WO2003088744A1

WO2003088744A1 - Machine for collection and destruction of potato beetles

Info

Publication number: WO2003088744A1
Application number: PCT/HR2002/000013
Authority: WO
Inventors: Miljenko Pavlic
Original assignee: Pavlic Milijenko
Priority date: 2002-03-18
Filing date: 2002-03-18
Publication date: 2003-10-30
Also published as: AU2002237448A1

Abstract

Machine for collection and destruction of potato beetle, according to this invention, comprises the assemblies (A) and (B), mutually connected by the connecting rods (28) and (29). Each assembly has a transport wheel (2), a driving wheel (3), pulleys (8) and (12) to which there are connected shafts (9) and (13) with wire loops. The transport wheels drive the shafts via the driving wheels (4), the driving belts (11) and the connecting belts (14) so that the wire loops shake potato plants in the direction from the soil upwards, shaking thus potato beetles off into the strainers (23) and the receptacles (24) where the strainers destroy them by crushing. While the machine moves forward, shafts in the assemblies (q) and (B) rotate in opposite directions to catch plant twigs and leaves from the soil upwards. The machine is constructed for easy adjusting to distance between the potato-plant rows and plant crown width. The machine can be pushed manually, can be provided with its own motor drive, or can be attached to other agricultural machines for larger plantations. The machine may destroy other pests, on various sorts of plants, as well.

Description

MACHINE FOR COLLECTION AND DESTRUCTION OF POTATO BEETLES

INVENTION DESCRIPTION

1. FIELD OF APPLICATION

The invention concerns a machine for mechanical collection and destruction of potato beetles.

In the International Patent Classification it is classified as A 01 M 5 / 04: Apparatus for the destruction of noxious animals or noxious plants; Catching insects in fields, gardens, or forests by movable appliances; Wheeled machines, with means for stripping-off or brushing-off insects.

2. TECHNICAL PROBLEM

It is very well known that young potato plant and leaves are attacked and eaten by insects known as (Colorado) potato beetle or potatobug. Potato tubers are therefore underfed and they decay.

The technical problem relates to construction of a machine that will, by shaking the plant, shake the potato beetles off the plant and into a receptacle where they will be destroyed mechanically. After this, the tubers will grow normally and will be healthy, and the environment will be ecologically clean, with no insecticides being applied.

In the same way, the machine could also collect other noxious insects from various agricultural and garden cultures such as corn, cabbage, etc. The machine can be embodied to be operated manually or by an engine, as an agriculture mechanisation attachment. 3. STATE OF THE ART

Presently, potato beetles and other noxious insects are being destroyed with various chemical agents sprayed onto plants or added to soil. The consequences are poor and unhealthy produce and polluted environment. If it rained, the procedure is to be repeated. Furthermore, insects get immune to such chemical agents over the time.

There is no machine or other device known to collect and destroy potato beetles or other insects mechanically.

4. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The primary object is construction of a machine for collection and destruction of potato beetle, also applicable against other insects.

The machine for collection and destruction of potato beetle, according to this invention, consists of two identical assemblies, constructed mirror-like, mutually connected at their top sides and mutually separated to a distance that allows plants to pass between them while the machine is being moved along the rows of potato plants. The machine is moved on wheels the rotation of which is also transferred to shafts. In each of the two assemblies there are two shafts, one above the other. Along the shafts there are fixed wire loops. The loops turn so that they hit plants in the upward direction shaking thereby twigs and leaves, potato beetles falling off into the sieve and the basket where the basket destroys them mechanically, without their getting to soil. The machine is pushed manually between potato rows, or can be provided with own motor drive, or one or several of them can be pulled by another agricultural machine.

5. ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTIONS

Figure 1. shows assembly A viewed from the back Figure 2. shows assembly B viewed from the back Figure 3. shows back-view of an assembled machine Figure 4. shows side-view of the machine shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 5. shows top-view of the machine shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 6. shows side-view of a shaft with wire loops

Figure 7. shows front-view of the shaft shown in Fig. 6.

Figure 8. shows front-view of the shaft shown in Fig. 6. rotated by 45°

Figure 9. shows front-view of the shaft shown in Fig. 8.

