HACKERKEE CONVEYOR DEVICE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an object according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] A root crop conveyor of this type is known from DE 101 42 436 A1. Root crop conveyors are also known from US Pat. No. 5,697,451 and EP 0 678 234 A1.

[0003] The object of the present invention is to improve a generic root crop conveying device with regard to the separation performance.

[0004] The object is achieved by an object according to claim 1 and by an object according to claim 11, advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the subclaims and the following description.

[0005] In a root crop conveying device according to the invention, the adjusting device for pivoting the roller group plane is designed, in particular, relative to a rotational axis of a roller of an adjacent roller group. This allows different gradients along the conveying path and a cascading of these gradients to be realized, which makes the separation performance more variable. For example, this involves an ascending conveying path of a first roller group, which transitions via a transfer stage and the associated falling of the root crops to a once again ascending conveying path section of a further roller group. Alternatively or additionally, a descending conveying path of a first or further roller group can transition into an incline of a subsequent roller group. Both variants, which may complement each other, are suitable for achieving intensive yet gentle cleaning.

[0006] In this case, pivoting means that a vertical line intersecting the rotational axis of the adjacent roller group from the roller group plane is also pivoted compared to before and after the pivoting. Alternatively or additionally, it is a pivoting relative to a subsurface, i.e., the roller group plane is at a different angle to the horizontal subsurface after the pivoting than before the pivoting.

[0007] Furthermore, a root crop conveying device according to the invention is characterized in that the rollers of at least one roller group are connected to one another via a scissor mechanism. This enables a simple change in the distance between the axes of rotation of a roller group, which can be varied, in particular, using a single adjusting means. In particular, a change in the distance between the axes of rotation of all respective roller groups can be achieved using at least two adjusting means, depending on the pivoting of the roller group levels. In combination with the pivotability of the levels of a roller group, optimized adaptability to a variety of root crops and cleaning requirements is achieved.

[0008] In particular, an adjusting means is provided for changing the distance between the rotational axes of a roller group to adjust the distance between the rotational axes of all roller groups. For this purpose, the force from the adjusting means is transmitted to these roller groups by means of a link arranged along the roller groups, wherein the adjusting means is preferably supported on two links connecting two roller groups each, especially when three roller groups are present. To transmit the force exerted by the adjusting means and to guide the bearing points of the roller groups, coupling rods with respective elongated holes can also be provided, in which individual bearings of a respective side part, for example of a scissor mechanism, are guided.

[0009] A scissor mechanism of a respective roller group comprises side parts located at at least one lateral end of the rollers of a roller group, which are connected to one another as a multi-joint, particularly in a parallelogram shape. Individual side parts of a roller group are pivotally supported on a frame or a side part of an adjacent roller group.

[0010] Typically, the rollers are supported by two bearings on both sides, or at least on one side. These bearings are located primarily at the ends of the rollers and are arranged to the left and right of the rollers, viewed in the conveying direction.

[0011] Preferably, the adjusting means of the adjusting device is designed to pivot at least one of the roller group levels, whereby the adjustment is possible, in particular, even during operation of the device by means of the adjusting means. Hydraulic and / or electrically driven adjusting means in the form of cylinders or motors are particularly suitable as adjusting means.

[0012] Whenever adjacent roller pairs or adjacent rollers or bearings are referred to below and above, this refers to a proximity viewed in a direction transverse to the main conveying direction of the root crop conveyor. For example, in a view from the right of the main conveying direction, the material being conveyed, particularly potatoes, is conveyed from a first, left-hand roller group to an adjacent roller group located further to the right.

[0013] The adjusting means is designed, in particular, to pivot all roller group levels. For this purpose, the adjusting means can be connected to at least one linkage, which acts directly or indirectly on all roller groups.

[0014] The adjusting device preferably has at least two adjusting means provided for one side of the root crop conveyor, wherein the adjusting means provided for pivoting can be actuated independently of a further adjusting means. The further adjusting means is provided, in particular in one variant, with a gravity mechanism for its actuation and generally effects a change in the distance between the axes of rotation within at least one and preferably all roller groups. The then at least two adjusting means are provided for one side or also for both sides of the root crop conveyor, viewed to the left and right in the main conveying direction. However, both sides preferably each have two corresponding adjusting means.

