AU2010224431A1

AU2010224431A1 - An apparatus to be used in conjunction with a grain harvester for collecting weeds, weed seeds, chaff and so forth

Info

Publication number: AU2010224431A1
Application number: AU2010224431A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Glenn Herbert
Original assignee: RITEWAY HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA Pty Ltd
Current assignee: RITEWAY HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2009-09-29
Filing date: 2010-09-27
Publication date: 2011-04-14

Description

[001] AN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A GRAIN HARVESTER FOR COLLECTING WEEDS, WEED SEEDS, CHAFF AND SO FORTH [002] This invention relates to an apparatus which can be used in conjunction with a 5 grain harvester or similar agricultural implement for collecting weeds, weed seeds, chaff and so forth. [003] Grain fields such as those for wheat, barley and so forth are grown and harvested amongst strands of various types of weeds, including many that are noxious. 10 [004] Traditionally, the smaller weed seeds were separated from and during the harvesting of the grain within the harvester and are discharged back onto the ground so that they will cause a problem in the following year. [005] Fortunately this problem of simply returning the harvested weeds back into the soil has been recognised and one way of controlling the growth of these return 15 weeds to the soil has been the advancement through the use of various chemicals and so forth that are adapted to stop the seeds from germinating or assist in killing the weeds directly. [006] However in this day of greater concern for the environment and the use of chemicals in the agricultural industry such chemicals tend to pollute the ground and 20 therefore are not the preferred option in dealing with the weed seed harvested during the collection of the grain. [007] There have been several attempts made for collecting weed seeds, weeds and chaff and so forth by including various attachments that are connected directly onto the harvester. 25 [008] One of the main solutions involves the use of a weed seed collector for a harvester, that comprises a screw type auger for collecting the residues from the crop 2 sieve of the harvester and depositing these residues into a separate tank where they are stored until they are either dumped or otherwise disposed of. [009] In these arrangements that utilise screw type augers for collecting the weed seeds a vibrating screen in the harvester is often used to try and at first instance 5 separate the grain wherein the suspended or airborne weed seeds unable to make their way through the sieve are then blown into the screw type auger to then be rotated along the length of the screw to a blower to be impelled up into a trailer cart. [010] As the person skilled in the art would also be aware in the instances where the grain is of a smaller dimension to the weed seeds trying to be separated the same 10 process can be applied however the vibrating screen would see the weed seeds fall through the screen to then be removed by way of the blowing system or other method into the collecting screw type auger to be handled away into the trailing cart. [011] The problem with these screw type augers is that as the harvester gets larger and larger and is able to harvest a greater area, the quantity of weed seeds that need 15 to be collected is substantially increased. [012] What has been found is that the screw type auger is insufficient to be able to handle these increases in quantity loads being fed into the screw type feeder to have the quantity blown into the trailer cart from the auger. [013] The increase in quantity is putting such demands on the single blower of the 20 auger that the screw is often becoming jammed or inoperative during use. [014] Though it would seem natural to simply increase the diameter of the screw type auger, the problem is that if you increase the size of the diameter of the screw it will make it very difficult to be able to effectively position itself as part of the harvester. 25 [015] Still further as the person skilled in the art will appreciate that by increasing the diameter you will also need to increase the power and the electrical support to be able to drive the shaft that will be responsible for turning the screw type auger in the 3 transportation of the delivered quantity of the weed seeds to be blown into the trailer cart. [016] Therefore there still remains a need to be able to collect the weed seeds that are included as part of a combine harvester during the collection of the grain from the 5 fields but to do so utilising similar type augers of comparable dimension and power required to drive the screw as currently available so that such an arrangement can be conveniently installed or connected to a harvester but at the same time such an arrangement should be able to accept higher quantities of weed seeds and so forth that would be provided for by harvesters of a much larger scale. 10 [017] Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide such an apparatus which can be conveniently adapted to be used.in conjunction with a grain harvester to collect the weeds, weed seeds, chaff and so forth. [018] Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a complete reading of this specification. 15 [019] Accordingly in one form of the invention there is provided an apparatus adapted to be used in conjunction with the grain harvester for collecting weeds, weed seeds, chaff and so forth, said apparatus including; [020] a main longitudinal body rotatably supporting a drivable shaft therein; [021] a screw type auger as a material handler for conveying quantities of weeds, 20 weed seeds and/or chaff delivered into said main longitudinal body; [022] a pair of blowers on each of the distal ends of the main longitudinal body which are adapted to receive conveyed quantities of the weeds, weed seeds and/or chaff provided for by the screw type auger; [023] said main longitudinal body divided into two portions wherein each portion is 25 characterised by having the flights or ribbons of the screw type auger of a substantially opposing orientation; 4 [024] such that when weeds, weed seeds and/or chaff are blown or sent into the main longitudinal body they will be directed to opposing ends of the main longitudinal body depending on the portion or side or which they are entered and conveyed away to one of the respective blowers at the distal end of the main longitudinal body by 5 virtue of the opposing inclination of the respective flights or ribbons that make up the screw type auger. [025] An advantage of such an arrangement is that for the first time rather than having the screw type auger having the series of flights or ribbons all inclined at the one inclination thereby distributing the delivered quantity of weeds, weed seeds, 10 chaff and so forth in the one direction, accordingly then to just the one blower for discharging of the relevant material, in this unique and improved invention by dividing the screw type auger up into sections characterised by opposing inclinations of the flight of the screw type auger means that you can effectively be able to disperse and direct the delivered weeds and weed seeds in two directions inside the main 15 longitudinal body of the apparatus and by being able to direct the delivered weed and weed seeds in two directions means that you can have dual blowers positioned at distal ends of the main longitudinal body of the apparatus which will effectively mean that you can discharge much higher quantities of delivered weeds and weed seeds to the trailer cart. 20 [026] Advantageously as the size of the harvesters increases there will no longer be the requirement of trying to increase the diameter of the auger per se which would have meant further costs and considerations with trying to drive the shaft responsible for rotating the screw type auger. [027] Advantageously as presented in this invention the applicant has been able to 25 very cleverly through a mechanical means simply manipulate the design of the traditional screw type auger to divide it into sections so as to disperse the delivered quantity of weed seeds into two directions and once the ability to disperse the delivered material in more than one direction means that we can then introduced further blowers that will discharge the weed seeds from the collector during the 30 harvesting operation.

