Mower and / or cutting device

Abstract

Mowing and / or cutting device (1) with at least one movable boom (3) held on a vehicle (2), by which boom a working head (4) is carried, and with a suction device for material delivered by the working head (4), characterized in that at least one conveyor element (9) which effects the suction is assigned to the working head (4), which is arranged obliquely above a cutting or mowing working area of ​​the working head (4) and a feed conveyor track (14) which is predominantly open at the bottom is arranged between the working area of ​​the working head (4) and a suction opening (10) of the conveyor element (9).

Description

The invention relates to a mowing and / or cutting device with at least one movable boom which is held on a vehicle and on which a working head is supported, and with a suction for crop supplied by the working head according to the preamble of claim 1.It is known to provide such mowing and / or cutting devices with a suction device, in which a conveying element is arranged on top of the vehicle and conveys it directly into a storage container of the vehicle. The conveying element therefore requires a long hose arranged upstream of the working head. The flexibility of the conveyance is thus low. In addition, the suction capacity is limited by the long hose upstream of the conveying element, and the energy efficiency is low.DE 24 15 230 A1 shows a conveying device just behind a working head. However, a closed air shaft leads to the conveying device, so that seeds, small-living bodies and similarly biologically important and valuable material are also suctioned off.US 2003 / 0 066 278 A1 shows a vertically upward-guiding suction duct in which the living things mentioned, if they fall down again, would only fall back into the mower and would be chopped there, which would not be desirable at all. With the increasing awareness of the value of such small-living bodies, there is an ever increasing demand for the retention of seeds and small-living bodies during mowing.The post-published EP 3 942 914 A1 shows a coupling possibility of the working head with the blower assigned to it to a front side of a vehicle. This coupling extends over the full width of the vehicle. A relative mobility of the working head approximately to the left or right is not disclosed. The flexibility of the application is therefore low. There is likewise no suitable selective feed path to the suction blower.The invention is based on the problem of achieving an improvement here.The invention solves this problem by means of a mowing and / or cutting device with the features of claim 1 and by means of a working head with the features of claim 14.By means of the apparatus according to the invention, since at least one conveying element effecting the suction is associated with the working head, it is possible to operate with a very high degree of efficiency. The efficiency is thus significantly improved, and energy is saved considerably. Smaller apparatuses can thus also be used. Instead of suction through a long tube, it is conveyed away directly during the formation, the material is pressed into a continuing tube, so that overall the suction through reduced pressure is replaced by pressing in with excess pressure. The other, dispensing end of the hose is thereby flexible and can, for example, selectively feed into the boom-carrying vehicle or directly into an accompanying loading truck.The conveying element can be movable with the working head.If the conveying element is held in operation at most 1.5 metres behind a cutting or mowing working region of the working head, an optimized introduction of the material into the conveying element is made possible. This can also be held in particular on the boom itself, so that the design complexity is low and retrofitting on existing booms is also possible. Thus, no special vehicle needs to be newly constructed, but the discharge function can also be additionally placed on existing installations.In particular, the conveying element comprises an ejection fan. This shows a high effectiveness and can be placed on the working head.The conveying member may comprise a central suction opening and a tangential ejection opening. The conveying element can thus be placed in such a way that the suction opening lies centrally behind the transverse center of a front working region, that is to say, for example, of a cutter bar or a cutter roller.With the tangential ejection, a vertical or nearly vertical upward conveyance can be achieved, in which the conveying element conveys into a hose line leading initially upward.If the at least one conveying element is arranged obliquely above a cutting or mowing working region of the working head, the working region can remain without influence of the suction flow.It is furthermore advantageous to arrange the at least one conveying element with the lower end of the suction opening at least 25 centimeters above the cutting or mowing working region of the working head, the working region can remain particularly little acted upon by a suction effect of the conveying element. This provides insects and seeds with considerably improved possibilities for dropping back again, for example onto a mowed area, and for improving their biological quality, before entering the conveying organ.For the same purpose, it is also advantageous if a feed path which is predominantly open downward is arranged between the working region of the working head and the suction opening.In particular, more than 50% of its surface area can be open downward.A particularly complete feeding in of the separated material is made possible if the feed path narrows in the transverse direction towards the inlet opening of the conveying element counter to the direction of travel.In this case, the feed path can be bounded at least to the transverse sides by lateral passive introduction aids.Furthermore, the feed track can very advantageously comprise a plurality of guide rails which are disposed side by side and lead to the conveying element, for example also steel bars or steel tubes on which the material can slide to the rear and which can leave large spaces between them for the fall-back of insects and seeds.Furthermore, movable auxiliary means which move from the working area and are received by the feed track in the direction of the suction opening can be advantageously assigned to the feed track, for example also (intermeshing) prongs or similar active pushing means which act on the material approximately from the transverse sides (and / or from above and / or from below) and here rotate about vertical axes, for example. The delivery is then completely independent of