MX2013004606A - Machine for harvesting agave and obtaining the core of the plant. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine for harvesting agave and obtaining the core of the plant. The machine comprises a chassis defining a platform having: a rear end comprising a structural frame supporting arms that project rearwards, wheel rims that rest on the ground being secured to said arms; a front end comprising a structural frame having arms extending frontwards, a tractor-coupled drawbar being secured to said arms; and an arm that connects to the power take-off of the tractor and is secured in the upper part of the structural frame. The machine is characterised in that it comprises a supporting base which can slide under the action of hydraulic elements and is mounted on a pair of rails arranged transversely on the platform. The supporting base is adapted to receive at least one vertical post with height-adjustment means, said post having a transverse arm secured at the upper end thereof. A head is secured at the end of the transverse arm, said head being equipped with rotatin g vertical cutting blades projecting downwards. According to the invention, the head also comprises: a drive motor for rotating a shaft on which the rotating vertical cutting blades are mounted, as well as a mechanism for adjusting the distance between the rotating vertical cutting blades according to the size (height and diameter) of the agave plants.

Description

MACHINE FOR JIMAR AND AGAVE HARVEST FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is related to agriculture in general, in particular it is related to the equipment, machines and agricultural implements that are mounted or coupled in tractors to perform work of crops. More specifically, it refers to a novel machine for jiming and harvesting agave.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is well known that from the blue agave (Agave tequilana) tequila is obtained from the fermentation and distillation of extracted juice.

The blue agave (Agave tequilana) is a perennial plant of arid zones. Physically it is formed by thin, almost flat sheets. The most important elements that form it are fibers, sugars, mineral salts and water. Around the heart of the agave are the leaves, which are the stems of the leaves. In the center of the pineapple, the natural juice accumulates, which has high fructose content and other vitamin properties. of fatty particles that give it its distinguished taste and smell.

In optimum conditions of maturity of the plant, it has a rich content of sugar, a basic ingredient to produce tequila and other products derived from agave.

After the agave has reached its full maturity, the jima is carried out, name given to the action of obtaining the agave pineapple, since only the central part known as heart, pineapple is used from the agave or head of the plant and that in the future will be called pineapple, where the largest amount of sugars is concentrated.

In the jima the agave is cut by a jimador, who is an expert right-hand person in the elaboration of the tequila since of his knowledge the quality of the distillates depends many times. The jimador uses different tools, each one of them occupies a precise place in the work that culminates with the extraction of the pineapples, the raw material with which the tequila will be born. In the jima the tool called coa is used, which consists of a bar with the extremely sharp semicircular tip, to cut and eliminate the leaves or leaves of the agave, leaving only the marrow, which is separated from the earth by eliminating the root until leaving the pineapple. Depending on the age, the type of agave and the shape of the cut, the pineapple weighs a hundred or more kilos. The agave pineapples are collected and transported to the distillers.

However, the work of the jima is a slow, meticulous, heavy and dangerous operation for the jimador, which translates into low production, a longer time required to harvest the pineapples, higher production costs, the need to have more of labor, etc., which represents limitations in the production capacity of tequila and other agave derivatives that the industry requires. It is also a highly dangerous operation for the jimador, because there is a high risk of injury or mutilation of the lower extremities.

For the above, a machine that allows to carry out this task would solve the problems and drawbacks mentioned above in the aforementioned task.

Making a search in the state of the art, we found the Mexican patent MX 243917 of Emil Georg Hoell, et al, whose owner is the Center for Research and Assistance in Technology and Design of the State of Jalisco A. C, which was presented on November 15, 2001 and granted on December 26, 2006 and that protects a combine harvester and jigger machine that is basically composed of 3 main elements, a fork, an inclined conveyor, with articulated haulers mechanically and a rotating drum with blades that can be coupled to a conventional tractor or form part of a self-contained vehicle. Where the fork is formed by two horizontal arms terminated in point, which for their operation are joined at the opposite end by a support base. Between the arms and the base the cutting element is located, which can be formed by fixed blades, band saw, shear or disc with blades. The lower part of the fork that slides on the ground is provided with a wear plate. All this element is coupled to the tractor by means of the adapter.

The inclined chain conveyor is provided with mechanically articulated rams, which are comb-like so that they can be aligned with the chains in their return taking different positions along their route. The position of these riders is determined by the pivot that slides on a guide along the path of the chains, which are driven by sprockets, moved by a hydraulic motor.