5 [028] In preference the main longitudinal body includes a central plate that is supported upon the screw type auger which separates the longitudinal body of the apparatus into two substantially equal halves. [029] Advantageously this central plate effectively divides the screw type auger into 5 two independent compartments each adapted by virtue of the way in which their flights or ribbons have been inclined in opposing direction to the adjacent flights or ribbons in the other segregated portion of the longitudinal body of the apparatus to direct the weed seeds. [030] By being able to isolate one section from the other through the central plate 10 may improve velocity flows of the delivered quantity of weeds, weed seeds and chaff and so forth into the apparatus and reduce the likelihood of any air-flow cross contamination or vibration that may or may not arise during the high speed rotation of the shaft that operates the screw type feeding auger. [031] In order now to understand the invention in greater detail a preferred 15 embodiment will be provided for with the assistance of the following illustrations and text. [032] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the conventional prior art screw type auger used with present day harvesters. [033] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus of this invention. 20 [034] Figure 3 shows the blown up proportion or part thereof of the Figure 2 showing the central plate which divides the main longitudinal body of the apparatus which collects the weed seeds into two substantially equal halves wherein the angle of inclination of the ribbons or flights of the screw type feeder in the respective portions are of opposing orientation in order to direct the delivered quantity of weed seeds in a 25 different direction towards one of the dual blowers that make up the apparatus.

