JP2008271841A - Root vegetable harvester - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the ground-following performance of a first conveyer device in an onion harvester, equipped with the first conveyor device for picking up onions from a field, and a second conveyor device for receiving the onions from the first conveyer device and conveying the onions to a traveling machine body. <P>SOLUTION: The root vegetable harvester is constituted, such that the first conveyer device 7 is linked to the lower end part of the second conveyer device 8 so as to be relatively turnable. The first conveyor device 7 keeps the grounding state of a gauge wheel 17, by changing the relative attitude with respect to the second conveyer device 8. Limiting switches 71 and 72 for detecting the widening limit and the narrowing limit of the contained angle θ1 of both the conveyer devices 7 and 8, and a dog 45 are installed in the conveyor devices 7 and 8. The lifting and lowering of the second conveyer device 8 is regulated so as to keep the contained angle θ1 within a prescribed range. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a root vegetable harvesting machine that harvests root vegetables from a field such as an onion harvester.

  An example of a root crop harvesting machine is an onion harvesting machine, and an example of the configuration is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. That is, this onion harvesting machine has, as a major element, a crawler traveling type traveling machine body equipped with an engine and a driver's seat, and a first conveyor device (pickup conveyor device) that picks up (craws up) onions from the field. And the 2nd conveyor apparatus (lifting conveyor apparatus) which inherits an onion from a 1st conveyor apparatus and conveys it to a traveling machine body is provided. The second conveyor device is connected to the traveling machine body in a posture inclined backward in side view, and the first conveyor device is connected to the lower end portion of the second conveyor device so as to rotate up and down around the rear portion. .

  The traveling machine body is provided with sorting conveyors such as a foliage separation conveyor, a ball removal conveyor, and a sorting conveyor. In the course of transfer of onions on these processing conveyors, earth and sand, pebbles and foliage fall, and small balls, scratched balls, spoiled balls and the like are removed, and only standard balls are stored in the container.

  The second conveyor device is connected to the traveling machine body so as to rotate about the upper portion thereof, and the lower end is moved from the state where the lower end is close to the ground (down state) by changing the tilting posture by the second hydraulic cylinder. It changes to a state (ascending state) that is far away from the ground. The second conveyor device is lifted when traveling on the road, and is lowered when in the working state. In Patent Document 1, the second conveyor device is configured to bend around a portion near its upper end.

  The first conveyor device is connected to the lower portion of the second conveyor device so as to rotate around its rear portion, and can be rotated by a first hydraulic cylinder. In the working state, the tip of the first conveyor partially bites into the farm field, and when the vehicle is traveling on the road, the first conveyor is lifted up.

  Furthermore, a pair of left and right gauge wheels that hit the field scene are arranged at the front end of the first conveyor device, and the relative height between the front end of the first conveyor and the field is kept constant by the gauge wheel ( Alternatively, the height of the front end of the first conveyor is automatically adjusted following the unevenness of the field.

As described above, the rotation operation of the first conveyor is performed by the first hydraulic cylinder. In the working state, the first hydraulic cylinder is in a free state in which the piston rod can freely slide. Therefore, the first conveyor device is in a state of freely rotating relative to the second conveyor device, and the first conveyor device is freely changed in posture with respect to the second conveyor device (in other words, the first conveyor device is the first conveyor device). Since the depression angle formed by the conveyor device and the second conveyor device can be changed), the state in which the gauge wheel contacts the field and supports the first conveyor device is maintained (that is, the first conveyor device is in the field). Follow the irregularities.)
JP 2001-346423 A

  As described above, the height of the front end portion of the first conveyor device follows the unevenness of the field by changing the relative posture with respect to the second conveyor device. However, the range in which the attitude of the first conveyor device can change with respect to the second conveyor device (the angle of depression between the first conveyor device and the second conveyor device) is naturally limited. That is, the first conveyor device can only rotate with respect to the second conveyor device within a range in which the first hydraulic cylinder can be expanded and contracted.

  For this reason, for example, when the posture of the traveling machine body changes significantly, such as when the traveling machine body rises forward or reverses, the front end of the first conveyor device accurately follows the unevenness of the field. There is a concern about the occurrence of problems such as being unable to be performed or the smooth transfer of onions from the first conveyor device to the second conveyor device being hindered.

