FR2589838A1 - Apparatus for filling containers with agricultural products - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the present invention is an apparatus for filling containers with agricultural products. The apparatus according to the invention is noteworthy, especially in that it comprises a platform, which can tip between the horizontal and the vertical, carrying the container 2 to be filled, and above the latter, a hopper 4. This hopper is provided with a filling opening 8 and an emptying opening in contact with the container. The apparatus makes it possible to fill the containers on the harvesting site.

Description

The present invention is in the field of materials used for harvesting and for storing agricultural products.

More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for filling storage containers for agricultural products.

It is known that the products harvested before treatment and / or sale are stored in appropriate containers.

Generally, these containers are permanently fixed in appropriate places so that the harvested products must undergo numerous handling operations before being stored, which can deteriorate them.

For the transport of agricultural products to storage containers, a plurality of transport trailers is generally used.

Each trailer receives a load from the harvester to be transported immediately to the storage containers, so as not to interrupt harvesting operations.

It is immediately clear that harvesting work for agricultural products requires personnel and additional resources only allocated to transporting the crop.

Such a formula turns out to be costly and significantly increases the operating cost.

The containers for storing agricultural products generally consist of relatively large parallelepiped enclosures provided at the upper end with a loading opening.

To fill such containers, ascending conveyors are used which bring the agricultural products above the loading opening.

These agricultural products flow by gravity into the container and deteriorate when they hit either the bottom of the container or the products already stored in the latter.

The most damaged products (or likely to be) are those that line the bottom of the container.

These products must also collect the weight of the mass of products placed in the container, which further increases the degree of their deterioration.

Due to the above, it is very difficult to store tender agricultural products, such as onions, without spoiling them.

This container loading mode is mainly used to store corn on the cob.

However, it is frequent that this loading mode results in a significant ginning of these ears.

The present invention aims to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above by using an apparatus which allows filling in situ, that is to say at the place of harvest, of removable container which can be left in place after filling.

Another object of the present invention is the implementation of an apparatus capable of filling, without deterioration of the products, containers of the type of those of relatively large height having in the upper part a loading opening.

To this end, the apparatus according to the invention for filling containers with agricultural products, for example of the type of those of parallelepiped shape having at the upper end a loading opening, is essentially characterized in that it consists of - a plate 3 tilting around a horizontal axis AA 'between a
vertical position and a horizontal position where
its front face is directed upwards, - a hopper 4 mounted in the upper part of the plate against its
front face, having a first opening 5, for emptying
obturale products by a shutter 6 and practiced in the face
lower 7, i.e. the face which is in the lower part
when the plate is vertical and having a second orifice
8 or obturating filling orifice by a flap, made
in its front face 10, that is to say the one facing the
high when the plate is horizontal, - and by means 11 to hold against the front face of the
tray under the hopper and in the axis of the emptying orifice
the latter at least one container 9 to fill, which is dis
placed on the said tray so that its opening filled
wise be in correspondence with the emptying hole of the tré
crumb.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the device is
mounted in articulation along the above-mentioned pivot axis on
a load-bearing structure, towed either by the harvester or by a vehicle that tracks the progress of the harvester.

It is understood that agricultural products are introduced into containers during harvesting operations.

These containers do not need to be transported immediately to a storage area but can be left on site once filled.

It is only during off-peak periods that they will be transported to the appropriate location.

We also understand that the device can fill the containers without deterioration of agricultural products.

Indeed, to perform the filling operation, it is necessary to tilt the tray and the container it carries horizontally.

In this position, the filling opening of the hopper is in the upper part and the products which are poured into the latter cannot deteriorate due to the short distance separating the dispensing nozzle of the collecting machine from the bottom of the hopper. .

The products introduced into the hopper slowly pour into the container when the tray is slowly brought back by tilting to its vertical position.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear on reading the description of a preferred embodiment given by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which - Figures 1 to 5 schematically illustrate charging mode
ment of a container of agricultural products, - Figure 6 is a perspective view of the tray of the device
according to the invention, - Figure 7 is a sectional view of a hopper according to the invention
tion, - Figure 8 is a partial rear view of the device.

