A METHOD AND A LOADING OR TRANSPORT VEHICLE FOR THE PACKAGING OF CROP

Abstract: With a view to packaging and optionally simultaneous ensiling of crop from a loading or transport vehicle (10-15), a folded plastic bag (24, 25) is placed on the rear end of the vehicle body, and when the vehicle is filled, it is driven to a storage location where the material is emptied into the bag, either by tilting of the vehicle or the vehicle body or by means of special transport means. As the bag is filled, it is deposited on the ground, and the vehicle is driven forwardly at the same speed as the one at which the material is conveyed into the bag. After completed filling the bag is pulled clear of the vehicle and is closed.

Description: A method and a loading or transport vehicle for the packaging of crop The invention relates to a method of the type stated in the introductory portion of claim 1. A machine is known, designed to compress harvested material, which is e.g. supplied from a loading or transport vehicle, and to press it through a tubular horn into an airtight plastics bag, which is placed in a folded state on the horn and is gradually pushed off the horn by the supplied material and deposited on the ground. When the bag is filled, and when its open end has been released from the horn, this end is closed, and the material is hereby ensiled. The object of the invention is to provide a method of the present type, which allows further rationalization of the process by which the material picked up in a loading or transport vehicle is packaged and optionally simultaneously ensiled. This object is achieved in that the method is carried out as stated in the characterizing portion of claim 1, since this embodiment renders it superfluous to use a special compressing and bag filling machine and thus also to reload the material otherwise necessitated by such use. Depositing on the ground of the bag as the bag is filled can be facilitated by performing the method as stated in claim 2, and the embodiment stated in claim 3 enables automatic closing of the open end of each bag by depositing of the subsequent bag. The invention also concerns a loading or transport vehicle for use in the performance of the stated method and of the type defined in the introductory portion of claim 4, and the characteristics of the loading vehicle of the invention are stated 'in the characterizing portion of claim 4. _^ ^ The vehicle may be constructed as stated in claim 5; but the preferred embodiment in which the entire vehicle can be tilted rearwardly is stated in claim 6, and claim 7 defines simple means for performing such tilting. As stated in claim 8, the vehicle can have a horn on the rear end to mount the bag, and claim 9 defines an embodiment of the loading vehicle in which this horn can be pivoted down to form a chute. When this structure is additionally arranged as stated in claim 10, the tailboard can form an extension of the chute formed by the horn. The side members on the tailboard defined in claim 11 are instrumental in guiding, in a desirable manner, the bag sliding down the chute.- To retain the front, open end of the bag on the rear end of the vehicle, holding means as defined in claim 12 may expediently be provided. Two different embodiments of such holding means are stated in claims 13 and 14. The embodiment defined in claim 15 provides certainty of complete emptying of the vehicle. The invention will be explained more fully below with reference to the drawing, in which fig. 1 is a schematic view of a loading vehicle according to the invention with an applied, folded bag, fig. 2 shows three filled bags deposited on the ground, fig. 3 shows the rear end of another embodiment of a loading vehicle according to the invention with an applied, folded bag, fig. 4 shows the same during filling of the bag and depositing of said bag on the ground, and fig. 5 is a schematic view of an amended embodiment of bag holding means. The loading vehicle shown in fig. 1 has a chassis frame 10 supported by a bogie 11 with four ground wheels 12 and carrying a vehicle body 13. Under the chassis frame, the front end of the vehicle mounts an assembly consisting of a pivotable pickup 14 and transport means 15 containing a generally known (not shown) conveyor drum to press the material picked up from the ground into the vehicle body. Cutters (not shown), which cut the material into small pieces, may be provided in a generally known manner opposite to the conveyor drum. A chain conveyor 16 is mounted in the bottom of the body, having (not shown) transverse conveyors to convey the material rearwardly into the vehicle. The drawgear 17 of the vehicle is suspended at three points between two co-axial pivot pins 18 and one end of a hydraulic cylinder 19. The drawgear can be pivoted down to a vertical position upon activation of this cylinder, causing the entire vehicle to be tilted rearwardly about the axes of the rear ground wheels. The tailboard 20 of the vehicle is pivotally journalled at its upper edge between the outer ends of two arms 21, which are secured to the side members of the vehicle body at some distance from the rear end. Each arm pivot¬ ally mounts one end of a hydraulic cylinder 22 whose piston rod is pivotally connected