Patent Description:
A haulm cutting apparatus of this kind is e.g. known from <CIT>.

<CIT> discloses an agricultural slasher for cutting bushy plants, such as cotton plants, after harvesting, has a tractor-mounted main frame carrying a series of parallel laterally spaced driven cutter shafts inclining from bottom to top in the direction of travel, each carrying, one above the other, a series of rotary cutters each having a number of radiating blades. Guides on the main frame define guideways to guide plants to be slashed, as the main frame is advanced, towards the rotary cutters which co-act, near to the rear of the guideways, with fixed cutters on the main frame. The inclined assemblies of rotary cutters, coacting with the fixed cutters, cut the branches of the bushes into small pieces before the trunks of the bushes are severed near ground level, and the lowermost of the rotary cutter blades penetrate the soil and chop the roots of the bushes (abstract).

In different fields of agriculture haulms need to be cut at certain times during the season.

in potato farming haulms need to be cut at a time prior to harvest to promote the development of the new potatoes in the ground rather than the development of the haulms above the ground.

Further, e.g. in cotton faming haulms or plant parts above the ground need to be removed after harvest in preparation for the next growth season and harvest. In so-called no-tilling cotton farming whereby it is avoided to plough or cultivate the soil, it is known to remove the haulms or plant parts above the ground by use of chemicals.

In the above cases it is according to the view of the present inventor beneficial when the haulms are cut at ground level or right below ground level. If cut above ground level the residual haulms above the ground risk growing new shoots, leaves, etc. If potato haulms are cut too deep in the ground the new potatoes risk being hurt.

The stalks of the haulms need not be neatly cut because crushing the cut part promotes the death of the plant to avoid growing of new shoots.

Haulm cutting apparatus are known in the art, especially flail cutters are well known comprising a horizontal rotor carrying e number of flails being rotated in respective vertical planes. Such flail cutters are used to cut the haulms above the ground leaving typically a couple of centimetres of haulm standing above the ground.

<CIT> discloses the features of the preamble of claim <NUM> and discloses a potato harvester comprising a blade cutter for cutting haulms, in the shape of a single horizontal disc with cutters along its edge. The harvester comprises a V-section depth adjusting roller that in operation rolls on top of a ridge in which the potatoes grow. By virtue of its V-shape the V-section depth roller provides for guiding the apparatus including the blade cutter or haulm cutter vertically as well as laterally. Accordingly, the V-shaped or hourglass shaped surface of the V-section depth adjusting roller provides surfaces guiding in the lateral direction as well as in the vertical direction, i.e. the depth adjusting roller comprises lateral and vertical guiding means or surfaces. The blade cutter is positioned centrally relative to the ridge the haulms of which are being cut and which is the ridge next to the ridge the potatoes of which are being harvested during a given pass of the field. The haulms are accordingly being cut a couple of centimetres above the ground. A risk of the residue of the haulms shooting after cutting does not exist because the potatoes are harvested soon after during the next pass of the field.

<CIT> discloses a machine for stripping haulm from potatoes and similar crops. The machine comprises a drum rotating around an axis with an upright extent the drum carrying haulm-stripping teeth at its lower edge. Offset in front of the drum a re-inforced rubber platform is positioned that in use collect a layer of soil on the platform and this soil acts to back up or afford a hold for the haulm during stripping. Thus the stripping is performed by the foremost part of the drum which is forwarded approximately centrally relative to the ridge in which the potatoes grow.

The object of the present invention is to provide a haulm cutting apparatus that enables precise cutting at ground level, or right below, of the haulms of crops grown in rows. It is further an object of the present invention to provide a haulm cutting apparatus that promotes the death of the plant beneath the cut haulm.

This is obtained according to the present invention in that a haulm cutting apparatus, as mentioned by way of introduction in which at least one of the first, rotatable shear and the counter shear comprise a circular disc with a recessed rim portion. Using a counter shear on one hand provides for a precise cut and placing the two shears in side-by-side position entails that the shears will cut at edges that are positioned laterally relative to the direction of travel, and that may perform the cut at or slightly below the ground surface without the central parts of the shears needing to touch to surface of the ground.

