CUP CONVEYOR FOR A POTATO PLANTER

Abstract: The invention relates to a cup conveyor (20) for a potato planter, which conveyor is intended for conveying a potato (40) to be planted from the potato feeding point (17) to the point (18) at which it is dropped into the furrow. The conveyor (20) comprises a pulley (23), a sheave (24) and a belt (21) running on these wheels (23, 24) and equipped with successive cups (22). The invention is characterized in that in connection with or in the vicinity of the cups (22a, 22b, 22c...) there are fitted flaps (30a, 30b, 30c...), and that each cup (22) and the corresponding flap (30) is arranged to keep the potato (40) in a holding grip up to the point (18) at which the intention is to drop the potato into the furrow.

Description: CUP CONVEYOR FOR A POTATO PLANTER The invention relates to a cup conveyor for a potato planter, defined in the preamble of Claim 1. The invention additionally relates to a belt intended for the said cup conveyor and a potato planter equipped with the said cup conveyor. Figure 1 shows one known potato planter 10, which comprises as principal components a bearing wheel 11, a cutting share and a covering disk (12 resp. 13), a potato hopper 14, a horizontal conveyor 15, and a cup conveyor 20, by means of which the potatoes to be planted are arranged in a line for providing a suitable planting density and from which the potatoes are dropped into the furrow. Reference 16 indicates the machine frame by the mediation of which the machine is coupled behind a tractor. In the option of Figure 1 the cup conveyor 20 is a rather high elevator which comprises a belt 21 to which there are fastened successive cups 22 each intended for conveying one potato. The belt 21 runs supported by a pulley 23 and a sheave 24. The pulley 23 is driven by the bearing wheel 11. The desired pulley rotation speed, i.e. the desired planting density, is achieved by the selection of a suitable gear ratio. The potatoes 40 rest against the cups in the rising portion of the belt, and after passing the sheave the potatoes fall out of the cups and remain resting against the outer surface of the preceding cup in the descending portion of the belt. The U- profile tube 19 protecting the conveyor retains the potatoes in place until they arrive at the dropping point 18. However, there are certain problems involved with the cup conveyors of the potato planter type described above. The cup size is usually relatively large in proportion to the potato being conveyed, in order that the potato should certainly remain in the cup in the rising portion of the belt. Especially if relatively small seed potatoes are used, there are easily left several potatoes in one and the same cup, which in turn leads to non-desirable so-called double planting. In order to prevent this, there is provided in connection with the rising portion of the belt a vibrator, under the effect of which any excess potatoes fall down. In order that any excess potatoes could be removed in this manner, the conveyor, i.e. the elevator, must be relatively high. This, again, affects the size of the apparatus. At the sheave the potatoes may tend to be flung out by centrifugal force, especially at high rotation speeds. At the point at which the potato is dropped the size of the potato affects its precise time of being dropped. When a cup arrives at the pulley, a small potato detaches easily from between the horn wall and the cup bottom, whereas a large potato remains there longer. In this way the potato size may affect the planting density, which is not desirable. The object of the present invention is to eliminate the deficiencies described above and to provide for a potato planter a novel cup conveyor in which the potatoes remain well in their cups from the feeding point to the point at which the purpose is to drop them into the furrow. It is a particular object to provide a cup conveyor in which no excess potatoes are left during the feeding step, whereby a high elevator is avoided. By means of a conveyor according to the invention it is also possible to drop the potatoes into the furrow at exactly the right moment, regardless of their size. The invention thus relates to a cup conveyor for a potato planter, the conveyor being intended for conveying the potato to be planted from the potato feeding point to the point at which it is dropped into the furrow, the conveyor comprising a pulley, a sheave and, running on these wheels, a belt equipped with successive cups. The invention is characterized in that in connection with or in the vicinity of the cups there are fitted flaps, and that each cup, and the corresponding flap, is arranged to keep a potato in a holding grip to the point at which the intention is to drop the potato into the furrow. The invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 depicts a state-of-the-art potato planter, Figure 2 depicts a side view of a cup conveyor according to the invention, Figure 3A depicts a cup and the flap fitted above it, as seen from direction I in Figure 2, Figure 3B depicts a side view of the option of Figure 3A, Figure 3C depicts a top view of the option of Figure 3A, Figure 4 depicts a blow-up of detail Y of Figure 2, Figures 5A and 5B depict profiles of the stops of the conveyor of