Specifically,
a) If the lower end of the second conveyor device rises too far from the field, for example, because the traveling machine body is in an excessively lowered posture, the first conveyor device cannot turn downward before its front end is lowered to a predetermined height. Impossible), the floating phenomenon occurs in the first conveyor device, and the onion cannot be scooped up (or left unclean)
b) For example, if the lower end of the second conveyor device gets too close to the field (too much lower) because the traveling machine body is in an excessively lowered position, the front end portion is moved while the first conveyor device is in excessive pressure contact with the field. It cannot be raised and rotated so as to be raised, and therefore the first conveyor device enters the agricultural field,
c) The angle between the first conveyor device and the second conveyor device is reduced by the gauge wheel of the first conveyor device following the ground while the traveling machine body is tilted excessively forward. As a result, after the second conveyor device, The tilt angle becomes small and the onion rolls down without being lifted,
There are concerns about such problems.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such the present condition, and makes it a subject to provide the improved root vegetable harvesting machine.

  The root vegetable harvesting machine according to the present invention includes, as main elements, a traveling machine body equipped with an engine and a driver's seat, a first conveyor device that scoops up root vegetables in the field in the traveling direction of the traveling body body, and the first A second conveyor device that inherits the root vegetables from one conveyor device and transfers them to the traveling machine body.

  And while the said 2nd conveyor apparatus is connected to a traveling machine body in the state which can be changed the height from a field scene in the back view tilted side view, the said 1st conveyor apparatus is with respect to the said 2nd conveyor apparatus. The rear part is connected to the lower part of the second conveyor device so that it can rotate relative to each other. Therefore, the first conveyor device and the second conveyor device are shaped like a dogleg when viewed from the side. Furthermore, a rotatable gauge wheel that contacts the field is provided at the front end of the first conveyor device, and the gauge is changed by changing the depression angle between the first conveyor device and the second conveyor device. The grounding state of the wheel is maintained.

  And in invention of Claim 1, in said structure, the detection which detects the relative attitude | position of the 1st conveyor apparatus with respect to a 2nd conveyor apparatus in any one or both of a said 1st conveyor apparatus and a 2nd conveyor apparatus Means are provided, the second conveyor device is raised when the depression angle formed by both conveyor devices is smaller than the lower limit angle, and the second conveyor device is lowered when the depression angle formed by both conveyor devices is larger than the upper limit angle. Thus, raising / lowering of a 2nd conveyor apparatus is controlled based on a detection means.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the first conveyor device and the second conveyor device can be changed in posture by a hydraulic cylinder, while the detecting means is a limit switch for detecting a lower limit angle. And an upper limit angle detection limit switch and a dog for turning these on and off.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the first conveyor device and the second conveyor device each include left and right side frames on which rotation shafts are pivotally supported, and the limit switch is connected to the second conveyor device. It is attached to the outer surface of the side frame, and a bar-shaped dog is provided on the side frame of the first conveyor device so as to project sideways.

  In the root vegetable harvesting machine, the first conveyor device makes the gauge wheel follow the unevenness of the field by changing the depression angle formed with the second conveyor device, but since the gauge wheel should be grounded, both conveyors The angle formed by the devices becomes too small because the second conveyor device is excessively lowered. Conversely, if the angle formed by both conveyor devices becomes too large, the second conveyor device rises excessively. It is none other than what you are doing. In other words, if the second conveyor device is lowered excessively, the included angle formed by the two conveyor devices becomes excessively small, and if the second conveyor device is excessively raised, the included angle formed by the two conveyor devices is excessively increased.

  In the present invention, when the depression angle formed by both conveyor devices becomes excessively small, the depression angle increases as the second conveyor device rises, the grounding state of the gauge wheel is maintained, and the ground following of the first conveyor device is maintained. The Conversely, if the depression angle formed by both conveyor devices becomes excessively large, the depression angle increases as the second conveyor device rises, and the grounding state of the gauge wheel is maintained, and the ground following of the first conveyor device is maintained. .

  Therefore, according to the present invention, in the working state, the ground height of the second conveyor device is maintained within a predetermined height range regardless of the posture of the traveling machine body and the state of the field. The state of rotating following the ground while the ground is grounded is maintained, thereby preventing the floating phenomenon of the first conveyor device and the rushing phenomenon of the farm field, thereby realizing an accurate harvesting operation.

  In addition, since it is possible to prevent the ground posture of the first conveyor device from changing excessively, it is possible to eliminate unevenness of the root vegetables, and furthermore, the heel angle formed by both conveyor devices is kept within a certain range. The transfer of root vegetables from the first conveyor device to the second conveyor device is also performed smoothly.

  Further, in the present invention, since the relative attitude between the first conveyor device and the second conveyor device is detected to control the height of the second conveyor device with respect to the ground, the detection means is not affected by the state of the field. Absent. For this reason, the detection means can ensure high durability, and the labor of maintenance is reduced.

  By the way, as an example of a contact-type sensor, a highly reliable limit switch is inexpensive and many types are commercially available. For this reason, if it comprises like Claim 2, it can contribute to cost control using an inexpensive limit switch. Further, since the limit switch is arranged outside the conveyor, there is an advantage that the operation is reliable and the maintenance is easy without being influenced by the harvested material and the soil.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an onion harvester will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 is a side view of the whole, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view, FIG. 3 is a side view of a substantially front half part, FIG. 4 is a side view of the front part, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of FIG. 6A is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 5, FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG. In the following description, front / rear / left / right words are used to indicate directions, and the front / rear / left / right directions are based on a state in which the onion harvesting machine faces forward.

(1). Outline of onion harvester First, the outline of onion harvester will be explained. The onion harvester includes a traveling machine body 1 that travels on the left and right crawlers 2, and an engine unit 3 that incorporates an engine 4, a mission 5, and the like in the front half of the traveling machine body 1 sandwiched between the left and right crawlers 2. Is arranged. A driver's seat (maneuvering unit) 6 in which a handle and operation levers are arranged is provided on the right side of the engine unit 3 in the front part of the traveling machine body 1.

  The onion harvester further picks up the onion of the field G (it can also be expressed as picking up or scraping) and conveys the onion from the first conveyor device 7 to the traveling machine body 1. A second conveyor device 8 is provided. The second conveyor device 8 is in a rearward tilt posture in which the lower end is positioned forward and the upper end is positioned rearward in a side view, and the second half portion is disposed so as to partially overlap the traveling machine body 1 in a plan view. Yes.

  The 2nd conveyor apparatus 8 consists of the main part 8a which comprises most, and the auxiliary | assistant part 8b which comprised the upper part and was lying rather than the main part 8a, and the main part 8a and the auxiliary | assistant part 8b are The intermediate connecting shafts 9 are connected so as to be able to bend each other. Therefore, the 2nd conveyor apparatus 8 has a dogleg shape as a whole. The lower end portion of the main portion 8a is connected to the traveling machine body 1 via the left and right lift arms 10, while the rear end (upper end) of the auxiliary portion 8b is rotatably connected to the traveling machine body 1 by the upper connecting shaft 11. Has been.

  The rear end of the lift arm 10 and the traveling machine body 1 are connected by a second hydraulic cylinder 12. Accordingly, when the second hydraulic cylinder 12 expands and contracts, the second conveyor device 8 changes its rearward tilt angle, and as a result, the second conveyor device 8 moves up and down with respect to the ground (agricultural scene G and road surface) (height above ground). Change). In addition, since the upper end of the second conveyor device 8 is connected to the traveling machine body 1, it cannot be said that the whole moves up and down, but moves up and down in relation to the ground.

  The first conveyor device 7 is connected to the lower end portion of the second conveyor device 8 by the rear connection shaft 13 so that the front portion moves up and down around the rear portion, and is relative to the second conveyor device 8. Are connected by a first hydraulic cylinder 32.

  Further, the first conveyor device 7 includes a digging blade 14 that cuts the onion from the field G, a pick-up and pick-up conveyor 15 that picks up the onion from the field G, and a forcibly moving the onion of the field G to the upper surface of the pick-up conveyor 15. And a gauge wheel 17 that rotatably contacts the field G surface. The take-up conveyor 16 has a large number of take-up blades 16 a that circulate so as to overlap the upper surface of the pickup conveyor 15. The first conveyor device 7 can also be called a pickup device.

  The engine unit 3 disposed in the traveling machine body 1 includes a mountain bonnet 18, and a foliage separation conveyor 19 is disposed above the mountain bonnet 18 and below the rear end (upper end) of the second conveyor device 8. Yes. The foliage separation conveyor 19 is tilted backward with respect to the horizontal, and the onion moves from the second conveyor device 8 to the foliage separation conveyor 19, and the foliage is cut off by workers at the foliage separation conveyor 19.

