Bucket conveyor system

申请公布号：

US4944387(A)

申请号：

US19880292528

申请日期：

1988.12.30

申请公布日期：

1990.07.31

申请人：

BURKE, DESMOND C.

发明人：

BURKE, DESMOND C.

分类号：

A01D46/28;B65G17/12;B65G47/40

主分类号：

A01D46/28

摘要：

A bucket conveyor system 13 for a harvesting machine which can move along a row of plants. The bucket conveyor system has a pair of parallel endless roller chains 18 guided for movement along a generally rectangular path 17, and open-topped buckets 19 connected to the chains 18 at equally spaced intervals along the chains. The buckets each have a rear lip 36 extending over and beyond the front wall 32 of the next rearward bucket 19 to prevent gaps through which harvested fruit or juice can fall. The sole connection of the buckets 19 to the chains 18 is by a single shaft 44 projecting outward from the upper end of each side wall 31 of the buckets. As a bucket 19 is elevated, a fixed vertical bucket guide 27c engages a substantially vertical front wall 32 of the bucket to keep the bucket erect, with the engagement of the bucket guide 27c with the bucket wall 32 being at a substantial distance from the pivot connections 44 of the bucket to the chains to minimize stress in the bucket. As a bucket is tilted for discharge, a fixed curved bucket guide 27d engages the upper edge 37 of the bucket to cause its gradual inversion, with the engagement of the curved bucket guide 27d with the bucket edge 37 being at a substantial distance from the pivot connections 44 of the bucket to the chains to minimize stress in the bucket.