ES2403025A1 - Almond harvester-peeling machine with vibrating clamp and directional wheels (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

An almond harvesting machine is described, capable of being dragged by a tractor vehicle, which includes a vibrating clamp for detachment of the fruits that when picked up are picked up by a folding fan to take them to lateral collecting hoppers from where they are dragged by spindles towards a cavity which houses a device for peeling the almonds. Once peeled, the almonds are received in a receiving hopper from where they are dragged, by means of a spindle, to an outlet duct equipped with an internal auger. The machine has wheels of displacement provided with a system of directional turn in agreement with the direction of the tractor vehicle, counting each wheel with a cylinder of vertical route for the descent or the ascent of the wheel during the displacement of the machine or during its condition of rest, respectively. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

The scope of the invention is

included in the: industrial sector dedicated to

manufacture and marketing of agricultural machines,

especially automatic collection machines of

5

almonds and other fruits of a similar nature.

Background and Summary of the Invention

The collection of certain fruits such as almonds and

others of a similar nature, usually done today

1 o

with the help of machines equipped with di spo: s i t i vos

vibrators designed to be coupled to some part of the

tree and transfer enough vibration to cause

the detachment of the fruit. It is currently known in the

state of the art a vibrating device designed to

fifteen

provide the producer tree with a "friendly" treatment, it is

say, enough to materialize the detachment of the

fruit but without causing any damage to the trunk or

the branches of the tree, which consists of a vibrating clamp

provided with two arms for coupling through the

twenty

closing them on some part of the producing tree

(e.g. emplo, trunk or branches) and transfer to this

last a vibration generated by rotating a mass

positioned eccentrically with respect to an example of rotation,

driven by a hydraulic or pneumatic motor,

25

the vibration being transmitted to the caliper arms

through the housing itself in which it is located

housing said eccentric positioning mass.

Clamps of this type are normally supported.

30

by a tractor device that is responsible for moving them

to the place of planting and position them in the

sites where they must be coupled to producing trees.

For this reason, in order to facilitate and simplify all

the problem associated with both the displacement of

35

various devices used during the operations of

collection as their own positioning, it would be desirable that they could incorporate their own means of displacement when they are coupled to a tractor vehicle.

The present invention has been proposed as the main objective of the design: and development of a machine specifically designed for the treatment of almonds and similar fruits, intended to simplify and automate all the problems associated with the collection and treatment of almonds. This objective has been fully achieved by means of the machine to be described in the following, whose main characteristics are included in the characterizing portion of the attached claim 1, and whose machine design has

It has been carried out in a way that simplifies the operation of the tractor vehicle used for the dragging of the machine as it is supported on its own means as a whole and thus allowing for lower fuel consumption and a more environmentally friendly behavior.

In essence, the machine [Uina proposed by the present invention] consists of a combination of devices structured around a common chassis capable of being attached to a tractor vehicle, for example an agricultural tractor, the machine comprising a clamp as a whole vibrator of the type discussed above, means of collecting the fruits depreded by the action of said vibrating clamp materialized by means of a folding fan around the position of the tree

producer, a device for dragging the fruits collected from the folding fan towards a peeler (preferably a ring peeler), a hopper for collecting peeled almonds located at the exit of said peeler, and means for dragging almonds

stripped from the hopper, it goes to a steering duct of the tractor vehicle itself, and in addition each of the wheels is associated with a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder that drives the corresponding wheel according to the vertical direction of downward or upward movement.

exit

equipped Likewise with a endless (or spindle from

drag)

in its inside. He chassis bill with a pair from

wheels

a to every side for he displacement from the

machine

linked between yes by means, medium from a system from

5

turn directional from the wheels correlated with the

10 as applicable to a travel position or a rest position, respectively.

With a machine layout like the one just described briefly, it is clear that they are simplified

15 remarkably all the operations related to the collection of the almond and also some operations related to its subsequent treatment, while significantly reducing its impact on environmental pollution.

Brief Description of the Drawings

These and other features and advantages of the invention will become more clearly apparent from the detailed description that follows in a manner of

25 preferred embodiment thereof, given solely by way of example and without limitation whatsoever with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation.

30 in perspective from the top of an almond peeling machine made in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates a schematic representation 35 also in perspective from above of a machine according to

Figure 1, with the fan collection device deployed, and

Figure 3 is a schematic representation in

5 perspective from above, of a machine according to Figure 2, with the collection fan in the retracted condition during the movement of the machine.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

10 As mentioned above, the

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the object of the invention will be carried out in the following with the help of the attached drawings, through which the same numerical references are used for

15 designate the same or similar parts before. Thus, referring first to Figure 1 of the drawings, one is shown therein. schematic representation, in perspective from above., of an almond peeling machine built in accordance with the

20 teachings of the present invention. The machine is structured on the basis of a chassis identified by reference number 1, adapted to be able to be attached to the front of a tractor vehicle (not shown), preferably an agricultural tractor as

25 mentioned. The chassis frame supports the various devices incorporated by the machine so that, looking at the chassis from the front to the rear, you can see the advanced arrangement of a device of a device: vibrating clamp device that has

30 open arms 12, directed with divergence towards the front of the machine, the vibration transmitted by the arms 12 being generated towards the shaft to which they are coupled by an eccentric positioning mass enclosed inside the cylindrical housing 2, and

35 driven in rotation by means of an external motor 13.