The harvester further comprises a squirrel-cage type drum, a set of fixed knives, mounted on a helical structure that traverses the inner body of the drum and another set of the drum. The rotating drum together with its elements is installed inside being supported by wheels, fixed to the structure on which the drum rotates. These structures they can be inclined in a range of 15 to 45 degrees allowing to change the residence time required of the agave inside the rotating drum to obtain desired jimmy results. The drum has an independent power system. Where all the elements are in a trailer attached to the tractor.

However, said machine is a complex machine that operates so that the fork must go level with the agave plants passing between the horizontal arms ending in a point and at the end of which the cutting blades are arranged, that is to say, short by exerting pressure on the advance of the machine. It requires a lower wear plate since the fork must be dragging on the ground. When cutting the agave plant through the base, it must be driven through the conveyor to drive the agave plant and deposit it inside the cage-type drum that has knives that cut the leaves or leaves of the agave plant. This also represents a problem of obstruction since the leaves or leaves that are cut must leave through the opening of the drum comprising rings and leaving small grooves that do not allow the proper exit of the agave stalks which makes jimping difficult.

The technology of the agricultural sector makes the development and innovation of new machinery and equipment necessary to solve important technical problems within the sector, which can be seen translated into greater profitability and above all that translates into greater productivity and agricultural production of different crops and greater profitability in the industry that takes advantage of agricultural products.

The need to have a practical and efficient machine that allows jima and mechanically harvest the agave plants, is more than evident before the problems of carrying out this practice in a manual way by the traditional method of jima. The present invention offers a machine that allows executing this operation of jima in a fast, practical and functional way and that will undoubtedly offer technological advantages in the agricultural sector, as well as in the industrial sector that uses the agave plant for its processing for different industrial processes.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION The main objective of the present invention is to offer a machine for jiming and mechanically harvesting the agave, which allows to reduce labor and time in the harvest of the agave and the benefit is the technological contribution in this sector of the field.

Another objective of the invention is to make said machine available for jiming and mechanically harvesting the agave, which is also Compact, simple structure, practical and functional.

Another objective of the invention is to make said machine available for jiming and mechanically harvesting the agave, which can also be easily operated by an operator.

Another object of the invention is to make said machine available for jiming and mechanically harvesting the agave, which is also structurally suitable, safe and efficient, and which can be easily assembled and disassembled on a tractor.

Another objective of the invention is to make said machine available for jiming and mechanically harvesting the agave, which also considerably reduces production costs and allows to increase production and productivity in the processing industry of said crop employed in this technology.

Another object of the invention is to make said machine available for jiming and mechanically harvesting the agave, which can also be transported easily to the cultivation areas and to the areas where the machine is protected.

Another object of the invention is to make said machine available for jiming and mechanically harvesting the agave, which also comprises means for adjusting in height the cutting elements in function of the height of the plants and the conditions of the land Another objective of the invention is to make said machine available for jiming and mechanically harvesting the agave, which also reduces the work to the laborer since he performs the most difficult part of the jima process and so that the producer can reduce the time and costs of Harvest.

Another object of the invention is to make said machine available for jiming and mechanically harvesting the agave, which is also easy to manufacture and relatively accessible to agricultural producers.

Another objective of the invention is to make said machine available for jiming and mechanically harvesting the agave, which also avoids accidents that commonly occur when the harvest is carried out manually.

And all those qualities and objectives that will become apparent when making a general and detailed description of the present invention supported by the illustrated modalities.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In order to develop the present invention consisting of a machine for mechanically harvesting and harvesting the agave, problems of mechanisms that activate the different parts of the machine, such as turning system, clamping system for plant clamping, movement system, were solved linear in three axes, mechanisms for cutting the plant, types of materials and their resistance, dimensions of mechanisms, calculation of forces for systems of activation of the machine, these are some of the problems that were reviewed at the time of design of the machine . To carry out all this, the characteristics of the plant and the land were investigated, seeking to unify characteristics to look for the best possible result in the machine.

In general, the machine for jiming and mechanically harvesting the agave, in accordance with the present invention consists of a chassis that defines a substantially horizontal platform that subsequently comprises a structural frame as support means for later projected arms in which tires are fixed supporting the floor of said chassis with damping elements and comprising at the front end a structural frame with frontally projecting arms in which a drawbar is fixed that is fixed on a tractor or other vehicle and an arm that is connected to the The tractor's power socket is fixed on the upper part of said structural frame.