with an arm 23 firmly connected with the tailboard 20. Upon activation of the cylinders 22, the tailboard can be pivoted from the shown closed position to a substantially horizontal position. On the rear end of the vehicle there is shown a folded bag 24, preferably of airtight plastics sheet, whose bottom 25 is disposed within the tailboard 20 and thus forms an end wall in the vehicle body 13. To retain the bag, a clamping band 26 is placed on the top side of the vehicle body, in the embodiment shown in fig. 1. When the vehicle body is filled with the material picked up from the ground and preferably chopped, it is driven to a storage location, and then the tailboard 20 is opened by the cylinders 22, the vehicle is tilted by the cylinder 19, and the bottom conveyor 16 is started. The material will hereby be pushed rearwardly toward the bottom 25 of the bag 24, which is gradually pulled off the vehicle body and slides down to the ground. During this process the vehicle is driven forwardly at a speed corresponding to the one at which the material moves into the bag. When the bag has reached a suitable degree of filling, corresponding to there being ample bag material for the bag to be closed, and preferably, but not necessarily, corresponding to an empty vehicle body, the bag is pulled off the vehicle so that the entire filled bag is now lying on the ground. The clamping band 26 can optionally be designed and adjusted to resist some pull-off force on the bag, but to release the bag as this force is exceeded when the vehicle is driven forwardly after filling of the bag. When one or more filled bags have been deposited at the storage location, the bottom end of the bag is so positioned on the open end of the preceding bags as to close said bag, as shown in fig. 2. In the amended embodiment shown in figs. 3 and 4, a particular sausage horn 30 is placed on the rear end of the vehicle body 13, said horn having substantially the same cross-section as the vehicle body and forming an extension of it. The horn is pivotable about an axis 31 at the lower rear edge of the vehicle body by means of a (not shown) hydraulic cylinder, and the tailboard, here designated by 32, is pivotable at its lower edge about a horizontal axis 33 at the lower rear edge of he horn 30, said tailboard being journalled between two arms 34 which are pivotable themselves about the pivot axis 31 of the horn and are firmly connected with the horn. In the embodiment shown, the tailboard is provided with two side members 35, and the side members of the vehicle body have a triangular rearwardly directed extension 36. The pivot movement of the horn 30 and the tailboard 32 are performed in a generally known manner by (not shown) hydraulic cylinders. When the vehicle is to be emptied, the bottom conveyor 16 is started, and the horn 30 and the tailboard 32 are pivoted down to the position shown in fig. 4, in which they form a chute down which the bag 24 can slide as it is being filled. The horn 30 may be provided with suitable (not shown) holding means for the open bag end. To ensure rapid and effective emptying, a transverse shaft 37 is placed over the vehicle body in the shown embodiment, said shaft being rotatable by means of a (not shown) cylinder and mounting a plurality of forks 38, which are disposed horizontally across the vehicle body in their inactive position shown in fig. 3, and which extend vertically downwards in the vehicle body in their active position shown in fig. 4. The shaft 37 is controlled and connected with a suitable (not shown) drive mechanisme in a manner not shown so as to be movable in a horizontal direction across at least a rear portion of the vehicle body, e.g. between two positions shown in solid and broken lines, respectively, in fig. 4. This movement .takes place at substantially the same speed as that of the bottom conveyor. Fig. 5 is a schematic view of an embodiment of means of retaining a bag on the rear end of the vehicle, where¬ in said rear end has an edge bead 39 which is rounded along the upper edge and across which the bag passes during the filling process. Also the sides and/or bottom of the vehicle body may be equipped with such an edge bead. A guide rod 40, below which the bag passes, is placed in parallel and somewhat spaced relationship with the bead 39 and at a small distance above the top side of the vehicle body. The bag edge is secured against the vehicle body somewhat forwardly of the guide rod by a rope or a band 41, which can optionally be elastic, and whose ends can e.g. be attached in a manner not shown to the sides or bottom of the vehicle body by means of hooks or similar means which can easily be applied and released. Also other details of the vehicle may be arranged differently from what is shown and described in the foregoing. For example, tilting of the entire vehicle can be effected by means of mounted hydraulic jacks instead of pivoting of the drawgear. Moreover, the horn 30 may optionally be firmly mounted, and rearwardly directed extensions of the vehicle body sides may be substituted for the side members 35 on the tailboard 32. Nor does the vehicle have to be a loading vehicle, but may be a simple transport vehicle without the pickup 14 and the transport means 15.

