WO1989007883A1

WO1989007883A1 - A harvesting apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1989007883A1
Application number: PCT/AU1989/000085
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bent Baek
Original assignee: Northern Territory of Australia; Australian Government
Current assignee: Northern Territory of Australia; Australian Government
Priority date: 1988-03-04
Filing date: 1989-03-02
Publication date: 1989-09-08
Anticipated expiration: 1990-09-04
Also published as: OA09258A; CN1035932A; AP8900118A0

Abstract

A harvesting apparatus comprising two adjacent rectangular compartments (31 and 32) and hood (49) located above the second compartment. The first compartment (31) is open at the front and top and has an agitator (36) extending horizontally across the front on an axle (37). A suction blower (45) is mounted on a platform (44) which is movable on rails (42, 43) in a reciprocating motion above the first compartment. Seed is sucked by the blower from the first compartment and is blown into the second compartment. The second compartment is arranged to receive a seed bag frame (50) which contains seed bags held in position by means of respective telescopic spring loaded eye-shaped bars (51). The first and second compartments are supported by a lifting apparatus (52).

Description

A HARVESTING APPARATUS

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a harvesting apparatus.

Background o the Invention The combine harvester is a commonly used harvesting unit. It essentially consists of a vehicle having a seed receptacle at the rear of the vehicle and an agitator at the front of the vehicle which feeds harvested seed and straw by means of a pumping arrangement to the seed receptacle at the rear of the vehicle. A disadvantage of the combine harvester is that it is expensive and bulky and is not particularly suitable to all types of terrain.

PisciQsure of the Invention According to the 'present invention there is provided a harvesting apparatus for attachment to a vehicle comprising a receptacle having first and second compartments, a suction blower, and an agitator, the agitator being arranged to feβd harvested seed into the first compartment, the suction blower comprising a suction pipe which is arranged to move within the first compartment to suck seed from different areas in the first compartment and to transfer the harvested seed to the second compartment from the first compartment.

Preferably the first compartment is adjacent to the second compartment.

The suction blower preferably is mounted on a movable platform.

The moving platform preferably is arranged to move along the top of the first compartment in a reciprocating motion.

The moving platform preferably moves on rails and has upper and lower wheels which roll on the top and bottom of the rails.

Preferably the wheels are bearings and the rails have V-shaped top and bottom surfaces.

SSXSti Horizontal bearings preferably are provided on the platform inside the rails to prevent movement of the platform transverse to the direction of the rails.

A rounded bar is preferably provided underneath and parallel to the axle of the agitator and acts as a retention member which allows seed to be knocked off their stalks during a harvesting operation.

Preferably the suction blower is driven by an hydraulic motor which allows the blowing rate to be adjusted as required.

Cables to the platform are preferably carried in a duct extending between the rails.

The suction blower preferably is driven by an hydraulic motor which allows the blowing rate to be varied. Cabling to the platform is carried by a horizontal duct extending between the rails.

The first compartment preferably has an open face and the agitator is arranged at the open face to feed seed to the back of the first compartment. The second compartment preferably comprises removable seed containers.

Preferably the second compartment is rectangular and box like and is open at the top.

A screening apparatus is preferably mounted to the top of the second compartment and the suction blower is arranged to blow seed onto a back face of the screening apparatus so that the seed falls into the second compartment without the seed already lying in the second compartment being blown by the blower. It is preferred that the agitator is mounted on an axle located across the front opening of the first compartment.

Desirably, the agitator axle has four spokes mounted at its outer ends with four wooden slats evenly spaced around the axle and extending between opposing spokes at each outer end. A base plate is preferably located in the bottom of the first compartment and can be moved to remove waste material which gathers in the first compartment.

A lever is preferably provided on the outside of the first compartment to allow the base plate to be opened.

The seed containers preferably comprise a metal outer frame which is arranged to support a seed bag.

The seed bag is preferably attached to the frame by means of a spring loaded telescopic bar which is arranged to be operated by a spring release handle.

It is preferred that the second compartment comprises frame work to accomodate three seed bags which are each held in place by respective spring loaded telescopic bars.

In operation when the seed bags are full it is preferred that they be removed from the second compartment and be replaced by empty bags.

A lifting apparatus is preferably provided to elevate the receptacle above the ground by a desired amount.

It is preferred that the harvesting apparatus is arranged to be removably attached to a vehicle such as a tractor or alternatively is a complete unit which may be pushed along by a tractor or similar vehicle.

Brief description of the Drawings An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the harvesting apparatus and

Figure 2 is a top view of the harvesting apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the main frame of the harvesting apparatus.

Best Method of Performing the Invention The apparatus comprises a main frame 30 having a series of vertical and horizontal bars which form a first compartment 31 and a second compartment 32. As shown in Figure 3, both the first and second compartments are rectangular and box like in shape and lie side by side with a plate of sheet metal acting as a common wall 33.

The first compartment 31 has an open front face 34 and an open top face 35.

Across the open front face 34 of compartment 31 an agitator

36 extends horizontally on an axle 37 between two metal brackets 38. Four wooden slats 39 extend between spokes 40 at both ends of the axle 37.