A support base slidable by the action of hydraulic elements mounted on a pair of parallel rails that is transversely disposed on said platform and is adapted to receive at least one vertical post with means of height adjustment, which fixedly comprises at its upper end an arm cross section at the end of which a head is fixed with vertical rotating cutting blades projected inferiorly; wherein said base comprises preferably hydraulic actuating means for transversely moving it over said platform and positioning the head with vertical rotary cutting blades on the agave plants to cut the stalks; wherein said head comprises a drive motor for rotating an axis where said vertical rotating cutting blades are mounted and said head comprising a mechanism for adjusting the separation of the vertical cutting rotary blades as a function of the size (height and diameter) of the agave plants.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention; said at least one vertical post fixed on the base of sliding support that can be moved transversely on the platform of the chassis, is of the telescopic type with hydraulic systems or other systems of height adjustment to raise or lower the head with vertical rotating cutting blades .

In its preferred embodiment of the invention said mechanism for regulating the separation of the cutting blades consists of a scissor-type mechanism.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention; said head of rotating cutting blades consists of central tubular body internally housing a rotating shaft that projects at both ends; said tubular body comprises fixed at its upper end an upper plate on which a motor connected to said rotating shaft is fixed whose lower end is fixed on a rotating lower plate; said upper plate further comprises fixed on its upper face at least a pair of laterally opposed hydraulic actuators whose extensible stems pass through holes of said upper plate and are fixed on the upper face of an intermediate plate mounted with vertical displacement capability around said tubular body; said intermediate plate comprising fixed on its upper face a pair of opposed vertical guides that slide through holes made in said upper plate; and on its lower face it comprises a bushing in which it fixes a fixing plate with guide grooves of the ends of scissor arms which are also fixed in sliding elements mounted in guide grooves of said lower plate and wherein said sliding elements are adapted for receive the ends of said vertical cutting blades.

Said hydraulic actuators fixed on the upper plate and whose extensible rods pass through holes of said upper plate and are fixed on the upper face of an intermediate plate; lower or rise to said intermediate plate and actuate said scissor arms to open or close said cutting blades. If said hydraulic actuators are retracted, the scissor arms extend and the cutting blades are closed or joined; while if said hydraulic actuators extend the scissor arms are retracted and the cutting blades open or separate.

In another embodiment of the invention, said scissor arms are fixed pivotally at their point of intersection in said tubular body.

In another embodiment of the invention, said sliding elements mounted in guide grooves of said lower plate, consists of plates adapted to pivotally fix the lower ends of said scissor arms and comprising sliding means that pass through the slots of said scissors. lower plate and that below the latter comprise plates with holes longitudinally distributed where are fixed by means of bolts said vertical rotating cutting blades of the agave stalks; where said holes permit a mechanical and manual adjustment to close or open up to 30 cm said additional blades to those achieved with the scissors mechanism.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, said vertical rotary cutting blades have a substantially concave inward shape and define at least one sharp curved cutting edge.

In order to better understand the characteristics of the invention, the present description, as an integral part thereof, is accompanied by the drawings, which are illustrative but not limitative, which are described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 shows a conventional perspective view of the machine for harvesting and harvesting agave, in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates a side perspective view of said rotating cutting head of the machine for harvesting and harvesting agave, in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 3 illustrates a side view of the said head of rotating cutting blades of the machine for harvesting and harvesting agave, in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 4 shows in conventional perspective the direction of rotation of the vertical rotary cutting blades of the head, of the machine for cutting and harvesting agave, in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 5 illustrates a front view of vertical rotating cutting blades, when said blades are joined together (more closed) by the action of the separation adjustment mechanism of the vertical rotating cutting blades, in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 6 illustrates a front view of rotating vertical cutting blades, when said blades are separated (more open) by the action of the separation adjustment mechanism of the vertical rotary cutting blades, in accordance with the present invention.

For a better understanding of the invention, a detailed description will be made of some of the modalities thereof, shown in the drawings that are annexed to the present description with non-limiting illustrative purposes, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The characteristic details of the agavede harvesting and harvesting machine according to the present invention are clearly shown in the following description and in the accompanying illustrative drawings, the same reference signs serving to indicate the same parts.

With reference to Figure 1 the machine for jiming and harvesting agave consists of a chassis 1 defining a substantially horizontal platform 2 which subsequently comprises a structural frame 3 as support means for subsequently projected arms 4 in which support rims are fixed to the floor 5 of said chassis, with damping means 6; said platform comprising at the front end a structural frame 7 with frontally projecting arms 8 in which a drawbar 9 is fixed which is fixed on a tractor or other vehicle and a connecting arm 10 to the power take-off of the tractor is fixed in the upper part of said structural framework 7.

