# US 2013/0153248 A1 · Harvester for potatoes, beets and other root crops > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0153248 A1 - Document ID: US20130153248A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/716,148 - Filed: 2012-12-16 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-16 - Assignees: Grimme Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG - Inventors: Klemens Kalverkamp - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153248A1 ## CPC - A01D 17/00: Digging machines with sieving and conveying mechanisms - A01D 17/10: with smooth conveyor belts, lath bands or rake bands - A01D 2017/103: {Constructional details of conveyor belts} - A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING ## Abstract A harvester for potatoes, beets and other root crops has digging shares arranged in a leading position in the travel direction of the harvester. A screen conveyor receiving a harvested mix and conveying the harvested mix in a conveying direction opposite to the travel direction is provided. The screen conveyor has a screen conveyor belt and guide elements supporting laterally the screen conveyor belt. The screen conveyor belt has a upwardly facing conveying stretch and a leading return pulley proximal to the digging shares. The conveying stretch forms a screening zone that, at least in the area of the leading return pulley, is oriented so as to ascend in the conveying direction. The screen conveyor belt is adjustable to different conveying slants in the area of the conveying stretch. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A harvester for potatoes, beets and other root crops, comprising: digging shares arranged in a leading position in a travel direction of the harvester; a screen conveyor receiving a harvested mix and conveying the harvested mix in a conveying direction opposite to the travel direction; wherein the screen conveyor has at least one screen conveyor belt and guide elements supporting laterally the at least one screen conveyor belt; wherein the at least one screen conveyor belt has at least one upwardly facing conveying stretch and a leading return pulley proximal to the digging shares; wherein the at least one conveying stretch forms a screening zone and the screening zone, at least in the area of the leading return pulley, is adapted to be oriented so as to ascend in the conveying direction; wherein the at least one screen conveyor be in the area of the at least one conveying stretch is adjustable to different conveying slants. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The harvester according to claim 1, wherein the conveying slants define changeable conveying stretch sections of the at least one screening zone. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The harvester according to claim 1, wherein the conveying slants are adjustable to different incline angles relative to a horizontal reference plane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 4) The harvester according to claim 4, wherein the incline angles of the conveying slants are adjustable in a range from 0 degrees up to 60 degrees, preferably from 15 degrees up to 40 degrees. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The harvester according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the conveying slants is adjustable continuously. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The harvester according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the conveying slants is changeable during an ongoing conveying phase. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The harvester according to claim 2, wherein along the at least one conveying stretch more than two conveying stretch sections with changeable conveying slants, respectively, are provided. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The harvester according to claim 7, wherein the more than two conveying stretch sections are adjustable to incline angles that differ from each other, respectively. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The harvest according to claim 8, wherein the more than two conveying stretch sections are adjustable jointly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The harvester according to claim 8, wherein the more than two conveying stretch sections are individually adjustable. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The harvester according to claim 1, wherein the screen conveyor belt further comprises an adjusting device acting on lateral edges of the at least one conveying stretch that extends from the leading return pulley to a rear return pulley, wherein the lateral edges are positioned opposite each other in a transverse direction transverse to the conveying direction, wherein the adjusting device is provided with at least one adjusting member that movably supports the guide elements. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The harvester according to claim 11, wherein the guide elements are movable individually or jointly. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The harvester according to claim 11, wherein the guide elements are movable in groups. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The harvester according to claim 11, wherein the conveying slant of a conveying stretch section of the at least one conveying stretch that extends from the leading return pulley to a first one of the guide elements is different from the conveying slant of downstream conveying stretch sections of the at least one conveying stretch such that steep and flat ones of the conveying slants adjoin each other. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The harvester according to claim 11, comprising a support rail connected to the at least one adjusting member, wherein the guide elements are secured on the support rail, wherein, when the support rail is moved about a terminal pivot point of the support rail, conveying stretch sections of the at least one conveying stretch that are located between the terminal pivot point and one of the guide elements that is positioned at the opposite end of the support rail are changeable. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The harvester according to claim 15, wherein the guide elements are rollers and wherein the support rail, in a longitudinal direction of the support rail, has a contour that is at least partially arc-shaped and in particular is adapted to be aligned convexly relative to a bottom side of the screen conveyor belt. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The harvester according to claim 15, wherein two of said support rail are positioned opposite each other in the transverse direction, wherein the guide elements supported on the support rails are movable by a pivot and/or push movement introduced by the at least one adjusting member so that the conveying slants of neighboring conveying stretch sections of the at least one conveying stretch are changeable. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The harvester according to claim 11, further comprising in the area of the adjusting device at least two support sections that are movably supported relative to each other by the at least one adjusting member and wherein at least one of the guide elements is secured on one of the at least two support sections, respectively. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The harvester according to claim 18, wherein the at least two supports sections are connected by a joint and wherein one of the at least two support sections is connected with an end opposite the joint to a pivot support unit that enables a joint pivot and push movement. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The harvester according to claim 18, wherein two sets of said at least two support sections are positioned opposite each other in the transverse direction, wherein the guide elements supported on the two sets of said at least two support sections are movable by a pivot and/or push movement introduced by the at least one adjusting member so that the conveying slants of neighboring conveying stretch sections of the at least one conveying stretch are changeable. ### Claim 21 (depends on 11) The harvester according to claim 11, wherein the at least one adjusting member is selected from the group consisting of a mechanically drivable member, electrically drivable member, and hydraulic drivable member. ### Claim 22 (depends on 11) The harvester according to claim 11, wherein in the area of the adjusting device several of said at least one adjusting member are provided. ### Claim 23 A harvester for potatoes, beets and other root crops, comprising: digging shares arranged in a leading position in a travel direction of the harvester; a screen conveyor receiving a harvested mix and conveying the harvested mix in a conveying direction opposite to the travel direction; wherein the screen conveyor has several screen conveyor belts and guide elements supporting laterally the screen conveyor belts; wherein the screen conveyor belts have an upwardly facing conveying stretch; wherein the conveying stretches together form a screening zone adapted to be oriented so as to ascend in the conveying direction; wherein the screen conveyor belts include a leading screen conveyor belt that is positioned immediately adjacent to the digging shares, wherein at least the leading screen conveyor belt is adjustable to different conveying slants. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The harvester according to claim 23, wherein the screen conveyor belts include a trailing screen conveyor belt and wherein the leading and the trailing screen conveyor belts have adjustable conveying slants. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The harvester according to claim 23, further comprising an adjusting member, wherein the adjusting member is adapted to alternatingly adjust the leading screen conveyor belt or the trailing screen conveyor belt. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The harvester according to claim 23, further comprising an adjusting member, wherein the adjusting member is adapted to adjust the leading screen conveyor belt and the trailing screen conveyor belt.