GB2163934A

GB2163934A - Beet harvesting machine

Info

Publication number: GB2163934A
Application number: GB08521069A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Herbert Westphal; Karl Blank
Original assignee: Wilhelm Stoll Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Current assignee: Wilhelm Stoll Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Priority date: 1984-09-01
Filing date: 1985-08-22
Publication date: 1986-03-12
Also published as: GB8521069D0; ATA255585A; DE3432260A1; DE3432260C2; AT392868B

Abstract

A beet harvesting machine has at least one pretopper (1) and at least one sliding feeler final topper (2) which is adjustable in height according to the height of the beet plants and has a lateral discharge device for the sliced tops. A rotating plough device (5) to penetrate the soil and clear the soil surface, which may be an obliquely mounted ploughshare disc, is provided in front of the knife (22) of the final topper and alongside the row of beet. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Beet harvesting machine comprising topping apparatus This invention relates to a beet harvesting machine comprising a topping apparatus, having at least one pretopper and at least one sliding feeler final topper which are separately movable in height relative to the heights of the beet tops of row of beet, and a lateral discharge device for the sliced tops.

Beet harvesting machines of this general type are already known (see for example W. German utility model document 83 09 317). In these beet harvesting machines, these stumps of the beet stalks and/or top slices cut from the beet body by the final topping knife are deflected to the side and deposited on the soil by appropriate guide devices, which are disposed in particular behind the knife and above the level of the knife. Particularly in the case of a beet harvesting machine coupled to a tractor, on account of the tracks of the tractor, i.e.

soil masses forced upwards in the side regions of the wheels, an earth barrier can be present in the region of the beet top dumping position, this carrier projecting for at least one row of beet above the level of the field (that is, the permanent soil surface before the pulling vehicle for the harvesting machine has travelled over it), with the result that the beet top pieces cut off by the final topping knife are impeded in their movement and accumulations and harmful heaps of material are deposited. Such heaps of material on the harvested field have the disadvantage that the beet heads/beet slices cannot, or can only inadequately, be disintegrated in the later working of the soil, which can have an adverse effect as the soil may then become contaminated by nematodes to an unacceptable extent.

The present invention is intended to provide a beet harvesting machine with a sliding feeler final topper, in which continuous, unrestricted lateral depositing of the beet tops separated by the final topping knife can take place and thereby a good distribution of the topped waste on the field is assured.

According to the invention, there is provided a beet harvesting machine comprising at least one pretopper and at least one sliding feeler final topper comprising a topping knife, the pretopper and topper being separately movable in height relative to the beet heads of a row of beet being harvested by the machine, a lateral discharge device for the sliced tops and a rotary plough device mounted in front of the topping device relative to the direction of travel of the machine and beside the row of beet, the plough device being lowerable to penetrate the soil and being arranged to remove material from the soil surface.

The final topping knife preferably comprises a blade fixed at one end and extending obliquely to the direction of travel of the machine. The plough device may be positioned adjacent the free end of the blade. The plough device may comprise a ploughshare disc set in a plane oblique to the di rection of travel.

In such a beet harvesting machine, the region in which the final topped waste is to be deposited is cleared by the plough device of beet leaves and/or weeds lying on the surface of the field and also a deposition furrow is formed in the soil, into which the beet heads or thin slices sliding laterally off the final topping knife can slide or fall unhindered without the action of an additional driven conveying element. The sliding feeler final topping device, which lacks a driven discharge element such as is provided in topping devices having a wheel sensor, thus operates with continuous discharge of the pieces cut off by the final topping operation from the sugar beet. No risk of jamming exists for the sliding feeler final topping device.Due to the clearing of the lateral region alongside a row of beet, even beet leaves and weeds lying in the working region of a following digging plough which digs up the beet are pulled to the side and cannot have an adverse effect on the digging operation, i.e. the risk of the digging ploughshare becoming jammed is largely eliminated, and moreover these waste materials cannot get into the beet conveying path or hopper, so that beet having fewer loose leaves can be supplied to the sugar factory.

