Root Crop Harvester

Abstract

A potato harvesting machine has a lifting device picking up a mixture of crop and admixtures. Screening belts downstream of the lifting device transport the mixture away from the lifting device and a feed belt feeds the mixture to a sorting zone. A separating device is arranged in the sorting zone above the feed belt. A sorting belt is arranged downstream of the separating device that has first and second stripper belts circulating in a stripping direction and provided with stripper elements. The stripper elements act on the crop transverse to a feed direction and supply the crop to the sorting belt. The admixtures remain on the feed belt and are discharged in a guiding direction angled to the stripping direction. First and second support devices hold the first and second stripper belts. The first and second stripper belts are individually adjustable at the first and second support devices.

Claims

1. A potato harvesting machine comprising: a lifting device picking up a mixture comprising crop and admixtures; screening belts arranged downstream of the lifting device and configured to transport the mixture away from the lifting device; the screening belts including at least one feed belt configured to feed in a feed direction the mixture to a sorting zone; a separating device arranged in the sorting zone above the at least one feed belt; a sorting belt arranged downstream of the separating device; the separating device comprising a first stripper belt and a second stripper belt both circulating in an identical stripping direction and each comprising respective stripper elements, wherein the stripper elements act on the crop in a direction transverse to the feed direction and supply the crop in two adjacently arranged stripper planes of the first and second stripper belts to the sorting belt, wherein the admixtures remain on the at least one feed belt and are discharged in a guiding direction which is angled relative to the stripping direction; a first support device holding the first stripper belt; a second support device holding the second stripper belt; wherein the first and second stripper belts are individually adjustable in a region of at least one of the first and second support devices.

2. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein the stripper elements of the first and second stripper belts are moveable into varying spacings and/or angular positions relative to the at least one feed belt.

3. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein, based on an adjustment of the first and second stripper belts, the first and second stripper belts define a working gap with variable dimensions in the sorting zone.

4. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 3, wherein the respective stripper planes of the first and second stripper belts are adjustable to changeable tilting angles transverse to the stripping direction.

5. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 4, wherein the first and second stripper belts are configured to be tilted in the same direction or in opposite direction relative to each other.

6. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 3, wherein the stripper planes of the first and second stripper belts are individually adjustable in regard to a parallel spacing relative to the at least one feed belt arranged underneath the first and second stripper belts.

7. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 3, wherein the stripper elements of the first stripper belt are arranged in two rows of circulating stripper elements and wherein the stripper elements of the second stripper belt are arranged in two rows of circulating stripper elements, wherein the two rows of circulating stripper elements of the first and second stripper belts, respectively, are adjustable together when adjusting the working gap.

8. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 1, further comprising a support connection connecting the first and second stripper belts to each other in the region of the first and second support devices for simultaneous adjustment of the first and second stripper belts.

9. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 8, wherein the first support device comprises a first support frame comprising a first inner lateral plate and a first outer lateral plate, wherein the second support device comprises a second support frame comprising a second inner lateral plate and a second outer lateral plate, wherein the first and second inner lateral plates form the support connection, and wherein at least one first adjusting device engages at the first outer lateral plate and at least one second adjusting device engages at the second outer lateral plate, wherein the first and second adjusting devices control an individual adjustment of the first and second stripper belts and the first and second stripper belts are guided in the region of the support connection.

10. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 9, wherein the support connection comprises a pivot joint and the first and second stripper belts interact with each other through the pivot joint.

11. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 10, further comprising a restoring mechanism in the region of the pivot joint.

12. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 9, wherein the separating device comprises three support connections in the region of the first and second adjusting devices and the three support connections define a three-point support relative to a machine frame of the potato harvesting machine.

13. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein the sorting belt together with the at least one feed belt forms a conveying plane.

14. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein the first and second stripper belts are pivotable about an identical vertical axis.

15. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein the first and second support devices are pivotable about an identical vertical axis.

16. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein the first stripper belt has a first vertical axis and is pivotable about the first vertical axis, and wherein the second stripper belt has a second vertical axis and is pivotable about the second vertical axis.

17. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein the first support device has a first vertical axis and is pivotable about the first vertical axis, and wherein the second support device has a second vertical axis and is pivotable about the second vertical axis.

18. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein the first and second stripper belts are positioned relative to the at least one feed belt at an angle between 80 and 145.

19. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 1, further comprising an intermediate conveyor belt arranged between the at least one feed belt and the sorting belt for enlarging the sorting zone.

20. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second stripper belts is moveable in a longitudinal direction thereof in the stripping direction or opposite to the stripping direction.

21. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein the stripper elements of the first stripper belt are arranged one behind the other in the stripping direction and have a first spacing relative to each other in the stripping direction, wherein the stripper elements of the second stripper belt are arranged one behind the other in the stripping direction and have a second spacing relative to each other in the stripping direction, wherein the first spacing is different from the second spacing.

22. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 20, wherein the first stripper belt is arranged behind the second stripper belt, viewed in the feed direction, and wherein the first spacing is smaller than the second spacing.

23. The potato harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein in a longitudinal direction of one of the first and second stripper belts, viewed in a developed state, an additional stripper element is arranged off-center between two respective outwardly positioned ones of the stripper elements, at least in parts of a belt length in the longitudinal direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of the conveying stretches of a potato harvesting machine according to the prior art.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged detail illustration of a separating device according to the prior art to be used in the machine according to FIG. 1.

[0050] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show respective schematic illustrations of the separating device according to FIG. 2 with the adjusting possibilities according to the prior art.

[0051] FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration similar to FIG. 4 with the separating device according to the invention and its individual adjusting possibilities in the region of the two stripper belts.

[0052] FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration similar to FIG. 5 with the two stripper belts in a position tilted in the same direction.

[0053] FIG. 7 shows a schematic illustration similar to FIG. 6 with the stripper belts in a position tilted outwardly in the same direction.

[0054] FIG. 8 shows a schematic illustration similar to FIG. 5 with a tilted stripper belt and a height-displaced stripper belt.

[0055] FIG. 9 is a constructive embodiment of the separating device according to the principle of FIG. 5.

[0056] FIG. 10 is a front view of the separating device in mounted position above the feed belt similar to FIG. 9.

[0057] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the sorting zone with separating device provided above the feed belt in slanted position.

[0058] FIG. 12 is a side view of a part of a further device according to the invention.

[0059] FIG. 13 shows the object of FIG. 12 in a plan view.

[0060] FIG. 14 shows the object of FIG. 13 in a further operating position.

[0061] FIG. 15 shows the object of FIG. 14 in the view according to FIG. 12.

[0062] FIG. 16 is a view in stripping direction of a part of an object according to the invention.

[0063] If useful, elements acting in the same way are provided with identical reference characters. Individual features of the embodiments described in the following, in combination with the features of the independent claims as well as optionally additional claims, can also lead to subject matter in accordance with the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0064] In FIG. 1, a root crop harvester in the form of a potato harvesting machine 1 is illustratedby a side viewin a schematic illustration. Such potato harvesting machines 1 comprise a leading lifting device 2 from where a mixture G (FIG. 2) comprising the crop E as well as clods, haulm and similar admixtures B is movable into the region of downstream screening belts 3 or similar transport elements. In this context, the mixture G supplied to one of the feed belts 4 in accordance with a feed direction 5 reaches a sorting zone Z (FIG. 2, hidden). In this sorting zone Z, the crop E can be sorted out by means of a separating device 6 arranged above the feed belt 4 and acting transverse to its feed direction 5 on the mixture G.

[0065] The known embodiments of these component groups of separating device 6 and feed belt 4 (DE 10 2007 034 446 A1) comprise in this context two stripper belts 8 and 9 circulating in the same direction in a respective stripping direction 7, 7 (FIG. 3) which by means of respective stripping elements 10, 10 as well as 11, 11 engage the crop E. Accordingly, two stripping planes 12 and 13 (FIG. 3) are defined which in feed direction 5 are arranged adjacent to each other or one behind the other. From here, the crop E which has been substantially freed from clods B is supplied to a downstream sorting belt 14 (FIG. 2). In this context, as stripper elements 10, 10 as well as 11, 11, selectively fingers belts (FIG. 9) or brush webs (not illustrated) can be used in order to make a pre-adjustment regarding the ratio of admixtures B and crop E in the mixture G in accordance with the harvesting conditions.

[0066] Respective admixtures B which remain as residue on the feed belt 4, in particular in the form of rocks and clods, are supplied, preferably in a guiding direction 5 (FIG. 6) displaced relative to the stripping direction 7 by 90, to a lateral discharge conveyor 15. The two stripper belts 8, 9 comprise in this context a common support structure T as a support device so that, based on a position (FIG. 3) forming a working gap AS, a common adjustment is possible such that in lifting direction 16 a variation of the working gap AS is possible (FIG. 4).

