Apparatus for cleaning root crops in the field

An installation mounted on a harvester for cleaning root crops in the field by spraying jets of water on all sides of the root crop after its removal from the soil, comprising:

• a cleaning unit mounted on the harvesting machine having a plurality of inwardly directed peripherally arranged jets for spraying a cleaning liquid on all sides of the root crops to clean them;
• conveyor means passing through said cleaning unit and permeable to the spray from said jets, capable of transporting the root crops to be cleaned through the cleaning unit and depositing them after cleaning in a crop storage bunker;
• means for supplying cleaning liquid to the jets of said cleaning unit under pressure;
• means for collecting the cleaning liquid after it has been sprayed to clean the crops;
• means for removing residues cleaned from the crops from the collected water;
• means for recycling said residue-removed water to the jets;
• and
• receiving device means for pre-soaking the root crops in cleaning liquid comprising:
• a conveyor means for conveying the root crops from the ground to a pre-soaking reservoir containing cleaning liquid, and
• a conveyor means for conveying the root crops through said pre-soaking reservoir, wherein the receiving device is embodied by a reservoir (23) having an opening for the introduction of the root crops and being located at a lower level than the cleaning unit (6) and in which passes the third conveyor belt (5) having carriers for the root crops to be cleaned, the cleaning unit (6) being a strainer (48) having nozzles (10) and being enveloped by a jacket (49) the interior of which can be emptied into the reservoir (23).