Research of the Possibilities to Improve the Quality of Potatoes Harvesting by Including an Experimental Heap Leveler-Distributor in the Design of Harvesting Machines

Improving the quality indicators of the operation of potato harvesters under difficult soil and climatic conditions is an urgent scientific and practical task. The paper reflects a research of the impact upon the quality of operation of two kinds of potato diggers of an experimental design for additional levelling of a heap (mass of soil, potato tubers, plant residues, etc.) on the conveyor. This device evenly distributes the potato heap along the plane of the main rod elevator, improves the separation conditions, reduces the total loss of tubers from 2.5 to 0.8%, that is, 3.1 times. A rational mode of operation of the digger has been determined, which, under these conditions, provides acceptable values for the losses and damage to the tubers.