AU735145B2 - Bucket elevator improvements - Google Patents

Description

WO 98/15478 PCT/AU97/00664 1 BUCKET ELEVATOR IMPROVEMENTS This invention relates to bucket elevators.

The application in respect of which the invention was developed is the use of a bucket elevator to lift just harvested grapes to an elevated position.

However, it is fully appreciated that the invention has many other applications and it is not intended at least in its broadest ramifications to be in any way limited to the application of grape harvesting.

It is conventional for bucket elevators to have a chain or chains which support a plurality of buckets each of which is supported by a pivot connection with respect to the chain so that each bucket can in turn have its relative position to the chain changed so that as it progresses from a collection position to an elevating position, its orientation however may stay the same despite the chain following a path giving it a different orientation.

In this way, each bucket keeps its open mouth uppermost for most effective storage capacity.

When the buckets are carried to an emptying station, external means guide each bucket so that its orientation is then changed relative to the chain so that in effect its open mouth becomes lowermost and the contents are emptied thereby.

This is the currently existing system.

I have discovered that this system can be improved.

I have noticed for instance that there can be difficulties with the current system when all of the incidental debris as well as grapes are loaded onto the buckets at the collection station.

This can include stalks and limbs of vines and these can project in all directions and be pushed into all sorts of places.

This debris can include stalks and limbs of vines and these can project in all directions and be pushed into all sorts of places.

When a bucket is reorientated from a collection position to an elevating position, its position changes relative to the chain and if this action happens to ensnare materials such as limbs of vine, then either the orientation is not fully accomplished or when the orientation is forced to change, and this is not possible because of some ensnaring debris, then buckets can be either distorted or broken.

One of the major problems with one or more of the buckets being broken is that, if the harvester is to be continued to be used, and at harvest time this is normally essential, the bucket has to be rapidly replaced and the elevating bucket system cannot simply be used without potentially serious loss of harvested materials.

This results in delays and if the period is critical as far as collecting the material to be harvested at a critical time, then the results can be more serious because of delay in harvesting.

An object of this invention is to propose an arrangement for a harvester including a bucket elevator which at least reduces the above difficulties.

S. In accord with one form of this invention, there is proposed a grape harvester 20 including a bucket elevator with a bucket elevator chain with buckets arranged to collect grapes and grape juice at a lowermost collection station in each of the buckets and elevate these to a discharge station where the buckets are each attached to the chain so that the orientation of the bucket in each case will S remain as that of a chain link of the chain adjacent which it is located and affixed and where the grapes and juice will be thereby retained within each respective bucket by reason of the shape and the orientation of the respective buckets through from the collection station to the discharge station, wherein said collection station extends across a collection area where, at any one time, there is more than one bucket and each bucket is held in a collection position with its mouth uppermost while it passes across said extended collection station whereby the grapes and juice will be retained within each respective bucket by reason of the shape, position and the orientation of the respective buckets through from the collection station to the discharge station.

This then proposes a quite radical change to the current system.

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WO 98/15478 PCT/AU97/00664 3 Next, by realising that the shape of a holding cavity of a bucket can be effective to hold product such as harvested grapes both when open mouth is uppermost or to one side of the holding cavity, means that one is no longer constrained to have to reorientate the bucket with respect to the chain.

As an example of the changed relationship of the mouth with the holding cavity of a bucket, in a preferred arrangement then there is provided that a rear wall of a cavity is rearwardly inclined from an upper edge defining a rearward most edge of the uppermost mouth all of this when the bucket is in the collection position. In preference, a front wall is more or less parallel to the back wall so that there can be provided a holding capacity in which both front and rear walls are more or less parallel one with respect to the other and sides walls are likewise parallel one with respect to the other so that with this arrangement, not only with the bucket collect and hold product when the mouth is uppermost, but when the bucket is then inclined because it must follow the inclination of the chain when in an elevating position, while the mouth then orientates to a vertical or toward a vertical orientation, nonetheless, because of the internal holding shape, the bucket will still hold substantially the contents originally collected when the bucket was in the collection position.

While at first thought, it might be considered that this would limit the capacity of the bucket elevator by having to have what might be termed an inclined cavity, in practice it is found that there can be in fact an increased capacity because firstly the chain can be operated at a faster speed without apparently increased fear of breakage of buckets and secondly, the size and depth of the holding shape of the buckets is not restricted.

