Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01C—PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING
  • A01C9/00—Potato planters
  • A01C9/02—Potato planters with conveyor belts

Definitions

• the invention relates to a cup conveyor for a potato planter, defined in the preamble of Claim 1.
• the invention additionally relates to a belt intended for the said cup conveyor and a potato planter equipped with the said cup conveyor.
• FIG. 1 shows one known potato planter 10, which comprises as principal components a bearing wheel 11, a cutting share and a covering disk (12 resp. 13), a potato hopper 14, a horizontal conveyor 15, and a cup conveyor 20, by means of which the potatoes to be planted are arranged in a line for providing a suitable planting density and from which the potatoes are dropped into the furrow.
• Reference 16 indicates the machine frame by the mediation of which the machine is coupled behind a tractor.
• the cup conveyor 20 is a rather high elevator which comprises a belt 21 to which there are fastened successive cups 22 each intended for conveying one potato.
• the belt 21 runs supported by a pulley 23 and a sheave 24.
• the pulley 23 is driven by the bearing wheel 11.
• the desired pulley rotation speed i.e.
• the desired planting density is achieved by the selection of a suitable gear ratio.
• the potatoes 40 rest against the cups in the rising portion of the belt, and after passing the sheave the potatoes fall out of the cups and remain resting against the outer surface of the preceding cup in the descending portion of the belt.
• the U- profile tube 19 protecting the conveyor retains the potatoes in place until they arrive at the dropping point 18.
• cup conveyors of the potato planter type described above there are certain problems involved with the cup conveyors of the potato planter type described above.
• the cup size is usually relatively large in proportion to the potato being conveyed, in order that the potato should certainly remain in the cup in the rising portion of the belt.
• relatively small seed potatoes are used, there are easily left several potatoes in one and the same cup, which in turn leads to non-desirable so-called double planting.
• the conveyor i.e. the elevator, must be relatively high. This, again, affects the size of the apparatus.
• the potatoes may tend to be flung out by centrifugal force, especially at high rotation speeds.
• the size of the potato affects its precise time of being dropped.
• a cup arrives at the pulley a small potato detaches easily from between the horn wall and the cup bottom, whereas a large potato remains there longer. In this way the potato size may affect the planting density, which is not desirable.
• the object of the present invention is to eliminate the deficiencies described above and to provide for a potato planter a novel cup conveyor in which the potatoes remain well in their cups from the feeding point to the point at which the purpose is to drop them into the furrow.
• the invention thus relates to a cup conveyor for a potato planter, the conveyor being intended for conveying the potato to be planted from the potato feeding point to the point at which it is dropped into the furrow, the conveyor comprising a pulley, a sheave and, running on these wheels, a belt equipped with successive cups.
• the invention is characterized in that in connection with or in the vicinity of the cups there are fitted flaps, and that each cup, and the corresponding flap, is arranged to keep a potato in a holding grip to the point at which the intention is to drop the potato into the furrow.
• Figure 1 depicts a state-of-the-art potato planter
• Figure 2 depicts a side view of a cup conveyor according to the invention
• Figure 3A depicts a cup and the flap fitted above it, as seen from direction I in Figure 2
• Figure 3B depicts a side view of the option of Figure 3A
• Figure 3C depicts a top view of the option of Figure 3A
• Figure 4 depicts a blow-up of detail Y of Figure 2
• Figures 5A and 5B depict profiles of the stops of the conveyor of Figure 2
• Figure 6 depicts a cross section of the sheave along its axis.
• FIG. 2 shows a side view of a cup conveyor 20 according to the invention.
• the conveyor is used for conveying the potatoes 40 to be planted from their feeding point 17 to their dropping point 18, where they are dropped into the furrow.
• the conveyor comprises a pulley 23, a sheave 24, and a belt 21 running on these wheels and equipped with successive cups 22a, 22b, 22c...
• the belt moves in the direction indicated by the arrow.