The individual beet tops or top slices produced lie on a laterally restricted strip of soil on the harvested beet field and, within this aligned row, in a likewise almost uniform spacing - which is determined by the spacing of the beet plants - one behind another, so that the final topped waste is well distributed on the field.

The beet topsítop slices laid in alignement can, on account of their exact position, easily be broken up by a single, following cutting device, so that still smaller pieces of beet are worked into the soil.

One especially simple machine is obtained if this dividing/disintergration of the beet pieces is carried out by a flat ploughshare disc, a so-called slope disc, which frequently is present in any case and serves predominantly for stabilizing the machine position or keeping it on its path.

In a preferred embodiment, the rotary plough device comprises a soil-driven hollowed disc. Its diameter may be about 250 to 300 mm. It is preferably set obliquely and may be set so that the cutting edge of the hollowed disc makes, with the longitudinal axis of the machine (or direction of travel), a rearwardly open angle from 25 to 45", such as about 35 . The depth of penetration into the soil (below the level of the firm, i.e. uncompacted field surface) may be approximately 20 mm.

A beet harvesting machine according to one embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a schematic plan view of the machine.

The beet harvesting machine of the drawing may be constructed for single-row or multi-row operation. Topping and digging devices may be mounted for operation in the same row R, or distributed over two adjacent rows R, and R2. Preferably in single-row and double-row digging beet harvesting machines, topping and digging are car ried out in two phases in the same row. The topping apparatus on the one hand and the digging apparatus on the other hand are mounted either each on a separate support or on a common support or supports coupled to one mover (not shown), which support or supports are arranged to be vertically movable relative to the machine chassis (also not shown) between a raised, inactive position and a lowered, working position.

As can be seen from the drawing, the beet harvesting machine of this embodiment possesses, in the direction of travel of the machine F and in the same row behind one another, a driven pretopper 1, a sliding feeler final topper 2, separately vertically movable within specific limits and adjustable in height according to the stripped and pretopped beet plants, a beet cleaner 3 and a digging device 4.Between the pretopper 1 and final topper 2, there is provided, on the side remote from the stand of beet, a removal and ridge plough device 5, mounted to be lowered into the soil, which produces a furrow 6 alongside the pretopped row of beet to form a collecting trough for the material cut off by the final topper 2 ( beet tops with leaf stalk stumps or thin slices of beet), and also at the same time carries out a laterally oriented clearing away of weeds and dirt lying on the soil alongside the beet and on the same side of the beet.Between the pretopper 1 and final topper 2, a sensing device 7 may be mounted symmetrically to the centre of the row, this device sensing the beet in its lateral position for the purpose of controlling the lateral position of the beet digging device and, possibly also, sensing the soil surface for the purpose of controlling the machine or plant depth, which sensing device 7 serves as a pulse emitter for a lateral andlor vertical control device.

In the final topper 2, constructed as a sliding feeler topper, the element which senses the beet head, preferably a sensing comb, is referenced 21, the final topping knife, preferably an oblique knife mounted at one end, is referenced 22 and a topped waste guide device, disposed behind this knife and also above the plane of the knife, such as a springmounted grating (double tine springs) or the like, is referenced 23. The final topping knife holder can be mounted on a towing lever as shown in the drawing or on a steering parallelogram, and with advantage the sensing comb 21 will be kept back as near as possible to sensing member or mem bers of the sensing device 7.

The removal and ridge plough device 5 is preferably constituted of a ploughshare disc 51, which may be a hollowed disc. Its bearing axis 52 extends on the convex side which is towards the rear in the direction of travel F, and is pivoted about a substantially vertically upstanding bar 53. The bar 53 is adjustable in position laterally and vertically in known manner and also is pivotally mounted about its own longitudinal axis for the purpose of setting the angular position of the ploughshare disc with the result that setting of the ploughshare disc in a specific position is possible. The plough share disc mounting is spring-loaded. The domed ploughshare disc 51 is soil-driven and extends, in the longitudinal direction of the machine, approximately over the region of the final topper sensing element 21. The diameter of the disc is approximately 250 to 300 mm, for example 280 mm.The oblique setting of the disc is preferably so chosen that its cutting edge makes a rearwardly diverging acute angle with the machine longitudinal axis or direction of travel F. The angle a is approximately 25 to 45 , for example 35o. The depth of penetration of the ploughshare disc into the soil, i.e. below the level of the uncrushed field surface, is approximately 2 cm.

