Corn cob collecting and separating device

Abstract

A corn cob collecting and separating device (1) comprising a receiving unit (2) for corn harvest residues to be collected and separated, in particular cobs or cob parts, leaves or stalks or parts thereof, a conveyor (3) downstream of the receiving unit (2), as well as at least one separating and separating device and a discharge device, characterized in that the separating and separating device has a substantially horizontally arranged shaking table (4) provided with openings for cobs or cob parts to be separated, that at least one blower (6) is provided which supplies the shaking table (4) with at least one airflow directed from below the shaking table (4) to a discharge end of the shaking table (4) through the openings of the shaking table (4), and that the discharge device is designed as a collecting hopper (9), optionally a closable collecting hopper (9).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a corn cob collecting and separating device comprising a receiving unit for corn harvest residues to be collected and separated, in particular cobs or cob parts, leaves and stalks or parts thereof, a conveyor downstream of the receiving unit, as well as at least one separating and separating device and a discharge device.

[0002] Collection and separation devices for corn cobs or other crop residues, which work in conjunction with harvesting machines, are known and are intended, in particular, to separate reusable parts of the harvested crop from residues that are to be immediately returned to the field. For example, in the past, when harvesting corn cobs in a combine harvester, the important kernels were separated from the cob, and all remaining residues, such as corn stalks, leaves, husks, or the cobs themselves, were immediately returned to the field after the kernels were removed, incorporated into the soil, and used as natural fertilizer or as an input of organic material. However, it has been found that the cobs of corn, in particular, have a high calorific value and can be used as fuel, either directly or after further drying, in industry or in the private sector.To separate this valuable raw material from all other residues of a corn plant, such as leaves, leaf parts, stalks, stem parts, and the like, machines are already described in the prior art that collect the crop residues found in the field and separate them into their individual components either with the aid of a blower or by means of multiple sieves arranged one above the other, and subsequently feed them into recycling. It has been found that both the devices that attempt to separate the crop residues into their individual components using a blower, such as DE 10 2014 017 703 A1, and those that attempt separation using sieves, such as AT 510 933 A1, have disadvantages in that, due to the extremely inhomogeneous structure of the crop residues, a thorough separation into the individual components is difficult to achieve with any of the known methods used.Thus, those systems that attempt separation using compressed air are limited in that, for example, the specific gravity of stalks and cobs is not so significantly different as to ensure that, for instance, corn stalks are not dragged along with the cobs and subsequently burned, which is disadvantageous because they have a low calorific value. On the other hand, the use of sieves is disadvantageous in that, even if the sieves have different opening sizes or mesh dimensions, randomly shredded components can pass through the sieves, making a meaningful separation of leaves, stalks, and cobs difficult, since the separation primarily targets the particle size or size of the material to be separated.

[0003] The present invention aims to provide a corn cob collecting and separating device which overcomes the above disadvantages and enables a clean separation of the cobs from other corn residues, such as leaves and stalks.

[0004] To solve this problem, the corn cob collecting and separating device according to the invention is characterized essentially in that the separating and separating device has a shaking table arranged essentially horizontally and provided with openings for cobs or cob parts to be separated, that at least one blower is provided which supplies the shaking table with at least one airflow directed from below the shaking table to a discharge end of the shaking table through the openings, and that the discharge device is designed as a collecting hopper, optionally a closable collecting hopper. By arranging the separating and separating device essentially horizontally and providing it with openings for cobs or cob parts to be separated, the incoming harvest waste can primarily be classified according to its size and specific gravity.By providing at least one blower that supplies the shaker table with an airflow directed from below the shaker table to a discharge point, a classification according to the specific weight of the collected crop residue is simultaneously carried out. Specifically, by adjusting the strength of the blower's airflow, lighter fractions such as leaves or small stem fragments can be lifted by the airflow and prevented from falling through the shaker table. The selected direction of the airflow also ensures that these particles are transported along the shaker table to its discharge point, where they preferably fall unimpeded and are then spread back onto the field, where they can subsequently be incorporated, for example.Larger stalks and parts thereof cannot fall through the openings of the shaking table, so they are slowly moved to the discharge end and from there fall back onto the field. Furthermore, since the discharge device of the corn cob collecting and separating machine is designed as a collecting hopper, the cobs or cob parts separated from the leaves and stalks fall into the hopper, from which they can either be further processed, fed into a collecting device, or, for example, directly bagged to serve as fuel.

