GB2479059A

GB2479059A - Method and machine for lifting a material layer from above a crop

Info

Publication number: GB2479059A
Application number: GB1104980A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Larrington
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-03-24
Filing date: 2011-03-24
Publication date: 2011-09-28
Also published as: GB201104980D0; GB201004877D0

Abstract

A method and machine4for removing a layer of material3from a ground surface under which there is a growing crop2comprises advancing the machine in front of a prime mover, such as a tractor5. The machine comprises a lifting arrangement45located at a forward end of the machine which engages the material and lifts the material from the ground, means for chopping50the lifted material and auger means53for feeding the lifted and chopped material to a side of the machine for ejection there from. The material maybe a straw mulch. The means for chopping may be a pair of chopping rollers with a plurality of cutting elements extending radially outwardly from the rollers. The rollers may rotate in opposite directions.

Description

MACHINE FOR LIFTING A MATERIAL LAYER FROM ABOVE A CROP

This invention relates to a machine for the removal of a material layer, in particular a straw layer, located above a crop growing in the ground.

it is well known commercially to grow root crops, such as carrots, potatoes and the like, in a series of rows side-by-side.

it also is a known practice to cover growing crops with a layer of material, generally straw and/or foliage, which is intended to provide protection for the growing crop against adverse climatic conditions such as frost, heavy rain which could both damage the growing crop and wash away soil in the immediate vicinity of the growing crop. in this way, vegetable crops are available all year round.

it is also a well known horticultural requirement to be able to facilitate, at the time of the harvesting of a crop, to remove the material from the ground surface prior to an actual crop lifting operation.

With present day farming methods, crop cover removal is carried out by a purpose built machine which is capable of travelling along the rows of the crop whilst engaging the material layer in such a manner to lift the material layer away from the ground surface without damaging the crop in the ground. The lifted material layer is then carried away by a lifted material conveyor belt which directly receives the lifted material. Since the lifted material includes in addition to the material making up the cover layer stones and other detritus that may lay in the path of the cover-lifting machine, all of the lifted material is deposited on the conveyor. it follows that such stones and other detritus are likely to be deposited on the conveyor belt for transfer to the lifted material discharge zone of the machine. in practice, the picking-up and subsequent handling of the cover layer material, the stones and the other detritus can result in damage to the machine and reduction in the efficiency of the operation of the machine. These types of machine often suffer from lifted material becoming tangled in the conveyor rollers and belts/chains and knife blades, which serve to chop the material into small pieces, often need replacing, sometimes as much as once-a-week, owing to the stones striking the cutting edges and causing them to become misshapen and/or blunt.

As will be appreciated, a cover layer of material represents a relatively large volume of material to be removed if one considers an entire field or meadow in which the crop is growing, the consequence being handling problems.

With a view to faciUtating the handling of such material it is known to provide machines that are intended to remove such material whUst being towed by, for example, a conventional agricultural/horticultural tractor.

In relation to the use of a towed machine, since it is operationally positioned behind the tractor, the driver of the tractor is somewhat inappropriately positioned to maintain a continuous watch on the operation of the material handling machine. In relation to this situation, it is an important requirement that whilst the material is being lifted and removed from the ground surface, the crop is not being damaged. In addition, the use of a towed machine for handling the material means that the machine and the tractor are trailed over the layer of the material to be removed the running wheels of the machine and tractor in travelling over the material press the material towards and into the ground thereby making it more difficult to lift and remove the material together with the possibility of damage to the crop in situations in which the material can overlie an adjacent row of crop.

In relation to the harvesting carrot crops in particular, the avoidance of possible damage can be a very important harvesting consideration especially when Ft is required to lift the crop with the foliage of the actual carrot still in tact.

A difficulty sometimes arising with towed machines is that the driver of the tractor is, generally speaking, not able easily to monitor the machine operational conditions at locations close to the machine, This means that there is invariably a lengthy gap between a machine position and a location behind the machine at which the operational performance can be assessed and corrected if necessary.

However, owing to ease of use considerations, it is often more convenient to utilise a towed machine.