Figure 2, and Figure 6 depicts a cross section of the sheave along its axis. Figure 2 shows a side view of a cup conveyor 20 according to the invention. The conveyor is used for conveying the potatoes 40 to be planted from their feeding point 17 to their dropping point 18, where they are dropped into the furrow. The conveyor comprises a pulley 23, a sheave 24, and a belt 21 running on these wheels and equipped with successive cups 22a, 22b, 22c... The belt moves in the direction indicated by the arrow. Above the cups 22a, 22b, 22c... there are fitted flaps 30a, 30b, 30c... in such a manner that a flap 30 is arranged to turn towards the inner surface 25 of the cup 22 after a potato 40 has been fed into the cup. In this manner each cup 22 and the corresponding flap 30 keeps the potato 40 in a holding grip to the point 18 at which the purpose is to drop the potato into the furrow. Figures 3A - 3C show a cup 22 and the flap 30 fitted above it as seen from the front, i.e. from direction I in Figure 2 (Figure 3A) , from the side (Figure 3B) and from above (Figure 3C) . In Figures 3A and 3B the turned-up position of the flap is shown with dotted lines. In Figure 4, which shows detail Y of Figure 2, the structure of the flap 30 is seen in greater detail from the side. In the option shown in the figures, the flap 30 is a stiff piece which, in the area between the front edge 31a and the hind edge 32a, is arranged to pivot about a pivot axis 33 running in the orientation of the width of the belt 21. This axis may be, for example, a hinge, the first fastening plate of which is connected to the flap itself and the second fastening plate of which is connected to the belt or the cup. Instead of a hinge it is, of course, possible to use any other option which allows the pivoting movement of the flap about the axle 33. The axis 33 may be a physical piece or merely a theoretical pivot axis. In the belt 21 there is provided an opening 28, which allows the hindmost portion 32 of the flap 30 to move through the plane of the belt when the foremost portion 31 of the flap 30 descends towards the cup 22. It is recommended that the foremost portion 31 of the flap should be clearly longer than its hindmost 32 portion, in which case the foremost portion tends by gravity to press towards the cup. During the feeding it is, however, important that the flap is turned away from the cup. In order to ensure this, the conveyor has, fitted in the vicinity of the potato feeding point 17, a stop 26, which holds the flap 30 away from the cup 22 at the potato feeding point. Figure 5A shows a horizontal section of the stop 26. According to this option, the stop 26 is an L-profile projecting from one or both sides of the belt 21, turned towards the middle of the belt. The frontal portion of the flap 30 is preferably shaped as blades 34a and 34b, which travel in a pocket 35 formed by the L-profile and the belt, in which case the belt remains in the open position until the effect of the stop 26 ends and the frontal portion 31 of the flap presses towards the cup. At the sheave and in the descending portion of the belt it is, however, necessary to ensure by means of a separate structure that the flap remains in its closed position, i.e. pressed towards the cup. In the option shown in the figures, the conveyor comprises a stop 27 the function of which is to keep the flap turned towards the cup until the point 18 at which the intention is to drop the potato into the furrow. This stop consists, for example, of edge pieces 27a and 27b (cf. the horizontal section shown in Figure 5B) projecting from both sides of the belt 21. It is important that the flap 30 is at least at a certain point (in this option in the area of the blades 34a and 34b) so wide that it touches both of the edge pieces 27a and 27b. According to a suitable option, the distance between the edge pieces 27a and 27b is so narrow that the blades 34a and 34b of the flap 30 bend slightly (cf. Figure 3A) . In this manner it is ensured that the flap remains turned towards the cup also in those positions in which it would otherwise open. It is important that the flap remains turned towards the cup at the sheave 24. Therefore the sheave 24 has a recess 29 for unhindered travel of the hindmost portion 32 of the flap 30 (Figure 6) . When the hindmost portion 32 of the flap turned towards the cup finally meets the pulley 23, the contact between the pulley 23 and the portion 32 causes the flap to open, whereupon the potato is detached from the grip of the flap and the cup and falls into the furrow. Thus the moment at which the potato is detached is independent of the size of the potato. In a conveyor according to the invention it is possible to use smaller cups than in known conveyors, since the remaining of the potato in the cup is ensured by means of a flap. For this reason, extra potatoes are not left on the belt. Thus the conveyor, if it is an elevator conveyor, can be made considerably lower and more inclined than known cup elevators . The flap need not necessarily be located above the cup. Alternatively it is conceivable, for example, that the apparatus has two side flaps or one side flap and a fixed stop fitted on the opposite side. Also, the flap need not pivot about an axis which is located at a distance from the hind edge of the flap. It is also conceivable that the flap, which may be spring loaded, is articulated by its hind edge. It is, however, justified to assume that the option described above is recommendable in terms of the reliability of use and cleaning of the conveyor. The above embodiments of the invention are only examples of the implementation of the idea according to the invention. For an expert in the art it is clear that the various embodiments of the invention may vary within the claims presented hereinafter.