LOADING AND CLEANING ELEVATOR FOR HARVESTERS

摘要

An elevator such as for loading harvested crops into an awaiting receptacle employs chain-driven, fingered flights that roll and tumble the crops up an inclined grill consisting of laterally spaced-apart rods so that dirt and other trash material are dislodged from the crops by the aggressive tumbling action for discharge through the open spaces between the rods. Tumbling of the crops and movement of the same along the rods causes the latter to vibrate in a multitude of directions and relative to one another whereby to aid in dislodging refuse from the crops, while the fingers of each flight project between adjacent rods to maintain the latter clear of accumulated refuse throughout the elevating process. The rods are transversely ribbed adjacent the delivery end of the elevator whereby to increase tumbling and agitation of the crop as the latter moves across such ribs. Each flight is mounted on the drive chains therefor in a manner to cause the flights to lean forwardly out of a normal position as they move around the lower, loading end of their path of travel, hence placing such flights in early condition to receive and retain crops presented to the elevator at the lower end thereof.