Seedling killing machine, striking belt and agricultural working machine

Abstract

The invention relates to a seedling killing machine for an agricultural working machine, in particular for treating potato plants, having a frame and at least one shaft which can be driven by a drive mechanism of the seedling killing machine and which is mounted on the frame and on which a plurality of striking elements are arranged, at least a portion of the striking elements are bendable striking belts. The invention also relates to a striking belt for use in a seedling-killing machine, to an agricultural working machine having a seedling-killing machine, and to a method for striking seedlings, in particular for striking potato plants.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a topping machine for agricultural working machines, in particular for processing potato plants, having a frame and at least one shaft drivable by a drive mechanism of the topping machine, on which a plurality of striking elements are arranged. The shaft is mounted on the frame. The invention also relates to a striking belt that can be used in such a topping machine and to an agricultural working machine having a topping machine. Background Art

[0002] In order to promote the uniform ripening of root crops, especially potatoes, in root crop cultivation, depending on the desired growth and size of the root crops located in the soil, the above-ground parts of the plants can be topped at a certain time before harvesting. This achieves, for example, better storability. As an alternative or supplement to chemical agents, the seedlings, i.e., the above-ground parts of the root crops, can also be mechanically crushed by using a mechanical topping machine and left on the possible ridges or placed between the ridges. Document DE 495 488C discloses, for example, the use of a disk with hook strips that rotates around a shaft longitudinally oriented in the travel direction, by means of which the seedlings are knocked off and placed between the ridges.

[0003] However, it has been shown that if such a topping machine is used, the root crops may germinate again, which prevents the plants, more precisely the parts of the root crops located in the soil, from ripening, especially in the case of potato tubers.

[0004] In addition, for example, in the case of potato plants, the potato nests are separated from the roots and thus also from the seedlings. For this purpose, a root cutter is required, but due to the unknown depth position of the potatoes, it is difficult to use and may cause losses due to unwanted damage to the root crops. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an object that can control the ripening of root crops located in the soil in an improved manner.

[0006] This object is achieved by the object according to claim 1, the method according to claim 16, the object according to claim 14, and the object according to claim 15. Advantageous embodiments can be found in the dependent claims referring to these claims and in the following description.

[0007] The topping machine according to the invention according to the preamble of claim 1 is characterized in that at least some of the striking elements are flexible striking belts.

[0008] Surprisingly, it has been found here that the force transmitted by the striking elements of the striking belt designed to be flexible is transmitted to the seedlings (Kraut) in such a way that it is distributed over a significantly larger area. The seedlings are knocked off less or not at all, or are separated less or not at all from the rest of the root crop. Instead, the seedlings are only struck in such a way that the surface of the stem , in particular the epidermis, is fragmented and torn over a significantly larger area. The waxy outer layer is scraped off, and the water-conducting areas (xylem) of the plant are more severely damaged and exposed in the longitudinal direction of the stem, which leads to a significant increase in the evaporation of the water contained in the seedlings. The seedlings die faster and more permanently, and the plants no longer or hardly germinate. The ripening of the root crop is improved. According to the invention, instead of knocking off the seedlings as completely as possible, the stems of the seedlings are broken as large an area as possible, i.e., in particular in the longitudinal direction of the stem, so that the seedlings still connected to the part of the potato plant located below the ground surface dry quickly.

[0009] According to the invention, at least some of the striking elements, i.e., at least two striking elements, are flexible striking belts. Advantageously, the striking elements designed as flexible striking belts are the striking elements that will process the plants distributed on the ridge when striking the potato seedlings.

[0010] In particular, the striking belt is provided with a surface made of rubber, polyurethane or other plastics with material-specific roughness. The striking belt rubs the epidermis of the stem more violently, thus damaging the epidermis over a larger area. In particular, the epidermis, more precisely the outer wax layer, will be scraped off by the striking belt, and the xylem will even be damaged. In general, any bending in the plant will cause elongated damage to the outer surface of the seedling, especially extending in the longitudinal direction of the stem. By removing or damaging the epidermis, the seedlings will dry significantly faster, which, as described above, can effectively prevent re-germination. The ripening of the root crop, especially the potato tubers, can be controlled more specifically than known in the prior art.

