Stem removing device

Abstract

The invention relates to a stemming device. The stemming rotor includes a shaft and a plurality of stemming fingers attached to the shaft and extending away from the shaft in a plurality of adjacent planes perpendicular to the shaft, the fingers including a base and a portion extending outwardly from the base. At least one finger is inserted in a chamber in the shaft in a radial direction, a base of the finger comprising a pin radially inserted through the base and configured to clamp the base into the chamber when the pin is inserted to a first depth, the pin comprising an end portion and an intermediate portion narrower than the end portion, the intermediate portion being configured to clamp the base into the chamber when the pin is inserted to the first depth. When the pin is inserted downward to a first depth, the end portion forces the plurality of clamping legs to be clamped in the clamping portion of the chamber by a desired clamping force at the lower end of the base, and when the pin is inserted downward to a second depth, the clamping force is removed by placing the narrower portion of the pin between the clamping legs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to mechanical harvesting and the processing of harvested fruit, and more particularly, to a destemming device suitable as part of a grape harvester or as a fixing device for processing harvested grapes. Background Technology

[0002] Today, grapes are typically destemmed mechanically using a destemming device, which can be a stand-alone unit or integrated into a grape harvester. Most destemmers include a rotating destemming rotor comprising multiple fingers arranged along a rotation axis. The grape bunches are conveyed on a perforated belt conveyor beneath the rotating destemming rotor, and the interaction between the rotating fingers and the grape bunches results in the removal of the grapes. The grapes are then collected in a container, while the stems are removed as residue.

[0003] Large objects entering the destemming device and / or unavoidable wear of the destemming fingers can cause some fingers to break or otherwise damage, necessitating their replacement with new fingers. In currently used systems, replacing a limited number of destemming fingers is a technically complex and time-consuming task, requiring at least partial disassembly of the rotor. Therefore, a system that allows for faster replacement of individual destemming fingers is desirable. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention relates to a destemming rotor and destemming device according to the appended claims, to a self-driven grape harvester equipped with said destemming device, and to a method for attaching and releasing destemming fingers.

[0005] A destemming rotor is configured to be rotatably mounted in a destemming device. The rotor includes a cylindrical shaft and a plurality of destemming fingers attached to the shaft and extending away from the shaft in a plurality of adjacent planes perpendicular to the shaft. Each finger includes a base and a portion extending outwardly from the base. At least one finger is configured to be inserted radially into a chamber disposed in the shaft. The base of the finger includes a pin that is inserted radially through the base and configured to:

[0006] - When the pin is inserted downward to a first depth, the base is clamped into the chamber. The pin includes an end portion and a middle portion narrower than the end portion. The end portion is configured to force a plurality of clamping legs at the lower end of the base to be clamped into the clamping portion of the chamber by a required clamping force when the pin is inserted downward to the first depth.

[0007] - When the pin is inserted downward to the second depth, the clamping force is removed by placing the narrower portion of the pin between the clamping legs.

[0008] The clamping force is generated by the end portion of the pin pushing the clamping legs apart. At least some of the clamping legs are elastically bendable, such that placing a second pin portion of the pin between the clamping legs allows the elastic legs to return to an undeformed state, thereby removing the clamping force. The portion of the finger extending outward from its base may include a first portion inclined radially relative to the axis.

[0009] Preferably, all fingers are attached to the shaft via the same mechanism. This allows for quick replacement of the destemming fingers: releasing a finger requires only a simple action of pushing the pin down to a second depth, and attaching a new finger requires only pressing the base of the finger radially into the shaft's cavity and pushing the pin down to a first depth. If the shaft is formed from assembled discs, then when one or more destemming fingers need to be replaced, complete or partial disassembly of the shaft is not required. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 A typical destemming device as is currently known in the art is shown.

[0011] Figure 2 It shows the application to Figure 1 The destemming rotor in the prior art device shown.

[0012] Figure 3a and Figure 3b The details of the rotor of the existing destemming device are shown from two different perspectives.

[0013] Figure 4 and Figure 5 The destemming rotor according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, along with details of the rotor as viewed from a first direction.

