WO2020089504A1

WO2020089504A1 - Device for moving nets in an agricultural harvesting process

Info

Publication number: WO2020089504A1
Application number: PCT/ES2019/070741
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cristina Martín Doñate; Miguel Ángel RUBIO PARAMIO; Jaime GARCÍA TAMARGO; Juan Jesús GÓMEZ GARCÍA; Iván TOLEDANO RAMA; Ismael GONZÁLEZ BAZÁN
Original assignee: Universidad De Jaén
Priority date: 2018-10-30
Filing date: 2019-10-30
Publication date: 2020-05-07
Also published as: ES2757977A1; ES2757977B2

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for moving nets in an agricultural harvesting process, comprising: a mechanism for joining to a motor vehicle, configured for removably securing to a rear box of a motor vehicle; a mechanism for transmitting movement connected to the mechanism for joining to the motor vehicle, having a rear side adjacent to the rear box of the motor vehicle and a front side adjacent to the net to be moved, wherein the mechanism for transmitting movement is configured to swivel vertically relative to said mechanism for joining to the motor vehicle such that the front side moves vertically in response to a vertical movement in the opposite direction of the rear side; and a net-securing mechanism connected to the front side of the mechanism for transmitting movement.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Device for the displacement of mantles in an agricultural harvesting process

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention belongs to the field of agricultural technology used in olive harvesting.

The object of the present invention is a new mechanical device designed for its coupling to a motor vehicle with the purpose of displacing the mantles commonly used in a harvesting process, such as for example the olive harvesting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of mantle collection, several attempts have been made in the past to design devices that are capable of moving them efficiently.

Document ES2018422 describes a device whose objective is to directly collect the meshes on which the fruit is knocked down, depositing it directly on the container. However, this system has not been extended due to the great length of the meshes, which greatly hinders the maneuverability of the mantles between the trees.

Currently, there are numerous olive harvesting systems that use mantles on which the fallen fruit is deposited by the agitation of the olive trees, manually or mechanically, placing the mantles surrounding the olive tree. In this regard, reference may be made to document ES2195723. There is also a set of devices that use rollers powered by an electric motor to place and collect the mantles, as described in document W02009076729.

The device of patent US6299094 consists of three frames and a motor that pulls a roller to place and collect the mantles, as well as the cables that hold them.

Document ES2352478 presents a plastics collector for crops that consists of a belt driven by rollers to collect plastics and store them on a support later.

There are also currently a large number of devices specially adapted for connection with agricultural vehicles such as ATVs or tractors, the objective of which is to improve the performance of agricultural tasks.

Document ES2259851 presents an attachable implement for harvesting fruits that is anchored to the front loader of the agricultural vehicle, thus deploying a network at ground level in order to collect the fruit and then place it in a tank.

Other devices, such as that described in document ES1056905, use folding umbrella-shaped mantles powered by a hydraulic system. Unfortunately, none of the designs evaluated in the state of the art are specially designed to move olive cloaks from one tree to another.

In addition, the devices analyzed require electrical or hydraulic energy for their handling, and must also be made of unsustainable heavy metal materials capable of supporting loads. The devices for the displacement of the mantles are not folding, using a large amount of heavy material for their manufacture, which increases the weight of the device and the energy expenditure of the vehicle, etc.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the above problems by means of a new mantle displacement device formed fundamentally by a mechanism that is fixed to the box of a motor vehicle and is capable of grasping the mantles and lifting them off the ground. In particular, the device of the invention is designed in such a way that all the elements that make it up work in compression. This constitutes an extremely important advantage because it allows it to be manufactured using materials that are much lighter than the usual metals used in mechanisms intended to load heavy weights.

Indeed, the weight that can be reached by the cloaks that are moved with the device of the invention can reach 500 kg. To withstand the stresses to which they are subjected, the currently known mechanisms are designed and manufactured in very resistant materials, usually metal. As a consequence, the devices currently used are extremely heavy and complicated to handle. The inventors of the present application have designed the device of the invention so that all the bars work in compression. For this, among other measures, the horizontal bars of the structure have been divided into two pairs of bars, one of which works in compression and the other in tension, and some pre-tensioned threads have been added to the bar that works in tension that They absorb this traction to avoid having to do the material of the bar itself. This allows the device to be manufactured from materials that are not normally considered suitable for lifting heavy loads due to its low tensile strength, such as plastic. In this way, an extremely light device is obtained, which at the same time is capable of withstanding the stresses generated during the lifting of the mantles. An additional advantage of the possibility of using plastics for the manufacture of this device is that, in case of using biodegradable plastics, the mechanism can simply be left in the field in case of breakage.

The design of the device of the invention has been carried out using complex topological optimization processes with the purpose of minimizing the amount of material used, thus further lightening its weight. Furthermore, the device of the invention is made up of pieces of moderate size in order to allow additive manufacturing using 3D technology.