[0011] Accordingly, the object is also achieved by a method for beating seedlings, in particular for beating potato seedlings, wherein a seedling beater according to the invention is used to beat the seedlings, the shaft of the seedling beater preferably passing transversely relative to the seedling row and above the seedling row, and wherein a plurality of beating elements designed as flexible beating belts are arranged on the shaft driven by a drive mechanism, the beating elements moving along the stalks of the seedlings during beating such that the stalks are broken in the longitudinal direction. The beating belts bear against the stalks here. In particular, the stalks are deflected by side surfaces inclined relative to the direction of rotation in a cross section transverse to the longitudinal direction of the respective beating element. Here, the stalks can roll at least slightly about their own axes on the inclined side surfaces such that a larger surface area of the stalks comes into contact with the surface of the beating element, wherein the inclined side surfaces connect the front side surface in the direction of rotation with the rear side surface in the direction of rotation.

[0012] A "beating belt" is understood here as a flexible and flat beating element in the traditional sense, the extent of which in the direction of its flat configuration is significantly greater than the extent in the direction of its thickness. In particular, the beating belt is not made of a flat metal bar or metal strip.

[0013] The beating belt is particularly flexible when it is at least mainly made of a plastic or rubber material and / or when a harder material is used to form a correspondingly flexible composite, such as a braided structure or a fabric structure. In addition, the beating belt is preferably elongate, i.e., the extent of the beating belt from its starting portion fixed to the drive shaft to its end is greater than the extent transverse thereto. This extent defines the longitudinal direction of the beating belt.

[0014] Within the meaning of the present invention, a beating element made of metal is not considered to be flexible per se. The beating element can be movable on the shaft, for example fixed by a joint, or can be clamped firmly in such a way that the mobility of the beating element only results from its flexibility. According to an improvement of the invention, such a beating element can be arranged on the shaft next to and supplement the beating element designed as a flexible beating belt, in particular in the region where the seedlings in the so-called furrows between the ridges are to be corrected.

[0015] In particular, the seedling beater according to the invention is provided with beating elements designed as flexible beating belts only on at least one shaft.

[0016] A combination of a traditional steel beating part and a flexible beating element can also be arranged on the shaft in an alternating manner in the circumferential direction of the shaft.

[0017] The striking element designed as a striking belt is arranged on a drivable shaft. This arrangement can also be understood as follows: wherein a cylinder or a similar component accommodating the shaft is fastened to the shaft, and the striking element is arranged on the cylinder or the similar component. The striking element is preferably fastened to or on the shaft particularly by means of at least one fastening device.

[0018] In particular, the shaft is oriented transversely with respect to the preset traveling direction of the seedling cutter so as to be able to grasp the seedlings over a certain width. The longitudinal direction of the shaft is the direction in which the rotation axis of the shaft extends.

[0019] Particularly good results regarding the drying of the seedlings can be achieved when at least a part of the striking belt has a stalk receiving profile at the corresponding end opposite to the corresponding starting end fixed to the shaft. Thereby, the corresponding striking element can establish a greater surface contact with the seedlings, especially with their stalks or stems, so as to achieve a greater area of force transmission and better shredding of the plant parts on the ground. In particular, the stalks can also be processed in the lateral region with respect to the traveling direction. According to this embodiment of the invention, during the striking, one or more stalks of the seedlings are shredded in the stalk receiving profile of the corresponding striking belt.

[0020] If two striking elements, especially striking belts, arranged successively or side by side along the longitudinal direction of the shaft are spaced apart from each other, the resulting gap also serves as an additional stalk receiving portion for stalk breakage.

[0021] The stalk receiving profile is particularly in the form of at least one notch and / or recess at the end. Such a notch or recess can be achieved by punching a part of the end side of the end of the striking belt. This punching can simultaneously be used to truncate the belt element manufactured in a longer length. The notch gradually converging towards the starting portion of the striking belt will enhance the squeezing of the plant stalks and thus easily cause shredding, and the recess will simultaneously improve the squeezing of the epidermis and potential scratching.

[0022] Preferably, when the striking element is not wider than 10 cm, the stalk receiving profile includes only one notch, more precisely, having a recess at the end of the corresponding striking element, so that the other end side region of the striking element still has sufficient strength, which is lower than the strength of the metal striking elements known in the prior art due to the material of the striking belt.

