GB2158687A - Harvester - Google Patents

Abstract

Harvester for cutting stems and tying cut stems or sticks of willows or similar biomass material into bundles comprises a frame (10) adapted mechanically to be progressed along a row of biomass material to be cut. The frame has an upwardly open horizontal passage extending initially rearwardly from the leading end of the frame, the passage having mounted sequentially therein means for guiding the stems, means for cutting the stem, means for bundling the stems, and means for discharging the stems. The frame (10) has bundling means comprising a pair of needle/knotter units (30) which operate in conjunction with a crusher/separater unit (31). The units (30), (31) are actuated by a common vertical crankshaft (32). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Harvester This invention relates to a harvester for cutting stems and tying cut stems or sticks of willow or similar biomass material into bundles and is a modification of the harvester described and claimed in our co-pending application No. 8234578.

Willow stems are grown in spaced rows as a coppiced crop to be harvested or cut every two to four years leaving stools for regrowth of further stems, the stems at the time of harvesting being greater than five feet (1.5 metres) in height.

According to the invention of our co-pending application, a harvester comprises a basically parallelepipedal openwork frame adapted mechanically to be progressed along a row of willow stems or of stems of similar biomass material and having therethrough an upwardly-open horizontal passage extending initially rearwardly from the leading end of the frame when progressed and continuing ther ethrough the frame mounting sequentially along the length of said passage means for guiding the stems thereinto as the frame is progressed, means for cutting the stems, means for bundling the cut stems, and means for discharging the bundled stems laterally of the frame.

According to the present invention a harvester comprises a basically parallelepipedal openwork frame adapted mechanically to be progressed along a row of willow stems or of stems of similar biomass material and having therethrough an upwardly-open horizontal passage extending initially rearwardly from the leading end of the frame when progressed and continuing therethrough the frame mounting sequentially along the length of said passage means for guiding the stems thereinto as the frame is progressed, means for cutting the stems, means for bundling the cut stems, and means for discharging the bundled stems laterally of the frame, the means for bundling the cut stems and the means for discharging the bundled stems being connected to a common crankshaft and comprising a crusher/separator unit retractively pivotal to move across the passage and compress the bundle, a needle/knotter unit retractively pivotal in sequence after the crusher/separator to tie the bundle and an ejector plate.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a harvester according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a front view of the harvester showing particularly a passage intake with other parts therebehind omitted for clarity; Figure 3 is a side view of the harvester showing particularly the passage discharge and a second packer means with other parts therebehind omitted for clarity; Figure 4 is a rear view of the harvester with parts omitted for clarity; and Figure 5 is a plan view of a detail.

Referring to the drawings, the harvester is of the same general form as that described in our copending application and is adapted to be hitched to a three-point linkage of a tractor and moved to harvest stems by reversing the tractor, comprises a basically parallelepipedal openwork frame 10 rearwardly of which hitch attachment points 9 are provided, the frame having therethrough an upwardlyopen horizontal passage 11, the opposite sides of which taper inwardly from an intake end towards packing means.

The intake end of the passage 11 is at the leading end of the frame when progressed and extends initially rearwardly at a position offset towards one side thereof and continuing through a right-angled bend into a straight opening from the other side thereof. Between the intake end and discharge end, i.e. bundle chamber 11A of the passage 11 and in the direction of travel, the frame mounts sequentially along the length of said passage 11 means for guiding the stems thereinto as the frame is progressed, means for cutting the stems to form sticks, means for bundling the cut stems or sticks, and means for discharging the bundled stems laterally of the frame.

At the intake end of the passage 11, the guiding means is located with one extending forwardly beyond each lateral side of the passage 11. Two oppositely-positioned, counter-rotatable elongate feeders are provided adjacent to the intake end (as shown). The feeders are both inclined rearwardly from bottom to top in the direction of progression of the frame and taper inwardly from bottom to top. The feeders are mounted on shafts 13 (Figure 2) journalled for low-friction rotation at or adjacent to their upper and lower ends in bearings 14 with one feeder on each lateral side of the passage 11.

Each feeder has a similarly disposed cylindrical member 15 to the outside periphery of which means for feeding the stems forward into the passage 11 are provided. The feeding means are raised spiral flights 16 standing proud of the periphery of each tubular member. The top of the feeders may be movable apart to increase the intake area when a large volume of stems enter the harvester, either by means of a spring loaded slide 12A or by means of a spring loaded pivoted arm 12B. The shafts are power driven by hydraulic motors 17 coupled to the hydraulic fluid supply of the tractor (not shown). The hydraulic motors are mounted on pivots to facilitate the angular movement of the shafts. At the bottom of the passage 11, on both sides, guide plates 18 are provided.