Attached to the external parts of both arms 12, there are hoppers collecting the almonds detached from the tree due to the rotation, generally substantially elongated, the longitudinal dimension being

5 appreciably larger than the transverse dimension, inside each of which there is an auger or drive spindle 3 'of the fruits that successively fall inside each hopper 3, positioned at the bottom of the hopper collector 3 and

10 extended centrally according to its longitudinal dimension. The proximal ends of each of the drive spindles 3 'of each collecting hopper 3 communicate with a cavity 14 within which an almond peeler is located, identified with the numerical reference 11, and preferably of a type known as a peeler of rings This cavity 14 containing the peeler has its exit in communication with a hopper 4 receiving peeled almonds, identified by reference number 4, in which

20 the almonds that have previously been subjected to the action of the peeler 11 are received. The peeled almond receiving hopper 4 is positioned according to the general transverse direction of the machine, and inside it is housed: a drive spindle 6, of

25 so that once the peeled almonds fall inside the receiving hopper 4, they are dragged by said spindle 6 towards a tubular outlet duct 8 in whose interior there is an auger (not visible in the Figure) that drags the almonds supplied by the spindle of

30 drag 6 along the conduit 8 towards an outlet mouth 8 'for the collection and further treatment thereof.

The collecting machine of the invention, unlike other machines known in the state of the art, advantageously incorporates its own means of movement, consisting of at least one pair of wheels 5, one on each side of the chassis, which are susceptible to addressing in accordance with the direction of the tractor vehicle (no

5 represented). Both wheels are mutually linked to each other by means of a directional turning system 9 materialized by a crossbar that rotates both wheels simultaneously, while each of the wheels 5 has means that cause displacement.

10 vertical, in descent or ascent, of said wheels, consisting of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 7 associated with each respective wheel. With this arrangement, as indicated by arrow F1, when the machine must be moved or is operating, the cylinders

15 7 are activated, causing the lowering of each wheel 7 to support them on the floor surface, while, when the machine does not operate or should be moved, the cylinders 7 are deactivated, so that both wheels 7 are in its high position and the machine

20 in the resting condition, resting on the bottom of the chassis 1 itself.

The machine additionally includes a folding means for collecting the fruits that fall from the producing tree

25 when subjected to the action of the arms 12 of the front vibrating clamp of the machine. This device, mentioned as a folding fan, is identified in Figure 2 with the reference number 15, and is shown in its unfolded state. It can be seen that the

30 fan device is composed of several sections, inclined downwardly inwardly so that the lower edges are positioned approximately on the outer walls of the collection hoppers 3 on both sides of the machine, thereby ensuring a drop

35 appropriate fruits (not shown) to the

inside of both collecting hoppers 3.

When the operation of the machine ceases, the folding fan 15 can be folded by folding its

5 sections, to adopt a configuration such as that indicated with reference 15 'in Figure 3 of the drawings. Under such conditions, the machine can be moved without difficulty, and access to the space between the divergent arms 12 of the machine is completely expedited.

10 vibrating clamp in order to facilitate an eventual coupling of the clamp arms to any other producing shaft.

It is not considered necessary to make the

content of the present description so that a person skilled in the art can understand its scope and the advantages derived therefrom, as well as carry out the practical realization of its object.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, and since the description given corresponds only to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that within its essentiality multiple variations of detail, also protected, may be introduced, which may

25 affect the shape, size or materials of manufacture of the assembly or its parts, without this implying any alteration of the invention as a whole, delimited only by the claims provided below.

Claims (3)

1.- Almond peeler-peeler machine with vibrating caliper and directional wheels, especially 5 designed as a combination of devices for performing a variety of functionalities associated with the collection and treatment of fruits such as almonds, specifically designed to be coupled to the rear of a tractor vehicle such as a tractor 10 agricultural or other of a similar nature, characterized in that it comprises: a single frame (1), provided with displacement means materialized by at least one wheel (5) on each side of the frame, which includes a vibrating clamp with open arms (12) frontally for coupling to a 15 producer tree and a pair of collecting hoppers positioned on the outside of each clamp arm (12) and attached respectively along each respective arm, including each of the aforementioned collecting hoppers (3) a drive spindle (3 ') housed inside 20 each hopper (3), extended centrally according to the longitudinal direction of the hopper: a cavity (14) positioned next to both collecting hoppers (3), in communication with the proximal ends of the latter, inside which a stripping device (11) 25 the almonds supplied to said cavity from both collecting hoppers (3) by means of their respective spindles (3 ') and one such one (1) receives the peeled almonds by means of the peeling device (11), arranged transversely with respect to to the longitudinal direction of the 30 machine, which houses a drive spindle

(6)

of the peeled almonds received from the cavity

(14)

and an almond outlet means, consisting of a tubular outlet duct (8), connected to the outlet of the hopper (4) for receiving peeled almonds, and equipped with a

35 internal auger to drag peeled almonds from the hopper (4) to the outlet opening (8 ') of said duct (8) and, a fan device (15), composed of a multiplicity of sections, capable of being deployed during the operations of 5 collection and be folded during movements or resting condition of the machine. 2. Machine according to claim (1), characterized in that the wheels (5) of movement of the machine 10 include a directional turning system (9) in correlation with the direction of the tractor vehicle, for the purpose of ease of operation of the machine during transport. 3. Machine according to claims 1 and 2, 15 characterized in that each wheel (5) includes a drive device according to the vertical direction, in both directions of descent and ascent, consisting of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder (7) associated with each wheel that allows the associated wheel to be lowered toward 20 the ground during the movements and displacements of the machine, and perform the ascent and collection of each wheel during periods of inactivity of the machine.