[0023] Particularly advantageously for the use of the invention with potato plants, a part of the striking elements, in particular the striking belts, which do not have a stalk-receiving profile and are not arranged in the middle, in particular when viewed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, have a ridged profile at their respective ends. The ridged profile is defined as the edge run of the ridge contour outlined by one or more striking elements. In particular, in such a profile, when viewed from above the striking belt lying flat on the ground, the profile has a shape that slopes on one side or tapers on one side. This enables better access to the area of the seedlings located, for example, at the side of the ridge configured as a potato ridge. Similarly, the striking belt provided with an inclined end can also have a shaping at this end to receive the stalks.

[0024] Alternatively or additionally, the ridged profile is formed at least by arranging striking belts on the shaft at different distances from the axis of rotation of the shaft.

[0025] According to another preferred design, the shaft can be provided with multiple sets of striking belts having a ridged profile, such that the shaft has at least two sets of shorter striking belts in order to be able to drive over at least two ridges simultaneously, more precisely to process the seedlings distributed thereon.

[0026] In particular, all the striking elements, in particular the striking belts, arranged side by side on the shaft are provided with a stalk-receiving profile at the end sides, wherein the length of the striking elements is adapted to the contour of the terrain to be traversed, in particular the contour of the potato ridge.

[0027] When viewed transversely to the longitudinal direction of the striking belt and in a cross-section with respect to this direction, the striking belt is in particular rectangular, at least for those areas that do not have a stalk-receiving area. It is understood that due to manufacturing reasons, there may be rounded corners in such a rectangle. When viewed from such a cross-section, the required flexibility or strength of the striking belt is obtained from the structural height, more precisely the height of the rectangle (and from the choice of material), so that it can adapt to different plants.

[0028] On the shaft side, the striking belt is advantageously fixed, for example clamped, so that the mobility comes from the striking belt itself. This enables more precise determination of the torque acting on the striking belt than in the prior art, and the striking elements can also be connected in a hinged manner. In addition, the striking belt has a preferred direction, so that when the shaft is started, a part of the force does not need to be used first to adjust the orientation of the striking elements.

[0029] As an alternative to a design that is always rectangular, a seedling cutter according to another design of the present invention is provided with at least one such striking belt: when observed in a cross-section transverse to its longitudinal direction, the striking belt has a first side surface located in front in the rotational direction, which is connected to a side surface that is rearward in the rotational direction, i.e., has a surface normal opposite to the rotational direction, by a side surface inclined with respect to the rotational direction. In particular, this side surface is wider than the front side surface. Here, the transition portion between the front side surface and the lateral, inclined side surface forms an angle or an edge, which is beneficial for shredding the seedlings. In addition, the inclined side surface provides an additional impact on the involved stalks, causing the stalks to roll slightly at least on the (lateral) side surface of the striking belt, and increasing the area of contact between the stalks and the belt.

[0030] This is especially the case when the edge between the front side surface and the middle side surface, i.e., the inclined side surface, touches the stalk. By colliding with the edge and through the rolling movement of the stalk in the running direction of the inclined side surface (both observed from the cross-section), the corresponding striking element has a favorable effect on shredding the caught stalk.

[0031] Generally speaking, in the cross-section, the length of the front side surface preferably lies between 40% and 70% of the length of the rear side surface, such that at least one side surface is inclined with respect to the rotational direction, i.e., the angle between the surface normal of the inclined side surface and the rotational direction is > 0° and < 90°, especially > 10° and < 80°.

[0032] Advantageously, at least a part of the striking elements are pre-bent such that the corresponding striking elements extend in the opposite direction of their bending direction due to the action of centrifugal force during operation. Viewed radially from the axis, the corresponding striking elements are especially pre-bent in the rotational direction and are arc-shaped. In the installed state, the end portions of the corresponding striking elements (regardless of whether they are affected by external forces such as centrifugal force or gravity) are located before the connection on the shaft side with respect to the rotational direction. During operation, the usually rubber or plastic and at least elastic material of the striking belt is compressed at the rear side surface during operation, which causes slight hardening in the rear region of the striking element.

[0033] As an alternative or supplement to the particularly arc-shaped profile of the corresponding striking elements in the side view, the respective edges or side surfaces of the striking belt can be strengthened, for example, by other material mixtures or another material to extend the service life.

