GB2172874A - Apparatus for conveying a crop - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for conveying a crop, comprises a rotatable conveyor (1) provided with tines (8) for conveying the crop along a predetermined path on rotation of the conveyor and wherein the bottom of the path may be selectively provided at least partially by either a first bottom plate (2) presenting a smooth surface to the path or a second bottom plate (22) provided with grooves (23) extending in the direction of rotation of the tines and in which the tines are partly received. The angle of attack of the leading edges of the tines may be altered. The grooves may be deeper at their central portions and ribs between the grooves may have cutting edges. Blades (25) may be provided in the path of the crop. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for conveying a crop The present invention relates to apparatus for conveying crops.

In particular, the invention relates to a loading vehicle with a pick-up device, which pushes the picked-up crop onto the bottom plate of a conveying duct, periodically engages the crop with tines of a rotating conveyor, and conveys the crop, which may have been chopped up by blades arranged in the conveying duct, into a loading chamber.

A constant preoccupation with known loading vehicles is to avoid damaging the crop by squeezing it during retraction of the tines and by compacting it on the bottom plate as this would cause, for example, a reduction in quality and rotting of green forage. Thus it is known from DE-PS 11 63 072 that squeezing of the crop as it is being stripped by a stripping wall arranged opposite the bottom plate through which the tines are retracted from the conveying duct can be avoided if the tangent to the tine edges which are foremost in the direction of movement and the tangent to the siotted wall enclose an angle at the point of intersection of the conveying tines with the slotted internal wall of the conveying duct which is equal to or greater than 90 at every point on the stripping wall.This is achieved by means of rearwardly inclined front edges of the conveying tines. However, the rearward inclination must not be so great that the conveying tines enclose such a small angle with the bottom plate that the crop is wedged between them and thus squeezed.

The crop which is carefully treated and only slightly compacted in this way obviously requires a greater loading chamber than a more markedly compacted crop. Large loading chamber capacities and large and heavy loading vehicles were therefore generally required in order to restrict the numerous journeys between field and yard for getting in the crop.

An object of the invention is to provide a loading vehicle with which crops are to be compacted anyway, such as crops intended for silage, can be loaded with greater compaction while other crops may optionally be loaded more carefully so that, on the one hand, lighter loading vehicles may be used and, on the other hand, crops which are to be further compacted may be subjected to preliminary compaction.

According to the invention a smooth first bottom plate and a second bottom plate may be arranged alternately, the second bottom plate being provided, in the direction of rotation of the tines, with longitudinal grooves which correspond approximately to the tine width and which in part receive the tines.

Thus the present invention provides apparatus for conveying a crop, comprising a rotatable conveyor provided with tines for conveying the crop along a predetermined path on rotation of the conveyor and wherein the bottom of the path may be selectively provided at least partially by either a first bottom plate presenting a smooth surface to the path or a second bottom plate provided with grooves extending in the direction of rotation of the tines and in which the tines are partly received.

In a simple manner, therefore, the apparatus performs further functions which increase its loading capacity, on the one hand, and simplify and optimize the subsequent operations of storage and compaction or incorporation by compaction and structural change of, for example, crops intended for silage or straw which is to be scattered or worked into the ground, on the other hand.

A harvester or loading vehicle embodying the invention is described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows the front portion of the loading vehicle and its loading device in cross-section; Figure 2 shows the loading device in plan view; and Figure 3 shows the loading vehicle in a different setting.

Referring to Figure 1,the loading vehicle is provided at its front portion with a rake conveyor 1, a pick-up drum 3 mounted in front of the conveyor on a first bottom plate 2 thereof and a scraper floor 4 arrangd behind the conveyor.

The conveyor 1 comprises a central tube or shaft having two side shields 6. The conveyor further comprises tine shafts 7 and tines 8 (including outer tines 8a) and guide rods 8b fixed on the tine shafts.

Each outer tine 8a and guide rod 8b is mounted in hinges or pivots 6a. A drum surrounds the central tube 9 and is mounted rotatably thereon with stumps or spigots 10. The tines 8 project outwards through slots 11 in the drum 9. The bottom of a stripping plate 12 leans on or bears against the drum and the top of the plate is connected to an end wall 13 of a loading chamber (Figure 2). As shown in Figure 1, slots 14 are provided in ends 9a of the drum 9. Fixing screws 15 are inserted through the slots 15 and are screwed into screw-threaded holes on the side shields 6. A chequer plate or second bottom plate can be slipped onto the bottom plate 2 optionally in side rails 16a and can be fixed by quick acting mechanisms 16b.

The chequer plate 22 has grooves 23.

By releasing the screws 15 and moving the drum 9 relative to the side shields 6, it is possible to alter the angle of attack of the tines 8 relative to the bottom plate 2 or the chequer plate 22.

In operation of the loading vehicle, with the plate 22 in place on the bottom plate 2, the tips of the tines 8 are fitted and engage alternately in the grooves during rotation of the conveyor. The angle enclosed between the front or leading edges of the tines and the bottom plate 2 should, as far as possible, be smaller than 90" so that a strong pressing action is achieved.

In operation of the loading vehicle without the chequer plate 22 in position on the bottom plate 2 the tines 8 are preferably orientated more radially and the angle between their front edges and the bottom plate 2 should preferably be about 90" so that the crop is conveyed upwards without pressure on the bottom plate 2, as illustrated in Figure 3.

