US3828536A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Sugar cane loader-cleaner machine
Assignee: SUGAR CANE GROWERS COOP
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Filing: 1972-05-01
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Granted: 1974-08-13
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Expires: 1992-05-01
Abstract
Abstract A field operated cane loading and cleaning vehicle is provided with a rotary pickup drum adjacent the ground for picking up windrowed cane, a conveyor conveys the can to a continuously rotating segmentizer drum which slices the cane into small segments from which it is conveyed to a kicker drum which hurls the segments into a cleaning chamber where they are subjected to an air blast for separating trash from the cane segments which then fall onto a removal conveyor to be discharged onto a truck or the like; the pickup drum has radially extending fingers which engage and lift the cane from the field and the segmentizer drum employs triangular blades which slice through the can to minimize wastage and cane damage.
Inventors
- 👤 L Fowler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 11:19
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01D; A01D45/00; A01D45/10; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T83/00; Y10T83/202; Y10T83/2066
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
272 words
A field operated sugar cane loader-cleaner machine for movement along windrows formed of generally parallel severed cane members oriented parallel to the direction of movement of said machine for picking up the cane, cutting the cane into small segments and removing trash from the cane to enable the deposit of cleaned cane segments on a truck or other removal vehicle, said machine comprising a motor driven vehicle having a chassis frame, means for picking up the generally parallel cane of a windrow as the motor driven vehicle moves along the windrow including a cane pickup drum means mounted for rotation adjacent the ground on the forward end of a supporting frame about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the path of travel of said vehicle and including radially extending portions movable below the lowermost cane of a windrow for engaging and lifting the windrowed cane upwardly, a cane slicing means mounted to the rear of said pickup drum for slicing cane into short segments, conveyor means for feeding cane from said pickup drum to said cane slicing means, a segment conveyor for receiving cane segments from said slicing means and conveying said cane segments into a rotating kicker drum which receives the segments and hurls the segments into a cleaning chamber, means creating an air blast in said cleaning chamber across the path of travel of said segments for blowing trash such as leaf material and other debris from said cleaning chamber to separate such trash from the cane segments and discharge conveyor means in said cleaning chamber for receiving the cleaned cane segments for discharging said cleaned cane segments from said chamber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
272 words
A field operated sugar cane loader-cleaner machine for movement along windrows formed of generally parallel severed cane members oriented parallel to the direction of movement of said machine for picking up the cane, cutting the cane into small segments and removing trash from the cane to enable the deposit of cleaned cane segments on a truck or other removal vehicle, said machine comprising a motor driven vehicle having a chassis frame, means for picking up the generally parallel cane of a windrow as the motor driven vehicle moves along the windrow including a cane pickup drum means mounted for rotation adjacent the ground on the forward end of a supporting frame about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the path of travel of said vehicle and including radially extending portions movable below the lowermost cane of a windrow for engaging and lifting the windrowed cane upwardly, a cane slicing means mounted to the rear of said pickup drum for slicing cane into short segments, conveyor means for feeding cane from said pickup drum to said cane slicing means, a segment conveyor for receiving cane segments from said slicing means and conveying said cane segments into a rotating kicker drum which receives the segments and hurls the segments into a cleaning chamber, means creating an air blast in said cleaning chamber across the path of travel of said segments for blowing trash such as leaf material and other debris from said cleaning chamber to separate such trash from the cane segments and discharge conveyor means in said cleaning chamber for receiving the cleaned cane segments for discharging said cleaned cane segments from said chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
83 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said cane slicing means comprise a segmentizer drum having a plurality of blade members positioned about the periphery of the segmentizer drum and rotating in a path extending closely adjacent a fixed cane support member across which the forward ends of the cane are fed into said segmentizer drum so that said rotating blade members cooperate with the fixed cane support member to engage the forwards ends of the cane and slice the cane into small segments.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
68 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said pickup drum is formed of a base cylinder mounted for rotation on a supporting frame about the axis of said base cylinder and said radially extending portions including but not limited to a plurality of radially extending cane lifting fingers engageable with the cane on the ground for lifting the cane upwardly as said vehicle moves along a windrow of cane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
The invention of claim 3 wherein said cane feed means for feeding cane from said pickup drum to said segmentizer includes a plurality of parallel rotating lower feed rolls positioned rearwardly of the pickup drum and having radially extending longitudinal feed flanges for engaging and conveying cane lifted from the ground by the pickup drum.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
The invention of claim 4 wherein said cane feed means additionally include upper feed rolls mounted above said lower feed rolls for engaging any upwardly extending cane lifted from the ground by the pickup drum to guide such cane between the upper feed rolls and the lower feed rolls into said segmentizer drum.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The invention of claim 5 wherein said segment conveyor comprises a chain conveyor means having an infeed end positioned adjacent said segmentizer roll for receiving cane segments and having a discharge end positioned adjacent said kicker roll for discharging cane segments onto said rotating kicker drum.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