[0034] In particular, the front side surface in the rotational direction during operation has a width of 5 mm - 15 mm, while the rear side surface has a width of 12 mm - 24 mm. Here, the thickness in the circumferential direction can be 7 mm - 16 mm. The width can be adjusted in particular to adapt to the width of the seedlings to be processed, so that younger seedlings can be processed with narrower striking elements, while older seedlings can be processed with wider striking elements.

[0035] Preferably, the corresponding striking element has a trapezoidal profile in a cross-section transverse to its longitudinal extension range, which is preferably between 200 mm and 400 mm.

[0036] In particular, at least one and particularly two inclined sides of each striking element form an angle between 100° and 120° with the front side respectively. This has undergone a large number of tests and has proven to be advantageous compared to the previously assumed larger angles.

[0037] In particular, the corresponding striking belt is formed of an EP rubber fabric belt and can thus be easily manufactured after known manufacturing processes.

[0038] Preferably, according to an improvement of the present invention, a part of the striking elements has a trapezoidal cross-section, and another part of the striking elements has other cross-sections. In particular, all cross-sections are trapezoidal.

[0039] Advantageously, when measured according to the DIN 22109 standard, the relative elongation of the striking belt under the action of 10% of the breaking force is ≤ 3.0%, preferably less than 2.5%.

[0040] One or more striking belts also have a Shore hardness A between 50 and 70, especially between 55 and 60.

[0041] Alternatively or additionally, when measured according to standards such as DINISO 4649, one or more striking belts are provided with a surface having a wear resistance of less than 150 mm 2 .

[0042] Preferably, at least one of the edges of one or more striking belts that come into contact with the seedlings to be struck during operation and form the contour of the striking belt is at least partially designed to be wear-resistant, such that the material forming the corresponding edge is more wear-resistant than the other materials forming the striking belt.

[0043] If one or more, especially all, of the striking belts are preferably fixed together jointly by at least one fastening device, especially including at least one clamping rail, it is advantageously easy for the mechanical operator to operate when replacing one or more striking belts. By loosening the clamping rail, multiple striking elements can be released simultaneously. Such a clamping rail can press the striking belt onto the rail profile fastened to the shaft. In this case, the fastening device is a clamping device. Alternatively or additionally, the corresponding striking belt can be fixed to the shaft or in the relevant fastening device by means of a threaded connection, a bolt connection or the like through a recess arranged at its starting part. Therefore, the striking belt can be fixed to the shaft through the recess of the striking belt by means of a threaded connection and / or a plug-in connection without a corresponding clamping device.

[0044] Multiple striking elements can have a common base for conveniently fastening the striking elements to a shaft. Such a base is in particular integrally formed with a plurality of flexible striking elements. Preferably, the tensile-absorbing fabric inserts of at least three striking elements and particularly preferably five or six striking elements extend into the base integrally formed with the striking elements, thus achieving a more secure fixation of the striking elements on the shaft. As an alternative to such a base, a striking belt can be connected to the shaft by one or more, in particular at most four, links to support any rotational movement of the striking elements, wherein, due to the orientation of the links in the rotational direction or transversely thereto, a return to an initial position with a first side shorter in the rotational direction is prompted.

[0045] Furthermore, the width of the striking element can vary repeatedly within its longitudinal extent. In particular, the front angles of the striking elements can form an axial pattern, thereby creating an offset impact area over the length of the stalks to be processed and thus improving the shredding effect.

[0046] Preferably, a plurality of striking elements in the form of striking belts are respectively, in particular uniformly, distributed on the shaft in the circumferential direction. In particular, these striking elements are fastened to the shaft by one or more fastening devices. Preferably, at the same circumferential position, a plurality of striking elements designed as striking belts are respectively fixed side by side in the longitudinal direction of the shaft. In particular, a plurality of clamping devices are arranged in the circumferential direction around the shaft, by means of which a plurality of striking belts are respectively fixed in the circumferential direction around the shaft and in particular at the same circumferential position. Viewed in the longitudinal direction of the shaft, the successively arranged striking belts can thus be arranged, for example, at the 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions by means of the corresponding fastening devices.