  As briefly shown in FIG. 2, a forklift 20 having a fork 20a extending rearward is mounted on the rear end of the traveling machine body 1 so as to be movable up and down and horizontally rotatable. 21 is mounted. The forklift 20 can lift the container 21 from the field G or lower it to the field G. A storage box 22 having an open top surface is disposed in the rear half of the traveling machine body 1. The storage box 22 is partitioned by a cross-shaped partition wall 23, and therefore the storage box 22 is divided into four receiving boxes 24.

  1 and FIG. 2 shows a sorting conveyor 26. This sorting conveyor 26 has a slightly higher rear portion so as to pass from the rear side of the foliage separation conveyor 19 over the storage box 22 toward the container 21. It is arranged in an inclined posture. What is indicated by reference numeral 27 is a chute extending from the left and right outer portions of the sorting conveyor 26 to the lower rear left and right receiving box 24. On the left and right outer sides of the sorting conveyor 26, left and right work steps 28 for carrying a sorting worker are provided in a state of projecting in the lateral direction.

  Reference numeral 29 shown in FIG. 2 indicates a ladder provided in the work step 28 located on the side opposite to the driver's seat 6. What is indicated by reference numeral 30 is a small ball removal conveyor disposed between the foliage separation conveyor 19 and the sorting conveyor 26.

  When the traveling machine body 1 is advanced with the gauge wheel 17 in contact with the field G, the onion of the field G is picked up by the pick-up conveyor 15 via the digging blade 9 and the scraping conveyor 16 and picked up. The picked onion is sequentially conveyed to the second conveyor device 8, the foliage separation conveyor 19, the small ball removal conveyor 30, and the sorting conveyor device 20 through the pick-up conveyor 15, and the standard product is loaded into the container 21 from the end of the sorting conveyor 26. .

  The earth and sand and the foliage are picked up by the pick-up conveyor 15 together with the onion of the field G, but the earth and sand are dropped out while being transported by the pick-up conveyor 15 and the second conveyor device 8 and return to the field G. Most of the foliage passes through the second conveyor device 8 and moves to the foliage separation conveyor 19 together with the onion. The foliage separation conveyor 19 circulates so that the upper surface of the foliage separating conveyor 19 moves forward. However, since the foliage is inclined backward, the onion rolls down the foliage separation conveyor 19 and moves to the small ball removing conveyor 30.

  On the other hand, since the foliage is soft and long, it is stopped and forward-fed to the foliage separation conveyor 19 by friction, and falls from the front end of the foliage separation conveyor 19 onto the front downward inclined surface of the bonnet 18 below. It slides down and falls on the field G from the front side of the traveling machine body 1.

  Small balls of a size smaller than the standard size fall downward from the small ball removal conveyor 30, fall on the rearward inclined surface of the bonnet 18, and are collected in the lower front left and right receiving boxes 24. Onions larger than the standard size are sent to the sorting conveyor 26 by the small ball removing conveyor 30 and stored in the container 21. Then, in the process in which the onion larger than the standard size is conveyed by the sorting conveyor device 20, a defective product such as a damaged ball or a spoiled ball is removed by an operator placed on the work step 28. Then, it is dropped and collected in the rear left and right receiving boxes 24.

  In this way, only good onions that are larger than the standard size and have no scratches or decay are loaded from the sorting conveyor 26 into the container 21. Steps 31 for leveling are provided on both the left and right sides of the container 21. The group of onions stored in the container 21 is leveled so that the upper surface becomes flat by an operator placed on the step 31 for leveling work.

  As described above, when the onion of the container 21 reaches a predetermined amount, the container is lowered to the field G, and the next empty container 21 is loaded. The forklift 20 is driven by a hydraulic cylinder, but details are omitted.

(2). Structure of the second conveyor device Next, the first conveyor device 7 and the second conveyor device 8 in which the essential parts of the present invention are incorporated will be described in detail. First, the structure of the second conveyor device 8 will be described.

  The second conveyor device 8 includes left and right main second side frames 33 that are constituent elements of the main portion 8a and left and right sub second side frames 34 that are constituent elements of the auxiliary portion 8b. The upper end portion of the side frame 33 and the front end portion of the sub second side frame 34 are connected so as to be relatively rotatable by the intermediate connecting shaft 9 described above, and the rear end of the sub second side frame 34 is the top described above. The connecting shaft 11 is connected to the traveling machine body 1 so as to be relatively rotatable.

