GB2198103A

GB2198103A - A shaking device for a root crop harvester belt

Info

Publication number: GB2198103A
Application number: GB08628479A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Erling Royneberg
Original assignee: UNDERHAUGS FABRIKK AS
Current assignee: UNDERHAUGS FABRIKK AS
Priority date: 1985-11-07
Filing date: 1986-11-28
Publication date: 1988-06-08
Anticipated expiration: 2006-11-28
Also published as: NO854440L; FR2607655A1; NL8603091A; DE3641041C2; NO158241C; NL191972B; NL191972C; FR2607655B1; DE3641041A1; GB8628479D0; GB2198103B; NO158241B

Abstract

A shaking device for a belt (3) of a root crop harvester comprises agitating rollers (7, 8) effective to influence the belt and mounted on a rocking arm (5). An adjustable control lever mechanism forms a driving connection between the rocking arm (5) and a pivotal crank (15) and comprises two control levers (11, 13) pivotally connected together at a common pivot (12) and enclosing an obtuse angle, with the lever (11) pivotally connected (10) with the rocking arm (5) and the lever (13) pivotally connected with the crank (15). A third control lever (16) is pivotally connected at the common pivot (12) of the two levers (11, 13) and pivotally connected (17) with a Bell crank lever (18) pivotally mounted at a fixed point (19). An adjusting member e.g. a hydraulic cylinder (20) can adjust the Bell crank lever (18) to a desired angular position about the fixed point (19) to vary steplessly, down to zero, the amplitude of the movement impacted to the rocking arm (5) by the lever (11). <IMAGE>

Description

A SHAKING DEVICE FOR A ROOT CROP HARVESTER BELT The present invention relates to a shaking device for a root crop harvester belt, comprising at least one agitator roller supported on a rocker arm for agitating the belt, and an adjustable member forming a drive connection between the rocker arm and a drivable crank.

According to the invention there is provided a shaking device for a root crop harvester belt, comprising at least one agitating roller supported on a rocker arm and capable of influencing the belt, and an adjustable drive connection between the rocker arm and a drivable crank, wherein the function of the rocker arm can be steplessly varied between static support of the belt and vigorous shaking of the belt, and such variation can be effected while the harvester is operating.

Advantageously the shaking device to a maximum degree avoids impacts on the belt, i.e. the agitator rollers should be in contact with the belt to a maximum extent. It is important to avoid impacts on the belt, especially in case of agitated belts of root crop harvesters, because such impacts may harm the root crop.

Preferably two agitating rollers are provided and the shaking amplitude of the shaking device is steplessly variable when the root crop harvester is in operation.

Advantageously, the driving connection is formed by a member comprising two control levers pivotally connected at a common pivot and enclosing an obtuse angle with one of the control levers pivotally connected to the rocker arm and the other of the control levers pivotally connected to the crank, and a third control lever pivotally connected to the two levers at the common pivot and pivotally connected to a supporting arm that is pivotally mounted at a fixed point, an adjustment member being provided for adjusting the angular position of the supporting arm about the fixed point to effect variation of the extent of movement of the rocker arm.

With such a shaking device a possibility of continuous adjustment of the shaking amplitude is achieved, even when the root crop harvester is operating and the agitating rollers will be maintained in contact with the belt all the time, apart from quite extreme cases, so that impact strain will be avoided.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic view of part of a root crop harvester incorporating a shaking device according to the invention; and Figure 2 shows the shaking device of Figure 1 in another position.

In Figure 1 a root crop harvester, particularly a potato harvester, is represented by a wheel 1, a harvesting share 2, and an elevator belt 3. The potato harvester is effective to pick up potatoes by means of the share 2, and pass them to the belt 3 which will convey the potatoes upwards and onto a belt 4. The belt 3 is agitated when the potato harvester is in use, so as to shave off soil and stones from the potatoes and the belt 3 is designed as an open-web belt in a manner know per se.

A rocker arm 5 is pivotally mounted at 6 to the harvester frame (not shown). In the illustrated embodiment the rocker arm carries two agitating rollers 7 and 8. As shown, the rocker arm 5 is designed with three branches, and its third branch 9 is pivotally connected at 10 to a first control lever 11. The first control lever 11 is, at its other end, pivotally connected at a common pivot 12 with a second control lever 13 which, in turn, is pivotally connected with a crank 15 at 14. The crank 15 in the illustrated embodiment is coupled to an upper drivable return drum of the oelt 3.

From the common pivot 12 a third control lever 16 extends and is at its free end, at a position 17, pivotally connected with a supporting arm 18.

The supporting arm 18 in this embodiment is a Bell crank lever and is at its apex, at a position 19, pivotally connected to a fixed point on the harvester frame (not shown).

The supporting arm 18 is connected with a hydraulic working cylinder 20, at 21. The working cylinder 20 is at 22 pivotally connected to the harvester frame (not shown). It will be apparent that the supporting arm 18 can be angularly adjusted about the position 19 by the working cylinder 20, see Figure 2.

With the supporting arm 18 in the position shown in Figure 1, the third control lever 16 extends approximately at right angles to the first control lever 11 and rotation of the crank 15 produces longitudinal movement of the first control lever 11 and vigorous shaking movements indicated by double headed arrows are achieved. Dotted lines indicate how the belt is agitated when the crank 15 is rotated as indicated by the arrow.

In Figure 2 the supporting arm 18 is shown turned anticlockwise to an angular position in which it is almost parallel to the first control lever 11.

The shaking device will then carry out movements as indicated by double headed arrows in Figure 2 and there will be virtually no agitation of the belt 3, because the first control lever 11 simply pivots about the pivotal connection 10 and applies no force to the branch 9 of the rocker arm 5.

Claims

1. A shaking device for a root crop harvester belt, comprising at least one agitating roller supported on a rocker arm and capable of influencing the belt, and an adjustable drive connection between the rocker arm and a drivable crank, wherein the function of the rocker arm can be steplessly varied between static support of the belt and vigorous shaking of the belt, and such variation can be effected while the harvester is operating.

2. A shaking device according to claim 1, wherein the drive connection is formed by a member comprising two control levers pivotally connected at a common pivot and enclosing an obtuse angle with one of the control levers pivotally connected to the rocker arm and the other of the control levers pivotally connected to the crank, and a third control lever pivotally connected to the two levers at the common pivot and pivotally connected to a supporting arm that is pivotally mounted at a fixed point, an adjustment member being provided for adjusting the angular position of the supporting arm about the fixed point to effect variation of the extent of movement of the rocker arm.

3. A shaking device for a root crop harvester belt substantially as hereincefore described and illustrated with reference to the accomparsins drawing.