Finger band unit, separating device, and root crop harvester

Abstract

The invention relates to a finger band unit for an agricultural separating device which is designed to process a root crop flow in a cutting manner, comprising at least one finger band which has at least one longitudinal support that circulates during operation and comprising a first and a second lateral row of sorting fingers which are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction (L) of the finger band and which extend downwards from above in a working region in the separating device during operation, wherein at least some of the sorting fingers delimit a plurality of conveyor regions which follow one another and which are provided with a lateral inlet opening, said conveyor regions being delimited towards the front and towards the rear with respect to the longitudinal direction (L) by at least two sorting fingers, and the conveyor regions which are delimited towards the front and towards the rear preferably by at least three sorting fingers extend over at least 50% of the effective width (B) of the finger band. The side of each conveyor region located laterally to the inlet opening is delimited by at least two sorting fingers. The invention additionally relates to a separating device for a root crop flow and to a root crop harvester comprising such a separating device.

Description

[0001] Finger belt unit, separator and root crop harvester

[0002] The present invention relates to a finger belt unit for an agricultural separating device which is intended for the separating processing of a root crop harvest stream, wherein the finger belt unit is provided with at least one finger belt which has at least one longitudinal beam which rotates during operation. Furthermore, the finger belt unit has a first and a second lateral row of sorting fingers which are arranged one after the other in the longitudinal direction and which, for operation in the separating device, extend downwards from the top into an active area in the direction of at least one conveyor belt, wherein at least some of the sorting fingers delimit a plurality of successive conveying areas which are provided with a lateral inlet opening and which are each delimited to the front and rear in relation to the longitudinal direction by at least two sorting fingers.

[0003] Furthermore, the invention relates to a separating device for separating root crops from a root crop harvest stream and to a root crop harvesting machine with such a separating device.

[0004] During a harvesting process, particularly during potato harvesting, the crop stream comprising stones, clods, and potatoes is transported by conveyors to an incoming conveyor belt of the separator. There, the sorting fingers of a finger belt of a finger belt unit act from above on the crop lying on the at least one conveyor belt, crushing clods and transporting potatoes and stones differently and thus separately. During operation, a portion of the root crop stream, preferably the root crops, is transferred by the finger belt to an outgoing conveyor belt of the separator.

[0005] WO 2018 / 069551 A1 discloses finger belt units. It has been shown that a finger belt unit equipped with the conveyor areas disclosed in principle lacks sufficient separation efficiency under certain harvesting conditions. However, increasing the rotational speed of the finger belt can lead to excessive impact on the root crops and thus be counterproductive.

[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a finger belt unit, a separating device with such a finger belt and a harvesting machine which avoids the problems in the prior art.

[0007] The object is achieved by the subject matter described in claims 1, 18, and 19. Advantageous embodiments can be found in the subclaims referring back to claim 1 and in the following description.

[0008] A finger belt unit according to the invention is characterized in that the conveying areas, which are delimited to the front and rear by preferably at least three sorting fingers, extend over at least 50% of the effective width of the finger belt, viewed in the longitudinal direction, wherein a side of the respective conveying area located to the side of the inlet opening is delimited by at least two sorting fingers. In particular, the conveying areas are thus at least 150 mm wide. The effective width of a finger belt is defined by the left outer side of the outermost sorting finger(s) on the left and the right outer side of the outermost sorting finger on the right of the same conveyor belt, viewed in the longitudinal direction, and describes the width of the effective area in which sorting fingers come into contact with the root crop stream. The longitudinal direction of the finger belt is the longitudinal direction in which the finger belt runs on its lower, effective side during operation.

[0009] With such a configuration of the finger belt unit, and in particular the finger belt, a significantly larger portion of the root crop harvest flow arriving on the conveyor belt during operation can be transported through the inlet opening under the finger belt unit, without the first row of sorting fingers (as viewed in the direction of rotation of the conveyor belt) affecting the crop flow. With such a configuration, significantly larger quantities of the root crop harvest flow can be transferred towards a discharge conveyor belt of a separator during operation. The conveying areas extend longitudinally over at least 75% of the width of the finger belt to make the conveying areas even larger.