[0047] When using multiple rows of striking elements, in particular striking belts, in the circumferential direction around the shaft, the striking elements are preferably arranged staggered in the longitudinal direction of the shaft in adjacent rows in the circumferential direction. This better hits the stalks that emerge from the ground in different ways. Preferably, the successively staggered striking belts are at least partially provided with a stalk-receiving topography. In particular, these striking belts are the striking belts for grasping the seedlings on the upper part of the ridge contour (where potato plants mainly grow).

[0048] At least three rows, in particular four rows, of striking elements arranged side by side are uniformly distributed on the circumference of the shaft, which ensures optimal grasping of the seedlings at the typical operating speeds of the potato vine killer.

[0049] Based on the understanding that the plant stalks should be shredded rather than knocked off, the rotational speed of one or more shafts of the stubble cutter according to the present invention can be reduced, so that they can now operate more energy-efficiently and with less wear. Therefore, when the length of the striking belt preferably does not exceed 20 cm, the rotational speed of the stubble cutter according to the present invention is advantageously between 750 and 1100 U / min, and when the length of the striking belt does not exceed 40 cm, the rotational speed is between 600 U / Min and 1300 U / Min. Thereby, the circumferential speed of the end of the striking element is about 14 m / s to 20 m / s, which is about 50% lower than the circumferential speed known from the prior art.

[0050] In particular, the stubble cutter according to the present invention is controlled such that maximum shredding specific to the seedling is achieved. In addition to the rotational speed of the shaft and the circumferential speed of the outer end of the striking belt related to the length of the striking element, the height of the shaft and / or the distance of the striking belt are also related to the shredding specific to the seedling. The length of the striking belt can also be selected according to the plants to be processed to achieve the longest possible shredding.

[0051] Preferably, at least one of the striking elements has at least one striking protrusion, especially a strip-shaped one, on its surface. Such a striking protrusion is a material thickening part, which makes the thickness of the material larger and causes an increase in the surface area of the surface of the striking belt. Therefore, the striking force is transmitted to the surface of the plant to a greater extent, which results in a better drying effect of the plant. The strip-shaped striking protrusion can also be called a ridge or rib, through which the surface area of the striking belt is increased. In particular, the striking protrusion designed as a striking rib of the striking belt extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal extension range of the striking element, so that the striking rib preferably extends parallel to the axis of the shaft over the entire width of the striking element. This ensures that the plant stalks are additionally impacted by the striking protrusion. A surface provided with dot-shaped protrusions does not necessarily guarantee this. In addition, the preferred bending direction can be specified by the targeted, especially rib-shaped, protrusions and thickenings of the striking belt, so that the striking belt can better adhere to the plant and can better tear and then shred the plant in the area of the induced bending.

[0052] To improve the strength of the striking belt, the striking belt is especially provided with a fabric insert. The fabric insert especially extends along the entire length and width of the striking element, so that the area of the striking element that has already been located in the shaft and fixed there is also provided with a fabric insert. Such a fabric insert is preferably a non-woven fabric.

[0053] To adapt to the seedlings to be processed, more precisely root and tuber crops, the seedling killer is preferably provided with two shafts that can move relative to each other, wherein the other shaft besides the first shaft also has a plurality of additional striking elements in the form of striking belts. Of course, these striking belts can be designed in the same way as the striking belts described above or below, and can also be fixed in the same way. In particular, these shafts are arranged on the same frame and are preferably driven by a unique drive mechanism. These drive mechanisms can be unique motors, such as unique hydraulic motors, or can be drive mechanisms branched off from a common central drive.

[0054] According to an advantageous improvement of the invention, the seedling killer can be provided with two shafts arranged front and back in the traveling direction, each shaft having a corresponding striking belt respectively, wherein these shafts can rotate in opposite directions.

[0055] Furthermore, the seedling killer according to the invention can be provided with an additional unit for straightening the seedlings, which is, for example, in the form of a roller with star-shaped protrusions, and this unit is arranged upstream of at least one shaft with striking elements in the traveling direction.

[0056] The striking belt according to claim 14 also achieves the purpose achieved at the beginning. The striking belt according to claim 14 is characterized in that it is provided with a recess in the form of, for example, a punching section or a hole at its starting part to be fixed on the shaft of the seedling killer, and through this recess, the striking belt can be conveniently fixed on the shaft. Preferably, the striking belt according to claim 14 has a stalk receiving profile at its end opposite to the starting part, and through this stalk receiving profile, the striking belt can better and with a larger surface area abut against the stalks of the seedlings to be struck.