The mantle displacement device of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the device according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows another perspective view of the device according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows another perspective view of the device according to the present invention. Fig. 4 shows another perspective view of the device according to the present invention.

Fig. 5 shows another perspective view of the device according to the present invention.

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the upper rib structure of the device of the present invention.

Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of the lower rib structure of the device of the present invention.

Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of the central column of the device of the present invention.

Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of the guide base plate of the device of the present invention.

Fig. 10 shows a perspective view of the handle-guide handle assembly of the device of the present invention.

Fig. 11 shows a perspective view of the upper lattice of the device of the present invention.

Fig. 12 shows a perspective view of the connection bar of the device of the present invention.

Fig. 13 shows a perspective view of the lower horizontal bar of the device of the present invention.

Figs. 14a and 14b show respective sectional views of the fixing system of the prestressed threads inside the lower horizontal bar.

Fig. 15 shows a perspective view of the upper horizontal bar of the device of the present invention. Fig. 16 shows a perspective view of the diagonal bar of the device of the present invention.

Fig. 17 shows a perspective view of the lower jaw element of the device of the present invention.

Fig. 18 shows a perspective view of the upper jaw element of the device of the present invention.

Fig. 19 shows a perspective view of the mantle holding system of the device of the present invention in the closed position.

Fig. 20 shows a perspective view of the mantle holding system of the device of the present invention in the open position.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of a particular example of a device according to the invention is described below with reference to the attached figures.

The device of the invention is mainly made up of three assemblies or mechanisms: a motor vehicle attachment mechanism, a motion transmission mechanism, and a mantle clamping mechanism. Figs. 1-5 show different perspective views of the entire device of the invention.

The function of the motor vehicle attachment mechanism is to connect the device to said motor vehicle, such as the back box of a motor vehicle such as a quad. The movement transmission mechanism, in turn, is coupled to the joining mechanism and has the necessary elements to transmit the lifting and lowering movements, as well as the opening and closing movements, to the mantle holding mechanism provided at its end. Finally, the mantle holding mechanism has the function of holding the mantle tightly so that it does not come off when the motor vehicle moves.

All the elements that make up the different mechanisms of the device of the invention are capable of being additively manufactured by 3D printing. This greatly facilitates the manufacturing and distribution of this device. Furthermore, they can Manufactured from a biodegradable material, for example biodegradable plastic, so that in the event of breakage the device of the invention can simply be thrown into the field and decomposes naturally.

Each of the mechanisms described is described in more detail below. a) Mechanism of attachment to the motor vehicle

The attachment mechanism to the motor vehicle mainly comprises two ribbed structures, respectively upper (1) and lower (2), specially designed to withstand the efforts of the mechanism and interconnected by a central column (3). The connection between the ribbed structures (1, 2) and the central column (3) is implemented by means of a removable joint that allows the distance between the upper structure (1) and the lower structure (2) to be modified depending on the fixing needs to the motor vehicle. In turn, the central column (3) is connected to a guide base plate (5) by means of a removable joint designed to allow an adjustable positioning of the plate (5) with respect to the central column (3). Telescopic connecting tubes (4) that are fixed to the upper rib structure (1) allow the device of the invention to be connected to a motor vehicle, such as a quad. This configuration of the connection system allows the position of the device of the invention to be adapted to the dimensions of the motor vehicle. The attachment mechanism to the motor vehicle is shown in Figs. 6-9.

Next, each of the elements that make up the attachment system to the motor vehicle is described in greater detail. a1) Upper rib structure (1)

Fig. 6 shows the upper rib structure (1), made of plastic, which is composed of two parallel flat horizontal surfaces (11) with preferably hollow hexagonal geometry, each of these surfaces comprising a plurality of reinforcing ribs that join and reinforce the edges of them. The design of the reinforcing ribs and their dimensioning is carried out according to the value of the loads that the device of the invention supports.

The two flat hexagonal horizontal surfaces (1 1) are parallel, and are joined by their four longest edges by a plurality of ribs of Reinforcement preferably crossed in the form of the cross of San Andrés. The two shorter edges of the flat hexagonal horizontal surfaces (1 1), which make up the sides of the upper rib structure (1), comprise external grooves (12) preferably H-shaped whose function is to house bars (81) for connection and upper lattices (7) for joining the upper ribbed structure (1) by means of a removable connection. Specifically, the removable joint is formed by a series of pairs of holes (13) in the elements that delimit each one of the external grooves (12) configured to coincide with a corresponding hole in the connecting bar (81) or upper lattice ( 7), leaving both elements joined by inserting a bolt or the like.

The two parallel flat hexagonal horizontal surfaces (11) comprise close to their rear corner through vertical holes (14) through essentially circular cross-section but provided with a pair of flat faces. These holes (14) have the function of housing the central column (3) and of positioning the structure (1) in height with respect to said central column (3). For this, the holes (14) have pairs of transverse through holes designed to house separate detachable connecting bolts between the upper rib structure (1) and the central column (3).

