Patent GB-1377585-A (GB)
Title: Crop harvesters
IPC: A01D57/04
Filed: 1972-01-21
Abstract: 1377585 Crop harvester CHISHOLMRYDER CO Inc 21 Jan 1972 [22 Jan 1971] 2918/72 Heading A1F A crop harvester for use with beans, and peas has foliage and crop stripping means, conveyors to carry the crop and foliage to a separator where the foliage is removed, and crop collecting means. The harvester is driven over a bed of crop bearing plants and a brush 37 Fig. 3 engages the plants and moves them towards reel 52. The reel lays the plants over front roller 50 and onto surface 48 of member 45, and the combined effect of roller 50, which rotates in the same direction as reel 52, and tines 76 is to strip foliage and crop from the plant stems without uprooting the plant. Behind roller 50 and under member 45 is a driven ground engaging roller 51 which supports picking mechanism 39 as it is pushed over the ground. The rotational speed of reel 58 is regulated by hydraulic motor 56, and the angle of the tines is adjusted by operating crank 98 which rotates tine-carrying rods 75. Turning crank 98 causes sleeve arm 95 to swing forwardly or rearwardly about the axis of reel drive shaft 68, Fig. 8, and the angular position of sprocket gear 93 is changed and a system of chains and sprockets transmit this movement to the tines. This system of gears also ensures that the tines are projected downwardly at all times as the reel rotates. A plurality of foliage lifters 109 (not shown) arranged at equal intervals across the front end of the picking mechanism assists in presenting the plants to the tines. The stripped foliage and crop is deposited on floor 113 and is pushed by turntables 129, 130 Fig. 19 toward front conveyor belt 122, which discharges this material over its elevated rear end onto the front end of intermediate conveyor belt 192. A traversely extending brush 201 prevents crop and foliage from falling off conveyor belt 192 but permits heavy particles such as stones to fall therethrough. A cluster breaker assembly 186 comprising a front small rotor 202 and a rear larger rotor 203, is arranged above and extending transversely the full width of conveyor belt 192. Front rotor 202 has a horizontal shaft 204 the opposite ends of which are journalled on main frame 22 as indicated at 205, and from the shaft extend plate arms 206. Arms 213 of rotor 203 rotate in a counter-clockwise rotation and arms 206 rotate in a clockwise rotation Fig. 1A. Behind rotor 203 is a rotary brush 219 rotated in a clockwise direction Fig. 1A to clean arms 213. The material discharged over the rear end of conveyor belt 192 is received on the front end of rear conveyor belt 230. The stripped foliage is drawn inwardly by fan 188 through inlet 243 and is discharged through duct 244, not shown. This latter conveyor is pivotable about shaft 226 from its operative position to an inoperative position (not shown), in which the conveyor is substantially vertical. Receptacle 185 receives the crop from conveyor-belt 230. This receptacle is hopper-like in configuration and has a flat bottom of rectangular outline. It can be tilted towards the left Fig. 6 about a horizontal axis, pivot pin 29 Fig. 6, in order to dump its contents. Actuators 263 at the back and 262 at the front (not shown) of the receptacle are pressurized with hydraulic fluid and as they elongate the receptacle will tilt to the left, Fig. 6. Prior to transportation, actuators 172 Fig. 1A are operated to lift picker mechanism 39. Lug 182 carried by lever 171 engages link 166 when actuator 171 is operated, and link 169 and arm 165 are thereby moved. This arm is rigidly attached to tube 152 which rotates and brace beams 153 thereby lift the picker mechanism. When the harvester is in operation pivoting of the picker mechanism about the X-X axis is permitted. Arms 150 are secured at their rear ends to the main frame and at their front ends to sleeve 151 which pivotally receives in its bore a tube 152. Pivoting about the Y-Y axis, Fig. 19, is achieved by front and rear pivot pins 155, 156 which permit cross beams 41, 42 respectively to freely pivot. This action is helped by springs 179 which counterbalance the weight of the picker mechanism and thereby prevent ploughing into the ground. In a modification a transverse screw conveyor is arranged immediately above the floor of the first conveyor, and this stops any beams, which have been freed during the stripping procedure, from falling to the ground before the conveyor is reached.