In preference, the invention can reside both in a bucket adapted for the purpose described, a chain for use in a bucket elevator incorporating buckets fixed in the manner described, or the invention can also reside in the arrangement of a bucket elevator incorporating a chain with buckets in the manner described.

Further, the invention can reside in the method of handling materials which comprises the steps of using a bucket elevator arrangement of the type described and so characterised as well as use of a bucket elevator chain with attached buckets in the manner described.

operated at a faster speed without apparently increased fear of breakage of buckets and secondly, the size and depth of the holding shape of the buckets is not restricted.

In another form of the invention there is provided a grape harvester including a bucket elevator of a type in which a chain is adapted to support a plurality of buckets in echelon alignment, and to convey the buckets from a collection position to an elevating position, then to a discharging position and then to the collection position characterised in that each bucket is secured and supported so that its orientation remains that of the chain link adjacent to which it is located, and such that in the collection position each bucket is located to be positioned relative to adjoining buckets so that at least in a substantially forward to rearward direction there is an uppermost continuous collection area for collection of materials to be elevated, the buckets being further arranged to collect grapes and 15 grape juice at a lowermost collection station in each of the buckets and elevate these to a discharge station and where the grapes and juice will be thereby retained within each respective bucket by reason of the shape and the orientation of the respective buckets through from the collection station to the discharge 00 station wherein said collection station extends across a collection area where at any one time there is more than one bucket and each bucket is held in a collection position with its mouth uppermost whereby the grapes and juice will be retained within each respective bucket by reason of the shape, position and the orientation of the respective buckets through from the collection station to the discharge station.

25 Further, the invention can reside in the method of handling materials which comprises the steps of using a bucket elevator arrangement of the type described and so characterised as well as use of a bucket elevator chain with attached buckets in the manner described.

While the manner of manufacture and orientation of the chain or chains can be in accord with many various techniques, in one preferred form there are provided two sets of chains providing links where each bucket is secured both front and rearwardly by being attached to a pin passing jointly across from one chain to another.

When a reference is made to a bucket, it is intended that this should be a general description and can describe a bucket made from either metal or plastics material although in this embodiment it has been found that manufacture from plastics materials is preferred.

In preference, the shape of the buckets is such as to provide an effective carrying or discharging cavity shape for each of three orientations established by the orientation of links of the chain to which the bucket is associated or attached namely, a collection position, a lifting position and a discharging position.

A fruit harvester including a bucket elevator with a bucket elevator chain with buckets arranged to collect fruits and juice of the fruits at a lowermost collection station in each of the buckets and elevate these to a discharge station where the 15 buckets are each attached to the chain so that the orientation of the bucket in each case will remain as that of a chain link of the chain adjacent which it is located and affixed and where the fruits and juice will be thereby retained within S.each respective bucket by reason of the shape and the orientation of the respective buckets through from the collection station to the discharge station 20 wherein said collection station extends across a collection area where at any one time there is more than one bucket and each bucket is held in a collection position with its mouth uppermost while it passes across said extended collection station whereby the grapes and juice will be retained within each respective bucket by reason of the shape, position and the orientation of the respective 25 buckets through from the collection station to the discharge station.

In a further preferred feature, each bucket is shaped and located so that when the respective buckets are orientated to an elevating position, the buckets do not have closing faces at the open side of respective cavities between adjacent buckets.

WO 98/15478 PCT/AU97/00664 bucket is aligned with respect to uppermost edges defining the open top so that when the bucket is in a collection position with the open top uppermost, there is at least some of the holding cavity located lower than and more rearward than a rearward most lip of the open top.

The extent to which this holding capacity can therefore be predominantly rearward can be selected but it is this feature that is of assistance in a preferred form to provide the effect of bucket shape to achieve the answer to the problem.

In preference, the wall of a bucket extending from a rearward most lip to the bottom of the cavity is substantially planer and a front wall is shaped and is of planer alignment and inclined so as to be more or less parallel to the back wall.

In this way, when the buckets are supported adjacent one another with the chain straight, the buckets fit efficiently one adjacent the other. Further, with planar sides, one can obtain a greater capacity while providing for an efficient emptying shape.