[0014] Figure 6 and Figure 7 It shows the basis with Figure 4 and Figure 5 The destemming rotor of the same embodiment and details of the rotor viewed from the second direction.

[0015] Figure 8a It shows Figures 4 to 7 The diagram shows a cross-section of a disc of a destemming rotor, wherein the destemming fingers are in different conditions relative to the disc. Figure 8b A destemming finger is shown without a pin for attaching and releasing the finger. Figure 8c This is a diagram of a single pin.

[0016] Figure 9 A tool is shown, which is shaped in particular to enable the proper attachment and release of destemmed fingers. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This detailed description does not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the appended claims.

[0018] Figure 1 A typical destemming device 1, as currently known, is shown. For example, this type of device is currently incorporated into a self-driven grape harvester manufactured by the applicant. The device includes a movable belt 2 configured to move relative to a housing 8. The belt is formed by a grid that allows individual grapes to fall through it. Harvested bunches of grapes are loaded onto a loading section 2a of the belt and conveyed toward an upwardly inclined destemming section 2b, which includes three destemming rotors 3 mounted adjacent to each other in the direction of movement of the belt and rotatable relative to the housing 8. In operation, the destemming section is closed by a cover, but... Figure 1 The cover is not shown to visualize the destemming rotor 3. The interaction between the rotating rotor 3 and the grape bunch removes the grapes from the stems. The grapes fall through the belt grid and are collected in a container (not shown), while the stems move further upward to the inclined end section 2c of the belt, eventually falling over the edge of the end section and thus being removed from the device.

[0019] Figure 2 It shows the application to Figure 1 A partially exploded view of a destemming rotor 3 in a prior art device is shown. The rotor includes a central shaft 4 with a fixing head 5 disposed on one side. The shaft 4 passes through aligned central openings of a series of discs 6 assembled together to form the central shaft 7 of the rotor. Each disc 6 is attached with three destemming fingers 10. (As shown in...) Figure 3a and Figure 3b As best seen in the best detailed view, the fingers have a specific shape, including a base 10a attached to the shaft 7, a middle portion 10b inclined radially relative to the shaft 7, and a tip portion 10c inclined in the opposite direction relative to the middle portion 10b. This shape of the fingers, along with the material of the fingers, is optimal for the desired interaction with the grape bunch, i.e., removing the grapes from the stem in a manner that causes no or minimal damage to the grapes. The material of the fingers 10 has a degree of flexibility, while the disc 6 is formed of a more rigid material.

[0020] Figure 3b China and Figure 2 and Figure 3aA detailed view of a disc 6 and its associated destemming fingers 3, viewed from the opposite side, illustrates how the fingers are attached to the shaft: each disc comprises three chambers 11, and the base 10a of the fingers is inserted axially into the respective chamber and held in place by the next disc, or, in the case of the last disc, by a closing plate 12. The discs are assembled together by means of radially oriented protrusions 13 on one side of the disc engaging in recesses 14 on the opposite side of the adjacent disc, while smaller protrusions 15 located at the bottom of the chambers 11 and on the opposite side of the disc engage in holes 16 provided in the base 10a of the fingers. A suitable fastening device, mounted to the central shaft 4 but not shown in the figures, securely holds all the discs 6 together to form the shaft 7, and this fastening device is coupled to a rotary bearing and actuator that allows the rotor 3 to rotate relative to the housing 8 over the advancing belt 2.

[0021] The disadvantage of this method of assembling the rotor 3 is that when a finger breaks or wears and therefore needs to be replaced, the retaining device holding the disc 6 together needs to be released before the finger can be removed from its chamber. However, this also releases other fingers near the damaged finger, making reassembly of the rotor cumbersome. Therefore, this replacement method is complex and time-consuming.

[0022] The present invention addresses this problem by providing different methods for attaching destemmed fingers to and removing destemmed fingers from the shaft.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a semi-expanded view of a destemming rotor 3' according to an embodiment of the present invention. The rotor also includes a central shaft 4 provided with a fixing head 5 and an end plate 12, and when the rotor is assembled, a plurality of discs 6' are held between the fixing head 5 and the end plate 12 to form a shaft 7' to which a plurality of destemming fingers 20 are attached.

