Finger belt unit, separation equipment and tuber crop harvester

Abstract

The invention relates to a finger belt unit for a separation device for agricultural use for the separation treatment of a crop harvest stream of root crops, having at least one finger belt with at least one longitudinal support which rotates during operation, the invention relates to a sorting device comprising a finger belt and having a first lateral row of sorting fingers and a second lateral row of sorting fingers, which are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction (L) of the finger belt and which extend from top to bottom into an active region in order to carry out operations in the separating device, according to the invention, at least a part of the sorting fingers delimit a plurality of successive transfer regions provided with lateral inlets, which transfer regions are delimited in the longitudinal direction (L) in each case by at least two sorting fingers, the conveying areas, preferably delimited by at least three sorting fingers, extend over at least 50% of the effective width (B) of the finger belt, and the side edge of each conveying area, which is located on the side of the inlet, is delimited by at least two sorting fingers. The invention also relates to a separation device for a rhizomatic crop harvest stream and to a rhizomatic crop harvester having such a separation device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a finger-belt unit for a separation device for agricultural use, the separation device being used for separating a stream of root crop harvests, wherein the finger-belt unit is provided with at least one finger-belt having at least one longitudinal support that pivots during operation. The finger-belt unit further comprises a first lateral row of sorting fingers and a second lateral row of sorting fingers arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction, the sorting fingers extending from top to bottom into an active area in the direction of at least one conveyor belt for performing operations in the separation device, wherein at least some of the sorting fingers define a plurality of conveying areas connected to one another with lateral inlets, the conveying areas being delimited in the longitudinal direction, in each case, by at least two sorting fingers in the forward and rearward directions.

[0002] The invention further relates to a separating device for separating root crops from a root crop harvesting stream and a root crop harvester having such a separating device. Background Art

[0003] During the harvesting process, particularly when digging potatoes, a harvest stream consisting of stones, clods, and potatoes is conveyed via a conveyor device to the infeed conveyor belt of the separating device. There, the sorting fingers of the finger belt unit act from above on the harvest material located on at least one conveyor belt, breaking up the clods and allowing the potatoes and stones to be conveyed separately and independently. During operation, a portion of the root crop harvest stream, preferably root crops, is transferred via the finger belt to the outfeed conveyor belt of the separating device.

[0004] WO 2018 / 069551 A1 discloses a finger belt unit. However, the finger belt unit, equipped with the principled conveyor area disclosed in this document, has been shown to have insufficient separation capacity under certain harvesting conditions. However, increasing the rotation speed of the finger belt can significantly impact root crops and be counterproductive. Summary of the Invention

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a finger belt unit, a separating device having such a finger belt and a harvester which avoid the problems of the prior art.

[0006] This object is achieved by the objects described in claims 1, 18 and 19. Advantageous embodiments are apparent from the dependent claims that refer back to claim 1 and from the following description.

[0007] The finger belt unit according to the invention is characterized in that, viewed in the longitudinal direction, the transfer area bounded forward and backward by preferably at least three sorting fingers extends over at least 50% of the effective width of the finger belt, wherein the sides of each transfer area located adjacent to the inlet are bounded by at least two sorting fingers. In particular, the width of the transfer area is at least 150 mm.

[0008] The effective width of the conveyor belt is defined by the left outer edge of the leftmost sorting finger and the right outer edge of the rightmost sorting finger on the same conveyor belt, as viewed in the longitudinal direction. It describes the width of the active area of ​​the sorting fingers that comes into contact with the root crop harvest flow. The longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt is the longitudinal direction of the belt running on the side of the belt that is actually active and located below during operation.

[0009] This configuration of the finger-belt unit, and in particular the finger belts, allows a significantly larger portion of the root crop harvest stream arriving on the conveyor belt during operation to be conveyed through the inlet below the finger-belt unit, without the first row of sorting fingers, viewed in the direction of rotation of the conveyor belt, acting on the harvest stream. This configuration allows a significantly larger volume of the root crop harvest stream to be diverted toward the discharge conveyor belt of the separating device during operation. The transfer area, viewed in the longitudinal direction, extends over at least 75% of the width of the finger belt, thereby increasing the transfer area.

