CA2075830A1

CA2075830A1 - Machine for crushing rocks on a potato harvester

Info

Publication number: CA2075830A1
Application number: CA 2075830
Authority: CA
Inventors: Michel Leblond; Corinne M. Picard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-08-11
Filing date: 1992-08-11
Publication date: 1994-02-12

Abstract

ABSTRACT

It is common in a potato harvester to discard rocks separated from potatoes back on to the field. Some times the rocks are collected in a box and then discarded on to the field. In the case of collected rocks, they are discarded on to the field as soon as the box fills up. Another machine is then necessary to remove the rocks from the field. This method is very inefficient because it increases compaction of the soil by increased traffic over the soil.

This invention, relates to a machine that mounted on a potato harvester will crush the rocks separated by the harvester from potatoes, regardless of their hardness and then discard the crushed rocks. This feature improves the condition of the soil by reducing traffic over the field. The machine can be driven by a drive shaft connected to the power take-off of a tractor or a diesel engine. Since this light-weight machine with an engine can be transferred to any work site it can be used for other applications.

Description

DISCLOSURE 2 0 7 ~ 8 ~ ~
., DISCUS8ION OF PRIOR AR~S
It is common in a potato harvester to discard rocks separated from potatoes back on to the field. Some times the rocks are collected in a box and then discarded on to the field. In the case of collected rocks, they are discarded on to the field as soon as the box fills up.
. ., Another machine is then necessary to remove the rocks from the field. This method is very inefficient because ,~
-~l it increases compaction of the soil by increased traffic over the soil, and in the long run decreased productivity of land. Moreover, rocks in the field increase injury to potatoes while harvesting.
Willibald, in U.S. Patent No. 4,417,627, disclosed an apparatus which utilized a work shaft with prongs and a rotatably driven drum on which flail-like parts are mounted whereby rocks lifted and pre-crushed by the ~ ~ .
rotary motion of prongs on the work shaft are broken by ~,~- impact by the flail-like parts of the rotating drum.
U.S. Patent No. 3,953,811 issued to Carre shows another ~ prior art in which rocks lifted up by the ploughshare ;J~ means are crushed by hammers pivotally mounted around a 3 25 rotor.
} .
~, 3 ;.

:, 207~830 These prior art inventions were all intended as separate machines to crush rocks in an agricultural field. Since high speed impact breaking of rocks on the i , ground is employed by both prior art inventions it also ~, 5 breaks the structure of the soil. Use of rock crushers `, in stony potato fields mounted on a harvester will be , more promising since crushing of rocks can be achieved above the ground and in the same operation as harvesting.
::~
"~ .
;, 100BJECT8 OF T~E PRE5ENT INVENTION

'l The object of the present invention is to provide a machine on the potato harvester to crush the rocks and then discard this crushed material onto the field.

~- It is another object of the present invention to !" provide an efficient rock-crushing operation in one single passing over the field without the need for ,~ ~
repetition for obtaining a better result.

~' ~ 20 It is still another object of this invention to ~, provide a light-weight machine to crush rocks with an , engine which can be transferred to any work site.
'j:
In order that the objects of the invention may be ,~ better understood, an embodiment thereof will now be ::~ ~
,,, '~, -. ~

~i,.- .. . ... , .. ".... .. , . ..... .. .,, . ... . . ... ' .. . ' .. . . ..

207~3~
described, purely by way of illustration and example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
;,~, BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention, .
Figure 1 is a side view of the machine after removal of the protective casing for the rotor;
j Figure 2 shows a vertical sectional view taken along the .~ line B-B of Figure 1;
: Figure 3 shows the side view and sectional view of the `.r~ rotor;
Figure 4 shows the side view and sectional view of the replaceable hammer tips on the rotor;
, .; Figure 5 shows the side view and sectional view of the ~ fixed hammer tips on the rotor; .
~ Figure 6 shows the four ways in which the replaceable ;3~ 20 hammer tips and hammer bars are attached to the rotor;
Figure 7 shows the four ways in which the fixed hammer tips and hammer bars are attached to the rotor;
Figure 8 shows the plan view, side view and sectional view of the carriage assembly and also shows the position of machine on the carriage assembly.

i . S
... .