Figure 10. shows position of the front wheel in its cover

Figure 11. shows top-view of rubber leaves with rubber-leaf carrier

Figure 12. shows side-view of rubber leaves with rubber-leaf carrier

Figure 13. shows front-view of rubber leaves with rubber-leaf carrier

Figure 14. shows front-view of the sieve

Figure 15. shows side-view of the sieve

Figure 16. shows top-view of the sieve

Figure 17. shows back-view of a possible engine-drive mounting

Figure 18. shows connecting of several machines for a tractor pull

6. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION EMBODIMENT AND FUNCTIONING

The machine for collection and destruction of potato beetles consists of two assemblies, two assembly connecting rods and a stilt with handles for pushing the machine. Assemblies A and B consist of identical elements that are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and marked with the same numbers as follows: frame 1 , transport wheel 2, driving wheel 3, transport-wheel axis 4, auxiliary pulley 5, auxiliary-pulley axis 6, auxiliary-pulley support 7, upper working pulley 8, upper shaft with wire loops 9, upper shaft support 10, driving belt 11, lower working pulley 12, lower shaft with wire loops 13, connecting belt 14, hanging rods 15, hanging-rod guides 16, hanging-rod stoppers 17, link 18, rubber-leaf carriers 19, rubber leaves 20, hinged lever 21, milling strainer carrier 22, milling strainer 23, receptacle 24, side curtain 25, and front wheel 26 and plant lifter 27 (Figs. 4 and

5).

On the frame 1 there is mounted transport wheel 2 with the driving wheel 3 which rotate jointly on the axis 4 while the machine is moved between potato rows. The auxiliary pulleys 5 rotate on axes 6.

The upper pulley 8 has two grooves for two belts and is mounted on the upper shaft 9. The upper shaft 9 passes through the hanging rods 15 and the upper-shaft carrier 10, rotating in them. The lower pulley 12 with the lower shaft 13 is also connected to the hanging rod 15, rotating in it. The upper pulley 8 turns the lower pulley 12 by the connecting belt 12.

The upper-shaft carrier 10 is hinged at the frame 1 so that the hanging rod 15 with the upper shaft 9 and the lower shaft 13 may, as the machine moves, freely sway left and right, thereby get closer to and farther from the potato plant in accordance with the soil relief.

While the machine moves forward, both the upper pulley 8 with the upper shaft 9, and the lower pulley 12 with the lower shaft 13, in the assembly A rotate left-hand.

Simultaneously, both the upper pulley 8 with the upper shaft 9, and the lower pulley 12 with the lower shaft 13, in the assembly B rotate right-hand.

The upper shaft 9 and the lower shaft 13 in the assembly A have left-hand wire loops, while the upper shaft 9 and the lower shaft 13 in the assembly B have right- hand wire loops.

The wire loops are bent semicircular and passed through the shaft. Viewed from the side, the loops appear like four-leaf clovers. Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 show construction of the upper shaft 9, in the assembly B, with right-hand wire loops that are, for the sake of clarity, marked as 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d. Wire loops at the lower shaft 13 are constructed in the same way.

At bottom ends of the hanging rods 15, there are links 18, connected by the elastic-leaf carriers 19. The elastic-leaf carrier 19 carry by its entire length elastic leaves 20, Figs. 11, 12 and 13, made in some elastic material. The elastic leaves 20, whose total length equals the shaft length, overlap each other and pass smoothly at both sides of the plants, not damaging them yet preventing potato beetles from falling onto the soil.

On the link 18 there is connected the receptacle 24 in which there is the strainer 23. The strainer 23 is hinged, via the strainer carrier 22 and the hinged lever, with the lower pulley 9 so that the strainer moves up and down as the pulley 9 rotates. At the bottom of the strainer 23, Figs. 14, 15 and 16, there are holes 23a, through which potato beetles fall into the receptacle 24 where the strainer 23 destroys them by crushing.

At the front side of the assembly there is mounted the plant lifter 27 that lifts potato twigs to the shafts and the wire loops.

The front wheels 26, as shown in Fig. 10, are mounted under the plant lifters 27 to make a single unit with the hanging rods 15, elastic-leaf carriers 19 and the links

18, jointly to adjust to the soil relief and the potato plants.

The side curtains 25 hang from the frame 1 and close the lateral sides of the assemblies A and B by their entire height and length, directing potato beetles into the receptacles 24.

In a compete machine, the assemblies A and B are positioned in mirrored positions to each other. At the machine front end, assemblies A and B are mutually connected by the front connecting rod 28, and at the aft end by the aft connecting rod 29. Pins 30 enable the assemblies A and B mutual separating and approaching as hanging rods 25 swing, this depending on the potato-plant width and height. Potato plants pass through the cleft 35 formed between the assemblies A and B. At the aft connecting rod 29 there is mounted the stilt 31 with the handles 32, by which the machine is pushed forward, between two rows of potato plants. The stilt console 33 with the pin 34 enables adjustment of the handles height.

The machine can be moved manually, by own motor drive or by connecting it to another agricultural machine. Here is described the manually moved invention embodiment.

The machine can be provided with its own motor drive by, as shown in the Fig. 17, mounting the motor drive 36 at the aft end of the machine. The machine is moved forward and the upper shafts 8 and the transport wheels 2 rotated by motor force carried over from the driving wheel 37, via the belts 38 and 39.