Furthermore, the outer surface of the hole (14) of the upper horizontal surface (11) has a horizontal bar (15) terminated in a spherical element, and the outer surface of the hole (14) of the lower horizontal surface (1 1) has two horizontal bars (15) preferably separated by an angle of 45 ° and having respective spherical elements at their end. The spherical elements have a ball joint function in a joint of union between the ribbed upper structure (1) and telescopic connecting tubes (4) to the upper part of the motor vehicle. a2) Lower rib structure (2)

Fig. 7 shows the lower rib structure (2), made of plastic, which is composed of two flat horizontal surfaces (21) with preferably triangular geometry that comprise a plurality of reinforcing ribs that join and reinforce the edges of each of they. The design of the reinforcing ribs and their dimensioning is carried out according to the value of the loads that the device of the invention supports. The two flat triangular horizontal surfaces (21) are parallel and are joined on all their edges by a plurality of reinforcing ribs preferably crossed in the shape of a San Andrés cross. Side edges of the ribbed lower support structure (2) comprise a plurality of external grooves (22) preferably H-shaped whose function is to allow the connection of the horizontal bars (82i, 82s), each of said bars being connected ( 82i, 82s) to the lower rib structure (2) by means of a removable connection. Said removable connection is made up of pairs of through holes (23) arranged to house respective connection bolts between the structure (2) and the horizontal bars (82i, 82s).

The two flat triangular horizontal surfaces (21) comprise, in their central part, two vertical through holes (24) of circular cross-section provided with a pair of flat faces. These holes (24) are designed to join the central column (3) to the lower rib structure (2) in a removable and height-adjustable manner. For this, the holes (24) have respective pairs of transverse through holes designed to house separate removable connecting bolts between the ribbed lower support structure (2) and the central column (3). a3) Center column (3)

Fig. 8 shows the central column (3), made of plastic, which has an essentially circular prism shape with two flat faces whose shape corresponds to the shape of the inner surface of the holes (14, 24) of the ribbed upper (1) and lower (2) structure. The central column (3) can thus be housed inside said holes (14, 24) and the ribbed upper (1) and lower (2) structures are removably fixed to it at the most appropriate height depending on of the needs of attachment to the motor vehicle. For this, as previously mentioned, the central column (3) has a plurality of holes (31) configured to receive respective fixing bolts.

The lower end of the central column (3) widens and has an interior cavity (32) in the shape of a dovetail to house the guide base plate (5). The fixing of the central column (3) to the guide base plate (5) is carried out through two transversal through holes (33) arranged on the sides of the interior cavity (32) to receive a respective connecting bolt. In this way, the guide base plate (5) can be fixed at the height of the column (3) most suitable for each application. a4) Telescopic connecting tubes (4)

As Fig. 6 shows, these are three telescopic connecting tubes (4), made of plastic, which have an adjustable length. Each connection tube (4) has at one of its ends a respective spherical housing designed to receive a corresponding spherical element (15) of the upper rib structure (1). The opposite end of each of the telescopic tubes (4) has a curved clamp (41) for coupling to a structure of the motor vehicle, for example the rear tray of a quad. a5) Guide base plate (5)

The guide base plate (5), made of plastic material, is fixed to the lower cavity (32) of the central column (3) and to a lower area of the motor vehicle where the approved trailer hitch is located. For this purpose, the guide base plate (5) has an essentially prismatic shape with a dovetail cross section and is provided with a plurality of horizontal transverse through holes (51). Thus, the guide base plate (5) can be detachably attached to the central column (3) by inserting bolts in the respective through holes (33, 51) respectively of the central column (3) and the guide base plate ( 5). The variable positioning of the guide base plate (5) with respect to the central column (3) makes it possible to adapt the position of the device of the invention with respect to the position of the motor vehicle.

In addition, one end of the guide base plate (5) has an essentially inverted U-shaped cross section, thus forming a cavity (52) to house the approved coupling element of the motor vehicle. b) Movement transmission mechanism

The motion transmission mechanism is designed to transmit movements and stresses from the end of the device that is connected to the motor vehicle, from which an operator operates the device, to the end of the device where the mantle holding mechanism is located ( 9). The different elements that make up the movement transmission mechanism, shown in Figs. 10-16, they are a handle-guide handle assembly (6) that is managed by the operator, an upper lattice (7) which transmits the lifting and lowering movements of the handle-guide handle assembly (6) in a tilting manner, and a bar mechanism (8) that transmits said lifting and lowering movement to the mantle holding mechanism (9) arranged at its end .

Each of these elements is described in more detail below. b1) Handle-guide handle assembly (6)

The device of the invention includes two handle-guide handle assemblies (6), each of which is formed in turn by a handle (61), a handle (62) and a handle support (63). The function of the handle-guide handle assembly (6) is to guide and drive the movement of the device of the invention. Fig. 10 shows an example of a handle-guide handle assembly (6).