[0010] The design according to the invention allows more harvest to be transferred into the active area of ​​the finger belt unit, and more material can be processed by the finger belt unit over a longer period of time. Furthermore, since more foreign matter is carried along in the conveying area, the root crops are more gently separated from foreign matter as the separation process proceeds beneath the finger belt unit.

[0011] The transfer area is a finger-free area, seen from below towards the finger belt, which is bounded by the sorting fingers, wherein the spacing between the sorting fingers that delimit the inlet on the side facing the incoming harvest stream is correspondingly greater. The sorting fingers that delimit the transfer area are spaced apart from one another; accordingly, the transfer area is a region whose extent, in particular in the longitudinal direction, is greater than the spacing between the sorting fingers that form the lateral boundaries.

[0012] The transfer area is not an area with a continuous edge. Instead, its shape is defined by a line that directly connects the sorting fingers representing the boundary, i.e., by the shortest path, and also connects the sorting fingers defining the inlet by the shortest path. This line extends along the outer circumference of the sorting fingers that define the transfer area. The transfer area is considered to be the height of the sorting fingers at which they act on the root crop harvest flow.

[0013] The transfer area is defined with reference to the unloaded state of the sorting fingers, which are in the assembled and active position during operation, i.e., the position in which they act on the harvest flow, preferably extending vertically from the upper conveyor belt to the lower conveyor belt. As the finger belt rotates, the transfer area moves successively through the active area, i.e., the height at which the sorting fingers act on the root crop harvest flow.

[0014] The inlet is located on that side of the finger belt which, in the assembled state, faces the incoming root crop harvest stream.

[0015] In particular, the side of the transfer area opposite the entrance is delimited by at least three sorting fingers, preferably sorting fingers of the second row, so that the sorting area has an essentially quadrilateral shape, i.e. without taking into account the lateral surfaces of the sorting fingers, which makes good use of the available surface of the finger belt.

[0016] In particular, the first row and the second row are in particular those rows on the outside of the same finger belt, which makes further better use of the width of the finger belt with respect to the conveying area.

[0017] Preferably, the sorting fingers of the first row and the sorting fingers of the second row are arranged in a row, viewed in the longitudinal direction, which further improves the utilization of the available surface area of ​​the finger belt. When the sorting fingers are arranged one after the other, the sorting fingers that follow one another in the longitudinal direction can also be arranged offset from one another. In contrast, when the sorting fingers are arranged in a row, if the sorting fingers have the same width, then, viewed in the longitudinal direction, these sorting fingers overlap in their active area.

[0018] A particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention is that the average spacing of the sorting fingers in the first row relative to one another in the longitudinal direction of the finger belt is greater than the average spacing of the sorting fingers in the second row. This allows the root crop harvest to flow more efficiently into the conveying area.

[0019] Preferably, the width of the inlet, viewed from the side transversely relative to the longitudinal and circumferential directions, is at least four times the distance between adjacent sorting fingers that delimit the transfer area on the side of the transfer area opposite the inlet. The rear side can, but need not, be formed by sorting fingers arranged directly in a row in the longitudinal direction. Instead, they can also be arranged offset relative to one another as viewed in the longitudinal direction. Thus, the inlet is designed to be sufficiently large to allow a sufficient amount of harvested material to be introduced into the transfer area.

[0020] In particular, the first and second rows refer to the leftmost and rightmost rows of the finger belt unit, as viewed in the longitudinal direction, and include one or two finger belts. The scope of the present invention also includes the inventive finger belt unit, which utilizes a conventional finger belt having a row of fingers arranged equidistantly in a row, as viewed in the longitudinal direction, to construct a conveying zone in a row. Preferably, in such a finger belt unit, the first finger belt encountered from the direction of the incoming harvest stream is a finger belt with a conveying zone, while the subsequent finger belts can be conventional finger belts of the prior art or finger belts with a conveying zone as described above or below.