  A guard frame 35 is erected on the left and right outer sides of the engine unit 3, and left and right top frames 36 are erected on the guard frame 35, and auxiliary second side frames constituting the second conveyor device 8. 34 is pivotally connected to the upper end of the top frame 36 by the upper connecting shaft 11. The front ends of the lift arms 10 are connected to the lower portions of the left and right main second side frames 33.

  The second conveyor device 8 includes a second conveyor 37 for transport as a main element. The second conveyor 37 is provided on the lower connecting shaft 38 that connects the lower ends of the main second side frames 33. The lower sprocket 39 is wound around an intermediate sprocket 40 provided coaxially with the intermediate connecting shaft 9 and an upper sprocket 41 provided coaxially with the upper connecting shaft 11. Further, in the vicinity of the intermediate sprocket 39, an idle sprocket 42 is provided for holding the second conveyor 37 so that the going and returning directions are parallel. The idle sprocket 42 is attached to the main second side frame 33.

  The second conveyor 37 has, for example, a form in which a large number of horizontally long bowl-shaped buckets 37a are attached to a net-like belt body at appropriate intervals. The second conveyor 37 can also be called a lifting conveyor or a relay conveyor.

  An auxiliary limit switch 44 having a rotating contact 43 is attached to the lower end of the main second side frame 33 on one side (the left side facing the forward direction) constituting the second conveyor device 8, while the first A dog (operation pin) 45 that can come into contact with the contact 43 of the auxiliary limit switch 44 is provided in a lateral direction on the first side frame 37 that constitutes the conveyor device 7.

  When the pickup conveyor 15 is raised to a certain height (set height) from the ground in a substantially horizontal posture, the dog 45 hits the contact 43 and the auxiliary limit switch 44 is held in the OFF state. When the pickup conveyor 15 is lowered below the set height, the dog 45 is separated from the contact 43 and the auxiliary limit switch 44 is held in the ON state. Accordingly, the auxiliary limit switch 44 detects whether the height of the pickup conveyor device 11 is greater than or equal to the set height.

  The first hydraulic cylinder 32 is a single-acting type, and pressure oil is supplied from a hydraulic pump to a feed port and a return port of a piston rod via a solenoid valve. Although not described in detail, the hydraulic circuit that connects the hydraulic pump and the second hydraulic cylinder 40 is provided with a floating mechanism that is turned on and off by turning the auxiliary limit switch 44 on and off. By this floating mechanism, the aspect which hold | maintains the 1st conveyor apparatus 7 to predetermined height from the ground, the aspect which raises the 1st conveyor apparatus 7 higher than predetermined height, and the pressure of the 2nd hydraulic cylinder 40 are open | released, and a field The three modes of following the unevenness of G can be selected (details are disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above).

(3). Structure of the first conveyor device Next, the structure of the first conveyor device 7 will be described. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the first conveyor device 7 includes left and right first side frames (side plates) 47, and the digging blade 9 and the pickup conveyor 15 are attached to the first side frame 47. Yes. The pick-up conveyor 15 is, for example, a mesh belt type. The digging blade 9 is fixed to the first side frame 47. On the other hand, the pick-up conveyor 15 has front and rear connecting shafts 48 and 13 and front and rear sprockets 49 and 50 rotatably provided to the side frame 47. It is attached so that it can circulate freely.

  The left and right first side frames 47 constituting the first conveyor device 7 are connected to the second main side frame 33 by the rear connection shaft 13 of the pickup conveyor 15 so as to be relatively rotatable. Further, a transmission chain 51 is wound around the rotary shaft 13 to which the rear sprocket 50 of the first conveyor device 7 is fixed and the rotary shaft 38 to which the lower sprocket 39 of the second conveyor device 8 is fixed via the transmission sprocket. It has been. Accordingly, the pickup conveyor 15 is driven by the second conveyor 37.

  The rear portions of the left and right first side frames 47 protrude upward, and the first hydraulic cylinders 32 are connected to the upper ends of the rear portions of the left and right first side frames 47 and the left and right second main side frames 33 so as to be relative to each other. ing. More precisely, the rear end of the first hydraulic cylinder 32 is connected to the main second side frame 33 by a pin so as to be relatively rotatable, and the front end of the piston rod 32a in the first hydraulic cylinder 32 is the first side frame 47. It is connected to the upper end of the rear part by a pin so as to be relatively rotatable.

