GB2128864A - Harvesting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A harvesting machine comprises a self-propelling vehicle and a working apparatus including a working platform 9 fixable in positions opposed to a crop growing at high positions and a loading deck 4 for storing the crop. The working apparatus further includes at least one chute 12 for guiding the crop to the loading deck. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A harvesting machine The present invention relates to a harvesting machine suited to crops such as oil palm and coconut that grow at high positions.

To harvest such a crop growing at high positions it has been conventional practicefor a workerto reap the crop from the ground using a long-handled reaping instrument and to collect the crop which has fallen to the ground. This practice has a problem of very poorworking efficiency when a crop is reaped from a pluralityoftrees in an oil palm field or a coconutfield. There have also been problemsthatthe falling crop could hitthe worker and that the crop often gets damaged upon collision with the ground.

The object of the present invention isto provide a harvesting machine having wide application and allowing crops growing at high position to be harvested withoutthe above problems.

In order to achieve this object a harvesting machine according to this invention comprises a self-propelling vehicle including a driver's section and a loading deck, and a working apparatus including a working platform fixable to positions opposed to a crop growing at high positions and at least one chute for receiving a falling crop and guiding the crop towards the loading deck.

More particularly,the invention providesaworking platform to facilitate reaping of a crop growing at high positions by using a long-handled instrument, compared with the conventional operation in which the crop is reaped directly from the ground. The provision of the chute allows a reaped and falling crop to be guided direct to and collect at the loading deck, which improves collecting efficiency over the conventional practice of picking up the crop which has fallen to the ground. Further, the invention allows the falling crop to be received by the chute, which greatly improves safetyforthe worker and allows the crop to be collected in excellent conditions andfreefrom damage.

Other objects and advantages ofthe present invention will be apparentfrom the following description.

In orderthatthe invention may more readily be understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. lisa side elevation of a harvesting machine according to this invention, Fig. 2 is a rearviewofthe harvesting machine, Figs. 3a and 3b are plan views each showing an extreme end of a chute, Fig. 3c is a plan view of a modified chute position setting device, Fig. 4 is a view explaining a mode of operation, Fig. 5 is a plan view of a connecting structure for a working apparatus, Fig. 6 is a partly broken away plan view of a connecting portion oftheworking apparatus, Fig. 7 is a partly broken away side view of an oscillation stopper, Fig.8 is a side view of a stand portion, and Fig. 9 is a section taken on line VIlIl-VIlli of Fig. 2.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a harvesting machine according to this invention comprises a self-propelling vehicle and a working apparatus. The vehicle includes crawler travelling means 1, a prime mover section 2 and a driver's section 3 arranged side by side ina rear portion of the vehicle, and a loading deck4 provided in a forward portion of the vehicle to be vertically pivotable on an axis at or adjacent a front end of the vehicle so asto carry our dumping.The working apparatus includes a support structure 7 provided with a protector 6forthe driver's section 3, a working platform 9 having upstanding side frames 8 all around and mounted on the support structure 7 to be raised and lowered by a lift mechanism 11 hose expansion and contraction are effected by a hydraulic cylinder 10, a right and left pair of chutes 12 attached to the support structure 7 each located laterally of the loading deck4 and pivotable by a hydraulic cylinder 13 on a lower end axis P1, and a ladder 14 provided rearwardly of the support structure 7 for climbing to and from the working platform 9. This harvesting machine is used, as shown in Fig 4, to reap a fruit a from an oil palm tree A. Each of the chutes 12 has a receiving surface provided by a net 12a or 1 2b attached to a netting frame 15.

As also shown in Fig. 3a, each ofthe chutes 12 carries a position setting device 16 at a free end thereofto setthe chute 12 in position relative to the tree A. This position setting device 16 comprises a bar-like element projecting from both lateral sides of the netting frame 15 at a position slightly away from the very extreame end ofthe chute 12. The net 1 2a or 12bextending outwardlyfrom a lateral sideofthe machine is moved to the tree A to leanthereagainst, by means of an arm 16a projecting sideways at the free end of the netting frame 15, and assume an inclined operative position.Then a worker on the working platform 9 reaps the fruit a using along- handled reaping instrument 17. allowing the fruit a to drop to the net 12a or 12b and to be guided downwardlytherealong towards the loading deck4.