an intake air flow.Further advantages and features of the invention result from exemplary embodiments of the subject matter of the invention which are illustrated in the drawing and described below.The drawing shows: FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a mowing and / or cutting device from obliquely forward with a boom which projects laterally here and on which a working head is mounted which not only comprises a front working region but additionally also comprises a conveying element located further rearward with respect to the working direction, FIG. 2 is a front view of the working head according to FIG. 1, here provided with a mowing roller, with an attached conveying element, FIG. 3 shows the working head according to FIG. 2 with the downstream conveying element in a view from the left (with respect to the direction of travel) in a partially broken-away illustration with a view of a mallet roller suitable for emulsification, FIG. 4 shows the working head according to FIG. 3 with conveying element in a view from the right (with respect to the direction of travel), FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing a working head which, instead of a mulching drum, has a bar mower or cutter bar and a shirring system, FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing a working head which, instead of a mulching drum, has a bar mower or cutter bar and a shirring system, FIG. 7 shows the working head with the conveying element mounted in a view from above, FIG. 8 shows the working head with the conveying element mounted in a perspective view obliquely from the front and above after dismantling the claddings of the working head,Referring now to the overview of FIG. 1, the mower and / or cutter assembly generally designated 1 includes a vehicle 2 which may be self-propelled or towed. In this case, rail vehicles or watercraft are also suitable, for example, in addition to road vehicles. At least one boom 3 is held on the vehicle 2, on which a working head 4 is supported. The boom 3 can comprise a plurality of joints and be arranged at different locations of the vehicle 2, for example as here on the front side, but also on the rear side or on a loading surface of the vehicle 2. it is possible to extend the working head 4 over a few metres to the left or right of the vehicle 2.The working head 4 performs a mowing and / or cutting function, which is understood to mean any severing of plants or plant parts. Typical is an application at road edges for instance crop or hedges. However, the invention is not limited to these applications. The working head 4 is therefore provided, for example, with a mowing roller 5 comprising striking means 5a as in FIGS. 1 to 4 or with a mowing or cutter bar 6 as in FIGS. 5 ff. Other cutting tools are also possible. The mowing roller 5 can additionally also fulfil a emulsification function. Overall, the cutting tools (mowing roller 5, mowing beam 6, hedge trimmer, milling head or the like) can be designed differently. In any case, they can generate a stream of separated material in use, which is to be conveyed further.The working head 4 is usually a few tens of centimeters to clearly over a meter wide. The cutter bar 6 or the cutter roller 5 can extend approximately over the entire width of the working head 4.Furthermore, a suction for material supplied by the work head 4 is provided on the mowing and / or cutting device 1, of which suction a conveying element 9 can be seen in the schematic view according to FIG. 1, which is associated with the work head 4 and can be seen via an ejection opening 7 as a transfer connection into a hose 8 (only indicated by dashed lines). The conveying element 9 brings about the suction and is at least during operation situated at a short distance from the working area, i.e. the mowing roller 5, the mowing bar 6 or another cutting tool. According to the drawing, the conveying element 9 is situated behind the cutting-off tool (mowing roller 5, mowing beam 6... ) with respect to the direction of travel F.In particular, the distance measured behind the working region with respect to the working direction A is less than 1.5 meters. The working direction A of the working head 4 can be parallel to the direction of travel F, but this is not obligatory in every phase of operation.The conveying element 9 here comprises an ejection fan with a rotator which is rotatable about an approximately horizontal axis and which draws in both air and supplied material through a central suction opening 10 and forces it out and conveys it further through a tangential ejection opening 7 upwards into a hose 8 connected there. This basic geometry can be seen clearly, for example, in the front view according to FIG. 2.The tangential ejection opening 7 is oriented such that the conveying element 9 conveys into a hose line 8 which initially leads upward. The course of the hose line 8 is of course variable. A solid tube is also possible in principle for further transport. The ejection opening 7 with the associated transfer connection piece can in both cases be oriented differently and optionally also be variably displaceable.Another orientation or arrangement location of such a conveying element 9, for example a fan, is also possible, for example lying, laterally or in the direction of travel in front of or directly above the severing tool 5, 6.Because the hose 8 is only disposed behind the conveying element 9 with respect to the direction of the material and the inlet opening 10 is directly facing the material flow supplied by the working area, the conveying element forms a member which conveys the received material further by pressure. Instead of suction through a long hose which limits the suction efficiency with its resistance, the open suction opening 10 is directly provided here, so that far less power is required for the conveying element 9 with the same number of material conveyed. Instead of a flexible hose, a line which is rigid at least in some regions can also be provided.The at least one conveying element 9 is held on the movable working head 4 in the drawing and is thus also movable therewith. Thus, the conveying element 9 can also be folded into a transport position on the vehicle 2. For example, a common support structure 11, for example a frame, can be provided for this purpose, which supports both the conveying element 9 and the actual working head 4. The frame can comprise lateral longitudinal frame parts 11 a, 11 bas longitudinal beams, which are connected to one another via cross beams-similar to a leadframe. The working region and the at least one conveying element 9 can be held thereon and can also be adjustable in their position relative