GB2149636A - Device and method for pulling up root crops - Google Patents

Abstract

In a root crop harvester, there is provided an auxiliary lifting device for attachment in front of the rear wheels of the towing tractor, each device pulling up the outer row of the root crop and comprising a share or similar puller S6 mounted on a frame of the tractor. Behind the share is mounted a wheel 29 (Figure 2) driven to move lifted roots into a row in the centre of the tractor, between the wheels. The lifted beets are picked up by a conventional collector attached with the further pulling device at the rear of the tractor. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device and method for pulling up root crops This invention relates to an auxiliary lifting device for attachmentto a tractor, which also carries a conventional lifter/harvester, for pulling up root crops, especially sugar-beet, or turnip orthe like.

As is known, forthe mechanical harvesting of beet, carried out by means of a lifter/harvester of the "six-mw" type, it is customary, to allow each corresponding rear wheel to pass on either side of the extreme lateral rowsofthe plants, to equipthe rear axle of the tractorwith wheels fitted with spaced twin tyres to preventthe normal wide tyres, with which tractors are initiallyequipped,from crushing the extreme lateral rows covered by the front ofthe "six-row" lifter, drawn by the tractor, since this would cause damage and, moreover, burythe already topped beet even more and would prevent the corresponding lifter sharesfrom executing a suitable pulling action, even though they now usually have an oscillating action.

The fitting of such twin wheels requires a set of wide rims and special tyyes forthe tractor, thus resulting in additional costs and involving a considerable loss of time in refitting the wheels with their original tyres when the tractor is to be used again for other work (for examplefor ploughing fields orfor drawing flat rollers or tooted rollers).

One of the objects of the invention is to mitigate the disadvantages named above and also allow a higher root-pulling and harvesting output; these operations can now take place withthe use of a tractor which, although provided with its original set of tyres, can be modified for moving overthe most difficultterrain, whilst at the same time ensuring better adhesion and a better pull and also achieving a lowerfuel consumption for an increased useful power.

This resu It is obtained by means of the method of the invention, which involves, before the harvesting of a plurality of rows of root crops, pulling up the plants ofthefirstand last lateral rows, which the multipleshare lifting machine coupled to the tractor normally encompasses, and discharging them in the centre axis ofthetractor.

According to the invention, we provide a device for pulling up a root crop, for attachmentto a tractor between the front and rear wheels, which device comprises (a) a:pullerfor extracting the roots, suspended from a mounting to be fixed to the tractor so thatthe puller is in line with a rearwheel ofthe tractor, and (b1 means, behind the share, arranged so as to move pulled up roots laterally with respectto the direction Qf movement ofthe tractor and into the region bebveen the rear wheels.

Iflapreferred embodiment ofthe device according totheiflvention, two ofthe auxiliary lifting devices are mounted one on each side of the coupling bar ofthe tractor drawing the lifter/harvester.

Preferably the collecting means (b) comprises a rotating wheel having peripheral spokes positioned to pickup each root as itis pulled up bythe share (a).

The method of the invention is carried out with a tractorthus fitted; it comprises pulling up with said devices the outer rows ofthe crop in line with the rear tractorwheel, before the wheels reach the plants in those rows, moving the pulled up roots into the central region between the tractor wheels, pulling up the remaining inner rows of the crop with another pulling device fitted behind the rear tractor wheels and collecting all the pulled up roots.

To ensure the operation ofthe auxiliary lifting and collecting device mounted on thetractor,there may be on a bracket carried bythe said tractor, a rotary drive member, on the output shaft ofwhich is keyed a cam which alternately raises and lowers in a known way, by means of a connecting rod, a puller member (which is similarto those of a conventional lifter/harvester also coupled to the tractor) and which is formed by a frame articulated at its rear end and carrying on a transverse axle one or two straps supporting a share or other pulling tool and capable, when the latter encounters atopped beetrootto be pulled, of moving transversely to the direction of advance of the tractor and ofthe lifter/harvester machine coupled to it in one direction orthe other counter to the action of return springs, each strung on the said axle between the tool-carrying prop and the pivoting frame coupled to the connecting rod of the cam.