[0010] With a design according to the invention, more crop can be transferred into the effective area of ​​the finger belt unit, and more material can be processed by the finger belt unit over a longer period of time. Furthermore, by carrying larger quantities of impurities in the conveying areas, the root crops are separated more gently from the impurities during the separation process under the finger belt unit.

[0011] The conveying area is an area without fingers, which, when viewed from below, is delimited by the sorting fingers of the finger belt. On the side facing the incoming crop flow, there is a correspondingly greater spacing between the sorting fingers that delimit the inlet opening. The sorting fingers that delimit the conveying area are arranged at a distance from one another; accordingly, the conveying area is an area whose extent, particularly in the longitudinal direction, is greater than the spacing between the sorting fingers that form the lateral boundaries.

[0012] The conveying area is not defined by a continuous border; rather, its shape is defined by a line that directly connects the sorting fingers that form the boundary, i.e., by the shortest path. This line also connects the sorting fingers that define the inlet opening, also by the shortest path. The line runs along the outer circumference of the sorting fingers that define the conveying area. The conveying area is viewed at the height of the sorting fingers at which they impact the root crop flow.

[0013] To define the conveying areas, the unloaded state of the sorting fingers is considered. When mounted and operating in an effective position, i.e., acting on the crop flow, they preferably extend vertically from above to a lower conveyor belt. A rotating finger belt moves the conveying areas one after the other through the effective range, the vertical section at which the sorting fingers act on the root crop flow.

[0014] The inlet opening is located on the side of the finger belt which, when mounted, is directed towards the incoming root crop stream.

[0015] In particular, the side of the conveying area opposite the inlet opening is delimited by at least three sorting fingers, preferably the second row, so that the sorting area has a substantially square shape, ie regardless of the circumferences of the sorting fingers, which makes good use of the available area of ​​the finger belt.

[0016] In particular, the first and second rows are each outer lateral rows of the same finger belt, which leads to a further improved utilization of the width of the finger belt for the conveying areas.

[0017] Preferably, the sorting fingers of the first and second rows are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction, which leads to further improved utilization of the available area on the finger belt. In contrast to a sequential arrangement of the sorting fingers, in which subsequent sorting fingers can also be offset from one another in the longitudinal direction, when the sorting fingers are arranged one behind the other, their effective area is congruent in the longitudinal direction, with the same sorting finger width.

[0018] A particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention is one in which the average spacing of the sorting fingers in the first row is greater than the average spacing of the sorting fingers in the second row in the longitudinal direction of the finger belt. This allows the root crop stream to penetrate more effectively into the conveying areas.

[0019] Preferably, the width of the inlet opening, viewed from the side transverse to the longitudinal and circumferential directions, is at least four times the distance between the adjacent sorting fingers that define the conveying area on the side of the conveying area opposite the inlet opening. The rear side can, but does not have to, be formed by sorting fingers arranged directly one behind the other in the longitudinal direction. Rather, they can also be arranged offset from one another in the longitudinal direction. Thus, the inlet opening is designed to be large enough to allow a sufficient amount of the crop flow to be introduced into the conveying area.

[0020] In particular, the first and second rows are the outermost left and right rows of the finger belt unit, viewed in the longitudinal direction, which comprises one or two finger belts. It is also within the scope of the invention to design an inventive finger belt forming conveying regions one behind the other with a conventional finger belt, in which the fingers of a row are arranged equidistantly one behind the other, viewed in the longitudinal direction. Preferably, with such a design of a finger belt unit, the first finger belt from the direction of the incoming crop flow is the one with conveying regions, while the finger belt located behind it can be a conventional finger belt from the prior art or a finger belt provided with the conveying regions described above or below.

