GB2373162A

GB2373162A - Weed or bolted plant removing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2373162A
Application number: GB0106246A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger Edmund Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-03-13
Filing date: 2001-03-13
Publication date: 2002-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 2021-03-13
Also published as: GB0106246D0; GB2373162B

Abstract

A plant removing apparatus or weeder comprises an open fronted, two sided frame between which extend upper 5B and lower 5A conveyors which are parallel to one another and form a nip at the front. In use, the frame is moved 3 just above the crop canopy 7B so that plants 7A protruding above the canopy 7B become trapped in the nip and are uprooted. Upper conveyor 5B carries shoes 6B which engage lower conveyor 5A to form the nip. Typically shoes 6B are flat pads located on arms 6A. Arms 6A may be rigid or resiliently flexible and are preferably hinged to upper conveyor 5B and/or a lost motion connection (figures 6,7) is provided between each arm 6A and conveyor 5B or its shoe 6B or both to accomodate the thickness of any material which becomes trapped between shoes 6B and lower conveyor 5A. The apparatus may be self powered or may be mounted on the front of a tractor 1 and powered from the PTO 4.

Description

Title: Plant removing Apparatus Field of the Invention This invention concerns apparatus for removing growing plants, especially but not exclusively weeds, particularly but not exclusively from among a crop under cultivation.

Background to the Invention.

Crops under cultivation tend to grow to a uniform height and competing vegetation will tend to grow to a greater height and then smother the crop, by protruding above the crop canopy, so cutting off light and air from the latter.

A small percentage of any crop will often bolt, and go to seed, and characteristically any such plants will also protrude above the growing crop canopy. Their presence can further smother the main crop or if still present when the latter is harvested may reduce the efficiency if not value also, of the crop to be harvested.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus by which any such unwanted plants can be removed from among a standing crop, without causing undue damage to the latter, and without the use of herbicides or other chemicals.

Summary of the Invention According to the present invention a plant removing apparatus comprises an open fronted two sided frame between which extend upper and lower conveyors, with the lower run of the upper conveyor parallel to the upper run of the lower conveyor, and when operating both said conveyor runs move in the same direction from front to back, the two conveyors forming a nip at least at the front end of the two runs, and in use the frame is moved over the standing crop so that the lower run of the lower conveyor is just above the crop canopy so that movement of the frame in a forward direction will cause plants protruding above the crop canopy and received between the two sides of the frame to tend to become trapped in the nip between the upper and lower conveyors and uprooted.

The speed of the two conveyors is preferably selected in relation to the forward linear movement of the frame, so that any plant so trapped will tend to be uprooted as it is pulled rearwardly between the two conveyors before the leading end of the two conveyors has advanced in a forward direction substantially beyond the position occupied by the uprooted plant.

In a preferred embodiment tile upper conveyor carries shoes equally spaced therealong, each spaced from the external surface of the conveyor by a similar distance, and the lower run of the upper conveyor is spaced from the upper run of the lower conveyor by an amount just equal to the distance by which the shoes are spaced from the surface of the upper conveyor, so that as the conveyors run, it is the shoes of the upper conveyor which engage the upper surface of the upper run of the lower conveyor inter alia to form the entrance nip.

Typically the shoes are flat pads located at the outer ends of arms which are secured at their inner ends to the upper conveyor.

The arms may be rigid or resiliently flexible.

Preferably the arms are hinged to the conveyor, and/or a lost motion connection is provided between each arm and the conveyor or its shoe or both, to accommodate the thickness of any material which becomes trapped between the shoes and the lower conveyor, so as to prevent jamming or damage occurring especially if a particularly bulky plant or clod of soil or a stone enters the nip between the two conveyors.

Where a lost motion connection or hinge is provided, spring means may be provided to urge the arm into one particular position in which the shoe is at a point of maximum displacement from the conveyor, measured perpendicular to the conveyor surface.

The frame may form part of a self-powered agricultural machine having wheels on either side and power means for at least some of the wheels at one speed and the two conveyors at an appropriate, related speed, and control means is provided for controlling the operation of the machine.

The control means may include steering and braking means as well as speed control means for the wheels and the conveyors.

A platform may be provided adjacent the control means for carrying an operator who can thereby operate the controls and steer or otherwise guide the machine through a standing crop. this may for example be in a series of parallel lines, or ever diminishing circles, so that the open leading end of the frame is presented successively to successive areas of or to the whole of the standing crop.

Preferably the control means includes means for controlling the height of the frame (or at least the conveyors) relative to the ground.

If desired the control means may be adapted by means of radio control or the like to enable the machine to be controlled remotely.

Alternatively, the frame is adapted to be carried by a powered agricultural machine such as a tractor, especially a tractor fitted with narrow gauge, large diameter wheels, so that it can be driven through a standing crop and flatten only a very small proportion of the growing plants.

