Search Results

The operator of a sugarcane harvester cannot see the basecutter and depends on sound to adjust its height. A mechanical/hydraulic system was developed to follow the vertical changes in row height and the lateral changes in the location of sugarcane stalks on the top of the row. The system sensor was an articulated skid mounted in front of the cutter blade. Laboratory and field tests showed the system was able to keep the blade adjusted within 2.54 cm of the top of the row when tested under simulated field conditions.1

The latest evolution of an experimental prototype of a vibrating digger blade for harvesting sweet potatoes is described. In 1994, after several series of formal tests with a research machine, a mode of vibration which appeared optimal was determined. A prototype vibrating digger blade which would retro-fit a commercial sweet potato digger was designed. This paper describes the design and testing of the blade. The blade was fitted on one side of a two-row commercial digger. Though testing was limited and conditions were not ideal, the vibrating blade showed much better soil flow than the fixed blade. This indicated that development of the system should be continued.1

Sweet potato harvesting requires the destruction of a massive amount of above ground vine material before digging can begin. The efficiency of harvesting is greatly increased if the potatoes are detached from their root stems before they are dug. The development of a machine in a university mechanization research program which successfully accomplished these two tasks is reported, including field testing on commercial farms and laboratory test results. Further, the development of drawings and bills of material resulting in a “know-how” contract between the university and the manufacturer, and the subsequent cooperation between these two, are described.