GB2523673A

GB2523673A - Crop divider

Info

Publication number: GB2523673A
Application number: GB1503873.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Craig Herbert Pocklington
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-03-06
Filing date: 2015-03-06
Publication date: 2015-09-02
Anticipated expiration: 2035-03-06
Also published as: GB201503873D0; GB2523673B

Abstract

A crop divider is mountable adjacent a wheel 1 of a crop sprayer and comprises a divider bar 3 means locatable in front of the wheel and extending generally in a vertical plane of the wheel and an elongate lower portion 7 of the divider bar means is angled rearwardly towards the wheel and contacts an underlying ground surface 2 in use, an upper portion 6 of the divider may also curve rearwardly. The divider bar means may have an arcuate profile which substantially corresponds to the outer curvature of the wheel. The elongate lower portion may be made of a resilient plastics material. A crop divider may be mounted to each wheel of a crop sprayer to be driven across a field of a crop, such as oilseed rape, in which crop plants branch out and tend to tangle together.

Description

I

CROP DIVIDER

The present invention relates to equipment and fittings for agricultural vehicles. More particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to fittings for crop spraying vehicles to reduce damage to growing crops.

In modern agriculture, it is necessary to treat growing crops periodically, to destroy or restrict the growth of harmful orgLmisrns, diseases, blights and the like. A field of growing crops may conveniently he treated by spraying with a solution of a rdevant treatment agent. using a specialist agricultural vehicle, conventionally known as a crop sprayer. Crop sprayers conventionally have large-diameter wheels, fitted with relatively narrow tyres except in wet conditions, and have a chassis arrangement that provides a very high ground clearance for the main body of the crop sprayer. The main body of the crop sprayer usually has a cab for a driver/operator, tankage and pumps for the treatment agents and foldable/extendible spray booms, which in use extend laterally to each side of the crop sprayer. Thus, as the crop sprayer is driven across a ficid of growing crops, a wide swathe of the crops. to each side of tile vehicle, may be sprayed in a single pass.

The high ground clearance should prevent damage to die tips of growing p'ants by contact with the underside of the crop sprayer. and the relatively narrow wheels mean that only a narrow band of crops will be crushed under the wheels as the crop sprayer is driven across the ficid.

Nevcrthcless, the loss of production duc to the crops that may be crushed under the wheels of the crop sprayer can still be tens of thousands of pounds per year per farm.

Various attachments have been devised in order to deflect individual plants away from the wheels, to avoid them being crushed. A common form of such "crop dividers" comprises a roughly conical sheet metal body mounted several feet in front of each wheel of the crop sprayer, pointing forwards with the axis of the cone tipped slightly downwards. A similar crop divider uses similarly mounted wedge-shaped bodies, with the thin end of the wedge pointing forwards.

Such crop dividers appear to work well for crops that are basically "grasses" and comprise a single robust vertical stem such as wheat, barley, rye and thc like. As the crop sprayer is driven through a field of growing wheat, for example, the crop dividers penetrate between the stems of the individual plants and brush them to one side or the other of the crop divider, and so to one side or the other of the wheel to which the crop divider is mounted.

Unfortunately, for crops such as oilseed rape (Brassica napus), the individual plants have branching stems, and tend to tangle together as they grow in the field. Tf one uses the conventional crop dividers described above, these simply push into the tangle of stems and rip them apart. Plants tangled together can be uprooted. The tangles of plant material can block the crop dividers and readily lead to the crop debris balling up in front of the crop dividers, making it impossible to proceed. The plants are not efficiently deflected away from the wheels, so that they may be crushed, and the damage caused by side-hranches and seed-heads being shredded or toni oil by the passage of the crop divider also harms and reduces the yield from the crop.

It is hence an object of the present invention to provide improved crop dividers that can he used with tangled crops such as oilseed rape, allowing a crop sprayer to he driven through a crop with significantly less damage to the crop (and consequent financial losses), compared to existing crop dividers. Ideally, such improved crop dividers should also he suitable for usc on non-tangled crops, so as to reduce the need for multiple items of equipment, and further save costs.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a crop divider, mountable adjacent a wheel of a crop sprayer or other agricultural vehicle, wherein the crop divider comprises divider bar means locatable in front of the wheel and extending generally in the vertical plane of the wheel, and an elongate lower portion of the divider bar means is angled rearwardly towards the wheel and contacts an underlying ground surface in use.