[0015] For simplicity, reference is often made below, as above, to only one side of the root crop conveyor, since the adjusting means provided for adjusting the root crop conveyor can be identical on both sides, and the means for supporting and guiding the rollers and roller groups are also usually mirrored on both sides, i.e., on the left and right ends of the respective rollers in the conveying direction. Drive means for rotating the rollers, however, can be arranged alternately on the left and right.

[0016] Due to the above design with two adjusting means, the spacing between the rollers of a roller group can be adjusted independently of the pivoting of the roller group plane of at least one roller group. The pivoting thus occurs independently of any further adjustment of the root crop conveyor device.

[0017] In particular, the first and the second adjusting means are nevertheless guided on a common link connecting two roller groups, in particular wherein the adjusting means are not designed to be fixed to the frame, which on the one hand facilitates the installation and retrofitting of a corresponding roller group and, in addition, leads to a simplification of the existing bearing structures, since one and the same link serves, on the one hand, as a bearing point for the adjusting means for adjusting, for example, the distance between the rotation axes of a roller group and, in addition, a relative movement between two adjacent roller groups can be exerted by means of the same link.

[0018] According to the invention, the overall inclination of the root crop conveyor can be adjusted by a further, third adjusting means of the adjusting device. Such a third adjusting means can effect an adjustment relative to a frame, for example, by holding the root crop conveyor on one side to the frame by a length-adjustable adjusting means. The same then applies, in accordance with the above, to the other end of the root crop conveyor, and a mirror-image design of the then two third adjusting means.

[0019] Preferably, two adjacent roller groups are coupled to each other by means of a joint designed at least as a four-bar linkage. By means of the adjusting means provided for pivoting, at least one of the bearing points of a roller group can be adjusted in height relative to a bearing point adjacent to it in a side view, so that the relative height adjustment allows pivoting of the roller group levels. The associated cascading of the roller groups leads to better and more individually adjustable fractionation and purification performance.

[0020] To ensure the positive guidance of the side parts with respect to pivoting of the roller group levels and a change in the distance between the rotation axes or the rollers of a respective roller group level, the side parts of the scissor mechanism are mounted on two coupling rods with respective elongated holes on both sides of the rollers. The coupling rods are movable relative to each other via the connecting link, so that actuation of the actuating device provided for pivoting also moves the coupling rods and the bearings of the side parts arranged on them.

[0021] In particular, the elongated holes are located at each end of the coupling rods, while a stationary pivot bearing is provided in a central area between the elongated holes. To actuate the scissor mechanism, in particular by means of an actuating means designed as an extendable and retractable cylinder, it is advantageous to mount the connecting link on one bearing side of the actuating means with a central bearing point in an elongated hole of one connecting link and a pivot bearing of the other coupling rod that is stationary with respect to the other coupling rod, while on the other bearing side of the actuating means, the further connecting link is arranged with its central bearing point in the stationary pivot bearing and on the other coupling rod with its further bearing point in the elongated hole. With this arrangement, extending the actuating means is accompanied by an increase in the distance between the connecting links.By coupling the roller groups with the connecting links and a respective roller link to form a parallelogram-like four-bar linkage and the simultaneous coupling of the side parts of a respective roller group in the form of a scissors mechanism, the change in the distance of the connecting links is accompanied by a change in the distance of the axes of rotation of a respective roller group.

[0022] In particular, two adjacent roller groups are connected in a parallelogram configuration, meaning there are four bearing points whose connecting links form a parallelogram in every position. This allows the adjacent roller groups to be easily and definitively coupled.

[0023] A prior art design of a root crop conveyor device is achieved when all rollers of a roller group are mounted on one side in a single side piece. On the opposite side, there is then preferably also only one side piece for mounting the rollers of the roller group, so that the rotational axes of a roller group are in a fixed positional relationship to one another.

[0024] According to a further advantageous development of the invention, the root crop conveying device has an eccentric suspension of at least one roller group, wherein the adjusting means is drive-connected, in particular, to a disc on which the roller group is eccentrically suspended by means of a suspension link. The disc or other transmission means is preferably centrally mounted and has an eccentric bearing for at least one suspension link of the roller group. This also applies to one side of the roller group when viewed from the side. On the opposite side of the roller group, a preferably mirror-image suspension is then provided. Adjacent roller groups are connected by means of a five-bar linkage.

