GB1187571A - Improvements relating to Root Crop Harvesting Machines - Google Patents

Abstract

1,187,571. Root crop harvesting machine. F. A. STANDEN & SONS Ltd. and P. STANDEN. 30 April, 1969 [1 May, 1968; 12 Sept., 1968], Nos. 20741/68 and 43478/68. Heading A1F. A root crop harvesting machine comprises lifting elements adapted to lift crop from the ground to a rotating cage of openwork construction that effects primary screening and is characterized by the provision of secondary screening means including a riddle conveyer and a belt conveyer divided longitudinally into at least two sections. In an embodiment (Fig 2) the crop is lifted and carried to a rotating cage 2 from whence it is deposited on a riddle conveyer 4. The conveyer 4 comprises spaced apart bars 11 spanning a pair of cables. The bars 11 are adjustably clamped to the cables so that the separation of the bars may be varied. Small sized crop and debris pass through the riddle conveyer and are deposited by means of a guide 7 on the marginal areas of the belt conveyer 5. Large sized crop is retained on the conveyer and passes down a shoot 13 to the central area of the belt 5. The sorting is completed manually. In a further embodiment (Fig. 5) the riddle conveyer comprises spaced apart bars of oval cross-section spanning a pair of chairs which are moved transversely to the conveyer 5. The separation of the bars is varied by rotating the bars about their longitudinal axis. Alternate bars are pivoted to the other alternate bars so as to swing downwardly out of the general plane of the lower run of the riddle conveyer. Small sized crop and debris pass through the riddle conveyer and large sized crop is retained and passed to a conveyer 27 which runs in a direction 28 opposite to the direction of motion of the crop. The large potatoes however fall on to the belt conveyer 5 and any remaining debris is deposited from the conveyer 27 with the small sized crop and debris. The inclination of conveyer 27 is adjustable. The large sized crop section of the conveyer 5 is terminated by a crop outlet comprising a conveyer which delivers the crop to a tank or to another vehicle. The small sized crop section terminates in a debris discharge which may comprise a hammer mill to pulverise rejected material.