Recesses in the rim portion provided for catching stalks or haulms in pockets formed by the recesses, while the cuts are performed, thus promoting precision and effectiveness of the cutting.

In an embodiment the lateral and vertical guiding means or surfaces comprise abutment surfaces for abutment on opposite slanted ground surfaces. This embodiment is suitable for cutting haulms of crops growing on ridges such ridges having slanted or sloping sides. The lateral and vertical guiding means or surfaces may e.g. be provided by a V-section depth adjusting roller as disclosed in the above mentioned <CIT> or it may e.g. be provided by ski- or skid-like elements or wheels provided for sliding or rolling along sloping or slanted sides of ridges.

In an embodiment the lateral and vertical guiding means or surfaces comprise at least one ground abutment surface for vertical guidance, and mutually opposite haulm engaging surfaces positioned in front of the first, rotatable shear and the counter shear for lateral guidance of the apparatus relative to the direction of travel during operation. This embodiment is suitable for cutting haulms of crops growing on a plane field. The at least one ground abutment surface may e.g. be provided by a wheel or by a ski- or skid-like element and the mutually opposite haulm engaging surfaces may e.g. be provided by a pair of ski- or skid-like elements positioned to pass on either side of stalks or haulms of a crop growing in a row.

In an embodiment the counter shear is stationary. In an embodiment the stationary counter shear is positioned below a cutting edge or rim portion of the first, rotatable shear to support the residual haulm parts in the ground during cutting by the first, rotatable shear.

In another embodiment the counter shear is a second, rotatable shear.

In a practical embodiment at least one of the first, rotatable shear and the counter shear comprises a disc mounted at an end of a shaft to extend in a plane at right angles to the shaft, a drive being provided for rotation the shaft.

In a further embodiment with a rotatable counter shear, both the first, rotatable shear and the counter shear comprise a disc mounted at an end of a respective shaft to extend in a plane at right angles to the shaft, the apparatus comprising a drive for rotation of the shafts, possibly at mutually different rotational speeds. Driving the first, rotatable shear and the counter shear at different speeds, especially for the first, rotatable shear and the counter shear to have different peripheral speeds, promotes the cutting action. It is noted that different peripheral speeds may be provided by having the first, rotatable shear and the counter shear comprising respective discs with different diameters and rotating said discs at similar or suitable different rotational speeds.

In a further embodiment the shafts extend at a mutual angle of less than <NUM>°, particularly less than <NUM>°, and more particularly the shafts extend in parallel. When the shafts extend in parallel, or substantially in parallel, the apparatus is mainly suitable for cutting haulms of crops growing on ridges. When the shafts are extending at a mutual angle (substantially) larger than zero, cooperating edges of the first, rotatable shear and the counter shear may dip into the ground at a position between the first, rotatable shear and the counter shear to perform the cutting while the central parts of first, rotatable shear and the counter shear remain positioned above the ground in order not to disturb the surface of the ground more than necessary.

In yet a further embodiment at least one shaft, is extending from the disc to form an angle forward of a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel, said angle being between <NUM>° and <NUM>, particularly below <NUM>°, and more particularly the shaft extends in parallel to said plane. Thus the shaft may be inclined forwards from the disk and up or the shaft may extend in a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel, i.e. in a vertical plane when the field being processed in horizontal.

In a practical embodiment at least one of the first, rotatable shear and the counter shear comprise circular disc with at least a plane rim portion and a non-convex bottom. This embodiment is e.g. suitable for applications with shafts extending in parallel or substantially in parallel and with an apparatus intended for cutting haulms of crops growing on ridges.

In another practical embodiment at least one of the first, rotatable shear and the counter shear comprise a circular disc with a conical rim portion. This embodiment is e.g. suitable for applications where shafts carrying the discs are inclined relative to each other, because the conical rim portion(s) provides for the cooperating rim portions of the first, rotatable shear and the counter shear to be generally parallel at a position of cutting.

