Ring elevator for lifting root crops in a root crop harvester and root crop harvester comprising such a ring elevator

Ring elevator for lifting root crops in a root crop harvester, the elevator comprising:

• a first pair of endless carrying strips, belts, or chains, arranged in parallel, which are drivable over a first closed path;
• a second pair of endless carrying strips, belts, or chains, arranged in parallel, which are drivable over a second closed path;
• first parallel transverse elements attached between and to the first strips, belts, or chains;
• second parallel transverse elements attached between and to the second strips, belts, or chains;
• flexible support elements, each attached to one of the first parallel transverse elements and to one of the second parallel transverse elements;
• the first strips, belts, or chains being arranged around the second strips, belts, or chains at a distance, which, when in use, varies along the paths between a minimum distance and a maximum distance, and in an ascending part of the paths equals a carrier distance, such that the flexible support elements form baskets for receiving the root crops, wherein in the second path, the second strips, belts, or chains begin to rise towards the ascending part in an ascending point of the second path;
• wherein in said ascending part a useful volume in the baskets for receiving the root crops takes up at least 50% of a total volume delimited by the baskets,
• wherein the baskets comprise a first basket and a second basket,
• wherein the total volume for the first basket is defined by (i) a first plane through the first and the second parallel transverse elements to which the first basket is attached, (ii) a second plane through the first and the second parallel transverse elements to which the second basket is attached, the second basket hanging below the first basket, (iii) a third plane through the first parallel transverse elements to which both the first basket and the second basket are attached, and (iv) a fourth plane through the second parallel transverse elements to which both the first basket and the second basket are attached.