[0021] It is understood that the finger belt is a rotating finger belt during operation, which can be driven via associated drive means, e.g., drive rollers or shafts, and deflected via any deflection means. During operation, the finger belt unit also comprises a frame in which the finger belt(s) are mounted.

[0022] Preferably, the conveying areas of a finger belt unit according to the invention are delimited in the longitudinal direction between the first and second rows to the front and rear by at least two, and in particular by at least three, further sorting fingers designed as intermediate fingers. The conveying area can be delimited to the front or rear by preferably up to 15 sorting fingers.

[0023] In a finger belt unit with a simple design, the intermediate fingers that define a conveying area extend in front of and / or behind the conveying area, again viewed longitudinally, in a straight line. In particular, the intermediate fingers that define a conveying area at the front and rear, as well as those arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction, are spaced at least approximately equally apart. A spacing of "at least approximately equally apart" here means distances that vary by up to a maximum of 10%. This simplifies both planning and construction, since, for example, a grid dimension can be used to arrange the sorting fingers both longitudinally and transversely.

[0024] Advantageously, a finger belt unit is further characterized in that the at least one finger belt has a further longitudinal beam that runs around it during operation, and the longitudinal beams are connected to one another via at least one intermediate beam. The longitudinal beam(s) are formed, in particular, by respective chain or belt belts that exhibit sufficient flexibility and strength. Belts with a fabric insert are particularly used.

[0025] The longitudinal beams are then arranged lengthwise on the sides of the finger conveyor. The intermediate beam connects the longitudinal beams and preferably keeps them spaced apart. The intermediate beam(s) can also be sufficiently stable to attach the sorting fingers.

[0026] In particular, the two, preferably lateral, longitudinal beams are connected to one another by a plurality of intermediate beams extending transversely to the longitudinal direction. The intermediate beams can, for example, be designed as planar elements, with the longitudinal extension being sufficiently short not to impede the necessary circulation during operation. In particular, however, they are rod-shaped intermediate beams constructed, for example, from metal or a composite material sufficiently strong for the assembly.

[0027] Preferably, at least some of the sorting fingers are arranged on the at least one intermediate support. The surface provided by the intermediate supports is used to arrange the sorting fingers. According to a further development of the invention, all sorting fingers can be arranged on the intermediate supports, which facilitates assembly in particular by prefabricated intermediate supports with sorting fingers.

[0028] In particular, the sorting fingers that define the conveying area to the front and rear are arranged offset longitudinally from one another when viewed from the side, so that the sides that define the conveying area to the front and rear appear slanted when viewed from below. This provides increased adjustment options for the interaction with the root crop flow.

[0029] In particular, at least one of the conveying areas, in particular all conveying areas of a finger belt, extends from the inlet opening diagonally opposite the longitudinal direction and thus rearward, which improves the flow of crop material into the conveying area. The width of such a conveying area, transverse to its longitudinal direction, which runs diagonally to the longitudinal direction of the finger belt, is preferably between 100 mm and 400 mm.

[0030] The assembly of a finger belt according to the invention is further improved according to one embodiment of the invention if the fastening areas provided and / or used for fastening the sorting fingers are arranged in a grid dimension. This enables simple manufacture of the intermediate supports and simple, in particular automated, assembly of the sorting fingers on the intermediate supports. When using a grid dimension, i.e. at least approximately equal distances, e.g. between any intermediate supports and between the fastening areas for the sorting fingers on the intermediate supports, the conveying areas are delimited to the front and rear in particular by sorting fingers, the fastening areas of which are arranged directly next to one another when viewed in the longitudinal direction, i.e. without any free fastening areas. When using a grid dimension, the conveying areas are therefore always delimited or defined by sorting fingers that are located directly next to one another when viewed in the longitudinal direction.This is particularly true regardless of whether the adjacent sorting fingers are mounted on the same or adjacent intermediate supports.