The cutting means is a circular saw blade 19 substantially horizontally disposed and driven through power transmission mechanism from a power input shaft 20 to be coupled to a powertake-off shaft secured to the P.T.O. of the tractor.

The saw blade 19 is positioned at a pre-determined height above ground, and the cut stems or sticks are standing upright and supported on the blade after being cut.

First and second packer means are provided: the first packer means moves the cut sticks forward along the passage 11 and off and away from the blade 19 into a floor provided thereafter in the pas sage 11. The sticks are kept upright throughout and the first packer means comprises two vertically disposed sets of rotating tines 21, the lower set of which is near the butts or bottoms of the stocks, and the higher set of which is thereabove and located above the balance point of the sticks. Each set comprises two solid tines 21 mounted on a double throw crankshaft 22. The tines 21 have semi-Watt's linkage arms so that their motion through the passage approaches a parallel action.

The direction of rotation of the saw blade 19 is in the same direction as rotation of the first packer means so that it assists the movement of the cut crop. The second packer means according to the modification of the present invention comprises a pair of pivotal packer arms 23 and a rotating tine 23B (Figure 3) adapted to move the sticks into the bundling means. The packer arms 23 are mounted on linkage means 24A inciuding a semi-Watt's linkage to give a semi-parallel action similar to the first packer means. Moving in conjunction with arms 23 is the rotating tine 23B including a semi Watt's linkage 24B, described in our co-pending application. The tine 23B moves the butts of the sticks into the tying chamber.

Spring-loaded checks 26 of metal bars or piates shaped as shown in Figure 1 are provided just above and below the packer arms 23 to prevent sticks springing back in the passage from the bundling means in the passage after the arms 23 have withdrawn.

At the bundling means each bundle of sticks is tied with two twines, one above and one below the top and bottom edges of the packer arms 23. This is achieved by a pair of needle/knotter units 30/ 25B.

According to the modification of the present invention, the needle unit 30 operates in conjunction with a crusher/ separator unit 31 and both are actuated by a common vertical crankshaft 32 which is driven off a shaft of knotter 25B.

The needle unit 30 comprises a U-shaped frame having a pair of parallel horizontally disposed limbs 33 pivotally mounted on an upright side frame 10A of the frame 10 for horizontal movement across the bundle chamber 11A and also reverse movement. The limbs 33 are connected by a vertical web 34 which carries a pair of needles 35.

One limb 33 is connected by a crank 36 to the crankshaft 32.

The crusher/separator unit 31 is also U-shaped and pivotally mounted on the side 10A of the frame 10 but inwardly of the needle unit 30 so that in operation the crusher/separator unit 31 pivots ahead of the needle unit 30 into the passage 11 but retreats behind the needle unit.

The crusher/separator unit 31 has parallel limbs 40, one of which is connected by a crank 41 to the crankshaft 32, and a web 42 for location in the bundle chamber 1 IA to compress the stems into a bundle and to clear a path for the points of the needles 35 which follow behind the crusher/separator unit 31 as more fully described hereinafter.

The unit 31 also has a cross plate 43 (Figure 2).

An ejector plate 50 is also mounted on the side 10A of the frame and operated by the crankshaft 32 to rotate through 360". A tailgate 51 is provided in side 10A of the frame. It is actuated to open by a cam 52 mounted on the crankshaft. It has an open body which allows the ejector plate, when unimpeded by a tied bundle to pass through the tailgate.

The first and second packing means are, like the saw, driven from the power input shaft 20. The power transmission mechanism for the saw includes a Vee-belt and gear box system and gives a speed increase greater than that obtained directly from the P.T.O. of the tractor.

The drive to the packer means is taken through a reduction chain driven to a reduction gear box from which the two packer means are chain driven.

These means are timed together with the second packer means beginning to convey the sticks just as the tines of the first packer means are withdrawing.

As stated previously the crankshaft 32 is driven off the knotter shaft 25B so that when the knotter shaft rotates one revolution to carry out the tying operation the crankshaft 32 also rotates one complete revolution. The throws of the crankshaft are so disposed that the operations on the bundle are carried out in the following sequence; the crusher/ separator 31 compresses the bundle, the needles 35 lay the twine round the bundle so that the knots are tied and finally the ejector 50 pushes the tied bundle out of the harvester through the tailgate 51 which has been unlatched to permit this.

The full sequence of operation is as follows.