The loading vehicle according to the invention can be used universally. The crop which is to be pressed while being conveyed is not only compacted in the grooves 23 of the plate 22 but is also sheared off to a great extent at the same time on the flanks of ribs 24 and thus simultaneously chopped, which assists compaction thereof.

If blades 25 are to be treated with care, it is obviously also possible to pivot them out of the conveying path, or on the other hand to perform further chopping and thus to prepare the crop for particular dense storage in silos, thus accelerating lactic fermentation in the silo.

Features of the invention may be summarized as follows: 1. A loading vehicle with a pick-up device which push the picked up crop on to the bottom plate of a conveying duct, engage periodically in the tines of a rotating conveyor and convey the crop, which may have been chopped up by blades arranged in the conveying duct, into the loading chamber, characterised in that a smooth first bottom plate (2) and a second bottom plate (22) provided, in the direction of rotation of the tines (8), with longitudinal grooves which correspond approximately to the width of the tines (8) and which in part receive the tines, may be used alternately.

2. A loading vehicle according to Summary 1, characterised in that the bottom plates (2 and 22) are arranged so as to be mutually exchangeabie.

3. A loading vehicle according to Summary 1, characterised in that the second bottom plate (22) can be slipped into the conveying duct onto the first bottom plate by means of lateral guide rails (1 6a) and the like.

4. A loading vehicle according to any preceding Summary, characterised in that means as rails (16a) and quickly acting closure mechanisms (16b) are provided for fixing the bottom plates.

5. A loading vehicle according to any preceding Summary, characterised in that the front edges of the tines (8) and the longitudinal ribs (24) have a configuration which exerts a shearing effect.

6. A loading vehicle according to any preceding Summary, characterised in that the longitudinal grooves (23) are deeper in the central region of the groove than in the entrance and exit.

7. A loading vehicle according to any preceding Summary, characterised in that the longitudinal ribs (24) between the longitudinal grooves (23) are provided with a cutting edge.

8. A loading vehicle, according to any preceding Summary, characterised in that the tines (8) are pivotably mounted by means of tine shafts (7) and guide rods (8b) in hinge joints (6a) on the side shields (6) fixed on a central shaft (5), and project outwards with their outer tines (8a) through slots (11) in the drum (9), which surrounds the side shields (6) and the central shaft (5), and the drum may be rotated relative to the side shields (6), and may be secured by screws (15), which are passed through slots (14) in the end faces (9a) of the drum (9) and secured in the side shields (6), such that, in a first rotational position, the foremost edges ofthe tines (8) viewed in the direction of travel form an angle with the groove bottom (22), which is less than 90" at each point of rotation, and in a second rotational position form an angle with the bottom plate (2), which is approximately 90".

9. A loading vehicle according to Summary 8, characterised in that the stripping plate (12) is arranged in the retraction region of the tines (8), such that the foremost edges of the tines (8) form an angle with the stripping plate (12), which is greater than 90" at each point of rotation.

10. A loading vehicle according to any preceding Summary, characterised in that the foremost edges of the tines (8) enclose with the bottom plate (2) or the groove bottom (22) an angle which is smaller than 90" at almost every point on the circumference, and a second tine or a tine which is offset from it follows just behind the tine (8) in the rotational direction, the front edges of the second or offset tine enclosing with the bottom plate (2) or the groove bottom (22) an angle which is about 90" at almost every point on the circumference.

Claims (13)

1. Apparatus for conveying a crop, comprising a rotatable conveyor provided with tines for conveying the crop along a predetermined path on rotation of the conveyor and wherein the bottom of the path may be selectively provided at least partially by either a first bottom plate presenting a smooth surface to the path or a second bottom plate provided with grooves extending in the direction of rotation of the tines and in which the tines are partly received.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second bottom plates are mutually exchangeable.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the path is provided with or defined by lateral guide means between which the second bottom plate can be located on the first bottom plate.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein quick acting means are provided for fastening the second bottom plate in position.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the tines have leading edges which exert a shearing effect on a crop being conveyed along said path by the tines and/or ribs between the grooves exert a shearing effect on a crop being conveyed along said path by the tines.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the grooves are deeper at central portions thereof than at their entrance and exit ends.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein ribs between the grooves are provided with cutting edges.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising: a shaft or tube, side shields or plates fixedly mounted on the shaft or tube, the tines being pivotally'mounted on the side shields or plates; a drum surrounding the shaft or tube and provided with slits through which the tines project outwardly, the angular position of the drum relative to the tube or shaft being adjustable to adjust the angle which the leading edges of the tines make with at least the first bottom plate when the path is provided with that plate, in a first angular position of the drum relative to the shaft or tube said angle being less than 90" and in a second angular position of the drum relative to the shaft or tube said angle being substantially 90 ;; and means for securing the drum relative to the side shields or plates and at desired angular positions, comprising said first and second positions, relative to the shaft.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a stripping plate is provided adjacent the drum and the leading edges of the tines make an angle of greater than 90" to the stripping plate when the tines are being retracted relative to the stripping plate.

10. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the tines comprise first tines, the leading edges of which are at angle of less than 90" to the bottom plate with which said path is provided, and second tines, offset from or disposed rearwardly of the first tines, the leading edges of which are at an angle of substantially 90" to the bottom plate.

11. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein blades are provided on said path to chop up a crop being conveyed along the path.

12. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the width of the tines is substantially equal to the width of the grooves.

13. Apparatus for conveying a crop substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.