A sliding support base 11 by the action of hydraulic elements (not shown) mounted on a pair of parallel rails 12 which is transversely disposed on said platform 2 and is adapted to receive a pair of telescopic vertical poles 13 with height adjustment means ( not shown), which fixedly comprise at their upper end a transverse arm 14 at the end of which a head 15 is fixed with vertical rotary cutting blades 16 projected internally; wherein said sliding support base 11 comprises hydraulic actuating means (not shown) for transversely moving it over said substantially horizontal platform 2 and positioning the head 15 with vertical rotating cutting blades 16 on the agave plants to cut the stalks; wherein said head 15 comprises an upper transmission motor 17 for rotating a rotating shaft 18 where said vertical rotary cutting blades 16 are mounted and said head comprising a scissor-type mechanism for separating adjustment 19 of the vertical rotary cutting blades 16 depending on the size (height and diameter) of the agave plants.

With reference to figures 2 to 6, said head 15 of vertical rotary cutting blades 16 consists of a central tubular body 20 internally housing a rotating shaft 18 projecting at both ends; said tubular body 20 fixedly comprises at its upper end an upper plate 21 on which the upper transmission motor 17 connected to said rotating shaft 18 is fixed whose lower end is fixed on a rotating lower plate 22; said upper plate 21 further comprises fixed on its upper face at least one pair of laterally opposed hydraulic actuators 23 whose extendable rods 24 pass to through holes of said upper plate 21 and fixed on the upper face of an intermediate plate 25 mounted with vertical displacement capacity around said central tubular body 20; said intermediate plate 25 comprising fixed on its upper face a pair of vertical guides 26 that slide through holes made in said upper plate 21 and that serves as a guide in the upward and downward displacement; and on its underside comprises a bushing (not shown) in which it fixes a fixing plate 27 with guide grooves 28 of the ends of scissor arms 29 which are also fixed to slide elements 30 mounted in guide grooves 31 of said bottom plate rotating 22 and wherein said slidable elements 30 are adapted to receive the ends of said vertical rotary cutting blades 16.

Said scissor arms 29 are fixed pivotally at their point of intersection 32 in said central tubular body 20.

Said sliding elements 30 mounted in the guide grooves 31 of said lower plate 22, consists of plates adapted to pivotally fix the lower ends of said scissor arms 29 and comprising sliding means that pass through the guide grooves 31 of said lower plate 22 and below the latter comprise plates 33 with holes 34 longitudinally distributed where they are fixed by means of bolts (no. shown), said vertical rotary cutting blades 16 of the agave stalks; wherein said holes 34 allow a mechanical and manual adjustment to close or open up to 30 cm said blades 16 additional to those achieved with the scissors mechanism of separation regulation 19.

Figure 4 shows the rotation of the rotating vertical cutting blades 16 to effect cutting in the stalks of the agave plants.

In figures 5 and 6 it is appreciated that when said hydraulic actuators 23 fixed in the upper plate 21 and whose extensible rods 24 pass through holes 34 of said upper plate 21 and are fixed in the upper face of an intermediate plate 25; these lower or rise to said intermediate plate 25 and actuate said scissor arms 29 to open or close said cutting blades 16. If said hydraulic actuators 23 are retracted, the scissor arms 29 are extended and the rotating vertical blades are closed or joined together. of cut 16 (see figure 5); while if said hydraulic actuators 23 are extended, the scissor arms 29 are retracted and the cutting blades 16 are opened or separated (see Figure 6).

Then the machine allows with a hydraulic transmission system (not shown), with buttons or control lever (not shown) operated by a person, the head 15 can be moved transversely on the substantially horizontal platform 2 through the sliding support base 11 and this can be raised or lowered by means of the vertical telescopic poles 13 to adjust its height in function of the size of the agave plant and the vertical rotary cutting blades 16 can be closed or opened as already explained to adjust to the diameter of the agave plants and make a precise cut of the agave leaves.

The invention has been sufficiently described so that a person with average skill in the art can reproduce and obtain the results that we mentioned in the present invention. However, any person skilled in the art who is competent in the present invention may be able to make modifications not described in the present application, however, if for the application of these modifications in a certain structure or in the manufacturing process thereof, the subject matter claimed in the following claims is required, said structures should be understood within the scope of the invention.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS Having sufficiently described the invention, the content of the following claim clauses is claimed as property.

