With Selective Delivery To Alternate Locations (e.g., By-pass) Patents (Class 171/23)
  • Publication number: 20110024139
    Abstract: A windrower with a frame that: a) has a front, a rear and laterally spaced sides; and b) is movable in an advancing direction. A processing mechanism is capable of: a) unearthing grown product; and b) separating foreign matter from the grown product as the frame is advanced. A cross conveyor assembly controllably discharges grown product from the processing mechanism to the underlying terrain. The cross conveyor assembly has a first discharge end and at least one section, including the first discharge end, that is selectively translatable laterally relative to the frame as the frame is advancing thereby to laterally change a location of the first discharge end and thus the lateral discharge location for the cross conveyor assembly at the first discharge end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: ECHO, INC.
    Inventor: David S. Majkrzak
  • Patent number: 7789166
    Abstract: A root-crop harvester is configured to temporarily store tubers by recirculating tubers on the conveyor system of the harvester. The conveyor system has selectable first and second operating configurations. In the first operating configuration the conveyor system transports tubers from the digger bed to an outlet where tubers are unloaded from the harvester (e.g., onto a truck). In the second operating configuration the conveyor system transports tubers along the conveyor system for a period of time and then diverts tubers to an earlier position within the conveyor system, thereby recirculating tubers on the harvester. After a period of time, the harvester operator selects the first operating configuration and the recirculating tubers along with newly dug tubers are unloaded from the harvester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Apache River, LLC
    Inventor: Richard Wallace
  • Patent number: 4971155
    Abstract: A potato harvester having cooperative elements serving the functions of prividing an overall frame for the harvester with wheels for locomotion. A de-vining system utilizing a de-vining chain running between large top roller and a smaller bottom roller a pallet and worker stand, a sorting area to sort potatoes three ways and an area and system for discharge of filled pallets which cooperate in an assembly line process allowing for the intervention and participation of field workers with an automated process. The chief inventive portions being a pallet stand with an unloading forklift; Separation or sorting of potatoes onto conveyors which load the potatoes into the appropriate pallets depending on size while allowing for separation by hand of large and small potatoes from the average sized into three distinct areas by hand with waste disposal finished by hand; a refined digging and de-vining system designed to clear vines from the potatoes and carrier chain in a assembly line process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1990
    Inventor: Nick J. Peturis
  • Patent number: 4699218
    Abstract: During the first pass across a field of row-planted sugar or red beets, the apparatus digs the beets from a specific number of rows (six being illustrated but the apparatus herein disclosed can be structured for four or five rows as well), elevates the beets at one side of the apparatus to a given height and discharges the elevated beets into a tank from which they are periodically re-elevated and discharged into a truck at the side of the apparatus opposite the side at which they are elevated and re-elevated, the truck trailing the apparatus over rows from which beets have been removed when not receiving re-elevated beets. On the next pass in a reverse direction across the field, the truck runs in the swath where the beets have been removed during the first pass, and the beets during the second pass are continually discharged into the truck without resort to storage and without re-elevating the beets as done on the first pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1987
    Assignee: Wic, Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne J. Schwitters