[go: up one dir, main page]

WO2025248008A1 - Combination of front units for harvester - Google Patents

Combination of front units for harvester

Info

Publication number
WO2025248008A1
WO2025248008A1 PCT/EP2025/064852 EP2025064852W WO2025248008A1 WO 2025248008 A1 WO2025248008 A1 WO 2025248008A1 EP 2025064852 W EP2025064852 W EP 2025064852W WO 2025248008 A1 WO2025248008 A1 WO 2025248008A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
combination
harvester
units
transport
front unit
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
PCT/EP2025/064852
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Marthin BUNDGAARD
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Mb Maskiner
Original Assignee
Mb Maskiner
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Mb Maskiner filed Critical Mb Maskiner
Publication of WO2025248008A1 publication Critical patent/WO2025248008A1/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01D—HARVESTING; MOWING
    • A01D45/00—Harvesting of standing crops
    • A01D45/02—Harvesting of standing crops of maize, i.e. kernel harvesting

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a detachable front unit for a harvester which front unit may significantly increase the capacity of the harvester.
  • the forage harvester may comprise means for further treating e.g. chopping or cutting the leaves and stem parts of the crops.
  • the stem is cut, following which the entire plant comprising stem, leaf and ear i.e. the fruit is shredded or chopped. If used for animal feed, the animals, mainly cattle, are thus fed kernel as well as leaf and stem parts. The same applies to the use as biomass: the entire chopped plant, i.e. including the maize kernels, is used as biomass in a biogas installation.
  • a combine harvester or threshing machine is used which harvests the maize ears by separating them from the stem.
  • the ears can be further treated by a threshing machine where the maize kernels are separated from the cob of the ear.
  • threshing machines the stem is usually left on the field. Following the threshing, a chopper may drive across the field to cut the stems and shred and collect them.
  • this method is laborious and as the stems in the meanwhile have been in contact with the ground, dirt may be adhering to the stems when they are collected.
  • EP 3 021 657 discloses a front attachment unit for a maize chopper, according to which theariae is harvested in one single operation harvest while the maize ears and the stems and are collected separately. The maize ears may then subsequently be used as a food raw material for humans and animals, while the stems may be used as biomass.
  • the document relates to a self-propelled forage harvester which may cut down maize plants and convey them to the forage harvester also known as a cutting head.
  • the bottom part (12) comprises fastening means (128) for attachment of the bottom part (12) to the maize chopper.
  • the detachable front attachment unit further comprises a top part (13) (maize treshing-head) arranged above the bottom part (12), which top part comprises a separating device (131) configured to separate maize ears from Magnoliae stem, a conveying device (138) and an outlet (139).
  • the conveying device (138) is configured to convey the separated maize ears to the outlet (139), and the separating device (131) comprises gripping means (135) able to engage with the maize stem and separating means (133, 134) able to separate the ears from the stem.
  • the front attachment unit (10, 40) comprises an intermediate frame (15, 45) comprising first fastening means (153, 453) for attaching the bottom part (12) to the intermediate frame (15, 45) and second fastening means (151, 152) for attaching the top part (13) to the intermediate frame
  • the bottom part (12) is this way configured to be attached to the intermediate frame in a detachable way, so that the bottom part can be used for the maize chopper both separately, without the intermediate frame and top part, and integrated in the front attachment unit.
  • a problem with this front attachment unit for a maize chopper is that it is not possible to lower the top part close to the ground because the lower part comprising the cutter device (121) prevents free positioning of the top part (13) as the top part (13) may not be positioned below a certain height. This generally makes it more difficult to adapt the device to a specific crop and when harvesting maize this may e.g. result in lesser yield of maize ears in fields where ears are positioned low on the plants.
  • an improved unit would be advantageous, in particular a unit comprising parts which result in an increased harvesting capacity while avoiding harvested plant parts ending up on the ground.
  • an object of the present invention relates to detachable front unit or a combination of front units for a harvester.
  • one aspect of the invention relates to a combination of front units (1, 2) for a harvester (3) comprising an inlet for cut-down plant parts
  • the combination of front units (1, 2) comprises an upper front unit (1) and a lower front unit (2)
  • each front unit (1, 2) comprises means configured to mount the unit (1, 2) at the front of the harvester
  • the front units (1, 2) comprises:
  • a cutting device (4) configured to cut-down plant stems in a field
  • a feeding device comprising transport means (9a, 9b, 9c) configured to transport leave and stem material from a position of cutting to an outlet (8), and - a sorting or ripping device (6) configured to separate kernels or fruit parts from stems comprising guiding means (5) configured to guide kernels and fruit parts to a transport device (7), wherein the upper front unit (1) comprises the cutting device (4), the sorting or ripping device (6) and the transport means (7), and the lower front unit (2) comprises a support part (11) configured to support the transport means (9a, 9b, 9c) of the feeding device.
  • the lower front unit (2) may comprise one, two or more outlets (8) and one, two or more transport means (9) configured to transport leave and stem material from a position of cutting to the one outlet or to one of the outlets (8).
  • the at least one outlet (8) may be positioned either centrally or close to one of the sides of the lower front unit (2). "Close to one of the sides of the lower front unit” means that the outlet is positioned closer to one of the sides than to the middle.
  • the transport means (9a, 9b, 9c) may comprise one, two or more transport units such as conveyor belts or augers.
  • the harvester (3) may be a forage harvester having a front inlet for stem and leave material, preferably a self-propelled forage harvester, optionally the front inlet is positioned centrally, and optionally the harvester comprises means for further chopping or shredding of plant parts entering through the front inlet.