  Accordingly, when the second hydraulic cylinder 32 is driven to extend and contract, the first conveyor device 7 is rotated relative to the second conveyor device 8 such as being tilted forward or raised (when the first conveyor device 7 moves up and down). In other words).

  Left and right support frames 52 extending forward are disposed outside the left and right side frames 47. The support frame 52 is connected to the first side frame 47 by a shaft so that the support frame 52 can be turned up and down around the rear end portion, and the gauge wheel 17 is attached to the tip of the support frame 52 via a bracket 52a. It is rotatably mounted.

  As indicated by a one-dot difference line in FIG. 4, an upward bracket 53 is fixed to a front portion of the left and right support frames 52, and a horizontal bar 54 is fixed to the left and right brackets 53. Arms 55 that are tilted backward in side view are connected to the left and right ends of the reed 54 so as to be able to rotate around their rear ends. The upper and lower middle portions of the left and right arms 55 and the left and right first side frames 47 are connected. Are connected by a connecting rod 56 so as to be relatively rotatable. Further, the lower ends of the left and right arms 55 and the support frame 52 are connected to each other via a third hydraulic cylinder 57 extending in the front-rear direction so as to be relatively rotatable.

  Therefore, when the third hydraulic cylinder 57 expands and contracts, the support frame 52 rotates through the rotation of the arm 55 and the connecting rod 56, and as a result, the gauge wheel 17 moves up and down with respect to the first side frame 47. In other words, the relative height of the gauge wheel 17 and the pickup conveyor 15 changes due to the expansion and contraction of the third hydraulic cylinder 57, and thereby the height of the tip of the pickup conveyor 15 to the ground can be adjusted.

  The scraping conveyor 16 has a structure in which a large number of scraping blades 16a are attached to a body band such as a chain, and is circulated by front and rear sprockets 16c and 16d. The rear sprocket 58 is rotatably attached to the upward rear part of the left and right first side frames 47 via a rear rotating shaft 59, and the front sprocket 16 c is a bracket 60 protruding from the front part of the first main side frame 47. Is attached via a front shaft. Power is transmitted to the rear rotating shaft 16b of the pick-up conveyor 16 from the position of the rear connecting shaft 13 of the pickup conveyor 15 via the transmission chain 61 and the idle sprocket.

  The power transmission mechanism to the first conveyor device 7 and the second conveyor device 8 is roughly shown in FIG. That is, the rotation of the output shaft of the engine 4 is transmitted to the PTO shaft 63 that is the output shaft of the transmission case 62, and is transmitted from the PTO shaft 63 to the upper sprocket 41 via the plurality of chains 64 and 65. Is done. It has already been described that the power of the first conveyor device 7 is performed via the second conveyor 37.

(4). Height regulation of the second conveyor device As shown in FIG. 3 as a whole and partly in FIG. 4, the side closer to the driver's seat 6 in the main second side frame 33 in the second conveyor device 8. The second side frame 33 is provided with a lever 67 and a stopper 68 that can lock or unlock the lowering of the main portion 8a of the second conveyor device 8 in the working state.

  That is, in a state where the machine body is not tilted back and forth in the flat farm field G, the second conveyor device 8 is held at a predetermined height (height of about 100 mm) from the ground and is prevented from descending below that. The stopper 68 prevents the second conveyor device 8 from descending, and the lever 67 switches between a state in which the stopper 68 functions and a state in which the stopper 68 does not function.

  The stopper 68 is attached to the upper part of the lift arm 10 in the lower outer surface of the main second side frame 33 so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis, and the inner surface is on the outer surface of the main second side frame 33. The coil spring 69 is biased to the working position where it comes into contact and has a downward posture. When the stopper 68 is in the downward posture, the second conveyor device 8 is held at the normal working position where it does not descend below the set height by the stopper 68 hitting the upper surface of the lift arm 10.

  When the lever 67 is rotated upward, for example, the stopper 68 is in a horizontal posture by pulling the wire 70. As a result, the second conveyor device 8 can be lowered below the normal working position. The present invention is generally applied to a restriction release mode in which the stopper 68 is not functioning (that is, the second conveyor device 8 can be moved up and down with the normal work position as a boundary).