[0024] Figure 6 A semi-exploded view of rotor 3' as seen from the other side is shown, and Figure 5 and Figure 7 Detailed exploded views of a disc 6' and its associated fingers 20, viewed from two corresponding directions, are shown. Protrusions 13 and recesses 14 are present, as in discs of prior art versions.

[0025] The middle portion 20b and the tip portion 20c of the finger have the same shape as in the existing configuration, but the base 20a of the finger is different, and the way the base is connected to the disk 6' is also different due to the different design of the disk. The disk 6' also includes three chambers 21, but these chambers are configured to receive the base 20a of the finger by inserting the base in the radial direction rather than the axial direction of the shaft 7'.

[0026] The mechanism for attaching and removing the finger 20 to and from the disk 6' is defined by the shape of the chambers 21 and the base 20a of the finger, and by the fact that the mechanism also includes a specially shaped pin 22, which locks the finger so that it can be attached and removed without disassembling the shaft 7. The pin 22 may be formed of metal (e.g., stainless steel) or a plastic material with suitable strength and rigidity.

[0027] The agency Figure 8a The cross-sectional view shown best illustrates three destemmed fingers 201, 202, and 203. The first finger 201 is ready to be inserted into its corresponding chamber 21. The second finger 202 is clamped into its chamber, and the third finger 203 is ready to be released from the chamber. The function of the pin 22 in these three states will be explained. Each chamber 21 includes an inlet portion 25, a clamping portion 26, and a cylindrical end portion 27 directly below the clamping portion 26. The base 20a of the corresponding destemmed finger includes a pair of clamping legs 28 at its lower end (opposite to the tip portion 20c) configured to be inserted into and clamped in the clamping portion 26 of the chamber 21. Additionally, the base 20a of the finger is provided with a longitudinal through opening that is radially oriented relative to the disc 6' when the finger is attached. The through opening 29 is located in… Figure 8b The best visualization is in the image, which shows the first de-pierced finger 201 with the pin not inserted into the through opening 29. The through opening 29 extends between an inlet portion 29a and an outlet portion 29b. Clamping legs 28 are mounted on both sides of the outlet portion 29b of the through opening 29. Figure 8c The pin 22 shown separately can be inserted into the through opening 29, and the shape of the pin allows the finger 20 to be held and released in the manner described below.

[0028] In the illustrated embodiment, pin 22 is cylindrical and comprises three longitudinal portions: a first portion 22a, a second portion 22b, and a third portion 22c. The first portion 22a and the third portion 22c have the same diameter, while the second pin portion 22b has a smaller diameter than the first and third pin portions. The second pin portion 22b and the third pin portion 22c may also be referred to as the middle portion and the end portion of pin 22, respectively.

[0029] Pin 22 engages loosely or with minimal resistance (easily overcome manually) in the through opening 29, and is inserted into the through opening before the finger is attached, wherein the third pin portion 22c first enters through the inlet portion 29a of the through opening 29. In practice, the detached finger 20 can be held in this state with pin 22 inserted no more than the outlet portion 29b of the through opening 29.

[0030] When pin 22 is in this initial position, such as Figure 8a As with the first finger 201, the base 20a of the finger can be manually and with minimal or no resistance inserted into the inlet portion 25 of the chamber 21, and can be further inserted until the clamping finger 28 is loosely embedded in the clamping portion 26 of the chamber. The base of the finger is inserted radially relative to the disk, so the insertion can be completed while the shaft 7' is assembled, that is, while all the disks 6' are assembled together.

[0031] The outer surface of the clamping finger 28 is shaped in a manner similar to the inner surface of the clamping portion 26, such that the corresponding surfaces match. However, when the pin 22 is in the initial position, the clamping leg 28 loosely engages with the clamping portion 26 or can be inserted into it with very little manual force.