  • the upper front unit (1) may comprise one, two or more outlets (10) for kernels and fruit parts, and one, two or more transport devices (7).
  • the transport device (7) of the upper front unit (1) may comprise one, two or more conveyor belts, or one, two or more transport augers configured to transport kernels and fruits from a position of arrival to an outlet (10).
  • the cutting device may comprise or may be constituted of a rotating cutter such as a blade cutter, or disc cutter, or roller cutter mounted/positioned below the sorting or ripping device (6).
  • the combination of front units (1, 2) need not comprise pick-up units picking plant material from the ground.
  • the sorting or ripping device (6) may be configured to separate kernels or fruit parts from maize, sunflowers, hemp or similar plants where similar plants are defined as having stems of an average height of at least 1 meter, and an average diameter of stem of at least 50 mm, normally at least 10 mm, and kernels around the top or upper half of the plant.
  • the invention relates to an assembly comprising a harvester (3) and a combination of front units (1, 2) according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the combination of front units (1, 2) is attached to the harvester (3).
  • the assembly may comprise an adapter (14) attached to the harvester (3) at a first position and attached to the combination of front units (1,2) at a second position.
  • the upper front unit (1) may comprise at least two outlets (10) for kernels and fruits, and an exit channel (13) is connected to each of the outlets (10) configured to guide and carry kernels/fruits to a trailer or driven container.
  • Figure 1 shows a harvester with a combination of front units according to the invention in a side view.
  • Figure 2 shows a harvester with a combination of front units according to the invention in a front view.
  • Figure 3 shows an embodiment of an upper front unit seen from the back i.e. a side facing backward i.e. opposite the driving direction during operation.
  • Figure 4 shows an embodiment of a lower front unit seen from the front i.e. a side facing forward in the driving direction during operation.
  • Figure 5 shows an embodiment of a feeding device to be positioned on the carrying device of a lower front unit - both in an upper view and in a side view.
  • Figure 6 shows an embodiment of an adapter for use with an assembly comprising a harvester and a combination of front units.
  • a front unit may be positioned in front of the harvester or beside of the harvester.
  • the present invention relates to a combination of front units 1, 2 for a harvester 3.
  • harvester has an inlet or receiving part for cut-down plant parts, and normally the harvester comprises or carries means for transporting cut-down plant parts to a driven container or trailer.
  • the harvester 3 may be a forage harvester having a central front inlet for stem and leave material, e.g a self-propelled forage harvester, which may comprise means for further chopping or shredding of the stem and leave material after the plant parts have entered through the front inlet of the harvester.
  • the combination of front units 1, 2 comprises an upper front unit 1 and a lower front unit 2, and each front unit 1, 2 comprises mounting means configured to secure each unit 1, 2 at the front of the harvester 3, where the "front” is defined by the moving direction of the harvester during operation.
  • each of the combination of front units 1, 2 may be individually mounted on and individually removed from the harvester 3.
  • the flexibility of the harvester 3 is increased as the harvester 3 may be used for many different harvesting operations, also harvesting operations where the invention is not applied.
  • the combined front units 1, 2 comprise a cutting device 4 configured to cut-down plant stems in a field, a feeding device comprising transport means 9a, 9b, 9c configured to transport plant parts from a position of cutting to an outlet 8, and a sorting or ripping device 6 configured to separate kernels or fruit parts from stems which sorting and ripping device 6 comprises guiding means 5 configured to guide kernels and fruit parts into a transport device 7.
  • the upper front unit 1 comprises the cutting device 4, the sorting or ripping device 6 and the transport means 7, whereas the lower front unit 2 comprises a support part 11 configured to support the transport means 9a, 9b, 9c of the feeding device.
  • the cutting device 4 is normally acquired as a standard device and the cutting device 4 is adapted to the specific crop which is to be harvested.
  • Two different cutting devices 4 which may be used in the context of the present invention as part of the upper front unit 1 are shown in respectively WO2018035537A1 where the knives rotate around a horizontal axis, and US2015/0164000A1 where the knives rotate around a vertical axis.
  • the cutting means 4 beside the knives or blades comprise rollers which rollers are positioned as pairs and may be used to secure the horizontal position of the stems and force the stem downwards as the pair-wise rollers are forced together and roll downward, causing the stem to be cut into smaller pieces as the stem passes the rotating knives.
  • the upper front unit 1 comprises a plurality of cutting devices 4 such as at least 3 cutting devices, and up to 20 or 30 cutting devices.
  • the lower front unit 2 is at least of same width as the plurality of cutting devices 4 but the lower front unit 2 may be wider.
  • an upper front unit according to the invention may be mounted on a harvester and used for harvesting without mounting the lower front unit which would result in harvesting without collecting stem and leave material.
  • the lower front unit 2 may not be mounted and function alone, however, the lower front unit 2 may be mounted below different upper front units 1 comprising means for cutting stems thereby collecting stem and leave material before it falls on to the ground.
  • the continuous collecting of stem and leave material significantly increases the speed of operation as all harvested material may be obtained by a single procedure.
  • the feeding device of the lower front unit 2 may comprise one, two or more outlets 8 for cutdown stem and leave material and one, two or more transport means 9a, 9b, 9c configured to transport the cut-down stem and leave parts from a position of cutting to one outlet 8 or to one of the outlets 8.
  • the outlet 8 of the lower front unit 2 may be positioned centrally. If the harvester 3 has two or more decentralized inlets e.g. positioned near each side of the harvester 3 or one inlet close to one of the sides, then outlets 8 of the lower front unit 2 may be positioned close to the sides of the lower front unit 2.