to one another. The longitudinal extension of the supporting structure 11 can thus be varied as required, terrain and crop to be cut. Retrofitting such a supporting structure 11 and a conveying element 9 to already existing and used working heads 4 is also possible.Furthermore, the at least one conveying element 9 must not only lie behind the cutting or mowing working area with respect to the working direction A, but it can also be arranged in a plane above the working head 4. It then stands overall obliquely above the working region of the working head 4. From there, the suction opening 10 is then conveyed obliquely upward. The height difference can also be adjustable, for example in that the supporting structure 11 is multi-part and comprises a front frame part 12 with respect to the working direction A, which can be pivoted about a horizontal transverse axis 13 with respect to the longitudinal frame parts 11 a, 11 band can be fixed at a set pivot angle.Thus, the cutter bar 6 or the cutter roller 5 or another cutting tool is not directly in front of the inlet opening 10, but rather further below. Thus, the suction effect of the conveying element 9 directly at the cutting or mowing working region is also minimized, ideally down to zero. Because the efficiency relevant to the suction process is clearly improved on account of the suction hose which is not present on the suction side upstream of the conveying element 9, a much smaller design of the blower or similar conveying element 9 can also be used. The markedly reduced suction effect prevents insects and other small-leaved animals as well as seeds from being completely absorbed. Rather, on the way to the inlet opening 10 of the conveying element 9, these are given a chance to fall back again onto the mowed or otherwise processed surface and to improve their biological quality.The same purpose is also served by the fact that between the working area of the working head 4 and the suction opening 10 a feed path 14 is arranged which is predominantly open towards the bottom. The proportion of the downwardly open regions can be considerable, in particular the feed track 14 is downwardly open to an extent of more than 50% of its area. In FIG. 7, for example, it can be clearly seen that the feed track 14 comprises only a few-for example three-side steel tubes or solid steel rods, between which small material can fall back downward. These form guide rails 17 in the direction of the suction opening 10, on which fruity or straw-like material can be transported reliably counter to the working direction A towards the conveying element 9, whereas small parts of the above-mentioned type can fall through in between. Here, about 70% to 90% of the width of the conveyor track 14 is left as a downwardly open space.It is further clear from FIGS. 7 and 8 that the feed path 14 is bounded at least on the transverse sides by lateral passive introduction aids 15, which can likewise be formed, for example, only by steel rods as in the drawing or also by closed metal sheets or other passive structural units. The steel bars shown here are approximately horizontal. In this case, a plurality of such rods are arranged parallel one above the other. A division into front and rear regions is possible. Other feed tracks, such as a moving conveyor belt with apertures or other active conveyors, or a perforated sheet or similar passive track, are alternatively also possible. A combination of different designs is also possible over the course of the conveyor track.These insertion aids 15 lead to the feeding path 14 tapering in its course counter to the working direction A in the transverse direction. The crop flow is therefore reliably conveyed to the central suction opening 10, the diameter of which can be much smaller than the working width of the mowing roller 5 or of the mowing bar 6. The suction opening 10 also does not necessarily have to be round, but can also form a rectangular opening or another shape. It can also be divided into a plurality of partial openings which, depending on the arrangement, can also be spaced apart from one another.In particular in the case of an arrangement location and / or orientation of the conveying element 9 which differs from the drawing, such a division of the suction openings, for example, in the vicinity of the severing tool 5, 6, may be expedient.It is also possible for a plurality of small conveying elements 9 to be arranged on the working head 4 and for the material to be conveyed into at least one line 8.As mentioned above, the feed conveyor 14 can rise counter to the working direction A, i.e. in the conveying direction of the separated material to be sucked off. Nevertheless, a liquid stream of material without blockages should be ensured and, on the other hand, at least the front region of the feed conveyor 14 should still be kept as far as possible free of suction effect of the extraction. It is therefore very advantageous if the feed track 14 is assigned movable auxiliary means 16 which move the material picked up by the working area in the direction of the suction opening 10. These can be designed like a fork-like one-similar to a hay-making user-and can be carried out, for example, in a combing manner between lateral passive introduction aids 15. This shows the particular sense of the embodiment of using steel rods or similar open structures for the passive insertion aids 15, through the intermediate spaces of which the aids 16 can penetrate. The movable auxiliary means 16 can rotate about vertical axes, for example, and be arranged mirror-symmetrically to one another on both transverse sides. An excavator arm arrangement for the movable auxiliary means is also possible alternatively or additionally. In all cases, a conveying of the material separated from the tool 5, 6 in the direction of the conveying element 9 is at least assisted.A working head 4 for mowing and / or cutting vegetation, which can be mounted or mounted on a movable boom 3, and to which a conveying element 9 causing the extraction by suction is assigned, can be separately marketed and therefore also separately claimed here.The unit consisting of the working head 4 and the conveying element 9 can in particular form an integral structural unit which can also be mounted together as a unit on a boom 3, so that the outlay on assembly is low.This unit can also be modular on its whole and designed in such a way that the at least one conveying element 9 is held either on the movable working head 4 or on a frame 11 carrying both structural units 4, 9. The construction can also be such that the working head is connected and insertable 4 times without and once with the conveying element 9.