[0057] Finally, this purpose is achieved by an agricultural working machine equipped with a seedling killer as described above or below. This working machine has the above-mentioned and following advantages of the seedling killer according to the invention. Description of the Drawings

[0058] Further details and advantages of the present invention are given by the following description of the drawings. The drawings schematically show:

[0059] Figure 1 The product (object) according to the invention is shown,

[0060] Figure 2 The product according to Figure 1 is shown in a partially disassembled form,

[0061] Figure 3 Part of the product according to Figure 1 is shown,

[0062] Figure 4 Another product according to the invention is shown,

[0063] Figure 5 shows a part of another product according to the present invention,

[0064] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the execution of the method according to the present invention,

[0065] Figure 7 shows a set of striking elements of another product according to the present invention,

[0066] Figure 8 shows a set of striking elements of another product according to the present invention. Detailed Description

[0067] Where helpful, elements with the same function are marked with the same reference numerals. Each feature of the following embodiments can be combined with the features of one of the independent claims in the independent claims and, if necessary, the features of additional claims, and this also results in a product according to the present invention.

[0068] The potato vine killer 2 according to the present invention is currently designed as a potato vine killer. The potato vine killer has a frame 4, which carries two multi-piece housings 6 via arms 5, and shafts 7 are installed therein. The housings 6 enclose the working area, thereby defining the placement of the seedlings to be struck. The shafts 7 are each driven by a unique drive mechanism 8 (currently a hydraulic motor provided for each housing 6). The drive is achieved by a drive device that acts from the drive mechanism 8 to the shafts 7 in the covering part 9 ( Figure 1 ).

[0069] Each shaft 7 has a plurality of striking elements arranged side by side in part, in the form of flexible striking bands 10. In the current embodiment, the striking bands are arranged in four evenly distributed rows along the circumferential direction around the shaft 7 ( Figure 2 ). The shaft extends in the direction of its main length transverse to the travel direction F, so as to be able to well cover the potato ridges. Looking from Figure 2 the left side in the direction of the relevant longitudinal axis 11 to the right side, the shaft 7 preferably rotates counterclockwise to grasp the stem at the end near the ground, thereby initially tearing the stem or damaging the epidermis, during which as long a crack as possible is generated.

[0070] For this purpose, when observed transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction F, the middle striking band 10 is at its end 14 opposite to the starting part 12 of the striking band 10 (see Figure 3)A stalk-receiving profile in the form of a notch 16. The notch extends between two end sides 18, preferably into the material of the striking belt 10 by 1 cm - 4 cm, such that the stalks of the potato plants are placed along the striking belt for a relatively long distance during the movement of the striking belt 10. The striking belt 10 is somewhat flat as it extends significantly longer in its length A and width B ( Figure 3 )direction than in its thickness C direction. The longitudinal direction of the striking belt 10 is according to the direction of the extended length A.

[0071] The striking belt 10 has a recess 20 on the starting side, and the corresponding striking belt 10 can be fastened to the shaft via the recess by means of a fastening device passing through the recess 20, or can also be fastened to any existing device for fixing the striking belt 10.

[0072] For better durability, the striking belt 10 is provided with a fabric insert 22 shown by the dotted line, which extends centrally through the striking belt 10 and is covered with rubber or plastic material of the striking belt 10 on the top and bottom sides. Preferably, the fabric insert does not contain metal, which reduces the risk of injury when replacing and assembling any used striking belt 10.

[0073] The striking belt of this embodiment is fixed in a clamping device fastened to the shaft 7 by a clamping rail 24 ( Figure 2 )For each striking belt 10, the clamping rail 24 is fixed to the clamping profile 26 of the clamping device by a threaded element passing through the recess 20, and the clamping profile is threadedly connected to the shaft.

[0074] In a row of striking elements, according to Figure 3 The striking belt 10 with a stalk-receiving profile is limited on the corresponding shaft 7 by a striking belt 10 with a gradually converging ridge profile. Starting approximately from the height of the end side 18 located in the middle of the shaft of the middle striking belt 10, the side striking belts 10 taper towards the tip 28, so that the side profile of the potato ridge can be outlined accordingly. For this, the striking belt 10 can be simply replaced according to the size and shape of the potato ridge.