  • the transport means 9a, 9b, 9c of the lower front unit 2 may comprise one, two or more transport units such as conveyor belts, or transport augers.
  • the sorting and ripping device 6 of the upper front unit 1 is configured to separate the kernels or fruits such as maize ears or sunflower seeds or hemp seed from the stem parts of the plant, and the sorting and ripping device 6 is adapted to the specific crop to be harvested.
  • the upper front unit 1 may be adapted for harvesting plants having stems of an average height of at least 1 meter, and an average diameter of stem of at least 50 mm, normally at least 10 mm, and kernels around the top or upper half of the plant
  • the upper front unit 1 comprises at least one, or at least two or more outlets 1 for kernels and fruit parts, and the upper front unit 1 may also comprise at least one, or at least two or more transport devices 7.
  • the number of transport devices 7 and how these transport devices 7 may be combined depends on the number of outlets 10 from the upper front unit 1.
  • the transport device 7 of the upper front unit 1 may comprise one, two or more conveyor belts, or one, two or more transport augers to transport the harvested kernels and fruits from a position of arrival to the one outlet 10 or to one of the outlets 10.
  • the cutting device 4 may comprise a rotating blade such as a blade cutter, or a disc cutter, or a roller cutter mounted/positioned below the sorting or ripping device 6.
  • the rotating blades may be positioned below a means forcing or guiding the stems of the harvested plants downward in a controlled manner so that the stems may be cut into small pieces as the stems pass the rotating blades.
  • the cutting device 4 may comprise rollers which contact the stems and force or guide the stems downward.
  • An advantage of the combination of front units 1, 2 according to the invention is that the stem and leave parts of the plant do not end up on the ground but may be collected and transported into the harvester 3.
  • the combination of front units 1, 2 need therefore not comprise a pick-up unit picking plant material from the ground.
  • an assembly comprising both a harvester 3 and a combination of front units 1, 2 comprises an adapter 14 in order to increase flexibility of the assembly.
  • Such an adapter 14 may comprise or be constituted of a frame such as a steel frame comprising mounting means or fittings which at the forward side 15 is adapted to the upper and lower front units 1, 2, and on the backward side 16 is adapted to the harvester 3.
  • any type of harvester 3 may be used for operating the combination of front units 1, 2 according to the invention. Therefore, using an adapter 14 may increase the possibility for a user of the combination of front units 1, 2 according to the invention as the fittings of the adapter 14 on the backward side 16 may be adapted to any harvester 3 regardless of brand and type, while the forward side 15 of the adapter may comprise standard fittings for the upper front unit 1 which may comprise e.g. maize cutters, sunflower cutters etc., and fittings adapted to the lower front unit 2.
  • the fittings of the adapter 14 on the backward side 16 is adapted to the specific harvester 3 which the user intends to use, when the user acquires an adapter 14 and possibly a combination of front units 1,2 according to the invention.
  • the fittings of the forward side 15 are standard fittings, these fittings are normally established when the user acquires the adapter 14.
  • FIG. 1 shows a side view of a harvester 3 with a combination of front units 1, 2, i.e. an assembly, according to the invention.
  • the harvester 3 is a self-propelled forage harvester 3 comprising an exit channel 12 for cut-down and/or shredded stem and leave material and a two exit channels 13 for kernels such as maize ears. Via the exit channels the harvested plant material are guided to a designated collection container or trailer, e.g. a trailer positioned behind the harvester 3 is used for collecting the kernels and/or a container pulled by another vehicle driving beside the harvester 3 may be used to collect the stem and leave material.
  • the sorting and ripping device 6 of the shown embodiment of an upper front unit 1 is adapted to collect maize ears in the transport device 7.
  • the cutting devices 4 are positioned below the sorting and ripping device 6 and guiding means 5 constituted of the edges of the sorting and ripping means 6 guides the stems of the maize plants to the transport means 7 as the harvester 3 moves forward during operation.
  • the shown embodiment comprises 11 cutting devices 4.
  • Figure 2 shows a front view of the same embodiment of an assembly as shown in figure 1. From this angle, it is possible to see that the transport device 7 comprises four augers transporting the kernels in form of maize ears outwards i.e. towards the two openings 10 positioned at each side of a central point of the upper front unit 1.
  • Figure 3 shows an embodiment of an upper front unit seen from the back, where the "back” is the side facing backward toward the harvester 3 during operation. From this angle it is possible to the two outlet openings 10 which are connected to each an exit channel 13.
  • FIG 4 shows an embodiment of a lower front unit 2 seen from the front, where "front” is the side facing forward i.e. away from the harvester 3 during operation.
  • This embodiment of a lower front unit 1 comprises a central outlet opening 8 which outlet 8 is connected to a central front opening in harvester 3 and through which outlet 8 stem and leave material is transported through the harvester 3, optionally further shredded, and then exiting via the exit channel 12 and collected in e.g. a trailer.
  • FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of transport device 9 of a lower front unit.
  • This embodiment of a transport device 9 comprises three separate conveyer belts 9a, 9b, 9c.
  • the conveyor belts 9b and 9c transport cut-down stem and leave material from the extreme sides of the lower front unit 2 and push the material toward the conveyer belt 9a, the conveyer belt 9a then pushes the cut-down material toward the central outlet 8.
  • all conveyer belts 9a, 9b, 9c operates continuously.
  • conveyer belts 9a, 9b, 9c may be replaced by augers or other generally known transport means.
  • Figure 6 shows an embodiment of an adapter 14 comprising a forward side 15 facing forward in the moving direction during operation of the assembly and a backward side 16 facing backward relative to the moving direction during operation of the assembly.

