GB1580359A - Gathering mechanism for harvesting machines - Google Patents

Description

(54) GATHERING MECHANISM FOR HARVESTING MACHINES (71) We, HODMEZOVASARHELYI MEZO GAZDASAGI GEPGYAR ro ES BOLGALTATO VALLALAT, of H-6801, H6dmeziivbsBrhely, Rárósi ut 108, Hungary, a body corporate organised under the laws of Hungary, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention concerns a gathering mechanism for harvesting machines for harvesting various agricultural products, e.g. cereal crops, green beans and other pulses, and certain medicinal herbs. It is known that agricultural products, e.g. green beans, are harvested or combed down by a gathering mechanism arranged either along the row that the plant is cultivated or, more often, perpendicularly to the direction of the row line. Such a mechanism is described, e.g. in Hungarian patent specification No. 156,628. A further developed version of this is described in Hungarian patent specification No. 163,548 according to which in use a front-mounted spiked pick-up drum removes the product from the plant with the aid of a rigid but adjustable arcuate baffle cover and transfers it to a transport conveyor mounted behind the baffle. In the interest of further improving the gathering action and of more efficient harvesting product for gathering, Hungarian patent specification No. 163,548 proposes a mechanically operated displaceable product baffle is mounted in from of the spiked pick-up drum.

The construction described in (West) German patent specification No. 1,482,125 is a single or double drum type gathering mechanism positioned essentially in the row-line of the crop, wherein the gathering (picking) fingers of the drum pick the product from the plant and throw it on a transport conveyor. The forwarding of the picked product thrown on the conveyor is promoted by an air stream, generated and operating close to the pick-up drum.

The manufacture of the major part of the various types of harvesting machines currently in use is based on the patents described above. The working speed of these machines is, however, only 1 5-4 km/hour.

This operating speed of the known machines cannot be increased without a substantial increase in harvesting losses. The loss of crops caused by known machines is already considerable, i.e. on average about l0-20% at operating speeds of 1 5 4 km/ hour. Since the working speed of the described machines cannot be further increased, a greater output per area can only be achieved by increasing the width of working and the weight of the harvesting machine.

The invention aims at the elimination or reduction of the above-described shortcomings. The invention aims therefore to increase the working speed and thus the specific output of harvesting machines and to reduce the produce losses caused by the known machines.

According to the invention, this aim is sought to be achieved by a gathering mechanism adaptable to different agricultural products and which is fitted with a picking drum, positioned normally or nearly normally to the direction of advance ob the machine. The essence of the invention is that, in the vicinity of the picking drum, the mechanism is fitted with a fixed or adjustable blower or fan provided with a delivery pipe through which an air stream is directed towards the product and to the picking drum. The delivery pipe leads to an air channel encompassing the picking drum itself. The air channel is open at its bottom and forms a settling space. Above a product removal device positioned behind the picking drum, the air channel preferably widens and forms the settling (or sedimentation) space. There is conveniently a roof or wall provided with slots above the settling space or at the ends of the latter.

In another preferred embodiment the settling space is provided with an opening.

Another expedient embodiment of the invention has an adjustable air deflector arranged at the delivery pipe of the blower or fan and in the air channel.

The invention is described purely by way of example with reference to preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a gathering mechanism with a picking drum and a sedimentation or settling space fitted with a perforated roof, Fig. 2 shows a gathering mechanism with a picking drum and a sedimentation or settling space with an open roof, and Fig. 3 illustrates a gathering mechanism with a sedimentation or settling space having a perforated wall open at the rear.

According to the first embodiment (Fig.

1) in the vicinity of a front-mounted picking drum 1 provided with spikes 8 or with other special picking elements there is a blower 2 that is either fixed or adjustable in the direction of arrows 14 1 4a to provide a compressed air stream in the direction of the arrow with reference number 15. A delivery pipe 3 of blower 2 is arranged in front of the picking drum 1 and points towards it. The delivery pipe 3 is continued in a straight or arcuate line in the form of an air channel 4 which is open at the bottom and which encompasses the picking drum 1. Above a product removal mechanism 6 disposed behind the picking drum 1 a settling space 5 is formed. The walls of air channel 4 and sedimentation space 5 are closed or are purposefully provided with holes 9.

