GB2100107A - Machine for harvesting hearted vegetables - Google Patents

Abstract

A machine for harvesting hearted vegetables such as cabbage comprise a pair of elongate augers 20, 21 which project from a framework 10 so that they can pass one on each side of a vegetable. The augers rotate on their axes and as a vegetable passes between them it is lifted from the ground and delivered to a conveying device 35. The conveying device engages the stem of the vegetable 75 and delivers it in a generally upright orientation to a cutting device 50, 51. The cutting devices 50, 51 severs the stem of the vegetable from the head or heart and the head or heart is delivered to a suitable collecting device 62. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Machine for harvesting hearted vegetables This invention relates to the harvesing of hearted vegetables such as hearted cabbages or cauliflowers.

Harvesting machines are known for harvesting crops such as beans, peas, sugar beet and carrots but at present there is no satisfactory machine for harvesting hearted vegetables such as cabbages. The harvesting of hearted vegetables involves two major steps. One is to lift the vegetables from the ground and the second is to sever the stem from the heart of the vegetable. Both these steps have to be carried out without damage to the vegetable and an important factor in the second step is ensuring that the vegetable is delivered to a cutting means at the correct orientation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine for harvesting such vegetables which meets these requirements and which is relatively simple and convenient to use.

According to the present invention there is provided a harvesting machine for harvesting hearted vegetables which is adapted to be drawn by a tractor and comprise a pair of elongate members arranged to project from a supporting framework so that in use they can pass one on each side of a vegetable and lift it from the ground, conveying means arranged to engage the stem of a lifted vegetable and convey it to a position in which a cutting device can sever the heart or head of the vegetable from the stem and means for collecting the heads.

Said elongate members may be rotatable, and each may include a generally cylindrical portion formed with a spiral ridge on its outer periphery. Preferably the elongate members diverge in a forward direction.

The conveying means may comprise a pair of contra-rotatable endless belts located adjacent each other so that facing surfaces of the belts can engage said stem and maintain it in a generally upright position as it is being conveyed. The conveying means may be inclined upwardly from said elongate members.

The cutting means may comprise one or more circular blades disposed at one end of the conveying means and spaced upwardly a small distance therefrom. Preferably a pair of circular blades are provided and so arranged that the stem of a vegetable is pinched therebetween.

A rotatable paddle wheel may be arranged adjacent the cutting.blade and so arranged that it can strike the head of a vegetable which has been severed from its stem and cause it to roll to a collecting means.

The invention will be described now by way of example only with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a cabbage harvesting machine in accordance with the present invention, and Figure 2 is a view in the direction of arrow A of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings a cabbage harvesting machine comprises a framework 10 which is carried on a front set of wheels 11 and a rear set of wheels 1 2. The machine is designed to be drawn by a tractor T. The framework 10 comprises a forward upstanding frame portion 1 4 and a rearward upstanding frame portion 1 5 which are supported on horizontally extending limbs 1 6. The forward part of the framework 10 extends alongside the tractor T and the rearward part is located to the rear of the tractor and extends across the width of the tractor. At its front end the framework 10 carries a pair of forwardly projecting, generally cylindrical members 20, 21.

The members 20, 21 are supported by adjustable struts 1 9 extending from the frame portion 1 4. The cylindrical members 20 and 21 are located with their axes in a generally horizontal plane and are mounted so that they diverge in a forward direction. Each member 20, 21 has a main body portion which terminates in a conical head 26, 27, the main body portions each having a spiral ridge 28, 27, the main body portions each having a spiral ridge 28, 29 to define an auger type arrangement. Each cylindrical member 20, 21 is rotatable about its longitudinal axis, drive for the motion being provided by two hydraulic motors 30 linked by respective shafts 31 to the members 20, 21. an hydraulic ram 33 carried by the frame portion 1 4 is linked to each member 20, 21 via a strut 19.

Disposed to the rear of the cylindrical members 20, 21 is a conveyor 35. The conveyor 35 as shown in Fig. 1 is inclined at an acute angle (typically 25"-30") to the horizontal and is supported by the framework 10. The conveyor comprises a pair of contra-rotatable belts 36, 37 each of which extends around an idler wheel 39, 40 and a driver wheel 41, 42. The wheels 41 and 42 can be driven by respective motors one of which is shown schematically at 43 for the wheel 42. The motors are hydraulic motors and are linked to the shaft of the respective wheel 41, 42 by a chain shown schematically in Fig. 1 at 45.

The belts 36, 37 are commercially available belts such as those commonly used on beet harvesters. These belts are of generally Vshaped cross-section and their outwardly facing surfaces are ridged.

The belts are arranged so that their ridged surfaces are in a vertical plane and such that their juxtaposed portions are urged into contact by means of spring biased wheels 48 so that the ridged portions interengage. Such an arrangement is known in the conveying art and will not be described in any more detail here.

Towards the upper end of the conveyor 35 there is disposed a pair of circular, steel cutting blades 50 and 51 both of which are rotatable. The blades 50 and 51 are mounted such that they are substantially coplanar the plane lying at an angle corresponding to the angle of inclination of the conveyor and such that it is spaced upwardly a small distance from the upper edge of the belts of the conveyor. This distance can be adjusted. Drive for the blades 50, 51 is derived from the motor 41 via a chain 53. A rotatable paddle wheel 55 is mounted above the blades 50 and 51 and has paddles 56. Drive for rotating the paddle wheel 55 is provided by an hydraulic motor 58. The paddles 56 are made from rubberised material. A further wheel 60 is mounted above the belt 37 downwardly from the blade 51. The wheel 60 is made from a very soft sponge.The wheel 60 is rotatable, drive for the wheel being provided by the return portion of the belt 37.

