GB2034785A - Trench excavator for root crop harvesting - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for the harvesting of root crops planted in rows. The apparatus moves along the rows of crops, digging a channel adjacent the row of crops to be harvested as it moves. The channel is dug by a bucket conveyor A and soil is discharged from the buckets 73 of the bucket conveyor to a transversely arranged soil conveyor B, which can discharge the soil into a previously formed channel to fill same. To harvest, the farmer walks along the formed channel and manually removes the root crops from the ground. The bucket conveyor can be raised and lowered selectively between a digging position, and a non-digging position and the apparatus advances by the winding of a rope on a winch drum 24 of the apparatus, the free end of the rope being attached to a stake in the ground. A single prime mover 4 serves for the driving of the bucket conveyor A and the soil conveyor B and also for the driving of the winch drum. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An apparatus for digging root crops The invention relates to an apparatus for harvesting root crops such as chinese yarns which are planted in rows and which heretofore to our knowledge have been harvested entirely by hand in a manner which is time consuming and tedious.

An object of the invention is to provide a harvesting apparatus which is constructed and operates in such a manner as to permit the more efficient harvesting the aforesaid root crops, in particular rbot crops having longer root-stocks. In a preferred mode of operation, invention also contributes to improvement of quality and growth of root crops.

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for harvesting root crops planted in rows, said apparatus being adapted for movement lengthwise of the rows of crops and comprising; i) a main frame; ii) a driving means carried by the main frame; iii) a movable sub-frame carried by the main frame; iv) a bucket conveyor which is drivingly connected to the driving means and which is carried by the subframe and is movable therewith to be lowered to a position in which the bucket conveyor extends to a position below ground level to excavate soil from the ground whereby by driving bucket conveyor and moving the apparatus lengthwise of the rows of crops, the apparatus can be made to excavate trenches between rows of crops from which trenches the crops can be harvested, said sub-frame being movable to raise the bucket conveyor clear of the ground for transportation.

The drawings show an embodiment of apparatus which is according to the invention and which will now be described by way of example.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the embodiment; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the embodiment and shows the bucket conveyor is in its operational position; Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a back view of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing the drive mechanism; Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the belt tension adjuster; Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line VIl-VIl in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an enlarged side view of part of the movable sub-frame to which the bucket conveyer is attached; Fig. 9 is a back view of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a bottom view of Fig. 8; Figs. 11 to 13 are enlarged longitudinal sectional views showing a part of the bucket conveyor in different successive operational positions;; Fig. 1 4 is an enlarged sectional back view taken along the line XIV-XIV in Fig. 11; Fig. 1 5 is an enlarged side and part sectional elevational view of a connection shaft which transmits rotational movement from the drive to the earth-moving conveyer, and Fig. 1 6 is a part sectional plan view of Fig. 1 5.

Referring to the drawings, to a body 1 are attached front and rear wheels 2, which run on parallel tracks 3 provided on the ground and extending parallel to the rows of crops to be harvested. On the front portion of the body 1 are provided a drive 4 such as a petrol engine and a reduction gear 5. On the front portion of the body 1 is also provided a stationary or main frame 6 on which a shaft 7 is rotatably mounted. To the one end of the shaft 7 is attached a pulley 8 which is connected by means of a belt 10 tensioned by a tension roller 11 to a smaller pulley 9 connected to drive 4 to be driven thereby. The shaft 7 has at its other end a pinion 12 which transmits rotational movement to the bucket conveyorA and to the earth-moving conveyor B.The shaft 7 is provided, at its intermediate portion, with a pulley 13 which is connected to a pulley 14 at the input of the reduction gear 5 by means of a belt 1 5 to rotate the pulley 14. The rotational movement transmitted to the reduction gear 5 is reduced by the gear 5 and is further transmitted to a rotational shaft 1 8 via bevel gears 16 and 1 7.

Gear 1 7 is connected to the shaft 18 which has at its other end a pulley 1 9 which is in turn connected by a belt 22 to a larger pulley 21 carried by a pivot shaft 20 rotatably mounted on and towards the top of the stationary frame 6. The belt 22 is engaged by a belt tension adjuster C. To the pivot shaft 20 which is rotated by the belt 22 is connected a pinion 23 which is engaged by a gear 25 of a winding drum 24 mounted on and towards the top of the frame 6, to provide for rotation of the drum 24. The drum 24 is provided, on its drum body, with a fibre rope 26 wound thereon, one end of which is for connection to a pile 27 driven into the earth. The rope 26 is wound on the drum 24 by rotation of the drum 25 to cause the body 1 to move along the tracks 3.