(5). Ground Height Control of Second Conveyor Device Next, a specific example of the main part of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the first limit switch 71 and the second limit switch 72 are used as means for detecting the limit of the depression angle θ1 formed by the first conveyor device 7 and the second conveyor device 8. In FIG. 5, both limit switches 71 and 72 are simply displayed, and in FIG. 6, they are accurately displayed. Note that the stopper 68 described above is not shown in the drawings of FIG. 5 and subsequent drawings.

  The first limit switch 71 and the second limit switch 72 are located at the lower part of the main second side frame 33 on one side (the left side facing the forward direction) constituting the second conveyor device 8 and approach the first conveyor device 7. It is placed at the site. More precisely, both limit switches 71 and 72 are close to the first conveyor device 7 across the relative rotation fulcrum (13) of both conveyor devices 7 and 8 in the main second side frame 33 on one side. It is placed at the site.

  Both limit switches 71 and 72 are provided with rotary contacts 73 and 74, and the contacts 73 and 74 rotate about the left and right laterally long axial centers. It faces in the direction of In addition, the upper limit value of the depression angle θ1 is detected by the first limit switch 71, and the maximum value of the depression angle θ1 is detected by the second limit switch 72, but both the limit switches 71 and 72 have the first limit switch 71 below. It arrange | positions so that the 2nd limit switch 72 may be located above.

  On the other hand, a rod-like dog 45 that can come into contact with the contacts 73 and 74 of both limit switches 71 and 72 is provided in a lateral direction on the first side frame 47 that constitutes the first conveyor device 7. The dog 45 has already been described, and in the present embodiment, the auxiliary limit switch 44 described above is disposed in the portion above the second limit switch 72 in the side frame 47 on one side, and one dog 45 is provided. Thus, the three first limit switches 71, 72, 45 are operated (ON / OFF).

  The limit switches 71, 72, and 44 have different horizontal heights so that the contacts 73, 74, and 45 of the limit switches 71, 72, and 44 do not interfere with each other. That is, as shown in FIG. 6B, the auxiliary limit switch 44 is fixed to the main body portion of the main second side frame 33, and the second limit switch 72 is a cover plate constituting a part of the main second side frame 33. The first limit switch 71 is fixed to the cover plate 33a via a bracket 75.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the first conveyor device 7 can rotate by θ <b> 2 relative to the second conveyor device 8. Therefore, the included angle θ1 formed by the first conveyor device 7 and the second conveyor device 8 can vary within the range of θ2. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the depression angle θ1 is slightly smaller than the upper limit value (expansion maximum value).

  7A shows a state in which the depression angle θ1 formed by both the conveyor devices 7 and 8 is maximized. In this state, the dog 45 has a contact 73 of the first limit switch 71 as shown by a white circle. Therefore, the first and second limit switches 71 and 72 are OFF.

  When the depression angle θ1 formed by both the conveyor devices 7 and 8 is reduced to some extent from the maximum value, the dog 45 hits the contact 72 of the first limit switch 71, and the first limit switch 71 is turned on. When the depression angle θ1 formed by both the conveyor devices 7 and 8 is further reduced, the dog 45 hits the contact 74 of the second limit switch 72 and the second limit switch 72 is turned on. The state where the first limit switch 71 is ON and the second limit switch 72 is OFF is set to an automatic workable state. In this state, the second conveyor device 8 is not moved up and down.

  When the depression angle θ1 of both the conveyor devices 7 and 8 is too wide and both the first limit switch 71 and the second limit switch 72 are turned OFF, the second hydraulic device 12 is extended to raise the second conveyor device 8 and conversely When the depression angle θ1 is too narrow and both the first limit switch 71 and the second limit switch 72 are turned ON, the second hydraulic cylinder 12 is contracted and the second conveyor device 8 is lowered.

  As described above, the first conveyor device 7 automatically controls the second hydraulic cylinder 12 so that the first limit switch 71 is ON and the second limit switch 72 is kept OFF, so that the first conveyor device 7 has the gauge wheel 17. Is maintained in a state where it is grounded and can be rotated. Thereby, the harvesting operation can be performed following the unevenness of the field G accurately.

  Since it is not preferable that the second hydraulic cylinder 12 responds sensitively, when the second conveyor device 8 is lowered after the first limit switch 71 is turned on, and when the second limit switch 72 is turned on. When the second conveyor device 8 is raised after that, the second hydraulic cylinder 12 is continuously operated for a short time so that the depression angle θ1 of both the conveyor devices 7 and 8 is positioned around the middle point of the work allowable range. It is preferable to set as follows.