It is an object of the present invention to provide arrangements for at least reducing the problems arising from the use of existing material handling machines.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of handling a machine for removing a layer of material from a ground surface under which there is a growing crop comprising advancing the machine over the ground surface in front of a prime mover such as a tractor.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a material-handling machine for removing a layer of material from a ground surface under which there is a growing crop, the machine arranged to be advanced over the ground and comprising a lifting arrangement located at a forward end of the machine serving to engage the material and lift the materia from the ground, means for chopping the ifted material and auger means for feeding ifted and chopped material to a side of the machine for ejection therefrom.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of removing a ayer of materia from a ground surface beneath which a crop is growing comprising advancing a material-handling machine over the ground, lifting the materia' from the ground surface by way of a lifting arrangement of the machine, chopping the lifted material by way of chopping means located immediately downstream of the lifting arrangement and ejecting the lifted and chopped material from a side of the machine.

Owing to these aspects, it is possible to provide a relatively compact material-handling machine in which substantially all of the lifted material passes through the means for chopping.

n one construction, the means for chopping the material includes two side-by-side contra-rotating rol'ers mounting chopping knives between which rollers the material, after chopping, is caused to pass to the means for ejecting the material from the machine.

n another construction, the means for chopping the materia includes two rollers which rotate in the same direction, but which have cutting teeth arranged in respective opposing spirals about the rol'ers. In this way, the cutting teeth of the respective rollers act against each other.

In a preferred construction, the means for ejection of the chopped material includes an auger device that is arranged to transport and deposit the chopped material upon a spinnable plate that serves to throw the materia' to a side of the machine away from the crop to be harvested.

In order that the present invention can be clearly and completely disclosed, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figure 1 is a schematic side view of one version of a material-handling machine and an associated tractor; Figure 2 is a top plan view of the material-handling machine of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front end view of the material-handling machine of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side view of the material-handling machine of Figure 1; Figure 5 is perspective view of the material-handling machine of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a second version of the material-hanthing machine; Figure 7 is a top plan view of the second version of the material-handling machine; and Figure 8 is a side view of the second version of the material-handling machine.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5, a carrot crop 1 comprises a plurality of rows of carrots schematically represented in Figure 1 by an upstanding line of carrots 2. The line of carrots 2 is covered by a layer of material in the form of a layer of straw 3 which, in practice, is to afford protection against adverse weather conditions to the carrots during their growth.

A material-handling machine for removing the layer 3 is generally depicted at 4, the machine being operationally positioned for advancement along the line 2 by a prime mover, such as a tractor 5 including a main chassis 6, a cab 7, front wheels 8 and rear wheels 9.

As is conventional, the tractor 5 includes a power take-off facility schematically identified by the reference 10 by means of which the machine 4 having a power input facility 11 and a connecting arrangement with the tractor 5 can be controlled by the tractor driver from within the cab 7. As mentioned, the machine 4 as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 is depicted in outline and is shown to include a main chassis framework structure 12 including inter alia main side frame members 13 and cross members 14, 15, 16 and 17.

The rear end 18 of the machine 4 is provided, in this version, with connections arrangements 20 by means of which the machine 4 can be rigidly coupled to complimentary connection arrangements (not shown) as is conventionally provided on the tractor 5 at its forward end region.

As shown in Figure 1, the front end 19 of the machine 4 is provided at each side thereof with a road-running wheel 22 that is mounted by way of a wheel axle 23 carried by an upright member 24 that is vertically displaceable within a guide member 25 mounted to the main chassis of the machine. The upright member 24 is connected to the upper end of the guide member 25 by way of an hydraulic cylinder 26 in such a manner that the upright member 24 can be selectively positionally set with respect to the guide member 25 so as to enable selective adjustment of the height of the front end 19 of the machine relative to the ground.

The two guide members 25 are connected with the side frame members 13.

The side frame members 13 extend forwardly of the guide members 25 with the free ends 27 thereof bridged by a further cross member 28 (shown in Figure 2). An upright member 29 depends from each of the free ends 27. The separation between the two upright members 29 can be conveniently regarded as defining the width of the straw-receiving mouth 30 of the machine 4.

In a modified embodiment of this first version of the machine 4 (as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5) each such upright member 29 may serve to support a rotatable guide wheel plate 31 positioned in advance of the mouth 30. These rotatable plates 31 are angularly positionally adjustable towards and away from each other and thus relative to the remainder of the machine 4 in such a manner that as the machine is advanced, the guide wheel plates 31 are able to engage with and steer straw located to the sides of the mouth 30 inwardly into the mouth 30.

Shafts 32 for the rotatable wheel plates 31 are each carried by a frame 33 which is positionally angularly adjustable about a vertical member 34 to enable selective adjustment of the spacing between the plates 31 and additionally to enable selective adjustment of the height at which the lowest part of the peripheries 35 of the plates 31 are positioned relative to the ground and thus the crop.

The rear end 18 of the machine 4 is provided at each side thereof with a height-adjustable post 37 (Figures 4 and 5) by means of which the rear end 18 is supported in the absence of the tractor 5.

Thus the posts 37 are retractable when the machine 4 is being connected with the tractor 5 since the connection between the tractor and the machine rear end fully supports the rear end 18.

The machine 4 above the main frames 13 is covered by a housing 38 having a profile of a form as generally illustrated in the Figures. The housing 38 effectively provides a vertical back waIl 39 and two vertical upper side walls 40.

A lower side wall 41 is provided at each side of the machine, these lower side walls 41 effectively closing in the machine 4 over the region beneath the side rails 13. This lower region is effectively separated into a front region 42 and a rear region 43 by a dividing wall arrangement 44.

A material-lifting drum or rotor 45 is located in the front region 19 of the machine and is mounted for rotation about an axle 46 extending transversely of the machine, the axle 46 being carried in bearings provided in the side walls. The rotor 45 includes a central core 47 having a hexagonal cross- section thereby effectively providing six platforms 48 for mounting six rows of flexible material-lifting tines 49.

The rotor 45 is so positioned that the tines 49 are able to sweep the material 3 away from the ground surface upon reverse rotation of the rotor 45 relative to the direction of advance over the ground and effectively pick-up the material so that it is lifted from the ground and is swept rearwardly towards the rear upper region of the machine, A flexible strip of rubber (not shown) is provided between the tines 49 which assist in the rearwardly directing of the material.

The material having been directed rearwardly travels towards two rotors 50 that are mounted in spaced apart relationship in the front-to-rear direction. The rotors 50 rotate about axes 51 arranged parallely to each other and to the axis of rotation of the rotor 45 in the front region 19 of the machine 4. Each one of the rotors 50 carries lines of cutting elements, for example knives 52 spaced lengthways of the rotors whose function is to chop any material into short lengths of material.

A cylindrical auger 53 is rotatably mounted beneath the two rotors 50. This auger 53 serves to eject outwardly of the associated lower region of the side wall 41 into a horizontally arranged tube 54 which is open at a lower part thereof, The tube 54 overlies a horizontal spinner plate 55 that is rotatable about a vertical axis. The spinner plate 55 is partially housed by a part-cylindrical shielding 56 that prevents material being thrown forwardly of the machine 4. Four equi-angularly spaced upstanding bars 57 are provided upon the upper surface of the spinner plate 55. The positioning of the bars 57 is such that material falling on the spinner plate 55 from the auger 53 whilst the latter is rotating is thrown off the spinner plate to the side of the machine 4 and outside the lines of crop from which the material has been removed.

The rotor 45, the two chopping rotors 50, the auger 53 and the spinner plate 55 are driven by way of appropriate drive arrangements such as chain or belt drives so that they operate in unison.

The machine 4 as so far described operates as follows.

The height of the front end 19 of the machine 4 is set relative to the lines of crop 2 by appropriate adjustment of the positions of the frame 13 relative to the wheels 22 by operation of the hydraulic rams 26 such that the tines 49 on the rotor 45 are so set as to be able to cooperate with the material layer 3 to be lifted. n addition, the angular relationship of the wheel plates 31 to each other and relative to the ground are appropriately set so that the requisite number of crop lines that the machine 4 can accommodate can be defined.

n the version of the machine shown in Figures 1 to 5, upon pushing the machine 4 along a line of crop the tines 49 on the rotor 45 cooperate with the material layer and lift the material away from the ground. By reason of the direction of rotation of the rotor 45, the lifted material is fed rearwardly of the machine.

The lifted material on being passed rearwardly of the machine is thus directed towards and onto the chopping rollers 50. Since these rotating rollers are arranged to be contra-roatating in such a sense as to move any material chopped by the chopping knives 52 downwards between the rollers 50 onto the rotating auger 53 which is so rotated as to feed any material faing thereupon outwards so that the chopped material is delivered to a position in which it falls onto the spinner plate 55 is thrown by centrifugal force and the action of the bars 57 to the side of the machine away from the crop to be harvested following material removal.

n practice, the chopping knives 52 can be of various engths and number per roller 50.

At the rear end 18 of the machine 4, there may be provided an area of fixed blades or fins through which the knives 52 are arranged to pass thereby enhancing the chopping action of the knives.

Whilst the above description has been directed to the use of an auger device that directs the lifted and chopped material to one side of the machine, an auger arrangement may be provided which passes the lifted and chopped material to both sides of the machine. n such a case, a spinner plate would be provided on both sides of the machine.

If desired, a rubber or the like material screen can be provided at the front region 19 of the machine in the vicinity of the mouth of the machine, the screen being such as to help with air flow through the machine in such a manner as to produce a suction effect assisting in the lifting of the material into the machine.

The auger 53 at the base of the machine 4 cannot get clogged or have pieces of material entangled within it, as with conveyor belts of existing machines, thus increasing the efficiency of the machine 4 and increasing the intervals between maintenance.

Referring now to Figures 6 to 8, a towed machine 104 (as opposed to the pushed machine of Figures 1 to 5) includes, at its forward end 119, an attachment arrangement 120 movable in a vertical plane against a pair of hydraulic cylinders 200 and movable about a pivot axis 202. At the rearward end region 118, a pair of wheels 122 are mounted to respective rearwardly projecting members 204, themselves pivotally connected to the rear of the machine 104 for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis 206 against further respective hydraulic cylinders 208.

The body and internal components of the machine 104 are substantially identical to the machine 4 of Figures 1 to 5 and only the differences will be described hereinafter. The chopping rotors 150 in this instance are in the form of chopping augers, the spirally arranged flanges 210 having cutting elements in the form of teeth or knives 152 arranged about the peripheral edges thereof. The spiral flanges 210 are of opposite hands, i.e. one is a right-handed spiral and the other is a left-handed spiral, the arrangement being such that upon rotation of the rotors 150 in the same direction at high speed, the cutting teeth or knives cooperate to act like a cutting saw against each other. It s, of course, a possibility that such an arrangement of chopping augers can also be present in the machine 4 of Figures ito 5.

Although not specifically shown in Figures 6 to 8, the towed machine 104 may have the rotating guide wheel plates 31 for guiding material into the mouth of the machine.

In use, the machine 104 is towed by the tractor 5 along the lines of covered crop. Prior to advancing the machine 104 length-wise of the crop lines the trailing wheels 122 are positionally adjusted such that the machine is set to a level at which the lifting rotor 45 is able to engage with the covering material in such manner as effectively to sweep the covering material away from the ground. As may be particularly seen from Figure 8 the chassis of the machine 104 is pivotally mounted between the tow bar connection arrangement 120 and the terrain running wheels 122 in such a manner that the working level of the machine 104 is effectively set by appropriate adjustment of the terrain running wheels 122 with respect to its pivotal mounting in that by bringing the wheels 122 closer to the chassis effectively tilts the chassis in such manner as to pivot the chassis about the tow bar connection in a direction that effectively lifts the chassis whilst movement of the terrain running wheels 122 away from the chassis has the effect of effectively lowering the chassis.

In both the versions of Figures 1 to 5 and 6 to 8, the upper part of the chassis of the machine 4, 104 is closed by a convex roof panel 212 (which may be hydraulically controlled). The purpose of this roof panel 212 is to direct the lifted material thrown rearwardly by the lifting rotor 45 to the correct region for passing through the chopping rotors 50, 150.