[0032] In the illustrated embodiment, the two clamping legs 28 are elastically bendable relative to their bases around the outlet portion 29b of the through opening 29: the legs 28 can be bent by a suitable bending force. Within a given range of leg displacement, the clamping legs return to their initial position when the bending force is removed. This elasticity of the clamping legs can be achieved by integrally manufacturing the de-branched fingers from a material with a certain degree of flexibility. Currently used in manufacturing... Figure 1 -3 The material of the prior art destemmed finger shown is suitable for this purpose. However, according to other embodiments, the clamping leg 28 may also be made of a different material than the rest of the finger, and the clamping leg is secured to the finger body by adhesive or other attachment means.

[0033] Once the clamping legs 28 are engaged in the clamping portions 26, the pin 22 is pushed further down to the first depth indicated by the fingers 202, placing the third pin portion 22c in the space between the clamping legs 28. The spacing between the clamping legs 28 and the diameter of the third pin portion 22c are configured such that this action requires a relatively large force, preferably applied by a suitable tool, to force the third pin portion 22c into the narrow space between the clamping legs 28, thereby applying the aforementioned bending force to the two clamping legs in opposite directions. This pushes the clamping legs 28 open to close contact with the mating inner surfaces of the clamping portions 26 of the chamber 21. The contact force between the mating surfaces establishes a clamping force that keeps the de-drip fingers firmly located in the chamber 21, i.e., the fingers are effectively attached to the rotor shaft 7 and ready for the de-drip action.

[0034] To release the de-entrapment finger, pin 22 is pushed further down to a second depth within chamber 21, causing the third pin portion 22c to enter the end portion 27 of chamber 21. The diameter of this end portion allows the third pin portion 22c to fit loosely or with almost no resistance within it. However, tools are required to overcome the clamping force and forcibly pull the third pin portion 22c out of the area between the clamping legs 28. The lengths of the individual pin portions are designed such that when the third pin portion 22c is effectively pushed down into the end portion 27 of the chamber, the second pin portion 22b will completely occupy the space between the clamping legs 28. This is... Figure 8a The third destemmed finger 203 is shown in its current state. Due to its reduced diameter, the second pin portion 22b no longer generates clamping force, i.e., the clamping force is removed. The clamping leg 28 returns to its initial state, thus allowing the finger 20 to be easily removed from the chamber 21.

[0035] As can be seen from the preceding description, attaching or removing a single destemmed finger 20 to or from shaft 7' does not require disassembling the shaft.

[0036] Moving the pin 22 from the state of the finger 201 to the clamping state of the finger 202 can be accomplished by any suitable tool, such as a screwdriver or other elongated tool capable of pushing the pin into the opening 29. However, a preferred tool can be used, which is capable of automatically pushing the pin to the correct depth. Such a tool may be shaped as follows: Figure 9 As shown in the diagram. Tool 30 has a head 31, preferably metal, which is welded to a cylindrical shaft 32, which may be fitted with a spherical or any other suitable handle 33. The head 31 includes a central plunger 35 and two side plungers 36, which extend like forks on either side of the central plunger 35. The side plungers 36 are parallel to the central plunger and are longer than the central plunger 35. When measured longitudinally along the shaft 7', the spacing between the side plungers 36 is wider than the width of the base of the destemmed finger 20. The distance between the end faces 37 and 38 of the central plunger 35 and the side plungers 36 ensures that when the pin 22 is pushed into the through opening 29 using the central plunger 35, the side plungers 36 maintain the width across the finger, reaching a clamping depth (such as the finger 202) when the side plungers 36 contact the cylindrical outer surface of the shaft 7'. Then, the pin can be pushed further down (as with finger 203) using one or the other of the side plungers 36 to release the finger.

[0037] The features described above do not limit the scope of the invention. The shapes of the mating surfaces of the clamping legs 28 and the clamping portions 26 of the chamber 21 may differ from those shown in the figures.

[0038] The pin 22 can be non-cylindrical, for example, having a square cross-section. The end portion 27 of the through opening 29 and the chamber 21 has a matching square cross-section, which enables the pin 22 to function as described above. The first pin portion 22a and the third pin portion 22c can have equal lengths, such that the shape of the pin is symmetrical in the longitudinal direction. In this case, the pin 22 can be inserted first through the inlet portion 29a of the through opening 29, or either the first or third portion.