Preferably, said lower portion of the divider bar means comprises a resiliently-displaceable elongate terminal body disposed to contact said underlying ground surface in use.

Advantageously, an elongate upper portion of the divider bar means is also angled rearwardly towards the wheel.

In a prefelTed embodiment, the divider bar means has an arcuate profile, said lower and upper portions of the divider bar comprising parts of the are.

Advantageously, the curvature of said are substantially corresponds to an outer curvature of the wheel to which the crop divider is mounted.

In alternative embodiments, die divider bar means comprises a plurality of conjoined substantially straight elongate portions.

Preferably, in all embodiments, the crop divider is detachably mountable to the crop sprayer.

Advantageously, there is provided at least one socket means, permanently mounted to the crop sprayer, into which the crop divider may removably be inserted.

Said socket means may be mounted to or adjacent wheel mounting means of the respective wheel of the crop sprayer.

On a steeraffle wheel ol the crop sprayer, said socket means is preferably so mounted that both it and the crop divider pivot along with the steered wheel.

The crop divider may comprise elongate boom means, mountable to respective socket means so as to extend forwardly and substantiaily horizontally adjacent a respective wheel, said boom means having the divider bar means mounted at its forward end.

The elongate boom means and the socket means may each comprise an elongate element of hollow tubing relatively dimensioned so that the elongate boom means forms an interference fit within the socket means.

Said elements of hollow tubing may each have a corresponding non-circular cross section. cooperable so as to prevent the boom means twisting within the socket means.

The boom means and the socket means may each then comprise an elongate element of lemon tube.

The divider bar means may comprise hollow circular section tubing.

The dongate terminal body of the lower portion ol the divider bar means preferably comprises a resiliently-deforniable material, such as a plastics material, particularly a thermoplastics material.

Said elongate terminal body may comprise a hoflow tube, dimensioned to fit over a lower end of the lower portion of the divider bar means, or to fit within said lower end.

Alternatively, said elongate temilnal body may comprise a substantially solid body, provided with a socket at its upper end to fit over a lower end of the lower portion of the divider bar means, and/or plug means to fit within said lower end.

The elongate terminal body preferably comprises between an eighth and a quarter of an entire length of the divider bar means.

The elongate terminal body advantageously comprises roughly a sixth of the entire length of the divider bar means.

Tn an embodiment for use with single-stein crops, the divider bar means is preferably provided with at least one pair of lateral deflector bars, extending from the divider bar means to either side thereof and each being angled rearwardly.

At least one of said pairs of lateral deflector bars is then advantageously mounted to said lower portion of the divider bar means, at a point significanfly above a ground surface, and preferably at a point above any elongate terminal body.

A distance between respective distal tips of the or each pair of lateral deflector bars should ideally he similar to or greater than a width of a tyre of the respective wheel.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of protecting crops during spraying with a crop sprayer, comprising the steps of providing a crop divider as described in die first aspect above icr each wheel ol the crop sprayer.

mounting each crop divider to a respective wheel such that its divider bar means extends in front of the wheel, and driving across a field of crops while spraying such that the divider bar means of the crop dividers contact the crops in front of the wheels.

Embodiments of the present invention will now he more particularly described, by way of example and with reference to the Figures of the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation of an external face of a wheel of a crop-sprayer with a first crop divider of the present invention mounted adjacent thereto; Figure 2 is a schematic frontal elevation of the wheel and crop divider of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic plan view from above of the crop divider of Figure 1 and its mounting adjacent the wheel; Figure 4 is a scrap isometric view of two cooperatively linked sections of lemon tube of known form, as used in the above mounting; Figure 5 is a schematic side elevation of an external face of a wheel of a crop-sprayer with a second crop divider of the present invention mounted adjacent thereto; and Figure 6 is a schematic frontal perspective view of a third crop divider of the present invention, mounted adjacent a wheel of a crop sprayer.

Referring now to the Figures, and to Figure 1 in partic&ar, a wheel I of a crop-sprayer of known design is shown resting on a ground surface 2. A typical crop-sprayer has four tall wheels, either the front two being steeralie. or all lour being steerable, with a main body of the crop-sprayer being configured such that its underside is level with an upper portion of the wheel 1, thus having a ground clearance that should prevent the underside coming into damaging contact with growing crops through which the crop-sprayer is driven. This does not, however, protect crops that lie along the prospective track of the wheels themselves.