[0031] Preferably, at least some of the sorting fingers are arranged on the at least one longitudinal beam. A further part of the sorting fingers can be arranged on the intermediate beams. If only one longitudinal beam is present, all of the sorting fingers can also be arranged on the longitudinal beam. A longitudinal beam is understood here to be an elongated, continuous, and therefore sufficiently flexible tension element.

[0032] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a finger belt unit comprises two finger belts running side by side and rotating in the same direction, wherein the first row and the second row are formed on different finger belts and a conveying area is formed by sorting fingers of both finger belts. This allows particularly large conveying areas to be formed, wherein the finger belts should in particular be driven at the same circumferential speed. Preferably, the first and second rows are formed on the same finger belt, wherein in addition to this finger belt formed with conveying areas, a finger belt unit can also have a further finger belt, in particular one provided with smaller spacings between the sorting fingers.

[0033] The object posed at the outset is also achieved by a separating device for a root crop harvest stream, which has at least two conveyor belts, in particular in the form of hedgehog or knobbed belts, and a finger belt unit according to the invention as described above or below, wherein the longitudinal direction of the finger belt runs at an angle to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belts. This separating device accordingly benefits from the advantages of the finger belt unit. In addition to at least one infeed and one outfeed conveyor belt and drive means associated with the finger belt unit, which drive the circulating conveyor belt, the separating device also comprises support and tensioning means that support and deflect the conveyor belt. These support and tensioning means are mounted in a frame of the separating device. The object described at the outset is also achieved by a root crop harvesting machine having a separating device as described above or below.This root crop harvester, which is designed specifically for harvesting potatoes, also benefits from the previously and subsequently described advantages of the separator and finger belt unit.

[0034] Further advantages and details of the invention can be found in the following description of the figures. Schematically shown:

[0035] Fig. 1 shows a root crop harvesting machine according to the invention,

[0036] Fig. 2 a separating device according to the invention,

[0037] Fig. 3 is a side view of part of the article according to Fig. 2,

[0038] Fig. 4 shows an embodiment of a finger band unit according to the invention in a bottom view,

[0039] Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment of a finger band unit according to the invention in a bottom view,

[0040] Fig. 6 shows a third embodiment of a finger strap unit according to the invention in a bottom view. The features described above or below, together with the features of the independent claims, can lead to further developments according to the invention. Equivalent features of different embodiments are provided with identical reference numerals where appropriate.

[0041] A root crop harvester 2 according to the invention is designed as a towed root crop harvester 2 (Fig. 1). In the present case, it is a potato harvester. For harvesting, it is coupled to a tractor with a coupling 4. During operation, potatoes and impurities comprising clods and stones are picked up by a pickup 6 and conveyed via a series of separating devices to a separating device 8 according to the invention. From there, the harvested material is transported via a sorting table (not shown) into a bunker 10, from which the harvested material can be discharged. Due to the design according to the invention, the potato harvester can be operated at particularly high throughput rates without the harvested material being damaged.

[0042] A separating device 8 according to the invention comprises a finger belt unit 12 with two finger belts, a finger belt 14 forming conveying sections, and a finger belt 16 of conventional design. The separating device further comprises a conveyor belt 18 conveying a root crop harvest stream, an intermediate conveyor belt 20, and two discharge conveyor belts 22 (Fig. 2). The conveyor belts 18, 20, and 22 form a conveying plane 24 for the root crop harvest stream (Fig. 3). The finger belt unit 12 has a frame 26 in which the means for deflecting and driving the finger belts 14 and 16 are mounted. The separating device also has a separating device frame 28, on which the frame 26 is arranged and which is part of the machine frame of the root crop harvesting machine 2. A longitudinal direction L of the finger belt 14 runs at an angle to the longitudinal direction LF of the conveyor belts.

