WO2007043854A1

WO2007043854A1 - Vegetable harvesting machine comprising an unloading system and container

Info

Publication number: WO2007043854A1
Application number: PCT/MX2006/000093
Authority: WO
Inventors: José Manuel CABRERA SIXTO; Ryszard Jerzy Serwatowski Hlawinska; Adrián FLORES ORTEGA; J. Concepción QUIROZ RAMÍREZ; J. Armando Juarez Guani
Original assignee: Universidad De Guanajuato; Montellano Estructuras Y Construcciones S.A. De C.V.
Priority date: 2005-08-29
Filing date: 2006-08-29
Publication date: 2007-04-19
Also published as: MXGT05000009A

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine for harvesting vegetables with bulb roots and above-ground stems. The inventive harvester takes the form of an implement which is towed by an agricultural tractor and which is characterised in that it consists of: a frame comprising tyre-equipped wheels, supports for supporting all of the components of the machine and an adjustable towing means for coupling to the tractor, which enables the implement to be aligned with the harvested row(s); a plant-pulling system comprising vertically-opposing bands, which is a characteristic of said class of machine; an adjustable blade which loosens the soil beneath the extracted roots; a standard foliage separation device which is based on the principle patented by William E. Urschel in 1933 (U.S. Patent No. 1,894,802) and which is equipped with two sets of bars that are positioned and actuated using inclined heads; a multiple-axle conveyor comprising elastic rotary elements which remove the soil from the roots by means of scraping and shaking as said elements move forward; a chain elevator comprising bars and strips, which is used to fill the temporary storage hopper; an unloading device which lifts and turns the hopper in order to empty same into a standard transport means; and a hydraulic system for actuating the mechanisms of the harvester, using the power take-off from the tractor as a power source.

Description

MACHINE HARVEST MACHINE WITH DEPOSIT AND SYSTEM

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to vegetable harvesting equipment that have bulb root and aerial stem and are grown in furrows or rows.

BACKGROUND Of the mechanical operations for the cultivation of vegetables with bulb roots, such as carrots, the harvest is the one that requires more labor and, consequently, the one with the greatest influence on the profitability of the crop. For the typical soil conditions of the central region of Mexico, where carrots are grown, an average of 50 experienced people are needed to harvest one hectare in one day, which in economic terms means spending equivalent to 25% of the price of Market of this vegetable. For the collection it is necessary to tear off the plant, clean (separate soil), separate foliage and group the product (load on a trailer, bag, etc.).

At present, the foreign market offers the following possibilities to mechanize the collection: starter blades, defrosting, starters-spinners, starters-cleaners-loaders, traction harvesters and push harvesters. The current trend is the use of traction harvesters, both pulled and self-propelled, and the use of hydraulic systems to drive the mechanisms.

Traction harvesters work by holding the plant by the foliage by means of two rubber belts facing each other, with a vertical contact plane and inclined to raise the plant once uprooted. At the same time that the plant is taken by the stem, a fence penetrates below the roots, loosening the ground, so that they do not offer tensile strength that the belts exert on the leaves. Good foliar development is needed so that field losses are not excessive. Once the plant is extracted, it is led to the upper part of the belt, where a mechanism of bars or discs acts that separate the stem from the root. The torn foliage is thrown to the ground; the roots, once leafless, fall on an elevator, which unloads them in a trailer or hopper, which accompanies the harvester. The elevator can simultaneously perform preliminary cleaning. Other designs include devices for filling sacks or boxes with capacities greater than 500 kg, which are deposited along the path of the machine, to be picked up by agricultural forklifts, accompanied by a cargo vehicle. Subsequently, the product can be washed and selected on stationary devices, depending on its destination.

Pull pull harvesters work mainly on a single line, requiring a medium power tractor to drive and drive, reaching working capacities of 0.15 to 0.2 ha / h. Self-propelled machines that operate on the same principle can harvest up to five rows simultaneously; Its unloading system is continuous, although a large hopper design is known, which allows periodic unloading with an elevator that starts at the bottom of said hopper.