Typically the frame is adapted to be carried on the front of such a machine. Power for driving the conveyors may be by way of one or more motors driven by electricity or hydraulic oil from the tractor, or a transmission means may be located in the frame, for coupling to the tractor PTO via a suitable linkage, and the conveyors are driven via the tractor PTO and controlled by stopping and starting the latter, and the forward speed of the tractor is selected so as to be consistent with the linear speeds of the two conveyors.

The width between the two sides of the frame is preferably at least a metre and may be considerably more, and preferably the conveyors extend substantially over the whole of the width between the sides of the frame, and the shoes likewise preferably extend across the same width, so that a swathe substantially equal to the width of the frame is cut through plants protruding above the crop canopy as the apparatus is moved through the crop.

In order to accommodate different thicknesses of material across the width of the conveyor, each show may me made up of two or more members each individually attached to the conveyor for independent movement.

Where it is to be mounted on a tractor, the latter preferably includes adjustable forks, and the frame is adapted to be mounted thereon, and is thereby adjustable in height from the tractor cab.

Optionally means is provided for collecting plant material gathered by the two conveyors.

This may comprise a bag or box fed from the rear of the two conveyors, or a conveyor or similar means communicating between the rear of the two conveyors for conveying foliage and other plant material disgorged from the conveyors to a trailer or other container at the rear.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which : Fig 1 is a side elevation, partly cut away, of a plant removing device mounted on the front of a tractor, and constructed and adapted to operate in accordance with the invention, Fig 2 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Fig 1, as viewed from the front of the tractor,

Fig 3 is a side elevation of the device of Fig 1 viewed from the opposite side to that of Fig 1, Fig 4 is similar to Fig 1 but without the tractor and without the sidewall of the device cut away as in Fig 1, Fig 5 is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig 1, Fig 6 is a side view of one of the arms and feet which engage the lower conveyor as the upper conveyor rotates, albeit to an enlarged scale, and Fig 7 is a similar view to that of Fig 6, showing how the lost motion but spring loaded connection between the arm and upper conveyor can accommodate bulky articles between the foot and the lower conveyor.

Fig 1 shows the right hand side view of the tractor-mounted weeder with a section cut out.

The device is mounted on the front of a tractor 1 by a three-point linkage system (2A, 2B, and 2C) common in agriculture. The tractor provides forward motion 3 and powers the machine by means of a power take off shaft 4. This drives a rubber conveyor belt 5A in an anti clockwise direction and an upper conveyor 5B in a clockwise direction.

The upper conveyor 5B is made up of two parallel chains 13A and 13B between which are welded transversely extending bars 14 such as shown in Figs 6 and 7, to which are attached arms 6A, at the outboard end of which are attached feet 6B. The latter cooperate with the rubber conveyor 5A so that as the machine moves forward plants such as 7A which tends to be weeds, or crop which has gone to seed, and which protrude above the main crop canopy 7B, will be gripped between the feet 6B and the rubber belt 5A.

The rearward movement of SA and 6B cause the gripped vegetation to be pulled from the ground and conveyed to the rear of the machine to appear at 7C.

After leaving the conveyors, the rearwardly projected material can either be left to fall to the ground to rot on the field or can be collected in a bin (not shown) or conveyed by a further conveyor (not shown) to a trailer or bin to the rear.

Turning to Fig 2 which views the machine from behind, power from the power take off shaft 4 is transferred through a gear box 8 to shaft 9. Through the use of chain and sprocket drives lOAand 11 A, drive is transmitted to shafts 10 and I I respectively.

Shaft 10 has a roller attached to it which drives conveyor 5A.

Shaft 11 through me use of two cogs 12A, 12B drives two extended link chains 13A, 13B around idlers 15A, 15B.

Welded at intervals to the links of this chain are steel bars (tow of which are denoted as 14A, 14B), to which the arms 6A are attached. The arms may be made of plywood and there are three such arms across each bar 6A', 6A", and 6A"'. These are each held in position with a compression spring 16A, 16B, 16C, which allows some movement under stress as will be described in relation to later Figures.

A foot 6B', 6B", and 6B' respectively is attached to the outer edge of each side arm 6A', 6A", and 6A"'.

The arms 6A may be made from any rigid material such as timber, plastics or metal, especially a low density metal such as aluminium. Fig 3 shows how shaft 9 drives shaft 10 by use of chains and sprockets and through the use of a double sprocket 17 drives shaft 11 in the opposite direction.

Fig 4 shows the right hand side of the unit and the same reference numerals are employed to denote items common to the earlier Figures.

Fig 5 is a front view and again similar reference numerals are employed throughout to denote items visible in earlier Figures.

Figs 6 and 7 show the spring mechanism that holds arms 6 to bars 14.

In Fig 6 the arm 6A is secured to the foot 6B by a steel angle 22 using bolts and nylock nuts 22A left loose to allow some movement between 6A and 22.

Alternatively the angle 22 may be formed from a resilient material such as rubber, to provide for relative movement between arm and foot, or the angle may be in the form of a hinge.