Claims

Mowing and / or cutting device (1) with at least one movable boom (3) held on a vehicle (2), on which a working head (4) is supported, and with a suction for material supplied by the working head (4), characterised in that at least one conveying element (9) effecting the suction is associated with the working head (4) which is arranged obliquely above a cutting or mowing working region of the working head (4) and between the working region of the working head (4) and a suction opening (10) of the conveying element (9) a feed path (14) which is predominantly open towards the bottom is arranged.Mowing and / or cutting device (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the conveying element (9) is held in operation at most 1.5 metres behind a cutting or mowing working region of the working head (4).Mowing and / or cutting device (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the conveying element (9) comprises an ejection fan.Mowing and / or cutting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the conveying member (9) comprises a central suction opening (10) and a tangential discharge opening (7).Mowing and / or cutting device (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that the conveying element (9) conveys into a hose line (8) which initially leads upwards.Mowing and / or cutting device (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that the conveying member (9) forms a member which conveys the picked up material further by pressure.Mowing and / or cutting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the at least one conveying member (9) is held on the movable working head (4).Mowing and / or cutting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the at least one conveying element (9) is arranged with the lower end of the suction opening (10) at least 25 centimeters above the cutting or mowing working region of the working head (4).Mowing and / or cutting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the feed track (14) is opened downwards to an extent of more than 50% of its surface area.Mowing and / or cutting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the feed track (14) narrows in the transverse direction counter to the working direction (A).Mowing and / or cutting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the feed path (14) is bounded at least on the transverse sides by lateral passive introduction aids (15).Mowing and / or cutting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the feed track (14) comprises a plurality of guide rails (17) located side by side and leading to the conveying member (9).Mowing and / or cutting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that associated with the feed track (14) are movable crop picked up by the working region and moving auxiliary means (16) in the direction of the suction opening (10).Working head (4) which can be mounted or is mounted on a movable boom (3) provided with a plurality of joints for mowing and / or cutting vegetation, it being possible for the working head (4) to extend from a vehicle (2) carrying the boom (3) over a few metres to the left or right of the vehicle (2), characterized in that at least one conveying element (9) which brings about suction is assigned to the working head (4) and is arranged obliquely above a cutting or mowing working region of the working head (4), a feed path (14) which is predominantly open towards the bottom being arranged between the working region of the working head (4) and a suction opening (10) of the conveying element (9), the feed path (14) comprising a plurality of guide rails (17) which are arranged side by side and lead to the conveying element, for example also steel rods or steel tubes, The crop can slide backwards and leave between them large spaces for the fall-back of insects and seeds, or alternatively comprise a moving conveyor belt with perforations or other active conveyors or a perforated sheet or similar passive path, or a combination of different configurations is provided along the path of the conveyor path (14).Working head (4) according to claim 14, characterised in that the at least one conveying member (9) is held on the movable working head (4) or on a frame (11) carrying both structural units (4; 9).

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