The handle handle-guide assembly (6) is located at one end of the device opposite to the one where the mantle holding mechanism is located (to be described later in this document). Thus, when the mantle clamping mechanism (9) holds a mantle, the weight of the mantle itself causes the end where the mantle is to drop, causing the device to swing and therefore lifting the handle-guide handle assembly. (6). Conversely, when the device operator wishes to lift the mantles, for example to eliminate the friction with the ground that could damage the device or the mantle itself, only a downward force must be applied to the handle-guide handle assembly (6) to cause the tilting of the device in the opposite direction to the previous one and, in this way, causing the free end of the device in which the mantle holding mechanism (9) is located to rise. Also, the operator can lift the handle-guide handle assembly (6) to bring down the mantle holding mechanism (9) until it reaches the ground, allowing the mantle to be picked up.

Additionally, the actuation of the handles (62) allows to control the opening and closing of the mantle clamping system by means of a movement control system of the mantle clamping mechanism described later in this document.

Next, each of the elements that make up the handle-guide handle assembly (6) is described in greater detail. Mango (61)

The handle (61), made of plastic, allows the operator to hold the device by its end fixed to the motor vehicle, for example with the operator located in the box of a quad, to direct the upward or downward tilting movement of the device of the invention. The device of the invention consists of two handles (61), one on each side of the device, in order to distribute the load on both sides symmetrically. In a preferred embodiment, the handle (6) has an L-shaped geometry.

Thus, a downward mechanical movement applied to the handles (61) causes the device to tilt completely and, therefore, the free end rises where the mantle clamping mechanism (9) is located, allowing it to not rub with the soil in the process of displacing the mantles. In its resting position, the handle (61) is in an upwardly displaced position due to the weight of the device, which causes the free end to be in a lower position favorable to the grip of the ground mantle. The handle (61) is attached to the upper lattice (7) by means of a simple removable connection, preferably with connection bolts. The upper area of the handle (61) comprises a through hole (611) at its end for housing the bolts for connection with the upper lattice (7) and another through hole (612) farther from its end for fixing the connection bar (81), as described later in this document.

Handle (62)

The handle (62), which is made of plastic, has the function of controlling the movement of the mantle clamping mechanism (9). In a preferred embodiment, the device of the invention consists of two handles (62), one on each side of the device. Each handle (62) is connected to a respective cable (C) that runs through the device of the invention until its connection to a projection for fixing (925) of the upper jaw element (92) of the mantle holding mechanism (9). Each handle (62) has a vertical slit at its rear where the end of the two cables (C) is connected by means of a fixed connection or a removable connection. In addition, each lever (62) it comprises a through side opening for its connection to a respective handle support (63), for example by means of a removable bolt-type connection.

Thanks to this configuration, an upward turning movement of the handles (62) with respect to the connecting element with handle supports (63) performed manually by the device operator causes a displacement of the respective cables (C) that , in turn, pull up the upper jaw element (92) of the mantle clamping mechanism (9). In this way, when the motor vehicle approaches the mantle and the lower element (91) of the mantle holding mechanism (9) is placed under the mantle, it is possible to pick up and hold the mantle without the farmer getting off the motor vehicle or rotate the trunk. When the operator releases the handles (62), the weight of the upper jaw element (92) of the mantle clamping mechanism (9) pulls the cables (C), causing the mantle clamping mechanism (9) to close with the cloak attached and ready to move.

Lever holder (63)

The handle support (63), made of plastic, has the function of holding and connecting the handles (62) to the handles (61). The handle support (63) has through side holes for its attachment to the handles (62) by means of a removable joint that allows the rotation of said handles (62). The handle supports (63) comprise a rear surface as a reinforcing plate with a central hole for housing the cables (C) of the movement control system of the mantle holding mechanism (9). b2) Upper lattice (7)

The device has two upper lattices (7) made of plastic, each of which has an elongated polygonal contour provided with a plurality of gaps inside. The lattice (7) is specially designed to withstand the great loads required by the device of the invention. In this way, sufficient mechanical resistance is achieved while minimizing weight. The upper lattice (7) additionally has through holes (71, 72, 73) for its connection with the rest of the elements of the device of the invention. Fig. 11 shows an example of upper lattice (7). Specifically, a hole (71) located at the rear end of the upper lattice (7) is designed to rotatably fix an upper end of the handle (61) through the hole (61 1). This fixing can be carried out, for example, with the help of bolts, screws or the like. Thus, when the operator moves the handle (61) up or down, he drags the rear end of the upper lattice (7) with him.

