Conveying and separating device for root crop and a method for operating the device

• US 8,191,714 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Grimme Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH & Company KG (Grimme Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Grimme Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH & Company KG (Grimme Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Kalverkamp, Klemens
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Joseph C
• Application Number:
  US12/254,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20090104953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 209/667, 209/668, 209/669, 209/673, 460/123, 460/132, 171/133, 15/31.1, 15/31.7
• US Class Current: 209/668
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 17/06 with rollers or disc screens
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 33/08 Special sorting and cleaning mechanisms

Abstract

A conveying and separating device for root crop has a separating stretch with at least two rotatingly driven separating rollers, wherein the separating stretch receives a harvested material of root crop and admixed parts and wherein the at least two separating rollers transport on a topside of the separating stretch primarily the root crop while the admixed parts are removed in a screening phase through a screening gap between the at least two separating rollers. By a direct forced cleaning action, the at least two separating rollers are kept free at least of admixed parts that can adhere to the at least two separating rollers.

Claims

1. A conveying and separating device for root crop, the device comprising:

a separating stretch comprising at least two rotatingly driven separating rollers, wherein the separating stretch receives a harvested material comprising root crop and admixed parts and wherein the at least two separating rollers transport on a topside of the separating stretch primarily the root crop while the admixed parts are removed in a screening phase by means of a screening gap between the at least two separating rollers;

wherein, by a direct forced cleaning action, the at least two separating rollers are kept free at least of admixed parts that can adhere to the at least two separating rollers;

wherein the at least two separating rollers are roller bodies provided with circumferential entrainment profiles;

wherein the roller bodies interact with one another in a paired arrangement and are driven in rotation to effect transport and separation of the mixture;

wherein the roller bodies are spaced at a spacing from each other and the spacing defines a screening gap between the roller bodies of the paired arrangement;

wherein the roller bodies interact to provide the forced cleaning action in the screening gap;

at least one actuator acting on the roller bodies;

wherein the roller bodies, in addition to being driven in rotation, are acted on by the at least one actuator to generate a radial phase adjustment of the roller bodies relative to each other in that one of the roller bodies is rotated about a pivot angle relative to the other roller body of the paired arrangement and/or an axial movement of the roller bodies relative to each other so that the entrainment profiles of the paired arrangement carry out an axial and/or radial displacement relative to each other and create at least one cleaning gap with adjustable shearing zones in the screening gap to effect the forced cleaning action.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the forced cleaning action is performed permanently in a screening phase of the device.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the admixed parts between the paired arrangement, respectively, adhering to or tending to adhere to the roller bodies are acted on by the forced cleaning action.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein in the screening gap between the roller bodies simultaneously a forced cleaning phase of the forced cleaning action and a screening phase can be defined by zones of action that are staggered in a conveying direction of the separating stretch.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the entrainment profiles of the roller bodies of the paired arrangement mesh with one another so as to generate the force cleaning action in the form of a mechanical action or a peeling action in the shearing zones.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the axial movement and/or a radial phase adjustment of the roller bodies relative to each other causes the shearing zones to extend across an entire length of the roller bodies and to extend completely circumferentially in a radial direction.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein, in the area of the entrainment profiles acting as continuous cleaning members, the admixed parts reaching the at least one cleaning gap are stripped off the contour of the entrainment profiles and off the circumferential surface of the roller bodies.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the entrainment profiles generate variably adjustable cleaning gaps based on at least one of a geometry, an arrangement, and a contour of the entrainment profiles.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the entrainment profiles extend helically about a circumference of the roller bodies, respectively.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the entrainment profiles of neighboring ones of the roller bodies have oppositely oriented pitch.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the rollerbodies and the entrainment profiles form a monolithic part, respectively.

12. The device according to claim 9, wherein the entrainment profiles are comprised of segments.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the entrainment profiles are finger profiles axially spaced apart on the roller bodies, respectively.

14. The device according to claim 1, comprising:

a conveying drive driving the roller bodies;

at least one actuator arranged in an area of the at least two separating rollers, wherein the at least one actuator acts on roller bodies to cause the axial and/or radial displacement of the entrainment profiles.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the conveying drive and the at least one actuator are simultaneously operative so that on the paired arrangement the forced cleaning action is activated in the area of the entrainment profiles.

16. The device according to claim 14, wherein several of the at least one actuator are provided.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein a first one of said several actuators is an axial actuator and a second one of said several actuators is a radial actuator, wherein said conveying device and said radial and axial actuators are active simultaneously.

18. The device according to claim 14, further comprising a gear connection connected to the at least one actuator, wherein the at least one actuator is a common actuator for several of the paired arrangements through the gear connection, wherein the entrainment profiles of the paired arrangements are subjected to at least one of a pivot movement and a push movement by the common actuator in order to effect the forced cleaning action.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the at least one actuator and the gear connection are provided at ends of the roller bodies.

20. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two separating rollers form an axial roller table, wherein a conveying direction is parallel to an axial orientation of the at least two separating rollers.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the axial roller table has a longitudinal center plane, wherein several of the paired arrangements are arranged symmetrical to the longitudinal center plane such that the longitudinal center plane divides a first one of the paired arrangements and a second one of the paired arrangements is arranged adjacent to the first paired arrangement on a first side of the longitudinal center plane and a third one of the paired arrangements is arranged adjacent to the first paired arrangement on a second side of the longitudinal center plane.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein between the first and second paired arrangements and the first and third paired arrangements additional screening gaps are provided.