For a better understanding of this invention it will now be described with relation to a preferred embodiment it being emphasised that it is not intended the invention should be necessarily limited to any single statement described so that the purpose of the description is to illustrate and not limit the invention.

Accordingly the embodiment will now be described with the assistance of drawings wherein: FIG 1 is a side elevation of a bucket elevator shown having buckets being drawn through a collection station, up an elevating station and through to an emptying station, FIG 2 is a plan view of a part of the bucket elevator chain with buckets when in a collection position, FIG 3 is a side elevation cross section of buckets in a collection position but separated from the chain, WO 98/15478 PCT/AU97/00664 6 FIG 4 is an exploded view in perspective showing the shape of the bucket, the construction of the chain link adjacent and affixed to the bucket, and details of how the bucket in the embodiment can be affixed to a chain, and FIG 5 is a perspective view of the bucket elevator in its assembled form and preceding from a collection station.

Referring in detail to the drawings, there are a plurality of buckets shown typically at 1 each of which is of elongate dimensions so that it has an outermost mouth 2 which has long front lip 3 and a long parallel back lip 4 each of which is parallel one to the other and these are boarded by side walls 5 and 6 so that there is provided a substantially rectangular shape boarded by on each side a chain 7 in one case and 8 in the other.

Each chain is comprised of links shown typically at 9 on one side and 10 at the other which are coupled together by pivot connectors shown at 11 and 12 typically.

Each bucket 2 is fixed with respect to the chains 7 and 8 so that the orientation of the bucket is locked to be that of the links of the chain which are adjacent the bucket.

This is achieved by having common pivot axis for front and back connectors of a link also having a shaft 13 passing jointly through respective ends of links 10, bush 11, aperture 14 of an adjacent link and aperture 15 in the bucket 1.

The shaft 13 passes fully through from one side to the other so that the exploded view as shown in FIG 4 has the same arrangement on the left hand side of the bucket 1 as is shown on the right hand in the illustration.

This then shows how each bucket is secured so as to maintain its orientation as being that of the linkage of the chain.

In order to maximise the carrying capacity of the respective bucket both when in a collection station as shown at 14, and when in elevating station at 15 and adapted to effect effective emptying when in an emptying station at 16 each bucket comprises a forward wall 17, a rearward wall 18, a bottom 19 and side walls 20 and 21.

WO 98/15478 PCT/AU97/00664 7 These together define a holding area which has an open top when the bucket is in a collection position as shown for instance in FIG 3 with the open top being defined by lips 22 which follow a plane which is approximately horizontal.

The alignment of the rear wall 18 relative to the uppermost open top 22 is such that there is at least some of the holding capacity of the bucket which is lower and more rearward than the rearward most lip shown at 23 at the open top 22.

Further, the wall 18 is planar and has an inclination relative to the open top 22 of approximately 500 as shown at 24 and the front wall also being planar and having an inclination similar to the rear wall 18 but is chosen to provide a slightly tapering shape between the two so that the angle shown at 25 is 450 so that there is in effect a 50 taper between the two.

This orientation provides for both a substantial collection capacity when the mouth 22 is uppermost that is the bucket is in the collection position as shown at 14 and it will maintain most of its holding capacity when the mouth is inclined so that the bucket itself is in an elevating position as shown in the elevating station at In trials conducted so far, with grapes freshly harvested, the holding capacity from the collection station position to the elevating position is a very small change and in any event, if there is any fallout, the material that might fall, will still fall into the oncoming buckets so the material as such is not lost.

The next feature relates to the continuous collection area.

This is now achieved by reason that the uppermost open tops at 22 are almost adjoining and at least in a forward to rearward direction, there is provided a rearwardly extending lip 26 which continues to cover any incidental gap that might otherwise exist.

In this way, it can be shown that in a collection position, each bucket is located to be positioned relative to adjoining buckets so that at least in a substantially forward to rearward direction there is an uppermost continuous collection area for collection of materials to be elevated.

8 might otherwise exist.

In this way, it can be shown that in a collection position, each bucket is located to be positioned relative to adjoining buckets so that at least in a substantially forward to rearward direction there is an uppermost continuous collection area for collection of materials to be elevated being provided at any one time by more than one bucket.