According to the other two embodiments (Figs. 2 and 3) the settling space 5 has an aperture 10 acting as a pre-cleaning space.

The delivery pipe 3 of the blower 2 is adjustable relative to the picking drum 1 and to the ground, in the direction of arrow 16.

To achieve a better control of the direction of the air stream, the end of the delivery pipe 3 may be separately adjusted, e.g. by turning a bottom plate 7.

To improve the directing of the air stream entering into the space 5 and to achieve a better segregation of material transported by the air stream, an optionally adjustable deflector blade 11 or any kind of regulating element can be fitted.

The picking drum 1, either by itself or together with the blower 2 follows ground contours; in this particular case, with the aid of a follower cylinder 13. This can however be done without contact with the ground.

To achieve a more effective form of air channel 4 the inner circumference of the drum 1 is defined by a hub or jacket 12.

The elements of the embodiments according to Fig. 1, 2 and 3 are expediently interchangeable.

The operating principle of the constructions shown is that the blower 2 delivers its air stream through its delivery pipe 3 so that the plants to be harvested are bent gently backwards towards drum 1. The drum 1 with its picking elements 8 combs off or tears off the product from the plant which has been deflected towards it by the air stream and ejects it. The air stream prevents the ejected material from falling on the ground and by changing its path directs it via the air channel 4 to the sedimentation space 5. In the sedimentation space 5 the speed of the air stream is reduced, e.g. by the air partly escaping through the perforated roof 9 and drops the transported material in the direction of arrow 17 on the product removal conveyor 6.

The energy of the air stream generated by the blower 2 can also be utilised for the precleaning of the gathered product transported to the settlement space 5. In this case, the impurities of smaller specific gravity are removed directly through the aperture 10 or with the aid of an additional non-illustrated forwarding mechanism. The construction according to the invention is advantageous in comparison with the gathering mechanisms of the known green bean harvesting machines, in that the working speed can be increased to a rate of approximately 5-7 km/hour, which enables the harvesting machine to achieve an increase in output per area of about 50-100%, assuming identical gathering width. There is, however, no need to increase the working width of the gathering mechanism of the machine. The cleaning device of the machine can operate also with a width identical with the operating width of the gathering mechanism. This enhances the cleaning operation and increases the through-put and the performance of the whole machine, resulting in the reduction of the material requirement and thus the specific machine weight in relationship to the output per area and performance. The direction of advance of the gathering mechanism is indicated by reference number 18.

According to the invention it is a further advantage that the loss of product can be reduced to about 5-10%.

With a harvesting machine fitted with a gathering mechanism according to the invention, if the first cleaning of the product is carried out at the gathering mechanism, the subsequent processing operations on the product are simplified. By fitting a gathering mechanism according to the invention, into harvesting machines the ingathering of green beans and other pulse plants (dry beans, peas, soya beans) is modernized. There is a further possibility of application at the harvesting of cereals, and certain medicinal herbs. For instance, the traditional scythefitted harvesting machine can be replaced by the gathering mechanism according to the invention which for this purpose can be constructed as ear and seed (grain) gathering mechanism. The gathering mechanism can be operated at a greater depth, e.g. at a height of 1-2 cm over the ground, than the conventional scythe-mechanisms, thus substantially reducing gathering losses.

When the gathering mechanism is used for seed gathering, it can also be favourably operated as a pick-up and threshing machanism; thus the whole design of the harvesting machine is simplified.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: - 1. A gathering mechanism for a harvesting machine for agricultural products, comprising a picking drum arranged perpendicularly to the direction of advance of the machine, a blower disposed in the vicinity of the picking drum and coupled to a delivery pipe for directing an air stream towards the picking drum, an air channel which is open at its bottom end, which receives the air stream from the delivery pipe and which encompasses the picking drum, a settling space formed by the air channel, and a product removal device.

2. A gathering mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the delivery pipe of the blower is fitted with an adjustable air deflector.

3 A gathering mechanism according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the settling space has a perforated wall suitable for drawing off the air stream.

4. A gathering mechanism according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the settling space has an aperture.

5. A gathering mechanism according to any preceding claim wherein an air stream deflector is arranged in the air channel.

6. A gathering mechanism according to claim 1 substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 or Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A harvesting machine including a gathering mechanism according to any pre

Claims (1)

1. ceding claim.