[0075] Any seedlings growing in the passageway or furrow can be processed by a longer striking belt 10 ( Figure 2 Three of the striking belts are shown, which are located side by side at the left end of the shaft 7). According to another embodiment, these striking elements can also be designed as conventional metal striking elements for processing seedlings in the furrow.

[0076] The striking belt 10 may have striking ribs 30 which are constructed transversely, in particular with respect to the longitudinal direction of the striking belt 10, and which project from the surrounding surface 31. The material at the end 14 of the striking belt may also be thickened to ensure greater stability of the part of the striking belt which first comes into contact with the seedlings. Such a topography increases the surface area of the striking belt, thereby better shredding the stalks of the plants.

[0077] According to Figure 1 the embodiment of Figure 2 and according to the embodiment of Figure 1 it may be equipped with a wheel device 32 by means of which the distance between the shaft and the ridge or the ground can be adjusted in a range of preferably 3 to 25 cm. This can be achieved, for example, by means of an adjustment device 34 which can be manually operated. According to Figure 4 the embodiment of

[0078] By forming a striking strip or striking ribs which extend transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction and are thickened, a preferred bending direction of the striking belt 10 is additionally provided, which is characterized in that the bending axis is substantially parallel to the axis of the shaft, i.e. its longitudinal direction 11, wherein the striking belt 10 is clamped on the shaft with its flat starting part 12, such that the striking belt is clamped over its entire width B and the corresponding surface.

[0079] In a further embodiment of the seedling killer according to the invention, its shaft may be provided with a plurality of striking belts 10 arranged side by side, each of which is provided with a stalk receiving topography 16 at the end, and by means of which the contour of the ridge with potato plants can be outlined ( Figure 5 ). This outlining is achieved by shortening the length of the striking belts 10 in the middle close to the shaft with respect to the more outer striking belts 10. In addition, the outer striking belts 10 have a plurality of striking ribs 30 extending in parallel, whereby the shredding effect is additionally improved. At the bends produced by the striking ribs 30, the stalks are shredded particularly well. The striking belts 10 are fixed to the shaft 7 by means of clamping rails 24 against a clamping profile 26, which clamping profile is fastened to the shaft 7 with threaded elements.

[0080] Figure 6Shows the execution of the method according to the present invention, wherein only a part of the potato vine cutter is shown in the form of the shaft 7. This shaft with the striking belt 10 is driven by a drive mechanism not shown in detail. In the illustrated part I, there are already grown seedlings 40 of potato plants on the potato ridge 38. In the illustrated part II, the potato vine cutter, more precisely the shaft 7, moves in the travel direction F and the direction of the seedlings 40. The stems 41 of the seedlings 40 that have not yet been struck are caught by the rotating striking elements. Due to the flexibility of the striking elements, the striking elements move more and more along the stems and do not knock off the stems more forcefully as in the prior art. At this time, the stems are also received in the stem receiving profile and the gaps between the individual striking elements. The striking belt 10 moves along the surface of the stem and tears the stem to pieces. Even if there are any leaves, they will be torn to pieces if not knocked off. In the third part III, basically shredded stems 41 in the longitudinal direction remain on the potato ridge, whereby the potato tubers can be ripened purposefully.

[0081] According to another configuration of the present invention, a group of striking belts 10 of the potato vine cutter according to the present invention are connected to each other by a common base 41 ( Figure 7 ). Through this base 39, the striking elements 10 can be easily fixed to the shaft 7 (for example using a clamping rail 24).

[0082] According to Figure 7 the embodiment of, the striking element 10 has a trapezoidal profile in a cross-section relative to the longitudinal extension of the respective striking element 10. The width B1 of the front side 41 in the circumferential direction U (represented by the edge 42) is smaller than the width B2 of the rear side 43 (represented by the edge 44). The front side 41 is connected to the rear side 43 by two sides 45 that are inclined relative to the rotation direction U and thus inclined and have a cutting edge 46. The sides 45 are inclined such that the surface normal 49 forms an angle with respect to the direction U. On the respective sides 45, the stem 41 can roll slightly or deflect from it, thereby achieving a larger contact area with the respective striking belt 10. The net width of the five gaps between the six striking elements fastened to each other by the common base 39 is smaller than the length B2 of the rear side 43 of the striking element. The arrow indicating the rotation direction U shows the movement direction of the respective end of the striking element 10 when the striking element 10 is in the longitudinally extended operating position rather than Figure 7 and Figure 8 the pre-bent initial position shown.