[0005] According to a further development of the invention, the corn cob collecting and separating device is designed such that the at least one blower has two outlet openings arranged in two intersecting directions, one of which acts upon the through-openings of the shaking table from below, and the second outlet opening acts upon the shaking table essentially in the direction of its longitudinal extension and above the through-openings. With such a design of the blower, it is possible to achieve even better separation of the crop residues, in particular residues from the corn harvest.The airflow expelled from the outlet opening located beneath the shaking table lifts and blows away the lighter parts of the corn stalk, such as the leaves, directly from the table's surface. This prevents them from falling through the openings and ensures they are reliably separated from heavier parts like stalks and cobs. A second airflow from below the shaking table prevents heavier parts, such as stem sections, from falling through the openings of the shaking screen, keeping them on the surface. Only the heavier corn cobs, which have a higher specific gravity, can pass through the openings, as the airflow from below is not strong enough to hold them against the table's surface.The strength of the respective airflows can be pre-selected and changed by adjusting the cross-section of the discharge opening.

[0006] A simple solution for collecting and separating corn cobs is characterized essentially by the provision of two adjacent blowers, each with outlet openings that generate airflows in different directions and at different speeds. By providing two separate blowers, one expelling the required airflows over the shaker table and the other from below the shaker table through the shaker table, the respective airflows, and in particular their speeds, can be adjusted more precisely. Furthermore, these airflows are completely independent of each other, which significantly simplifies the control and regulation of the required airflow strength.

[0007] By designing the shaker table in such a way that at least in its end area facing away from the conveyor, it is equipped with a cover, particularly one that can be opened and is positioned at a distance from a surface of the shaker table, a controlled discharge of the lighter fraction of the corn harvest residue to be collected and separated is ensured. In particular, leaf remnants, stalk fragments, and the like are immediately discharged back onto the field at the end of the shaker table, where they can be incorporated into the soil. Without such a cover, these parts may be blown off the shaker table in a disordered manner and, in the worst case, could contaminate the separated cobs or cob fragments.

[0008] To ensure a consistent flow of the corn harvest residue to be separated or sorted, the device is further developed such that the cover has a feed opening facing a conveyor. This feed opening allows larger quantities of corn harvest residue to be simultaneously applied to the shaking screen and successively distributed and processed. To avoid unnecessarily restricting the throughput of the shaking screen, the cover can also be height-adjustable.

[0009] To discharge the separated cobs or cob parts from the corn cob collecting or separating device, the device, according to a further development of the invention, is designed such that the discharge opening of the collecting hopper is equipped with a compressed air blower and a discharge chute attached to it. With this design, the corn cobs or corn cob parts accumulated at the bottom of the collecting hopper are discharged, for example, into a collection container by means of a compressed air blower and a discharge chute attached to it. With such a device, a large quantity of corn cobs can be separated directly in the field from the remaining harvest residues of the corn harvest, such as stalks, leaves, or stalk parts, which can then be subsequently processed further.In an alternative design, the collecting and separating device can also be configured so that the compressed air blower can be disconnected from the discharge opening, and that the discharge opening interacts with a closable dispensing chute. With such a design, the cobs or cob parts can be discharged directly from the collecting hopper into, for example, sacks, big bags, or similar containers for further transport. Which of the two designs is chosen in a specific case depends on whether, for example, the corn cobs or corn cob parts are to be used immediately or whether they are to undergo further processing, such as drying.

[0010] To ensure the safe and reliable collection of all crop residues from a field, the invention is essentially designed such that the collection unit comprises a collection roller and at least one conveying trough cooperating with it, as well as conveying elements equipped with shredding and / or holding elements, in particular conveying rollers with hook-shaped holding elements fitted with cutting edges. With such a collection unit, it is not only possible to safely and reliably collect all crop residues from the field, but preliminary separation and shredding can also be achieved by the conveying elements equipped with shredding and holding elements transporting the crop residues further. Furthermore, the shredding elements enable the initial separation and tearing of leaves, and optionally the cutting of stems and the like, during transport to the shaking table.This ensures that during the subsequent separation on the air-operated shaking sieve, a pre-classification or separation of leaves and stems from the spindles or spindle parts has already taken place, preventing, for example, unintentional removal of stem and leaf parts along with the spindles. By equipping the intake unit with a intake roller, it is particularly important to collect all crop residues from the field soil, regardless of their specific gravity, and to prevent lighter parts, such as leaves, from being blown away, scattered, or otherwise disturbed.

