GB2095638A

GB2095638A - Conveying and cutting device

Info

Publication number: GB2095638A
Application number: GB8208766A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SIP STROJNA IND
Current assignee: SIP STROJNA IND
Priority date: 1981-03-31
Filing date: 1982-03-25
Publication date: 1982-10-06
Also published as: FR2502893A1; PL129609B1; ATA117682A; PL235711A1; AT389976B; DE3211578A1; DE3211578C2; FR2502893B3; YU83781A; GB2095638B; YU44078B; NL8201202A

Abstract

A device for feeding and cutting stalky material into the load space of a vehicle comprises a drum conveyor and a plurality of cutting knives within a conveying passage adjacent the drum. The drum is divided into a series of sections spaced along its axis each section of the drum conveying pivoted conveyor elements (9) actuated by follower levers bearing on a cam disc and interconnected by tension spring. The cutting knives (14) are biassed into the passage by a spring (18) biassed pivoted levers (17) connected to a pivoted support (15) for the knives. The levers may be rotated to an over-centre position at which the spring holds the knives out of action. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Conveying and cutting device The present invention relates to a conveying and cutting device for mounting on a vehicle, which conveys and at the same time cuts stalk material and deposits it in the load space of the vehicle.

The purpose of the device is to chop stalk material to pieces having an approximate length of 5 to 6 cm, the cutting operation being carried out by means of knives of the cutting device arranged in line and assuring an optimum exploitation of energy. There should be provided such a kind of control as to allow a simple setting if cut pieces of a greater length are desired and a protection for the knives in case a foreign hard body should enter the device.

The hitherto known vehicles (e.g. that described in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,836,312) are provided with two rows of cutting knives, the knives being arranged alternatively in two different positions in the vertical sense so that the stalk material is cut in two phases; in the first phase of cutting there are produced chopped pieces of 1 2 to 1 5 cm, while in the second one the chopped pieces are halved. The latter cutting phase, however, cannot be considered precise because the cut pieces of stalk obtained during the first cutting phase can bypass the second row of knives. Therefore the cut stalk material wiil have pieces of different length.A further deficiency of the above-mentioned known vehicles resides in the fact that their knives and conveying elements arranged in a row are subjected to shocks so that such a solution is expensive in view of power consumption and construction. An examination of the previously explained known construction makes it possible to ascertain that the knives are allowed to recede from their working position only for a distance equal to one half of the height of the conveying channel for the material in case a hard foreign body has entered the channel. This deficiency can cause breakage of the knives.

There are further known conveying and cutting devices for vehicles whose construction is based on the use of a drum (cf. German Utility Model No.

79 29636). There is provided in such a construction a single side control of the entire conveying and cutting device, which is achieved by means of a cam provided with a double U-curve path. The deficiencies of this construction are a greater power consumption, the possibility of an occlusion of said double U-curve and an uneven distribution of cutting forces, which causes an impact charge of the conveying and cutting device.

The present invention includes a conveying device comprising a drum. The conveying elements are arranged on the periphery of the drum in such a way that they are movable relative to each other for a certain angular displacement.

The conveying device itself along its width is separated in a plurality of independent controlled sections, such an arrangement making possible that during the cutting operation of the device only a small number of conveying elements co-operate with said knives, whereby there is achieved a reduction of the required driving power and a quicker running of the machine.

Each section of the conveying device is independently controlled by means of a cam disc that governs control levers biased by means of a tension spring against said cam disc. The cutting edge of the knife is formed according to an appropriate curve so as to assure that the cutting force remains constant from the beginning to the end of the cutting operation. The knives are associated in groups. These groups can be moved by means of rod guides into operating position, whereby the knives from a retracted position emerge in the conveying channel.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of the conveying and cutting device for a vehicle according to the invention, partly in section; Figure 2 is an elevational view of the conveying device; Figure 3 is a cross-section according to line Il-Il in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a detailed side view of the cutting device, illustrating its knives in working position and in retracted position (dotted line), as well as some conveying elements belonging to the conveying device, and the rod guide; Figure 5 shows the cutting device from Figure 4 seen in the direction of the arrow V (in Figure 4); Figure 6 is a detail of the cutting device from Figure 4, particularly the rod guide seen in the direction of the arrow VI (in Figure 4);; Figure 7 is a side view of knives in position when partly turned aside so as to permit a hard foreign body to pass; Figure 8 is a side view of knives in their retracted position.