[0083] As an alternative to the straight edge in the corner between the sides of the striking element, according to Figure 8 the embodiment of, the edge 48 can also have a wavy shape such that the respective stem 41 is acted upon at different width positions along the length of the respective striking element 10.

Claims

1. A vine cutter for agricultural working machines, in particular for processing potato plants, the vine cutter having a frame (4) and at least one shaft (7) which can be driven by a drive mechanism (8) of the vine cutter (2), the shaft being mounted on the frame (4) and having a plurality of striking elements arranged thereon, characterized in that, At least some of the striking elements are flexible striking belts (10).

2. The stubble cutter according to claim 1, wherein, At least some of the striking belts (10) have a stalk receiving profile (16) at their respective ends (14) opposite the respective starting ends (12) fixed to the shaft (7).

3. The stubble cutter according to claim 2, wherein, The stalk receiving profile (16) is in the form of at least one notch and / or recess in the end (14).

4. The stubble cutter according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, A part of the striking belt (10) that does not have the stalk receiving profile (16) and is not arranged in the middle in particular has a ridge profile at its respective end.

5. The stubble cutter according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The striking belt (10) is flat and in particular rectangular when viewed transversely with respect to its longitudinal direction and in cross-section.

6. The stubble cutter according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The striking belt (10) has a front side (41) in the direction of rotation (U) when viewed in a cross-section transverse to its longitudinal direction, and the front side is connected to a rear side (43) in the direction of rotation (U) by a side (45) inclined with respect to the direction of rotation (U). In particular, the rear side is wider than the front side (41).

7. The stubble cutter according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The striking belt (10) is fixed and in particular clamped on the shaft side. In particular, one or more striking belts (10) are preferably fixed together by at least one fastening device, and the fastening device particularly includes at least one clamping rail (24).

8. The stubble cutter according to claim 7, wherein, A plurality of fastening devices are arranged in the circumferential direction around the shaft (7), and a plurality of striking elements (10) are respectively fixed in the circumferential direction around the shaft (7) and in particular at the same circumferential position by the fastening devices.

9. The stubble cutter according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, At least three rows, in particular four rows, of striking elements (10) are fastened to the shaft (7) evenly distributed in the circumferential direction.

10. The stubble cutter according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, At least one of the striking elements has at least one, in particular elongated, striking protrusion on its surface.

11. The stubble cutter according to claim 10, wherein, The striking protrusion designed as a striking rib (30) of the striking belt (10) extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the striking element.

12. The stubble cutter according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The striking belt (10) has a fabric insert (22).

13. The stubble cutter according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, There are at least two shafts (7) that can move relative to each other. Among them, another shaft other than the first shaft also has a plurality of additional striking elements in the form of striking belts (10).

14. A striking belt used in a seedling killing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The striking belt (10) has a recess (20) at its starting part (12) to be fixed to the shaft, and the recess is used to fix the striking belt (10) to the shaft (7) of the seedling killer (2). In particular, a stalk receiving profile is provided at the end (14) of the striking belt.

15. An agricultural operation machine, characterized in that The seedling killer (2) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 13.

16. A method for hitting seedlings, especially for hitting potato plants, wherein, Using a seedling killer (2) designed according to any one of the preceding claims to strike the seedlings (40), the shaft (7) of the seedling killer preferably passes transversely relative to the row of seedlings and above the seedlings, wherein a plurality of striking elements designed as flexible striking belts (10) are arranged on the shaft (7) driven by a drive mechanism, and the striking elements move along the stalks (41) of the seedlings (40) during the striking, so that the stalks are broken in the longitudinal direction and are deflected, in particular, by side surfaces (45) inclined relative to the direction of rotation (U) in a cross-section transverse to the longitudinal direction of the respective striking element (10).

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein During the striking, one or more stalks (41) of the seedlings (40) are shredded in the stalk receiving profile (16) of the striking belt according to claim 2.

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