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Harvesting Machines For Specific Crops (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention relates to a detachable front unit for a harvester which detachable front unit comprises a combination of at least an upper and a lower front unit and optionally at least either the upper front unit or the lower front unit or both are releasably attached to the harvester by an adapter. In particular, the invention relates to a combination of front units (1, 2) for a harvester (3) comprising an inlet for cut-down plant parts, the combination of front units (1, 2) comprises an upper front unit (1) and a lower front unit (2), each front unit (1, 2) comprises means configured to mount the unit (1, 2) at the front of the harvester, and the front units (1, 2) comprises: - a cutting device (4) configured to cut-down plant stems in a field, - a feeding device comprising transport means (9a, 9b, 9c) configured to transport leave and stem material from a position of cutting to an outlet (8), and - a sorting or ripping device (6) configured to separate kernels or fruit parts from stems comprising guiding means (5) configured to guide kernels and fruit parts to a transport device (7), wherein the upper front unit (1) comprises the cutting device (4), the sorting or ripping device (6) and the transport means (7), and the lower front unit (2) comprises a support part (11) configured to support the transport means (9a, 9b, 9c) of the feeding device.

Description

Combination of front units for a harvester
The present invention relates to a detachable front unit for a harvester which detachable front unit comprises a combination of at least an upper and a lower front unit and optionally at least either the upper front unit or the lower front unit or both are releasably attached to the harvester by an adapter.
In particular, the present invention relates to a detachable front unit for a harvester which front unit may significantly increase the capacity of the harvester.
Background of the invention
The front unit of the invention may be used with a forage harvester. A forage harvester is a machine which cuts down and harvest plants comprising forage i.e. plant leaves and stems. A self-propelled forage harvester is a machine which is equipped with a motor and not pulled by a tractor. A self-propelled forage harvester comprises a front unit which cuts down plants, optionally sorts cut-down plants into sections, and transports the cut-down plant parts into one or more wagons depending on how many fractions the cut-down plants are sorted in.
The forage harvester may comprise means for further treating e.g. chopping or cutting the leaves and stem parts of the crops.
When using a forage harvester for harvesting maize or other crops, the stem is cut, following which the entire plant comprising stem, leaf and ear i.e. the fruit is shredded or chopped. If used for animal feed, the animals, mainly cattle, are thus fed kernel as well as leaf and stem parts. The same applies to the use as biomass: the entire chopped plant, i.e. including the maize kernels, is used as biomass in a biogas installation.
When harvesting maize as a food crop for livestock and humans, no chopper is used, instead a combine harvester or threshing machine is used which harvests the maize ears by separating them from the stem. The ears can be further treated by a threshing machine where the maize kernels are separated from the cob of the ear. When using threshing machines, the stem is usually left on the field. Following the threshing, a chopper may drive across the field to cut the stems and shred and collect them. However, this method is laborious and as the stems in the meanwhile have been in contact with the ground, dirt may be adhering to the stems when they are collected.
EP 3 021 657 discloses a front attachment unit for a maize chopper, according to which the maise is harvested in one single operation harvest while the maize ears and the stems and are collected separately. The maize ears may then subsequently be used as a food raw material for humans and animals, while the stems may be used as biomass. The document relates to a self-propelled forage harvester which may cut down maize plants and convey them to the forage harvester also known as a cutting head. In particular, the document discloses a detachable front attachment unit (10, 40) for a self-propelled maize chopper (20), which unit comprises a bottom part (12) (cutting head) comprising a cutting device (121) configured to cut maize plants in the field, a feed device (123) configured to evacuate the cut-down plants to a feed opening (124) configured to communicate with an inlet opening The bottom part (12) comprises fastening means (128) for attachment of the bottom part (12) to the maize chopper. The detachable front attachment unit further comprises a top part (13) (maize treshing-head) arranged above the bottom part (12), which top part comprises a separating device (131) configured to separate maize ears from maise stem, a conveying device (138) and an outlet (139). The conveying device (138) is configured to convey the separated maize ears to the outlet (139), and the separating device (131) comprises gripping means (135) able to engage with the maize stem and separating means (133, 134) able to separate the ears from the stem. The top part (13) is arranged with respect to the bottom part (12) in such a manner that, during operation of the maize chopper, a maize stem first engages with the gripping means (135) of the separating device, and then the stem is cut down by the cutting device (121) of the bottom part (12). Also, the front attachment unit (10, 40) comprises an intermediate frame (15, 45) comprising first fastening means (153, 453) for attaching the bottom part (12) to the intermediate frame (15, 45) and second fastening means (151, 152) for attaching the top part (13) to the intermediate frame, the bottom part (12) is this way configured to be attached to the intermediate frame in a detachable way, so that the bottom part can be used for the maize chopper both separately, without the intermediate frame and top part, and integrated in the front attachment unit. A problem with this front attachment unit for a maize chopper is that it is not possible to lower the top part close to the ground because the lower part comprising the cutter device (121) prevents free positioning of the top part (13) as the top part (13) may not be positioned below a certain height. This generally makes it more difficult to adapt the device to a specific crop and when harvesting maize this may e.g. result in lesser yield of maize ears in fields where ears are positioned low on the plants.
Hence, an improved unit would be advantageous, in particular a unit comprising parts which result in an increased harvesting capacity while avoiding harvested plant parts ending up on the ground.
Summary of the invention
Thus, an object of the present invention relates to detachable front unit or a combination of front units for a harvester.
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a detachable front unit that solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art by increasing the capacity and the speed.
Thus, one aspect of the invention relates to a combination of front units (1, 2) for a harvester (3) comprising an inlet for cut-down plant parts, the combination of front units (1, 2) comprises an upper front unit (1) and a lower front unit (2), each front unit (1, 2) comprises means configured to mount the unit (1, 2) at the front of the harvester, and the front units (1, 2) comprises:
- a cutting device (4) configured to cut-down plant stems in a field,
- a feeding device comprising transport means (9a, 9b, 9c) configured to transport leave and stem material from a position of cutting to an outlet (8), and - a sorting or ripping device (6) configured to separate kernels or fruit parts from stems comprising guiding means (5) configured to guide kernels and fruit parts to a transport device (7), wherein the upper front unit (1) comprises the cutting device (4), the sorting or ripping device (6) and the transport means (7), and the lower front unit (2) comprises a support part (11) configured to support the transport means (9a, 9b, 9c) of the feeding device.