In the machine described comprising two-phase topping apparatus with, between the two cutting stations and laterally of the line of beet, a soil scraping tool for forming a collecting furrow 6, not only are the masses of leaf and dirt cleared away and the final topped waste deposited without problems (even when the soil is uneven because of highly profiled tractor tyre marks), but also a depositing of the beet heads or beet head slices in alignment is achieved.

On account of this orientation of the laterally ejected final topped waste, this waste can be simply and thoroughly broken up by a single cutting device, so that smaller pieces of beet or beet head can be worked into the soil. An especially simple construction of the machine is obtained if this cutting or disintegration is carried out by a flat ploughshare disc, a so-called slope disc, which frequently is present in any case and serves predominantly for stabilizing the machine position for the purpose of maintaining its path.

Claims

1. A beet harvesting machine comprising at least one pretopper and at least one sliding feeler final topper comprising a topping knife, the pretopper and topper being separately movable in height relative to the beet heads of a row of beet being harvested by the machine, a lateral discharge device for the slided tops and a rotary plough device mounted in front of the topping device relative to the direction of travel of the machine and beside the row of beet, the plough device being lowerable to penetrate the soil and being arranged to remove material from the soil surface.

2. A beet harvesting machine according to claim 1, in which the knife comprises a blade fixed at one end and extending obliquely to the direction of travel of the machine.

3. A beet harvesting machine according to claim 1 or 2, in which the plough device comprises a ploughshare disc set in a plane oblique to the di rection of travel.

4. Beet harvesting machine according to claim 3, in which the ploughshare disc is held down by spring action.

5. Beet harvesting machine according to claim 3 or 4, in which the ploughshare disc comprises a hollowed disc.

6. Beet harvesting machine according to claim 5, in which the ploughshare disc is journalled on its convex side which faces rearwardly of the direc tion of travel of the machine to be driven in rotation by the soil.

7. Beet harvesting machine according to one of claim 3 to 6, in which the ploughshare disc is adjustable in position in three dimensions.

8. Beet harvesting machine according to one of claims 3 to 7, in which the ploughshare disc has a diameter from 250 to 300 mm, preferably approximately 280 mm.

9. Beet harvesting machine according to any one of claims 3 to 8, in which the ploughshare disc, in its working position, penetrates approximately 2 cm into the soil below the fixed soil line of the beet field surface.

10. Beet harvesting machine according to claim 5, in which the ploughshare disc is set obliquely in plan with its edge at an acute angle of approximately 30 to 45 to the direction of travel of the machine and diverges rearwardly from the machine, and its concave side is on the side of the machine facing away from the stand of beet.

11. Beet harvesting machine according to claim 10, in which the ploughshare disc is mounted adjustably in angular position relative to the direction of travel of the machine.

12. Beet harvesting machine according to any preceding claim, in which the plough device, which forms a furrow for the final topped waste and clears away the leaves sideways, is mounted, as viewed in plan, alongside the feeler comb of the final topper.

13. Beet harvesting machine according to any preceding claim, in which the pretopper and the final topper are mounted to be used one behind the other on the same row of beet and, between these two topping devices and on the centre of the row, a sensing device which laterally senses the beet is provided, for detecting the position of the beet stand and emitting signals to a lateral and/or height control device, and, on the side remote from the beet stand, alongside the row of beet, a soil-driven, rotating, furrowing soil scraping tool, preferably a hollowed disc, is disposed.

14. Beet harvesting machine according to claim 11, in which the hollowed disc is disposed, in the direction of travel of the machine, between the sensing device and the knife of the final topper.

15. Beet harvesting machine, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.