The rear part of the framework 10 carries an elevator 62 which extends transversely across the rear of the tractor T. The elevator 62 extends from a position adjacent the blade 51 to an outlet which can be positioned over a trailer or the like being drawn by a further tractor moving alongside the tractor T.

The motors 30 and 43 are connected in an hydraulic circuit which controls their speed of operation. The arrangement is such that the cylindrical members 20, 21 are driven at a speed which corresponds to the speed of the belts 36, 37 of the conveyor 35. The motor 58 associated with the paddle wheel 55 is arranged to drive the paddle wheel so that the peripheral speed of the paddles 56 corresponds substantially with the speed of the belts.

The harvesting machine can be connected to the tractor T by way of the conventional three point linkage which is provided at the rear of the tractor and indicated schematically at 70 and also by way of suitable link mechansim 72 at the side of the tractor T.

In operation as the harvesting machine is drawn along a row of cabbages by means of the tractor T, the rotating diverging members 20, 21 pass along either side of each cabbage substantially at ground level. As the cabbage moves into the apex of the members 20, 21 it is raised from the ground. As the cabbage is lifted from the ground the rotating spiral ridges 28, 29 cause it to pass to the belts 36, 37 of the conveyor. These belts grip the stem of the cabbage as illustrated at 75 in Fig. 1 and deliver the cabbage in a substantially upright position towards the upper end of the conveyor. As the cabbage reaches the upper end of the conveyor the stem is severed by the rotating steel blades 50 and 51 which pinch the stem as the cabbage is conveyed between the blades by the conveyor.The head of the cabbage is then struck by a paddle 56 of the wheel 55 and knocked sideways toward the elevator 62. The sideways motion can be guided by the sponge wheel 60 which is provided to direct the cabbage heads toward the elevator. The sponge absorbs any impact thereby avoiding damage to the cabbage.

The wheels 11, 1 2 of the machine follow the contour of the ground so that the cylindrical members 20, 21 are always located just above ground level. Their position r-an be adjusted by adjusting the struts 1 9 which link them to the framwork 14. The height of the cylindrical members 20, 21 can be adjusted in use by means of the hydrualic ram 33 extending between the frame portion 14 and the struts 1 9. Actuation of the ram varies the height of the members as may be necessary if the machine moves into soft ground resulting in the front end sinking. The ram 33 is linked by a hydraulic circuit to a spool valve which can be controlled from the cab of the tractor T. Thus the driver of the tractor can adjust the height of the members 20, 21 as required when the mahine is in operation.

At the end of a row the machine can be lifted from the ground in the following manner. Firstly, an hydraulic ram is actuated to extend the centre top link of the three point linkage at the rear of the tractor thereby lifting the front of the machine clear of the ground.

Secondly, the lower links (left and right) of the three point linkage are lifted together thereby lifting the rear of the machine. This enables the tractor to turn round easily in its own turning radius with the machine in order to begin the next row.

The tractor T should be driven at a speed which is approximately 10% less than the speed of the belts. This can be achieved by providing a further ground engaging wheel on the axle of wheels 1 2. This wheel can be linked to the hydraulic circuit of the motors 30 and 48 to ensure that this speed relationship is maintained if the tractor speed varies.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a relatively simple machine for harvesting cabbage. The machine is relatively simple to use and relatively light. Furthermore, it can be designed so that the distance that a cabbage has to travel once it has been severed from its stem is relatively small thereby minimising the damage which is likely to result to the cabbage during harvesting.

As an alternative to the elevator 62 it is possible to locate a pallet on the rear of the framework 10 so that cabbages can be fed into the pallet via a chute which extends from a position adjacent the cutting blades 50, 51.

Claims (9)

1. A harvesting machine for harvesting hearted vegetables which is adapted to be drawn by a tractor and comprises a pair of elongate members arranged to project from a supporting framework so that in use they can pass one on each side of a vegetabe and lift it from the ground, conveying means arranged to engage the stem of a lifted vegetable and convey it to a position in which a cutting device can sever the heart or head of the vegetable from the stem and means for collecting heads.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said elongate members are rotatable, and each includes a generally cylindrical portion formed with a spiral ridge on its outer periphery.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the elongate members diverge in a forward direction.

4. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the conveying means comprise a pair of contra-rotable endless belts located adjacent each other so that facing surfaces of the belts can engage said stem and maintain it in a generally upright position as it is being conveyed.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein the conveying means is inclined upwardly from said elongate members:

6. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the cutting means comprise one or more circular blades disposed at one end of the conveying means and spaced upwardly a small distance therefrom.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein the cutting means comprise a pair of circular blades so arranged that the stem of a vegetable is pinched therebetween.

8. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim including a rotatable paddle wheel arranged adjacnt the cutting means and so arranged that it can strike the head of a vegetable which has been severed from its stern and cause it to roll to a collecting means.

9. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the framework is mounted on wheels for drawing behind a tractor.

1 0. A machine for harvesting hearted vegetables substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.