  The function of the auxiliary limit switch 44 is as described above. In the mode in which the first limit switch 71 and the second limit switch 72 are functioning, the auxiliary limit switch 44 is not functioning. The main frame 33 of the second conveyor device 8 is provided with a third limit switch 76 for detecting the upper limit height position. The third limit switch 76 is also provided with a rotating contact 77, and the dog 78 provided on the lift arm 10 is set so as to contact the contact 77.

  As shown as another form in FIG. 8, it is possible to provide a first dog 79 corresponding to the first limit switch 71 and a second dog 80 corresponding to the second limit switch 72.

(6). Others The present invention can be embodied in various aspects other than the above-described embodiment. For example, means for detecting the wide and narrow limits of the relative posture (angle of depression) of both conveyor devices are not limited to limit switches, but non-contact sensors such as rotary or linear encoders, potentiometers, various proximity switches, and photoelectric switches. Various things such as can be used. It is also possible to provide a sensor such as a limit switch on the first conveyor device and a dog on the second conveyor device, or to provide a sensor and a dog on both conveyor devices.

  Without using sensors, it is also possible to provide a valve for switching the feed of pressure oil to the second hydraulic cylinder in the first conveyor device or the second conveyor device and operate the valve directly.

  Furthermore, the application object of the present invention is not limited to the onion harvester, and can be applied to various root vegetable harvesters such as a potato harvester such as a potato harvester and a carrot harvester. Is also included in the root crop harvester).

It is a side view of the whole onion harvester which is an example of a root crop harvester. It is a schematic plan view of an onion harvester. It is a side view of the approximate first half of the onion harvester. It is a side view of the front part of an onion harvester. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of FIG. 4 and a side view of a main part. (A) is the elements on larger scale of FIG. 5, (B) is the BB sectional drawing of (A). It is a figure which shows an effect | action. It is a figure which shows other embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Traveling machine body 4 Engine 6 Driver's seat 7 1st conveyor apparatus 8 2nd conveyor apparatus 14 Digging blade 15 Pickup conveyor 16 Stake conveyor 17 Gauge wheel 37 2nd conveyor 33 Main 2nd side frame which comprises 2nd conveyor apparatus 47 First side frame constituting first conveyor device 45 Dog 71 First limit switch 72 Second limit switch

Claims (3)

A traveling machine body equipped with an engine and equipped with a driver's seat, a first conveyor device that scoops up root vegetables in the field in front of the traveling body body, and inherits the root vegetables from the first conveyor device and transfers them to the traveling machine body A second conveyor device,
The second conveyor device is tilted backward as viewed from the side, and is connected to the traveling machine body in a state where the height from the farm scene can be changed, while the first conveyor device is relative to the second conveyor device. The rear part is connected to the lower part of the second conveyor device so that it can rotate. Therefore, the first conveyor device and the second conveyor device are in the shape of a dogleg in a side view and change the depression angle. Is possible,
Furthermore, a rotatable gauge wheel that contacts the field is provided at the front end of the first conveyor device, and the grounding state of the gauge wheel is maintained by changing the depression angle between the first conveyor device and the second conveyor device. Is supposed to be
Root vegetable harvesting machine
One or both of the first conveyor device and the second conveyor device are provided with detecting means for detecting the relative attitude of the first conveyor device with respect to the second conveyor device, and the depression angle formed by both conveyor devices is The second conveyor device is moved up and down based on the detection means such that the second conveyor device is raised when the angle is smaller than the lower limit angle, and the second conveyor device is lowered when the depression angle formed by both conveyor devices is larger than the upper limit angle. Controlled,
Root crop harvesting machine. The first conveyor device and the second conveyor device can be changed in posture by hydraulic cylinders respectively, while the detection means turns on the lower limit angle detection limit switch and the upper limit angle detection limit switch. It consists of a dog that turns off,
A root crop harvesting machine according to claim 1. Each of the first conveyor device and the second conveyor device includes left and right side frames on which rotation shafts are supported, and the limit switch is attached to the outer surface of the side frame in the second conveyor device. The side frame of the device has a rod-shaped dog protruding sideways,
A root crop harvesting machine according to claim 2.

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