.

k :~

` 207~830 DETAIL DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION
The machine shown in FIG. 1 consists essentially of a hopper 27 where the conveyor of the potato harvester drops the rocks separated from potatoes. The hopper is welded to the chute 26. The chute is placed at an angle ~`; to the rotor housing so that the chains g can be used as a safety feature to prevent rocks from backing up the ,.
~'4 chute. The angle of the chute also forces the rocks to -~ go between the hammer 2 and the anvil 4. The chute is ~ 10 welded to the housing of the rotor.

'1 The chains 9 are welded to the angle iron 29 which is "~
3 bolted to a flat bar lo and is welded to the chute. This ~ helps to remove the chain assembly by removing three `i ~;~ 15 bolts. The chain assembly prevents rocks from backing up -~ the chute. Figure 2 shows clearly the chain assembly.
~ .
The cover 6 is attached to the rotor housing by means of -: :
a hinge 14, this feature enables it to be opened and closed. It gives access to replace hammers and the .. ~
anvil. The cover can also be positioned in such a way as to provide a direct path for the rocks to the ground ;.:j:
without being crushed. This is a safety feature to ~; prevent accumulation of rocks before the rotor, if the ~`i 25 rotor is not working. This feature allows for the , .-,~, .
harvesting to continue even if the rotor is not working.
:~
l 6 2~7~830 The rock deflector 5 and the support bar 16 is welded to the cover 6. The rock deflector directs the rocks .
', between the anvil 4 and the hammer tips 54 for crushing.
` 5 The rock deflector has a hard facing to prevent wear from abrasion.

~6 .1 . . .
The anvil 3 is made of a solid plece of hlgh tenslle j steel and is welded to the rotor housing. The anvil shoe ?, 10 4 is bolted to the anvil. The shoe can be turned around when the edge near the hammer tip is worn. When both ., ~ edges of the anvil shoe is worn it can be replaced.
:!
-~ A solid rotor 1 is made of high tensile steel and is mounted on to the casing by sleeve type bearlng adaptors ~; to centre the rotor. This rotor has the capability to j ~ have both replaceable hammer tips Figure 6 and fixed hammer tips as shown in Figure 7. The rotor is provided with grooves that are precision machined for mounting of " '~6 20 the hammer bars. -,,- ~

The replaceable hammer tips are attached to the hammer bar by means of a pin which is secured by a locking screw as shown in Figure 4. This feature allows the hammer tips to be easily replaced when they are worn out. The 3 hammer tips 51, 52, 53, And 54 are identical. The . ~, .
~ 7 ; ~--,~

2~7583~
mounting bars differ from one another for mounting purposes and for positioning of the hammer which respect to one another. This can be seen from Figure 6.
.~ .
~'~ 5 The fixed hammer bars 61, 62, 53, and 64 in Figure 7 are ~, machined from solid steel to form the hammer heads.
;~ These hammer heads have multiple layers of hard facing to decrease wear and tear. Once worn the hammer head has to be rebuilt before putting a new coating of hard facing.
~ 10 This process is very time consuming, costly and requires !, skilled welders. The advantage of the replaceable hammer ~, tips compared to the fixed hammers is that the worn -, hammer tip is quickly and easily replaced by the operator `~ at the work site.
i .:i The crushing unit consisting of the rotor assembly and ~ the anvil assembly offers good results with a revolution ;~ of the rotor from 1000 to 1800 rpm. The size of the ~-- crushed particles decrease as speed increases.

The machine is mounted on to the potato harvester Figure 8 by means of two hollow square tubing 36 which slide in :'~ to two mounting tubes welded on to the potato harvester 37.
, ,~

,. ~ .

~ 8 ~1

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An equipment for breaking rocks mounted on a potato harvester, comprising in combination:

A) replaceable hammer bars bolted to the rotor;

B) replaceable hammer tips which are attached to the hammer bars by means of a locking pin, the said pin secured to the hammer bar by a locking screw;

C) anvil made of a solid piece of high tensile steel, the said anvil is machined to seat a shoe a) shoe, which is bolted to the anvil, the said shoe can be rotated around when the first side is worn and replaced when both sides are worn;

D) a cover in the casing to provide access to replace the hammers and provide a different path for the rocks to go directly to the ground without going through the rotor for crushing;

E) a series of chains as a safety precaution to prevent rocks from backing up the chute;

F) a solid rotor made of high tensile steel with no welding, provided with machined grooves for hammer assembly;