GB2214484A - Crop storage and transport - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and apparatus for crop storage and transport provides a vehicle, (10), such as a trailer, to receive harvested crop, such as cauliflowers and cabbages etc, from a harvesting vehicle such as a tractor carrying an external closed loop of crop conveying bowls or the like, into which field hands place the crop. Crop is transferred from the harvesting vehicle into containers (20), or supports for containers, on the crop storage and transport vehicle at a loading zone (26) or station thereon, either directly, or by manual handling. The containers or supports are attached to an endless driven chain (52) mounted in a rail (50), which guides the containers or supports as they are moved around the vehicle, and are loaded at zone (26). <IMAGE>

Description

CROP STORAGE AND TRANSPORT This invention relates to crop storage and transport.

There is disclosed below a crop storage and transport vehicle for following a harvesting vehicle to receive harvested crop therefrom. The crop storage and transport vehicle may be in the form of a trailer, but a selfpropelled arrangement might be suitable in some situations.

The invention has been devised particularly with regard to the harvesting of field crops such as brassicas, but is thought applicable to other harvesting situations.

Present arrangements for the harvesting of field crops such as cabbage, cauliflower and the like involves field workers depositing crop into a series of bowls or the like carried on a harvesting vehicle, such as a tractor, and these bowls carry the crop round to a crop storage and transport vehicle towed behind the tractor and carrying one or more containers for the harvested crop, into which the crop is deposited.

Problems which arise with this arrangement include the fact that the effective filling of the containers is not easily accomplished, and there is a considerable need for improvement of efficiency in this area. Conventional arrangements for distributing harvested crop within a storage container, such as those adopted for grain crops and root crops are not applicable to cabbage, cauliflower and the like in view of the susceptibility of the latter to damage.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for crop storage and transport offering improvements in one or more of these respects, or generally.

According to the invention there is provided a method and apparatus for crop storage and transport as defined in the accompanying claims.

In the embodiment described below there is provided a crop storage and transport trailer in which crop boxes or containers, or pallets therefor are carried round on the trailer to the loading zone for filling either directly from the harvesting vehicle, or by means of an operator transferring the crop manually.

The vehicle may have single or twin axles with a steer facility. The body of the vehicle at platform level includes a track system driven by two sprockets through a gear box. Two more sprockets are idlers and are position adjustable to control the tension in the track. The track is driven hydraulically. Attached to the chain are a series of wheeled carriers that carry either boxes for bulk reception of crop, or pallets for receiving such boxes.

The number of wheeled carriers is variable depending on the size of the box or pallet.

In the embodiment, the carriers are brought round to a loading zone so that they can be bulk filled at that location. Alternatively, it can be arranged that pallets are loaded onto the carriers at that location by means of a conventional fork-lift machine or the like.

The speed of the conveyor on the trailer is variable and the drive can be stopped and started either from the tractor controls or from the trailer itself. The latter can be covered to give protection to the crop being carried. A standing area may be provided in the loading zone for an operator who may, for example, take the fall of some crops such as cabbage.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 shows a plan view of a crop storage and transport vehicle; and Fig 2 shows an end elavation view of the vehicle of Fig 1, on a slightly larger scale.

As shown in the drawings, a crop storage and transport vehicle 10 for receiving harvested crop comprises support means 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 for a series of crop containers (not shown), and a loading zone 26 on vehicle 10 at which crop is received for storage in the containers. Conveyor means 28 is provided to bring the support means 12- 24 successively to the loading zone 26 so that the containers can receive crop.

In the present embodiment, the loading zone 26 simply is constituted by the front portion of the conveyor means 28 whereby crop from a harvesting vehicle drawing trailer 10 can be most conveniently transferred to the containers on the conveyor. However, the loading zone or station could be located elsewhere on the vehicle. Moreover, it is also envisaged that the vehicle could be loaded with crop by, for example, a tractor front-end loader or fork-lift vehicle arranged to transfer filled or partially filled containers on to pallets carried by conveyor 28. In this latter case, the loading zone may be located at any suitable location on the vehicle, as chosen by the loader driver.

Trailer 10 comprises a draw bar 30 for connection to a towing vehicle, such as a harvester (not shown), connected 35 to a trailer chassis 32 carried on ground wheels 34. Mounted on the chassis 32 is a platform 36 carrying conveyor 28 on which the support units 12-24 are mounted and driven. In Fig 2 the end support unit 18 is not shown, for reasons of clarity of illustration.

Each support unit comprises a frame of generally triangular shape as seen in end elevation and adapted to receive a rectangular crop storage container (not shown) which rests with its base on the horizontal structure 38 of the support unit, with its inner upright wall resting against the upright inner structure 40 of the support unit, and with its end walls between the sloping end members 42 of the frame.

