Patent GB-171709-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to harvesting machines for beet and the like
IPC: A01D27/02
Filed: 1921-11-21
Abstract: 171,709. American Beet Harvester Co., (Assignees of Kopitke, W. H.). Nov. 20, 1920, [Convention date]. Crops, root, digging and topping machines for. -A beet-harvester is provided with a tread frame which engages the tops of the beets and adjusts cutters to cut off the desired amount of top. The main frame 1 is supported at its forward end by steering wheels 2 and carries an adjustable frame 3 pivoted at its rear end on a shaft 4 mounted in the frame 1 and suspended at its forward end by links 5 from a lifting and lowering device 6 operated by a shaft 7. Beetlifting augers 8 suspended by links 9, 13, from the frame 3, raise the topped beets. A shaft 10 is mounted in the front end of the frame 3 and has an arm 11 projecting forwardly and downwardly, these arms being connected by links 12 to the links 9. The arms 11 are rigidly connected by a tie-rod 14 on which a sleeve, driven by chain and sprocket gear 17, 18, 20 from the shaft 4, is mounted. A tread-belt-carrying frame, comprising side members 21, a bottom member 22, and a top cross shaft 24, is pivotally supported from the sleeve by bearings 25 The tread-belt 30 comprises two laterally spaced endless chains or which the links are connected by cross shafts each carrying rollers 34 outside the chains and of which each pair of transversely aligned links is connected by a pressure plate 36. The tread-belt is driven by sprocket wheels 38 secured to the driving sleeve on the rod 14. The lower reach of the belt is guided by the rollers 34 below the bottom member 22 of the belt frame, and at its rear end the belt passes round wheels 39 carried by a shaft 40 which is pressed rearwardly in forks 29 in the belt frame by springs. The topping- knife-carrying frame comprises two vertical side bars 45 pivoted on and depending from the shaft 24 on the outer sides of the belt-carrying frame. These bars have each a lateral bearing surface 46 engaging a similar surface 47 on the member 22 and each carries a forwardly projecting arm 48 connected with its corresponding arm by a rod 50 encircled by a spacing sleeve 51. Other arms 52 project rearwardly from the members 45 and form bearings for uprights 53 which are capable of vertical movement. The uprights, which carry shafts 58 on which the cutter discs 60 are mounted, are connected by a transverse member 55 housing a driving shaft 56 driven by chain gear from the sleeve on the tie-rod 14. To ensure the uprights being maintained in vertical position although moved relatively to the tread-beltframe, the members 45 are connected to vertical extensions of the arm 11 by links 61 which lie parallel to the line joining the shafts 24, 14. A downwardly projecting arm 63 is secured to the shaft 24 on each side of the machine and is adjustably connected by a link 64 to a collar 66 fixed to the cutter-carrying upright 53. As the tread-belt frame swings about the axis of the tierod 14, moving the cutter-carrying frame and so raising or lowering the cutters, an extra vertical motion in the reverse direction is given to these cutters by the rocking motion of the arm 63 transmitted through the link 64. Springs 70 normally hold the tread-belt frame in its lowest position. The machine is arranged so that the tread-belt runs on the line of beets thus lifting the treadbelt frame in accordance with the height of beet projecting above the ground and also lifting the cutter frame in a less though proportionate degree. The beets are held under the tread-belt until topped and the tops are removed by a rotary brush 71 carried bv the cutter frame. Shares 75 remove the soil from the sides of the beets.