Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to machines for harvesting the
fruits of sarmentose plants, particularly cucumber. As it ~
is known for harvesting the fruits of sarmentose plants - `-
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which grow close to the soil - several types of machines are
S used and among others the one manufactured according -to the
Hungarian Patent No 156 313.
In this field the trend of development is the design of
machines, where the harvesting losses of most widely cultivated
eucumber speeies deerease. At the same time it is desirable
to increase the specific capacity - related to the unit working
width.
On the basis of the analysis of the most important
` functional parts of the known types of sueh maehines, it has
`' been ascertained, that to aehieve the above objectives new stem-
eutter, fruit-pieker, eonveyor and fruit detaeher meehanisms
' having larger eapaeity are required.
For eutting plants on or under the soil level deviees
eonsisting of aetive pairs of dises rotating opposite to eaeh
other, mowing deviees having oseillating cutting blades and
JI 20 devices having stationary eutting blades are known.
The disadvantage o~ the dise-type stem-eutter eonsists
in that witll a pair of large dises /diameter 900 mm/ the
available widest working width is 1000 to 1200 mm, thus
simultaneously only 2 rows /one twin-row/ of cucumber can be -
~ 25 harvested. A further inconvenience is, that - due to various
`-; reasons known per se - the plant stems do not align and in - -
addition are not situated at the deepest cutting point of the
, disks. This means that a deeper cutting depth of the disks
is required, whieh leads to the well known problems of digging
up larger elods and unearthing the plan-ts with stoeks.
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The undersoil utilization of the oscillatingly moving
mowing devices, devices having blade rows all along the knife -
track or devices having the same number of large knives than
the plant rows is disadvantageous due to quick abrasive wear.
But the greatest drawback arises from the fact that the connection :-
between the driving unit and the knife head operates under the
soil level. This either requires the introduction of the so- -
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called bed-type growing system with furrows, or in front of
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the knife a furrow drawing device has to be mounted on the
machine. This partly increases the tractive force requirements
of the machine and partly creates an unfavourable torque, by ~ -
; which the drive of the machine right on the row is rendered -
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more difficult.
~ The cutting speed of the stationary, stem cutter kni~`es
'l 15 is practically equal to the advancement speed of the machine. ; -
In average this value is 0.2 m/s, due to which - and particularly
~` to the small resistance of the superficial soil layer - there
is a tendency of the knives to bend forward and tear out the
plants.
1~ TG avoid the above inconvenience the kni~`es have to be -~
`, operated deeper below the soil, which results in the previously
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mentioned drawbacks of the deep-digging.
In case of the crop detacher device of the referenced
Hungarian Patent No 156 313 the displacement of the co-working
rollers from each other - due to their design - is maximum
4 mm, which does not ensure the clog-free pull through of the
thicker tendrils of cucumber species having larger strength. The ~`
horizontal roller under the row of rollers in itself is not S`
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capable to remove quickly the tendrils which slip down in
the slots between the detaching rollers. Due to this structural
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definiency the tendrils will clog on the transversal crop
conveyor.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an apparatus
for harvesting sarmentose plants comprising: a pair of spaced
t downwardly directed shafts rotatably mounted on a frame; a drum
.j mounted on the end of each shaft and provided with a radially .
extending peripheral cutting edge for penetrating the soil; ~.
~ elongate cutting means extending between the shafts for penetrat-
:~ ing the soil and eccentrically mounted on each drum such that :
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, lO rotation of the shafts induces reciprocating motion of the' cutting means therebetween; a first detaching means; and means
for conveying fruit from said elongate cutting means to said
t
fruit detaching means.
.~ The stem cutting machine according to the invention is
~ distinguished by the following features:
Y~ - it provides a 1500 to 2200 mm working width required
;¦ from an up-to-date, heavy-duty equipment
- the angle enclosed by the soil and the working tool
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~, is possibly small, the soil cut ends on both sides
¦ 20 in curved lines, consequently the stem-cutting device .-.