In a preferred embodiment, the rotary member imparting to the auxiliary pulling devices ofthe tractor the oscillating movement necessary for the share or other pullerto liftthe beet consists of a hydraulic motor couplable to the power take-off of the tractor or to an auxiliary powertake-off provided on the structure ofthe lifter coupled to the tractor carrying the auxiliary lifting device located to the front ofthe rear wheels of the tractor.

Otherfeatures and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, with reference to the drawings which illustrate by way of example an embodiment of an auxiliary beetpulling and collecting device ofthe invention, mounted on atractor and wherein: Figure lisa diagrammatic plan view illustrating the pulling-up method according to the invention, show- ing the position ofthe roots to be pulled up, already pulled-up roots and ofthe tractor.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the lifting and collecting devices ofthe invention mounting downstream ofthe left rearwheel ofthetractor drawing the beet lifter; Figure 3 is a perspective view taken obliquely from the rear ofthe tractor and showing the arrangement of the member seen in Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a view similarto that of Figure 3, but taken obliquely from the front ofthe tractor.

Referring to Fig. 1,there is shown a tractor, indicated only by its front wheels 1,2 and rearwheels 3,4, in operation in afield of root crop (sugar beet), the unharvested plants being designated 6. The tractor is advancing in direction F1. At the front of the tractor is mounted a leaf stripper 7, covering six rows of the crop, designated R1 to Ras, the plants having been sown so that the front tractor wheels pass between rows R1, R2 and R5, R6 respectively. A conventional lifter having four bifurcated shares (for digging into the ground and lifting the roots) S2, 53,54 and Ss is coupled behind the tractor (the remainderofthe lifter is not showm in the drawing).

Behind this lifter is a collecting wheel 5 having curved spokes at its edge, which are not shown in the drawing,forclarity. Otherconventional machines can, if desired, be attached forcleaning,transporting and discharge ofthe roots into a harvesting hopper moving alongside the tractor.

Between the front and rearwheels ofthe tractor are fixed a pair of auxiliary lifting devices according to the invention, the shares only of which, S1 and S6, are shown; a collecting device immediately therebehind has spokes 30 which are rotated to move lifted roots into a row central within the path ofthe tractor and clear of the rearwheels 3,4.

The leaf-stripped roots still in the ground are represented bythe open circles 8 and the pulled roots (only some ofthese are shown) by solid circles 9.

The respective phases oftheoperation,Ato G, will be described later.

Fig. 2 shows one ofthetwo auxiliary lifting devices fastened to the side ofthe coupling bar 10 of the tractor (the other device is not shown but is a mirror image and is mounted on the other sidle ofthe bar 10).

The pointed bifurcated share S6 is mountedfrom a yoke 11 which is itself fixed to a parallelogram including two parallel plates 12 and 13 each having their edges inturned to form wings 12' and 23' which provide pivot bearings for upper axles 14,16 and lower axles 15,17; a pair of horizontal plates 18,19 are fixed to these axles to complete the parallelogram; a hydraulic jack 20 therewith in can deform the structure (as drawn) so that plate 13 and the attached yoke 11 are raised out of the working condition shown, or vice versa as shown by the double arrow F3. The jack20 can be operated from the driver's seat The share S6 is actually carried on two props (strap-shaped supports) 22 fixedto a frame 21 pivotted within the yoke 11; link 23 connects an eccentric cam 24to an axle (not visible in the drawing) oftheframe 21; the cam is on a shaft of a hydraulic motor 26 connected to the powertake-off ofthe tractor (not shown); thus the share is vibrated in the ground during operation. The frame 21 can slide laterally in the yoke 11. The share can be liftedto a non-working condition for e.g. road transport.

The other element of this device ofthe invention is the collector 28, comprising a disc 29 with curved spokes 30 which is driven in the direction shown by the arrow F2 by means of a hydraulic motor 27 (see Fig.

4) and is mounted on the rearoftheyoke 11, upon a bracket (not shown), so as to be also supported adjustablyand preferablyata small acute angletothe vertical (as seen in Fig. 4) and at a small angle tothe direction of movement of the tractor (as seen in Fig. 1) so that the beets are thrown slightlyforward. Deflecting bars 31 (see Fig. 4) are welded to the outer ofthe props 22to form a grid which ensuresthatthe lifted beets do not escape the spokes 30.