Claims: P a t e n t C l a i m s 1. A method of packaging crop from a loading or transport vehicle with transport means for conveying material picked up from the ground rearwardly in the vehicle, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by placing on the rear end of the vehicle a preferably alongate bag which is filled with the material contained in the vehicle upon rearward movement of this material by means of either the force of gravity or special transport means, and then pushing the bag clear off the vehicle and depositing it on the ground. 2. A method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by driving the vehicle for¬ wardly .during filling of the bag at a speed corresponding to the one at which the flow of material moves into the bag. 3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by placing the bags so end to end on the ground that the rear end of one bag over¬ laps the front, open end of the preceding bag. 4. A loading or transport vehicle for use in the performance of the method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that at least a rear portion of the vehicle is designed to be pivoted down to form a chute for the material. 5. A loading or transport vehicle according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by means for tilting the entire vehicle body rearwardly. 6. A loading or transport vehicle according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by means for tilting the entire vehicle rearwardly. 7. A loading or transport vehicle according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the drawgear of the vehicle is pivotable about a horizontal axis, and that a hydraulic cylinder is positioned between a point on the drawgear and a point on the chassis of the vehicle, said hydraulic cylinder serving to pivot the drawgear between a normal draw position and a position facing the ground in which it lifts the front end of the vehicle. 8. A loading or transport vehicle according to any of claims 4-7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a horn is placed on the rear end of the vehicle, said horn having substantially the same cross-section as the vehicle body. 9. A loading or transport vehicle according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the horn is pivot- able about a horizontal axis at its lower, front edge. 10. A loading or transport vehicle according to claim 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the tailboard is pivotally journalled between the outer ends of two arms, which are disposed directly below the bottom and at their respective sides of the horn and whose inner ends are pivotable about the same axis as the horn. 11. A loading or transport vehicle according to claim 10, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the tailboard has side members which are disposed on the exterior of the sides of the horn in the closed position of the tailboard. 12. A loading or transport vehicle according to any of claims 4-11, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by holding means on the rear end of the vehicle to retain the open end of a bag against a certain pull. 13. A loading or transport vehicle according to claim 12, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the holding means are formed by a clamping band preferably placed on the top side of the vehicle body or the horn. 14. A loading or transport vehicle according to claim 12, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the holding means are formed by an external bead on the top side and/or the sides of the vehicle body or the horn as well as a rope to hold the bag edge against the vehicle body or the horn forwardly of the bead. 15. A loading or transport vehicle according to any of claims 4-14, c h a r c t e r i z e d in that a rotatable transverse shaft is mounted above the vehicle body, said shaft being horizontally movable at least over a rear portion of the vehicle body and mounting a plurality of forks, which are pivotable, upon rotation of the shaft, between a horizontal position above the vehicle body and a substantially vertical position in which they protrude down into the vehicle body.

Inventors: LARSEN BOERGE, LARSEN, BOERGE
Applicants: TAARUP AS MASKINFAB, MASKINFABRIKEN TAARUP A/S
Application year: 1985
Main classification: A01D90
IPC codes: A01D90, A01F25