Pneumatic potato harvesters

Claim 2

Apparatus for digging and separating potatoes from a stream of intermixed potatoes and dross materials of greater density than potatoes, said materials including rocks, said apparatus comprising structure including a potato receiving chamber and forming a restricted cross section intake communicating with the chamber interior, said intake opening relatively forwardly, an endless potato digger chain assembly to support potatoes at the point of digging and to travel the potatoes and heavier dross materials along a path extending rearwardly and upwardly and into close proximity to said intake, there being a discharge zone beneath said intake and rearward of said digger chain assembly, and means including a blower communicating with said chamber for effecting airflow at such high velocity in a rearward direction along said path proximate said digger chain and rearwardly through said intake that potatoes are effectively transported bodily rearwardly in the airstream off the upper and rearward terminal of the chain assembly proximate said intake to the chamber interior via the intake, said structure including a flexible flap projecting forwardly over said discharge zone and toward the chain assembly at an elevation to assist in confining the airflow rearwardly through said intake and to be downwardly flexible to pass rocks dumped off the chain assembly rearward terminal during assembly operation, said flap having an upwardly flexed position induced by suction creation in said chamber, said flap including multiple sections spaced transversely of the chain assembly terminal, said sections being supported for individual and separate flexing, and control means to limit upward flexing of said sections.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including means to bodily displace the flap forwardly and rearwardly.

Claim 4

Apparatus for digging and separating potatoes from a stream of intermixed potatoes And dross materials of greater density than potatoes, said materials including rocks, said apparatus comprising structure including a potato-receiving chamber and forming a restricted cross section intake communicating with the chamber interior, said intake opening relatively forwardly, an endless potato digger chain assembly to support potatoes at the point of digging and to travel the potatoes and heavier dross materials along a path extending rearwardly and upwardly and into close proximity to said intake, there being a discharge zone beneath said intake and rearward of said digger chain assembly, means including a blower communicating with said chamber for effecting airflow at such high velocity in a rearward direction along said path proximate said digger chain and rearwardly through said intake that potatoes are effectively transported bodily rearwardly in the airstream off the upper and rearward terminal of the chain assembly proximate said intake to the chamber interior via the intake, said structure including a flexible flap projecting forwardly over said discharge zone and toward the chain assembly at an elevation to assist in confining the airflow rearwardly through said intake and to be downwardly flexible to pass rocks dumped off the chain assembly rearward terminal during assembly operation, said flap having an upwardly flexed position induced by suction creation in said chamber, said structure including a flexible hood projecting forwardly over the digger chain assembly rearward terminal, the hood being downwardly convex in vertical forward planes, and control means to adjust the vertical spacing of the hood from the chain assembly.

Claim 5

Apparatus for digging and separating potatoes from a stream of intermixed potatoes And dross materials of greater density than potatoes, said materials including rocks, said apparatus comprising structure including a potato-receiving chamber and forming a restricted cross section intake communicating with the chamber interior, said intake opening relatively forwardly, an endless potato digger chain assembly to support potatoes at the point of digging and to travel the potatoes and heavier dross materials along a path extending rearwardly and upwardly and into close proximity to said intake, there being a discharge zone beneath said intake and rearward of said digger chain assembly, means including a blower communicating with said chamber for effecting airflow at such high velocity in a rearward direction along said path proximate said digger chain and rearwardly through said intake that potatoes are effectively transported bodily rearwardly in the airstream off the upper and rearward terminal of the chain assembly proximate said intake to the chamber interior via the intake, said structure including a flexible flap projecting forwardly over said discharge zone and toward the chain assembly at an elevation to assist in confining the airflow rearwardly through said intake and to be downwardly flexible to pass rocks dumped off the chain assembly rearward terminal during assembly operation, said flap having an upwardly flexed position induced by suction creation in said chamber, said structure including a flexible hood projecting forwardly over the digger chain assembly rearward terminal, the hood being downwardly convex in vertical forward planes, and control means to adjust the vertical spacing of the hood from the chain assembly.

Claim 6

Apparatus for digging and separating potatoes from a stream of intermixed potatoes and dross materials of greater density than potatoes, said materials including rocks, said apparatus comprising structure including a potato-receiving chamber and forming a restricted cross section intake communicating with the chamber interior, said intake opening relatively forwardly, an endless potato digger chain assembly to support potatoes at the point of digging and to travel the potatoes and heavier dross materials along a path extending rearwardly and upwardly and into close proximity to said intake, there being a discharge zone beneath said intake and rearward of said digger chain assembly, means including a blower communicating with said chamber for effecting airflow at such high velocity in a rearward direction along said path proximate said digger chain and rearwardly through said intake that potatoes are effectively transported bodily rearwardly in the airstream off the upper and rearward terminal of the chain assembly proximate said intake to the chamber interior via the intake, said structure including a flexible flap projecting forwardly over said discharge zone and toward the chain assembly at an elevation to assist in confining the airflow rearwardly through said intake and to be downwardly flexible to pass rocks dumped off the chain assembly rearward terminal during assembly operation, a baffle projecting forwardly in said chamber in rearwardly spaced relation to said intake, the baffle and chamber defining an air swirl zone below the baffle and into which potatoes are received, and the baffle and chamber defining a zone above the baffle through which air entering the chamber via said intake rises in response to blower operation.

Claim 7

Apparatus for digging and separating potatoes from a stream of intermixed potatoes and dross materials of greater density than potatoes, said materials including rocks, said apparatus comprising structure including a potato-receiving chamber and forming a restricted cross section intake communicating with the chamber interior, said intake opening relatively forwardly, an endless potato digger chain assembly to support potatoes at the point of digging and to travel the potatoes and heavier dross materials along a path extending rearwardly and upwardly and into close proximity to said intake, there being a discharge zone beneath said intake and rearward of said digger chain assembly, means including a blower communicating with said chamber for effecting airflow at such high velocity in a rearward direction along said path proximate said digger chain and rearwardly through said intake that potatoes are effectively transported bodily rearwardly in the airstream off the upper and rearward terminal of the chain assembly proximate said intake to the chamber interior via the intake, said structure including a flexible flap projecting forwardly over said discharge zone and toward the chain assembly at an elevation to assist in confining the airflow rearwardly through said intake and to be downwardly flexible to pass rocks dumped off the chain assembly rearward terminal during assembly operation, a baffle projecting forwardly in said chamber in rearwardly spaced relation to said intake, the baffle and chamber defining an air swirl zone below the baffle and into which potatoes are received, and the baffle and chamber defining a zone above the baffle through which air entering the chamber via said intake rises in response to blower operation.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 including a transversely moving belt below said swirl zone and adapted to receive said potatoes for removal from said chamber.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said flap has an upwardly flexed position induced by suction creation in said chamber.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said structure includes a flexible hood projecting forwardly over the digger chain assembly rearward terminal, the hood being downwardly convex in vertical forward planes.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in Claim 6 wherein said flap includes multiple sections spaced transversely of the chain assembly terminal, said sections being supported for individual and separate flexing.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 8 including control means to limit upward flexing of said sections.