The wheel I is shown fitted with a first crop divider 3 embodying the present invention.

The first crop divider 3 comprises a hollow cylindrical-section steel bar 4 formed into a part circle. The bar 4 is mounted detachably to a wheel mounting on an interior face of the wheel 1, by means of a supporting boom 5 (detafls of this arrangement are described with rcfcrencc to Figures 2 and 3, below).

The curvature of the bar 4 gcncrally corresponds to that of an outer circumference of the wheel I. An upper portion 6 of the bar 4 is thus swept back and ideally cxtends higher than an upper surface of the wheel 1. Crop sprayers are usually fitted with a mudguard for each wheel 1, but with plenty of clearance between the mudguard and the wheel 1, into which the upper portion 6 of the bar 4 can extend.

A thwer portion 7 of the bar 4 also curves rearwarWy, and is provided with a ground contact element 8, extending from a lower end of the lower portion 7, continuing to angle rearwardly, and dimensioned such that it contacts the surface of the ground 2 when the first crop divider 3 is mounted adjacent the wheel I. The ground contact element 8 is in this case made from a length of tubular resilient thermoplastics material, although solid ground contact elements and ground contact elements made from other resilient materials are envisaged. It is also possible that the ground contact element could he made from a more rigid material, but with a resilient connection to the lower portion 7 of the bar 4.

An important factor appears to he that the ground contact element S should contact the ground and be flexible or deflectable to follow irregularities in the ground surface and to avoid catching on plant debris, rather than being a rigid element penetrating the ground surface. It is convenient to use materials that are gradually abraded by passagc across the ground surface, such that the ground contact element 8 is automatically adjusted to a

suitable length.

Figure 2 shows more clearly how the first crop divider 3 is mounted via the supporting boom 5 to a wheel mounting 9 of the wheel 1, with the bar 4 extending in a vertical plane, co-planar with a plane of the wheel 1, and substantially in line with a centre line of the wheel I. An end of the supporting boomS distal from the bar 4 is detachably inserted into a socket 10 which is permanently mounted to the wheel niounting 9.

Figure 3 shows how the supporting boom S is in this casc convenicntly made from a plurality of straight sections, although curved sections may he used instead or in combination. These sections are connected end-to-end so as to position the bar 4 in use in front of the wheel 1 and aligned as shown in Figure 2, while ensuring that the supporting boomS remains clear of the wheel 1.

In Figures 2 and 3, the wheel mounting 9 is shown only in a highly schematic form, with conventional details such as kingposts, kingpins, the wheel stub axle, the steering knuckle, tie rods and the like omitted for clarity and simplicity. Any known wheel mounting 9 used on crop sprayers has at least one element that does not rotate with the wheel 1 and which could have a socket 10 welded or otherwise mounted to it so as to point forwardly, as required. For the wheel mountings 9 used on steerable wheels 1, the socket lois mounted to an element of the wheel mounting 9 that pivots with the wheel I (e.g. the steering knuckle or the kingpin), such that the socket 10 and any crop divider 3 mounted thereto also pivot with the wheel 1, leaving the bar 4 constantly iii position iii front of the wheel 1 as shown.

A particularly suitable arrangement for mounting the supporting boom 5 detachably to the socket 10 is shown in Figure 4. This shows two elements 11, 12 ol a type of steel tubing known as "lemon tube". Lemon tube has a roughly circular cross-section, hut is formed with two diametrically opposed protrusions 13. Because the lemon tube 13, 14 has a substantially constant wall thickness, these protrusions 13, 14 are present on both a concave interior and a convex extenor surface of the lemon tube 11. 12. Thus, if a first lemon tube 11 and a second lemon tube 12 are selected with the internal dimensions and profile of the larger lemon tube 11 generally corresponding to the externa' dimensions and profile of the smaller second lemon tube 12, then the smaller lemon tube 12 can be inserted into the larger lemon tube 11. forming an interference fit. Additionally, a convex extcnial surface of each protrusion 14 of the smaller lemon tube 12 fits into a concave interior surface of a colTesponding protrusion 13 on the larger lemon tube 11.

