PT86542B - EQUIPMENT FOR THE FRUIT MECHANICAL HARVEST - Google Patents

Description

EQUIPMENT FOR MECHANICAL HARVESTING OF FRUIT

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for the mechanical harvesting of fruit, which can be used in the mechanical harvesting of olives, almonds, walnuts, cherries, oranges, tangerines, peaches, quinces, various forest seeds, plums, hazelnuts, etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, there are machines of different conceptions, all of them intended for the mechanical harvesting of fruits, whose common denominator is that all of them are based on communicating a vibratory movement to the tree, with the previous fixation of the same or on the trunk or on one of the branches. , so that the aforementioned vibratory movement causes the detachment of the fruits.

Similarly, all the machines known to date have the same problems, mainly focused on the following points:

- They offer absolute rigidity with respect to their vibratory system, so that each machine serves exclusively to provide vibrations only of a certain type and with a specific frequency, so that a specific machine for each type of tree is necessary intended to make it vibrate, and its widespread use may cause significant damage to trees that lead to a loss of productivity and even irreparable damage to them.

- The means of fixing the machine to the tree are far from being the most suitable for the said fixation and transmission of vibrations to be done without damage to the cortex of the trees.

- All vibrating machines known to date are intended to be coupled to a conventional towing vehicle, and have the means to do so, these vehicles are also far from offering optimal services with regard to their maneuverability within a tree plantation.

INVENTION DESCRIPTION The equipment for the mechanical harvesting of fruit according to the present invention was designed to solve these problems with full satisfaction, in its different aspects, allowing the vibrations to vary continuously, both with regard to their nature and their frequency. , adapting them to the type and condition of the trees to be treated. At the same time, it incorporates castors for fixing to the

trees that prevent damage to their cortex. In addition, a specific self-propelled vehicle with great maneuverability, designed appropriately for its particular use within plantations, has been envisaged.

All of this leads to optimum reliability with regard to the preservation of trees, in addition to a guarantee of equipment functionality.

For this, and in a more concrete way, the vibrating means have an extremely simple structure, based on rotating and independent stirrups provided with the corresponding counterweights, vibration generators, mounted on bearings and assisted by respective hydraulic motors, engines powered from an oleodynamic installation in which two paddle pumps participate, driven by an endothermic motor and in whose outlet tubes respective flow regulators are established that allow to regulate the amount of fluid sent to the motors and, consequently, vary their speed at will, which brings with it a variation in the rotation of the eccentric masses and, therefore, a variation in the characteristics of the vibrations.

central body, in which the vibrating means are established, is attached to the jaws for fixing to the tree, one fixed and the other movable, which can be activated by means of hydraulic cylinders and specially structured so that they act permanently maintaining a parallel position, which ensures conditions their fixation on the tree. Rubber casters are attached to these jaws.

with high flexibility, with a special configuration that allows them to adapt perfectly to the anatomy of the trunk or branch to which they must be attached.

With regard to the vehicle that completes the equipment, it incorporates an articulated frame, which can be operated by means of hydraulic cylinders and in which its four wheels are driven, which gives it a remarkable speed of maneuver, being able to reduce around 50% maneuver times compared to conventional vehicles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description being made and to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the present invention, accompanying this specification, as an integral part of it, drawings with only an illustrative and not limiting character, whose figures represent:

Fig. 1, a plan view of the vibrating head participating in the equipment for the mechanical harvesting of fruit according to the present invention;

Fig. 2, a side elevation and sectional view of the same head made by the cut line (A-B) of fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a front elevation detail thereof, in a view according to C in fig. 2;

Fig. 4, the hydraulic actuation scheme of the vibrator group;

Fig. 5, a detail in diametrical section of one of the cylinders corresponding to the gripping jaws of the tree;

Fig. 6, the same cylinder of the previous figure in the working position, in which the perfect adaptation to the anatomy of the tree is observed;

Fig. 7, a schematic side view of the equipment as a whole, including the respective tractor vehicle; and

Fig. 8, a plan view of the same set shown in the previous figure.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the figures and, more specifically, to fig. 2, it can be seen how the equipment according to the present invention comprises a vibrating head provided with a central body (1), on which are mounted two rotating and independent stirrups (2) and (3), mounted on bearings (4) and provided with the corresponding counterweights or eccentric masses (5), which generate vibrations, these rotating stirrups (2) and (3) driven by respective hydraulic motors (6), arranged in opposition, as shown in fig.