Figure 1 shows a vehicle provided with means that pick up stalk material and convey it to a conveying device 3, which in its turn cuts the stalk material during its passing through a conveying channel 4 by means of a cutting device 5 into short pieces and transports them into a load space 6. As can be seen from Figures 1 and 3, the conveying device 3 comprises a drum 7, being in its axial direction separated into a plurality of equal sections 8. From the peripheral surfaces of said drum sections there project conveying elements 9 in such a way that they are relatively angularly spaced from one drum section 8 to another drum section 8, each of said sections 8 of the conveying device 3 being independently controlled by means of cam disc 10 that governs control levers 11 biased by means of tension springs 12 against it.Each tension spring connects two conveying elements 9 in such a way that, when the attaching point of the spring 1 2 to one element 9 moves away in the direction of the axis of said spring to stretch it, the other attaching point of the same spring to another element 9 approaches in the same direction and allows the spring to contract so that the springs 12 undergo a minimum deformation, which assures a long service life of said springs.

As can be seen from Figures 4 and 6, the cutting device forms an independent constructional unit comprising two or more groups 1 3 of cutting knives 14, separably attached to a support 15 by means of a bolt 16, whereby the groups of cutting knives are pivotally supported so as to allow a swinging motion and are held in their working position by means of rods 17. These rods 1 7 have their attachments pivotally arranged in a triangle, the form of which can be adjusted by means of a screw 19, the closed together position of rods 17 being maintained by means of a tension spring 18.

Figure 5 shows a scrap view of one group 13 of cutting knives with appertaining supports 15, the group 13 being designed in such a way that either the group 13 of cutting knives as a whole can be swung out by means of rods 1 7 or some of the knives 14' can be disconnected from rods 1 7 as shown in Figure 4, so as to obtain the desired pitch between the knives 14.

Figure 7 shows the situation when a hard foreign body, e.g. a stone, enters the channel 4 and meets one or more knives 14. In such a case the foreign body exerts an angular thrust upon said knife 14 or group 1 3 of knives respectively causing them to turn out of the travelling path of the foreign body, whereby the entire system of rods 1 7 swings out (cf. Figure 7). During the retreat of group 13 of cutting knives 14 the previously tensioned spring 1 8 undergoes a further tension.

As soon as the foreign body leaves the effective range of said cutting knife, the group 1 3 of knives returns into its previous working position under the influence of spring 18.

Figure 8 shows the position of the group 13 of cutting knives in its out-of-action position, at which all the knives are located outside the conveying channel 4 and the system of rods 17 rests upon a back stop 25, the resulting overcentre position of the rods being safe-guarded by means of the spring 18.

Claims

1. A conveying and cutting device for a vehicle intended to receive stalk material, which picks up stalk material, conveys it, cuts it and transports it through a conveying channel into a load space of the vehicle, and comprising a drum separated along its width into several sections, said sections being provided with sets of conveying elements that are respectively angularly displaced to each other, wherein each drum section of the conveying device is independently controlled by means of a centrally arranged cam disc that governs control levers connected to the elements and biased by means of tension springs against said cam disc.

2. A conveying and cutting device according to claim 1, wherein each tension spring is mounted between the conveying elements in such a manner that while one attaching point of the spring moves away in the direction of the axis of said spring, the other attaching point of the spring approaches in the same direction.

3. A conveying and cutting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cutting device consists of two or more groups of cutting knives, each one of them being separably mounted on a support by means of a bolt.

4. A conveying and cutting device according to claim 3, wherein the cutting knives are held in a working position by means of rods biased by a spring and pivotal attachment points of the rods are arranged to a triangle, whose form can be adjusted by means of a screw.

5. A conveying and cutting device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the cutting edge of each of the knives is formed in such a way that its cutting power remains constant at the beginning as well as at the end of the cutting operation.

6. A conveying and cutting device according to claim 4, wherein the rods are provided with a back stop and each group of cutting knives can be withdrawn from the conveying channel and held tensionally blocked in the withdrawn position.

7. A conveying and cutting device for stalky material for a vehicle to be loaded with the material constructed and arranged substantiaily as hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying drawings.