JP4469413B1 - Sweet corn harvester - Google Patents

Abstract

A sweet corn harvester is provided.
A traveling unit 61, a pair of nipping and conveying belts 11 extending in a slanted manner so that the front is lowered and juxtaposed side by side and driven to move a nipping object from the front to the rear, and forward A pair of guide belts 17 arranged on the left and right so that the gap gradually widens toward the lower side, a lower cutter blade 21 positioned below the front end of the nipping and conveying belt, and a rear side at a predetermined angle from the lower surface of the nipping and conveying belt in the middle of conveyance A pair of harvesting rods 41 that are juxtaposed to each other with a gap t between them and driven to rotate about an axis, and the sweet corn plant body is drawn in by the induction belt and is held by the holding conveyance belt At the same time, the lower cutter blade 21 cuts the stalk, and the upper part of the stalk enters the gap between the harvesting rods from the midway position where the upper part of the stalk is conveyed to the rear end, and the sweet corn fruit SC1 is squeezed off. .
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a sweet corn harvester for harvesting raw edible sweet corn in a field.

  In general, harvesting sweet corn for raw consumption (hereinafter simply referred to as “sweet corn”) has been carried out as a process of manually removing sweet corn fruits one by one. Therefore, the work efficiency depends on the number of workers, and the burden on the workers is large.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a harvesting machine that automatically harvests carrots and root vegetables such as radishes from Patent Literature 1 and the like from a farm and stores them in a container is known.

Japanese Patent Publication No.7-114590

As for sweet corn, a practical harvesting machine that automatically harvests from a field and stores it in a container has not yet been proposed. Since sweet corn has a completely different form from root vegetables, the configuration of the root vegetable harvesting machine cannot be applied as it is.
In the present specification, the whole sweet corn plant is referred to as “sweet corn plant”, and the raw portion to be harvested is referred to as “sweet corn fruit”. The whole sweet corn plant reaches a height of about 2 m, has a papilla-like ear at the tip, and usually has two sweet corn fruits in the middle. Of the two sweet corn fruits, the sweet corn fruit at the top is called the “most-made” fruit. Normally, only the first product is the target of shipment, and the second product is not shipped.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a sweet corn harvester having a function of automatically degreasing and harvesting sweet corn fruits from a sweet corn plant in the field, in particular, a function of automatically degreasing and harvesting only the most sweet corn fruits. The purpose is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following configurations. The half-width numbers in parentheses are symbols in the drawings described later, and are attached for reference.
The sweet corn harvester (1) according to the invention is
A traveling section (61) capable of self-propelled in the field;
In order to move the object sandwiched between the pair of belts extending in a slanting manner so that the front becomes lower and juxtaposed on the left and right above the traveling unit (61) from the front to the rear A pair of nipping and conveying belts (11) each driven,
Another pair of belts arranged on the left and right sides so that the gap between each other gradually expands forward from the front ends of the pair of sandwiching and conveying belts (11) from the front. A pair of guide belts (17) each driven to move backwards,
At least one lower cutter blade (21) positioned below the front end of the pair of sandwiching and conveying belts (11);
The pair of sandwiching and transporting belts (11) extend rearward from the lower surface of the intermediate transport position of the pair of sandwiching and transporting belts (11) at a predetermined angle with respect to the pair of sandwiching and transporting belts, and are juxtaposed side by side with a predetermined gap (t) therebetween. And a pair of harvesting rods (41) that are driven to rotate about the axis of each rod body.

  The sweet corn harvester configured as described above operates as follows. When the traveling unit (61) travels forward in the field, the guide belt (17) pulls the sweet corn plant (200) and guides it to the pair of nipping and conveying belts (11), and the pair of nipping and conveying The lower cutter blade (21) sandwiches the stem (202) of the sweet corn plant at the front end of the belt (11) and at the same time, the lower cutter blade (21) attaches the stem to the upper stem (at least one sweet corn fruit (SC1)) ( 202a) and the lower stem (202b) remaining in the field, the pair of sandwiching and transporting belts (11) transports the stem upper part (202a) to the rear end while sandwiching the upper stem (202a), while the stem from the midway of transporting. When the upper part (202a) enters the gap (t) between the pair of harvesting rods (41), the pair of harvesting rods (41, 41) squeeze the sweet corn fruit (SC1) from the upper part of the stem (202a). It is configured to drop.

