The present invention relates to a viticulture machine for pulling off cut vine branches according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, it relates to a method of pulling off cut vine branches according to the preamble of the first method claim.
Such a viticultural machine allows extracting (pulling) automatically vine branches growing on at least one arch (guyot system) on tying wires.
Before addressing the problem of the pulling of the vine branches, the various pruning types or tied vines shall explained more precisely. There are two pruning systems: the Guyot pruning and the “cordon de Royat” pruning.
With the cordon de Royat pruning, there is no problem for pulling, as the passage of a pre-pruner allows shredding 70% of the vine branches and has a result very close to the final pruning in most cases.
The Guyot pruning consists in cutting off all vine branches except one or two long branches per vine plant, which are called guyot. The passage of a pre-pruner is limited to cutting the upper sections of the cut-off branches. The remaining parts of the vine branches must be individually removed from the tying system. These cut-off vine branches remain hanging on the tying wires by their tendrils, and high efforts are required to detach them. Therefore, the manual extraction of said vine branches is a tedious work, consumes much time and represents a major financial burden.
This work, carried out in principle every year at the beginning of spring, consists, in a first phase, in making cuts on every arch which are located on either side of the vine plant and from which grow the vine branches to be removed (pre-pruning), in order to keep only at least one fruit-bearing branch (on average two or three branches) in the central area, that is to say in the starting area of the arch (see the description of
Generally, the known pulling machines require a modification of the tying wires layout, possibly even of the posts, an adapted pruning to allow extracting the branches in good conditions, and pull the branches in two ways, either upwards or to the side, i.e. about horizontally.
WO 2009/022915 A1 discloses a machine fastened in an overhanging fashion at the end or a swiveling arm of a mast mounted on the front of the tractor. Extraction is performed by catching and pulling upwards the vine branches protruding from the tying wires, the vertically protruding sections of the branches being gripped by two pneumatic wheels driven and mounted on two horizontal axes arranged in such a way that said wheels are pressing against each other.
Disadvantages of this machine are:
US 2010/0281770 A1 describes a machine whose extraction section is made of a an arrangement including a shaft provided with a reel in front of another shaft equipped with rotary knives and parallel to the first. Both shafts, having an adapted size, are mounted on bearings and arranged between two sheet metal plates forming a frame.
Using a swiveling mast mounted on the tractor, the operator positions the machine in an overhanging position in the direction of movement, so that the shafts are oriented parallel to the ground and perpendicular to the vine rows. He places the machine at the beginning of the vine row underneath the tying wires in order to lift them, with the cut-off branches attached to them, above the posts. The reel supplies a shredder located at its rear.
Constraints of this device are:
Even though a machine for extracting vine branches from the side according to WO-A-2012/175560 (designed, manufactured and distributed by the inventor of the present invention) allows avoiding many of the quite critical disadvantages mentioned above, it still shows some shortcomings—even though they are significantly less inconvenient:
The object of this invention is to realize a vine branch pulling machine and a method of pulling cut-off vine branches, particularly in a Guyot arch cultivating system, with less stress for the plant and the tying wires.
Preferably, the machine and method allows to pull off cut vine branches without any of the disadvantages described above.
This object is attained with the machine according to claim 1 and the method according to the first method claim. The further claims define preferred embodiments, methods and use of the machine.
It is the result of an in-depth analysis of the whole set of disadvantages and of their causes, which affect the known machines, although, in this situation, the person skilled in the art was deferred from reconsidering the conventional process consisting in extracting the cut-off wood upwards, in particular because of the concern and risk of damaging the fruit-bearing branches, as the destruction of these branches would mean no harvest. At the conclusion of a first step of this analysis, the inventor opened a new, yet still imperfect way (lateral pulling according to WO-A-2012/175560). The present invention implements the second step. De facto, the means defining it guarantee a preservation of the fruit-bearing branches and an optimal work quality, which properties have been confirmed in multiple uses and tests in most various conditions. Furthermore, the machine and method may reduce costs to a minimum and lower the energy demand.
