A Wheel Elevator for Sugar Beet Harvesters

Abstract

ABSTRACT A simple high capacity elevator has been developed for use on sugar beet harvesters. The elevator is capable of elevating beets as well as all materials normally found mixed with the beets—such as rocks, trash, and mud. It consists of a 3.66 m (12 ft) diameter wheel with pockets around its periphery. Since the wheel rotates in a vertical plane, the pockets on the bottom of the wheel are ideally positioned for receiving beets which can fall by gravity from the cleaning mechanism down into the pockets. As the wheel rotates, the loaded pockets move to the top of the machine and find themselves upside down—an ideal position for allow-ing the beets to fall by gravity out of the pockets. This paper describes this new beet elevator, the machine which embodies it, and the reasons for its development.