[0021] It should be understood that the finger belt is a finger belt that rotates during operation, which can be driven by an associated drive device (such as a drive roller or a drive shaft) and can be turned by a possible turning device. Similarly, in actual operation, the finger belt unit also includes a frame, and one or more finger belts are installed in the frame.

[0022] Preferably, the conveying area of ​​the finger belt unit according to the invention is delimited in the longitudinal direction between the first and second rows forward and backward by at least two, and in particular at least three, further sorting fingers, which are designed as intermediate fingers. The conveying area can be delimited forward and backward by preferably up to fifteen sorting fingers, respectively.

[0023] In a structurally simple to construct finger-belt unit, the intermediate fingers delimiting the transport area extend in a line before and / or after the transport area (likewise viewed in the longitudinal direction).

[0024] In particular, the intermediate fingers that delimit the conveying area to the front and rear and are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction are spaced at least approximately equidistant from one another. "At least approximately equidistant from one another" here means that the spacing varies by at most 10%. This simplifies both planning and construction, as the sorting fingers can be arranged in a grid pattern in the longitudinal and transverse directions, for example.

[0025] Advantageously, the finger belt unit is further characterized in that at least one finger belt has an additional longitudinal support that pivots during operation, and the longitudinal supports are connected to one another via at least one intermediate support. The longitudinal support or supports are preferably formed from corresponding chains or belts that are sufficiently flexible and strong. In particular, belts with a fabric lining are used as belts.

[0026] Viewed in the longitudinal direction, the longitudinal supports are located to the sides of the finger belt. Intermediate supports connect the longitudinal supports to one another and preferably keep them spaced apart. One or more intermediate supports may also provide sufficient stability to secure the sorting fingers.

[0027] In particular, two longitudinal supports, preferably located laterally, are connected to one another via a plurality of intermediate supports extending transversely to the longitudinal direction. The intermediate supports can be designed, for example, as planar elements extending in a flat manner, wherein the extension, viewed in the longitudinal direction, is sufficiently short so as not to hinder the swivel required during operation. However, these intermediate supports are particularly rod-shaped, for example, made of metal or a composite material having sufficient strength for the arrangement.

[0028] Preferably, at least some of the sorting fingers are arranged on at least one intermediate support. The intermediate support provides a surface for arranging the sorting fingers. According to a further development of the invention, all the sorting fingers can be arranged on the intermediate support, which is particularly advantageous for assembly using prefabricated intermediate supports with the sorting fingers.

[0029] In particular, when viewed from the side, the sorting fingers that delimit the front and rear conveyor areas are arranged offset in the longitudinal direction, so that, viewed from below towards the conveyor area, the side edges delimiting the front and rear extend obliquely. This provides more adjustment options for interaction with the root crop harvesting logistics.

[0030] In particular, at least one of the conveying zones, in particular all of the conveying zones of the finger belt, extends from the inlet in a direction opposite to the longitudinal direction and thus obliquely to the rear, which allows for better entry of the harvest into the conveying zone. Preferably, the width of such a conveying zone in a direction transverse to its longitudinal direction, in which the conveying zone extends obliquely relative to the longitudinal direction of the finger belt, is between 100 mm and 400 mm.

[0031] According to a refinement of the invention, the assembly of the finger belt according to the invention is further improved if the fastening areas for and / or for fastening the sorting fingers are arranged in a grid pattern. This simplifies the manufacture of the intermediate supports and allows the sorting fingers to be easily and, in particular, automatically assembled thereon. When a grid pattern is used, i.e., when at least substantially equal spacing is provided between any intermediate supports and between the fastening areas of the sorting fingers on the intermediate supports, the transfer area is delimited forward and backward, in particular, by sorting fingers whose fastening areas, viewed in the longitudinal direction, are arranged directly adjacent to one another, or more precisely, without unoccupied fastening areas. Thus, when a grid pattern is used, the transfer area is always delimited or formed by sorting fingers that are directly adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction. This is particularly independent of whether the adjacently arranged sorting fingers are fastened to the same or directly adjacent intermediate supports.