- Figure 9 is a section along the line CC in Figure 8 - Figure 10 is a section along the line BB in Figure
7.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the shutter 6.

 As shown, the apparatus 1 according to the invention for filling the harvest container 2 is for example mounted on a support structure 1A towed by the harvester or by a tractor which follows the progress of the harvester.

According to the invention, the apparatus consists of - a plate 3 rocking around a horizontal axis AA 'between
a vertical position and a horizontal position according to
which its front face is directed upwards, - by a hopper 4 mounted in the upper part of the plate against
its front face having a first orifice 5 or orifice
emptying, obturating by a flap 6 and practiced in its lower face
lower 7, i.e. the face which is in the lower part
when the plate is vertical and having a second orifice
8 closable by a flap 9, formed in its front face
10, i.e. the one facing upwards when the plate
3 is horizontal, and by means 11 for holding against the front face of the
tray, under the hopper, and in the axis of the emptying orifice
of the latter, at least one container to be filled, which is
arranged on said tray so that its orifice filled
wise be in correspondence with the emptying hole of the tré
crumb.

Thus, the hopper is loaded when the tray 3 is in a horizontal position and its contents spill into the container when the tray straightens up to reach its vertical position.

The plate is preferably constituted by a metal frame formed by the assembly of longitudinal members 12 perpendicular to the axis AA ', with crosspieces parallel to said axis.

Preferably, this frame comprises an upper cross member 13, a lower cross member 14 and at least one intermediate cross member 15.

Coaxial with the axis AA 'mentioned above, each beam 12 comprises a pivot 16 intended to be mounted in rotation in a bearing carried by a lug 17 mounted as a fixing at the rear end of the platform 18 of the support structure.

Preferably, the bearings of the ears of the support structure are offset towards the rear of the platform 18 and the pivots are spaced from the lower cross member 14 of the frame by a distance very little less than the height of the axis of the bearings above ground.

To the lower cross member 14 is fixed the means 11 for supporting and maintaining in abutment against the front face of the plate, the container to be filled.

By way of example, this means consists of a fork perpendicular to the plate projecting from the front face of said plate.

This fork is constituted by at least two support blades lîA fixed to the lower cross member, perpendicular to the latter.

Advantageously, between each consecutive blade is fixed an angle 11B.

One of the wings of this angle develops along the plane of the blades while the other develops along the plane of the front face of the plate.

These blades, when the plate is vertical, occupy a horizontal position in space.

The support and holding means as described can also be used for loading and unloading containers if the support structure is provided with known means for raising or lowering the ears 17 relative to the ground, which has the effect of lower or raise the fork 11 of the platform 3 from the ground.

Thus, when the latter is vertical, the ears 17 are lowered, which has the effect of lowering the fork which can then be introduced under the underside of the container by retraction of the support structure.

Then the ears are raised above the ground so as to raise the container above the ground.

To place a container on the ground, the reverse operations are carried out.

In the case where the support structure is not equipped with means for raising or lowering the ears 17, the platform of the device is equipped with a fork 11 movable in height.

According to this variant, the blades of the fork are integral with a crosspiece equipped with two pins each mounted to slide in one of the side members of the plate.

A motor member, for example, a hydraulic cylinder of the double-acting type, causes the fork 11 to translate in an upward or downward movement. This cylinder is for example fixed by its rod to the cross member of the fork and by its body to one of the intermediate cross members of the plate.

The front and rear chambers of this jack are connected to a hydraulic circuit known per se.

To tilt, the plate 3 towards the horizontal position or the vertical position, there is provided a drive member 19 constituted for example by a double-acting hydraulic cylinder (fig. 2).

This jack is fixed by the end of its rod to one of the intermediate crosspieces 15 of the plate 3 and by its body to the platform 18.

The front and rear chambers of this jack are connected to a hydraulic circuit known per se.