A further feature is that this can provide that there are no closing faces or surfaces which by reason of the changing orientation of a respective bucket will be caused to come together when the buckets are transferred from the collection station to the elevating station or anywhere else.

Such a closing surface which is accessible to the uppermost areas when in the collection position, means that there is no likelihood of pieces of collected debris being caught between such closing faces and therefore jamming in these and 15 potentially causing destructive forces.

At the least, there is very much less opportunity for this to occur with the arrangement described.

Finally, at the discharging station 16, as will be seen especially in Fig 1, the shape of the container is also now conductive to discharging both because of the 20 substantial orientation of the walls when the container is upside down, and there would appear to be little disadvantage from having the inclined holding capacity.

S" Nothing in this description requires that the collection position should have the chain so that the upper mouth is necessarily truly horizontal nor in the elevating station, exactly perpendicular to the horizontal when the apparatus as a whole is located on level ground.

In other words, the positioning of the chain can also be optimised for the collection shapes.

8a It appears now from the experiments conducted so far, that the arrangement described is economic to install and practical in application.

It appears to have overcome at least several significant problems that have *r r r e ,e WO 98/15478 PCT/AU97/00664 9 A number of changes can be envisaged which would still incorporate the invention but are not specifically described as the preferred embodiment.

For instance, each bucket is currently moulded from plastics material but clearly could be made from other materials.

The chain construction comprises two chains with links extending in each case between a front and back lip of each bucket but other configurations may be equally useful and feasible.

The application has been discussed with grapes and grape harvesters but clearly the invention is intended to be extending to any purpose for which bucket elevators have hitherto been used at least in the broadest sense.

There is specific advantage in grape harvesters and the embodiment has been specifically designed for this purpose but again it is stressed it is not intended the invention should be limited merely to this application.

Claims (11)

1. A bucket elevator with a bucket elevator chain with buckets where the buckets are each attached to the chain so that the orientation of the bucket in each case will remain as that of a chain link adjacent which it is located and perhaps affixed.

2. A bucket elevator as in claim 1 further characterised in that there is provided that a rear wall of a cavity is rearwardly inclined from an upper edge defining a rearward most edge of the uppermost mouth all of this when the bucket is in a collection position.

3. A bucket elevator as in claim 1 or 2 further characterised in that there is a front wall is approximately parallel to a back wall so that there can be provided a holding capacity in which both front and rear walls are approximately parallel one with respect to the other and sides walls are approximately parallel one with respect to the other.

4. A method of handling materials which comprises the steps of using a bucket elevator arrangement as described in any one of the preceding claims.

5. A bucket elevator as in any one of preceding claims 1 , 2 or 3 further characterised in that there are two sets of chains providing links where each bucket is secured both front and rearwardly by being attached to a pin passing jointly across from one chain to another.

6. A bucket elevator as in any one of the preceding claims where the shape of each of the buckets is such as to provide an effective carrying or emptying cavity shape for each of three orientations established by the orientation of links of the chain to which the bucket is associated or attached namely, a collection position, a lifting position and an emptying position.

7. A bucket elevator of a type in which a chain is adapted to support a plurality of buckets in echelon alignment, and to convey the buckets from a collection position to an elevating position, then to an emptying position and then to the collection position characterised in that each bucket is secured and supported so that its orientation remains that of the chain link adjacent to which it is located and perhaps affixed, and such that in the collection position each bucket is located to be positioned relative to adjoining buckets so that at least in a substantially forward to rearward direction there is an uppermost continuous collection area for collection of materials to be elevated.

8. A bucket elevator as in any one of the preceding claims further characterised in that each bucket is shaped and located so that when the respective buckets are orientated to an elevating position, the buckets do not have closing faces at the open side of respective cavities between adjacent buckets.

9. A bucket elevator as in any one of the preceding claims further characterised in that the holding cavity shape in respect of each bucket is aligned with respect to uppermost edges defining the open top so that when the bucket is in a collection position with the open top uppermost, there is at least some of the holding cavity located lower than and more rearward than a rearward most lip of the open top.

10. A bucket elevator as in any one of the preceding claims further characterised in that the wall of a bucket extending from a rearward most lip to the bottom of the cavity is substantially planar and a front wall is shaped and is of planar alignment and inclined so as to be more or less parallel to the back wall.

11. A bucket elevator substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying illustrations.