[0011] A particularly simple design of such a receiving unit is essentially configured such that one receiving end of the conveyor is positioned at a distance from the area of ​​soil to be harvested, and that the conveyor has a continuous, driven belt with projecting ribs or tines. Positioning one receiving end of the conveyor at a distance from the area of ​​soil to be harvested ensures that the conveyor is not unintentionally blocked by an impact on the soil. Furthermore, the continuous belt, especially a driven belt with projecting ribs and tines, ensures that the crop residues discharged by the receiving unit are transported safely and reliably to the shaking table.

[0012] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the drawing. This drawing shows: The figure is a schematic cross-sectional view of a corn cob collecting and separating device according to the invention.

[0013] In the figure, reference numeral 1 generally denotes a corn collecting and separating device according to the invention, which corn collecting and separating device 1 comprises a receiving unit 2 by means of which the entire crop residue, in particular corn harvest residue, cobs, cob parts, leaves, stalks, or stalk parts, are collected from the field soil. The receiving unit 2 transfers the collected crop residue to a conveyor 3, by means of which the corn harvest residue to be separated is fed onto a separation and separating device consisting essentially of a shaking table 4. The shaking table 4 is designed such that it has openings that are essentially large enough to allow corn cobs or cob parts to pass through them; in particular, the openings are larger than the diameter of the cobs but smaller than their longitudinal extent. To prevent the corn cobs or cob parts from passing through,To ensure that the cob parts pass through these openings, the shaking table 4 is driven into a vibrating motion. Furthermore, to prevent other corn harvest residues, such as leaves, leaf fragments, stalks, stalk fragments, etc., from also passing through the openings of the shaking table 4, the table 4 is pressurized with air, specifically compressed air, from its underside along arrow 5. The compressed air is generated by a blower 6, and the outlet 19 of the blower 6 is directed so that the shaking table 4 is pressurized from below. The strength of the airflow is adjusted to prevent those parts of the corn harvest residue that are lighter than the corn cobs from passing through the holes of the shaking table 4.These parts, such as leaves or smaller stalk pieces, are slightly lifted by the airflow on the shaking table 4 and prevented from passing through the openings of the shaking table. In this way, the corn harvest residue is separated according to its specific gravity. Larger stalk pieces, especially those longer than the corn cobs, are inherently prevented from passing through the openings of the shaking table 4 due to its design. For this purpose, preferably at least a portion of the shaking table 4 is provided with a cover 7. This cover 7 ensures, on the one hand, unimpeded material transport along the shaking table 4, but on the other hand, prevents long stalk pieces from assuming a vertical position on the shaking table 4 and passing through the openings.The cover 7 is preferably designed in such a way that it is open in the area where the corn harvest residues are fed in, or has an opening 8, in particular being open enough to ensure an unimpeded flow of the corn harvest residues onto the shaking table 4.

[0014] The embodiment of the invention, in which the shaking table 4 has only a single sieve surface and with this single sieve surface surprisingly achieves an exact separation of the corn harvest residues into cobs or stalks and leaves, is made possible by the provision of the blower 6, which blower ensures that the separation takes place according to the specific weight of the harvest residues to be separated and thus the provision of several sieve levels, as was often the case in the prior art, can be avoided.

[0015] A collection hopper 9 is provided below the shaking table 4, in which the cobs or cob parts that have passed through the opening of the shaking table 4 are collected. In the illustration of the figure, the collection hopper 9 is further equipped with a blower 10, which interacts with a discharge chute 11. The corn cobs or cob parts can be conveyed through this discharge chute 11 into a collection container 12. From this container, they can, for example, be further processed or packaged after the work is completed.

[0016] In an alternative design, the collection hopper 9 is designed to be closable or the blower can be switched off, in which case the collected corn cobs or cob parts can be removed directly at the lower end of the collection hopper 9 and, for example, filled into sacks or big bags via a discharge chute.

[0017] Finally, the cover 7 of the shaking table 4 is designed such that an opening 14 is provided at its end 13 facing away from the opening 8 of the cover of the shaking table 4, through which leaves, stems or stem parts can be directly spread back onto the field, where they can subsequently be plowed under, for example, to serve as natural fertilizer. Finally, a collection container, such as a big bag, could be directly attached to the opening 14 in order to further shred the compostable parts and / or to selectively feed them into the composting process.