The hopper 4 of the device has a general parallelepiped shape.

The longitudinal axis of the hopper is parallel to the axis AA 'of low bearing.

The hopper consists of a metal frame which receives at least four metal walls, preferably perforated openwork.

The framework consists of the assembly of longitudinal members and crosspieces arranged along the sides of a rectangular parallelepiped.

Two of the perforated metal walls respectively constitute the left vertical side wall and the right vertical side wall of the hopper while the other two constitute the back wall of the hopper and the upper wall respectively.

The back wall is that which is opposite the plate while the upper wall is that which is arranged horizontally and is located in the upper part of the hopper when the plate 3 is vertical.

In the front and bottom faces of the hopper are provided the filling orifice 8 and the emptying orifice 5, these two orifices being respectively closable by the shutter 6 and the shutter 9.

The opening 8 for filling the hopper is rectangular.

The flap 9 associated with this orifice consists of a metal frame covered by perforated walls.

By one of these sides parallel to the axis AA ′, the flap 9 is articulated at the front edge of the upper face of the hopper.

This flap is operated in the opening or closing direction by a motor member 20, for example a double-acting hydraulic cylinder connected to an appropriate hydraulic circuit.

In particular this circuit comprises a hydraulic distributor hydraulically or electrically controlled, connected, on the one hand, to the front and rear chambers of the jack and, on the other hand, to a source of hydraulic pressure.

Preferably, this distributor is of the three position type.

The first position corresponds to the supply of the rear chamber of the jack to actuate the shutter in a closing movement, the third position corresponds to the supply of the front chamber of the jack to actuate the shutter in an opening movement and the second position or intermediate position corresponds to the closure of the front and rear chambers of the jack to interrupt the movement of the shutter.

 According to the preferred embodiment, there is provided a mechanical transmission of forces and movement between the flap 9 and the drive member.

This transmission is constituted by a first link 21 articulated by its lower end to the framework of the upper wall of the hopper and by its upper end to a second link 22 whose lower end is articulated to the flap.

The rod of the hydraulic cylinder is articulated to the first connecting rod while the body is articulated to a yoke 23 mounted in fixing on the upper wall of the hopper.

According to the preferred embodiment, the flap is shaped so as to have a cavity 9A.

When the shutter is in the closed position, this cavity 9A comes in correspondence with the internal volume of the hopper, which increases the storage capacity of the latter.

This arrangement has another advantage.

The products which flow into the hopper form in the latter one or more canes, the top of which can be located above the filling orifice.

 Thanks to the cavity 9A, the shutter when it is closed may come to cover the quantity of products located above this orifice and avoid the loss of these surplus products during the tilting of the tray towards the vertical position.

To further increase the storage capacity of the hopper, the orifice 8 is extended towards the outside by a sheath in which the flap 9 slides.

This sheath is constituted by a lower wall 23 and by two lateral blanks 24.

The lower wall 23 of rectangular shape develops in a horizontal plane when the plate is vertical.

This wall projects from the front face of the hopper.

This wall of length identical to that of the opening is fixed by one of its longitudinal edges to the spar of the hopper constituting the horizontal lower edge of the orifice 8.

The two side blanks 24 each follow the outline of a right triangle.

Each lateral blank is mounted projecting from the front face of the hopper and is fixed by its sides forming the right angle to the wall 23 and to the cross member forming the corresponding lateral side of the opening 8.

 It is quite obvious that the shutter can slide freely in the sheath while opposing the passage towards the outside of the products contained in the hopper.

Advantageously, the upper face of the wall 23, that is to say that which constitutes one of the internal faces of the sheath, is curved along an arc of circumference centered on the axis of articulation of the flap.

In this way, the clearance between the horizontal free edge of the flap and the curved face of the wall 23 remains constant.

The shutter, during its closing movement, covers the products housed in the sheath and pushes them back towards the hopper.

