (5, 6). With identical baskets (7), this theoretical useful volume equals the volume delimited by said basket (7) and a plane through the transverse elements (5, 6) to which this basket (7) is attached, minus the volume which the basket placed just above it and also freely hanging downwards, will occupy therein. The sum of these theoretical useful volumes of all the (parts of) baskets (7) extending within the total volume (V.sub.t) together form the useful volume (V.sub.u) in this ascending part (32).

(39) Besides said useful volume (V.sub.u) there is a volume (illustrated with the diagonally shaded zones in these figures) which is theoretically not finable with root crops (8). According to the prior art, the useful volume (V.sub.u) takes up far less than 50% of the total volume (V.sub.t). In the illustrated embodiment according to the invention, this useful volume (V.sub.u) takes up about 76% of the total volume (V.sub.t).

(40) The mentioned volumes (V.sub.t, V.sub.u) are theoretically defined. For both the total volume (V.sub.t) as the useful volume (V.sub.u) the illustrated surface areas could alternatively be multiplied by e.g. the length the baskets (7) are taking up in the elevator (2), or e.g. the width over which crops will extend. For the percentages mentioned, it is irrelevant whether in practice the baskets (7) have the same length as the transverse elements (5, 6) or whether the crops occupy this full length. The proportions of the volumes (V.sub.t, V.sub.u) will remain the same, irrespective of which length is taken for calculating the volumes (V.sub.t, V.sub.u).

(41) In FIGS. 11 and 12, the effect of first strips (3), belts, chains or the like descending in the loading zone (10) is illustrated. In these figures the first strips (3), belts, chains or the like run along to the indicated travel direction (T).

(42) The drop height (D.sub.h,1, D.sub.h,2) is the height of which a root crop (8) is falling in the air. The filling height (D.sub.f,1, D.sub.f,2) is the height between the feeding unit (36) and the underlying part which is not a root crop (8).

(43) In the loading zone (10) of the elevator (2), there are no root crops (8) yet at the left of the feeding unit (36) but at the right, there are root crop (8).

(44) When the feeding unit (36) and the loading zone (10) of first strips (3), belts, chains or the like are both horizontal, as illustrated in FIG. 11 there is a big drop height (D.sub.h,1) for the root crop (8) at the left of the loading zone (10).

(45) When the feeding unit (36) is horizontal, but the loading zone (10) of first strips (3), belts, chains or the like is descending, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the root crops (8) have almost the same low drop height (D.sub.h,1, D.sub.h,2) over the entire loading zone (10).

(46) A similar effect, limiting the drop height can be obtained by setting up the discharge conveyor (28) not parallel to the second strips (4), belts, chains or the like.