  The sweet corn harvester further includes an upper cutter blade (16) positioned above the vicinity of the front end of the pair of sandwiching and conveying belts (11), and the upper cutter blade is connected to the upper portion of the stem (202a) being conveyed. ) Of the ears (201).

  The sweet corn harvester transfers the container (95) attached to the rear of the traveling unit (61) and the sweet corn fruit (SC1) that has been squeezed from the drop point to the container (95). It is preferable to further include one or a plurality of conveyors (51, 52, 53).

  The sweet corn harvester includes a chute (81) installed to receive the upper stem portion (202a) discharged from the rear ends of the pair of sandwiching and conveying belts (11), and a lower portion of the chute (81). It is preferable to further include a cutting cylinder cutter (82) that is provided and cuts the stem upper part (202a).

  In the sweet corn harvester, the pair of harvesting rods (41) are preferably installed such that the front (n) of the gap (t) is narrow and the rear is wide.

  In the sweet corn harvesting machine, each of the pair of harvesting rods (41) includes a rod core part (41a) and a spiral protrusion part (41b) projecting spirally on the circumferential surface of the rod core part. Each of them is preferably provided.

  In the sweet corn harvester, it is preferable that the spiral protrusion (41b) is made of a soft material.

  The sweet corn harvesting machine includes a pressing tension pulley (19a) for pressing one back surface of the pair of sandwiching and conveying belts (11) and a supporting tension pulley (19b) for supporting the other back surface. Is preferred.

  The sweet corn harvesting machine preferably includes means for adjusting the inclination of the pair of sandwiching and conveying belts (11).

  The sweet corn harvester is preferably provided with means for adjusting the height position of the lower cutter blade (21).

  In the sweet corn harvesting machine, it is preferable that the two lower cutter blades (21) are juxtaposed on the left and right.

Since the sweet corn harvester according to the present invention is configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained.
The sweet corn harvester has a traveling section capable of self-propelling and travels in the row direction of the sweet corn plants arranged in a row. And while driving | running | working, the sweetest corn fruit of the 1st composition is harvested from one sweet corn plant body. A row of sweet corn plants stand on the field at almost equal intervals, so they are harvested sequentially.
First, the stalks of the sweet corn plant are drawn together by a pair of guide belts and guided to the rear holding and conveying belt. Since the pair of guide belts has a wide front space, it is easy to catch the expanded leaf and pull the stem.
Subsequently, the pair of nipping and conveying belts draws one portion of the stem between the belts at the front end, and when the portion is gripped, starts to move backward. At the same time that the holding and transporting belt grips one part of the stem, the lower cutter blade located below it cuts another part of the stem. This cutting position is lower than the most likely attachment position and above the second attachment position. As a result, the most prominent stalk upper part is transferred rearward by the sandwiching and conveying belt, and the second stigma stalk lower part remains in the field.

  Since the sandwiching and conveying belt is inclined and installed so that the front is lowered, the upper part of the stem rises as it is transferred rearward. On the other hand, a pair of harvesting rods extending rearward at a predetermined angle from the lower surface of the intermediate conveyance position of the nipping conveyance belt with respect to the nipping conveyance belt is installed. The upper part of the stalk enters the gap between the pair of harvesting rods from a position in the middle of conveyance. Since the upper part of the stalk grasped by the sandwiching and conveying belt gradually rises, the first thing is eventually caught by the harvesting rod. And, by the rotation of both harvesting rods, the first one is squeezed from the upper part of the stem (ie, stripped). The uppermost part of the stem that has been scraped off is transferred as it is to the rear end of the holding and conveying belt.