[0067] Based on the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 of the prior artwith simultaneously displaceable and height-adjustable stripper belts 8, 9 (direction of arrow 16, FIG. 4)the concept according to the invention provides that the separating device 6 now comprises a construction in which the two stripper belts 8, 9 are individually adjustable (FIG. 5 to FIG. 8, schematic illustrations) in the region of at least one support device holding them, respectively.

[0068] The concept according to the invention with the individual adjustment of component groups provides that the stripper elements 10, 10 and 11, 11 of the respective stripper belt 8, 9 by means of respective adjusting connectors acting individually in the direction of arrows 16 and 16 are displaceable into substantially variable vertical spacings VA and VA (FIG. 5) relative to the feed belt 4. Also, it is provided that the angular positions indicated generally by WA and WA can be varied by corresponding individual adjustments of the stripper belts 8, 9 (FIG. 6). In this way, it is apparent that the two stripper belts 8, 9 relative to the feed belt 4in the region of the sorting zone Ccan comprise positions that are each individually adjustable and continuously variable.

[0069] The stripper belts 8, 9 define, corresponding to their adjustment in the region of the sorting zone Z, a respective working gap AS with variable dimensions and/or contours (FIG. 5 to FIG. 8) so that the mixture G is exposed to different sorting loads. The latter are in particular adaptable to the field-specific harvesting conditions.

[0070] Based on the illustrations according to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, it is apparent that the respective stripper planes 12, 13 of the stripper belts 8, 9 in their respective transverse direction are adjustable to changeable tilting angles in accordance with the arrows WA and WA. The constructive configuration of the adjusting connectors can be realized such that the stripper belts 8, 9 can be pivoted in the same direction clockwise or counterclockwise (FIG. 6, FIG. 7). Likewise, it is conceivable to realize a system with opposite pivoting direction (similar: FIG. 8, pivoting according to arrow WA, stroke 16).

[0071] Based on the illustration according to FIG. 5, it is apparent that the stripper planes 12, 13 of the two stripper belts 8, 9 each individually are adjusted in their parallel spacing relative to the correlated feed belt 4 (spacings VA and VA). A combined tilting and lifting adjustment is shown in FIG. 8 wherein the stripper belt 8 is displaced in lifting direction 16 and the stripper belt 9 is pivoted in a tilting direction WA such that the previously enlarged working gap is made smaller by the outwardly positioned stripper elements 11. This also makes clear that the contour of the working gap AS provided for the mixture G has different structures, respectively. A stepped configuration is shown in FIG. 5; tapering and widening embodiments are shown in FIG. 6; an inner shaped arc is provided in the embodiment according to FIG. 7; and also the variant with continuously increasing constriction according to FIG. 8 is conceivable with variable dimensions of the working gap AS.

[0072] In the illustrated embodiments, it is respectively provided that the two stripper belts 8, 9 comprise each two rows of circulating stripper elements 10, 10 and 11, 11, wherein these two rows in the respective adjustments of the working gap AS (FIG. 5 to FIG. 8) are to be displaced together, respectively. Conceivable is also an expansion of the concept according to the invention wherein also variable embodiments of length and number of stripper elements and/or their respective individual adjustment is conceivable (not illustrated).

[0073] When looking jointly at the illustrations according to FIG. 6 to FIG. 8, it is apparent that the two stripper belts 8, 9 for their simultaneous adjustment comprise a central support connection 19. In this context, the two support devices 17, 18 are connected in the region of a dividing plane TE.

[0074] When looking jointly at the schematic illustrations according to FIG. 5 to FIG. 8 with the constructive detail embodiments according to FIG. 9 to FIG. 11, it is apparent that the two stripper belts 8, 9 each comprise as a support device 17, 18 a support frame which is provided with lateral plates 20, 21 and 22, 23. It is provided in this context that the neighboring lateral plates 21 and 22 form at least said one support connection 19. This support construction can be completed in that at least one support connection with adjusting device 24, 25, 26 is provided at the two outer lateral plates 20 and 23, respectively.

[0075] In this way, a construction is provided in which the two stripper belts 8, 9 in the region of the central support connection 19 can be guided for each adjusting movement and, at the same time, the afore described individual adjustments of the stripper belts 8, 9 by means of the outer adjusting devices 24, 25, 26 can be controlled selectively.