23. The device according to claim 21, further comprising smooth rollers correlated with the second and third paired arrangements and arranged at a side remote from the first paired arrangement, respectively.

24. The device according to claim 21, further comprising;

at least one actuator arranged at a first end of the first, second and third paired arrangements for causing the axial and/or radial displacement of the first, second and third paired arrangements;

gear drives acting directly on the second and third paired arrangements and arranged in the area of the at least one actuator;

an auxiliary drive having a linkage assembly connectable to the gear drives.

25. The device according to claim 24, further comprising two gear sets arranged at a second end opposite the first end and connecting the first, second, and third paired arrangements, wherein the gear sets are mirror-symmetrical to the longitudinal center plane.

26. The device according to claim 25, further comprising smooth rollers correlated with the second and third paired arrangements at a side remote from the first paired arrangement, respectively, wherein the smooth rollers are driven by the gear sets.

27. The device according to claim 24, further comprising a belt drive as a conveying drive, wherein the gear drives are connected to the belt drive and are moved in synchronized movement by the belt drive.

28. The device according to claim 24, wherein the auxiliary drive is a motor, wherein the motor is connected by a crank to the linkage assembly, wherein the motor is supported centrally in the area of the longitudinal center plane on a machine frame of the device, wherein at an end of the crank remote from the motor a deflection lever is pivotably attached and cooperates with a pushrod connected to the gear drives.

29. The device according to claim 28, wherein the gear drives are provided for pivoting the roller bodies of the paired arrangements relative to each other and comprise drive gears connected to the paired arrangements as well as adjusting gears engaging the drive gears and moveable in an arc shape about the drive gears, wherein the pushrod is pivotably connected to the adjusting gears, wherein a pushing action of the auxiliary drive effects pivoting of the paired arrangements in the same direction, wherein the paired arrangements are driven by the conveying drive in the same direction of rotation.

30. The device according to claim 29, wherein the adjusting gears are connected by a transverse rod, respectively.

31. The device according to claim 29, wherein the adjusting gears are supported pivotably with a vertical lever on axes of the paired arrangements.

32. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two separating rollers have an axial orientation transverse to a conveying direction of the mixture and form a transverse roller table.

33. The device according to claim 32, further comprising a conveying drive imparting the same rotational direction in the conveying direction to the at least two separating rollers defining a slanted conveying plane.

34. The device according to claim 33, further comprising a removal device at the downstream end of the conveying stretch.

35. The device according to claim 33, wherein the roller bodies have segments as entrainment profiles.

36. The device according to claim 35, further comprising an auxiliary drive for phase-adjusting the segments that extend helically about the roller bodies, respectively, wherein the auxiliary drive is a lifting member integrated into the conveying drive.

37. The device according to claim 36, wherein the auxiliary drive comprises at least one deflecting roller that is displaceably supported on a machine frame of the device.

38. The device according to claim 33, wherein the conveying drive is a belt drive and has a drive run extending above the at least two separating rollers.

39. The device according to claim 32, further comprising a removal device in the form of a separating and conveying device that receives the conveyed material from the separating stretch and effects a vertical deflection.

40. The device according to claim 1, wherein several of the at least two separating rollers are provided, wherein first ones of said separating rollers form an axial roller table defining a first separating stretch having a conveying direction parallel to an axial orientation of said separating rollers, wherein second ones of said separating rollers have an axial orientation transverse to a conveying direction of the mixture and form a transverse roller table with a second separating stretch, wherein between the axial and transverse roller tables a transfer of the harvested mixture is effected by a removal device in the form of a separating and conveying device that receives the harvested material and effects a vertical deflection.

41. The device according to claim 1 as a fractioning device for sorting root crop.

42. The device according to claim 41, wherein the screening gap of the at least two separating rollers is adjustable with regard to different root crop sizes and also with regard to the effect of the forced cleaning action.

43. A method for separating root crop from a harvested mixture, the method comprising the steps of:

feeding the mixture onto a separating stretch comprised of at least two rotatingly driven separating rollers that are roller bodies provided with circumferential entrainment profiles;

screening the harvested mixture by removing admixed parts from the root crop in a screening phase through a screening gap between the roller bodies that interact with one another in a paired arrangement and are driven in rotation to effect transport and separation of the root crop on the topside of the roller bodies;

cleaning directly the screening gap by a forced cleaning action provided by interaction of the roller bodies with each other at least during the screening phase, wherein the roller bodies, in addition to being driven in rotation, are acted on by at least one actuator generating for the forced cleaning action a radial phase adjustment of the roller bodies relative to each other in that one of the roller bodies is rotated about a pivot angle relative to the other roller body of the paired arrangement and/or an axial movement of the roller bodies relative to each other so that the entrainment profiles of the paired arrangement are subjected to an axial and/or radial displacement relative to each other and create at least one cleaning gap with adjustable shearing zones in the screening gap to effect the forced cleaning action.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the axial and/or radial displacement causes friction, peeling and shearing phases on the circumference of the at least two separating rollers and the entrainment profiles.

45. The method according to claim 43, wherein the at least one actuator is activated temporally.