The base structure 38 of each support unit is mounted 15 on wheels or castors 44 which run on tracks 46 carried by support 36. Each support unit also carries a drive member 48 projecting downwards into a boxsection rail 50 having a slot in its upper surface to receive the drive member, the latter being connected to a chain 52 (not shown).

Rail 50 and the chain therein are arranged in a closed loop defining the path of the conveyor means 28.

Drive for the conveyor chain located in rail 50 is provided by means of sprockets at the locations identified by reference numerals 52 and 54, which engage the chain as it passes around the forward end of its closed loop path.

A hydraulic drive 56 is provided for these sprockets from the usual hydraulic system of the tractor drawing the trailer. At the opposite end of the conveyor, at locations 58 and 60, a pair of corresponding sprockets are positionadjustable to control the tension in the chain.

In use, the suppport elements 12-24 are conveyed around the closed loop path of the conveyor 28 by means of the drive applied to the common chain to which they are connected. The weight of each support unit is carried on the castor wheel 44 and through the track 46, and so through to the trailer chassis 32.

The drive to the conveyor system is controllable from the tractor or from the trailer itself so that the operator can control the arrival and departure of the support units and their associated containers, according to the harvesting requirements. In the embodiment described above, the crop itself is delivered from the circulating chain of crop-carrying bowls on the harvesting vehicle into the crop containers on the support elements 12-24, when each of the latter reach the front loading zone in which the support unit 18 is seen in Fig 1. For this purpose, the conveyor units of the harvesting vehicle are raised somewhat higher than has hitherto been the case. When one container has been filled, the operator actuates the conveyor drive and moves the series of support elements and crop boxes or containers onwards by one unit, to bring the next empty container to the loading zone.

Amongst the advantages provided by the above embodiment are the simple means by which a series of crop containers can be brought to a suitable location for loading with crop during or after harvesting operations.

The crop-carrying capacity of the vehicle 10 is significantly greater than has hitherto been possible for this reason. Moreover, this facility is prpvided in a simple and relatively inexpensive manner.

Many modifications can be made within the above embodiment while remaining within the scope of the invention, including the provision of a platform for one or more operators in the loading zone on the trailer. Usually this will be at the front of the trailer having regard to the travel direction F. In such a case, the conveyor of the harvesting vehicle will deliver to the platform and the operator will transfer the crop to the crop containers.

Also, many different types of crop container can be provided including, for example, a Dutch or Danish bench, for example, for pot plants.

As an alternative to the support elements 12-24 in the above embodiment, alternative supports could be provided, for example, for pallets on to which conventional transport boxes could be placed.

Claims (16)

1 A crop storage and transport vehicle for receiving harvested crop, the vehicle comprising support means for a series of crop containers, and a loading zone on the vehicle at which crop is received for storage in said container means, characterised by conveyor means adapted to bring a series of said container means successively to said loading zone on the vehicle to receive crop, or to receive container means containing crop.

2 A crop storage and harvesting vehicle characterised by conveyor means on said vehicle for crop container means or for support means therefor.

3 A vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that said conveyor means is arranged in a closed loop.

4 A vehicle according to claim 3 characterised in that said conveyor means comprises individual support structures for boxes, containers or the like, said support structures being supported and guided and driven in said closed loop.

5 A vehicle according to claim 4 characterised in that said support structures each run on their own wheels or castors.

6 A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that said conveyor means comprises a single guide rail.

7 A vehicle according to claim 6 characterised in that a chain is provided in or adjacent said guide rail to drive said conveyor means.

8 A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that said loading zone is located at the front end of said vehicle having regard to the travel direction of the vehicle.

9 A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims characterised by hydraulic drive means for said conveyor means.

10 A crop storage and transport vehicle substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

11 The combination of a vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims with harvesting vehicle means having a crop delivery zone arranged to co-operate with the loading zone of said crop storage and transport vehicle.

12 A method of crop storage and transport comprising providing a vehicle for receiving harvested crop and comprising support means for a series of crop containers, the vehicle also having a loading zone at which crop for storage in said containers is received on the vehicle, characterised by the step of providing conveyor means for said support means and successively bringing said support means to said loading zone.

13 A method according to claim 12 characterised by the step of halting said conveyor means for an interval of time while each container means is successively filled at said loading zone.

14 A method according to claim 12 or claim 13 characterised by the step of directly transferring crop from a harvesting vehicle to said container means at said

15 A method according to claim 12 or claim 13 characterised by the step of manually transferring crop from a harvesting vehicle to said container means at said loading zone.

16 A method of crop storage and transport substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.