[0076] Based on the illustrations, it is apparent that the stripper belts 8, 9 in the region of the central support connection 19 can be interacting in particular by means of a pivot joint 27. This pivot joint 27illustrated in the embodiment according to the schematic illustration FIG. 7can be displaced in a lifting direction 28 so that the simultaneous displacement illustrated in FIG. 7 of the two stripper belts 8, 9 in pivot direction WA, WA is achieved. For a restoring movement into the start position (FIG. 10)preferably extending parallel to the feed belt 4a mechanism 29, not illustrated in detail, for example, with a restoring spring, can be provided in the region of the pivot joint 27. Independent of the adjusting devices provided for the lifting movement 28, a substantially automatic restoring movement of the component groups into the start position is also conceivable in this way.

[0077] The lifting movement 28 is controlled in this context in the region of the mechanism 29 whose arms 29 and 29, connected in a cross shape in the pivot joint 27, are connectable to an adjusting component group BZ (FIG. 10). By a pulling movement MZ, the movement component according to the lifting direction 28 is triggered. At the same time, a height adjustment according to arrow 28, 28 (FIG. 7) in the region of the stationary support connectors 30, 31 can be controlled so that the tilted positions of the two stripper belts 8, 9, indicated by the pivot directions WA, WA, can be reached continuously.

[0078] In FIG. 9, a conceivable embodiment of the system according to the invention is illustrated with constructive details. In this context, it becomes apparent that the separating device 6 can be preferably provided with only three support connections 29, 30, 31 in the reg ion of the adjusting devices 24, 25, 26. In this way, an advantageous three-point support relative to the machine frame, not shown in detail, of the harvesting machine 1 is provided. It comprises a sufficiently torsion-stiff system in the sorting zone Z so that a quick displacement of the sorting components is possible with comparatively few adjusting component groups.

[0079] In FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the system is illustrated similar to FIG. 9 wherein here the crossing position of feed belt 4 and stripper planes 12, 13 becomes apparent. In FIG. 11 a slanted plan view of the components shows that the separating device 6 is oriented in a position (angle 32) slanted at an acute angle above the feed belt 4. Conceivable are also further variants, not illustrated in detail, of this mounted position of the separating device 6.

[0080] A further solution according to the invention in accordance with FIG. 12 discloses stripper belts 8 and 9 whose stripper elements 10, 11 (as well as 10 and 11, not illustrated) are shown only partly. The illustrated objects of the embodiments according to the invention, like those in the afore described FIGS. 5 to 11 and following FIGS. 13 to 16, are in general part of a potato harvesting machine generally shown in FIG. 1.

[0081] Above the sorting zone Z, the stripper belts 8 and 9 extend in the shown illustration according to FIG. 12 initially parallel to the conveying plane F. However, the two stripper belts 8 and 9 comprise toward their respective end discharge sections AB angled relative to the parallel extension of the belt.

[0082] In these sections AB, the stripper belt 8 or stripper belt 9, after an initial deflection, is provided with a constant incline such that the stripper elements 10, 11 in operation gradually and continuously are removed from the goods to be sorted without this leading, due to the deflection, to too strong an impulse in the direction of the side of the downstream sorting belt 14.

[0083] The incline of the stripper belts in the respective discharge section results from the illustrated angle W between the contour of the pulling element of the stripper belt 8 or 9 and the stripper planes 12, 13 that presently are coinciding with the conveying plane 7. The angle W is smaller than 55.

[0084] Similar to the preceding embodiments according to the invention, the embodiment according to FIG. 12 comprises stationary support connectors 30 which, for example, are attached to a machine frame, not illustrated. At these support elements, guide rods 42 moveable in the direction of the double arrow 41 are supported by means of which the stripper belts 8 and 9 can be displaced in accordance with the directions 41, indicated by the double arrow.