2.

The vibrations generated within the central body (1) are transmitted, through the latter, to two jaws, one fixed (7) and the other movable (8), the latter being displaced transversely in relation to the former through a transversal slide system. (9) and actuated for that purpose by two hydraulic cylinders (10), whose control command is made in the vehicle cabin and which will be referred to below.

In each of said jaws (7) and (8) and as can be seen in fig. 3, the rubber caster (11) is fixed, which fixation is carried out by means of sheets or rubber strips (12) covered with fabric (13).

This special displacement of the movable jaw (8) in relation to the fixed jaw (7) causes both to remain permanently parallel to each other for any value of the opening, so that the fixation to the tree is always under optimal conditions and the vibrating head as a whole it does not tend to detach itself as it happens in conventional machines, in which, due to the fact that the mobile jaw is articulated in the fixed jaw, the two jaws form a certain angle which, during the vibration of the plant, tends to cause the connection of the trunk jaws, with substantial damage to the trunk.

The vibrating head, with the global reference (14) in fig. 7 and 8, is supported by two movable arms (15), articulated in a main arm (16), fixed to the tractor, more specifically through the articulation (17), said head (14) being suspended from the pair of arms (15) by means of a group of chains (18), so that vibrations cannot be transmitted to said arms (15) and, therefore, much less can do so in relation to the vehicle.

With the articulated joint (17) of the pair of arms (15) θ the main arm (16), two hydraulic cylinders collaborate

hydraulic (19) and (20), which allow the degree of inclination of the head (14) to be horizontal, while another cylinder (21), established between the main arm (16) and the vehicle itself, allows elevation and descent of said head, using the articulated structure of the tractor chassis, as will be seen below.

The fixing casters (11) offer good flexibility associated with the possibility of assuming such a shape during fixation that it does not allow possible friction inside the rubber sheets (12) that support them, nor friction of the latter on the tree bark, to avoid overheating.

These casters, as seen with all the poiroenor in fig. 5 θ 6, take the tubular configuration and have a maximum deformability in their middle zone, due to a minimum wall thickness so that, as seen especially in fig. 6, the adaptation achieved for these casters, in relation to the trunk (22) of the tree, is optimal.

For the activation of the hydraulic motors (6) that are intended to produce vibrations, the equipment includes an oil-dynamic installation, shown in fig. 4, in which two paddle pumps (23) participate, one for each hydraulic motor (6), high-performance, high-flow pumps that, driven by an endothermic motor (24), draw oil from a tank (25) and , each of them, propels the same with a pressure between 160 and 170 bars, for the control tubes of the two hydraulic motors (6), also of blades, that activate the rotating stirrups carrying

eccentric masses. In each control channel, a flow regulator (26) is established in the first place, with pressure compensation, which serves to regulate the amount of oil sent to the corresponding engine and, consequently, to vary its speed, at will, from a stop state to a state of maximum speed, preferably 1600 rpm. Immediately after the regulator (26) there is a manually operated four-way distributor (27), which is physically located in the vehicle's control cabin, so that through these two distributors (27), they can be activated independently the two engines in both directions.

From the structure described, it is deduced that, without any mechanical assembly and disassembly operation and from the control area, it is possible to vary the vibration frequencies acting on the flow regulators, that is, changing the rotation regime of the hydraulic motors ( 6) that activate the rotating counterweights.