[0043] The finger belt 14, like the finger belt 16, has two longitudinal supports 30 in the form of belts or belt bands which rotate during operation and are connected to one another via rod-shaped, metallic intermediate supports 32.

[0044] Preferably, the effective width of a finger band in the invention generally ranges from 140 mm to 600 mm. Likewise, the total width of a finger band, viewed in the longitudinal direction, generally ranges from 145 mm to 750 mm. Furthermore, the spacing of the intermediate supports can preferably be between 30 and 60 mm. The spacing of the fastening areas on the intermediate supports generally ranges from 45 mm to 55 mm.

[0045] When considering the function of the finger belt 14, only the part of the finger belt 14 that acts on the root crop flow is considered. During operation, sorting fingers 36 of the finger belt 14 extend from above toward a transport plane 40, which is defined by the uppermost points of the conveyor belts 18, 20, and 22. An effective area 42 is the vertical section in which the sorting fingers 36 act on the root crop flow, regardless of any bending of the area of ​​the sorting fingers 36 located above the root crop flow.

[0046] In a side view, the sorting fingers 36 are arranged equidistant from one another, with the sorting fingers defining and delimiting an inlet opening 44 in the longitudinal and circumferential directions delimiting an inlet opening 44 both to the front and to the rear (Figs. 4 to 6). In all three embodiments, the sorting fingers 36 delimit conveying areas 46 extending obliquely backward from the inlet opening, counter to the longitudinal direction L. These are shown in a simplified manner, regardless of the outer circumference of the sorting fingers and including the inlet openings 44, with adjacent straight lines 45 indicating the sides of the conveying areas 46.

[0047] The conveying areas 46 are delimited by sorting fingers 36, which are arranged in a grid pattern formed by the equally spaced intermediate supports 32 and the fastening areas 48 of the respective intermediate supports 32 formed by these intermediate supports and located one behind the other in the longitudinal direction. The spacing of the fastening areas 48 of an intermediate support 32 is also equal. Accordingly, the shape of the sorting fingers 36 results in a spacing A between the sorting fingers located directly behind one another in the longitudinal direction L (Fig. 3).

[0048] In the longitudinal direction to the front and rear, the conveying areas 46 are arranged according to the

[0049] Embodiment according to Fig. 4 is delimited by at least four sorting fingers 36. The left outer row of sorting fingers viewed in the longitudinal direction L, which in the view of Figure 4 corresponds to the bottom row of sorting fingers 36 of the finger belt 14, delimits the conveying area on the side of the conveying area opposite the inlet opening with five sorting fingers 36. To the front and rear, the conveying area is delimited by three sorting fingers 36 between its sorting fingers delimiting the left and right sides viewed in the longitudinal direction L.

[0050] In the longitudinal direction L, the conveying areas of the finger belt 14 according to Fig. 5 are delimited to the front and rear by three sorting fingers. On the right-hand side, viewed in the longitudinal direction L, which corresponds to the upper side in the view of Fig. 5, the inlet opening 44 is arranged in the first row of sorting fingers 36. The sorting fingers 36 at the front in the longitudinal direction L, which delimit the conveying area at the front, form a side extending obliquely backwards, located to the side of the inlet opening, which is delimited by two sorting fingers 36.

[0051] In the embodiment according to Fig. 6, an average distance between the sorting fingers 36 of the first row is greater than the average distance between the sorting fingers 36 of the second row, wherein these are the outermost lateral rows in the longitudinal direction L, which also define the effective width B of the finger bands 14 as in the embodiments of Figs. 4 and 5.

[0052] The conveying areas 46 of Figures 4 to 6, which represent unwound finger belts, are delimited to the front and rear, viewed in the longitudinal direction, by sorting fingers 36, the fastening areas 48 of which are arranged directly next to one another. When using a grid dimension, the conveying areas 46 are therefore always delimited to the front and rear, viewed in the longitudinal direction, by sorting fingers 36 which are arranged directly next to one another. The fastening areas are located on a longitudinal beam at a distance of The sorting fingers 36 arranged next to one another are partly fastened on the same intermediate beam 32 or on directly adjacent intermediate beams 32.