  In a preferred embodiment, an upper cutter blade is provided above the vicinity of the front end of the sandwiching and conveying belt. Thereby, immediately after the start of the transfer of the upper part of a stem by a pinching conveyance belt, an ear can be cut | disconnected and dropped to a farm field.

  In a preferred embodiment, there are provided a container attached to the rear of the traveling unit, and one or a plurality of conveyors for transferring the squeezed sweet corn fruit from the dropping point to the container. Thereby, even if the sweet corn fruit which fell is scattered in the predetermined range, if it falls on a conveyor, it can be automatically collected and accommodated in a container.

  In a preferred embodiment, there is provided a chute that is installed to receive the upper part of the stem discharged from the rear end of the holding and conveying belt, and a cutting cylinder cutter that is provided below the chute and cuts the upper part of the stem. Thereby, the unnecessary upper part of the stem can be collected and cut immediately and returned to the field.

In a preferred embodiment, the gap between the pair of harvesting rods is installed so that the front is narrow and the rear is wide. Thereby, when a sweet corn plant body is pulled up as it is conveyed backward, it can cope with the stalk passing through the gap between the pair of harvesting rods gradually becoming thicker.
Further, the cutting position of the stem by the lower cutter blade is targeted to the upper side of the second number, but it can be coped with when the lower part is cut by mistake and the second number is attached to the upper part of the stem. This is because Nibanari is immature and narrower than the most common, and by making the gap between the harvesting rods wide on the rear end side, Nibanari can be passed along with the upper part of the stem. As a result, even if the second portion is attached to the upper part of the stem, only the first portion is torn off, so that it is not necessary to select the second portion after harvesting.

  In a preferred embodiment, each of the pair of harvesting rods is a spiral rod that includes a rod core portion and a spiral protrusion portion that spirally protrudes on the peripheral surface of the rod core portion. Thereby, the sweet corn fruit can be quickly and cleanly squeezed off from the stem by the movement of the rotating spiral protrusion. Moreover, it can be harvested without damaging the sweet corn fruit by using a spiral protrusion as a soft material.

  In a preferred embodiment, a pressing tension pulley that presses one back surface of the pair of sandwiching and conveying belts and a supporting tension pulley that supports the other back surface are provided. Accordingly, the pair of sandwiching and transporting belts can securely sandwich the object from both sides and stably transport the object.

  In a preferred embodiment, the inclination of the pair of nipping and conveying belts can be adjusted. As a result, the height position of the front end of the holding and conveying belt can be changed, so that the stem gripping position can be adjusted. It can be adjusted to the optimum height according to the variation in the total height of the sweet corn plant and the most probable attachment position.

  In a preferred embodiment, the height position of the lower cutter blade can be adjusted. Thereby, the cutting position of a stem can be adjusted. It can be adjusted so as to cut at an optimum position in accordance with variations in the most likely position and the second most likely position.

It is a side view which shows the whole external appearance of the sweet corn harvester by this invention. It is a top view except the ceiling frame of the sweet corn harvester. It is a rear view of a sweet corn harvester It is a schematic perspective view which shows a clamping conveyance belt, a conveyance frame, and these front parts. It is action | operation explanatory drawing of a pair of tension pulley which presses and supports a clamping conveyance belt. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the inclination adjustment mechanism in the front-end vicinity part of a conveyance frame. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a rotary drive for the main part of the sweet corn harvester, as viewed from A in FIG. 1. It is a B view of FIG. FIG. 2 is a C view of FIG. 1. (A) is the top view which showed arrangement | positioning of a pair of spiral rod, (b) is DD sectional drawing of (a). It is the perspective view which showed arrangement | positioning of the some conveyor installed on a base frame. It is a detailed perspective view of the conveyor for horizontal movement. It is a detailed perspective view of the conveyor for a raise. It is the side view which showed the work condition in the front part of a sweet corn harvester. It is the side view which showed the working condition in the intermediate part of a sweet corn harvester. It is the front view which showed the condition which squeezes sweet corn fruit. It is the side view which showed the working condition in the rear part of a sweet corn harvester.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings showing examples. In addition, although the component shown with the dashed-two dotted line has shown only the outline in the drawing, since the said component itself is a well-known thing, there is no problem in understanding this invention.
FIG. 1 is a side view showing the overall appearance of a sweet corn harvester according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the sweet corn harvester with the ceiling frame removed, and FIG. 3 is a rear view of the sweet corn harvester. Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail.