6 [035] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the apparatus attached to the harvester with the dual blower arrangement providing a discharge of the delivered weed seeds from two dispensers. [036] Referring to the drawings now in greater detail wherein Figure 1 shows a 5 representation of the prior art screw type augers that have until this time been used in combination with the harvester for trying to collect the weed seeds that are produced during the harvesting of the grain from the field. [037] As can be seen the main longitudinal body (1) includes a drivable shaft (2) which rotates the screw type feeder (3) which has a series of flights or ribbons (4) 10 and (5) which upon rotation of the driveshaft (2) will deliver quantities of the weed seed towards the blower end (6) and then out thereof shown generally as (7). [038] The problem with such an arrangement is that if the quantity of supplied weed seeds and so forth becomes too great, which would be expected for large size harvesters, the screw can become clogged and the whole system can become 15 inoperative or unworkable. [039] The solution regrettably is not to simply increase the diameter of the main longitudinal body and that of the screw type auger because the available space and design for the apparatus to be combined with the harvester is limited and also increasing the diameter will also increase the weight, costs and the operation of the 20 relevant auger. [040] Advantageously in the apparatus provided for in this invention and illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4 for the most part similar dimensions and therefore weight and drivable power required to operate the screw type auger have been able to be maintained for those of the conventional existing arrangement, however arguably 25 there is almost a doubling of the discharge capabilities of the apparatus by simply introducing the unique design features of firstly having the dual blower functionality of having a blower at each distal end of the main longitudinal body and then being able to direct the weed seeds and so forth to each of the respective ends of the screw type auger by having the opposing alignment of the relevant ribbons of the screw .7 type auger depending on which compartment side of the apparatus the product is first blown or delivered into with an opposing inclination. [041] Generally the apparatus shown as (10) would include a main longitudinal body (12) with dual blowers (14), (16) at each of the respective ends of the main 5 longitudinal body (12). [042] Shaft (18) is supported withinside the main longitudinal body and blower frame and the rotation communicates such movement to the screw type auger (20) which has a series of flights or ribbons (28), (30) along its length. [043] Plate (22) divides the main longitudinal body up into two substantially equal 10 compartments shown generally as (24), (26) and as you will see each of the respective compartments (24) and (26) have the flights (28), (30) inclined opposingly to that of the adjacent or other compartment. [044] Each of the blowers has an outlet (32), (34) which as best seen in Figure 4 includes conduits (36) which then lead to the discharging out of the delivered weed 15 seeds through nozzles (42), (44) into the weed trailer cart (40). [045] A guard (58) is also attached to the main apparatus (10) so as to capture the weed seeds (58) as they are blown shown generally as (56) from the harvester shown generally as (50). [046] Though not relevant to the technical feature of this invention Figure 4 does 20 include some of the components that may makeup that of a conventional harvester but as the person skilled in the art will appreciate there is a variety of ways in which the weed seeds can be separated or be sent to the apparatus (10) and therefore the focus of this invention is on the apparatus (10) which is adapted to be used in conjunction with the grain harvester for collecting the weed seeds and so forth rather 25 than the harvester per se. [047] As shown the harvester does include a compartment (52) and also a sieve or vibrating plate (54) which allows in this embodiment the grain to fall therethrough 8 shown generally as (56) whereas the vibration and sieving at (54) causes the suspension or the airborning of the weed seeds shown generally as (58) which may be blown (56) into the apparatus (10) by hitting guard (58) or directed directly onto the screw type auger.

Claims

1. An apparatus adapted to be used in conjunction with the grain harvester for collecting weeds, weed seeds, chaff and so forth, said apparatus including; a main longitudinal body rotatably supporting a screw auger as a material 5 handler for conveying quantities of weeds, weed seeds and/or chaff delivered in said main longitudinal body; a pair of blowers at each end of the main longitudinal body which are adapted to receive quantities of the weeds, weed seeds and/or chaff provided for by the screw auger; 10 said main longitudinal body divided into two portions wherein each portion is characterised by having the flights or ribbons of the screw auger of a substantially opposing orientation; such that when weeds, weed seeds and/or chaff are delivered into the main longitudinal body they will be directed to opposing ends of the main 15 longitudinal body depending on the portion entered and delivered by the screw auger away to one of the respective blowers at an end of the main longitudinal body by virtue of the opposing inclination of the respective flights or ribbons that make up the screw auger.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the main longitudinal body includes a 20 central plate that is supported upon the screw auger that separates the longitudinal body of the apparatus into two substantially equal portions.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the central plate isolates one portion from the other portion for improve velocity flows of the delivered quantity of weeds, weed seeds and chaff.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the main longitudinal body includes a drivable shaft which rotates the screw auger.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the flights or ribbons inclined in opposing directions within each portion are continuous. 5

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the drivable shaft is supported within the main longitudinal body and the rotation communicates such movement to the screw auger.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each blower has an outlet that includes conduits configured to discharge out the delivered weeds, weed seeds and 10 chaff into a weed trailer cart.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a guard attachable to the main longitudinal body so as to capture the weed, weed seeds or chaff as they are delivered towards the main longitudinal body.

9. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the weed, weeds or chaff are blown 15 towards the main longitudinal body.

10. An apparatus adapted to be used in conjunction with the grain harvester for collecting weeds, weed seeds, chaff and so forth as described in the accompanying illustrations and associated text.