Device for picking pulse crops

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for picking pulse crops, said device being provided with a frame (1), with a picking drum (8) having teeth (7), which is supported by the frame and which is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation, and with a guide plate (9) extending around the drum and co-operating therewith, as well as with transport and cleaning means for the picked pulse crop. Furthermore the frame is provided with coupling means (3) for coupling the frame to the three-point hitch of a tractor or the like. The construction is such that during operation the drum will be located beside the tractor, seen in the intended direction of movement, whilst the transport and cleaning means will be located at least largely behind the tractor.

Description: The invention relates to a device for picking pulse crops, said device being provided with a frame, with a picking drum having teeth, which is supported by the frame and which is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation, and with a guide plate extending around the drum and cooperating therewith, as well as with transport and cleaning means for the picked pulse crop and wherein the frame is provided with coupling means for coupling the frame to the three-point hitch of a tractor or the like. Agricultural engineering vol.50, no. 7, July 1969 discloses a device for picking pulse crops, wherein the picking drum has been arranged behind the tractor with its axis of rotation extending parallel to the intended direction of movement. In such an arrangement the tractor has to be driven over the crop, which has to be harvested, and the working width of the picking drum is relatively small. French patent 1,332,947 shows a device for harvesting crop which is towed behind a tractor and supported by its own ground wheels. Said device is rather volumineus and has also a picking drum with its axis of rotation parallel to the intended direction of movement. Also French patent 2,146,036 shows such a device for harvesting crop, towed behind a tractor and having a voluminous structure. According the invention the construction is such, that during operation the drum will be located beside the tractor, seen in the intended direction of movement with its axis of rotation transverse to the intended direction of movement, whilst the transport and cleaning means will be located at least largely behind the tractor and are provided with a first conveyor belt, which transports the crop obliquely and transverse to the intended direction of movement upwards from the picking drum in the direction of a duct in which an upward air flow is generated by means of a fan arranged near the upper end of the duct, whilst a second upwardly extending conveyor is arranged in the duct, spaced from the discharge end of the first conveyor, such that during operation there is an upward air flow on both sides of said second conveyor and seen in the intended direction of movement the duct and the second conveyor belt is located near the coupling means for coupling the frame to the three-point hitch of a tractor. By the structure according the invention there can be obtained a device which has a ligth and compact construction, so that the device can be coupled to the three-point hitch of a tractor without any problems and jet a thorough cleaning of the crop can be achieved by performing a double cleaning in a limited space. The invention will be further explained hereafter, with reference to an embodiment of a device according to the invention diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying figures. Figure 1 is a diagrammatic front view of the device according to the invention. Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side view of the device illustrated in Figure 1. The device comprises a frame 1, which is provided, in a manner known per se, with projecting ears 3 by means of which the device can be coupled, in a manner known per se, to the three-point hitch of a tractor or the like. To one end of the frame, which will project beyond the side of tractor when the frame 1 is coupled to a tractor or the like, an auxiliary frame 4 is coupled to the frame so as to be resiliently vertically movable, by means of means not shown. The vertically movable auxiliary frame 4 is thereby supported by a roller 5, which is journal led in the frame and resting on the ground, said roller being freely rotatable about a horizontal axis of rotation. Between the upper side of the frame 4 and the frame 1 there is coupled a connecting rod 6 which is longitudinally adjustable, by means of which the auxiliary frame 4 can be sligthly tilted forwards or backwards relative to the frame 1. In the auxiliary frame 4 there is journalled a picking drum 8 having teeth 7 and being rotatable about a horizontal axis of rotation, said picking drum being surrounded by a cover 9 along part of its circumference. The frame 4 furthermore supports a conveyor belt 10 which is arranged in front of the picking drum 8, said conveyor belt extending obliquely downwards and rearwards from its foremost point. The construction of such a picking drum and conveyor belt for picking pulse crops is known per se, e.g. from the European patent application 0,246,697. Behind the picking drum there is located a horizontally extending part of an endless conveyor belt 11 supported by the frame 1. The upper part of said conveyor belt 11, extending horizontally behind the picking drum, merges into a part that slopes upwards beside the picking drum, as appears in particular from Figure 1, said part extending to a point located approximately centrally behind the tractor, in order to merge from there into a part that slopes downward and in the direction of the picking drum again. Spaced by a short distance from said downwardly sloping part of the conveyor belt 11 there is provided a further endless conveyor belt 12, sloping upwards substantially parallel to said part. The conveyor belt 12 and the end of the conveyor belt 11 located near said conveyor belt 12 are arranged in a duct or chute 13 supported by the frame, on whose upper side there is provided an exhaust system 14 in the shape of a fan or the like. Above the upper end of the conveyor belt 12 there is furthermore provided a blade wheel 14 in the duct 13, whilst further in the duct there are arranged baffles 15, which extend partly transversely to the longitudinal direction of the duct 13. Spaced by some distance from the upper end of the upwardly sloping endless conveyor belt 12 there is provided another endless conveyor belt 16, provided with pins, which extends at least substantially in the longitudinal direction of the duct 13, from a point which is spaced by a short distance from the uppermost point of the conveyor belt 12, to a point located at some distance under the exhaust system 14. As is furthermore illustrated in Figure 2 an endless conveyor belt 16¹ is provided near the lower side of the tubular duct 13, said conveyor belt being guided about guide rollers whose axes of rotation extend horizontally and transversely to the intended direction of movement of the device. As appears from Figure 2 said conveyor belt 16 thereby slopes upwards to the rear. The upper end of the conveyor belt 16¹ is thereby located near a platform 17 provided at the rear side of the frame 1. The various parts of the device described above, which are to be driven, can be driven from the power take-off shaft of the tractor supporting the device during operation, which power take-off shaft can be coupled, by means of an auxiliary shaft, to a gearbox 18 mounted on the frame 1. The gearbox 18 is connected, by means of an auxiliary shaft 19,to the exhaust system 14. The gearbox 18 is furthermore coupled, by means of belt or chain transmissions shown only partly and diagrammatically, to various other parts of the device, such as the picking drum and the above-mentioned conveyor belts. During operation the device will be moved in the direction according to the arrow A by means of the tractor or the like supporting the device. The conveyor belt 10 is driven in such a manner that the lower part of the conveyor belt moves in the direction according to arrow B, whilst the drum rotates in the direction according to arrow C during operation. The bean shrubs on the field are bent over by the conveyor belt 10 and brought within the reach of the teeth 7 of the picking drum 8. Beans picked off by means of the teeth are moved upwards and rearwards along the inner side of the cover 9 and deposited on the upper part of the conveyor belt 11. The upper part of the conveyor belt 11 extending transversely to the intended direction of movement according to arrow A will sling the picked beans and leaves possibly taken along in the direction of the conveyor belt 12, through the air flow generated by the exhaust system in the direction according to arrow D. Because of said air flow the light components will be exhausted by means of the exhaust system 14, in order to be discharged via the outlet 20 of said system. The products falling on the conveyor belt 12 are again transported upwards by the conveyor belt 12 and slung in the direction of the pin belt 16 near the upper end of said conveyor belt. Crop parts which adhere to each other are separated by the blade wheel 14′. Also here the crop is exposed to an air flow in the direction according to arrow E, which is likewise generated by the exhaust system 14 at the side of the conveyor belt 12 remote from the conveyor belt 11. Also this air flow effects a further separation between the lighter components and the heavier pulse crops, e.g. beans. The transport upwards of the lighter components is supported by the pin conveyor 16, which also moves loose leaves or branches upwards. The heavy pulse crops will fall downwards and thereby land on the upper part of the conveyor belt 16¹, which moves in the direction according to arrow F during operation. By means of said conveyor belt the picked pulse crops are supplied to e.g. sacks or cases placed on the platform 17, or to a further transport means mounted on said platform, by means of which pulse crops can e.g. be supplied to a wagon or the like driving along the tractor or being drawn by the tractor. Although in the illustrated embodiment there is applied a picking drum whose axis of rotation extends transversely to the intended direction of movement of the device during operation, it will also be possible to use the construction according to the invention when a picking drum is used whose axis of rotation extends more in the intended direction of movement of the device. The height of the front edge of the cover 9 can be set by pivoting of the auxiliary frame by means of the extension rod 6.

