GB1327089A - Crop drying equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

1327089 Drying crops C VAN DER LELY NV 1 Oct 1970 [7 Oot 1969] 16269/72 Divided out of 1327088 Heading F4G Crop received in bulk in a drying chamber 1 is separated (as described in Specification 1,327,088) into quantities which are small in relation to the capacity of the space 1 by entraining members on a conveyer mechanism, to which crop is fed by an endless conveyer 13. In an embodiment (Fig. 1), crop is delivered by a crop pick-up trailer (not shown) through the doorway 10 (the flap 9 being lowered), is circulated by the conveyer 13, is picked by the tines 33 of a conveyer 20 and is released from the conveyer 20 near the front of the chamber 1, drying air heated by a burner being blown by a blower 48 into a chamber 13A whence it passes through a perforated plate 14 into the chamber 1 and escapes to atmosphere via openings in the upper regions of the side walls 2 and/or in the roof 3. The tines 33 are mounted on sup- ports 29 pivoted to two spaced sprocket chains 28, the supports 29 being rotated 90 degrees to release the crop by the engagement of arms 34A on the supports 29 with fixed strips 37 and rotated back 90 degrees to crop-engaging position by engagement of roller arms 35, 34 with fixed strips 41. Roller arms 35, 34 also engage channel-section guides 36 and 45 secured to the side walls 2, to maintain correct orientation of the supports 29 and tines 33. Each tine 33 passes between a pair of knife-edged scrapers 47 to ensure release of the crop therefrom. Dry crop is discharged from the drying chamber 1 by raising the flap 9 so that crop released from the tines 33 falls on to a conveyer belt 51 which delivers the crop into a blower 52 connected to a delivery pipe 53 leading to a store or treatment unit. In another embodiment, the conveyer 13 is horizontal and reversible, and the inclined section 21 of the conveyer 20 is provided with a plate which replaces the rear wall 5 and which is pivoted at the shaft 25 so that it be swung up to a near-horizontal position to provide access whereby crop may be discharged from a vehicle on to the top of conveyer 13 for loading the chamber 1. The doors at 10 may hence be dispensed with, or loading can take place at front and rear. In another embodiment, the conveyer section 21 is replaced by a rearwardly and upwardly inclined endless conveyer and the section 22 by a separate tined conveyer, a rotary tined drum being provided at the junction of these two conveyers. The inclined endless conveyer may be pivoted downwards about its lower end to discharged crop from the chamber 1. In a further embodiment, the side and end walls and the roof of the chamber 1 are curved outwardly to resist atmospheric pressure when the chamber 1 is evacuated by means of a pump to assist drying. A number of cycles of introducing heated air and reducing the pressure may be performed. The moving parts may be driven from the tractor power-take-off or by electric motors or internal combustion engines.