A hole (72) located in an intermediate portion of the upper lattice (7) is designed for fixing to the upper rib structure (1), specifically to one of the H-shaped grooves (12). This fixing is of the type rotary, for example by bolts or the like. Furthermore, the edge of the upper lattice (7) adjacent to the hole (72) has a curved shape to favor the rotation of the upper lattice (7) in relation to the upper rib structure (1) on which it rests. Therefore, this union with the upper ribbed structure (1) constitutes a turning point around which the upper lattice (7) tilts when the operator or the weight of the mantle itself causes the handle-guide handle assembly (6) to rise or fall. ).

A hole (73) located at a front end of the upper lattice (7) opposite that end where the hole (71) is located is designed for fixing to respective diagonal bars (83) that connect to the end of the device where the mantle clamping mechanism (9) is located. This fixing can be of the rotary type, for example by bolts or the like. Thus, when the upper lattice (7) tilts around the holes (72), the mantle holding system rises or falls. b3) Bar mechanism (8)

Here, the bars (8) intended to transmit the stresses along the device of the invention are described between the handle-guide handle assembly (6) and the mantle clamping mechanism (9). These bars (8) mainly comprise connection bars (81) that connect the handle-guide handle (6) assembly with the upper lattice (7), horizontal bars (82) that connect the lower rib structure (2) with the mantle clamping mechanism (9), and diagonal bars (83) that connect the upper rib structure (1) with the mantle clamping mechanism (9). Each of these bars is described in more detail below.

Connecting rods (81)

It is a pair of bars (81), normally made of plastic, which are located under the upper lattice (7) to connect the upper rib structure (1), at a point in the grooves (12) near the hole (71). ) of the upper lattice (7), with the hole (612) of the respective handle (61). For this, each connection bar (81) comprises separate holes (811, 812) at the ends to house each removable connecting bolts. Both unions can be removable and rotatable thanks to bolt-type elements or the like. The connecting bars 81 are normally subjected to a very high compression stress. Fig. 12 shows an example of connecting bar (81).

Horizontal bars (82)

These are two pairs of cylindrical bars (82), normally made of plastic, whose position is normally essentially horizontal and that connect the mantle clamping mechanism (9) with the lower rib structure (2). More specifically, one end of the bars (82) is connected by connecting means such as bolts to the grooves (22) of the lower rib structure (2) and, similarly, an opposite end of the bars (82) it is connected to the lower jaw element (91) of the mantle clamping mechanism (9). For this, each bar (82) comprises two pairs of flanges at their ends, each pair of flanges having a pair of connection holes (821, 822) facing each other.

The horizontal bars (82) preferably comprise a plurality of hexagonal perforations that form a honeycomb-like structure. In this way, the weight and quantity of material used are decreased without seriously affecting its resistance. Furthermore, in this particular example, in order to be able to manufacture the horizontal bars (82) with additive manufacturing technology by 3D printing and to be able to disassemble and fold the device of the invention in a reduced place, the horizontal bars (82) are divided turn in 4 sections or interconnected sub-bars. The interconnection of the sub- Bars are made by fitting one inside the other and with the help of clamps (A). This not only reduces the storage space of the device of the invention when it is disassembled, but also makes it cheaper to manufacture.

Each pair of horizontal bars (82) is formed by a lower bar (82i) and an upper bar (82s), so that the lower bar (82i) is subjected to pure tensile stresses and the upper bar (82s) is subjected to at pure compression stresses. Indeed, when the device tilts to raise the free end where the mantle clamping mechanism (9) is located, the lower horizontal bar (82i) is subjected to a tensile stress and the upper horizontal bar (82s) is subjected to at a compression stress.

Since the lower horizontal bars (82i) are mainly subjected to pure traction, it is possible to reinforce them to bear the highest possible load with a minimum amount of material. For this, inside there are two pre-tensioned threads (H) with high tensile strength. The threads, which can be made, for example, of plastic, are connected and prestressed between the ends of the lower bars (82i), so that they absorb the tensile stresses of the lower horizontal bars (82i) that arise when making Tilt the device to lift the loaded mantles. In other words, the lower bars (82i) are normally subjected to compression due to the action of the pretensioned threads (H), so that when the guide handle-handle assembly (6) is lowered to raise the clamping mechanism of mantles (9) and, as a consequence of the weight of the mantles, the lower bars (82i) are subjected to tension, an important part of that tension is absorbed by the pre-compression caused by the threads (H). Thus, less material can be used to manufacture the lower horizontal bars (82i). Fig. 13 shows an example of a lower horizontal bar (82i).

Next, the way in which the threads (H) are attached to the ends of the lower horizontal bars (82i) is described.