The pinion 12 of the shaft 7 which is rotated by the drive 4 engages a gear 29 which is connected to the center portion of a rotation shaft 28 carried by the frame 6. The shaft 28 has at one end a pulley 30 which transmits the rotational movement thereof to the bucket conveyor A and at its other end has a pulley 31. The pulley 31 transmits via a belt 32 its rotational movement to a pulley 34 connected to the center portion of a transmitting shaft 33 carried by the stationary frame. The shaft 33 is provided, at each end, with a bevel gear 34' and 34" respectively which engage bevel gears 36 and 36' connected to the forwards ends of rotation shafts 35 and 35', respectively. The shafts 35 and 35' are provided at their rear ends, with sockets 37 and 37' (see Figs 1 5 and 16) in which are arranged cross pins 38 and 38', respectively.The cross pins 38, 38' are engaged by slotted ends of connecting shafts 39, 39', respectively, to rotate the earth-moving conveyor B.

The stationary frame 6 has rear side bars which extend upwardly and which are connected at their upper ends to a supporting cross bar 40 and at their lower ends to a supporting cross bar 41. To the ends of the cross bars 40, 41 is pivotally connected movable subframe 42 which is capable of moving up and down. A support lever 43 is connected to the centre portion of the upper support bar 40 and extends in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined direction as shown. The upper end of the lever 43 is rigidly connected to a cross bar the ends of which are rigidly connected to the upper ends of further side support bars 44 and 44' provided on the body 1.

The support bars 44 and 44' supported by the lever 43 stand on the body 1 and are outside over the movable subframe 42. Stop panels 45, 45' are pivotally connected to the upper ends of the support bars 44 and 44'. The bars 44 and 44' are provided, at their upper ends, with backward extensions 46, 46' to which a shaft 48 extending therebetween is rotatably connected.

The shaft 48 is provided with a fibre rope 47 wound on its centre portion. To the both ends of the shaft 48 are connected ratchet wheels 49, 49' which are engaged by the stop pawls 45, 45' so that when the panels 45, 45' are so engaged the shaft 48 can rotate only in one direction. One end of the rope 47 is connected to the upper end of the rear bar of the movable sub-frame 42 to support the latter.

The movable sub-frame 42 include two pairs of upper and lower parallel swing levers 50, 50' and 51, 51' pivotally connected to the respective ends of the upper and lower support bars 40,41 of the stationary frame, and a pair of vertical left and right arms 52, 52' pivotally connected to the rear ends of the swing levers by means of shafts 53 and 54.

The movable sub-frame is thus in the form of a parallelogram mechanism. One end of the fibre rope 47 is connected to the upper support shaft 53 and support brackets 55, 55' are provided to the undersides respectively of the rear ends of the swinging levers 51, 51' in such a way that the rear ends of the brackets 55,55' project backwardly from the levers 51, 51', respectively. The rear projections of the brackets 55, 55' are provided with upwardly open recesses 56, 56' (see Fig. 8) in which projecting pins 60, 60' provided on the both sides of the frame of the bucket conveyer A are disengageably engaged. U-shaped guides 57, 57' are also provided to the underside of the levers 51,51' to be in alignment with the recesses 56, 56' and to be adjacent to the brackets 55, 55'.

In the guides 57, 57' are slidably located hook levers 58, 58' with hook-shaped rear ends, the front ends of which levers 58, 58' being connected through tension springs 59, 59' to the levers 51, 51', respectively. The projecting pins 60, 60' are removably hooked by the hook levers 58, 58' to hold the conveyer A on the back side of the movable sub-frame.

The pins 60, 60' are provided on the outsides of bars 62, 62' of the frame of the bucket conveyer A. Between upper portions of the bars 62, 62' is connected a cross bearing cylinder 65 which is provided with a control roller 63 and with a pair of side rollers 64, 64' as shown in Fig. 11.

Further, between the lower portions of the bars 62, 62' is connected a similar cross cylindrical bearing. Rotating shafts 67 and 68 are inserted in the cylindrical bearings 65 and its counterpart in such a way that the both ends of the shafts 67 and 68 extend from the bearings 65 and its counterpart respectively.

