IE86782B1

IE86782B1 - Root crop washing container

Info

Publication number: IE86782B1
Application number: IE20140145A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Campion Robert
Original assignee: Campion Robert
Priority date: 2014-03-10
Filing date: 2014-06-10
Publication date: 2017-02-08
Also published as: GB2528149A; GB201504099D0; GB201504013D0; IE20140145A1

Abstract

A root crop washing container (1) for attaching to a front end loading arm of a tractor/industrial loader with a combination of a trap door (8) at the base of the washing container for unloading and the mounting brackets (7) mounted in a higher position than normal, that allows the base of the washing container to be submerged in water. An angled paddle system (6) allows the root crop to be tumbled and agitated in an effective manner. The washing container (1) is first used to rotate the root crop before it is submerged in water. This allows any heavy soil or unwanted materials to fallthrough the grills (8) on base of the washing container, before it is submerged in water. The rotating paddles (6) tumble and rotate the root crop while it is partly submerged in water, normally for 3 — 4 minutes until the root crop is washed to a desired quality. The washed root crop is then unloaded via the hydraulic trap door (8). <Figure 3>

Description

ROOT CROP WASHING CONTAINER The invention relates to a root-crop washing container mounted to a tractor/teleporter/industrial loader and the like. The root crop washing container facilitates the cleaning/washing of root crops by means of internal rotating paddles within the washing container which agitates the roots to remove adhering soil and other unwanted material while the root crop washing container is partly submerged in water. The root crop washing container also allows the unloading of the cleaned root crop via a hinged trap-door in the lower apex of the root crop washing container.

Background to the invention A root crop washing container is used to wash and clean root crops after said crops have been harvested to remove remaining soil and unwanted materials. A root crop can be defined as a crop cultivated for the food value of its roots such as beet or turnips. For example, a beet is normally a dome-like shape and measures approximately 180tnm diameter on top and measures down to approximately 20mm and usually grows 200mm beneath the soil. When a root crop is harvested, it holds on to a considerable amount of soil and even more so if harvested when weather conditions are moist and wet. It is important to remove this soil from the root by means of washing before animal consumption. If an animal consumes an unwashed root, soil can remain in the animal's stomach for a long period of time and possibly leading to ill health and loss of appetite thus leading to a reduction of profit margin for the producer of the root crop.

Typical root crop washing machinery, e.g. diet feeders and the like, are very expensive to purchase and operate due to high maintenance costs and are very wasteful of resources such as fuel and the high volume of water needed to wash the root crops. Other root washing machinery use a rotating drum mounted to an industrial loader/ teleporter. This type of root crop washing machine has a very high purchase price and is extremely heavy and very high maintenance. This type of root crop washing machine requires expensive alterations to the hydraulic system of the industrial loader/ teleporter that the root crop washing machine is attached to.

The present invention attempts to overcome these problems.

Statement of Invention The invention provides for a root crop washing container comprising: a frame with two angled walls meeting at a curved apex; two side walls; a main rotating shaft with paddles attached perpendicular to said shaft running from one side wall to the other side wall; a hydraulic motor to power the rotating shaft with paddles attached; a hinged grill in the curved apex of the device; two hydraulic rams for opening and closing the curved grill and holding said grill in an opened or closed position; adjustable mounting attachments on one face of the washer so as to allow the washer to be attached to standard vehicles on which it is mounted; and a solenoid diverter valve to divert power between the hydraulic motor powering the rotary shaft and the hydraulic rams for opening and closing the grill.

In one embodiment, the shaft is in two pieces with flange couplings to allow one or both parts of the shaft to be removed for maintenance.

In one embodiment, part of the grill is fixed to the washer and part moveable in a hinge mounting to allow unloading of washed root crop.

In one embodiment, the washer is used to wash root crops for animal consumption.

In one embodiment, the paddles are angled between 0 and 80°.

In a preferred embodiment, the paddles are angled between 15 and 30°.

In a user preferred embodiment, the paddles are angled at 25°.