In an embodiment at least one ground engaging shear is provided behind the first, rotatable shear and the counter shear relative to the direction of travel for shifting soil onto the remains of the cut haulms. Covering the remains of the cut haulms with soil further promotes the death of the plant beneath the cut. The ground engaging shear for shifting soil may e.g. be a harrow disc and further two such ground engaging shears may be provided for shifting soil onto the remains of the cut haulms from either side.

Optionally the soil shifted onto the remains of the cut haulms may be compacted e.g. by being rolled by means of a roll having a profile corresponding to the surface to the ground at the location of the haulm being cut.

In the preparation of ridges in a field for growing e.g. potatoes it is customary to remove stones and clods from the soil of the ridge. This removal may be carried out in different ways and e.g. stones are sifted from the soil and places in rows between neighbouring ridges.

The apparatus generally has a longitudinal vertical centre plane and in a further embodiment the apparatus comprises at least one deep shear mounted on an arm at a lateral distance from the centre plane to extend asymmetrically from said arm towards the centre plane. Thus mounted on an arm at a lateral distance from the centre plane the deep shear may cut through the ground beneath e.g. a crop of potatoes to cut deep roots and further promote the death of the plants without disturbing a possible row of stones between neighbouring ridges or rows of crops.

In an embodiment a haulm ejector is provided at the first rotatable shear and the counter shear, preferably behind the first rotatable shear and the counter shear, and preferably in front of any ground engaging shear trailing the first rotatable shear and the counter shear for ejecting cut off haulm. Hereby is obtained that cut off haulm is removed from the row of crop and is not buried, neither partially nor totally, as might otherwise be the case. Hereby is avoided that cut off haulm parts are, even partially, buried above the crop in the ground thereby minimizing a risk of such buried cut off haulm parts being infected by e.g. mould fungus whereby such infection might be carried on to the crop in the ground.

In the following the invention will be explained in further detail by way of non-limiting examples of embodiments having reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which.

<FIG> shows a tractor <NUM>, and a haulm cutting apparatus <NUM>, according to the present invention, that is coupled to the tractor <NUM> through a three-point suspension <NUM> of the tractor <NUM>. Power is supplied from the tractor <NUM> to the haulm cutting apparatus <NUM> through a power line <NUM>, such as a hydraulic power line or electric power line.

The tractor <NUM> is carrying the haulm cutting apparatus <NUM> along a ridge <NUM>, in which potatoes are being grown, to cut potato haulms (not shown).

The haulm cutting apparatus <NUM> comprises a body or frame <NUM> supporting slide boards or skids <NUM> with abutment surfaces <NUM>', see <FIG>, said skids <NUM> being mounted via arms <NUM> in an adjustable manner (not shown) which the person skilled in the art can readily envisage from the general description below.

The skids <NUM> are preferably ski- or skid-like elements by which should be understood elements, e.g. boards, comprising a generally plane lower surface that, like at a ski, is raised at least at a front end to allow said surface to slide over the ground without risking that the front end digs into the ground.

The body or frame <NUM> further supports two rotatable shafts <NUM>, <NUM> each carrying at a lower end a shear <NUM>, <NUM> to be explained below. The body or frame <NUM> further accommodates drives (not shown) for rotating the two rotatable shafts <NUM>, <NUM>. Energy for the drives is supplied through power line <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, behind the shafts <NUM>, <NUM> and the shears <NUM>, <NUM>, relative to the direction of travel <NUM>, a couple of ground engaging shears, in the present embodiment in the form of harrow discs <NUM>, is provided for shifting soil onto the remains of the cut haulms as it will be further explained below. It should be noted that the ground engaging shears or harrow discs <NUM> are, for sake of clarity, not shown in <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG> the shears comprise, in the present embodiment, a first, rotatable shear <NUM> and second, rotatable counter shear <NUM>. In the present embodiment the two shears are similar and comprise a plane circular disk with a recessed rim portion <NUM>, <NUM>'. The first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> are positioned in a side-by-side relationship relative to a direction of travel <NUM> during operation, and the recessed rim portions <NUM>, <NUM>' are overlapping for the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> to cooperate in cutting.