The invention will be further explained by way of a preferred embodiment with reference to the Figures:
Throughout the description and the claims the following definitions shall apply:
The use of the machine according to the invention requires the application of a suitable preparation process of the Guyot pruning system which has three advantages (
The only way to extract the cut guyots 64 with all their branches (shoots) 65 grown on them without being blocked by the tying wires is downwards. In fact, the example of the junction of vine branch 69 with guyot 64 shows that pulling upwards would be impossible because of the presence of tying wire 59. By contrast, pulling downwards presents no problem.
Feeding module A is mounted on a gantry F connected to frame E. Gantry F comprises a section 109 fastened to frame E and a sliding section 111 that allows to move module A away from or closer to module B or by means of a hydraulic ram 113 (conceivable: another type of actuator, e.g. pneumatic, electric motoric). An arm support 115 swiveling around axis 117 and allowing adjusting the inclination of feeding disk 119 with respect to extraction module B is arranged at the lower end of sliding section 111.
Feeding module A is connected to arm support 115 by an arm 121 rotating about an axis (hidden for protection purpose) in the end 123 of support 115. The feeding disk 119 placed between two mounting disks 125 and rotatable on an axis 127 is arranged at the end of rotary arm 121. The mounting disks have a diameter chosen such that the elastic feeding disk extends about horizontally, yet protrudes sufficiently over the rims of the mounting disks 125 so that the feedings disk is able to elastically deform and thereby passes in particular the branches not pruned.
The set including the feeding disk 119 and the disks 127 is put in rotation by a feeder motor 129 and by transmission means hidden in arm 121 (driving belt, chain, gearing or the like). Rotary arm 121 is arranged so as to allow it a movement against the influence of a return means 131 (e.g. an adjustable spring) to pass round the posts of the wire trellis and though to push the cut vine branches towards catching and extracting module B.
Feeding disk 119 is preferably smooth and made of a flexible material (preferably an elastic polymer like rubber, silicone) in order not to damage the fruit-bearing branches (guyots) remaining in place and not been pruned.
Guide 137 is connected to frame E by non-represented means that allow moving it away from or closer to catching-extracting module B.
The catching-extracting module B comprises an upper roller 139 and a lower roller 141 arranged below the former, each roller 139, 141 being driven individually by a hydraulic motor 143, 145 rotating in opposite directions. Each roller 139, 141 is made of several extraction cylinders 147, 148 made of rubber (or at least their surface is made of rubber, else they consist of steel, metal or the like).
A spacer 150, on the periphery of which flexible straps 152 are arranged, is located between each extraction cylinder 141, 143.
The periphery of each extraction cylinder 147, 148 is made of a resilient or rubber elastic material, in particular rubber, and is provided with twisted chevron-shaped ribs 154 which interpenetrate those of the other extraction cylinder 148, 147. These ribs 154 (widely spaced) have large-radius rounded external edges 156, 158. This conformation prevents on one hand the breaking or cutting of the vine branches caught thanks to the large radius of the edges 156, 158 and, on the other hand, the slipping back of the branches thanks to the interpenetration of ribs 154. Therefore, the feeding of shredding module C by catching-extracting module B is continuous and without jerks. As shown, the spiral shape of the rib 154 may be counter-clockwise or clockwise. In the example, the foremost two cylinder pairs 147a, 148a; 147b, 148b (cf.
A truncated cone-shaped dome 160 is arranged at the front end of rollers 139, 141 guiding the vine branches into the contact zone of rollers 139, 141.
Supporting box 162 of upper roller 139 is connected to frame E. Upper roller 139 is mounted on the front side of box 162 by means of a bearing 164 and driven in clockwise rotation Rh, seen in the Av direction of movement, by hydraulic motor 143 mounted on the rear side of box 162.