[0085] The stripper belts 8 and 9 are of different length, wherein the stripper belt 8 with correlated frame elements is arranged displaced parallel relative to the stripper belt 9 in such a way that, in case of a non-rectangular arrangement of the support device or of the stripper belts relative to the feed belt, the respective stripper elements 10, 10, 11, and 11 in operation of the potato harvesting machine according to the invention both begin to act approximately at the level of the rim of the feed belt 4, respectively (FIG. 13). Moreover, in combination with FIG. 12, it can be seen that the spacing of stripper elements 10, 10 and 11, 11 that are positioned one behind the other in the stripping direction 7 or 7 is different wherein, viewed in the feed direction 5, the spacings of the leading stripper elements 10 is greater than that of the stripper elements 11. Moreover, viewed in the same direction 5, the spacings and heights of the stripper elements 10, 10, 11, 11 across the conveying plane are designed such, be it due to the length of the different fingers or due to the adjustability and slanted position of the respective stripper belts 8, 9, that the fractionation illustrated on the sorting belt 14 results. Arrows P1, P2, P3, and P4 show the corresponding sorting curves based on in particular different sorting parameters, comprising angular position WR and WR, length and spacing of the stripper elements 10, 10, 11, 11 as well as positioning of the stripper belts 8 and 9 relative to their longitudinal direction.

[0086] For a particularly good sorting of the mixture G, the deflection of the root crop is carried out at an angle >90 between the directions 5 and 7 or 7 so that the sorting zone Z can be extended. The sorting zone Z assumes a correspondingly large surface area wherein it may be advantageous to provide an additional intermediate conveyor belt 43 which can be embodied as a conventional hedgehog web or rubber knob web and comprises an analog conveying speed and direction relative to the feed belt.

[0087] For the purpose of further adaptation to different sorting parameters, the entire support device that carries the stripper belts 8 and 9 can be designed in a further embodiment, not illustrated, so as to be pivotable about a vertical axis which is projecting from the illustration plane of FIG. 13. In this case, the stationary support connector 30 would be preferably secured on a pivot frame. A length adjusting device 44 that is secured on the adjusting device 24, which is also at least partially stationarily secured, can effect a displacement of the stripper belts with correlated support pipes 45 and 46 of the support device. In this way, the stripper belts 8 and 9 can be moved from the working position illustrated in FIG. 13 into the further working position illustrated in FIG. 14 in order to take into account different harvesting conditions, changing size class distributions, and other sorting parameters. Moreover, the root crop harvester which in the working position according to FIG. 13 possibly surpasses a permissible road width, can be reduced again to a permissible road width by positioning the separating device in the position illustrated in FIG. 14.

[0088] The intermediate conveyor belt 43 as well as the feed belt 4 and the sorting belt 14 have parallel conveying directions relative to each other. Moreover, viewed in a side view according to FIG. 15 as well as FIG. 12, it can be seen that these three belts form a common conveying plane F without drop stage. Even though in operation the fractions are transferred from the sorting belt 14 onto a somewhat lower extending picking table belt by means of a transfer roller 47, the crop is however not conveyed by falling in this context but at a slant conveyed away so that also a drop stage-free transport of the crop to the picking table is realized. Alternatively, the sorting belt 14 could also be embodied to be longer all the way to the picking table, not illustrated.

[0089] A lateral discharge conveyor 15 is provided for discharging admixtures B of the mixture G that are feedable in a targeted fashion by transverse conveying rollers 48.

[0090] These rollers 48 are also illustrated in FIG. 16 in a view in direction of the stripping directions 7 or 7 similar to FIGS. 5 to 7. While the stripper belt 8 in the viewing direction comprises only two adjacently extending rows of stripper elements 11 to 11, the leading stripper belt 9 in feed direction 5 is provided first with a double row D of closely adjacently positioned stripper elements 10, which however in longitudinal direction of the conveying belt are displaced relative to each other, as well as a further row of stripper elements 10. The stripper elements 10 of a double row D have moreover a different length in order to be able to act also at different levels optimally on the incoming admixtures B and crop components E of the mixture G.

[0091] Regardless of the illustrations in FIGS. 12 to 16 in which the stripper planes and the conveying plane F are parallel to each other, by the already explained arms 29 and 29 that are connected to each other by means of the pivot joint 27, relative positions of the stripper belt 8 and 9 can be adjusted in order to react during operation, without changing stripper elements or individual stripper belts, to varying mixtures and sorting conditions. For example, in case of greatly varying sizes, the stripper belt 9 that is first in feed direction 5 can be angled somewhat in order to enlarge in operation the spacing of the stripper elements 10 relative to the conveying plane compared to the downstream stripper elements.

[0092] Due to the off-center arrangement of the two stripper elements 10 of the double row, it is in particular possible to generate an impulse dissolving accumulations present on the feed belt 4.