The rim portions <NUM>, <NUM>' being recessed entails that each of the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> comprises a succession of adjacent protrusion <NUM>, <NUM>' extending from central parts of the respective discs. The protrusions <NUM>, <NUM>' defines between them pockets <NUM>, <NUM>'.

The drives are in the present embodiment arranged to drive the shafts <NUM>, <NUM>, and thus the shears <NUM>, <NUM>, at different rotational speeds, e.g. approx. double speed for the first, rotatable shear <NUM> relative to the speed of the counter shear <NUM>. the first, rotatable shear <NUM> may be run at approx. , while the counter shear is e.g. run at approx.

In operation the haulm cutting apparatus <NUM> is forwarded along the ridge <NUM> in the direction of travel <NUM> for the skids <NUM> to slide along the sloping sides of the ridge <NUM>. The abutment surfaces <NUM>' thereby abut on the sloping sides of the ridge <NUM>, as seen in <FIG>, and by proper adjustment of the height of the skids <NUM> relative to the body or frame <NUM> and/or of the mutual distance between the skids <NUM>, the skids <NUM> will provide for vertical adjustment or height adjustment of the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> relative to the top of the ridge <NUM> where the haulms are to be cut. Simultaneously, due to the slope of the sides of the ridge <NUM> the skids <NUM> will also provide for lateral adjustment or centring of the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> relative to the top of the ridge <NUM>. In this way the skids <NUM> acts as lateral and vertical guiding means or surfaces.

In operation the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> are rotated in counter-clockwise and clockwise direction, respectively, as indicated by arrows <NUM>, <NUM>' in <FIG>. Thereby the pockets <NUM>, <NUM>' will receive and catch stalks or haulms that the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> encounter while being forwarded along the ridge <NUM>. Due to the different speeds of the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> stalks or haulms thus caught will be cut by protrusions <NUM> of the first, rotatable shear <NUM> passing protrusions <NUM>' of the counter shear <NUM>.

A clearance should be present between the overlapping rim portions <NUM>, <NUM>' to avoid contact between the two rim portions and accompanying abrasion. Edges of the protrusions <NUM>, <NUM>' need not be particularly sharp. The combination of a clearance between the overlapping rim portions and a certain bluntness of the cutting edges of the protrusions <NUM>, <NUM>' entails a crushing of the cut ends of the stalks or haulms which beneficially promotes the withering of the plant residuals in the ground.

The skilled person will appreciate that the bottoms of the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> beneficially are generally non-convex for the centre of the respective shears not to extend into the ground.

Once the stalks or haulms have been cut the remains of the cut stalks or haulms are covered by soil shifted or scraped there onto by the harrow discs <NUM>. This soil shuts out the sun light from the remains of the cut stalks or haulms thereby further promoting the death or withering of the plant residuals in the ground.

<FIG> illustrates a variant of the above embodiment in which the second, rotatable counter shear <NUM> has been substituted by a stationary counter shear 12a with a bias edge 12b. In operation the first, rotatable shear <NUM> will rotate counter-clockwise as indicated by the arrow <NUM> and stalks or haulms will be caught in a pocket <NUM> in the rim portion <NUM> to be carried along until the stalk or haulm meets the bias edge 12b whereupon the stalk or haulm will be cut by the protrusion <NUM> succeeding the respective pocket <NUM> passing the bias edge 12b.

<FIG> illustrate a variant of a haulm cutting apparatus <NUM> according to the present invention. In the following similar elements of the variant are designated by the same numbers as at the first embodiment with the addition of <NUM>. Like the haulm cutting apparatus <NUM> the haulm cutting apparatus <NUM> is provided for coupling to a tractor <NUM> through the three-point suspension <NUM> of the tractor <NUM>.

The haulm cutting apparatus <NUM> is provided for cutting haulms or stalks <NUM> of a crop grown in a plane field <NUM>.