Guide pulleys 69, 69' and 70, 70' are connected to the projecting ends of the shafts 67 and 68, respectively. The extreme ends of the upper shaft 67 bear against the back faces of the arms 52,52' of the movable subframe 42 to prevent the lower portion of the bucket conveyerA from moving backwards in use.

One end of the shaft 67 has an extension to which a larger pulley 71 (Fig. 5) is connected. The pulley 71 is connected to the pulley 30 rotated by the drive 4 via a belt 108. The guide pulleys 69 and 69' are connected to the guide pulleys 70 and 70', via belts 72 and 72', respectively. The buckets 73 are provided between the belts 72 and 72'.

Each bucket 73 has an expanded opening and the rear side edges of the buckets are inwardly curved. Opposite to the inwardly curved portions of the buckets are provided curved members 74, 74' having the same curvature as that of the guide pulley 69. Rotation belts 72, 72' bear against the rean plane of the members 74.74' respectively, and are rigidly connected thereto by means of curved pressing members 75, 75' which have grooves of the same sectional profile as that of the belts 72, 72' and which are pressed against the rear plane of the members 74, 74'. In front of the members 74, 74', that is in the inner rear portions of the buckets 73, are pivotally provided deflectable pressure plates 76 which can rotate about the respective pivotal shafts 77 to sweep the bucket volume.Each of the pressure plates 76 is provided, on its upper rear face with a claw cam 78 and on its lower rear face, with a pair of claw cams 79, 79' to contact with respective rollers 63, 64 and 64', of the bearing 65 as the bucket moves round bearing 65 so that when the lower cams 79,79' come into contact with respective rollers 64, 64' of the cylindrical bearing 65 and separate therefrom, the upper cam 78 comes into contact with the roller 63.

The earth-moving conveyer B is longer than the width of the body 1 so that one end of the conveyer B extends outside the width of the body 1 to one side of the body 1. The conveyer B is removably supported at both sides by a pair of supports 80. The conveyer B is also supported and rotated buy a pair of rotating shafts 81,81' which are provided, at their front ends, with sockets 82, 82' in which cross pins 83, 83' are provided. In the shaft 81 is telescopically inserted a connecting rod 39' which is rotated by the drive 4.

When the conveyer B is displaced to the right in Fig. 4 so that the right hand end overhangs the right hand side of the body in Fig. 4 this connecting rod 39 may be connected to the other shaft 81 to rotate the same.

The connecting rods 39 and 39' are similar but only rod 39 is described with reference to Figs. 1 5 and 1 6 and it consists of a pair of rod elements 84, 85. The front element 84 is provided, at its front end, with a slotted end 86 in which is engaged the cross pin 38 which is provided in the socket 37 formed in the rear portion of the rotating shaft 35 of the bevel gear 36 rotated by the drive 4. The front element 84 is telescopically inserted in the socket 37 connected to the rotating shaft 35. The front element is provided, at its intermediate portion, with a retaining ring 87 against which one end of which a compression spring 88 bears. At the rear end of the front element 84 is provided a threaded hole 89 in which a set screw 92 is screwed to connect the front element 84 to the rear element 85.The rear element 85 is provided, at its front end, with a sleeve portion 90 having an elongated slot 91 which extends along the sleeve. The set screw 92 extends through the slot 91 and is screwed into said threaded hole 89 of the front element 84 so that the front element 84 can slide in the sleeve 90 but cannot rotate relative thereto. The rear element 85 is provided at its rear end, with a slot 93 in which is fitted a cross pin 83 provided in the socket 82 formed in the front end of the rotating shaft 81 of the earth-moving conveyer B. The rear element 85 is telescopically inserted in the socket 82 to transmit the rotation to the conveyer B.

The belt tensioning adjuster C (Figs. 6 and 7) is provided at its front end, with a roller 94 which is rotatable and is for exerting a pressure onto the belt 22. The adjuster C has an actuating lever 97 which is pivotally connected at its lower end to a bracket of the stationary frame 6. The actuating lever 97 is provided, at its center portion, with a projecting rod 96 with a threaded central hole 95.