Claims

Protection claims 1. Finger belt unit for an agricultural separating device (8), which is intended for the separating processing of a root crop stream, with at least one finger belt (14), which has at least one longitudinal support (30) rotating during operation, and with a first and a second lateral row of sorting fingers (36) arranged one after the other in the longitudinal direction (L) of the finger belt (14), which extend downwards from above into an active area (42) for operation in the separating device (8), wherein at least some of the sorting fingers (36) delimit a plurality of successive conveying areas (46) provided with a lateral inlet opening (44), which are each delimited to the front and rear with respect to the longitudinal direction (L) by at least two sorting fingers (36), characterized in thatthat the conveying areas (46) delimited to the front and rear by preferably at least three sorting fingers (36) extend over at least 50% of the effective width (B) of the finger belt (14), wherein a side of the respective conveying area (46) located to the side of the inlet opening (44) is delimited by at least two sorting fingers (36).

2. Finger band unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the The side of the conveying area (46) opposite the inlet opening (44) is delimited by at least three sorting fingers (36), preferably the second row.

3. Finger band unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and second rows are each outer lateral rows, in particular of the same finger band (14).

4. Finger belt unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sorting fingers (36) of the first and second row are arranged one behind the other when viewed in the longitudinal direction (L).

5. Finger belt unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the longitudinal direction (L) of the finger belt (14) the average distance between the sorting fingers (36) of the first row is greater than the average distance between the sorting fingers (36) of the second row.

6. Finger belt unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conveying areas (46) are delimited in the longitudinal direction (L) between the first and second row to the front and rear by at least two and in particular by three further sorting fingers (36) designed as intermediate fingers.

7. Finger belt unit according to claim 6, characterized in that the intermediate fingers (46) delimiting a conveying area (46) extend in a line in front of and / or behind the conveying area (46).

8. Finger belt unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sorting fingers (36) which delimit the conveying area (46) to the front and rear are arranged offset from one another in the longitudinal direction (L) when viewed in a side view.

9. Finger belt unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the conveying regions (46) extends obliquely from the inlet opening opposite to the longitudinal direction (L).

10. Finger belt unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the width of the inlet opening (44) viewed in a side view is at least four times the distance (A) between those adjacent sorting fingers which delimit the conveying area on the side of the conveying area (46) opposite the inlet opening (44).

11. Finger belt unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one finger belt (14) has a further longitudinal support (30) which rotates during operation and the longitudinal supports (30) are connected to one another via at least one intermediate support (32).

12. Finger band unit according to claim 11, characterized in that the two longitudinal supports (30) are connected to one another via a plurality of intermediate supports (32) extending transversely to the longitudinal direction (L).

13. Finger belt unit according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that at least a part of the sorting fingers (36) is arranged on the at least one intermediate carrier (32).

14. Finger belt unit according to claim 13, characterized in that the fastening areas (38) provided and / or used for fastening the sorting fingers (36) are arranged in a grid dimension.

15. Finger belt unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least a part of the sorting fingers (36) is arranged on the at least one intermediate carrier (32).

16. Finger belt unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by two finger belts running side by side and rotating in the same direction, wherein the first row and the second row are formed on different finger belts and a conveying area (46) is formed by sorting fingers (36) of both finger belts.

17. Finger band unit according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the first and second rows are formed on the same finger band (14).

18. Separating device for a root crop harvest stream comprising at least two conveyor belts (18, 20, 22), in particular in the form of hedgehog or knobbed belts, and a finger belt unit (12) according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 13, wherein the longitudinal direction (L) of the finger belt (14) runs at an angle to the longitudinal direction (LF) of the conveyor belts (18, 20, 22).

19. Root crop harvesting machine comprising a separating device (8) according to claim 18.

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