By operating only at the engine speed per minute of these engines, infinite types of regulation are achieved, with substantially different characteristics and, therefore, adaptable to the requirements of different types of trees and fruits.

Acting in the rotation regime of the two hydraulic motors, the vibration frequencies can be varied without changing the main characteristics.

Acting on the distributors, the engines can be selectively driven one by one or simultaneously

in both directions of rotation, thus obtaining always different effects, with the purpose of adapting them, at any time, in the most appropriate way, to the constitution of the plants, to achieve the highest yield in their vibration.

Finally and in relation to the self-propelled vehicle shown in figs. 7 and 8, designed to support and manipulate the vibrating head (14) as a whole, said vehicle comprises four driving wheels (28), mounted on a rack based on two sectors (29) and (30), articulated in the area vehicle average and the relative position of which can be controlled by means of a hydraulic cylinder (31), whose actuation has the consequence of changing the direction of the vehicle, according to the representation in continuous and discontinuous line in fig. 8. The propulsion of the vehicle is obtained from the endothermic motor (24) that drives the pumps (23) for feeding the vibrating head (14). In addition, the vehicle includes two-speed gearboxes (32) driven by the hydraulic motor of the hydrostatic transmission (33), which offers the possibility to obtain forward and reverse gear, acting on a foot control and without further maneuvers, that is, the maneuverability of the vehicle is optimal, which is of paramount importance in the mechanical harvesting of fruits, achieving, as mentioned above, working times of the order of 50% compared to those required with conventional vehicles.

Particular movement of the vehicle during steering has been studied to allow a vibratory movement even when the vehicle is stationary, which results in it being extraordinarily quick to place the jaws in the most correct position for fixation.

Claims (4)

Claims 1. - Equipment for the mechanical harvesting of fruit, of the type that incorporates a vibrating head mounted on a set of articulated arms that associate it with a tractor vehicle, incorporating said vibrating head jaws for fixing it on the trunk or branch of the tree vibrating, essentially characterized by the rotating stirrups carrying the eccentric masses that are intended to generate the vibration being driven by respective hydraulic motors, these motors being powered from an oleodynamic installation in which, for each hydraulic motor, a pump is included. of blades that, receiving the oil from a tank, supply it to the corresponding engine through a regulator and a four-way distributor, so that through this regulator, the flow that reaches the engine can be regulated and by therefore the speed of this, while through the distributor the corresponding motor can be driven in one direction or the other, all so that q ue, by changing the speed regime of a single engine, infinite types of vibration are obtained, acting simultaneously on the speed regime of the two engines, the vibration frequencies can be varied and acting on the distributors, coincident or opposite directions of rotation can be established for the eccentric masses. 2. - Equipment for the mechanical harvesting of fruit according to claim 1, characterized in that the jaw that is contained in the vibrating head for attachment to the trunk or branch of the tree, and that includes two jaws, one fixed and the other movable , present as a special feature the fact that the mobile jaw is mounted on the fixed jaw through a guide system that determines the permanent situation of parallelism between the two jaws, when the mobile jaw is operated by two hydraulic cylinders, so that said jaws attack the trunk or branch of the tree at any moment at two opposite points on the same day. 3.- Equipment for the mechanical harvesting of fruit according to the preceding claims, characterized in that each of the aforementioned jaws includes, as a means of coupling to the tree trunk, a highly flexible caster, with a tubular structure and with a lower thickness of wall in its middle zone, in order to obtain a maximum deformability in that zone, as well as a perfect adaptation to the anatomy of the trunk with no damage to it. 4.- Equipment for the mechanical harvesting of fruit according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the vehicle supporting the vibrating head includes four driving wheels established in an articulated frame in its middle zone and whose tilting, to control the vehicle's direction, makes from a hydraulic cylinder, including the said vehicle, a system of changes of speed driven by the hydraulic motor and with a hydrostatic transmission.