In another user preferred embodiment, the paddles are alternatively angled at +20° / -20°.

In one embodiment, the paddles are faced with an adjustable rubber pad to minimise damage to the root crop and increase efficiency of the washing cycle.

In one embodiment, the paddles, consisting of a shaft protruding perpendicular from the main rotating shaft and which also incorporates a flat base surface at adjacent end onto which a rubber pad is attached.

In one embodiment, the side wall of the paddle base comprises holes for bolts to attach the rubber pad.

In one embodiment, the rubber pads comprise slots into which the securing bolts may be threaded to allow the pad to be height adjustable with respect to the paddle base to define a tolerance to the inner surface of the crop washing container.

Brief description of the drawings The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure la, lb, lc and Id show a side view, a front view, a top view and an isometric view of the root crop washing container according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a 3D view of the root crop washing container showing the hinged grill in the open position; Figure 3 shows a 3D view of the root crop washing container showing the hinged grill in the open position and the rotating shaft with mounted paddles; Figure 4a, 4b and 4c shows a side view, a top view and an isometric view of the rotating shaft with mounted paddles; and Figure 5a and 5b shows a side view of the root crop washing container in an upright position 10 illustrating hinged grill in its open and closed positions.

Detailed description Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a vehicle mountable root crop washing container according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference number 1.

Referring to Figures la; lb, lc and Id, figures la, lb, lc and Id show a frame comprising two angled walls (3) meeting at a curved apex (8), two side walls (2) attached to either ends of the angled wall -(3) and a hinged grill in the curved apex of the device (8).

A rotating shaft (4) with paddles (6) attached perpendicular to rotating shaft (4).

The end surfaces of the rotating shaft (4) protrude externally through the side walls (2) to engage bearings (11) mounted to the. external face of the side walls (2).

Referring to Figure 2,. figure 2 shows the curved grill (8) in the apex of the two angled walls (3) is in a hinge mounting and can be moved to an open or closed position using hydraulic rams (10) to facilitate unloading of washed root crop.

A hydraulic motor (12) is used to power the rotating shaft (4) via a chain and sprocket mechanism (14).

A solenoid diverter valve (9) is used to divert power between the hydraulic motor (12) powering the rotating shaft (4) and the hydraulic rams (10) for opening and closing the grill (8) in a situation where the vehicle used to operate the root crop washing container (1) can only supply one hydraulic power supply.

Adjustable mounting brackets (7) are used to allow the washing container (1) to be attached to standard vehicles.

The adjustable mounting brackets (7) are attached to a fixed mounting bracket (13) in a user defined position; the fixed mounting bracket (13) is permanently secured to angled wail (3).

Referring to Figure 4, this shows the main rotating shaft (4) consisting of multiple segments secured together by means of a flange coupling (5). This is to facilitate the removal of bearings (11) and rotating shaft (4) for maintenance or adjustment.

The paddles (6) consist of a shaft protruding perpendicular from the main rotating shaft (4) incorporating a flat base surface at adjacent end onto which an adjustable rubber pad (15) may be attached if preferred by the operator.

Referring to Figures 5a and 5b, figure 5a shows a side view of the root crop washing container (1) illustrating the hinged grill (8) in a closed position.

Figure 5b shows a side view of the root crop washing container (1) illustrating the hinged grill (8) in an open position.

One of the advantages of this invention is the affordability factor for even the smallest of root crop producers. Normally producers would have to hire a contractor adding an avoidable cost to their business. Profit margins are thus increased.

Another advantage is the very low maintenance cost. There are only two heavy duty bearings on the paddle shaft. A bearing allows the wear-free movement of the paddle shaft. These bearings can be greased with ease by two external grease nipples. The paddle shaft can be split in two parts allowing the operator to replace a bearing after a long period of use without the expense of a mechanic.

Another advantage is a fitted 12 volt solenoid diverter value (this valve allows the flow of oil to be diverted in a different direction with the flick of an electronic switch) mounted on the washer which eliminates the expense of putting a second auxiliary (hydraulic pipes and value splice) on the machine operating the washing container.