The push harvesters suitable for low-foliage varieties resemble beet harvesters and the sequence of their operations is to eliminate the foliage, lift the root along with the soil, separate and clean the soil, unload in a hopper.

The cultivation of carrot-type vegetables mostly uses heavy soils in Mexico, the characteristics of which make it difficult to start the plant from the ground, in addition to the fact that a good amount of soil adheres to the root, which needs to be removed. Therefore, the use of push harvesters is excluded, since the methods of separating the root of the soil that they use would be inefficient.

The unloading systems of the traction harvesters that can be attached to the tractor, which collect the product in large bags, bags or boxes, require the use of agricultural forklifts, expensive equipment that is not common in most agricultural fields. In addition, the soil conditions during a good part of the harvest season prevent heavy trucks and trailers from entering the field, because they get stuck easily. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is to provide a vegetable harvesting machine with bulb root and aerial stem, attachable to the agricultural tractor, which starts the plants along one or more rows, previously loosening the soil, separating and discarding the foliage, perform preliminary cleaning eliminating the most of the land adhered to the roots, deposit the roots in a hopper, which allows the storage of the product and its periodic discharge in the headers, thereby avoiding the entry to the field of heavy transport vehicles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 show the general views of the machine: upper, right side, left side and rear, respectively. Figure 5 shows views of the root boot and separation system.

Figure 6 shows views of the conveyor with some details on a larger scale.

Figure 7a shows views of the elevator with some details on a larger scale and 7b shows schematically the positions of the elevator during filling and emptying of the hopper, respectively.

Figure 8 a, b and c shows simplified views of the storage and unloading system of the harvested product in the working position, with the hopper raised and with the hopper raised and turned, respectively. Figure 9 shows three views of the device of Figure 8a.

Figure 10 shows the diagram of the hydraulic circuit of the drive system of the machine mechanisms.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is described below according to the drawings of Figures 1 to 10, in order to better illustrate the same. The present invention relates to a crop harvesting machine with bulb root and aerial stem. The harvester has the shape of an implement, pulled by an agricultural tractor, whose power take-off is used as a power source for the drive of all the mechanisms of the same.

Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 show the main assemblies and components of the combine: a main frame (1) with wheels with tires, supports to support all the machine components and an adjustable hitch with the tractor , which allows, by means of a hydraulic cylinder (9), the alignment of the implement with the row or harvested rows; a system of starting of the plant and separation of the root (2), characteristic for this class of machines; a multi-axis conveyor (3) with rotating elastic elements, whose function is to remove the soil adhered to the roots by scraping and shaking as they move forward; a chain hoist (4) with bars and slats, whose function is to fill the temporary storage hopper (5); a discharge device (6) that lifts and turns the hopper to empty it to a conventional means of transport; a hydraulic system for driving the mechanisms of the combine (7), which uses the tractor's power take-off as a power source; This complete system is shown in Figure 10; a folding mechanical jack (8), whose function is to provide additional support for the implement in the unloading phase and when it is not coupled to the tractor.

To start the work with the implement coupled to the tractor, the starter and separation device (2) is aligned with the row to be harvested by means of the hydraulic cylinder (9) of the shot, lowered by means of the cylinder (10) (see figure 2) the front end of said device (2) to the desired level, according to the height of the groove and foliage, the elevator (4) is placed in the lower position by the cylinder (11) (see figure 3). Figures 2 and 3 show the single row crop but depending on the conditions of the crop and the tractor used, parallel devices (2) could be used to harvest more than one row at a time. When advancing the machine during work, an adjustable blade (13) of the device (2) (see figures 2 and 5) loosen the ground below the roots; said blade, with its rear end articulated in the fixed frame (1) and suspended laterally on the frame (12) of the device (2) is raised and lowered together with said device, additionally having a gradual vertical and horizontal adjustment, to adapt to the size of the harvested root and soil conditions. The curved (eccentric) shape of its body seen from above (14), allows the free flow of soil and raised roots. The frame (12) of the device (2) consists of two main longitudinal profiles that define the displacement duct of the uprooted plants and others that provide rigidity to the frame and support the components of the starting and separation system. At the front end of the frame (12) of the assembly (2) is the device for separating the crop (15), of conventional design, whose function is to separate the foliage of the plants from the harvested row, from the foliage of the adjacent row, lift and guide it towards the feed throat, formed by the two front pulleys (16) of the two endless belts facing each other (17). The device (15) is coupled to the end of the frame (12) so that it allows its free movement (rotation) in the vertical plane, to allow its skates to slide on the ground. It also has an opening adjustment to adapt to different crop conditions.