Each lower horizontal bar (82i) has at one end a longitudinally oriented hole (823) that communicates the exterior of the bar (82i) with the inside of it. A clamping piece (826) consisting mainly of a washer provided with two adjacent longitudinal holes is fixed to this hole (823). At the opposite end of the bar (82i) there is a longitudinally oriented hole (824) that also communicates the exterior and the interior of the bar (82i). In addition, a threaded cross hole (825) connects hole (824) to the outside of bar (82i). Thus, to place the prestressed thread (H), it is only necessary to introduce one end thereof through the longitudinal hole (824), making the thread (H) run longitudinally the entire interior of the bar (82i) to the opposite end, where the thread (H) leaves the bar through one of the holes of the clamping piece (826) and re-enters through the other hole (823) of said clamping piece (826). Next, the thread (H) runs again inside the bar (82i) until it returns to the first end, through which hole (824) it comes out. Tensioning means, not shown in this document, apply the desired tension to the thread (H) and, finally, a screw is inserted through the transverse hole (825) and is tightly tightened until its end catches the thread ( H) immobilizes it inside the hole (824). Finally, the excess thread (H) that has remained outside the bar (82i) is cut. Figs. 14a and 14b show an example of configuration of the ends of the lower horizontal bar (82i) where the prestressed threads (H) are fixed.

Furthermore, the configuration of the upper horizontal bars (82s) is fundamentally similar to the configuration of the lower horizontal bars (82i) with a couple of exceptions. Firstly, the upper bars (82s), which are mainly subjected to compression, do not require the help of prestressed threads (H) to withstand the stresses, since the plastic supports compression stresses well enough in this context, and for They both lack them. Second, the hexagonal holes in the upper horizontal bars (82s) are smaller in size than the holes in the lower horizontal bars (82i), as this improves their resistance to the compressive stresses to which they are subjected. Fig. 15 shows an example of upper horizontal bar (82s).

Diagonal bars (83)

It is a pair of diagonal bars (83) fixed between the ribbed structure upper (1) and the mantle clamping mechanism (9) which, during use of the device of the invention, are normally subjected to tension. For this reason, the diagonal bars (83) have a structure similar to that of the lower horizontal bars (82i) that have been previously described. In other words, they are cylindrical bars (83) provided with hexagonal honeycomb holes and provided with high-strength prestressed threads (H) connected to their ends. The threads (H) apply a pre-compression on the diagonal bars (83), so that when the device of the invention tilts to lift the free end where the mantle clamping mechanism (9) is located, the traction that arises in the diagonal bars (83) it is partially compensated by the prestressed threads (H).

The diagonal bars (83) also have flanges at their ends where holes (831, 832) are arranged for the rotational and removable connection, by means of bolts or the like, of the upper rib structure (1) and the mantle clamping mechanism (9). Furthermore, the pair of flanges at the end that is fixed to the mantle clamping mechanism (9) have a greater separation than the pair of flanges at the opposite end of said diagonal bar (83) or the pairs of flanges of the horizontal bars (83). 82). The reason is that said end of the diagonal bar (83) joins the mantle clamping mechanism (9) at the same point as the corresponding upper horizontal bar (82s). That is, the same bolt passes through the hole (821) of the upper horizontal bar (82s) and the hole (832) of the diagonal bar (83).

In addition, the diagonal bars (83) have transverse guiding protrusions (833) located at their ends for guiding the cables (C) that transmit the force applied by the operator by pressing the handle (62) to open the mechanism. for holding cloaks (9). Indeed, said cables (C) have an end connected to the handle (62) and, after traversing the upper lattice (7), they are arranged parallel to said diagonal bars (83) between the guide projections (833) so that Finally, the opposite end is fixed to the upper jaw element (92) of the mantle clamping mechanism (9). Fig. 16 shows an example of a diagonal bar (83) according to the invention. c) Cloak holding mechanism (9)

The mantle clamping mechanism (9) has a generally clamp or jaw configuration formed by a pair of respectively lower (91) and upper (92) jaw elements and opening control means. The function of the mantle holding mechanism (9) is to pick up the mantle and hold it securely for movement to the next discharge location. Figs. 17 and 18 show respectively an example of a lower jaw element (91) and an upper jaw element (92) according to the invention. Figs. 19 and 20 show an example of the mantle clamping mechanism (9) assembled according to the invention.

Next, the elements that make up the mantle holding mechanism (9) are described in more detail. c1) Lower (91) and upper (92) jaw elements

These are a lower jaw element (91) and an upper jaw element (92) which are preferably made of biodegradable plastic with additive manufacturing technology by 3D printing.

The lower jaw member (91) is an essentially wedge-shaped plate bounded by a flat horizontal bottom surface and a sloping top surface. The angle between these sloping flat upper surfaces and top is small, for example between 1 ° and 10 °. In this way, it is possible to insert the lower jaw element (91) under a mantle arranged on the ground in a quick and simple way. The plate that constitutes the lower jaw element (91) also has holes (915), in this case with rounded polygonal shapes, intended to engage with complementary elements arranged in the upper jaw element (92). The rear edge of the lower jaw element (91) also has vertical projections (911), each of which is provided with two respectively upper (912) and lower (913) holes arranged respectively at its free end and near the wedge-shaped base to the plate. As will be described later, the holes (912, 913) allow the connection of the lower jaw element (91) to the bar system (8) that allows the transmission of the movement originated by the operator who operates the device by handling the assembly. guide handle-handle (6). The upper jaw element (92) has a central portion intended to clamp the mantle against the lower jaw element (91), and a pair of lateral bars (921) protruding from its rear edge essentially oriented diagonally backwards. The bars (921) have at their free end a pair of flanges provided with respective holes (922) arranged for the passage of a fixing bolt. Furthermore, the central portion of the upper jaw element (92) has a complementary shape with the shape of the holes (915) of the lower jaw element (91) in the sense that said central portion fits into the holes (95). This allows the grip of the mantles by the mantle clamping mechanism (9) to be as firm as possible. On the other hand, fixing projections (923) intended to hold the movement control cable (C) of the mantle holding system (9) are arranged near the free end of the bars (921).