[0032] Preferably, at least some of the sorting fingers are arranged on at least one longitudinal support. Another part of the sorting fingers can be arranged on an intermediate support. If there is only one longitudinal support, all the sorting fingers can also be arranged on this longitudinal support. In this context, a longitudinal support is understood to be a slender, continuous, pivoting, and therefore sufficiently flexible pulling element during operation.

[0033] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the finger belt unit comprises two finger belts running side by side and rotating in the same direction. The first and second rows are formed on different finger belts, and the sorting fingers of the two finger belts each form a transfer area. This allows for a particularly large transfer area, wherein the finger belts should be driven at the same rotational speed. Preferably, the first and second rows are formed on the same finger belt. In addition to the finger belt forming the transfer area, the finger belt unit may also include further finger belts, in particular, finger belts with sorting fingers spaced closely together.

[0034] The objectives set forth at the outset are also achieved by a separation device for a root crop harvest stream, comprising at least two conveyor belts, in particular in the form of rake or knob belts, and a finger-belt unit according to the present invention, as described above or below. The longitudinal direction of the finger-belts extends at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belts. This separation device has the same advantages as the finger-belt unit. In addition to comprising at least one conveyor belt for infeed and one conveyor belt for outfeed, and a drive associated with the finger-belt unit for rotating the conveyor belts, the separation device also includes support and steering devices for the conveyor belts and clamping devices. These devices are mounted within the frame of the separation device.

[0035] The object stated at the outset is also achieved by a root crop harvester having a separating device as described above or below. This root crop harvester, in particular for harvesting potatoes, has the advantages corresponding to the separating device and the finger belt unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Further advantages and details of the present invention are apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings schematically show:

[0037] Figure 1 The root crop harvester according to the present invention is shown.

[0038] Figure 2 shows a separation device according to the invention,

[0039] Figure 3 Shown Figure 2 a side view of a part of an object,

[0040] Figure 4An embodiment of a finger belt unit according to the invention is shown in a bottom view.

[0041] Figure 5 Another embodiment of the finger belt unit according to the invention is shown in a bottom view.

[0042] Figure 6 A third embodiment of a finger tape unit according to the invention is shown in a bottom view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The features described above or below can be combined with the features of the independent claims to give developments according to the invention. Identical features of different exemplary embodiments are provided with the same reference numerals whenever this is helpful.

[0044] The root crop harvester 2 according to the present invention is configured as a towed root crop harvester 2 ( Figure 1 In this case, this is a potato digger. It is coupled to a tractor via a coupling 4 to carry out the harvesting operation. During operation, potatoes and impurities, including clods of soil and stones, are received by a receiver 6 and conveyed via a series of separation devices to a separation device 8 according to the present invention. From there, the harvest passes via a sorting platform (not shown) to a hopper 10, from which it can be discharged. Due to the design according to the present invention, the potato digger can operate at a particularly high throughput rate without damaging the harvest.

[0045] The separation device 8 according to the invention comprises a finger belt unit 12 having two finger belts, one finger belt 14 forming a conveying area and one finger belt 16 of conventional design. The separation device further comprises a conveyor belt 18 for feeding the root crop harvest stream, an intermediate conveyor belt 20 and two conveyor belts 22 for discharging the root crop. Figure 2 The conveyor belts 18, 20 and 22 form a conveying plane 24 for the root crop harvest flow ( Figure 3 The finger belt unit 12 has a frame 26, in which the means for steering and driving the finger belts 14 and 16 are mounted. The separating device also has a separating device frame 28, on which the frame 26 is arranged and which is part of the frame of the root crop harvester 2. The longitudinal direction L of the finger belt 14 extends at an angle to the longitudinal direction LF of the conveyor belt.