A handle 99 rotatably extends through a hole 98 pierced in a bar of the frame 6. Around the projecting rear end of the handle 99 is arranged a compression spring 101 and a washer 100. A connecting rod 103 extends between the handle 99 and the actuating lever 97 to connect the two members. The connecting rod 103 is provided, at its front end, with a sleeve portion 104 and an elongated slot 105 extending along the sleeve 104. The rear end of the handle lever 99 is slidably inserted in the sleeve 104 and is connected to the rod 103 by means of a set screw 106 which extends through the window 105 and is screwed in a threaded hole 102 formed in the rear end of the handle lever 99. The connecting rod 103 has a screwed rear end 107 which is screwed in the threaded hole 95 of the actuating lever 97 to move the lever 97 and to hold the lever 97 in a position to which it has been moved.

The apparatus operates as follows. First, in order to prevent the body 1 from being moved by the driving force of the drive 4, the handle of the adjuster C is rotated in a clockwise direction so that the actuating lever 97 is pivotally rotated in a clockwise direction in Fig. 6 via the handle lever 99, the set screw 106, the connecting rod 103, the screw end 197, the threaded hole 95 and the projecting rod 96. As a result of this, the roller 94 moves away from the belt 22 so that the belt 22 slips and there is no drive between pulley 19 and pulley 21.

The belt 22, accordingly, slides on the pulleys 1 9, 21 and does not rotate the same. Therefore, the rotational movement of the drive 4 is not transmitted to the winding drum 24. On the other hand, the rotational movement of the drive 4 is transmitted to buckets 73 to move the same, via the pulley 9, the belt 10, the pulley 8, the rotating shaft 7, the pinion 12, the gear 29, the rotating shaft 28, the pulley 30, the belt 108, the pulley 71, the rotating shaft 67 of the bucket conveyer A, the guide pulleys 69, 69', 70, 70' and the belts 72, 72'.

When the stop pawls 45, 45' of the support levers 44, 44' are disengaged from the ratchet wheels 49, 49' the shaft 48 is free to rotate and pay out the fibre rope 47 so that the movable subframe 42 moves downwards in order to lower the bucket conveyer A on the ground, and the buckets 73 dig the earth to the depth by which bucket conveyer A projects below ground level.When the buckets 73, loaded with soil, come to the upper guide pulleys 69, 69', the earth in the buckets 73 is discharged on the earth-moving conveyer B, by the fact that the claw cams 79, 79' on the rear face of the pressure plate 76 come into contact with the rollers 64, 64' and slide thereon, respectively so that the pressure plate 76 sweeps through the bucket and that the upper cam 78 comes into contact with the roller 63 at the moment of separation of the cams 79,79' from the respective rollers 64, 64' completing the sweep of plate 76 through the bucket.

Since further movement of the buckets 73 causes the cam 78 to separate from the roller 63, the pressure plate 76 returns to its initial or closed, position in which it is held by the curved members 74, 74'. The buckets 73 return again to dig and the cycle keeps repeating for each bucket.

Additionally, the drive force of the drive 4 is transmitted to the rotating shaft of the earthmoving conveyer B to rotate the same, via the shaft 28, the pulley 31, the belt 32, the pulley 34, the transmission shaft 33, the bevel gears 34", 36', the rotating shaft 35' and the connecting rod 39'.

Consequently the conveyer B conveys the earth discharged from the buckets 73 and discharges the same into channels which have previously been provided by the apparatus, in the ground.

When a predetermined depth of channel is dug or obtained, the stop pawls 45, 45' are caused to engage the ratchet wheels 49, 49' in order to stop the downward movement of the movable subframe 42. The bucket conveyer A can of course be made to dig the channel in stages to obtain a and discharge the contents onto the soil conveyer.

5. An apparatus according to any preceding predetermined depth of channel. When the handle of the belt tensioning adjuster C is rotated in a counter clockwise direction to incline forwardly the actuating lever 97 in order to tension the belt 22 by means of the roller 94, the belt 22 transmits the rotation of the pulley 19 to the pulley 21.

Then, the rotation of the drive 4 is transmitted to the winding drum 24, via the pulley 13, the belt 15, the pulley 14, the reduction gear 5, the bevel gears 1 6, 17, the rotating shaft 18, the pulley 19, the belt 22, the belt tensioning adjuster C, the pulley 21, the pivot shaft 20, the pinion 23 and the gear 25. When the winding drum 24 winds the fibre rope 26 connected to the pile 27 on the ground, the body 1 moves along and on the tracks 3 with the help of the wheels 2. The apparatus is arranged to move in the direction of the rows of crops to be harvested so as to dig the channel between rows and adjacent at least one row to facilitate the harvesting.It will be noted that the drive 4 can simultaneously and successively move the body on the tracks, rotate the bucket conveyer to dig the ground, and rotate the earth-moving conveyer to convey the dug earth.