<Running part 61 and whole frame>
As shown in FIG. 1, the sweet corn harvester 1 includes a traveling unit 61 that can self-propel in a farm field. The traveling unit 61 is a crawler type suitable for traveling on a farm field, but is not limited thereto. A main body frame is placed and fixed on the traveling unit 61. Each component having the function of the present invention is attached to the main body frame. The main body frame includes a base frame 73, an appropriate number of pillar frames 71 and 72 standing on the periphery of the base frame 73, and a ceiling frame 74 attached to the upper end of the pillar frame as a main frame. To do. The pillar frames 71 and 72 are provided at predetermined positions as necessary.

  As shown in the plan view of FIG. 2, the main part responsible for the harvesting function of the sweet corn harvester 1 is installed in the left half part in the traveling direction (left side of the figure). A driving unit 96 is installed in front of the right half, and an operator operates the traveling unit 16 and the harvesting function unit. The sweet corn harvester 1 is basically operable by a single worker.

As shown in the rear view of FIG. 3, a forklift 91 and a container 95 having an appropriate capacity are attached to the rear portion of the right half of the sweet corn harvester 1. The forklift 91 is moved up and down and left and right by the upper and lower cylinders 92 and 93 for driving the forklift, and the angle is changed by the tilt cylinder 94 shown in FIG. Container 95 contains the harvested sweet corn fruit. The opening of the container 95 is located directly below the final conveyor 52 that carries the sweet corn fruit.
Further, a chute 81 and a cutting cylinder cutter 82 are attached below the chute 81 at the rear of the left half of the sweet corn harvester 1. The cutting cylinder cutter 82 is driven by a cutting cutter drive motor 83.

<Nipping conveying belt 11 and conveying frame 15>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pair of sandwiching and conveying belts 11 is installed so as to extend in the front-rear direction at a substantially intermediate height position between the base frame 73 and the ceiling frame 74. The pair of nipping and conveying belts 11 are disposed so as to be inclined so that the front is low and the rear is high. As shown in FIG. 2, it is a pair of endless belts juxtaposed on the left and right, and each is preferably a V-belt. Each of the pair of nipping and conveying belts 11 is driven so as to draw an object to be nipped from the front end. The object sandwiched from both sides by the pair of sandwiching and transporting belts 11 is transported from the front to the rear, and finally discharged from the rear end. In the part which grips the object, it is arranged so as not to generate a gap between both belts. Means for reliably grasping the object will be described later.

  The pair of nipping and conveying belts 11 are supported by a pair of integrally formed conveying frames 15 extending in the front-rear direction. A conveyor belt drive pulley 12a is disposed at the rear end of each of the pair of conveyor frames 15, and a conveyor belt driven pulley 12b is disposed at each front end. One clamping conveyance belt 11 is bridged between one conveyance belt drive pulley 12a and one conveyance belt driven pulley 12b. Each pair of conveying belt drive pulleys 12a is driven to rotate in a predetermined direction to move each nipping and conveying belt 11 in the front-rear direction. Belt receiving rollers 14 are provided on both sides of the intermediate portion of each conveyance frame 15 in the front-rear direction, and support the forward path portion and the return path portion of each sandwich conveyance belt 11.