Thus, the haulm cutting apparatus <NUM> comprises ground wheels <NUM> providing ground abutting surfaces for vertical guidance of the haulm cutting apparatus <NUM>. The ground wheels <NUM> are height adjustable relative to the body or frame <NUM> in a manner not shown, but at least one such manner will be familiar to the skilled person. Further the haulm cutting apparatus <NUM> comprises a pair of skids <NUM> providing mutually opposite haulm engaging surfaces <NUM> positioned in front of a first, rotatable shear <NUM> and a counter shear <NUM> for lateral guidance relative to the direction of travel <NUM> during operation. The skids <NUM> are attached to the body or frame <NUM> through arms <NUM>, possibly with provisions for adjusting the mutual distance between the two skids <NUM>.

To facilitate the lateral guidance by the skids <NUM>, the ground wheels <NUM> may be swivel wheels respectively mounted for rotation about an upright axis in front of the centre of the ground wheel <NUM>. More sophisticated solutions may be envisaged by the skilled person.

The first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> like the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> of the first embodiment comprise rim portions <NUM>, <NUM>' that include protrusions <NUM>, <NUM>' and pockets <NUM>, <NUM>' therebetween. However, in this variant the rim portions <NUM>, <NUM>' are conical as illustrated in <FIG>. Further the shafts <NUM> and <NUM> are extending at mutually opposite angles relative to vertical. Hereby a mutual angle α between the two shafts <NUM>, <NUM> is less than <NUM>° and in the present embodiment even less than <NUM>°.

Behind the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> a pair of harrow discs <NUM> are mounted for scraping or shifting soil onto the remains of cut haulms or stalks or haulms, like in the first embodiment.

In operation, the haulm cutting apparatus <NUM> will be moved along a row of stalks <NUM> of a crop grown in a plane field <NUM> in the direction of travel <NUM>. Such stalks <NUM> may e.g. be remains of cotton plants after the cotton has been harvested. The stalks <NUM> will be caught between the skids <NUM> that will thereby guide the haulm cutting apparatus <NUM> laterally. When reaching the rotating first, rotatable shear <NUM> and counter shear <NUM> the stalks <NUM> are caught in pockets <NUM>, <NUM>' of the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> to be cut by the protrusions <NUM>, <NUM>' because the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> rotates at different speeds like at the first embodiment.

Due to the mutually angled position of the first rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> the stalks <NUM> are cut just below the surface of the field <NUM>, as indicated in <FIG>, without the central parts of the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> disturbing the surface of the field.

Like at the first embodiment, the harrow discs <NUM> subsequently scrape soil onto the remains of the cut stalks.

In the embodiments described above the rotatable shafts <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are extending parallel to a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel <NUM>. It is however possible to arrange at least one of said shaft to extend from the disc to form an angle β forward of a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel, as indicated by the shaft <NUM>' shown in broken lines in <FIG>. It is noted that inclining in this way the shaft would entail that the respective shear is also inclined correspondingly, which is however not shown in <FIG>. The angle β may be between <NUM>° and <NUM>, particularly below <NUM>°, e.g. in the range of <NUM>°-<NUM>°.

As shown in <FIG>, on either side of the ridge <NUM> a row of stones <NUM> is present. These rows of stones <NUM> have been formed during the preparation of the ridges whereby the stones have been sifted from the soil of the ridges and been placed in rows between neighbouring ridges <NUM> (of which only one is shown).

The apparatus <NUM> generally has a longitudinal vertical centre plane <NUM> and, as shown schematically in <FIG>, in a further embodiment the apparatus comprises at least one deep shear <NUM> mounted on an arm <NUM> at a lateral distance I from the centre plane <NUM> to extend asymmetrically from said arm <NUM> towards the centre plane <NUM>. In the embodiment shown, the deep shear <NUM> extends only towards the centre plane <NUM> from the arm <NUM>, but the arm <NUM> and the attachment of the deep shear <NUM> to the arm <NUM> might be arranged for the deep shear to extend slightly away from the centre plane relative to its point of attachment to the arm <NUM>. Thus mounted on the arm <NUM> at a lateral distance I from the centre plane <NUM> the deep shear <NUM> may cut through the ground beneath e.g. a crop of potatoes to cut deep roots and further promote the death of the plants without disturbing the row of stones <NUM> between the neighbouring ridges <NUM> and without the ridges being substantially disturbed.