[0046] Like the finger belt 16 , the finger belt 14 has two longitudinal supports 30 which pivot during operation and are in the form of belts or straps and are connected to one another via a rod-shaped, metallic intermediate support 32 .

[0047] Preferably, in the present invention, the effective width of the finger strip is generally within the range of 140 mm to 600 mm. Similarly, generally speaking, the total width of the finger strip, as viewed in the longitudinal direction, is between 145 mm and 750 mm. Furthermore, the spacing between the intermediate supports is preferably between 30 and 60 mm. The spacing between the fixing areas on the intermediate supports is generally preferably within the range of 45 mm to 55 mm.

[0048] To examine the function of the finger belt 14, only the portion of the finger belt 14 that acts on the root crop harvest stream is considered. During operation, the sorting fingers 36 of the finger belt 14 extend from above toward a conveying plane 40 defined by the uppermost points of the conveyor belts 18, 20, and 22. The active area 42 is the height at which the sorting fingers 36 act on the root crop harvest stream, regardless of any curvature of the sorting fingers 36 located above the root crop harvest stream.

[0049] In side view, the sorting fingers 36 are arranged equidistant from one another, wherein the sorting fingers defining and delimiting the inlet 44 in the longitudinal direction and in the circumferential direction delimit the front and rear boundaries of the inlet 44 ( Figures 4 to 6 In all three embodiments, the sorting fingers 36 delimit a transfer area 46 which extends obliquely rearward from the inlet in a direction opposite to the longitudinal direction L. These transfer areas are shown in simplified form without taking into account the outer circumference of the sorting fingers as well as the inlet 44 and the mutually adjoining straight lines 45 representing the sides of the transfer area 46.

[0050] The conveying area 46 is delimited by the sorting fingers 36 arranged in a grid pattern, which is formed by the equally spaced intermediate supports 32 and the corresponding fixing areas 48 of the intermediate supports 32, which are formed by these intermediate supports 32 and are arranged in a row when viewed in the longitudinal direction. The spacing of the fixing areas 48 of the intermediate supports 32 is also equal. Accordingly, the spacing A ( Figure 3 ).

[0051] In the longitudinal direction, according to Figure 4 The conveying area 46 of the embodiment of the invention is bounded forwards and backwards by at least four sorting fingers 36. The outer row of sorting fingers located on the left side (which corresponds to Figure 4 The lowermost row of sorting fingers 36 of the finger belt 14 (in the view of FIG. 1 ) delimits the transfer area on the side of the transfer area opposite the inlet by five sorting fingers 36. In the front-to-back direction, the transfer area is delimited by three sorting fingers 36, which are located between the sorting fingers delimiting the left and right sides, as viewed in the longitudinal direction L.

[0052] In the longitudinal direction L, according to Figure 5The conveying area of ​​the finger belt 14 is defined by three sorting fingers. Figure 5 The inlet 44 is arranged at the upper side in the view of FIG ( FIG1 ), in the first row of the sorting fingers 36. The sorting fingers 36 located at the front in the longitudinal direction L and delimiting the transfer area from the front form a side extending obliquely to the rear and located laterally from the inlet, which is delimited by two sorting fingers 36.

[0053] In accordance with Figure 6 In the embodiment of the present invention, the average spacing between the sorting fingers 36 of the first row is greater than the average spacing between the sorting fingers 36 of the second row, wherein the first row is the outermost row in the longitudinal direction L, which also defines the effective width B of the finger strip 14, as in Figure 4 and Figure 5 As in the embodiment of .

[0054] Figures 4 to 6 Shows an orderly finger belt, viewed in the longitudinal direction, Figures 4 to 6 The transport area 46 is bounded forward and backward by sorting fingers 36, whose fixing areas 48 are arranged directly adjacent to one another. Therefore, when using a grid arrangement, the transport area 46 is always bounded forward and backward by sorting fingers 36 arranged directly adjacent to one another, viewed in the longitudinal direction. The fixing areas are located at intervals on the longitudinal supports. Adjacent sorting fingers 36 are partially fixed to the same intermediate support 32 or to directly adjacent intermediate supports 32.