[0025] The discs are mounted, in particular, in a frame of the root crop conveyor or in a frame of an overall device in which the root crop conveyor is installed. This allows for a particularly simple change in the pivoting of the roller group plane.

[0026] Advantageously, the rollers of the root crop conveyor are spiral rollers whose adjacent spiral sections, viewed from above and relative to a main longitudinal axis of the roller, are spaced by less than 5 cm. These spiral rollers are preferably provided with polyurethane casings and spirals.

[0027] Furthermore, the object stated at the outset is achieved by an agricultural device for storage technology which has a root crop conveying device according to the invention as described above or below.

[0028] Further advantages and details of the invention can be found in the following description of the figures. Schematically shown: Fig. 1: a side view of a root crop conveying device not according to the invention in a partial representation, Fig. 2: the object not according to the invention according to Fig. 1 in a new operating position and further abstracted, Fig. 3: an object according to the invention, Fig. 4: the object according to Fig. 3 in another position, Fig. 5: the object after Fig. 4 in a further position, Fig. 6: a perspective view of the object according to Fig. 5 , Fig. 7: a further object according to the invention in a side view and a partial representation, Fig. 8 a further embodiment of the invention.

[0029] Individual technical features of the exemplary embodiments described below can also lead to further developments according to the invention in combination with the features of the independent claims. Where appropriate, functionally equivalent parts are provided with identical reference numerals.

[0030] A first embodiment of the invention ( Fig. 1 and 2 ) comprises three roller groups 2, whose rollers 6 have rotation axes 4. The rotation axes 4 of the respective roller group 2 each span a roller group plane 8. According to the invention, by means of an adjusting means of the adjusting device (not shown in detail) by actuating a disc 28 of a respective roller group 2, a pivoting of the associated roller group plane 8 can be carried out. This is mediated by a respective suspension link 23 suspended eccentrically on a respective disc 28. The comparison of the Fig. 1 and 2reveals the pivoting of the roller plane 8 of the middle roller group 2. On the one hand, a pivoting takes place relative to the base 24, but in particular also a pivoting relative to the roller group planes of the adjacent roller groups 2. The pivoting can also be seen from a vertical 9, which is on the roller group plane 8 of the middle roller group 2 and runs through the axis of rotation 4 of an adjacent shaft.

[0031] According to the further embodiment of the Fig. 3 an adjusting means 10 is provided for pivoting at least one of the roller group levels 8 (cf. Fig. 4 and 5 ). Here there is a deflection relative to the ground 24.

[0032] The root crop conveyor device in the present case has two adjusting means 10, 16, of which the adjusting means 10 provided for pivoting can be actuated independently of the other adjusting means 16. Both adjusting means 10, 16 are articulated on a common link 18 connecting two groups of rollers. Fig. 5 The right connecting link 18 only contains the adjusting means 16 required to adjust the distance between the rotation axes 4 of the respective roller groups.

[0033] To pivot the roller group levels 8 of a respective roller group 2, the connecting link 18 is pivoted around the two upper bearing points 22 of the Fig. 5 , wherein the upper left bearing point 22 is held by the adjusting means 16, which is used for the distance adjustment of the scissor mechanism or the individual rollers of a roller group 2.

[0034] As with the example of the Fig. 1 and 2Each roller group is coupled to an adjacent roller group by means of a four-bar linkage, particularly in the form of a parallelogram, and the bearing points of adjacent roller groups are height-adjustable by means of the adjustment process transmitted via the connecting link 18. The four-bar linkage also includes a further roller link 19 connecting adjacent roller groups.

[0035] While in the embodiment of the Fig. 1 and 2 the rollers 6 of a roller group 2 are mounted in only one side part 12, the rollers 6 of a roller group 2 of the embodiment according to the Fig. 3 bis 6 mounted in side parts 14 of a scissors-like connection or scissors mechanism. Coupling rods 25 with respective elongated holes serve to guide the side parts 14 of the scissors mechanism and the positively guided adjustment of the roller groups 2 by means of the adjusting means 10 and 16. They serve to support the respective pivoting or rotating movements and distance changes of the associated side parts 14 and thus as elements of the positive guide when using only one adjusting means 10 for pivoting and only one adjusting means 16 for changing the distance of the rotation axes 4 of the respective rollers 6. It is understood that this again only applies to one side of the conveyor device. The other side of the roller group, viewed in the conveying direction, left or right, is according to Fig. 6 identically mechanically coupled.