As a result, the respective lemon tubes 11, 12 are securely held in alignment, preventing relative rotational motion about their mutual longitudinal axis.

Lemon Tube is hence commonly used for power take-oils br agricultural machinery, as it is easy to insert and remove the smaller lemon tuhe 12 from the larger lemon tube II when required, but there is no tendency to uncouple during even rapid rotation.

lii the present case, the socket 10 may be made from the larger lemon tube 11, with at least a distal portion of the support boom 5 being made from the smaller lemon tube 12.

As long as the socket 10 is reasonably deep, and is accurately aligned to point forwardly and horizontally, the supporting boom 5 can be removably inserted into the socket 10, with the supporting boom 5 projecting forwardly and horizontally, and without the 1op-sided load resulting from the asymmetric form of the first crop divider 3 (see Figure 3) causing the supporting boom 5 to twist within the socket 10.

Other socket arrangements are known to have the same effect, such as a development of the emon tube that has three or more protrusions spaced around the circumference of the otherwise generally cylindrical tube, or more complicated arrangements. The aim is simply to have the first crop divider 3 easily mountable to and removable from the crop-sprayer, with the bar 4 being automatically brought in to the correct position relative to the wheel 1.

The first crop divider 3 of the present invention appears to operate by separating tangled crop plants relatively gradually. A middle portion of the curved bar 4 contacts the plants first, and as the whed I progresses, the shape of the curved bar 4 then pushes the plants smoothly apart.

Where the plants are not immediately separated. and resistant tangles remain, the tangled portions of the plants will he pushed either upwardly or downwardly as the wheel I and the divider 3 progress forwards. The force exerted as these tangled portions are pushed and stretched across the upper 6 or lower 7 portions of the curved bar 4 will increase gradually and change in direction, smoothly pulling the tangles apart. Ultimately, this will leave the plants in contact with the upper 6 or lower 7 portions of the bar 4 near the tips or roots of the plants, respectively, at which stage most tangles will have been gradually "combed out" and the plants successftilly deflected to one side of the wheel I or the other. A few plants might be so strongly tangled that they would go under the wheels 1, but this is only a very small proportion of the crop. Not only are almost. all plants successfully separated, hut the gradual nature of the separation appears to result in far less damage to the crop than from existing dividers, which tend to rip tangles apart when used on crop plants such as oilseed rape (OSR).

The result is much less damage to the crop. relative to existing systems, cven when the crop-sprayer is driven across a field of crops at rdatively high speed, which is often necessary to complete the spraying of an entire crop in good time.

Variations of the first crop divider 3 are possible. Figure 5 shows a second crop divider 15, in which, rather than an arcuate bar 4, the crop divider 15 comprises a straight vertical central portion 16, with a straight upper portion 17 extending at a rearward angk from its upper end and a straight lower portion 18 extending at an angle rearwardly from a lower end of the central portion 16. A resilient ground contact element. 19 extends from a lower end of the lower portion 18 and is dimensioned to contact an underlying ground surface 2. as for the first crop divider 3.

It is believed that this second crop divider 15 would be more effective than existing crop dividers, hut probably not as effective as the first crop divider 3. The sharp corners between the portions 16, 17, 18 niight lead to sonic crop damage, and the vertical central section 16 is likely to be less effective at guiding tangled plants towards the swept back upper 17 and lower 18 portions than is the curved bar 4 of the first crop divider 3.

Tntermediate forms with a divider bar made from several curved portions. or a mixture of curved and straight portions, are also envisaged.

Figure 6 shows part of a third crop divider 20, that may be used both for tangled crop plants such as OSR and for singk-stemmed crops such as wheat.

The third crop divider 20 is similar to the first crop divider 3, comprising a part circular bar 4. positioned in use in front of the wheel 1, with an upper portion 6 and a lower portion 7 both curving rearwardly towards the wheel 1, and a supporting boom 5 to mount the third crop divider 20 detachably to the whcel mounting (not shown). It differs from the first crop divider 3 in that it also comprises a pair of lateral deflector bars 21, extending from the lower portion 7 of the bar 4 on opposite sides. Figure 6 is a slightly downwardly angled view -each lateral deflector bar 21 actually extends in a horizontal plane when the third crop divider 20 is mounted adjacent the wheel I, angled rearwardly at about 45°. An overall width between respective distal tips of the lateral deflector bars 21 is greater than a width of the wheel 1.

