Invention entitled ‘Device for raking volumetric agricultural products from the field surface’ (Pat.241767/P.429766)

Description:

The object of the invention is a device for raking volumetric agricultural products from the surface of a field, particularly applicable to precision agriculture.

The inconvenience associated with the use of solutions known on the market is the inability to reliably assess the volume of swath harvested from a specific field, and therefore limited applicability of these devices in precision agriculture has been identified. In addition, the inability to use information on the volume of swath harvested at any given time renders it impossible to select the optimal operating parameters of the device, which translates into inefficient management of the devices’s energy and related losses.

The essence of the presented invention is that in the conveyor zone of at least one pick-up belt section is mounted an optical system containing a camera and an infrared point illuminator, which optical system is connected to a GPS location system and a data logger, whereby each pick-up belt section is equipped with a conveyor speed regulator, which is connected to the optical system through a controller.

Benefits:

• precise measurement of swath volume, which makes it possible, among others, to create yield maps,
• precise measurement of the amount of swath at a given moment, which makes it possible to control the speed of the belt and other parameters of the machine, which translates into the possibility of optimal use of energy necessary for the process,
• the ability to easily change the positions of individual components of the system, which allows the solution to be adapted to raking equipment of different designs.

Status of legal protection:

The technology consists of patent Pat.241767 granted by the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland, in force from April 26, 2019.

Property rights to the invention are vested in: Łukasiewicz Research Network – Poznań Institute of Technology and SaMASZ Ltd.

Contact person:

Tomasz Szulc

Główny specjalista – Kierownik Sekcji Rozwoju Maszyn Rolniczych i Leśnych, Grupa Badawcza Konstrukcji

Tel.: +48 784 638 264

E-mail: tomasz.szulc@pit.lukasiewicz.gov.pl