Claims

1. A finger belt unit for a separation device (8) for agricultural use, the separation device being used for separating and processing root crop harvesting logistics, the finger belt unit comprising at least one finger belt (14), the finger belt comprising at least one longitudinal support (30) that rotates during operation, and comprising a first row of sorting fingers (36) and a second row of sorting fingers arranged in sequence in the longitudinal direction (L) of the finger belt (14), the sorting fingers extending from top to bottom into an action area (42) to perform operations in the separation device (8), wherein: At least a portion of the sorting fingers (36) define a plurality of successive transfer areas (46) with lateral inlets (44), the transfer areas being delimited in the longitudinal direction (L) to the front and rear by at least two sorting fingers (36), characterised in that the transfer areas (46) delimited to the front and rear, preferably by at least three sorting fingers (36), extend over at least 50% of the effective width (B) of the finger belt (14), wherein the sides of the respective transfer areas (46) situated laterally of the inlet (44) are delimited by at least two sorting fingers (36).

2. The finger belt unit according to claim 1, characterized in that The side of the transfer area (46) opposite the inlet (44) is delimited by at least three sorting fingers (36), preferably by sorting fingers of the second row.

3. Finger belt unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The first row and the second row are both outer rows, in particular outer rows of the same finger strip (14).

4. Finger belt unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that Viewed in the longitudinal direction (L), the sorting fingers (36) of the first row and the sorting fingers of the second row are arranged in a row.

5. Finger belt unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that In the longitudinal direction (L) of the finger belt (14), the average spacing of the sorting fingers (36) of the first row relative to each other is greater than the average spacing of the sorting fingers (36) of the second row relative to each other.

6. Finger belt unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that In the longitudinal direction (L), the transfer area (46) is delimited forward and backward between the first and second rows by at least two and in particular three further sorting fingers (36), which are designed as intermediate fingers.

7. The finger belt unit according to claim 6, characterized in that: The intermediate fingers (46) delimiting the transfer area (46) extend in a line before and / or after the transfer area (46).

8. Finger belt unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The sorting fingers (36) delimiting the transfer area (46) to the front and to the rear are arranged offset from one another in the longitudinal direction (L), as seen in side view.

9. Finger belt unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that At least one of the conveying areas (46) extends obliquely from the inlet in a direction opposite to the longitudinal direction (L).

10. Finger belt unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The width of the inlet (44), viewed from the side, is at least four times the distance (A) between the respectively adjacent sorting fingers that delimit the transfer area (46) on the side opposite the inlet (44).

11. Finger belt unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that At least one finger belt (14) has a further longitudinal support (30) which is pivoted during operation, and the longitudinal supports (30) are connected to one another via at least one intermediate support (32).

12. The finger belt unit according to claim 11, characterized in that: The two longitudinal supports (30) are connected to each other via a plurality of intermediate supports (32) extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction (L).

13. The finger belt unit according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: At least a portion of the sorting fingers (36) are arranged on at least one intermediate support (32).

14. The finger belt unit according to claim 13, characterized in that: The fixing areas (38) designed and / or used to fix the sorting fingers (36) are arranged in a grid pattern.

15. Finger belt unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that At least a portion of the sorting fingers (36) are arranged on at least one intermediate support (32).

16. Finger belt unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The two finger belts run side by side and rotate in the same direction, wherein the first row and the second row are formed on different finger belts, and transfer areas (46) are respectively formed by sorting fingers (36) of the two finger belts.

17. The finger belt unit according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 15, characterized in that The first row and the second row are formed on the same finger strip (14).

18. A separation device for a root crop harvest stream, comprising at least two conveyor belts (18, 20, 22), in particular in the form of rake belts or knob belts, and a finger belt unit (12) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 13, wherein: The longitudinal direction (L) of the finger belt (14) extends at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction (LF) of the conveyor belts (18, 20, 22).

19. Root crop harvester comprising a separating device (8) according to claim 18.

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