1. - A machine for jiming and harvesting agave, of the type consisting of a chassis that defines a platform that later comprises a structural frame as a means of supporting arms projected subsequently in which tires are fixed to support the floor and comprising the front end a structural frame with frontally projected arms in which a drawbar is fastened which is fixed on a tractor and an arm that is connected to the tractor power take-off is fixed at the top of said structural frame; characterized in that it comprises a support base slidable by the action of hydraulic elements mounted on a pair of parallel rails that are transversely disposed on said platform and is adapted to receive at least one vertical post with means of height adjustment, comprising fixedly at its end upper a transverse arm on the end of which a head is fixed with vertical rotating cutting blades projected inferiorly; wherein said base comprises preferably hydraulic actuating means for transversely moving it over said platform and positioning the head with vertical rotary cutting blades on the agave plants to cut the stalks; wherein said head comprises a transmission motor for rotating an axis where said vertical rotating cutting blades are mounted and said head comprising a mechanism for adjusting the separation of the vertical rotating cutting blades as a function of the size (height and diameter) of the agave plants .

2. - The machine for jiming and harvesting agave, according to claim 1, characterized in that said fixed vertical post, which can be one or more, on the base of sliding support that can be moved transversely on the platform of the chassis, is of the type telescopic with hydraulic systems or other height adjustment systems to raise or lower the head with vertical rotating cutting blades.

3. - The machine for jiming and harvesting agave, according to claim 1, characterized in that said mechanism for regulating the separation of the cutting blades consists of a scissor-type mechanism.

4. - The machine for jiming and harvesting agave, according to the previous claims, characterized in that said head of rotating cutting blades consists of a central tubular body that internally houses a rotating shaft that projects at both ends; said tubular body comprises fixed at its upper end an upper plate on which a motor connected to said rotating shaft whose lower end is fixed to a rotating lower plate; said upper plate further comprises fixed on its upper face at least a pair of laterally opposed hydraulic actuators whose extensible stems pass through holes of said upper plate and are fixed on the upper face of an intermediate plate mounted with vertical displacement capability around said tubular body; said intermediate plate comprising fixed on its upper face a pair of opposed vertical guides that slide through holes made in said upper plate; and on its underside comprises a bushing in which fixes a fixing plate with guide grooves of the ends of scissor arms that are also fixed to slide elements mounted in guide grooves of said bottom plate and wherein said slide elements are adapted for receive the ends of said vertical cutting blades.

5. - The machine for jiming and harvesting agave, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said scissor arms are fixed pivotally at their point of intersection in said tubular body.

6. - The machine for jiming and harvesting agave, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the sliding elements mounted in the guide grooves of said lower plate, consist of plates adapted to pivotally fix the ends lower of said scissor arms and comprising sliding means that pass through the slots of said lower plate and that below the latter comprise plates with longitudinally distributed holes where are fixed by means of bolts said vertical rotating cutting blades of the agave leaves; wherein said holes allow a mechanical and manual adjustment to close or open up preferably up to 30 cm said additional blades to those achieved with the scissors mechanism

7. - The machine for jiming and harvesting agave, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said hydraulic actuators are fixed on the upper plate and whose extensible stems pass through holes of said upper plate and are fixed on the upper face of an intermediate plate; lowers or climbs said intermediate plate and drives said scissor arms to open or close said cutting blades; so that if said hydraulic actuators are retracted, the scissor arms are extended and the cutting blades are closed or joined; and if these are extended the scissor arms are retracted and the cutting blades open or separate.

8. - The machine for jiming and harvesting agave, according to the previous claims, characterized in that said vertical rotating cutting blades have a substantially concave inward and define at least one sharp curved cutting edge. E S U M E N The present invention relates to a machine for jiming and harvesting agave, of the type consisting of a chassis that defines a platform that subsequently comprises a structural frame as a means of supporting arms projected subsequently in which tires are fixed to support the floor and comprising at the front end a structural frame with frontally projecting arms in which a drawbar is fixed which is fixed on a tractor and an arm that is connected at the power take-off of the tractor is fixed at the top of said structural frame; characterized in that it comprises a support base slidable by the action of hydraulic elements mounted on a pair of rails arranged transversely on said platform and is adapted to receive at least one vertical post with means of height adjustment, fixedly comprising at its upper end an arm cross section at the end of which a head is fixed with vertical rotating cutting blades projected internally; wherein said head comprises a drive motor for rotating an axis where said vertical rotating cutting blades are mounted and said head comprising a mechanism for adjusting the separation of the vertical cutting rotary blades as a function of the size (height and diameter) of the agave plants.