Abstract: A monitoring facility that is operable in two modes allowing compatibility with prior existing monitoring facilities. In one mode, in response to encountering a monitored event, an interrupt is generated. In another mode, in response to encountering a monitored event, one or more associated counters are incremented without causing an interrupt.

Abstract: A harvester for potatoes, beets and other root crops has digging shares arranged in a leading position in the travel direction of the harvester. A screen conveyor receiving a harvested mix and conveying the harvested mix in a conveying direction opposite to the travel direction is provided. The screen conveyor has a screen conveyor belt and guide elements supporting laterally the screen conveyor belt. The screen conveyor belt has a upwardly facing conveying stretch and a leading return pulley proximal to the digging shares. The conveying stretch forms a screening zone that, at least in the area of the leading return pulley, is oriented so as to ascend in the conveying direction. The screen conveyor belt is adjustable to different conveying slants in the area of the conveying stretch.

Abstract: A sweeper chain support system for allowing efficient removal of debris between a sweeper chain and a digger chain. The sweeper chain support system includes a rear roller supporting a rear portion of a sweeper chain, a pair of rear arms attached to the rear roller in a pivoting manner, a front roller supporting a front portion of the sweeper chain, a pair of front arms attached to the front roller in a pivoting manner, and a link member connected between the front arms and the rear arms. When the front arms are lifted, the rear arms are simultaneously lifted causing the front roller and the rear roller to lift upwardly thereby removing the weight of the lower run of the sweeper chain to allow for the removal of lodge debris (e.g. rock).

Abstract: A ground-crop harvester for potatoes and the like has two unique control features that enhance the productivity of the device and the quality of the harvested ground-crop (e.g., less bruising). The harvester preferably includes an excavator arranged to scrape up a layer of soil and ground-crop and a primary conveyor configured to receive the soil and ground-crop scraped up by the excavator and to separate soil from the ground-crop. A downstream conveyor is arranged downstream of the primary conveyor (e.g., directly downstream therefrom or after a secondary conveyor and/or other conveyors) to receive the separated ground-crop. A primary conveyor adjustable speed drive mechanism is provided for the primary conveyor. A downstream conveyor adjustable speed drive mechanism is provided for the downstream conveyor. A speed measurer or sensor is provided for sensing the forward speed of the harvester and for emitting signals representative of the speed. An amount sensor (e.g.

Abstract: A sprig harvester apparatus for harvesting sprigs of grass, such as Bermuda grass, from a ground surface and conveying the grass sprigs to an awaiting receptacle. The apparatus includes a harvesting portion mounted on a rolling chassis. The harvesting portion includes blades for cutting the grass sprigs from the ground surface and a first elevator chain for moving the grass sprigs upwardly, while providing sufficient vibration to shake soil therefrom. The grass sprigs are discharged from the harvesting portion into a hopper section of a hopper/elevator portion. The hopper/elevator portion is mounted on a pivot assembly attached to the chassis. The hopper/elevator portion also includes an upper elevator section pivotally connected to the hopper section so that it can be raised and lowered by a hydraulic cylinder.

Abstract: The vehicle is intended as a self-propelled utility model for beach cleaning. It has a vehicle frame which comprises at least one front and rear axle. A garbage pickup is disposed therebetween. The vehicle is to be a multi-purpose vehicle. The vehicle frame equipped with wheels consequently has a centric, rectangular opening between the front and the rear axle. The garbage pickup is adjustably mounted in this opening, namely from an operating position in which it contacts the ground to a ready position in which it is lifted from the ground. Seen in the direction of driving, a collecting receptacle for the picked up garbage is located behind the garbage pickup.

Abstract: A minefield clearing apparatus for attachment to a vehicle and having: an interface assembly for raising and shunting aside mines and other objects buried below the ground surface including: an articulated rake having a pluraity of plow teeth which, in operation, extend below the ground surface; and a conveyor apparatus extending along the side of the vehicle and adapted to transport the contents of the earth raised by the articulated rake to the rear of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method and related apparatus is provided for size reduction and separation of soil clods mixed with a root crop. The method includes the steps of feeding the mixture along an enclosed operative path, manipulating the mixture so as to change the shape of the conveyed mass and break up the soil clods sufficiently to reduce the size and separating the clods from the crop. The manipulation preferably takes the form of shifting the clods longitudinally and laterally with respect to each other. The operative path is preferably serpentine in shape with the clods/crop expanding along the outside of bends and contracting along the inside of bends. The serpentine path is oriented in a substantially vertical direction and may provide differential speeds along the boundaries of the path. The optimum mixture is approximately 50% soil clods at the entry end, with the range being between 35% and 65%.

Abstract: A root crop harvester comprising a soil-separating primary web arranged to discharge material on to a crop-conveying second web which passes about two rollers adapted to define in the load-bearing run of the second web an overhanging step section.

Abstract: An articulated ballast cleaning system utilizes a pair of ballast cleaners each dedicated to cleaning only a portion of the ballast bed of a railroad track, such that one cleans the peripheral ballast while the other cleans the center ballast. Spoil or waste ballast is conveyed forwardly along the apparatus for disposal, while cleaned ballast is conveyed rearwardly for replacement aft of an undercutter device. Fresh ballast may be conveyed forwardly along the apparatus to supplement the cleaned ballast.

Abstract: A potato harvester comprises a screening conveyor belt following a lifting device, an elevator disposed after the screening conveyor belt, a haulm separating device and a stone separating device. The elevator is formed from a double conveyor having an internally rotating bar-type conveyor belt with narrow openings and an externally rotating bar-type conveyor belt with wide openings. The two conveyor belts rotate in the same direction and are guided parallel to one another at least in the region of the conveying run of the elevator. One bar-type conveyor belt is further equipped with transversely directed entrainment webs which divide the gap between the conveying runs of the two conveyors into conveying compartments.

Abstract: A root crop harvester includes an endless soil-separating conveyor-sieve and agitator means for agitating the conveyor-sieve so as to move to and fro the crop-bearing upper run of the conveyor-sieve substantially in the plane of said upper run.

Abstract: The earth surface cleaning machine is utilized for cleaning on or just beneath the earth surface on land or in water. The machine is connected to, operated from, and pulled by a vehicle, such as a tractor. The elements of the machine include a rotatable tine assembly for skimming material from the earth surface, a transfer conveyor for transferring debris and small earth particulate matter to a screening conveyor where the debris is screened from the particulate matter and a collection hopper mounted on a trailer carriage and to which the screening conveyor delivers the debris.

Abstract: A potato harvester comprises a double disc share feeding potatoes to a vibrating upwardly-moving conveyor sieve 1 (FIG. 1), the operational area of which is determined by the relative positions of rollers 2 and 4. This area can be changed to deal with different soil conditions, any slack or excess amount of conveyor 1 resulting from this change being accommodated by an appropriate repositioning of the pulleys 4, 5.

Abstract: A known and commercially available electronic sorter is positioned between the sorting conveyor of a tomato harvester and the front cross-conveyor thereof. This sorter includes a rejector mechanism for rejecting tomatoes of colors other than those corresponding to red-ripeness. A rejection chute receives culls impelled thereinto by the rejector mechanism dropping the rejected fruit on the ground, while accepted fruit falls to a front cross-conveyor. A preparatory mechanism associated with the sorting conveyor impels the tomatoes at a desired trajectory toward the electronic sorter, and preferably includes an elevating flighted conveyor for receiving tomatoes from the sorting conveyor, raising them to a higher level, and then dropping them forwardly on to an intermediate generally level conveyor. The intermediate conveyor is driven at a constant speed regardless of the speeds of all other moving parts of said harvester.