Afterthe reaping operation the net 12a or 1 2b is pivoted towards the machine, causing the fruit a remaining in a lower portion ofthe net 1 2a or 1 2b to fall on to the deck4, to assume an upstanding contained position. The machine is then moved to a next tree.

As shown in fig. 3b, the netting frame 15 per se may, on occasion, be placed in direct contact with the tree A without using the position setting device or arm 16.

The position setting device 16 may comprises a recess defined by the netting frame 15 per seas shown in Fig.

3c.

Referring to Figs. and 6, the support structure 7 includes a transverse frame 18 at a forward end thereof, and a couping element 19 extends from an intermediate position of the transverse frame 1 8to be vertically pivotabiethereon.The couping element 19 is rotatabiy received in a bracket 21 is provided with stopper pin 22. Thus, the working apparatus is This print takes account of replacement documents later filed to enable the application to comply with the formal requirements of the Patents Rules 1982.

pivotable on a longitudinal axis P2 and a transverse axis P3 relative to the vehicle. Further, the support structure 7 includes at a rear end thereof a right and left pair of ground wheels or casters 23a and 23b disposed opposite to each other across the longitudinal axis P2, each pivotable on a vertical axis P4. The vehicle frame 20 carries, rigidly attached thereto, a pair of stoppers 26a and 26b to act on the transverse frame 18 in order to limit a range of pivotal movement ofthe supportstructure7 about the longitudinal axis P2.As shown in Fig. 7, in order to limit a range of pivotal movement of the support structure about the transverse axis P3, the support structure 7 includes a transverse frame 24 at the rear end thereof carrying a pin 25 which is acted on by an upper and lower pair of stoppers 27a and 27b secured to the vehicle frame 20 through a guide element 33 to guide vertical movements of the pin 25. Thus, the working apparatus is pivotable within limited ranges aboutthe two axes P2 and P3. Within these limited ranges the working r platform 9 is maintained parallel to the ground regardless of lengthways and sideways tosses of the vehicle.

The working platform includes switches 28, 29a and 29b for operating the cylinders 10, 1 3a and 13b. The switches 28, 29a and 29b are connected to an electromagnetic operatorfor control valves (not shown) mounted in the vehicle, through electric circuits (not shown) arranged to operate the cylinders 10, 13a and 13b only selectively. Operations are carried out at both the driver's section 3 and the working platform 9 to raise and lowerthe platform 9 and to pivotthe right and left nets 1 2a and 12b. When the worker on the platform 9 is carrying outthe operation, the platform 9 and the right and left nets 1 2a and 1 2b cannot be moved simultaneously for safety's sake.

As shown in Fig. 2, each of the right and left netting frames 15 is divided into a base portion 15a pivoted to the supportstructure 7 and a free end portion 15b pivotably attached to the base portion 15a through pivotal axes 30 lying in the longitudinal direction ofthe machine, whereby the netting frame 15 is foldable and strechable. During a reaping operation, a right and left pair of lock elements 31 is placed in a position extending between and interconnecting the base portion 15a and the free end portion 15b to maintain the net 12a or 12b and the netting frame 15 in an extended operative position.During an inoperative time such as when travelling on a road, the locking elements 31 are in a free position out of engagement with either one of the netting frame portions 1 5a and 15b, and the net 12a or 12b and the netting frame 15 are folded in two to assume a contained position in which the free end portion lies alongside the base portion whereby the machine's height becomes less than when in operation.

Referring to Fig. 9, each of the netting frames 15 is provided with a reinforcementframe32extending between and interconnecting the right and left pair of pivot portions atwhich the base portion 15a andthe free end portion 15b are connected to each other.In otherwords, the netting frame 15 is reinforced by the reinforcement frame 32 which interconnects free ends of a forward and rearward pair of framers constituting the base portion 1 5a, and base ends of a forward and rearward pairofframesconstitutingthefreeend portion 15b. The reinforcement frame 32 has a curved shape and is suspended from the right and left pair of pivotal axes 30to lie behind the net 1 2a or 1 2b. When the net 1 2a or 1 2b is in the upstanding contained position, the reinforcement frame 32 also assume a contained position by gravity alongside the netting frame without greatly protruding sideways outwardly from the machine.When the net 12a or 1 2b is placed in the inclined operative position, the reinforcement frame 32, bygravity, automatically switches to position relative to the net, which is sufficiently spaced from the net even when the net deforms and bulges downwardly with a weight ofthe fruit a which the net has received, wherebythe fruit a never hits or get caught by the reinforcement frame 32.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 8, the support structure 7 includes a right and left pair of longitudinal frames 34a and 34b to which the forward end transverse frame 18 is connected buy a right and left pair of pins 35a and 35b. By pulling outthe pins 35a and 35b and the stopper pin 22,thetransverseframe 18 can be detached from the bracket 21 and the longitudinal frames 34a and 34b and removedforwardlyfromthe machine, whereupon the vehicle is removable from the working apparatus. The vehicle may be removed forwardlyfromtheworking apparatus nowwithout thetransverseframe 18, to be ready for use in transporting the reaped fruit a, transporting fertilizers, or such other pu rposes than harvesting oil palm.

When removing the vehiclefrom the working apparatus, hydraulic hoses attached to the cylinders 10, 1 3a and 1 3b are separated from hydraulic hoses mounted on the vehicle which is possible by using self-sealing couplings, and electric wires connected to the switches 28, 29a and 29b are separated at connectors from electric wires on the vehicle side.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 8, each of the longitudinal frames 34a and 34b is provided with a stand 36 including a ground contact element 36a. By turning a handle 36b, the ground contact element 36a moves from an upper contained positioned nearthe longitudinal frame into contact with the ground. The two stands 36, in cooperation with the right and left pair of ground wheels 23a and 23b, are capable of supporting the working apparatus in a position, or nearly in a position, fitting with the vehicle. That is to say, the working apparatus is attached or detached with ease since the working apparatus is maintained in position to allow the forward end transverse frame 18to be attached to or detached from the three members, i.e.

the bracket 21 and the two longitudinal frames 34a and 34b, by one effort, simply by moving the transverse frame 18 backward orforward.

The self-propelling vehicle after being disconnected from the working apparatus as described above is available for other purposes than the harvesting work, such as transporting a crop from a field to a treating plantortransporting fertilizersto afield.

The nets 1 2a and 1 2b may be replaced by gutter-like members. The described construction may be modified in varied otherways. For example, the working platform which is described to be vertically movable may be stationary, and the leading deck4 may be without the dumping function.

The harvesting machine according to th is invention may be used to reap varied crops growing at high positions, in addition to oil palm and coconut.

Claims (8)

1. A harvesting machine comprising a self-propelling vehicle including a driver's section with a loading deck, a working apparatus including a working platform fixable at positions opposed to crop growing at high positions and at least one chute for receiving a falling crop and guiding this crop towards the loading deck.

2. A harvesting machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the chute is provided in pairs separated to right and leftacrossthe loading deck, each chute having a catching net.

3. A harvesting machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which each of the chutes includes position setting means at an extremely thereof.

4. A harvesting machine as claimed in claim 2, in which the working apparatus includes a support structure, the chutes being attached to the support structure to be vertically pivotable by raising and lowering means, an upward pivotal movementthereof causing the crop on the netto be delivered to the loading deck.

5. A harvesting machine as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which the working apparatus includes ground contact means, the self propelling vehicle being removably attached to the working apparatus by pins, the vehicle being separable from the working apparatus by removal of the pins.

6. A harvesting machine as claimed in any preceding claim in which the working apparatus includes a right and left hand pair of longitudinal frames having ground wheels, the harvesting machine being in contact with the ground at three points provided by the ground wheels and the self propelling vehicie.

7. A harvesting machine as claimed in claim 4, in which the raising and lowering means comprises hydraulic cylinders.

8. A harvesting machine constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.