`~ at the end of the stroke will not hit the soil
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:,:. - the stem-cutting device can be set at optimum depth, :
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. whereby the quantity of dug-out soil will be minimum
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- - to cut the stems under soil level a device with
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. sharpened teeth performing alternating and at the
~ same time swinging motion is used, which - apart from
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.. breaking up the soil above the set operating depth -
; crushes the soil clods
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~ - and cuts the stems of the plants ~ ~
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~` - the device is driven from above through the shafts
of the annulus shaped knives. Thus without a furrow ~ -~
drawing device it can be used for both row sowed or
line-sowed flat cultivated growing
- cutting the plan-t stems at proper speed the plants ~-
will not be torn out and accumulate.
The crop gathering and conveying device consists of
two belt conveyors enclosing acute angles. The conveyors can be `~
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set in relation with the soil-level according to the fruit
conditions. ;
On the surfaces of the belts flexible tendril lifting ~-
and conveying elements are placed. The stem cutting and fruit
gathering devices are mounted on the same frame, which is fixed
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to the carrying beam or to the chassis by means of a cross
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joint, thus the devices will be positioned - independly from
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the carrying or hauling machine - according to the longitudinal ;
and transversal deviations of the terrain. `
The invention will now be described, in more detail, .
by way of example only with reference to the accompanying
I ~ drawings, in which~
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Figure 1 is a side-view of a machine embodying the `~
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invention carried and operated by tractor.
Figure 2 is a side-elevational view of an other machine
embodying the invention which is towed by tractor.
,~ Figure 3 is a view from the direction of the machine
of the stem cutting device in vertical position.
Figure 3a is a top view to Figure 3. ;!
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Figure 3b is a partial view of Figure 1 and Figure 2 -~
, 30 showing the operating position of stem-cutting knives.
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Figure 4 is a side elevational view partly in section
of the fruit gathering and conveying device and its cross-joint
with the carrying frame.
Figure 4a is a perspective view of a fra~ment of Figure
4 showing a conveyor.
Figure 5 shows a driving system of a fruit detacher
and its articulation ensuring the proper distance between the
co-working rollers.
Figure 5a is a horizontal section taken along line
X - X of Figure ~.
' Figure 5b shows an enlarged fragment of Figure l~and
Figure 2 with the structural design and position of the shaft
with tearing-knives accelerating the tendrils.
Same reference characters designate similar details `
throughout the drawings. ,
Referring now more particularly to Figure 1 the plants
are cut by stem cutter 1, which is set at or under the soil
level. Then the plants are conveyed to the working area of the
~ruit detachers 5 by means of fruit picker 2 and conveyor 3 and
with the aid of the air blown by fan 4. The fruits detached
from the tendrils are fed by means of transversal conveyor 6 and ~
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elevator 7 to the transport means /not illustrated on the figure/
, linked to the machine. The elevator 7 can be placed as the
:~ continuation of the transversal conveyor 6; in this case the
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1 fruits can be conveyed by the elevator 7 into the transport means
¦ moving by the side of the machine. The tendrils drawn through
the rollers of the fruit detacher 5 are directly ejected from
the machine while those slipping down in the slots between the
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rollers are removed by means of shaft 8 provided with tearing
knives.
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The "~" angle of the stem cutter 1 in relation to the
soil level can be set with screw shaft 10 turning the system
~ around axis 9, while the angle of inclination of the fruit ~-
;~ detacher 5 can be set by screw shaft 12 around axis 11. Hydraulic
~ cylinder 13 lowers frame 14 and consequently the stem cutter 1,
I the fruit picker 2 and the conveyor belt 3 into working position
¦ or lifts into transport position. If controlled by a hydraulic
soil level tracing system /such as described e.g. in Hungarian
Patent No. 162,745/ it maintains the set stem cutting depth
during the operation.
The frame 14 is connected b~ means of cross-joint 15
to a further frame 16 fixed rigidly on the power machine, thus
the frame 14 can follow the transversal tilting of the soil
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, level, too.