Thus, the lower hole (913) of the lower jaw element (91) is designed for the connection of the lower horizontal bar (82i) through one of the holes (821, 822) arranged at the ends of said bar (82i). ). For its part, the upper hole (912) of the lower jaw element (91) is designed for the connection of the upper horizontal bar (82s), the diagonal bar (83), and the upper jaw element (92). Indeed, the upper horizontal bar (82s) connects to the upper hole (912) through one of the holes (821, 822) located at its end, the diagonal bar (83) connects to the upper hole (912) at through the corresponding holes (831, 832) located at its end, and the upper jaw element (92) is connected to the upper hole (912) through its holes (923, 924). That is, the upper horizontal bar (82s), the diagonal bar (83) and the upper jaw element (92) are fixed to the same upper hole (912) by means of the same bolt. For this, the distance between the flanges of its ends where their respective connection holes (821, 822, 831, 832, 923, 924) are located are different, being housed within one another. c2) Opening control means

The opening control means basically comprise the cable (C) for transmitting the movement generated by the operator by handling the handle-guide handle assembly (6) together with the elements that guide and delimit its path along the device of the invention. In effect, the mantle holding mechanism (9) works as a clamp to "grab" the mantles, and its opening and closing are performed by acting on the handle (62) of the handle-guide handle assembly (6). For this, two cables (C) connect the handles (62) of the handle-guide handle assembly (6) with the upper jaw element (92) of the mantle clamping mechanism (9). Each cable (C) has an end fixed to the corresponding handle (62), it runs through the upper lattice (7) until it reaches the diagonal bar (83), it runs longitudinally through the diagonal bar (83) guided by the guide projections ( 833), and finally its opposite end is fixed to the fixing projection (923) of the upper jaw element (92). The opening control means may also include cable protection tubes (C) arranged around the cable (C) along its path. For example, the protection tubes can protect the entire path parallel to the diagonal bar (83), and can be fixed to the respective guide projections (833) or form part of the diagonal bar itself (83). The cable (C) can be made of a plastic material with adequate resistance.

Thus, when the operator pulls the handle (62), the traction applied to the cable (C) causes it to pull the upper jaw element (92), which thus rotates around the axis that passes through the holes (912) connection with the lower jaw element (91). The upper jaw element (92) is separated from the lower jaw element (91) and, therefore, the clamp that constitutes the mantle holding mechanism (9) opens. It is then possible to insert between both lower jaw elements (91) and upper jaw (92) the mantle to be transported. Then, when the operator releases the handle, the weight of the upper jaw element (92) causes it to drop, and the complementary elements of the upper jaw element (92) are inserted into the holes (915) of the lower element plate. gag (91), thus catching the cloak firmly and safely.

In short, thanks to the described configuration, the device of the invention greatly facilitates the task of moving the cloaks in any process of fruit harvesting, such as the olive. To do this, the motor vehicle first approaches the gear in reverse with the device of the invention in its raised position. That is, the end of the device where the mantle clamping mechanism (9) is located is raised and separated from the ground. Once the device is positioned close to the mantle, the operator moves the handles (61) of the handle-guide handle assembly (6) upwards. This movement causes the end of the device where the cloak (9) descend to the ground. At the same time, the operator turns the handles (62) upwards, thus pulling the cables (C), which cause the upper jaw element (92) to rise. As a result, the clamp that constitutes the mantle holding mechanism (9) opens. The motor vehicle then travels in reverse to insert the lower jaw element (91) under the mantle. The operator then releases the handles (62), ceasing to exert traction on the cables (C) attached to them. The upper jaw element (92) of the mantle clamping mechanism (9) returns to its closed position so that the complementary forms of said upper jaw element (92) are inserted into the holes (915) of the lower element of jaw (91), the mantle thus being trapped between both lower (91) and upper (92) jaw elements. Next, the operator moves the handles (61) down again to cause the mantle holding mechanism (9) to rise, and fixes the handle-guide handle assembly (6) in that position, for example through a stop or gripping means arranged in the box of the motor vehicle. The mantle clamping mechanism (9) is thus separated from the ground high enough to avoid rubbing against stones and other elements. In this position, the motor vehicle can move the cloak to the next station, where the operator separates the handles (6) from the stop or gripping means and moves them back upwards, thus lowering the mantle clamping mechanism (9 ) to the ground by the device's own weight. In this position, the operator turns the handles (62) again to open the mantle holding mechanism (9), thus leaving the mantle on the ground when the motor vehicle moves.