73 words
The invention of claim 6 wherein said supporting frame comprises a cantilever frame member pivotally connected at its rearmost end to said chassis frame with said lower feed rolls, said upper feed rolls, and said segmentizer drum being mounted on bearings on said cantilever frame member and hydraulic cylinder means connected between said chassis frame and said cantilever frame for adjusting the angle of said cantilever frame and height of said pickup drum.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
The invention of claim 7 additionally including a hydraulic motor connected to a drive shaft drivingly connected to said segmentizer drum and power transmission means extending from said segmentizer drum to said lower feed rollers, said upper feed rollers and said pickup drum for rotatingly driving said rollers and drum.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The invention of claim 8 wherein said discharge conveyor extends transversely of said vehicle along the rear portion thereof at the bottom of said cleaning chamber for discharging the cleaned cane segments onto a removal vehicle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
89 words
The invention of claim 9 wherein said cleaning chamber includes a hood member extending over the top of the chamber, said rotating kicker drum is mounted adjacent said hood member for kicking the cane segments and trash into the cleaning chamber and the means providing the air blast comprises a power driven blower having a discharge nozzle in said hood member blowing forwardly across said cleaning chamber toward a rotating trash removal drum upon which the trash is impinged to be dumped adjacent the rearmost end of the vehicle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
79 words
The invention of claim 10 wherein said blade members comprise a plurality of pointed generally triangularly shaped curved blade plates mounted adjacent each other to provide a V-shaped narrowing opening defined by the converging cutting edge of two adjacent triangular shaped plates so that the cane ends fed into the segmentizer drUm are moved into the apex of the cutting edges for slicing said cane into small segments and circular end flanges on each end of said segmentizer drum.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
The invention of claim 11 wherein said segmentizer drum additionally includes a transverse blade supporting flange beneath each of said blade members upon which said blade members are mounted for rotation about the axis of said segmentizer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
The invention of claim 12 wherein said pickup drum includes a plurality of transverse radially extending circular flanges and a plurality of longitudinal radially extending ribs with said radial fingers extending outwardly from said transverse flanges.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
50 words
The invention of claim 13 wherein said lower feed rolls and said upper feed rolls each comprises a cylindrical drum member having longitudinal radially extending flanges extending outwardly along its length and terminating on each end in an end flange extending radially and transversely with respect to said feed rolls.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
The invention of claim 14 wherein said kicker drum comprises a cylindrical drum member having triangular teeth extending longitudinally along its length for engaging cane segments on the discharge end of said segment conveyor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
58 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said cane slicing means comprises a segmentizer drum having a plurality of triangular blade members positioned about its periphery for downward movement adjacent a fixed cane support member across which the forward ends of cane are fed into said segmentizer drum so that said blade members cut the cane into small segments.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
55 words
The invention of claim 16 wherein said cane feed means for feeding cane from said pickup drum to said segmentizer includes a plurality of parallel rotating lower feed rolls positioned rearwardly of the pickup drum and having radially extending longitudinal feed flanges for engaging and conveying cane lifted from the ground by the pickup drum.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
53 words
The invention of claim 17 wherein said cane feed means additionally include upper feed rolls mounted above said lower feed rolls for engaging any upwardly extending cane lifted from the ground by the pickup drum to guide such cane between the upper feed rolls and the lower feed rolls into said segmentizer drum.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
45 words
The invention of claim 18 wherein said segment conveyor comprises a chain conveyor means having an infeed end positioned adjacent said segmentizer roll for receiving cane segments and having a discharge end positioned adjacent said kicker roll for discharging cane segments onto said kicker roll.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
73 words
The invention of claim 19 wherein said supporting frame comprises a cantilever frame member pivotally connected at its rearmost end to said chassis frame with said lower feed rolls, said upper feed rolls, and said segmentizer drum being mounted on bearings on said cantilever frame member and hydraulic cylinder means connected between said chassis frame and said cantilever frame for adjusting the angle of said cantilever frame and height of said pickup drum.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
50 words
The invention of claim 20 additionally including a hydraulic motor connected to a drive shaft drivingly connected to said segmentizer drum and power transmission means extending from said segmentizer drum to said lower feed rollers, said upper feed rollers and said pickup drum for rotatingly driving said rollers and drum.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
36 words
The invention of claim 21 wherein said discharge conveyor extends transversely of said vehicle along the rear portion thereof at the bottom of said cleaning chamber for discharging the cleaned cane segments onto a removal vehicle.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-08-12 | 1978-02-11 | 1978-08-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-08-12 | 1982-02-11 | 1982-08-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-08-12 | 1986-02-11 | 1986-08-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |