US1509129A - Beet-loading machine - Google Patents

Description

a. (3. EVANS ET AL BEET LOADING MACHINE Filed Aug. 6. 1&2], 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS 2 6? 5mm: A/YD E. c. EVANS ET AL BEET LOADING MACHINE Sept. 23 1924. 3,509,129

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Patented Sept. 23, 1924.,

ELLIE G. EVANS AND PATRICK C. ROBERTS, OF WILEY, COLORADO.

BEET-LOADING MACHINE.

Application filed August 6, 1921. Serial No. 490,350.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ELLIE C. EVANS and PATRICK C. Ronnn'rs, citizens of the United States, residing at V'Viley, in the county of Prowers and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements' in Beet-Loading Machines, of which theflfollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to beet loading machines and its main object is to provide a machine ofsimple, strong and practical conerectionwhich when driven over a field on which harvested beets have been deposited in piles or windrows will automatically pick up the beets and carry them to an elevated point of discharge above a wagon drawn alongside of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a beet loading machine, improved 2 driving means which facilitate its movement through heavy and uneven soil.

A further object to provide an improved means for picking up the beets from the ground. Still another object is to provide in a machine of the above described character, an" elevator of large capacity which is capable of carrying its load along a comparatively steep incline and thereby avoids the necessity of using a long overhanging structure liable to disturb the equilibrium of the carriage on which it is mounted, anda further object is to provide aconveyor for carrying the beets to the elevator, which automatically frees them from equ'ably irrespective of the distribution of its load.

With the above and other objects in view all of which will fully appear in the course of the following description, our invention consists in the construction and the arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanyring drawings in the several views of which like parts are similarly designated, and in which-'- Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of our improved beet loading machine Figure 2, a longitudinal sectional eleva sea of the same taken onthe line 22, Figure 1 Figure 3, a front elevation looking in the direction ofthe' arrow A, Figure 1;

igure 4, anenlargedside elevation of the pickup and" feed elements of the machine dirt, weeds and trash and which operates looking in the direction of the arrow B, Figure 1, and

Figure 5, an enlarged plan view of a portion of the pickup element.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character 2 designates a frame supported at its front end on traction wheels 3, and at its opposite end upon a swiveled steering wheel L.

The frame which is preferably composed of structural metal comprises a rectangular body section 5 which supports the conveying and elevating elements of the machine, and a rearwardly extending platform section 6 of trapezoidal form upon which the engine and the controlling, steering and adjusting mechanisms of the machine are mounted in convenient proximity to the operators seat 7. i

The steering wheel which is of the coaster type is swiveled at the rear end of the platform section 6 in rigid connection with a semicircular gear wheel 8 which meshes with a corresponding wheel 9 of smaller diameter on an upright steering shaft 10.

The shaft which carries a wheel 12 at its upper end, is mounted forward of and within easy reach of the drivers seat, and the transmission mechanism provides in a sim ple manner the leverage required to maintain the guide wheel 4 under control while the machine is being driven through heavy and deeply rutted ground.

The traction wheels at the front end of the frame are mounted on short axles 13 which at their ends are rotatably supported in bearings 14. The two axles are separately connected with a line shaft 15 by means of sprocket chains 16 and the line shaft is composed of axially alined sections which through the intermediary of a differential movement 17 are operatively connected to a transversely extending drive shaft 18.

It will be seen that bythis arrangement the traction wheels are capable of rotating simultaneously at different velocities which is obviously of great advantage in the operation of the machine which involves frequent changes of direction in order to gather the beets distributed in separate piles and windrows over the harvested field.

The driving shaft 18 is, through the medium of an adjustable friction-gearing 19 connected with an engine 20 mounted on the platform of the carriage with its controlling levers within easy reach of the occupant of the seat 7.

The engine may be of any desired char acter or construction, it being preferable to use a small motor of the internal combustion type in connection with a fuel tank mounted on or below the platform of the machine.

Slanting downwardly from the forward end of the carrier frame is a conveyor frame 21 which at its upper end is pivotally supported between two upright posts 22 through the medium of a transverse shaft 23. The frame includes two connected parallel bars, side shields 24 which prevent spilling of the beets carried on the conveyor, and braces 25 which extend from the forward ends of the bars to the rearward upper ends of the side shields which preferably are reenforced by upright cleats 26. a

The pivoted conveyor frame is in its normal position supported upon small rollers 45 which move along the surface of the ground. Converging pull rods 27 pivotally connected at the upper ends of the cleats 26 are attached to a swinging standard 28 which through the medium of a single rod 29 is connected to an adjusting lever 30. The lever which is mounted in proximity to the drivers seat carries the usualv handactuated detent which cooperates with a notched segment 31 to lock the lever in its adjusted positions.

It will be apparent that by this arrangement of parts, the operator of the machine is enabled to lift the front end of the conveyor frame to any desired distance above the surface of the ground.

The conveyor which carries the beets after they have been lifted from the ground, to the elevator hereinafter to be described, consists of a plurality of chains 32 which are separately mounted in parallel and spaced relation to each other upon sprocket wheels 33 and 40 on the before-mentioned shaft 23 at the upper end of the slanting frame 21 and a therewith parallel shaft 34 at the lower end of the same.

The upper shaft carries at one of its ends, a beveled gear wheel 35 which meshes with a corresponding gear wheel 36 of smaller diameter on a transmission shaft 37 which is supported in bearings on the body section of the carrier frame and which at its opposite end has a beveled gear wheel 38 in operative engagement with a driving pinion 39 on the shaft of the motor.

The sprocket wheels 40 on the lower con veyor shaft 34 are separated from each other by interposed collars 41 each having a number of equidistant radially projecting prongs 42 which collectively constitute the lifting or pick-up element of the machine.

The radiating prongs which in the operation of the conveyor move close to the surface of the ground, are of suflicient length to enter into the spaces beneath the beets and lift them onto the upper stretches of the endless chains 32 which collectively form the conveyor.

The prongs have at their outer extremities rounded knobs 43 which prevent injury to the beets with which they engage and the chains of the conveyor each include a number of links provided with outwardly projecting lugs 44 to prevent the downward movement of the beets.

In the operation of the machine, the radial prongs of the rotary pick-up element, engage the under side of the beets deposited on the field and lift them onto the upwardly moving upward stretches of the chains of the conveyor. The movements of the spaced chains free the beets of adherent dirt and of weeds and other trash with which they are intermixed, so that at the time of their discharge they are in a substantially clean condition.

T he beets delivered from the chains at the upper end of the conveyor fall upon a grid 46 along which they are crowded onto the horizontal portion of an endless belt-conveyor 47 which constitutes the elevator of the machine.

The grid which is composed of a number of parallel bars of small diameter is instrumental in further freeing the beets from dirt and rubbish after leaving the conveyor. j,

The elevator is composed of two endless chains 49 connected by transverse slats 48. The lower portions of the chains move in a substantially horizontal direction over sprocket wheels on shafts 15 mounted on the body section of the frame and their upper portions are mounted to move on a steep incline on a superstructure 51 of the frame which slants outwardly to an elevated point beyond a side thereof.

Th upwardly slanting portion of the elevator is supported on sprocket wheels with which its chains engage and the sprocket wheels are mounted in pairs on shafts 52 which are supported in bearings on the upwardly slanting frame 51.

The endless conveyor is provided at regular intervals with transverse series of up standing rods 53 which are connected at their upper extremities by transverse rails 54.

The series of interconnected rods provide partitions which in cooperation with shields 55 extending upwardly at opposite sides of th elevator frame, divide the space above the conveyor into compartments eachv adapted to contain a considerable amount of beets.

The division of the space above the ele vator greatly increases its capacity and at the same time permits of moving the load along the steep incline'required for its discharge into a wagon 56, drawn alongside of the machine without disturbing the equilibrium of the moving structure.

The elevator is operated through the me dium of a chain 57 which engages with a sprocket wheel at the end of the sprocket Wheel shaft at the upper end of the endless conveyor 47, and a sprocket wheel mounted or; the before-mentioned transmission shaft 3 Two frames 58 and 59 depending from the elevator frame support a pair of rollers 60 which prevent the load of a wagon driven alongside the machine from interfering with the movement of the endless conveyor and the rearmost one of these frames is extended downwardly to provide a fender which prevents the wagon from striking the wheels of the loading machine. 7

The various frames comprised in the machine are suitably braced wherever it is found necessary to increase the strength and rigidity of the structure, and we desire it understood that modifications in the form and arrangement of the frames, as well as of the elements supportedthereon, may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a beet-loading machine, the combination of a wheel-supported frame, an e1e vator for moving beets to an elevated point of discharge, a slanting conveyorfor feeding beets to the elevator, consisting of upper and lower shafts, series of spaced sprocket wheels on the shafts and chains separately engaging with said sprocket wheels, and a pick-up element consisting of teeth projecting radially from the lower shaft of the conveyor between its sprocket wheels.

2; n a beet-loading machine, the combination of a wheel-supported frame, an elevator for moving beets to an elevated point of discharge, a slanting conveyor for feed ing beets to the elevator, and a pick-up element at the lower end of the conveyor, consisting of a rotary series of radial teeth having knobs at their extremities.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures.

ELLIE G. EVANS. PATRICK G. ROBERTS.

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