GB2183982A - Method and apparatus for harvesting root crops - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for harvesting root crops, notably potatoes, grown in a plurality of rows in the soil, which method comprises: a) lifting a first row or rows of the crops from the soil with a lifting means 3; b) forming a furrow in an area substantially free from the crops; c) returning the lifted crops substantially free from soil to the furrow to form a second row of the crops in the furrow; and d) collecting the said second row of crops from the furrow, preferably using a single row harvester. The invention also provides a root crop lifting apparatus provided with means 4 for discharging the lifted crops onto the land and with means 10 for forming a furrow in the soil into which the lifted crops can be discharged from the apparatus. The means 10 may be provided laterally adjacent the lifting means 3. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method and apparatus for harvesting root crops The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for harvesting root crops, notably potatoes.

Potatoes are typically harvested by machines which either lift the potatoes from the ground and leave them lying on the surface to be collected by hand or which lift the potatoes from the soil and deliver them to a collection bin carried by the machine or to a trailer travelling alongside the harvester. In the latter type of operation, the harvester lifts soil as well as potatoes and this soil has to be separated from the potatoes and returned to the land. This imposes a load on the harvesting machine and limits the rate at which it can operate.

Furthermore, the size and weight of the machine and the number of passes it and its associated trailers make over the land cause compaction of the soil.

We have now devised a method by which potatoes and other root crops can be harvested at a greater rate than has hitherto been considered possible whilst reducing the number of passes the harvester and its associated potato collection trailer have to make over the land.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for harvesting root crops grown in a plurality of rows in the soil, which method comprises: a). lifting a first row or rows of the crops from the soil with a lifting means; b). forming a furrow in an area substantially free from the crops; c). returning the lifted crops substantially free from soil to the furrow to form a second row of the crops in the furrow; and d). collecting the said second row of crops from the furrow, preferably using a single row harvester.

The invention also provides a root crop lifting apparatus provided with means for discharging the lifted crops onto the land and with means for forming a furrow in the soil into which the lifted crops can be discharged from the apparatus.

The invention is of special application in the harvesting of potatoes using a single row potato harvester and for convenience the invention will be described hereinafter in terms of the use of such a harvester.

In the method of the invention, a first row or rows (usually two rows) of potatoes is lifted from the soil, separated from the soil which is lifted with it and is then returned to lie as a row of substantially soil free potatoes in a furrow which acts to retain the lifted crops in a row. The term row or rows is used herein to denote a strip or bed of crops located as a swath up to the operating width of the lifting apparatus, as well as one or more single files of the crops.

The furrow is formed in land which is substantially free from crops, for example land from which the crops have just been lifted in a previous pass of the crop lifting apparatus. The harvester lifts the row of crops from the furrow with a comparatively light load of soil, thus reducing the load on the harvester, even though it is now harvesting the potatoes from two or more rows instead of from a single row as hitherto. In this way the harvester needs to make fewer passes over the land to harvest a given area and can harvest that area in a shorter time than has hitherto been considered necessary.

The means for lifting the first row or rows of potatoes is one in which the potatoes and accompanying soil are lifted from the land, eg. by one or more lifting plough share or similar blades which dig into the soil to raise the soil and potatoes.

The mixture of soil and potatoes is preferably fed onto a lifting conveyor or trace which transports the potatoes to a means for discharging them into the furrow. Preferably the conveyor or trace takes the form of an endless conveyor belt or the like which has apertures therein to allow soil shaken or otherwise separated from the potatoes to return directly to the land before the potatoes are deposited into the furrow. Thus, a preferred type of lifting trace comprises a series of transverse rods or bars carried by peripheral belts or chains. If desired, the lifting trace can be agitated, e.g. by running it over eccentrically mounted and/or knobbled rollers which cause the lifting trace to rise and fall, thus shaking the load of soil and potatoes carried by the trace so as to aid separation of the soil from the potatoes.It is also preferred that the lifting trace be inclined upwardly at from 15 to 450 to the horizontal, to minimise the formation of a tumbling bed of potatoes on the trace and thus reduce bruising of the potatoes.

The lifting conveyor or trace carries the potatoes to a discharge device, e.g. a chute or a transverse conveyor, by which they are deposited into the furrow.

The potato lifting apparatus preferably also carries the means for forming the furrow into which the potatoes from the first lifted row(s) are to be deposited. The furrow is preferably 30 to 60 cms wide and up to 30 cms deep, so as to provide a stable means for retaining the lifted potatoes in position to be picked up by the harvester. The furrow forming means typically takes the form of a ridging body, e.g. a double sided plough share, a disc, a wide cultivator tine or other means, carried at a suitable position on the apparatus to form a furrow in the desired position.

Typically, the furrow will be formed in ground which has been cleared of potatoes in a previous pass of the lifting apparatus and the furrow forming means will be carried out to either or both sides of the lifting apparatus, usually at the front thereof.

However, it is within the scope of the present invention to mount the furrow forming means at or adjacent the rear of the lifting apparatus and substantially centrally within the swath of land from which the potatoes have just been lifted so that the furrow lies along the line of travel of the lifting apparatus.

