IMPROVING THE DESIGN OF A COMBING DEVICE FOR HARVESTING LEGUMINOUS CROPS

Abstract

The paper focuses on one of the main goals of the cultivation of leguminous crops - obtaining high-protein food, feed or technical raw materials. The Lupine albus is represented as a crop included into the State Register of selection achievements permitted for use on the territory of the Russian Federation. The authors consider an unconventional technology for harvesting leguminous crops using the combing method, which will reduce energy costs, damage rate and seed loss. It has been determined that the main source of damage in combing devices is a combing drum rotating at a high speed and interacting directly with the seeds of crops being harvested. Their geometric parameters exert a paramount influence on the harvesting quality. The design features of the existing work tools do not fully ensure the minimum possible loss and damage when harvesting Lupine albus. The authors have made a patent-technical analysis of the existing combing working elements for harvesting large-seed crops registered in the Patent database of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property (Rospatent) and the "Espacenet" Patent base. After analyzing the designs of combing devices for large-seed crops, the authors have proposed a combined working unit, which allows reducing the damage of Lupine albus grain. When mounted on the drum of the combing head for harvesting Lupine albus together with combs for harvesting large-seed crops, this unit allows reducing damage and loss of seeds.