Claims

1. Device for the displacement of mantles in an agricultural harvesting process, characterized by comprising:

- a motor vehicle attachment mechanism, configured to be removably attached to a rear box of a motor vehicle;

- a movement transmission mechanism connected to the motor vehicle attachment mechanism, having a rear side adjacent to the rear box of the motor vehicle and a front side adjacent to the mantle to be displaced, the movement transmission mechanism being configured to vertically tilt relative to said motor vehicle attachment mechanism such that the front side is displaced vertically in response to a vertical offset in the opposite direction from the rear side; and

- a mantle holding mechanism (9) connected to the front side of the movement transmission mechanism.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism to the motor vehicle comprises an upper structure (1) and a lower structure (2) interconnected by a vertical bar (3), where the vertical bar (3) comprises means fixing the upper structure (1) and the lower structure (2) at different heights.

3. Device according to claim 2, further comprising telescopic connecting tubes (4) joined by a spherical connection to the upper structure (1) for fixing said upper structure (1) to an edge of the rear box of the motor vehicle.

Device according to any of claims 2-3, further comprising a guide base plate (5) attached by a sliding connection to a lower end of the vertical bar (3) located under the lower structure (2), where the guide base plate (5) comprises a rear portion with an inverted U-shaped cross section for its attachment to a rear coupling element of the motor vehicle.

5. Device according to claim 4, wherein the guide base plate (5) comprises means for fixing the vertical bar (3) in different positions to facilitate its coupling to the rear coupling element of the motor vehicle.

6. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the movement transmission mechanism comprises: - a guide handle-handle assembly (6) arranged on its rear side;

- a pair of elongated upper lattices (7), which have a rear end rotatably connected to the guide handle-handle assembly (6) and an intermediate point pivotally coupled to the upper structure (1);

- a pair of diagonal bars (83), having a rear end rotatably connected to a front end of the upper lattices (7) and a front end rotatably connected to the mantle holding mechanism (9); and

- two pairs of horizontal bars respectively lower (82i) and upper (82s), which have a rear end rotatably connected to the lower structure (2) and a front end rotatably connected to the mantle holding mechanism (9) , so that,

when the handle-guide handle assembly (6) descends, the upper lattices (7) swing around their point of attachment to the upper structure (1) and, as a consequence, the diagonal bars (83) pull the mantle holding mechanism (9) and they promote it, and

when the handle handle-guide assembly (6) ascends, the upper lattices (7) swing around their coupling point to the upper structure (1) and, consequently, the diagonal bars (83) and the weight of the holding of cloaks (9) propel it downwards and lower it.

Device according to claim 6, wherein the handle handle-guide assembly (6) comprises a hand grip handle (61) and a manually operated handle (62), where the handle (62) is attached to one end of an opening control cable (C) whose opposite end is fixed to the mantle clamping mechanism (9), so that the operation of the handle (62) pulls the cable (C) and causes the clamping mechanism to open. mantles (9).

Device according to any of claims 6-7, wherein the lower horizontal bars (82i) and the diagonal bars (83) comprise within them prestressed threads (H) connected to their ends to apply a force to them pre-compression that improves its tensile strength.

9. Device according to any of claims 6-8, where the diagonal bars (83) and the lower horizontal bars (82i) and upper (82s) are hollow cylindrical bars provided with a plurality of honeycomb-shaped holes to minimize its weight while maintaining its resistance.

10. Device according to any of claims 6-9, wherein the diagonal bar (83) and the upper horizontal bar (82s) are connected to the same point of the mantle holding mechanism (9).

1 1. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the mantle holding mechanism (9) has a jaw-like configuration formed by a lower jaw element (91) and an upper jaw element (92) which They are connected to each other in a rotational way, and where the opening control cable (C) is fixed to the upper jaw element (92) to cause it to rise in response to actuation of the handle (62).

12. Device according to claim 11, wherein the lower jaw element (91) comprises a plate with an essentially wedge shape to facilitate its insertion under a mantle to be displaced.

13. Device according to any of claims 1 1-12, wherein the lower jaw element (91) comprises holes (915) and the upper jaw element (92) comprises protrusions complementary to that of said holes (915) so that when the mantle clamping mechanism (9) is closed as the upper jaw member (92) is lowered, the protrusions are inserted into the holes (915) and thereby firmly grasp the mantle.

14. Device according to any of the preceding claims, which is made of plastic.

15. Device according to claim 14, wherein the plastic is biodegradable.

16. Device according to any of the preceding claims, which is additively manufactured by 3D printing.