'At the same time that the blade (13) loosen the ground under the root of the plant, its stem is taken by the two rubber straps (17), with vertical contact plane and inclined to raise the plant once uprooted; Its speed is synchronized with the advance of the machine so that the direction of the absolute speed of the extracted plant is close to the vertical, to facilitate starting without breaking the foliage. The bands are guided by two rows of pulleys (18) joined to the main profiles of the frame (12), on the one hand in the fixed way and on the other with the possibility of moving inwards, under the adjustable force of the springs, to ensure adequate and constant tightening between the two bands, along the path. The pulleys (18) have individual cleaning knives (not shown), adapted to the trapezoidal groove on the periphery of the pulleys, for the purpose of scraping the adhered earth. The bands (17) are driven by tension pulleys (19) placed at the rear end of the frame (12), by individual hydraulic motors (20), connected in series to match the speeds of both bands. The grooves made in the base plates (21) of the pulley shafts (19) at the rear end of the frame (12), allow both longitudinal adjustment (tension of the bands), and transverse adjustment (separation of bands in the output), using simple screw mechanisms.

The bands move the uprooted plants upwards, making them pass through the foliage separation mechanism (22), to finally release the foliage at the rear end of the machine. The separation device of conventional foliage, based on the principle patented by William E. Urschel in 1933 (US Patent 1,894,802 N ⁰⁾ and adapted with minor modifications for most harvesting machines with current root crops (Donald Mortensen, Root Crop Harvester, US Patent No. 4,173,257), consists of two sets of section bars. transverse elliptical and actuated through the inclined heads where the ends of said bars are connected. The partial overlap between the bars of both sets (shown on a larger scale in cross-section 23), requires a synchronization in the relative movement of both upper heads, driven by a hydraulic motor through a transmission by catarinas and chain (24 ). The inclination of the heads with respect to the bars adds a longitudinal (axial) component to the movement in the contact area, which the bars print to the stems by the rotational movement. As a result, the roots have a forward movement, with speed similar to that of the stems pulled by the bands and an upward transverse movement, which makes them approach and stick to the bands.

When it is intended to trim (remove) the root end (eg in the case of beets for industrial processing), the function of the bar set is to align (match the roots) and a cutting disc is used to remove these surpluses (not shown in the figures). If the root is for direct consumption (for example carrot for fresh marketing), the bars have the function of starting the stems fairly evenly and without mechanical damage, thanks to the bending and pulling action they exert on the stems without leaving Enter and without damaging the roots. The kinematic parameters of the bar mechanism must be in accordance with the parameters of the belt lifting system. The design of the suspension and the operation of the bar assemblies must take into account different sizes of both the root and foliage, depending on the variety and specific conditions of the crop. The use of adjustable springs (25), which define the position and mutual tightening of both sets, allows an automatic adaptation of the system to the variable parameters of the crop harvested.