At the front of the first compartment 31 and below the agitator 36, a horizontal bar 41 extends horizontally across the open front face 34. The bar 41 has a rounded face but may have a sharp face depending on whether it is desired to cut seeds off their stalks or whether it is required to knock the seeds off their stalks.

The open top face 35 of the first compartment 31 is defined by two horizontal parallel bars 42 , 43 which act as rails on which a moving platform 44 is arranged to move.

A suction blower 45 is mounted on the moving platform 44. The suction blower 45 is driven by an hydraulic motor. Cabling to the moving platform is carried by a horizontal duct 46 extending between the horizontal bars 42 and 43.

The moving platform 44 has wheels in the form of vertical bearings arranged at each corner and is adapted to move along horizontal bars 42 and 43. As shown in Figure 1, each corner of the moving platform 44 has upper and lower wheels 47a and 47b which are mounted on vertical brackets 47c welded to each corner of the moving platform 44. A horizontally mounted bearing can also be mounted next to each upper wheel 47a inside the two bars 42 and 43 to control side ways movement of the moving platform.

The arrangement of all twelve bearings allows the moving platform to travel along the bars 42a and 43d without excessive friction.

The bars 42 and 43 are V-shaped so that no seeds or foreign objects will lie on the rails and thus hinder the platform's progress.

The blower 45 is mounted so that its outlet faces the back of the frame 30 and the main body of the blower sits across the platform 44. An inlet pipe 48 extends vertically below the suction blower and is arranged to suck seed from the bottom of the first compartment and blow it into a screened hood 49 which is fixed over the top of the second compartment. The hood 49 is screened at the top, back and both sides and permits seed which is blown to the back of the hood to drop into seed bags which are located in the second compartment 32.

Because the suction blower 45 is mounted on a moving platform 44, seed can be moved from along the length of the first compartment and into the second compartment 32.

The second compartment 32 is open at the top and is arranged to receive a seed bag frame 50 containing three seed bags.

Each seed bag is held in the seed bag frame by means of respective telescopic spring loaded I-shaped bars 51 which are placed inside each seed bag.

Bearings may be attached to the main frame 30 to allow the seed bag frame 50 to be easily inserted and removed from the main frame 30. The seed bag frame 50 may be locked in the main frame 30 by means of a latch on each side of the main frame 30.

In use, main frame 30 may be mounted on the front of a vehicle. Alternatively a lifting apparatus 52 may be provided which allows the main frame 30 to be lifted to a desired height above the ground and to be tilted at a desired angle with respect to the ground, if required. During a harvesting operation, the main frame 30 is raised above the ground by the lifting apparatus 52 and cabling from the agitator motor (not shown) and from the blower 45 is connected to the electrical system of a vehicle which is to push the harvesting apparatus.

With main frame 20 and lifting apparatus 52 being pushed along by the vehicle, and the agitator 36 rotating,seed is swept into the first compartment 31. Because the bar 41 has a rounded front surface rather than a sharp edge, seeds tends to be knocked off their stalks rather than cut off their stalks.

The distance between the bottom of the agitator and the bar 41 may be adjusted to suit the particular crop being harvested. Once the seed has been swept to the back of the first compartment 31, seed is sucked up through the pipe 48 by the suction blower 45 and is blown to the back of the hood 49 where it drops into the seed bags in the second compartment 32. Because the suction blower 45 is mounted on a moving platform 44 which is driven by an hydraulic motor, the pipe 48 reciprocates within the first compartment picking up seed from along the length of the first compartment. Once the seed bags in the second compartment are full, they may be removed and replaced by empty seed bags.

The hydraulic apparatus as described in the preferred embodiment has many advantages. Firstly, because of the arrangement of the first and second compartments, that is their close proximity to each other, a suction blower of relatively low power is all that is necessary to move seed from the first compartment to the second compartment.

Because the suction blower moves in a reciprocating motion above the first compartment, clogging of the first compartment is generally avoided as seed is removed from the length of the first compartment.

Additionally, the speed with which the suction blower reciprocates along the top of the first compartment may be varied by virtue of the hydraulic motor thus varying the rate at which seed is fed from the first compartment to the second compartment.

SUBSTITUTE SHE

Claims

Claiπts ;

1. A harvesting apparatus for attachment to a vehicle comprising a receptacle having first and second compartments, a suction blower, and an agitator, the agitator being arranged to feed harvested seed into the first compartment, the suction blower comprising a suction pipe which is arranged to move within the first compartment to suck seed from different areas in the first compartment and to transfer the harvested seed to the second compartment from the first compartment.

2. A harvesting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suction blower is mounted on a movable platform.

3. A harvesting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the movable platform is arranged to move along the top of the first compartment in a reciprocating motion.

4. A harvesting apparatus according to any-preceding claim, wherein the first compartment is adjacent the second compartment.

5. A harvesting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the moving platform moves on rails and has upper and lower wheels which roll on the top and bottom of the rails.

6. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein a round bar is provided underneath and parallel to the axle of the agitator and acts as a retention member which allows seed to be knocked off their stalks during a harvesting operation.

7. A harvesting apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the blower is arranged to blow seed onto a screen above the second compartment.

8. A harvesting apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the blower has a variable speed.

9. A harvesting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the blower is arranged to move on the rails at a variable speed.

10. A harvesting apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the speed of rotation of the agitator may be varied.

^'