Claims: Device for picking pulse crops, said device being provided with a frame (1), with a picking drum (8) having teeth (7), which is supported by the frame (1) and which is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation, and with a guide plate (9) extending around the drum and cooperating therewith, as well as with transport and cleaning means for the picked pulse crop, and wherein the frame (1) is provided with coupling means (3) for coupling the frame to the three-point hitch of a tractor or the like, characterized in that the construction is such that during operation the drum will be located beside the tractor, seen in the intended direction of movement, with its axis of rotation transverse to the intended direction of movement, whilst the transport and cleaning means will be located at least largely behind the tractor, and are provided with a first conveyor belt (11), which transports the crop obliquely and transverse to the intended direction of movement upwards from the picking drum (8), in the direction of a duct (13) in which an upward air flow is generated by means of a fan (14) arranged near the upper end of the duct (13), whilst a second upwardly extending conveyor (12) is arranged in the duct (13), spaced from the discharge end of the first conveyor (11), such that during operation there is an upward air flow on both sides of said second conveyor (12) and, seen in the intended direction of movement, the duct (13) and the second conveyor belt (12) is located near the coupling means (3) for coupling the frame (1) to the threepoint hitch of a tractor. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that in the duct (13), at the side of the second conveyor belt (12) remote from the first conveyor belt (11), there is arranged an upwardly extending endless belt (16) provided with pins, which extends upwards in the duct (13) from a point located at about the same height as the upper end of the second conveyor belt (12). Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least under the discharge end of the second conveyor (12) there is arranged a further endless conveyor (16'), by means of which puls crops falling from the second conveyor (12) can be transported obliquely upwards and rearwards. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that at the rear side of the frame (1) there is provided a platform (17) for supporting means which receive the pulse crops supplied by the further conveyor (16'). Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that near the upper end of the second conveyor there is provided a blade wheel (14). Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the picking drum (8) is journalled in an auxiliary frame (4), which is vertically movable relative to the frame and which is supported by a roller (5) mounted on the auxiliary frame. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that between the upper side of the auxiliary frame (4) and the frame (1) of the device there are provided adjustable means (6), by means of which the auxiliary frame (4) is adjustable relative to the frame (1) about a pivot pin extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum.

Inventors: VAN DE BRAND ANTONIUS MARIA, VAN DE BRAND, ANTONIUS MARIA
Applicants: PLOEGER MACHINES BV, PLOEGER MACHINES B.V.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A01D45
IPC codes: A01D45