• Figures 3A - 3C show a cup 22 and the flap 30 fitted above it as seen from the front, i.e. from direction I in Figure 2 (Figure 3A) , from the side ( Figure 3B) and from above ( Figure 3C) .
• Figures 3A and 3B the turned-up position of the flap is shown with dotted lines.
• Figure 4 which shows detail Y of Figure 2, the structure of the flap 30 is seen in greater detail from the side.
• the flap 30 is a stiff piece which, in the area between the front edge 31a and the hind edge 32a, is arranged to pivot about a pivot axis 33 running in the orientation of the width of the belt 21.
• This axis may be, for example, a hinge, the first fastening plate of which is connected to the flap itself and the second fastening plate of which is connected to the belt or the cup.
• a hinge it is, of course, possible to use any other option which allows the pivoting movement of the flap about the axle 33.
• the axis 33 may be a physical piece or merely a theoretical pivot axis.
• In the belt 21 there is provided an opening 28, which allows the hindmost portion 32 of the flap 30 to move through the plane of the belt when the foremost portion 31 of the flap 30 descends towards the cup 22. It is recommended that the foremost portion 31 of the flap should be clearly longer than its hindmost 32 portion, in which case the foremost portion tends by gravity to press towards the cup.
• the conveyor has, fitted in the vicinity of the potato feeding point 17, a stop 26, which holds the flap 30 away from the cup 22 at the potato feeding point.
• Figure 5A shows a horizontal section of the stop 26.
• the stop 26 is an L-profile projecting from one or both sides of the belt 21, turned towards the middle of the belt.
• the frontal portion of the flap 30 is preferably shaped as blades 34a and 34b, which travel in a pocket 35 formed by the L-profile and the belt, in which case the belt remains in the open position until the effect of the stop 26 ends and the frontal portion 31 of the flap presses towards the cup.
• the conveyor comprises a stop 27 the function of which is to keep the flap turned towards the cup until the point 18 at which the intention is to drop the potato into the furrow.
• This stop consists, for example, of edge pieces 27a and 27b (cf. the horizontal section shown in Figure 5B) projecting from both sides of the belt 21. It is important that the flap 30 is at least at a certain point (in this option in the area of the blades 34a and 34b) so wide that it touches both of the edge pieces 27a and 27b.
• the distance between the edge pieces 27a and 27b is so narrow that the blades 34a and 34b of the flap 30 bend slightly (cf. Figure 3A) . In this manner it is ensured that the flap remains turned towards the cup also in those positions in which it would otherwise open.
• the sheave 24 has a recess 29 for unhindered travel of the hindmost portion 32 of the flap 30 ( Figure 6) .
• a conveyor according to the invention it is possible to use smaller cups than in known conveyors, since the remaining of the potato in the cup is ensured by means of a flap. For this reason, extra potatoes are not left on the belt.
• the conveyor if it is an elevator conveyor, can be made considerably lower and more inclined than known cup elevators .
• the flap need not necessarily be located above the cup.
• the apparatus has two side flaps or one side flap and a fixed stop fitted on the opposite side.
• the flap need not pivot about an axis which is located at a distance from the hind edge of the flap. It is also conceivable that the flap, which may be spring loaded, is articulated by its hind edge. It is, however, justified to assume that the option described above is recommendable in terms of the reliability of use and cleaning of the conveyor.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Soil Sciences (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Sowing (AREA)
• Apparatuses For Bulk Treatment Of Fruits And Vegetables And Apparatuses For Preparing Feeds (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8548799

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (7)

Families Citing this family (6)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 1997
  • 1997-05-06 FI FI971926A patent/FI102026B1/fi active
• 1998
  • 1998-05-04 EP EP98917174A patent/EP0981270A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-05-04 PL PL33596898A patent/PL335968A1/xx unknown
  • 1998-05-04 WO PCT/FI1998/000376 patent/WO1998049884A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1999
  • 1999-11-04 NO NO995387A patent/NO995387D0/no not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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