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A cup conveyor (20) for a potato planter, which conveyor is intended for conveying a potato (40) to be planted from the potato feeding point (17) to the point (18) at which it is dropped into the furrow, the conveyor (20) comprising a pulley (23) , a sheave (24) and a belt (21) running on these wheels (23, 24) and being equipped with successive cups (22) , characterized in that in connection with or in the vicinity of the cups (22a, 22b, 22c...) there are fitted flaps (30a, 30b, 30c...), and that each cup (22), and the corresponding flap (30) , is arranged to keep the potato (40) in a holding grip until the point (18) at which the purpose is to drop the potato into the furrow. 2. A cup conveyor according to Claim 1, characterized in that the flap (30) is arranged to turn towards the inner surface (25) of the cup when the potato (40) has been fed into the cu . 3. A cup conveyor according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that it comprises a first stop (26) fitted in the vicinity of the potato feeding point (17) , the stop being arranged to hold the flap (30) away from the cup (22) at the potato feeding point. 4. A cup conveyor according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that it comprises a second stop (27) which is arranged to hold the flap (30) turned towards the cup until the point (18) at which the purpose is to drop the potato into the furrow. 5. A cup conveyor according to Claim 3 or 4, wherein the flap (30) is arranged to turn towards the inner surface of the cup, characterized in that - the first stop (26) is an L-profile (26) , projecting from one or both sides of the belt (21) and turned towards the middle of the belt, and that - the second stop (27) is an edge piece (27) projecting from both sides of the belt (21) , and that the flap (30) is at least at a certain point so wide that it touches both edge pieces (27a and 27b) . 6. A conveyor according to any of Claims 2 - 5, charac- terized in that - the flap (30) is a stiff piece (30) which, in the area between the front edge (31a) and the hind edge (32a) of the piece, is arranged to turn about a pivot axis (33) running in the orientation of the width of the belt (21) , and that - in the belt (21) there is provided an opening (28) which allows movement of the hindmost portion (32) of the piece (30) through the plane of the belt when the foremost portion (31) of the piece (30) descends towards the cup (22) . 7. A conveyor according to Claim 6, characterized in that the foremost portion (31) of the flap (30) is clearly longer than its hindmost (32) portion. 8. A conveyor according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the sheave (24) is provided with a recess (29) for unhindered passage of the hindmost portion (32) of the flap (30) . 9. A belt (21), intended for a cup conveyor (20) for a potato planter and equipped with successive cups (22) , characterized in that - in connection with or in the vicinity of each cup (22) there is fitted a flap (30) , which is arranged to turn towards the inner surface (25) of the cup when a potato (40) has been fed into the cup, and that - the flap is a stiff piece (30) which, in the area between the front edge (31a) and the hind edge (32a) of the piece, is arranged to turn about a pivot axis (33) running in the orientation of the width of the belt (21) , and that - in the belt (21) there is provided an opening (28) which allows the movement of the hindmost portion (32) of the piece (30) through the plane of the belt when the foremost portion (31) of the piece (30) descends towards the cup (22) . 10. A potato planter (10) which comprises a bearing wheel (11), a cutting share and a covering disk (12, 13), a potato hopper (14) , a horizontal conveyor (15) , a cup conveyor (20) which is intended for conveying the potato (40) to be planted from the potato feeding point (17) to the point (18) at which it is dropped into the furrow, the conveyor (20) comprising a pulley (23) , a sheave (24) and a belt (21) running on these wheels (23, 24) and equipped with successive cups (22) , as well as the necessary control and drive means, characterized in that in connection with or in the vicinity of the successive cups (22a, 22b, 22c...) of the cup conveyor there are fitted flaps (30a, 30b, 30c...) and that each cup (22) , and the corresponding flap (30) , is arranged to keep the potato (40) in a holding grip until the point (18) at which the purpose is to drop the potato into the furrow.

Inventors: MARTIKAINEN ESKO, PALMUJOKI LAURI, RAUHALA OLLI, MARTIKAINEN, ESKO, PALMUJOKI, LAURI, RAUHALA, OLLI
Applicants: JUKO LTD OY, OY JUKO LTD.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A01C9
IPC codes: A01C9