The path taken by a beetroot being lifted is shown by the heavy arrow in Fig. 2; it is dug up bythe vibrating share Se and asthetractor moves forward it is caught by the rotating spokes 30 and is carried towards the centre ofthe tractor where it is left (to be collected by the collector9, see Fig. 1).

Figs. 3 and 4 show the positioning of the collector 28 and its relation to the rear wheel 3 ofthe tractor which is shown with a high relieftyre fitted as standard equipment and which ensures efficient traction and good adhesion.

The lifting method is further described with reference to the phases shown in Fig. 1: A. At the front of the tractor, the leaves are stripped from the beet and are cast away.

B. Thefrontwheels 1,2 pass between the outer rows R1, R2 and R5, R6 Of the beet.

C. The shares S1, S6 of the auxiliary device of the invention pull up the topped beet (white circles 8) of rows R1 and R6 only.

D. The pulled up beets 9 (black circles) are carried to form a row between the tractorwhee[s 3,4 by means ofthe rotating collectors 30.

E. The rearwheels 3,4 pass over holes (notshown) left bythe pulled up beet of rows R1 and R6.

F. Beet in the remaining rows R2 to Rs is pulled up bythe shares R2to R5 ofthe lifter 5.

G. The collecting wheel 5 picks up both sets of pulled up beet, from all the rows.

Various modifications can be madeto the embodiment described, without departing from the scope of the invention.Thusthetypeand structure ofthe members constituting the auxiliary lifting device could differfrom those illustrated, and the fastening of the device to the tractor could be different from that illustrated.

The parallelogram raising device could differ in its structure and its mode of operation or could be replaced by any structure performing the same function. Likewise,thetwin lifting shares could be replaced by pairs of discs or one disc and one share each.

The frame 21 may have springs against which it vibrates, in known manner.

Claims (15)

1. A device for pulling up a root crop, for attachmentto a tractor between thefrontand rearwheels, which device comprises (a) a pullerfor extracting the roots, suspended from a mounting to be fixed to the tractor so thatthe share is in line with a rearwheel of the tractor, and (b) means, behind the share, arranged so asto move pulled up roots laterally with respectto the direction of movement of the tractor and into the region between the rear wheels.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the means (b) comprises a rotatory wheel having peripheral spokes positioned to pick up each root as it is pulled up by the puller tea),

3. A device as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, whereinthe rotatory wheel is in use at an acute angletothe vertical and the wheel forms an acute angle to the direction of movement ofthe device and tractor in use.

4. A device as claimed in Claim 1,2 or3, wherein the puller is mounted so as to be able to be lowered and raised to and from itsworking position.

5. A device as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the puller is mounted on an articulated parallelogram one side of which is adapted for fixing to the tractor and which is movable sa as to raise orlowerthe puller.

6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, which includes means for mounting the device on a coupling barofthetractor.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, which includes hydraulic motors for driving the components (a) and (b).

8. A device as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the hydraulic motors are arranged to be driven from the main power take-off of the tractor orfrom an auxiliary powertake-off provided on another device coupled to the tractor.

9. A device as claimed in Claim 5 or any of Claims 6 to 8 as dependentthereon, wherein the puller is mounted on a frame which is arranged to be vibrated in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the device and tractor when in use, so asto extract the roots from the ground.

10. A device as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the vibration is effected by means of a link attached to the frame and driven by an eccentric cam mounted on a driven shaft.

11. A device for pulling up a root crop, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. Atractorhaving mountedthereona pairof devices as claimed in any preceding claim.

13. A method of pulling up and harvesting a root crop, in which there is used a tractor having fitted between its front and rearwheels a pair of devices as claimed in any preceding claim, which comprises pulling up with said devices the outer rows ofthe crop in line with the rear tractor wheels, before these wheels reach the plants in those rows, moving the pulled up roots into the central region between the tractor wheels, pulling up the remaining inner rows of the crop with another pulling device fitted behind the reartractorwheels and collecting all the pulled up roots.

14. A method as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the tractor encompasses six rows of the crop and said latter lifting device pulls upthe inner four rows.

15. A method as claimed in Claim 13 or 14, wherein the tractor is fitted with normal single tyred rear wheels.