The shutter closing movement is first of all interrupted only by the reaction exerted by the mass of product on this shutter, and the rear chamber of the jack associated with this shutter remains under pressure as long as said shutter has not not reached a final closing position. In this way, when the hopper empties of its content, the flap is driven by the jack towards the final closed position, which has the effect of pushing the products towards the emptying orifice 5.

The final position of the flap is detected by a hydraulic limit switch.

This sensor, when activated, controls the movement of the hydraulic distributor slide associated with the flap, towards the intermediate position to interrupt the closing movement.

According to the preferred embodiment, the flap to reach its final closed position enters the hopper 4 by passing through the orifice 8.

In the final closed position, the flap develops obliquely in the orifice 8.

To prevent products from escaping from the hopper when the flap is in this position, the lateral internal faces of the hopper are in the extension of the orifice 8 and there is provided in said hopper a lower wall 25 extending the wall 23.

The upper face of this wall 25 is also curved in an arc of circumference centered on the axis of articulation of the flap. When the shutter is in the final closed position, its horizontal free edge is substantially above the horizontal free edge of the wall 25.

For example, the flap follows the general shape of a prism whose cross section follows the outline of an isosceles trapezoid.

The framework of this component is formed by two end frames following the contour of an isosceles trapezoid and by parallel beams joining the frames by their top.

The two lateral faces, the face corresponding to the small base of the isosceles trapezoid and the two oblique faces corresponding to the oblique sides of this trapezium, receive perforated cover walls.

The face corresponding to the large base is devoid of a cover wall and is arranged opposite the orifice 8 when the shutter is closed.

The cavity 9A of the shutter has at least one ramp so that the products which it contains can be evacuated towards the orifice 5 when the shutter is in the hopper.

Preferably, the cavity 9A of this flap also develops along a right prism-don-t-la-se-ction right right is an isosceles trapezoid.

Thus, this cavity has a small face (which corresponds to the small base of the section), two oblique faces, one lower, the other upper, (which correspond to the oblique sides of the section) and two lateral faces.

When the shutter is in the final closed position, the lower spar of the large face is disposed above the free edge of the wall 25 while the small face and the oblique face form the above-mentioned ramp, this ramp being in two degrees of inclination so that the products contained in the cavity 9A can flow towards the emptying orifice 5.

The emptying orifice 5 of the hopper follows the outline of a rectangle.

The width and the length of this rectangle correspond respectively to the width and to the length of the filling opening of the smallest container which the device can receive while the width and the length of the lower wall correspond respectively to the width and the length of the opening of the largest container that the said device can receive.

According to the preferred embodiment, the lower wall of the hopper is constituted by the wall 25 and by two side walls 26 arranged substantially in the plane of the wall 25.

These two side walls are fixed to the wall 25 and to the lower side members of the side faces of the hopper.

Preferably, to prevent products from being retained on the two side walls 26, the hopper is equipped with two internal lateral ramps 27 which lead the products to the orifice 5.

These two lateral ramps are each fixed to the front wall and to the dorsal wall of the hopper and each cover the corresponding side wall and the part of the wall 25 located in the extension of the side wall.

 It is obvious that the lateral sides of the orifice 8 and the lateral blanks of the flap 9 follow the inclination of the ramps 26.

According to the preferred embodiment, each ramp 26 develops below the upper horizontal edge of the orifice 8.

According to this embodiment, the lateral edges of said orifice have an upper part perpendicular to the pivot axis of the flap and an oblique part which follows the inclination of the ramp.

Still according to this embodiment, the side blanks of the flap have an oblique part which follows the inclination of the oblique part of the lateral edges of the orifice 8.

The lateral blanks and the part of the ramp which cooperates with the oblique blanks of the flap have a shape similar to that described in space by the oblique lateral edges of the face gran of the flap during the pivoting of the latter.

According to the preferred embodiment, the flap 6 associated with the emptying orifice 5 is pivotally mounted in the hopper around a horizontal axis 28 fixed to the back wall at a spacing from the emptying orifice.

This flap, when actuated in tilting, sweeps the emptying orifice 5.