According to any embodiment of first aspect of the invention, the lower front unit (2) may comprise one, two or more outlets (8) and one, two or more transport means (9) configured to transport leave and stem material from a position of cutting to the one outlet or to one of the outlets (8).
According to any embodiment of first aspect of the invention, the at least one outlet (8) may be positioned either centrally or close to one of the sides of the lower front unit (2). "Close to one of the sides of the lower front unit" means that the outlet is positioned closer to one of the sides than to the middle.
According to any embodiment of first aspect of the invention, the transport means (9a, 9b, 9c) may comprise one, two or more transport units such as conveyor belts or augers.
According to any embodiment of first aspect of the invention, the harvester (3) may be a forage harvester having a front inlet for stem and leave material, preferably a self-propelled forage harvester, optionally the front inlet is positioned centrally, and optionally the harvester comprises means for further chopping or shredding of plant parts entering through the front inlet.
According to any embodiment of first aspect of the invention, the upper front unit (1) may comprise one, two or more outlets (10) for kernels and fruit parts, and one, two or more transport devices (7).
According to any embodiment of first aspect of the invention, the transport device (7) of the upper front unit (1) may comprise one, two or more conveyor belts, or one, two or more transport augers configured to transport kernels and fruits from a position of arrival to an outlet (10).
According to any embodiment of first aspect of the invention, the cutting device may comprise or may be constituted of a rotating cutter such as a blade cutter, or disc cutter, or roller cutter mounted/positioned below the sorting or ripping device (6).
According to any embodiment of first aspect of the invention, the cutting device (4) may comprise rollers contacting the stems and guiding the stems downward.
According to any embodiment of first aspect of the invention, the combination of front units (1, 2) need not comprise pick-up units picking plant material from the ground.
According to any embodiment of first aspect of the invention, the sorting or ripping device (6) may be configured to separate kernels or fruit parts from maize, sunflowers, hemp or similar plants where similar plants are defined as having stems of an average height of at least 1 meter, and an average diameter of stem of at least 50 mm, normally at least 10 mm, and kernels around the top or upper half of the plant.
According to a second aspect, the invention relates to an assembly comprising a harvester (3) and a combination of front units (1, 2) according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the combination of front units (1, 2) is attached to the harvester (3).
According to any embodiment of second aspect of the invention, the assembly may comprise an adapter (14) attached to the harvester (3) at a first position and attached to the combination of front units (1,2) at a second position.
According to any embodiment of second aspect of the invention, the upper front unit (1) may comprise at least two outlets (10) for kernels and fruits, and an exit channel (13) is connected to each of the outlets (10) configured to guide and carry kernels/fruits to a trailer or driven container.
Brief description of the figures
Figure 1 shows a harvester with a combination of front units according to the invention in a side view.
Figure 2 shows a harvester with a combination of front units according to the invention in a front view.
Figure 3 shows an embodiment of an upper front unit seen from the back i.e. a side facing backward i.e. opposite the driving direction during operation.
Figure 4 shows an embodiment of a lower front unit seen from the front i.e. a side facing forward in the driving direction during operation.
Figure 5 shows an embodiment of a feeding device to be positioned on the carrying device of a lower front unit - both in an upper view and in a side view.
Figure 6 shows an embodiment of an adapter for use with an assembly comprising a harvester and a combination of front units.
The present invention will now be described in more detail in the following.
Detailed description of the invention
Definitions
Prior to discussing the present invention in further details, the following terms and conventions will first be defined :
In general - when this expression is used when mentioning a feature relating to the present invention, it must be understood that the feature may be used with all embodiments of the invention, even if the mentioning is made in the detailed part of the document. Front unit or combination of front units - where "front" refers to that the unit(s) is/are pushed as a first unit over land comprising crops for harvesting. A front unit may be positioned in front of the harvester or beside of the harvester.
The present invention relates to a combination of front units 1, 2 for a harvester 3. There are no requirements to the harvester 3, except that harvester has an inlet or receiving part for cut-down plant parts, and normally the harvester comprises or carries means for transporting cut-down plant parts to a driven container or trailer. The harvester 3 may be a forage harvester having a central front inlet for stem and leave material, e.g a self-propelled forage harvester, which may comprise means for further chopping or shredding of the stem and leave material after the plant parts have entered through the front inlet of the harvester.
The combination of front units 1, 2 according to the invention comprises an upper front unit 1 and a lower front unit 2, and each front unit 1, 2 comprises mounting means configured to secure each unit 1, 2 at the front of the harvester 3, where the "front" is defined by the moving direction of the harvester during operation. In general, each of the combination of front units 1, 2 may be individually mounted on and individually removed from the harvester 3. When the combined front units 1, 2 are individually mounted the flexibility of the harvester 3 is increased as the harvester 3 may be used for many different harvesting operations, also harvesting operations where the invention is not applied.
The combined front units 1, 2 comprise a cutting device 4 configured to cut-down plant stems in a field, a feeding device comprising transport means 9a, 9b, 9c configured to transport plant parts from a position of cutting to an outlet 8, and a sorting or ripping device 6 configured to separate kernels or fruit parts from stems which sorting and ripping device 6 comprises guiding means 5 configured to guide kernels and fruit parts into a transport device 7.
According to the invention, the upper front unit 1 comprises the cutting device 4, the sorting or ripping device 6 and the transport means 7, whereas the lower front unit 2 comprises a support part 11 configured to support the transport means 9a, 9b, 9c of the feeding device.
The cutting device 4 is normally acquired as a standard device and the cutting device 4 is adapted to the specific crop which is to be harvested. Two different cutting devices 4 which may be used in the context of the present invention as part of the upper front unit 1 are shown in respectively WO2018035537A1 where the knives rotate around a horizontal axis, and US2015/0164000A1 where the knives rotate around a vertical axis. Normally, the cutting means 4 beside the knives or blades comprise rollers which rollers are positioned as pairs and may be used to secure the horizontal position of the stems and force the stem downwards as the pair-wise rollers are forced together and roll downward, causing the stem to be cut into smaller pieces as the stem passes the rotating knives.
The upper front unit 1 comprises a plurality of cutting devices 4 such as at least 3 cutting devices, and up to 20 or 30 cutting devices. Normally, the lower front unit 2 is at least of same width as the plurality of cutting devices 4 but the lower front unit 2 may be wider.