<Inclination adjustment mechanism of the sandwich conveying belt 11>
The pair of transport frames 15 includes a mechanism for adjusting the inclination angle. Thereby, the inclination-angle of a pair of clamping conveyance belt 11 is adjustable. With reference to FIG.1 and FIG.5, the inclination adjustment mechanism of the conveyance frame 15 is demonstrated. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an inclination adjusting mechanism in the vicinity of the front end of the transport frame 15.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vicinity of the rear ends of the pair of transport frames 15 is fixed to the lower end of the support frame 31. The upper end of the support frame 31 is attached to the column frame 72 so as to be rotatable about a fulcrum P. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the vicinity of the front ends of the pair of transport frames 15 is fixed to the lower end of the support frame 32. The upper end of the support frame 32 is rotatably coupled to a fulcrum S that is one end of the crank frame 33. The other end of the crank frame 33 is coupled to one end of the crank frame 34 so as to be rotatable at a fulcrum R. The other end of the crank frame 34 is attached to the column frame 71 so as to be rotatable about a fulcrum Q. Further, a hydraulic cylinder 35 that is controlled to extend and contract is attached between the intermediate position of the crank frame 33 and the intermediate position of the crank frame 34.

  For example, when the hydraulic cylinder 35 is contracted from the state of FIG. 1, the angle formed by the crank frame 33 and the crank frame 34 becomes smaller, and the crank frames 33 and 34 rotate counterclockwise around the fulcrum Q. . Along with this, the support frame 31, the transport frame 15 and the support frame 32 integrally rotate counterclockwise around the fulcrum P. As a result, the inclination of the conveyance frame 15, that is, the inclination of the sandwich conveyance belt 11 increases. This means that the position of the front end of the nipping and conveying belt 11 is lowered.

  Conversely, when the hydraulic cylinder 35 is extended from the state of FIG. 1, the angle formed by the crank frame 33 and the crank frame 34 increases, and the crank frames 33 and 34 rotate clockwise about the fulcrum Q. . Along with this, the support frame 31, the transport frame 15, and the support frame 32 integrally rotate about the fulcrum P in the clockwise direction. As a result, the inclination of the conveyance frame 15, that is, the inclination of the sandwich conveyance belt 11 is reduced. This means that the position of the front end of the nipping and conveying belt 11 is increased.

  The position of the front end of the sandwiching and conveying belt 11 determines the gripping position on the stem of the sweet corn plant to be harvested. Therefore, the inclination adjustment of the pinch conveyance belt 11 is performed in order to set the optimum gripping position of the sweet corn plant.

<Tension pulley 19a, 19b>
FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the nipping / conveying belt 11 and the conveying frame 15 and their front portions. As shown in FIG. 4, two types of tension pulleys 19 a and 19 b are provided on each conveyance frame 15. These tension pulleys 19a and 19b are provided for reliably grasping an object by the pair of sandwiching and conveying belts 11 and stably conveying the object from the front end to the rear end. On one conveyance frame, a plurality of pressing tension pulleys 19a are installed at predetermined intervals. On the other transport frame, a plurality of supporting tension pulleys 19b are installed at predetermined intervals.

FIG. 4A is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the pair of tension pulleys 19a and 19b that press and support the pinch conveyance belt. The rotating shaft 19a3 of the pressing tension pulley 19a is connected to one end of the bending arm 19a2. The bending arm 19a2 has a short arm and a long arm extending from the bending point X, and is rotatable about the bending point X. The other end of the bending arm 19a2 is connected to one end of the tension spring 19a1 and receives a tensile force. When the object is not gripped, the angle θ formed by the bending arm 19a2 and the conveying and clamping belt 11 is close to a right angle. However, when the stem is gripped, the bending arm 19a2 rotates and the angle θ becomes an acute angle. At this time, the tension spring 19a1 is extended, and the pressing tension pulley 19a is strongly pressed by the return elastic force so as to bite against the back surface of one of the nipping and conveying belts 11 (see black arrow). In the conventional tension pulley, the return elastic force of the compression spring is applied directly to the pulley and pressed. In the present invention, since the bending arm 19a2 is combined with the tension spring 19a1, when the angle θ of the bending arm 19a2 becomes an acute angle, the tension spring 19a1 acts to amplify the elastic force of the tension spring 19a1. As a result, the tension spring 19a1 can be a relatively small spring, and the component cost can be reduced.
On the other hand, the supporting tension pulley 19b is fixed at the positions of the fixing point 19b1 and the rotary shaft 19b2, and supports the back surface of the other holding and conveying belt 11. In this manner, the tension pulleys 19 a and 19 b are in contact with the back surfaces of the respective nipping / conveying belts 11 and are rotated as the nipping / conveying belts 11 move. As a result, both the sandwiching and conveying belts 11 press the object from both sides. Therefore, even an elongated object such as a stalk of a sweet corn plant can be stably held and conveyed while being securely gripped.