As.can be seen from the above discussion, according to the apparatus described, since the body, when placed on tracks extending in a predetermined direction on the ground, can be moved on the tracks by the operation of a winding drum which is in turn rotated by drive means through a reduction gear box, and since the digging operation can be successively effected by a bucket conveyer which is rotated by the drive means, the apparatus requires no operator to dig the ground. Further, since the dug earth is conveyed from the bucket conveyer to the earthmoving conveyer, which then discharges the earth outside the body, there is no possibility that the dug earth falls into andfills a channel which is being formed by digging the ground.Accordingly, a person, for example, a farmer enters the channel and can easily harvest the root crops (such as Chinese yams) in a comfortable position with less fatigue. By the use of the apparatus therefore, harvesting root crops planted in rows, which normally otherwise requires much labour, can be efficiently effected quicker and with less people than by a hand picking method.

When the harvesting of the root crops in one channel is completed, tracks for the harvesting of adjacent rows of root crops are provided and the body is then displaced on the newly provided adjacent tracks. The earth dug by the buckets is conveyed and discharged by the earth-moving conveyer into the previously formed channel inwhich the harvesting has been completed. This provides an advantage that the previously formed channel is filled with the earth dug in forming the next channel. When the operation of filling the previously formed channel is unnecessary, the movable subframe may be'moved upward to bring the bucket conveyer into the non-operation position.

When the body is disposed on tracks provided on the ground in a predetermined direction, the movement of the body, the digging operation of the ground, the conveyance of the dug earth, the discharge of the dug earth, and the filling of the previously dug channel can be automatically and successively effected by the rotation of the driving means. Therefore, the harvest can be efficiently effected with less labour. Further, since the previously dug channel is filled with the fresh earth dug in forming an adjacent channel, the earth which has formed the upper layer of the ground in the adjacent channel is placed on the bottom portion of the previously dug channel which contributes to the growth of root crops such as Chinese yams planted in the re-filled channel, resulting in harvest of straight and big root crops of good quality.

Claims (1)

1. An apparatus for harvesting root crops planted in rows, said apparatus being adapted for movement lengthwise of the rows of crops and comprising; i) a main frame; ii) a driving means carried by the main frame; iii) a movable sub-frame carried by the main frame; (iv) a bucket conveyer which is drivingly connected to the driving means and which is carried by the sub-frame and is movable therewith to be lowered to a position in which the bucket conveyer extends to a position below ground level to excavate soil from the ground whereby by driving bucket conveyer and moving the apparatus lengthwise of the rows of crops, the apparatus can be made to excavate trenches between rows of crops from which trenches the crops can be harvested, said sub-frame being movable to raise the bucket conveyer clear of the ground for transportation.

2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the subframe is pivotally mounted on the main frame and there is a ratchet and pawl mechanism connecting the main frame and sub-frame by which the extent to which the sub-frame is pivoted on the main frame to lower the bucket conveyer to extend below ground lever is controlled by the ratchet and pawl mechanism.

3. An apparatus according to Claim 1 or2, wherein the main frame also carries a soil conveyer which is drivingly connected to the driving means, which extends in a direction transverse to the direction in which the apparatus moves when excavating trenches, and which is arranged to receive soil discharged from the buckets of the bucket conveyer and discharge it laterally of the apparatus into for example, a parallel trench previously excavated by the apparatus.

4. An apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the buckets of the bucket conveyer each have a deflectible wall to which a first camming component is connected and there is a second camming component carried by the sub-frame which is engaged by the first camming component during each cycle of the bucket conveyer to cause the deflectible wall to sweep through the bucket claim, wherein the main frame carries a winch drum which is drivingly connected to the driving means and has a rope for connection to a pile or stake in the ground whereby the apparatus can be winched along the ground by driving of the winch drum.

6. An apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein the drive connection between the winch drum and driving means includes a belt and pulley arrangement, a tensioning wheel and means for moving the tensioning wheel so firmly into engagement with the belt of the belt and pulley arrangement to cause drive transmission between the driving meansand the winch drum or for retracting the tensioning wheel so far from said belt that the belt and pulley arrangement slips, preventing transmission of drive between the driving means and thewinch drum.

7. An apparatus for harvesting root crops substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.