When the third crop divider 20 is mounted to a crop-sprayer for use with a crop such as wheat, the resilient ground contact dement 8 is not required (as is shown in Figure 6).

Thc lateral deflector bars 21 form a wedge shape, acting on the wheat stems fairly close to the ground and brushing them sideways away from a path of the wheel 1. The third crop divider 20 is thus as effective as existing crop dividers when used on wheat and the like.

Claims

CLAES1. A crop divider mountable adjacent a wheel of a crop sprayer or other agricultural vehicle, wherein the crop divider comprises divider bar means locatable in front of the wheel and extending generally in a vertical plane of the wheel, and an elongate lower portion of the divider bar means is angled rearwarWy towards the wheel and contacts an underlying ground surface in use.
2. A crop divider as claimed in claim I, wherein said lower portion of the divider bar means comprises a resiliently-displaceable elongate teirninal body disposed to contact said underlying ground surface in use.
3. A crop divider as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein an elongate upper portion of the divider bar means is also angled rearwardly towards the wheel.
4. A crop divider as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the divider bar means has an arcuate proffle, said lower and upper portions of the divider bar comprising parts of the arc.
5. A crop divider as claimed in claim 4, wherein the curvature of said arc substantially corresponds to an outer curvature of the wheel to which the crop divider is mounted.
6. A crop divider as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the crop divider is detachably mountable to the crop sprayer.
7. A crop divider as claimed in any one ol (he preceding claims. wherein there is provided at least one socket means, permanently mounted to the crop sprayer.into which the crop divider may removably be inserted.
8. A crop divider as claimed in claim 7, wherein said socket means is mounted to or adjacent wheel mounting means of the respective wheel of the crop sprayer.
9. A crop divider as claimed in either claim 7 or claim 8, wherein, for a steerable wheel of (he crop sprayer, said socket means is so mounted (hat both it and (he crop divider pivot along with the steerable wheel.
10. A crop divider as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising elongate boom means, mountable to respective socket means so as to extend forwardly and substantially horizontally adjacent a respective wheel, said boom means having the divider bar means mounted at its forward end.

0
11. A crop divider as claimed in claim 10, wherein the elongate boom means and the socket means each comprise an elongate element of hollow tubing relatively dimensioned so that the elongate boom means forms an interference fit within the socket means.
12. A crop divider as claimed in claim 11, wherein said elements of hollow tubing each have a corresponding non-circular cross section, eooperable so as to prevent the boom means twisting within the socket means.
13. A crop divider as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the divider bar means comprises hollow circular section tubing.
14. A crop divider as claimed in claim 2, wherein the dongate terminal body ol the lower portion of the divider bar means comprises a resiliently-deformable material, such as a plastics material, particularly a thermoplastics material.
15. A crop divider as claimed in either claim 2 or claim 14, wherein said elongate terminal body comprises a hollow tube, dimensioned to fit over a lower end of the lower portion of the divider bar means, or to fit within said lower end.
16. A crop divider as claimed in either claim 2 or claim 14, wherein said elongate terminal body comprises a substantially solid body, provided with a socket at its upper end to fit over a lower end of the lower portion of the divider bar means.and/or plug means to fit within said lower end.
17. A crop divider as claimed in any one of claims 2 and 14 to 16. wherein the elongate terminal body comprises between an eighth and a quarter of an entire length of the divider bar means.C
18. A crop divider as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, adapted for use with single-stem crops, wherein the divider bar means is provided with at least one pair of lateral deflector bars, extending from the divider bar means to either side thereof, each lateral deflector bar being angled rearwardly.
19. A crop divider substantially as described herein with reference to the Figures of the accompanying drawings.
20. A method of protecting crops during spraying with a crop sprayer, comprising the steps of providing a crop divider as claimed in any one of the preceding dainis br each wheel ol the crop sprayer, mounting each crop divider to a respective wheel such that its divider bar means extends in front of the wheel, and driving across a field of crops while spraying such that the divider har means of the crop dividers contact the crops in front of the wheels.
21. A crop sprayer having a crop divider as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19 so mounted adjacent each wheel that a respective divider bar is located in front of said wheel. IC)CO (4