<Induction belt 17>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a pair of guide belts 17 are provided further forward from the front ends of the pair of nipping and conveying belts 11. The pair of guide belts 17 are another pair of endless belts arranged on the left and right so that the gap between each other gradually increases. As shown in FIG. 4, each guide belt 17 is interposed between a guide belt drive pulley 18a arranged coaxially with the pulley shaft 12c of the transport belt driven pulley 12b and a guide belt driven pulley 18b arranged at the front end. It is laid over. Since the guide belt drive pulley 18a is driven as the transport belt driven pulley 12b rotates, the guide belt drive pulley 18a acts to draw the front sweet corn plant inward. Each guide belt 17 is formed with a plurality of locking projections 17a protruding outward at a predetermined interval. These latching protrusions 17a are effective for scraping the expanded leaf of the sweet corn plant and drawing the stem reliably.

<Lower cutter blade 21 and upper cutter blade 16>
Referring to FIG. 4, two lower cutter blades 21 are disposed below the front ends of the pair of nipping and conveying belts 11. The two lower cutter blades are juxtaposed side by side so as to partially overlap in plan view (see FIG. 2), and are separated to the extent that they do not interfere with each other in the axial direction. The lower cutter blade 21 is rotationally driven by the lower cutter drive motor 23, and cuts the stalk of the sweet corn plant drawn by the guide belt 17 at this position. Although only one lower cutter blade 21 may be provided in the center, it is more preferable that two lower cutter blades 21 be juxtaposed as in the illustrated example. If there is only one, there is no problem if the stem of the sweet corn plant is upright, but if it grows diagonally or falls over due to the weather, it is outside the range of the lower cutter blade There is a possibility that it can not be cut due to. By placing two lower cutter blades side by side, the cuttable range is widened and can be cut reliably regardless of the posture of the stem.
The lower cutter blade 21 is fixed to the lower end of the cutter support bar 22, and the upper end of the cutter support bar 22 is fixed to the side surface of one transport frame 15. The fixing position of the cutter support bar 22 can be adjusted in the vertical direction, whereby the height position of the lower cutter blade 21 can be adjusted. That is, the optimal cutting position of the stem of the sweet corn plant can be set.

  Referring to FIG. 5, one upper cutter blade 16 is disposed above the vicinity of the front ends of the pair of conveyance frames 15 (that is, above the vicinity of the front ends of the pair of sandwiching conveyance belts 11). The upper cutter blade 16 is rotationally driven by an upper cutter drive motor 16a. The upper cutter blade 16 cuts the tip portion of the stalk of the sweet corn plant body that is being conveyed by the holding conveyance belt 11, that is, the male ear.

<Harvest rod 41>
Referring again to FIG. 1, a pair of harvesting rods 41 extending rearward at a predetermined angle α with respect to the sandwiching and transporting belt from the lower surface of the midway transport position of the pair of sandwiching and transporting belt 11 is disposed. Each harvesting rod 41 is located directly below each conveyance frame 15. The predetermined angle α is an acute angle as shown in the figure.

The pair of harvesting rods 41 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 6 to 9.
FIG. 6 is a view as viewed from A in FIG. 1, schematically showing a rotary drive device for the main part of the sweet corn harvester 1. FIG. 7 is a B view of FIG. FIG. 8 is a C view of FIG.