With the bundle chamber 11A empty and the tailgate 51 latched the apparatus is in the position shown in Figure 1. As the crop is harvested the packing means fills the bundling chamber 11A, packing against the tailgate 51. When the chamber is full the tying cycle is initiated. As the knotter shaft 25B rotates the crankshaft 32 also rotates; this causes the crusher/separator 31 to move across the passage 11A followed closely behind by the needles 35 and the ejector plate 50 leaves the passage. The function of the crusher/separator 31 is to clear a path for the points of the needles as they cross the passage 1 1A and to compress the bundle before tying.The crusher/separator ensures that the bundling system ties all the sticks into a single bundle since if some sticks are missed at top or bottom, they will be tied into the next consecutive bundle with the result that adjacent bundles will be tied together. With further crankshaft rotation the needles 35 lay the twines in the knotters 25B and the knots are tied. The crusher/separator 31 and the needles 35 then withdraw. By the time the tying of the knots has been completed the ejector plate 50 will have rotated sufficiently so that it is beginning to enter the chamber 1 1A and make contact with the tied bundle. At this point the cam 52 will have unlatched the tailgate 51. Hence with further crankshaft rotation the ejector 50 will push the bundle through the tailgate 51 and out of the machine. When one complete revolution has taken place the apparatus will have returned to the position shown in Figure 1. The tailgate 51 is lightly spring loaded so that when the bundle has left the machine the tailgate can swing back and relatch itself in the closed position.

The main features which have been introduced in the present invention are the provision of a crusher/separator unit 31 and a needle unit 30 both operated from a common crankshaft to replace the needle unit 25A of our co-pending application; also the second stage packing plate 23A of our co pending application is replaced by a pair of pack ing arms 23, because the function of that plate is now carried out by the crusher/separator unit 31.

A further feature is illustrated in Figure 5.

Because the two sides of the passage 11 are only joined by a floor section, flexing of the machine may cause mis-alignment of the needles and the knotters during operation. To reduce this effect the machine is tied across the top by means of the de vice which is attached to the tailgate 51, and con sists of a tapered peg 53 attached to the end of the tailgate. When the tailgate is closed this peg lo cates in a similarly tapered hole 54 attached to the other side of the machine. This will prevent spreading of the machine when the willows are being packed into the bundling chamber. However when the tailgate is unlatched the ejector will push the bundle through the tailgate which will swing open as previously described.

For use, the harvester is mounted on the tractor as above-described and the power input shaft is coupled by a P.T.O. shaft to the tractor P.T.O. and the hoses of the hydraulic fluid supply. By revers ing the tractor and harvester along the row of wil low stems, the stems are harvested and discharged in tied bundles from the harvester.

In a modification, the harvester may be self-pro pelled.

Claims (11)

1. A harvester comprises a basically parallelepi pedal openwork frame adapted mechanically to be progressed along a row of willow stems or of stems of similar biomass material and having ther ethrough an upwardly-open horizontal passage ex tending initially rearwardly from the leading end of the frame when progressed and continuing there through the frame mounting sequentially along the length of said passage means for guiding the stems thereinto as the frame is progressed, means for cutting the stems, means for bundling the cut stems, and means for discharging the bundled stems laterally of the frame, the means for bun dling the cut stems and the means for discharging the bundled stems being connected to a common crankshaft and comprising a crusher/separator unit retractively pivotal to move across the passage and compress the bundle, a needle/knotter unit retrac tively pivotal in sequence after the crusher/separa tor to tie the bundle and an ejector plate.

2. Harvester as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the needle/knotter unit comprises a U-shaped frame having a pair of parallel horizontally disposed limbs pivotally mounted on an upright side frame of the frame for horizontal movement across the bundle chamber.

3. Harvester as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the limbs are connected by a vertical web which carries a pair of needles.

4. Harvester as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, wherein one limb is connected by a crank to the crankshaft.

5. Harvester as claimed in Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the crusher/separator unit is U-shaped and pivotally mounted on the upright side frame of the frame but inwardly of the needle unit whereby, in use, the crusher/separator unit pivots ahead of the needle unit into the passage but retreats behind the needle unit.

6. Harvester as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the crusher/separator unit has parallel limbs, one of which is connected by a crank to the crankshaft, and a web for location in the bundle chamber to compress stems therein into a bundle and to clear a path for the points of the needle.

7. Harvester as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein an ejector plate is mounted on the upright side frame of the frame and is operated by the crankshaft.

8. Harvester as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a tailgate is provided in upright side frame of the frame.

9. Harvester as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the tailgate is actuated to open by a cam mounted on the crankshaft.

10. Harvester as claimed in Claim 8 or 9, wherein the tailgate has an open body to allow the ejector plate, when unimpeded by a tied bundle to pass through the tailgate.

11. Harvester substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.