In the embodiment shown, two arms <NUM> and deep shears <NUM> are provided symmetrically around the centre plane <NUM> as a left arm and deep shear and a right arm and deep shear for the deep shears <NUM> to extend towards each other and almost meet. It is however possible that the left and right deep shear meet at the centre plane to constitute a single deep shear extending between the left arm and the right arm or the left and right deep shear may extend in an overlapping manner offset in the longitudinal direction.

In yet a further embodiment indicated in <FIG> only, though applicable to the other embodiments disclosed herein, a haulm ejector <NUM> is provided at the first rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM>, namely behind the first rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM>. Moreover, the haulm ejector is in the embodiment shown positioned in front of the ground engaging shears i.e. the harrow discs <NUM> trailing the first rotatable shear and the counter shear for ejecting cut off haulm. Hereby is obtained that cut off haulm is removed from the row of crop and is not buried, neither partially nor totally, as might otherwise be the case. Hereby is avoided that cut off haulm parts are, even partially, buried above the crop in the ground thereby minimizing a risk of such buried cut off haulm parts being infected by e.g. mould fungus whereby such infection might be carried on to the crop in the ground.

In the embodiment shown the haulm ejector <NUM> is provided by a rake wheel <NUM> mounted for driven rotation on a shaft <NUM> extending in the direction of travel <NUM>. Thus the rake wheel <NUM> will in use rotate in a vertical plane perpendicular to the direction of travel <NUM> to eject cut off haulm parts sideways away from the row of crops. The shaft <NUM> per se is mounted on an arm <NUM> extending downwards from the body or frame <NUM> of the apparatus.

The person skilled in the art will appreciate that other kinds of ejectors might be used and are as such known in the art, e.g. ejectors comprising a pair of running, endless bands having mutually adjacent and parallel flights that between them may catch and convey the cut off haulm parts. Such running endless bands may each be running over a slender, substantially vertical driven roller or shaft and a slender, substantially vertical idler roller or shaft, the driven rollers or shaft and the idler rollers or shafts respectively being pairwise positioned generally parallel to each other at a mutual distance to allow the bands to catch and transport the haulm parts. When e.g. the driven rollers or shafts are positioned rear of the idler rollers or shafts, the idler rollers or shafts might be positioned in front of the shafts <NUM> and <NUM> of the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> for the bands to catch between them haulm parts in front of the first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> to support the movement of the haulm parts between the shafts <NUM> and <NUM> and past first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> to eject the haulm parts rear of first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM> when the haulm parts have been cut off.

Still further embodiments might comprise a pair of rollers positioned side by side in relation to the direction of travel and, like the rake wheel <NUM>, behind first, rotatable shear <NUM> and the counter shear <NUM>, such rollers having generally vertical axes of rotation and rotating to catch haulm parts between them and eject the haulm parts rearwardly. The pair of rollers might be generally ball shaped or cylindrical and might be provided with spikes or protrusions to facilitate catching the haulm parts.

Claim 1:
A haulm cutting apparatus (<NUM>; <NUM>) comprising lateral and vertical guiding means or surfaces (<NUM>'; <NUM>, <NUM>) and a first, rotatable shear (<NUM>; <NUM>) rotatable around an axis of rotation extending in a direction with a vertical component, and further comprising a counter shear (<NUM>; 12a; <NUM>) for cooperation with the first, rotatable shear (<NUM>; <NUM>), wherein the first, rotatable shear(<NUM>; <NUM>) and counter shear (<NUM>; 12a; <NUM>) are positioned in a side-by-side relationship relative to a direction of travel (<NUM>) during operation, character- ized in that at least one of the first, rotatable shear (<NUM>; <NUM>) and the counter shear (<NUM>; <NUM>) comprise a circular disc with a recessed rim portion (<NUM>, <NUM>'; <NUM>, <NUM>').