In the working position of the starting and separating system (2) the set of bars (22) is just above the lower end of the conveyor (3), whose main function is to receive the separated roots, transport them and unload them in the lower end of the elevator (4); Its additional function is to clean the roots separately, eliminating the soil and other organic residues that may be attached. The conveyor (3) extends at the rear of the machine, with a slight inclination to achieve an initial elevation of the mass of the product and consists (figure 6) of a structural frame (26) with two side walls and one front, a sufficient number of parallel shafts (27) supported by the foot bearings at their ends, rotating rubber elements (28) on each axis with axial positioning spacers and an axle drive system, consisting of a hydraulic motor (29 ) with a series of catarinas and chains (30) to transmit the same rotational movement to all axes. The shown shape of the rotating elements (28) ensures an effective flow of the mass transported without causing blockages and exerts a cleaning action of the roots by rubbing without causing mechanical damage to the roots. The cut made on the side walls of the structure (26) of the conveyor (3) allows the free flow of the roots and stems that were separated in the set of bars (22), with the greatest possible approach to the plane of operation of the rotating elements (28), in order to reduce the likelihood of mechanical damage from falling of the separated roots.

The conveyor (3) unloads the roots at the lower end of the elevator (4), placed on the back of the left side of the machine, whose function is to raise the roots to a sufficient height to unload them in the hopper of the implement for storage temporary. The elevator (4) (figure 7) consists of a frame (31), a conveyor belt formed by the parallel bars (32) with rubber coating, screwed at its ends to the roller chains (33) with attachments, guided to turn by the catarinas (34). The spaces between the bars drop the earth and others impurities, which are detached from the roots at this stage of the process. At appropriate intervals, one of the bars (32) is replaced by a rubber-coated bar (35), to ensure the thrust of the material transported upwards. Said fin or slat (35) supports its base in the adjacent bar (32) without rubber coating, to maintain its position. The elevator belt is driven by a hydraulic motor (36) by means of a pair of catarinas wedged on the upper shaft (37). The tension adjustment of the chains (33) is carried out by moving the lower axis (38) of the elevator, with the help of the threading mechanisms (39). Walls (40) extend on both sides of the band, forming a conduit to control the flow.

The frame (31) of the elevator is articulated in the main frame (1) of the implement (figures 3 and 7b) and positioned by means of the hydraulic cylinder (11). This allows its overlap with the hopper (5) during work and its total withdrawal during the unloading operation; both positions are shown schematically in figure 7b.

Once the hopper is filled, the tractor stops at the head of the land, the truck or trailer approaches and the unloading operation begins. The jack (8) is placed in working position (see figure 3) and the cylinder (11) is activated by lifting the lift (4) and freeing the space above the unloading device (6) with the temporary storage hopper (5). The unloading device (6) (figures 8 and 9) consists of a fixed frame (41) attached to the main frame (1) of the implement, a scissor-like lifting mechanism (42), coupled to the fixed frame (41) by pivots. (43) and roller guides (44) on both sides of the hopper and operated with a pair of hydraulic cylinders (45), one on each side; a movable frame (46) that surrounds the hopper (5), joins the scissor mechanism by means of an upper guide-skid (47) and a pivot (48) on each side of the hopper and makes an upward movement or descending with outward or inward displacement, respectively, when the scissors is opened or closed (Figure 8a and 8b). Inside the mobile frame (46) rests the hopper (5), coupled by the side pivots (49), around which it rotates under the action of a pair of hydraulic cylinders (50), to perform the unloading and recoil (Figure 8c ).

During the discharge, the hydraulic cylinders (45) of the scissor mechanism are operated and the movable frame (46) together with the hopper is raised, until its upper edge exceeds the height of the truck rows (trailer), moving at the same time to the truck box. Once the required height has been reached, the cylinders (50) are operated, forcing the hopper to rotate around the pivot (49), thus discharging the product to the means of transport. Having unloaded the material, the hopper and the movable frame are returned to their lower initial position.

To minimize the possibility of mechanical damage that the product may suffer when filling and emptying the hopper, it has installed inside a series of elastic bands between the side walls, in order to reduce the speed of fall of the material, as well as a soft and perforated coating on the bottom and the front wall, to allow the exit of dirt and water without causing damage to the product, by scratches. The capacity of the hopper allows the material harvested to be stored in a path of not less than 400 m, according to the type of crop, its yield, as well as the usual size of the plots, in order to adjust the discharges to the trajectory of the harvest and at the head of the land.