It is preferred to use a conventional stone or clod separator as the potato lifting apparatus and to modify this by removing any stone or clod breaking mechanism thereon so that the risk of damage to the potatoes lifted by the separator is reduced and to mount the furrow forming means thereon. Such machines are commercially available and a preferred form thereof is the stone and clod separator described and claimed in the Applicants British Patent No 2118412 which is sold under the Trade Mark Clodmaster. However, other forms of stone or clod separator may be used, provided they have been modified to remove such stone or clod crushing implements which might damage the potatoes lifted by the separator.If desired, brushes or other cleaning devices which would not damage the potatoes significantly may be retained or incorporated into the lifting apparatus to aid separation of the soil from the lifted potatoes before they are deposited in the furrow.

As stated above, the potatoes from the lifting apparatus are deposited into a furrow in soil from which potatoes have already been lifted. They are then recovered by the potato harvester. Since the harvester will be lifting potatoes substantially free from soil, there is comparatively little extra load on the harvester in lifting the two rows deposited in the furrow and the harvester can be of conventional design and operated in the conventional manner.

Preferred harvesters for present use are those sold by Key Agricultural Limited under the Trade Marks Keymaster or Solo. However, the harvester will be harvesting two rows of potatoes simultaneousiy, and can therefore clear a given acreage of potatoes more rapidly then hitherto in fewer passes of the harvester and its associated potato collection trailers across the land. Since the harvester is usually heavier than the lifting apparatus, the total soil compaction and fuel usage when harvesting potatoes according to the method of the invention is less than where a conventional harvester is used in the conventional manner.

The harvester can be operated in close tandem with the lifting apparatus to harvest the row of potatoes soon after they are deposited into the furrow by the lifting apparatus. However, it is within the scope of the present invention for the lifting apparatus to operate some period of time or some rows ahead of the harvester.

A preferred form of the invention will now be illustrated with respect to the apparatus and method shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic axial sectional view through a lifting device for present use; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of a potato field showing the operation of the method of the invention; and Figure 3 is a section through part of the field of Figure 2.

The lifting apparatus comprises a generally horizontal and rectangular framework 1 carried by two rearward ground wheels 2. The front of the framework is supported on the three point linkage or the lower lift arm of a tractor (not shown) which draws the framework over the land and powers the lifting trace of the lifting apparatus through its powertake off. The framework supports adjacent its front one or more transverse share blades 3 which lift soil and potatoes from the land onto a lifting trace 4 which extends rearwardly within the framework. The lifting trace is preferably a moving endless belt formed from transverse bars 5 carried on lateral endless belts 6 which transports the lifted potatoes axially rearwardly to discharge them onto a transverse conveyor or chute which discharges them to either side of the framework into a furrow as described below.As the potatoes are carried on the lifting trace, soil falls away from the potatoes and falls through the apertures between the bars 5 and directly back onto the land.

The trace 4forms a moving belt inclined at approximately 30 to the horizontal on which the potatoes and any remaining soil form a substantially quiescent bed 7. The bed 7 is carried up the incline of the trace and is discharged from the rear thereof onto a chute, transverse conveyor belt or other means 8 for discharging the potatoes into the furrow.

The framework 1 also carries a furrow forming plough share or the like 10 to form the furrow 11 in the desired position. The lifted potatoes can be deposited into a furrow A lying substantialIy centrally of the framework 1 so that they lie on the soil which has just had the potatoes lifted therefrom.

In this case the furrow forming means 10 will be mounted at or adjacent the rear of the framework and substantially centrally thereof. Alternatively, the lifted potatoes can be deposited to one side of the framework into a furrow B formed in land from which the potatoes have been removed in a previous pass. In this case, the share 10 is preferably carried at the front of the framework 1 on a suitable cross member 14. If desired, a share 10 can be carried at each end of a cross member 14 extending to each side of the framework, so that a furrow is formed in the desired position in both directions of travel.

The method of the invention is carried out by drawing the lifting apparatus over the land to lift one or two rows of potatoes. The lifted potatoes are deposited back on the land substantially free from soil in furrow A or B according to which method of operating the invention is being practised. A single row potato harvester subsequently lifts the potatoes from the furrow and is set so that it lifts the bare minimum of soil, since the lifted potatoes lie on the surface ofthe soil rather than being buried therein.

The invention has been described above in terms of lifting potatoes. However, it can be applied to other root crops such as onions, turnips, swedes, carrots and fodder beet.

Claims (10)

1. A method for harvesting root crops grown in a plurality of rows in the soil, which method comprises: a). lifting a first row or rows of the crops from the soil with a lifting means; b). forming a furrow in an area substantially free from the crops; c). returning the lifted crops substantially free from soil to the furrow to form a second row of the crops in the furrow; and d). collecting the said second row of crops from the furrow.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the crops are collected from the said furrow by means of a single row harvester.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the crops are potatoes.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the furrow into which the crops from the first lifted row(s) are deposited is from 30 to 60 cms wide and up to 30 cms deep.

5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the furrow is formed to one side of the device in soil from which crops have been lifted in a preceding pass of the lifting apparatus.

6. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the furrow is formed along the line of travel of the device.

7. A root crop lifting apparatus for use in the method of claim 1 provided with means for discharging the lifted crops onto the land and with means for forming a furrow in the soil into which the lifted crops can be discharged from the apparatus.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 or an apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the furrow forming means is provided by a ridging body.

9. A method or apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the furrowing forming means is selected from a double sided plough share, a disc or a cultivator tine.

10. A method according to claim 1 or an apparatus according to claim 7 substantially as hereinbefore described.