[0036] By coupling the roller groups 2 with the connecting links 18 and a respective roller link 19 to form a parallelogram-like four-bar linkage and the simultaneous coupling of the side parts 14 of a respective roller group 2 in the form of a scissors mechanism, when the adjusting means 16 is actuated, a change in the distance of the connecting links 18 is accompanied by a change in the distance of the rollers 6 of a respective roller group 2 (cf. Fig. 3 and 4 ).

[0037] Accordingly, the structure of the Fig. 7 The embodiment shown is somewhat simplified, since there the adjusting means 10 for pivoting the roller group levels 8 are arranged twice on each side (below the rollers 6), while the adjusting means 16 used to adjust the distance between the individual rotation axes 4 of the rollers 6 of a respective roller group 2 are arranged above. Accordingly, a root crop conveying device according to the invention has Fig. 7 On the left and right side of the bearing, viewed in the conveying direction, there are three adjusting devices 16 and two adjusting devices 10.

[0038] An agricultural storage device in the form of a receiving hopper 30 is equipped with a root crop conveying device designed to cascade the roller groups 2. Starting from a hopper 32, the root crops are cleaned and / or already fractionated on a root crop conveying device according to the invention.

Claims

1. Root-crop conveyor for cleaning and / or separating root crops, in particular in the form of potatoes, comprising at least two adjacent roller groups (2), which have at least two rollers (6), which each rotate about an axis of rotation (4) and of which the axes of rotation (4) form a roller-group plane (8), and comprising an adjusting device, which is provided with at least one adjusting means (10), wherein at least the rollers (6) of at least one roller group (8) are mounted, on one side, in at least one side part (12, 14), which interacts with the adjusting means (10), such that actuation of the adjusting means (10) can give rise to movement of the at least one roller-group plane (8) relative to a frame in which the root-crop conveyor can be arranged, wherein the adjusting device is designed in order to pivot the roller-group plane (8) in particular in relation to an axis of rotation (4) of a roller (6) of an adjacent roller group (2), characterized in that the rollers (6) of a roller group (2) are connected to one another via a scissors mechanism.

2. Root-crop conveyor according to Claim 1, characterized in that the adjusting means (10) is designed in order to pivot at least one of the roller-group planes (8).

3. Root-crop conveyor according to Claim 2, characterized in that the adjusting device has at least two adjusting means (10, 16), which are provided for one side of the root-crop conveyor, wherein the adjusting means (10), which is provided for pivoting purposes, can be actuated independently of the further adjusting means (16) .

4. Root-crop conveyor according to Claim 3, characterized in that the first and the second, further adjusting means (10, 16) are articulated on a common link (18), which connects two roller groups (2), in particular wherein the adjusting means (10, 16) are not designed to be secured on the frame.

5. Root-crop conveyor according to Claim 3 or 4, characterized by a further, third adjusting means, which can adjust an inclination of the root-crop conveyor as a whole.

6. Root-crop conveyor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two adjacent roller groups (2) are coupled to one another by means of a joint (20), designed in the form of at least a four-bar linkage, and by way of the adjusting means (10), which is provided for pivoting purposes, at least one of the bearing points (22) of a roller group (2) can be height-adjusted in relation to an adjacent bearing point (22), as seen in a side view, in particular wherein the adjusting means (10), which is provided for pivoting purposes, acts on a connecting link (18), which connects two roller groups (2) .

7. Root-crop conveyor according to Claim 6, characterized in that two adjacent roller groups (2) are connected to one another in the manner of a parallelogram.

8. Root-crop conveyor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side parts (14) of the scissors mechanism are mounted, on both sides of the rollers (6), in respectively two coupling rods each with slots.

9. Root-crop conveyor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that all the rollers (6) of a roller group are mounted, on one side, in just one side part (12).

10. Root-crop conveyor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an eccentric-suspension arrangement at least for one roller group (2), wherein the adjusting means is in drive connection in particular with a disk (28) of the eccentric-suspension arrangement.

11. Piece of agricultural equipment used for storage purposes, in particular a receiving hopper (30), characterized by a root-crop conveyor according to one of the preceding claims.