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, According to another preferred embodiment of the
. 1 ~
~`~ invention shown in Figure 2 the plants are cut by the stem
cutter 1 and are conveyed by lifting and screening device 17 ` -
having and entirely closed drum construction /such as described -
;ll e.g. in Hungarian Patent No. 153,861/ to the conveyor 3. If the ~ -
construction of the conveyor 3 is rod-type, then the earth and
other impurities thrown on by the lifting and screening device
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17 will fall through between the rods. From the conveyor 3 the
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plants come to the rollers of the fruit detacher S the same way
as described in connection with Figure 1. The fruit leaves the
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machine by means of the transversal conveyor 6 and the elevator
,~ 7. ,~
~ The stem cutter 1, the lifting and screening device 17
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,, and the conveyor 3 are all placed in frame 16,~hich is coupled
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to machine frame 18 by means of the cross-joint 15. The tendrils
are speeded up and drawn through by the rollers of crop detacher
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5 and are directed by cover 19 back to the stubble. The stem
cutter 1 - as illustrated in Figure 3, Figure 3/a, and Figure
3/b - is driven by shaft 20 through bevel gears 21 which - due
to their inverse position to each other - make rotate also ;
inversely annular knives 24 and plant directing drums 25
mounted on bodies 23, which are in turn fastened to vertical
shafts 22. As viewed in Figure 3/a crank pins 26 are mounted
on the bodies 23 in a position turned with an angle of 180
compared to each other. The stem cutting device holder 27 and
the toothed cutting edge 28 mounted replaceably thereon are
directly mounted on the crank pin 26 of the right side, while
on the left side they are connected to crank pin 26 through ~;
pin 30 and rocker arm 29.
As viewed in Figure 4 the angle of the fruit picker 2 can
be set at shaft 31, while the vertical position of the fruit
picker 2 is adjustable by means of guide 32. The adjustment of
~ the conveyor 3 in relation with the fruit picker 2 and with
; the soil level is possible by means of by guide rail 33 and
support 33/a.
~20 The conveyor belt 3 and thus the carcasse are connected
to the cross joint 15 of the Figure 1 by the lower member of
the guide-rail 33. The conveyor 3 and thus the frame 14 can
turn around double pin 35 according to the transversal slope
- of the soil level, while the longitudinal deviations are
. 25 reckoned with turning around pin 34. The frame 16 - fixed -
rigidly onto the power machine - is provided with a so-called
"quick-swith mouth-piece" where the pin 34 is connected to.
This connection is secured by bolt 36.
Figure 4/a illustrates a fragment of a preferred embodimen-t
30 of the fruit picker 2 with its flexible pickup elements 37.
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The pairs of rollers of fruit detacher 5 - as viewed in
Figure 5 - are driven by bevel gears 41 and 42 from shaft 40.
Due to the connection of spur gears 43 and 44 - which are ~
mounted on holder 46 of gear box 45 - co-working rollers 47 -``
rotate in adverse directions to each other. The hollow parts
of shaft 48 of the rollers 47 are rotatably supported in
sleeves 49 of rockers 50. The torque from the spur gears 43
and 44 is transmitted by joint elements 53 - which connect
; pins 51 and 52 with each other - to the rollers 47. The rollers `~
47 - when pulling through the tendrils - move off from each
other due to the rotation of the rockers 50 around their axis
of rotation 54. As it can be seen on Figure 5/a this movement
is limited /to about 20 mm-s/ by studs 56. The rockers are
pressed to each other by draw springs 56. ~
Seal rings 58 placed on shafts 48 protruding through ~ `
lower, double lid 57 of the gear box 45 protect the transmission ;~
~ against dust and other impuritites, even when axis to axis
; distance of the rollers 47 is changing.
~ The tendrils occasionally slipping down in the slots i~
`~20 between the pairs of the rollers 47 are collected by roller
60 having an inner roller 59. The shaft 8 with toothed tearing
knives speeds up the tendrils and conveys them back to the
stubble. In the meantime the cucumbers are torn off from these
tendrils, too. i
Figure 5/b illustrates that the inner roller 59 is provided !''' ' ;;';
with flexible ribbed sections of roller 60. Those sections .J
of the rollers 47, which are in contact with the fruits have
the same shape. -
,i The invention provides such a design, which ensures the
continuous, clog-free detachment and harvesting of all cucumber
species used in large-scale farming. ~ :`
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