One or more machines for collection and destruction of potato beetles, as shown in the Fig. 18, can be attached by the connecting rod 41 to an agricultural machine

40, for example a tractor, that will push them in front of it between potato rows 42.

Such operating the machine is particularly favourable at larger potato plantations. It is evident from the above description that ail machine parts are made to enable adjustment to all soil relief conditions and plant forms.

The machine, according to this invention, functions in the following way: The assembled machine is positioned so that the transport wheels 2 are at both sides of a potato row 42, where plants pass through the middle of the machine, the cleft 35 between the assemblies A and B (Fig. 3). Pushing the machine forward on the soil 43, turns transport wheels 2 with driving wheels 4 that, via the driving belts 11 and the connecting belts 14, transmit rotation to the upper and the lower pulleys 8 and 12.This rotates the upper and the lower shafts 9 and 13, whose wire loops shake plant twigs and leaves, from which potato beetles fall off. Rotation of the shafts in the hanging rods 15 which freely move up, down and swing in the guides 16, enables the wire loops on the shafts to shake the plant twigs and leaves well from the soil upwards, yet without damaging them, where potato beetles fall into the strainer 23, and through the wholes 23a into the receptacle 24, where the strainer destroys them by crushing. Potato beetles that hit the side curtains 25 also fall into the strainer and the receptacle, so that none of them falls onto the soil.

7. INVENTION APPLICATION

The machine for collection and destruction of potato beetles, according to this invention, can be used for destruction of other noxious insects in agriculture as well.

Use of this machine eliminates application of harmful chemical agents for destruction of pests, which makes this machine particularly welcome for ecological and health reasons.

Experts will find it very well obvious that certain modifications in the machine construction allow other embodiments that still pertain the scope and the spirit of the invention as described in here.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Machine for collection and destruction of potato beetle, wh e re in it comprises the assembly (A) and the assembly (B), mutually connected in their upper parts by the front connecting rod (28) and the aft connecting rod (29), on the latter there being mounted the stilt (31) with the handles (32) for manual operating of the machine; and further, the assemblies (A) and (B) have the following identical parts: frames (1) that carry all assembly parts; transport wheels (2) that turn while in touch with the soil, driving wheels (3) fixed to the transport wheels (2); auxiliary pulleys (5) fixed to the supports (7); upper pulleys (8) with two grooves to which there are connected upper shafts (9) with wire loops that shake potato beetles off the plants; supports (10) hinged to the hanging rod (15) in which rotate the upper shafts (9); driving belts (11) that transmit the rotating movement from the transport wheels (2) and the driving wheels (3) via auxiliary pulleys (5) to the upper pulleys (8) and the upper shafts (9); lower pulleys (12) to which there are connected the lower shafts (13) with wire loops that shake potato beetles off the plants; the connecting belts (14) that transmit rotating movements from the upper pulleys (8) to the lower pulleys (12); the hanging-rod guides (16) with hanging-rod stoppers (17) that enable the hanging rods (15) to swing, lift and lower; the hanging rods (15) in which rotate the upper and the lower shafts (9) and (13); the links (18) mounted to the lower end of the hanging rods (15), that carry elastic-leaf carriers (19) with elastic leaves (20) that, as the machine moves, establish contact with potato plants; the strainers (23) in which there are wholes (23a) for passing the potato beetles into the receptacles (24); strainer carriers (22) with hinged levers (21), hinged to the lower pulleys (12), from which the rotation movements are transmitted to the strainers (23) that move along the receptacles (24), crashing and destroying the potato beetles that way; plant lifters (27) that lift plant twigs to the wire loops; the front wheels (26) by which the front part of the machine is in touch with the soil, the said front wheels being located under the plant lifters (27) and mounted to the hanging rods (15) by elastic-leaf carriers (19) and the links (18), so that all these swing and adjust to potato plants and soil relief together; the side curtains (25) that cover lateral sides of the assemblies (A) and (B), by their full heights and lengths, to direct potato beetles into the strainers (23) and the receptacles (24).

2. The machine according to the claim 1, wh ere in the shafts (9) and (13) in the assembly (A) have left-hand wire loops; the shafts (9) and (13) in the assembly (B) have right-hand wire loops; the wire loops (9a), (9b), (9c) and (9d) are bent semicircular and passed through shafts, so that when viewed from the side, the loops appear like four-leaf clovers.

3. The machine according to the claim 1, wh e re in the machine may be powered by engine (36), mounted at its aft part.

4. The machine according to the claim 1, wh e re in several machines may be attached to a larger agricultural machine (40), for example a tractor, by the pulling rod (41), to treat several rows of potato plants simultaneously.

5. The machine according to the claims 1 to 4, wh ere in it may be used related to other agricultural cultures and for destruction of other sorts of pests.