[0039] According to an embodiment, a seal is installed between the pin 22 and the through opening 29. This can be, for example, an O-ring installed in a groove created in the sidewall of the through opening 29 or in a groove created in the pin 22. The seal serves as a means to prevent dirt and liquid from entering the chamber 21.

[0040] Instead of being formed from an assembled disk 6', the shaft 7' can be a solid shaft having a plurality of chambers 21 as described above, the chambers passing through its cylindrical outer surface and distributed along the length of the shaft. The shaft can also be formed from a plurality of solid parts assembled together, each part including a chamber configured to receive destemmed fingers in a plurality of parallel planes.

[0041] The number of clamping legs 28 at the lower end of the destemmed finger 20 can be different from two. For example, three clamping legs can be arranged around the outlet portion 29b of the through opening 29, with the clamping legs spaced at 120° intervals, or four legs can be arranged at 90° intervals. Then, the inner surface of the clamping portion 26 of the chamber is shaped according to the number of clamping legs and the outer contour of the clamping legs.

[0042] According to the embodiments, not all clamping legs are resiliently bendable. For example, as an alternative to the illustrated embodiment, there may be one resilient clamping leg 28 and one rigid clamping leg 28. When properly sized, clamping force can be generated by pushing the resilient leg away from the rigid leg when the pin is pushed down to a first depth. It should be noted that pushing the resilient leg away from the rigid leg falls within the scope of the phrase "pushing the leg apart" as used in the appended claims.

[0043] The shape of the fingers 20 attached to the shaft and / or each disc 6' may differ from the figures shown. Furthermore, the number of fingers attached to each disc and / or the entire shaft may differ from the figures shown.

[0044] Preferably, all fingers 20 are attached to the shaft 7' via the same attachment mechanism as described above. However, the invention also covers rotors in which only one or more, but not all, of the fingers are attached to the shaft via said mechanism.

[0045] This invention relates to a destemming device, such as a device similar to... Figure 1The arrangement shown is a destalking rotor according to the invention, such as a destalking rotor according to any embodiment described above.

[0046] The present invention also relates to a self-driving grape harvester, which includes a destemming device according to any embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] The present invention also relates to a method for attaching a destemmed finger to and releasing it from a destemmed rotor according to any embodiment of the invention. The method steps have been described above with reference to specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings and are summarized in a more general manner in the appended claims.

[0048] The invention also relates to descrambling fingers suitable for attachment to a descrambling rotor according to the invention. The descrambling fingers according to the invention may be provided with pins 22 inserted into a through opening 29. The invention also relates to a component assembly according to the invention, comprising a descrambling finger 20 and a pin 22 insertable into a through opening 29 of the finger.

Claims

1. A destemming rotor (3') for destemming grape bunches or similar fruits when the rotor is rotatably mounted in a destemming device, the rotor comprising a cylindrical shaft (7') and a plurality of destemming fingers (20) attached to the shaft and extending away from the shaft in a plurality of adjacent planes perpendicular to the shaft, each finger comprising a base (20a) and portions (20b, 20c) extending outwardly from the base, wherein at least one finger (20) is releasably attached to the shaft by an attachment mechanism comprising: - A cavity (21) in the cylindrical surface of the shaft, the cavity being configured to receive the base (20a) of the finger by radial insertion of the base (20a) of the finger into the cavity, the cavity including a clamping portion (26) and an end portion (27) directly below the clamping portion. - A through opening (29) through the base (20a) of the finger (20), the through opening extending between the inlet portion (29a) and the outlet portion (29b) of the opening, the opening being radially oriented relative to the axis when the base (20a) of the finger is inserted into the chamber (21). - At least two clamping legs (28) are located at the lower end of the base (20a) and arranged around the outlet portion (29b) of the through opening. When no force is applied to the clamping legs, the clamping legs (28) loosely engage together in the clamping portion (26) of the chamber. - A pin (22) that can be inserted into the through opening (29), the pin having a first longitudinal portion (22a), a second longitudinal portion (22b) and a third longitudinal portion (22c), wherein the second pin portion (22b) is narrower than the first pin portion (22a) and the third pin portion (22c), and wherein the pin (22) is configured as follows: When the third pin portion (22c) first enters the through opening (29), and the pin is inserted downward to a first depth, the base (20a) of the destemmed finger (20) is clamped into the chamber (21). The third pin portion is configured to push the clamping leg (28) apart, thereby forcing the clamping leg to be clamped in the clamping portion (26) of the chamber by clamping force when the pin is inserted downward to the first depth. When the pin (22) is further inserted downward to a second depth, thereby pushing the third pin portion (22c) into the end portion (27) of the chamber and placing the second pin portion (22b) of the pin between the clamping legs (28), the clamping force is removed, wherein at least some of the clamping legs (28) are elastically bendable, such that placing the second pin portion (22b) of the pin between the clamping legs (28) removes the clamping force.