In general, an upper front unit according to the invention may be mounted on a harvester and used for harvesting without mounting the lower front unit which would result in harvesting without collecting stem and leave material.
As the lower front unit does not comprise means for cutting the stems, the lower front unit 2 may not be mounted and function alone, however, the lower front unit 2 may be mounted below different upper front units 1 comprising means for cutting stems thereby collecting stem and leave material before it falls on to the ground. The continuous collecting of stem and leave material significantly increases the speed of operation as all harvested material may be obtained by a single procedure.
The feeding device of the lower front unit 2 may comprise one, two or more outlets 8 for cutdown stem and leave material and one, two or more transport means 9a, 9b, 9c configured to transport the cut-down stem and leave parts from a position of cutting to one outlet 8 or to one of the outlets 8.
If the harvester 3 has a central inlet for cut-down stem and leave material, then the outlet 8 of the lower front unit 2 may be positioned centrally. If the harvester 3 has two or more decentralized inlets e.g. positioned near each side of the harvester 3 or one inlet close to one of the sides, then outlets 8 of the lower front unit 2 may be positioned close to the sides of the lower front unit 2.
The transport means 9a, 9b, 9c of the lower front unit 2 may comprise one, two or more transport units such as conveyor belts, or transport augers.
The sorting and ripping device 6 of the upper front unit 1 is configured to separate the kernels or fruits such as maize ears or sunflower seeds or hemp seed from the stem parts of the plant, and the sorting and ripping device 6 is adapted to the specific crop to be harvested. Normally, the upper front unit 1 may be adapted for harvesting plants having stems of an average height of at least 1 meter, and an average diameter of stem of at least 50 mm, normally at least 10 mm, and kernels around the top or upper half of the plant
The upper front unit 1 comprises at least one, or at least two or more outlets 1 for kernels and fruit parts, and the upper front unit 1 may also comprise at least one, or at least two or more transport devices 7. The number of transport devices 7 and how these transport devices 7 may be combined depends on the number of outlets 10 from the upper front unit 1.
The transport device 7 of the upper front unit 1 may comprise one, two or more conveyor belts, or one, two or more transport augers to transport the harvested kernels and fruits from a position of arrival to the one outlet 10 or to one of the outlets 10.
Normally, the cutting device 4 may comprise a rotating blade such as a blade cutter, or a disc cutter, or a roller cutter mounted/positioned below the sorting or ripping device 6. The rotating blades may be positioned below a means forcing or guiding the stems of the harvested plants downward in a controlled manner so that the stems may be cut into small pieces as the stems pass the rotating blades. E.g., the cutting device 4 may comprise rollers which contact the stems and force or guide the stems downward.
An advantage of the combination of front units 1, 2 according to the invention, is that the stem and leave parts of the plant do not end up on the ground but may be collected and transported into the harvester 3. The combination of front units 1, 2 need therefore not comprise a pick-up unit picking plant material from the ground.
Normally, an assembly comprising both a harvester 3 and a combination of front units 1, 2 comprises an adapter 14 in order to increase flexibility of the assembly.
Such an adapter 14 may comprise or be constituted of a frame such as a steel frame comprising mounting means or fittings which at the forward side 15 is adapted to the upper and lower front units 1, 2, and on the backward side 16 is adapted to the harvester 3.
Different manufactures of harvesters 3 normally have particularly structured and sized means for mounting front units produced by the same manufacturer, also, any type of harvester 3 may be used for operating the combination of front units 1, 2 according to the invention. Therefore, using an adapter 14 may increase the possibility for a user of the combination of front units 1, 2 according to the invention as the fittings of the adapter 14 on the backward side 16 may be adapted to any harvester 3 regardless of brand and type, while the forward side 15 of the adapter may comprise standard fittings for the upper front unit 1 which may comprise e.g. maize cutters, sunflower cutters etc., and fittings adapted to the lower front unit 2.
Normally, the fittings of the adapter 14 on the backward side 16 is adapted to the specific harvester 3 which the user intends to use, when the user acquires an adapter 14 and possibly a combination of front units 1,2 according to the invention. As the fittings of the forward side 15 are standard fittings, these fittings are normally established when the user acquires the adapter 14.
Figure 1 shows a side view of a harvester 3 with a combination of front units 1, 2, i.e. an assembly, according to the invention. The harvester 3 is a self-propelled forage harvester 3 comprising an exit channel 12 for cut-down and/or shredded stem and leave material and a two exit channels 13 for kernels such as maize ears. Via the exit channels the harvested plant material are guided to a designated collection container or trailer, e.g. a trailer positioned behind the harvester 3 is used for collecting the kernels and/or a container pulled by another vehicle driving beside the harvester 3 may be used to collect the stem and leave material. The sorting and ripping device 6 of the shown embodiment of an upper front unit 1 is adapted to collect maize ears in the transport device 7. The cutting devices 4 are positioned below the sorting and ripping device 6 and guiding means 5 constituted of the edges of the sorting and ripping means 6 guides the stems of the maize plants to the transport means 7 as the harvester 3 moves forward during operation. The shown embodiment comprises 11 cutting devices 4.
Figure 2 shows a front view of the same embodiment of an assembly as shown in figure 1. From this angle, it is possible to see that the transport device 7 comprises four augers transporting the kernels in form of maize ears outwards i.e. towards the two openings 10 positioned at each side of a central point of the upper front unit 1.
Figure 3 shows an embodiment of an upper front unit seen from the back, where the "back" is the side facing backward toward the harvester 3 during operation. From this angle it is possible to the two outlet openings 10 which are connected to each an exit channel 13.
Figure 4 shows an embodiment of a lower front unit 2 seen from the front, where "front" is the side facing forward i.e. away from the harvester 3 during operation. This embodiment of a lower front unit 1 comprises a central outlet opening 8 which outlet 8 is connected to a central front opening in harvester 3 and through which outlet 8 stem and leave material is transported through the harvester 3, optionally further shredded, and then exiting via the exit channel 12 and collected in e.g. a trailer.
Figure 5 shows an embodiment of transport device 9 of a lower front unit. This embodiment of a transport device 9 comprises three separate conveyer belts 9a, 9b, 9c. The conveyor belts 9b and 9c transport cut-down stem and leave material from the extreme sides of the lower front unit 2 and push the material toward the conveyer belt 9a, the conveyer belt 9a then pushes the cut-down material toward the central outlet 8. During operation, all conveyer belts 9a, 9b, 9c operates continuously.
Alternatively, the conveyer belts 9a, 9b, 9c may be replaced by augers or other generally known transport means.
Figure 6 shows an embodiment of an adapter 14 comprising a forward side 15 facing forward in the moving direction during operation of the assembly and a backward side 16 facing backward relative to the moving direction during operation of the assembly.