In addition, in both versions of the machine 4, 104 the underside of the chassis is closed by a bottom enclosure, the only opening being located in the region of the lifting rotor 45 to enable the material to be picked up and lifted into the machine. In this respect a feed rotor 214 (shown in Figures 6 to 8) may work in combination with the lifting rotor 45 to lift the material.

It is important that where the crop contains foliage above the surface of the ground, that foliage is not damaged and/or lifted into the machine which only removes the covering material.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method of handling a machine for removing a layer of material from a ground surface under which there is a growing crop comprising advancing the machine over the ground surface in front of a prime mover.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said prime mover is a tractor.
3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said material is straw.
4. A method according to any preceding claim and further comprising guiding the layer of material into a mouth region of the machine.
5. A method according to any preceding dairn, and further comprising chopping the material and ejecting the chopped material from a side of the machine.
6. A material-handling machine for removing a layer of material from a ground surface under which there is a growing crop, the machine arranged to be advanced over the ground and comprising a lifting arrangement located at a forward end of the machine serving to engage the material and lift the material from the ground, means for chopping the lifted material and auger means for feeding the lifted and chopped material to a side of the machine for ejection therefrom.
7. A material handling machine according to claim 6, wherein said lifting arrangement comprises a lifting rotor rotatable about an axis of rotation.
8. A material handling machine according to claim 7, wherein said lifting rotor includes an axle on which the rotor rotates, the axle having a hexagonal cross-section.
9. A material handling machine according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the lifting rotor comprises tines projecting radially outwardly from the rotor.
10. A material handling machine according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the means for chopping the lifted material comprises a pair of chopping rollers.
11. A material handling machine according to claim 10, wherein the chopping rollers comprise a plurality of cutting elements radially outwardly extending from the rollers.
12. A material handling machine according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the chopping rollers are arranged to rotate in opposite directions about axes arranged substantially parallel to each other.
13. A material handling machine according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the chopping rollers are arranged to rotate in the same direction about axes arranged substantially parallel to each other.
14. A material handling machine according to any one of claims II to 13, wherein the cutting elements are arranged in a spiral formation about the rollers.
15. A material handling machine according to claim 14 as appended to claim 12, wherein the respective rollers having opposing spiral formations.
16. A material handling machine according to any one of claims 6 to 15, wherein said auger means feeds the lifted and chopped material to a tube at the side of the machine, the tube having an opening.
17. A material handling machine according to claim 16, and further comprising a spinner plate located adjacent the opening of the tube and wherein material exiting the opening is deposited onto the spinner plate.
18. A material handling machine according to claim 17, and further comprising a plurality of bars arranged on the upper surface of the spinner plate.
19. A material handling machine according to claim 17 or 18, and further comprising a shield located a forward edge of the spinner plate.
20. A material handling machine according to any one of claims 6 to 19, and further comprising first and second rotatable guide wheel plates mounted on respective opposite sides of the front end region of the machine.
21. A material handling machine according to any one of claims 6 to 20, and further comprising a height-adjustment arrangement serving to adjust the height of the machine relative to the ground.
22. A method of removing a layer of material from a ground surface beneath which a crop is growing comprising advancing a material-handling machine over the ground, lifting the material from the ground surface by way of a lifting arrangement of the machine, chopping the lifted material by way of chopping means located immediately downstream of the lifting arrangement and ejecting the lifted and chopped material from a side of the machine.
23. A method according to claim 22, wherein said advancing includes pushing or pulling the material-handling machine over the ground.
24. A method accordmg to claim 23, and further comprising guiding the layer of material into a mouth region of the machine when the machine is pushed over the ground.
25. A method according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the ejecting comphses depositing the lifted and chopped material onto a spinner plate which throws the material from the side of the machine by centrifugal force.
26. A method according to any one of claims 22 to 25, and further comprising, prior to use of the machine, adjusting the height of the machine relative to the ground by way of a height-adjustment arrangement.