In the closed position, the horizontal free edge of this flap is pressed against the wall 25.

In this position, the flap is oblique with respect to the orifice 5 and is situated above the latter when the plate is vertical.

To actuate the flap 6 in the direction of opening or closing, there is provided a motor member 6A constituted by a double-acting hydraulic cylinder.

This cylinder is fixed by its rod to the flap 6 and by its body to the frame of the hopper.

Preferably, the flap 6 follows the shape of an isosceles trapezoid.

By the large base of this trapezoid, the flap is articulated to the front wall.

The oblique lateral sides of the flap, when the latter is actuated in tilting, describe a conical surface.

The part of each ramp which cooperates with the lateral edge corresponding to the flap has a also frustoconical surface similar to that described in space by the lateral edge.

The fact that the flap is mounted in tilting enables the products contained in the hopper to be pushed towards the cavity 9A of the flap 6 and to facilitate the closing operation if, for example, the agricultural products are ears of corn.

To further facilitate the closing of the orifice 5 in the case where the hopper receives ears of corn, the shutter 6 is constituted by a plurality of parallel bars 29 fixed perpendicular to a meme horizontal cross member 30 articulated to the axis 28.

 It is obvious that the difference between two consecutive bars is less than the thickness of a corncob.

According to this embodiment, the shutter is equipped with a second horizontal crosspiece to which the end of the rod of the jack 6A is fixed.

Preferably, the flap in the open position is kept angularly separated from the back wall of the hopper by coming into abutment against the horizontal edge of a rectangular wall 32 fixed to the back wall.

This wall is perpendicular to the back wall and is in the plane of the side walls 26.

This wall 32 is also connected to the side walls 26.

The wall 32A is slidably mounted on the wall 32 and is fixed in an articulated manner by one of its sides at the lower or free end of the flap 6.

The wall 32 A with the wall 32 constitute a telescopic screen opposing the penetration of the products into the space between the flap 9 and the back wall.

Preferably, the hopper is slidably mounted on the pla tes to either be moved away from the upper part of the container, or moved closer to this container and come to bear against its upper part.

When the container is completely filled (the latter being vertical), the movement of separation of the hopper combined with the closing vein of the shutter 6 allows a certain amount of product to be emptied onto the mass of product from the container.

This quantity of product due to the presence of the walls 25, 26 and 32 is moved away from the edges of the loading opening of the container.

The purpose of this additional quantity of product is to compensate for the packing of the products in the container.

To guide the hopper in sliding along the longitudinal axis of the tray, there are provided two guide rails 33 each detachably fixed to the beam of the tray and two slides 34 fixed to the back wall of the hopper which each cooperate in sliding with a guide rails.

A drive member 35 constituted for example by a double-acting hydraulic cylinder ensures the mobility of the hopper.

This hydraulic cylinder is for example fixed by its body to a horizontal cross member 34A mounted at the upper end of the guide rails and is fixed by its rod to the back wall of the hopper.

Advantageously, the apparatus as described is equipped with means for recovering the grains from the ears of corn but which are shredded when they are loaded into the hopper.

According to a preferred embodiment, these means consist of one or more drawers 36 mounted to slide in the space delimited by the flap in the closed position and by the back wall.

According to the preferred embodiment, the abovementioned space receives on either side of the rod of the jack 6A two drawers 36.

To prevent grains from becoming lodged in the space between the two drawers, the flap 6 is equipped with a mask 37 consisting of a metal wall.

 This wall when the flap is in the open position, hides the space between the two drawers.

The operation of the device is as follows
After placing a container on the device, the latter's tray is brought into a horizontal position so as to be able to fill the hopper.

When the tray is slowly brought to the vertical position, the products contained in the hopper slowly pour into the container.

This operation is repeated until the container is completely filled.

The device as described in particular allows the filling of containers of the cribs to corn type.

 It is obvious that the apparatus according to the present invention can receive all arrangements and all variants without departing from the scope of this patent.