Claims

Claims
1. A combination of front units (1, 2) for a harvester (3) comprising an inlet for cut-down plant parts, the combination of front units (1, 2) comprises an upper front unit (1) and a lower front unit (2), each front unit (1, 2) comprises means configured to mount the unit (1, 2) at the front of the harvester, and the front units (1, 2) comprises:
- a cutting device (4) configured to cut-down plant stems in a field,
- a feeding device comprising transport means (9a, 9b, 9c) configured to transport leave and stem material from a position of cutting to an outlet (8), and
- a sorting or ripping device (6) configured to separate kernels or fruit parts from stems comprising guiding means (5) configured to guide kernels and fruit parts to a transport device (7), characterized in that the upper front unit (1) comprises the cutting device (4), the sorting or ripping device (6) and the transport means (7), and the lower front unit (2) comprises a support part (11) configured to support the transport means (9a, 9b, 9c) of the feeding device.
2. A combination of front units (1, 2) according to claim 1, wherein the lower front unit (2) comprises one, two or more outlets (8) and one, two or more transport means (9) configured to transport the leave and stem material from a position of cutting to the one outlet or to one of the outlets (8).
3. A combination of front units (1, 2) according to any previous claim, wherein one outlet (8) is positioned either centrally or close to one of the sides of the lower front unit (2).
4. A combination of front units (1, 2) according to any previous claim, wherein the transport means (9a, 9b, 9c) comprises one, two or more transport units such as conveyor belts or augers.
5. A combination of front units according to any previous claim, wherein the harvester (3) is a forage harvester having a front inlet for stem and leave material, preferably a self- propelled forage harvester, optionally the front inlet is positioned centrally, and optionally the harvester comprises means for further chopping or shredding of plant parts entering through the front inlet.
6. A combination of front units according to any previous claim, wherein the upper front unit (1) comprises one, two or more outlets (10) for kernels and fruit parts, and one, two or more transport devices (7).
7. A combination of front units (1, 2) according to claim 1, wherein the transport device (7) of the upper front unit (1) comprises one, two or more conveyor belts, or one, two or more transport augers configured to transport kernels and fruits from a position of arrival to an outlet (10).
8. A combination of front units according to any previous claim, wherein the cutting device comprises or is constituted of a rotating cutter such as a blade cutter, or disc cutter, or roller cutter mounted/positioned below the sorting or ripping device (6).
9. A combination of front units according to any previous claim, wherein the cutting device (4) comprises rollers contacting the stems and guiding the stems downward.
10. A combination of front units according to any previous claim, wherein the combination of front units (1, 2) does not comprise pick-up units picking plant material from the ground.
11. A combination of front units according to any previous claim, wherein the sorting or ripping device (6) is configured to separate kernels or fruit parts from maize, sunflowers, hemp or similar plants where similar plants are defined as having stems of an average height of at least 1 meter, and an average diameter of stem of at least 50 mm, normally at least 10 mm, and kernels around the top or upper half of the plant.
12. An assembly comprising a harvester (3) and a combination of front units (1, 2) according to one of claims 1-11, wherein the combination of front units (1, 2) is attached to the harvester (3), and the assembly comprises an adapter (14) attached to the harvester (3) at a first position and attached to the combination of front units (1,2) at a second position.
13. An assembly according to claim 12, wherein the upper front unit (1) comprises at least two outlets (10) for kernels and fruits, and an exit channel (13) is connected to each outlet (10) and configured to guide and carry kernels/fruits to a trailer or driven container.
PCT/EP2025/064852 2024-05-30 2025-05-28 Combination of front units for harvester Pending WO2025248008A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DKPA202430280 2024-05-30
DKPA202430280 2024-05-30