[0018] The receiving unit 2 for collecting crop residues, especially corn harvest residues, is depicted in a conventional manner. It includes a receiving roller 16 that rotates in the direction of travel 15. This receiving roller 16 lifts crop residues remaining in the field and transfers them to the conveyor 3 via conveying elements equipped with shredding and holding elements 17, which interact with the conveying trough. The shredding and holding elements 17, which interact with the conveying trough (not visible in the figure), have the advantage that, for example, long stalks are at least partially chopped, and cobs still attached to stalks or leaves are separated. This allows for pre-sorting of the crop residues, especially corn harvest residues, during collection from the field and transfer to the conveyor 3.The conveyor 3 is driven separately and does not rest on the soil. This prevents conveying elements or extensions 18 located on the conveyor 3 from becoming jammed or snagged in the soil, which could lead to an unintentional malfunction of the corn cob collecting and separating device 1. Furthermore, this design of the receiving unit 2 ensures that excessive amounts of soil residue or unclassifiable materials are not collected. Surprisingly, it has also been shown that this design of the receiving unit 2 ensures that all crop residues are collected from the field, regardless of their specific gravity. This prevents the lighter parts, such as leaves, leaf fragments, stalks, etc., from being scattered and not collected from the field, as was the case with some prior art designs.In this way, the field can be selectively cleared of crop residues, and the residues to be returned to the field can be selectively discharged at the other end of the corn cob collection and separation device, in particular the discharge opening 14, or fed to further processing.

[0019] Finally, the blower 6 can also be provided with two separate discharge openings or outlets 19, which are accessed by, for example, a separating flap, in particular an adjustable separating flap. These discharge openings or outlets 19 are directed such that one airflow acts on the shaking table 4 from below, as shown in the figure, and another airflow is directed along the surface of the shaking table 4. This second airflow is intended to blow lighter residues, in particular corn harvest residues such as leaves, directly away from the shaking table 4 and discharge them through the discharge opening 14. With such a design, the lighter elements, such as the leaves, etc., can be separated directly, and the separation via the shaking table 4 becomes significantly more efficient and precise. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2014 017 703 A1

[0002] AT 510 933 A1

[0002]

Claims

[1] Corn cob collecting and separating device (1) comprising a receiving unit (2) for corn harvest residues to be collected and separated, in particular cobs or cob parts, leaves or stalks or parts thereof, a conveyor (3) downstream of the receiving unit (2) as well as at least one separating and separating device and a discharge device, characterized by , that the separating and separating device has a substantially horizontally arranged shaking table (4) provided with openings for spindles or spindle parts to be separated, that at least one blower (6) is provided which supplies the shaking table (4) with at least one airflow directed from below the shaking table (4) to a discharge end of the shaking table (4) through the openings of the shaking table (4), and that the discharge device is designed as a collecting funnel (9), optionally a closable collecting funnel (9). [2] Corn cob collecting and separating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the at least one blower (6) has two outlet openings arranged in two intersecting directions, one of the outlet openings acting on the through-openings of the shaking table (4) from below the shaking table (4) and the second outlet opening acting on the shaking table (4) substantially in the direction of its longitudinal extension and above the through-openings. [3] Corn cob collecting and separating device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that two blowers (6) are arranged side by side and that the blowers (6) have outlet openings that generate airflows in different directions and with different flow velocities. [4] Corn cob collecting and separating device (1) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized by, that the shaking table (4) is provided at least in its end area (13) facing away from the conveyor (3) with a cover (7) which is arranged at a distance from a surface of the shaking table (4), in particular which is openable. [5] Corn cob collecting and separating device (1) according to claim 4, characterized by , that the cover (7) has a feed opening (8) facing the conveyor (3). [6] Corn cob collecting and separating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by , that the discharge opening of the collection hopper (9) is equipped with a compressed air blower (10) and a discharge chute (11) attached to it. [7] Corn cob collecting and separating device (1) according to claim 6, characterized by , that the compressed air blower of the collection hopper (9) is designed to be switched on and off and that the collection hopper (9), which is designed to be opened and closed, works in conjunction with a discharge chute. [8] Corn cob collecting and separating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by , that the receiving unit (2) is formed from a receiving roller (16) and at least one conveying trough cooperating with it and conveying elements (18) provided with crushing or holding elements (17), in particular conveying rollers with hook-shaped holding elements fitted with cutting edges. [9] Corn cob collecting and separating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by , that the conveyor has a slope between the soil surface to be harvested and the shaking table 4 and that a receiving end of the conveyor (3) is arranged at a distance from the soil surface to be harvested and that the conveyor (3) has a circulating, driven endless belt provided with protruding ribs or tines.

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