The operation of all the mechanisms and devices of the machine is carried out by means of its own hydraulic system (figure 10), which has an axial piston pump (51) of variable flow and pressure control, which is propelled by the intake of tractor force through the speed amplifier. As can be seen in the circuit diagram, the start and stop of the six hydraulic motors of continuous work is controlled by means of a single lever of the directional valve (52). The engine revolutions are adjusted with the individual flow regulating valves, according to the own working speeds for each of the mechanisms of the starting and separating system (20, 24), of the conveyor (29), of the elevator ( 36) and the oil cooler fan (53), placed under the tank (7) (figure 2).

The hydraulic cylinders, which adjust the vertical (10) and horizontal (9) position of the starting system (2), according to the height of the groove and row harvested, are controlled by a double directional valve (54) (with two levers ) placed next to the directional control valve of the motors (52), to be used during the operation (advance) of the machine. The triple directional valve (55), for actuation of Hydraulic cylinders of the elevator (11) and the unloading device (45 and 50), are placed in the front left corner of the main frame, next to the mechanical jack (8), which is also used in this operation. The above ensures visibility and comfort for good control of this periodic operation. The pairs of cylinders (45) and (50) are fed through the respective flow divider valves (56) type 50:50, to ensure synchronization in their movement regardless of the load distribution in the hopper. The individual relief valves (57) allow to limit the pressure (indicated by the manometer 58) and with it the maximum force developed in each pair of cylinders, in order to control the dynamic loads. The speed of movement of the rod of the hydraulic cylinders can be controlled in general by the flow regulating valve (59) and in particular by individual levers of the respective directional valves (54 and 55).

To ensure the proper sequence of movements of the components of the discharge system, the hydraulic cylinders (45) of the lift of the mobile frame (of the scissors) and of the rotation (50) of the hopper are interconnected with the positioning cylinder (11) of the main elevator. The latter, during the harvesting operation, is partially overlapped with the hopper (Figure 3 and 7b), in order to achieve conditions that facilitate its complete filling. To empty the hopper, it is necessary to lift the lift first, that is, separate it from the hopper so that there is no overlap (figure 7b). If, due to an operator's carelessness, this movement is not carried out before operating the scissors (45) cylinders or (50) of the hopper, a collision and damage to the elevator structure could occur. A similar situation would arise when the elevator (4) is lowered by mistake, without previously lowering the hopper (5) to its lower position. To eliminate the possibility of any of these events, the circuits of the three mechanisms were interconnected, which by operating any of the levers of the triple directional valve (55), which controls this set, the cylinder that reacts first (due to to the difference in the respective loads) it will always be the one (11) of the elevator (4), putting it in the safe position, before it starts the movement of lifting or turning of the hopper. In order for this to happen, without operating the lift cylinder lever, it is also necessary that the outlet of said cylinder be permanently connected to the tank (7), which is carried out by an additional conduit, with a throttle valve (60 ) included. The latter also allows, with a adequate adjustment of said valve, a smooth and safe return movement, under a minimum required force, practically under its own weight. Depending on the crop harvested and the operating speed of the elevator, overlapping with the hopper could be avoided; which would simplify the hydraulic system by being able to dispense with the cylinder (11) and the arrangement for synchronizing movements between it and the cylinders 45 and 50.

The novel aspects that are considered characteristic of the present invention will be established with particularity in the appended claims.

Figure 9 shows three views of the device of Figure 8a.

Claims

CLAIMS Having described the invention sufficiently, it is considered as a novelty and therefore claimed as exclusive property, the content of the following clauses:

1. A vegetable harvesting machine with bulb root and aerial stem, which is composed of: a frame with wheels with tires and an adjustable drawbar hitch with the tractor, a conventional system of starting the plant with bands facing in the plane vertical, an adjustable blade that loosen the ground below the extracted roots, a conventional foliage separation device consisting of two sets of bars positioned and operated through the inclined heads, a rear conveyor with multiple rotating elastic elements, whose The function is to eliminate the soil adhered to the roots by scraping and stirring, a chain elevator with bars and slats, whose function is to fill the temporary storage hopper, a discharge device that lifts and turns the hopper to empty it to a conventional means of transport, a hydraulic system to drive the mechanisms of the combine, It uses the tractor's power take-off as a power source.