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2025248008A1 true WO2025248008A1 (en) 2025-12-04

Family

ID=96013151

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2025/064852 Pending WO2025248008A1 (en) 2024-05-30 2025-05-28 Combination of front units for harvester

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2025248008A1 (en)

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2011137599A1 (en) * 2010-05-07 2011-11-10 天津毕晟智能科技开发有限公司 Multifunctional maize harvester
EP2556740A1 (en) * 2011-08-10 2013-02-13 SA Ouest Agri Cutting installation for cutting plants with a vertical stem, such as hemp, and combine harvester with roller frame equipped with such a cutting installation at the front
WO2015040601A1 (en) * 2013-09-23 2015-03-26 Renders Jos Front attachment unit for maize chopper
US20150164000A1 (en) 2011-11-11 2015-06-18 Franz Schrattenecker Picking Device for Maize or the Like
EP3135094A1 (en) * 2015-08-31 2017-03-01 CNH Industrial Belgium nv Stalked crop harvesting header structure
WO2018035537A1 (en) 2016-08-19 2018-02-22 Kingdom Ag Concepts, Inc. Differential speed stalk rolls
DE102017223174A1 (en) * 2017-12-19 2019-06-19 Deere & Company Forage harvester with separate processing of material streams

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2011137599A1 (en) * 2010-05-07 2011-11-10 天津毕晟智能科技开发有限公司 Multifunctional maize harvester
EP2556740A1 (en) * 2011-08-10 2013-02-13 SA Ouest Agri Cutting installation for cutting plants with a vertical stem, such as hemp, and combine harvester with roller frame equipped with such a cutting installation at the front
US20150164000A1 (en) 2011-11-11 2015-06-18 Franz Schrattenecker Picking Device for Maize or the Like
WO2015040601A1 (en) * 2013-09-23 2015-03-26 Renders Jos Front attachment unit for maize chopper
EP3021657A1 (en) 2013-09-23 2016-05-25 Renders, Jos Front attachment unit for maize chopper
EP3135094A1 (en) * 2015-08-31 2017-03-01 CNH Industrial Belgium nv Stalked crop harvesting header structure
WO2018035537A1 (en) 2016-08-19 2018-02-22 Kingdom Ag Concepts, Inc. Differential speed stalk rolls
DE102017223174A1 (en) * 2017-12-19 2019-06-19 Deere & Company Forage harvester with separate processing of material streams

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3680291A (en) Corn harvesting machine
US8220236B1 (en) Harvester for selectively cutting portions of crop materials
US4182098A (en) Apparatus and method for harvesting and windrowing corn
US9974237B2 (en) Threshing corn header with screw crop conveyors
US4539799A (en) Method and apparatus for harvesting corn or other cereals
US4251980A (en) Cornstalk harvesting and windrow attachment for a corn picker header
CZ293503B6 (en) Corn harvesting attachment for attaching to a self-propelled harvesting machine
CS247162B2 (en) Method and equipment for harvesting of maize and other corns
US5784869A (en) Corn head auger trough divider
US9386745B2 (en) Corn header for a forage harvester including a side separating mechanism
US3933314A (en) Chopping implement
US4148175A (en) Corn stalk harvester and windrow attachment for a corn picker header
US3499272A (en) Corn harvesting machine
US12471531B2 (en) Modular chassis assembly and system for a sugar cane harvester
US20160143217A1 (en) Agricultural header row unit for harvesting stalk residue
US6116529A (en) Corn processor for forage harvester
WO2025248008A1 (en) Combination of front units for harvester
EP3021657B1 (en) Front attachment unit for maize chopper
CN2236726Y (en) self walking maize combine
US4723397A (en) Harvesters for harvesting herbage, cereals or other standing plants
US20060185340A1 (en) Cutting and threshing header for harvesting machine
US3000164A (en) Combined corn picking and stalk severing device
JP3763808B2 (en) Combine harvester structure
US20240324508A1 (en) Harvesting header for a combine harvester for harvesting crops with grains growing on stalks
US20240130287A1 (en) Harvesting attachment for whole plant harvesting