2. The destemmed rotor (3') according to claim 1, wherein, The shaft (7') is formed by a plurality of assembled discs (6') held together to form the shaft, at least one of the discs including a plurality of the chambers (21), and the rotor including a corresponding plurality of destemmed fingers (20) attached to the discs by the attachment mechanism.

3. The destalking rotor according to claim 1, wherein, The shaft (7') is formed of one or more solid cylindrical portions, each portion having a chamber configured to receive destemmed fingers extending in a plurality of adjacent planes perpendicular to the shaft.

4. The destemmed rotor (3') according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The pin (22) is a cylindrical pin, the diameters of the first pin portion (22a) and the third pin portion (22c) are larger than the diameter of the second pin portion (22b), and the through opening (29) has a circular cross-section.

5. The destemmed rotor (3') according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, All destemmed fingers (20) are attached to the corresponding chambers (21) of the shaft (7') via the attachment mechanism.

6. The destemmed rotor (3') according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The destemmed finger (20) includes at least a first portion (20b) extending outward from the base (20a) of the finger, wherein the first portion (20b) is inclined in the radial direction relative to the axis (7').

7. The destemming rotor according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, A seal is provided between the pin (22) and the through opening (29).

8. A destemming device comprising one or more destemming rotors (3') according to any one of the preceding claims.

9. A self-driving grape harvester, equipped with the destemming device according to claim 8.

10. A method for attaching a destemmed finger (20) to the shaft (7') of a destemmed rotor (3') according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the method comprising the steps of: With the third pin portion (22c) first entering the inlet portion (29a) of the through opening, the pin (22) is inserted into the through opening (29) such that the third pin portion (22c) is inserted no more than the outlet portion (29b) of the through opening. Insert the base (20a) of the finger into the chamber (21) until the clamping finger (28) is embedded in the clamping portion (26) of the chamber (21). The pin (22) is pushed further down to a first depth, thereby pushing the clamping leg (28) apart and clamping the clamping leg in the chamber, thereby attaching the finger to the shaft.

11. A method for releasing a destemmed finger (20) attached by the method of claim 10, wherein the destemmed finger is released by the following steps: pushing the pin (22) further down to a second depth, thereby placing a third pin portion (22c) in the end portion (27) of the chamber while the second pin portion (22b) is placed between the clamping legs (28), and then pulling the finger to release it from the chamber (21) and the shaft (7').

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, The action of attaching or releasing the finger is accomplished by means of a tool (30), which includes a central plunger (35) and two side plungers (36) disposed on both sides of the central plunger. The distance between the side plungers is greater than the width of the base (20a) of the destemmed finger, and wherein: The plungers (35, 36) can be inserted into the through opening (29). The side plungers (36) have equal lengths, and the equal lengths are greater than the length of the central plunger (35). The difference in length ensures that when the pin (22) is pushed down to the first depth using the central plunger (35), the side plunger (36) is positioned across the width of the finger, reaching the first depth when the end face (38) of the side plunger (36) contacts the outer surface of the shaft (7'). The pin (22) can be pushed down to the second depth using any of the side plungers (36) to release the finger (20).

13. A destemmed finger (20) capable of being attached to the shaft (7') of a destemmed rotor (3') according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The finger includes a pin (22) inserted into the through opening (29) of the finger.

14. A component kit comprising a destemming finger (20) for attaching to a shaft (7') of a destemming rotor (3') according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and a pin (22) for inserting into a through opening (29) of said destemming finger (20).

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