Harvesting machine comprising a harvesting unit and a system for recovering the crop detached by said harvesting unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11324167-B2
Application number	US-201716465898-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2017
Priority date	Dec 2, 2016
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A harvesting machine including a harvesting unit and a system for recovering crop detached by the harvesting unit. The recovering system including at least one conveyor adapted to recover the crop detached by the harvesting unit and to convey the crop along a conveying path. The recovering system comprising a removing device for removing debris elements that might be conveyed with the detached crop. The removing device including two rotary organs which form therebetween a mouth that is adjacent to the conveying path to be able to catch debris elements protruding from the conveyor. The mouth converging into an inner gripping zone formed by a narrow gap between the rotary organs. The removing device further including a drive unit for the rotation of at least one of the two rotary organs to extract from the conveyor any debris element caught by the mouth and then gripped between the rotary organs.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A harvesting machine comprising:
a harvesting unit; and
a recovering system for recovering crop detached by the harvesting unit, the recovering system comprising:
at least one conveyor adapted to recover the crop detached by the harvesting unit and to convey the crop along a conveying path wherein the conveying path comprises a portion that extends vertically; and
a removing device for removing debris elements that might be conveyed with the detached crop, the removing device being arranged at the portion that extends vertically only, the removing device comprising:
two rotary organs which form therebetween a mouth that is closely and directly adjacent to the conveying path in order to be able to catch debris elements protruding from the conveyor, the mouth converging into an inner gripping zone formed by a narrow gap between the rotary organs; and
a drive unit for the rotation of at least one of the two rotary organs in order to extract from the conveyor any debris element caught by the mouth and then gripped between the rotary organs.

2. The harvesting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary organs are arranged next to each other on a lateral side of the conveying path, so that the mouth extends adjacent to the conveying path on the lateral side.

3. The harvesting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the axes of the rotary organs are arranged in a plane that extends from the side of the adjacent conveying path.

4. The harvesting machine according to claim 3 , wherein the axes of the rotary organs are arranged in a plane that is inclined in relation to a direction of the adjacent conveying path.

5. The harvesting machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a wall which is disposed alongside a part of the adjacent conveying path in order to cover at least a part of the at least one conveyor, the mouth being disposed next to the wall.

6. The harvesting machine according to claim 5 , wherein the wall is arranged to form a clearance with the at least one conveyor, the catching mouth being disposed next to the clearance.

7. The harvesting machine according to claim 5 , wherein the rotary organs are arranged on opposite sides of the plane extending from the wall.

8. The harvesting machine according to claim 7 , wherein the removing device comprises a plate on which the rotary organs are rotatably mounted, the plate being fixed on the machine with a possibility to adjust at least one orientation of the organs relatively of the conveying path.

9. The harvesting machine according to claim 1 , wherein each rotary organ comprises a periphery with a rear cylindrical part and a front tapered part, the inner gripping zone and the mouth being formed between respectively the two cylindrical parts and the two tapered parts.

10. The harvesting machine according to claim 9 , wherein the periphery of at least one of the two rotary organs comprises an outer surface adapted to enhance the catching or the gripping of a debris element between the rotary organs.

11. The harvesting machine according to claim 10 , wherein the outer surface comprises at least one sharp rib that extends longitudinally on at least a part of the periphery.

12. The harvesting machine according to claim 11 , wherein the outer surface comprises an array of tapered sharp ribs which are separated by longitudinal grooves.

13. The harvesting machine according to claim 12 , wherein the periphery of each rotary organ comprises an array of tapered sharp ribs which are separated by longitudinal grooves, the rotary organs being arranged in relation to each other so that, in the gripping zone, at least one sharp rib of one of the rotary organs is disposed in a groove of another of the rotary organs.

14. The harvesting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the drive unit is configured to rotate at least one of the rotary organs so as to scroll the gripping zone in a direction transverse to a direction of the adjacent conveying path.

15. The harvesting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the drive unit comprises a sensor for detecting any occurrence of a blockage of rotation of at least one of the rotary organs and a reverser for reversing a rotation direction of the rotary organ having the blockage upon such a detection, so as to be able to extract any blocking debris element from the gripping zone.

16. The harvesting machine according to claim 15 , wherein the drive unit comprises a trigger for triggering an alarm if the sensor still detects a blockage after at least one reversing of the rotation direction.

17. The harvesting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the recovery system comprises two conveyors that are mounted respectively on two opposite sides of the harvesting unit, each conveyor having a conveying path that is equipped with a removing device for removing debris elements from the path.

18. The harvesting machine according to claim 1 , wherein it is configured for harvesting grapes.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Le Nevé Daniel H A M
• Supiot Guillaume

Classifications

• A01D46/285 Primary

  with means for separating leaves and grapes, e.g. pneumatical means like blowing or aspirating devices · CPC title