2. A vegetable harvesting machine with bulb root and aerial stem, in accordance with clause 1, which is characterized by a main frame that integrates the machine's functional systems into a single body, attachable to the agricultural tractor, ensuring its maneuverability in the field, adjustments required to cut the consecutive row of the groove. Its trail is adjustable to the distance between rows of different crops. It comprises a mechanical jack to ensure the stability of the machine during the unloading operation and when separated from the tractor.

3. A vegetable harvesting machine with bulb root and aerial stem, in accordance with clause 1, which is characterized by a soil loosening device that cuts and slightly lifts the soil immediately below the roots, in order to facilitate starting in difficult conditions. Its design allows both the adjustment of the depth of cut, of according to the length of the root, as of the horizontal position relative to the feed throat of the starting system, to optimize the sequence of these two operations. It comes articulated to the frame of the starting and separation system on one side and on the other to the main frame of the machine, just in front of the rim, forming a mechanism of four articulated bars that allows the blade to be raised and lowered together with the system frame starting, keeping its vertical distance adjusted with respect to the feed throat, without the need to control the depth of cut each time you start the operation on the consecutive groove.

4. A vegetable harvesting machine with bulb root and aerial stem, in accordance with clause 1, which is characterized by a rear conveyor that receives roots separated by the foliage separation system, transports and unloads them at the lower end of the elevator, placed on the left side of the machine; it also cleanses the separated roots in a preliminary way; It extends at the rear of the machine, with a slight inclination, to achieve an initial elevation of the mass of the product and consists of a frame with multiple parallel shafts, driven by a hydraulic motor with a chain drive, with rotating elastic elements intertwined, with curved fingers, that shake and scrape away residue.

5. A harvesting machine for vegetables with bulb root and aerial stem, in accordance with clause 1, which is characterized by an elevator, consisting of a frame, a conveyor belt formed by parallel bars with rubber coating, screwed into their ends to roller chains with attachments, guided in turn by the catarinas. The spaces between the bars drop the earth and other impurities, which are detached from the roots at this stage of the process; Each determined convenient number of bars comes with a rubber-coated bar, to ensure the thrust of the material transported upwards. The lift is articulated at the rear of the left side of the machine and its inclination is adjusted with a hydraulic cylinder, to facilitate filling and emptying the hopper. Depending on the crop harvested, the elevator could be fixed instead of articulated.

6. A vegetable harvesting machine with bulb root and aerial stem, in accordance with clause 1, which is characterized by a device for W

14 discharge consisting of a fixed frame attached to the main frame of the machine, a scissor lift mechanism, coupled to the fixed frame by means of pivots and roller guides on both sides of the hopper and driven by a pair of hydraulic cylinders, one per each side; a movable frame that surrounds the hopper, is attached to the scissor mechanism by means of an upper guide-skate and a pivot on each side of the hopper and performs an upward or downward movement with displacement outward or inward, respectively, to the open or close the scissors; a hopper that rests inside the movable frame, coupled by the lateral pivots, around which it rotates under the action of a pair of hydraulic cylinders, to effect the discharge and recoil, provided inside of a series of elastic bands between the walls lateral, to minimize the possibility of mechanical damage to the product during the filling and emptying process.

7. A harvesting machine for vegetables with bulb root and aerial stem, in accordance with clause 1, which is characterized by its own hydraulic system that has a variable flow pump and pressure control, which is propelled by the intake of force of the tractor through the amplifier of revolutions, hydraulic motors for actuation of devices of continuous work, hydraulic cylinders of positional adjustment and lift, hydraulic valves that allow the control of speeds and forces developed by the hydraulic actuators, including the control of sequence of the movements of the elevator assembly - discharge device, tank and oil cooler.