The inboard end of each arm 6A is bolted firmly to section 23A of a right-angled plate.

The outer section 23B overlies one of the bars 14 making up the upper conveyor 5B. A large bolt 24 extends through an opening in 23B and through openings in opposite faces of the box section bar 14 and is held captive by a spring 16 and washer and lock nut 25.

Should a large object such as a stone, clod or vegetable root 26 as shown in Fig 7 become drawn into the lip between the conveyor SA and one of the feet 6B the spring 16 will compress to allow the arms 6A to hinge relative to 14 and accommodate the object.

Claims

Claims 1. A plant removing apparatus comprising an open fronted two sided frame between which extend upper and lower conveyors, with the lower run of the upper conveyor parallel to the upper run of the lower conveyor, wherein, when operating, both said conveyor runs move in the same direction from front to back, the two conveyors forming a nip at least at the front end of the two runs, and in use the frame is moved over a standing crop so that the lower run of the lower conveyor is just above the crop canopy so that movement of the frame in a forward direction will cause plants protruding above the crop canopy to be received between the two sides of the frame, where they will tend to become trapped in the nip between the upper and lower conveyors and uprooted.
2. An apparatus according to claim l, wherein the speed of the two conveyors is selected in relation to the forward linear movement of the frame, so that any plant so trapped will tend to be uprooted as it is pulled rearwardly between the two conveyors before the leading end of the two conveyors has advanced in a forward direction substantially beyond the position occupied by the uprooted plant.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper conveyor carries shoes equally spaced therealong, each spaced from the external surface of the conveyor by a similar distance, and the lower run of the upper conveyor is spaced from the upper run of the lower conveyor by an amount just equal to the distance by which the shoes are spaced from the surface of the upper conveyor, so that as the conveyors run, it is the shoes of the upper conveyor which engage the upper surface of the upper run of the lower conveyor inter alia to form the entrance nip.
4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the shoes are flat pads located at the outer ends of arms which are secured at their inner ends to the upper conveyor.
5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the arms are rigid or resiliently flexible.
6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the arms are hinged to the conveyor.
7. An apparatus according to any of claims 4 to 6, wherein a lost motion connection is provided between each arm and the conveyor or its shoe or both, to accommodate the thickness of any material which becomes trapped between the shoes and the lower conveyor.
8. An apparatus according to any of claims 4 to 7, wherein spring means is provided to urge the arm into one particular position in which the shoe is at a point of maximum displacement from the conveyor, measured perpendicular to the conveyor surface.
9. An apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8, forming part of a self-powered agricultural machine having wheels on either side and power means for driving at least some of the wheels at one speed and the two conveyors at an appropriate, related speed.
10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein control means is provided for controlling the operation of the machine.
11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control means includes steering and braking means as well as speed control means for the wheels and the conveyors.
12. An apparatus according to claim 9,10 or 11, wherein a platform is provided adjacent the control means for carrying an operator who can thereby, in use, operate the controls and steer or otherwise guide the machine through a standing crop.
13. An apparatus according to any of claims 9 to 12, wherein the control means includes means for controlling the height of the frame (or at least the conveyors) relative to the ground.
14. An apparatus according to any of claims 9 to 13, wherein the control means is adapted by means of radio control or the like to enable the machine to be controlled remotely.
15. An apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8, adapted to be carried by a powered agricultural tractor.
16. An apparatus according to claim 15, adapted to be carried on the front of such a tractor.
17. An apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the tractor includes adjustable forks, and the frame is adapted to be mounted thereon, and is thereby adjustable in height by adjusting the forks from the tractor cab.
18. An apparatus according to any of claims 15 to 17, wherein power for driving the conveyors is by way of one or more motors driven by electricity or hydraulic oil from the tractor.
19. An apparatus according to any of claims 15 to 17, wherein a transmission means is located in the frame, for coupling to the tractor PTO via a suitable linkage, and the conveyors are driven via the tractor PTO and controlled by stopping and starting the latter, and the forward speed of the tractor is selected so as to be consistent with the linear speeds of the two conveyors.
20. An apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 19, wherein the width between the two sides of the frame is at least a metre, and the conveyors extend substantially over the whole of the width between the sides of the frame, and the shoes likewise extend across the same width, so that a swathe substantially equal to the width of the frame is cut through plants protruding above the crop canopy as the apparatus is moved through the crop.
21. An apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 20, wherein, in order to accommodate different thicknesses of material across the width of the conveyor, each shoe is made up of two or more members each individually attached to the conveyor for independent movement.
22. An apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 21, wherein means is provided for collecting plant material gathered by the two conveyors.
23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the collection means comprises a bag or box fed from the rear of the two conveyors.
24. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the collection means comprises a conveyor or similar means communicating between the rear of the two conveyors for conveying foliage and other plant material disgorged from the conveyors to a trailer or other container at the rear.