Claims (1)

 R1 / Device (1) for filling the container (2) with harvest  having an upper loading opening characterized  in that it is made up  - by a plate (3) tilting around a horizontal axis AA '  between a vertical position and a horizontal position  according to which its front face is directed upwards, - by a hopper (4) mounted in the upper part of the plate  (3), against the front face of the latter having a  first emptying orifice (5), made in its lower face  upper (7) closable by a flap (6), that is to say the face  which is in the lower part when the tray is verti  cal and having a second filling orifice (8),  closable by a flap (9), made in its front face  (10), i.e. the one facing upwards when the  plate (3) is horizontal, - and by means (11) to hold against the front face  plate size, under the hopper and in the axis of the orifice  (5) at least one container to be filled, which is placed on  the tray so that its filling hole corresponds  is laid with the opening (5) of the hopper. R2 / Apparatus (1) according to claim 1 comprising a hopper  equipped with a filling orifice (8) closable by a  flap (9) hinged to the front edge of the upper wall of  the hopper characterized in that the flap (9) has a cavity (9A) which comes into correspondence with the internal volume of the hopper when it comes to the closed position. R3 / Apparatus (1) according to claim 1 characterized by a  sheath extending externally the orifice (8) in which  slides the flap (9), this sheath being constituted by a  lower wall (3) fixed to the horizontal lower edge of  the orifice (8) and by two lateral blanks (24) each fixed to  the wall (23) and to the corresponding lateral side of the orifice  (8). R4 / Apparatus according to claim 1 equipped with a hopper of which  the orifice (8) is equipped with a flap (9) actuated by an organ  ne motor (20) in the opening or closing direction  re, characterized in that the flap enters the hopper (4)  during its closing movement to repel the pro  duits it contains towards orifice (5) or orifice of vida  ge. R5 / Apparatus according to claim 4 characterized in that the  lateral internal sides of the hopper are in the extension  side edges of the hole (8) and the hopper is  fitted with a lower wall (25) extending the wall  (23) so as to prevent the products from escaping  hopper through the hole (8) when the flap is  in the said hopper. R6 / Apparatus according to claim 2 characterized in that the  cavity (9A) of the flap has at least one ramp so that  the products it contains can escape to the ori  fice (5) when the flap is in the hopper. R7 / Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising an equal hopper  pee of an orifice (5) or emptying orifice closable by a  flap (6) characterized in that said flap is mounted in  tilting in the hopper around a horizontal axis (28)  attached to the dorsal wall of the hopper with orifice spacing  this (5), the horizontal free edge of said flap coming into posi  closure against the wall (25). R8 / Apparatus according to claim 7 characterized in that the  shutter is constituted by a plurality of bars (29) paral  lels fixed perpendicularly to the same crosspiece (30)  horizontal articulated to the axis (28). R9 / Apparatus according to claim 7 characterized in that the  flap (6) is kept angularly apart in position where  vertex of the back wall of the hopper coming to rest  against the horizontal edge of a wall (32) fixed to said  back wall perpendicular to the latter. R10 / Apparatus according to claims 7 and 9 characterized by a  wall (32A) slidably mounted on the wall (32) and fixed  articulated by one of its sides at the end lib  re of the shutter (6).  Roll / apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a hopper  characterized in that the said hopper is mounted behind the scenes  lie on the plate along the axis of the latter for either  be moved away from the top of the container, either  be close to the latter and come to rest against his  the top part.  R12 / Apparatus according to claim 9 equipped with a hopper of which  the flap (6) is kept angularly spaced from the wall  front in the closed position characterized in that it  has one or more drawers for collecting  grains, mounted in the space between the flap (6), and by the  back wall of the hopper. R13 / Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that it  is mounted articulated by the plate (3) on a sup structure  towable port. R14 / Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising means (17)  characterized in that the said means consists of a  fork perpendicular to the plate (3) projecting from the  front face of said plate. R15 / Apparatus according to claim 14 characterized in that the  fork (11) is movable in height and is driven  in translation by a drive member.