Another advantage is that you can use this washer to do a dry spin of the root crop before it is submerged in water. This assists in the removal of any heavy soil and small stones which will fall out through the grill in the base of the washing container. This also helps keep the water cleaner for a longer usage period.

Another advantage is the low water usage to wash a large amount of root crop compared to other methods of washing root crop already on the market. With water charges in force in many countries, this is a very attractive feature of the machine.

Another advantage is the paddles which are used to rotate/tumble the root crop to give a maximum washing effect. The paddles are rubber faced with a bolt-on adjustable rubber to minimise root crop damage during washing/dry spinning. Each paddle is also angled to maximise root crop rotation/tumbling.

Another advantage is safety. This is a one man washing system which only requires one person to operate this root crop washing container from the safety of the cab of the tractor/industrial loader. All the drive chains (chain that drives the paddles) and hydraulic rams (used to open the trap door) are covered by a steel safety guard.

Another advantage is the position of the adjustable mounting brackets. The mounting brackets ar bolted on to the washing container and this is the attachment point to the vehicle, e.g. tractor loader/industrial loader. These brackets are mounted in a higher position than normal to allow the base of the washing container to be submerged deeper in water thus aiding the speed and effectiveness of washing.

Another advantage is the trap door system. Because the mounting brackets mentioned above are mounted in a higher position than normal, the trap door facilitates the easy unloading of washed root crop into a high trailer. This is an essential requirement for my invention and will be one of the key selling features of this washing container.

Claims

1. A root crop washing container comprising a frame with two angled walls meeting at a curved apex, two side walls, a main shaft with paddles attached perpendicular to said main

2. A root crop washing container as claimed in Claim 1 in which a non-moveable grill fixed to the container is located adjacent the hinged grill.

3. A root crop washing container as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the main shaft is in 15 two pieces with flange couplings to allow one or both parts of the main shaft to be removed for maintenance.

4. A root crop washing container as claimed in any preceding claim in which the paddles are angled between 0° and 80°.

5. A root crop washing container as claimed in any preceding claim in which the paddles 20 are angled between 15° and 30°. 5 shaft being rotatably mounted in and extending from one side wall to the other side wall, an hydraulic motor to power the main shaft, a hinged grill in the curved apex of the container, two hydraulic rams for opening and closing the hinged grill and holding said grill in an opened or closed position, adjustable mounting attachments on one face of the container so as to allow the container to be attached to a standard vehicle, and a solenoid diverter valve to

6. A root crop washing container as claimed in any preceding claim in which the paddles are angled at 25°.

7. A root crop washing container as claimed in any preceding claim in which the paddles are alternatively angled at +20° / -20°. 25

8. A root crop washing container as claimed in any preceding claim in which each paddle comprises a shaft protruding perpendicularly from the main shaft.

9. A root crop washing container as claimed in Claim 8 in which each paddle comprises a flat base adjacent the end of the corresponding protruding shaft thereof. 10. The corresponding paddle bases.

10. A root crop washing container as claimed in Claim 9 in which the base of each paddle defines a side wall having holes extending into the side wall for receiving securing bolts. 10 divert power between the hydraulic motor and the hydraulic rams for opening and closing the grill.

11. A root crop washing container as claimed in any preceding claim in which the paddles are faced with respective adjustable rubber pads to minimise damage to the root crop. 5

12. A root crop washing container as claimed in Claim 11 in which the rubber pads comprise slots for accommodating securing bolts for securing the rubber pads to the paddles.

13. A root crop washing container as claimed in Claim 12 when dependent on Claim 10 in which the rubber pads are secured to the bases of the respective paddles by bolts extending through the slots in the rubber pads and engaged in the holes extending into the side walls of

14. A root crop washing container as claimed in any of Claims 11 to 13 in which the rubber pads are adapted for adjustment relative to the paddle base.

15. A root crop washing container as claimed in any preceding claim in which the washing container is adapted for washing root crops for animal consumption. 15

16. A root crop washing container substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.