Lower supporting box 166 is connected to box 162 by articulation arm 168 with axes 170, 172 located near its extremities. Lower roller 141 is mounted on the front side of box 166 by means of a bearing 174. The lower roller 141 is put in counter-clockwise rotation Rah, seen in the direction of movement AV, by hydraulic motor 145 mounted on the rear side of box 166.
Opening and closing rollers 139, 141 takes place thanks to cylinder 176 with axis 178 mounted on box 162 and with axis 180 mounted on arm 168. Action of cylinder or ram 176 swivels arm 168 on axis 170. In closed position, adjustable thrust bar 182 (connected to arm 168 by axis 180 and to box 166 by axis 184) allows adjusting the space between the two rollers 139, 141 by a movement around axis 172, independently of the action of cylinder 176, according to the importance of the vegetation or the thickness of the vine branches.
Guiding means 137 is connected to frame E by means not shown (known per se) and has in its rear section, close to extraction cylinders 147, 148, a deflector rod 186 (a device for retaining and deflecting tying wires). Essentially, the deflector rod 186 is of a tube surrounded by a spiral 188 that extends over its whole height. The ends of the deflector rod 186 are connected to the upper resp. lower section of the guide 137.
Around each of rearmost cylinders 147, 148 and traversing their ribs 154 extends a circular groove 190 adapted in size to deflector rod 186, so that deflector rod 186 is partly housed in the ribs 154 of these rearmost of cylinders 147c, 148c, however without coming into contact with said cylinders 147c, 148c.
The shredding means C is attached to frame E, too. More exactly, it is mounted directly on the back of the catching-extracting module B and it includes a square shaft 192 on which four knives 194 are mounted. A counter knife 196 is mounted on frame E. These means (shaft 192, knives 194, counter knife 196) have a length equivalent to that of rollers 139, 141. Shaft 192 is driven in rotation by a hydraulic motor 198 (
The machine for pulling out cut plant branches is designed for pulling the branches downwards. This operation is performed as follows, illustrated for the preferred applications field of vine yards:
The gantry F spanning over a vine row 231 holds on one side of the vine row the feeding module A and on the other side of the vine row, the catching-extracting and shredding module B. The whole arrangement is mounted on the front of an agricultural tractor 102 and carried by a tool bar (boom) D of the agricultural tractor.
The feeding module A mounted in the lower right section (cf.
The upper section of gantry F is equipped with a hydraulic ram 113 to allow the operator to adjust the distance between the feeding means A and the catching-extracting means B according to the thickness of the vegetation or for transport.
Mounted on the lower left section of the gantry F, the catching-extracting module B is located in front of the feeding module A, so that a minimal distance between the periphery of the feeding disk 119 and the intersection point of the lower and upper rollers can be adjusted, preferably about 30 mm.
In a first phase, the supporting spacers 150 on which four flexible straps 152 protrude from the diameter of the cylinders 147, 148 (preferably about 10 cm) are provided, have the role of gripping the vine branches 233 previously pushed by the feeding disk 119 toward the catching-extracting module B, in order to introduce them progressively and without brutality between the extraction tubes. At the rated rotational speed of the upper and lower rollers, the repeated passage of the straps 152 on every vine branch prevents any risk of missing to catch branches while preserving the tying wires 234, the fruit-bearing branches 235 and the vine plants 237.
Once the cut vine branches 233 have been gripped by the flexible straps 152, they are caught by the extracting cylinders 147, 148. Their chevron ribs 154 described above facilitate pinching them in order to forward them to the shredding module C, which completes the work by fragmenting them before letting them fall on the ground. The very high rotary speed of the shredder shaft (of the order of 3,000 RPM) prevents jamming and reduces the driving torque.
On the basis of the preceding description of a preferred embodiment, the one skilled in the art is enabled to conceive alternations and modifications without leaving the scope of the invention which is defined by the attached claims. Such modifications and alternations may be:
Letters
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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17315002.0 | Mar 2017 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2018/055935 | 3/9/2018 | WO | 00 |