  Each of the pair of harvesting rods 41 in FIG. 1 is driven to rotate about its axis. FIG. 6A is a view of the nipping and conveying belt 11 and the conveying frame 15 as seen from the back side. As shown in FIG. 6, the rotational driving force of the harvesting rod 41 is transmitted from a driving box 102 installed on the ceiling frame. The drive box 102 includes a belt drive motor 101 and an appropriate transmission mechanism. Two drive shafts 111 and 112 extend downward from the drive box 102. The drive shafts 111 and 112 rotate and drive the pair of transport belt drive pulleys 12a in the directions of arrows, respectively. Furthermore, the drive shafts 111 and 112 rotate and drive the pair of first sprockets 48a. The rotation of the pair of first sprockets 48a is transmitted to the pair of second sprockets 48b located obliquely forward and downward via an appropriate belt. Accordingly, the pair of third sprockets 48c provided coaxially with each of the pair of second sprockets 48b are rotationally driven.

  7 is a view of the pair of nipping and conveying belts 11 and the pair of conveying frames 15 as viewed from the back side. As shown in FIG. 7, the rotation of the pair of third sprockets 48c is transmitted to the pair of fourth sprockets 48d positioned obliquely forward and downward via an appropriate belt. A universal joint 46a shown in FIG. 8 is connected to the pair of fourth sprockets.

  The C view of FIG. 8 is the figure which looked at the vicinity of a pair of harvesting rod 41 from the back side. The pair of harvesting rods 41 are a pair of rod bodies juxtaposed to the left and right with a predetermined gap t between each other. As shown in FIG. 1, the rear end 42 b of the harvesting rod 41 is supported by a support frame 47 fixed to the transport frame 15, and the front end 42 a of the harvesting rod 41 is connected to the transport frame 15. Accordingly, as shown in the side view of FIG. 1, the harvesting rod 41, the support frame 47, and the transport frame 15 form a triangle. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 8, a pair of clamping conveyance belt 11, a pair of conveyance frame 15, and a pair of harvesting rod 41 are arrange | positioned left-right symmetrically.

  The rotational driving force transmitted from the belt driving motor 101 in FIG. 6 to the fourth sprocket 48 d in FIG. 8 is transmitted to the miter gear 49 via the harvesting rod driving shaft 46. The harvesting rod drive shaft 46 and the miter gear 49 are also connected by a universal joint 46b. The miter gear 49 converts the angle of the rotating shaft and transmits the rotational driving force to the rear end of the harvesting rod 41. Thereby, each harvesting rod 41 is rotationally driven around its axis.

  FIG. 9A is a plan view showing the arrangement of the pair of harvesting rods 41 in a preferred form. (B) is DD sectional drawing of (a). A preferred form of the harvesting rod 41 is a spiral rod formed from a rod core part 41a and a spiral protrusion part 41b that protrudes spirally on the peripheral surface of the rod core part 41a. The rod core portion 41a of the spiral rod is a rigid body, but the material of the spiral protrusion 41b is a soft material (for example, a sponge-like material such as soft foamed polyurethane or soft foamed polyethylene, or a rubber-like elastic material). Is preferred. This is in order not to damage the sweet corn fruit. By the movement of the rotating spiral protrusion 41b, the sweet corn fruit can be quickly and cleanly squeezed from the stem.

The gap t between the pair of harvesting rods 41 is installed so that the front is narrow and the rear is wide. At the front ends of the pair of harvesting rods 41, a relatively thin portion of the stem of the sweet corn plant body enters the gap t, but the stem is pulled up as it is conveyed rearward, so that the stem passing through the gap t of the harvesting rod 41 Gradually gets thicker. In order to cope with this, the gap t is gradually increased. In the cross-sectional view of (b), the rotation direction of each harvesting rod 41 viewed from the front is indicated by an arrow. As will be described later, this rotation squeezes the sweet corn fruit off the stem.
In addition, the following effects are also obtained by widening the gap t of the harvesting rod 41 on the rear end side. Even when the lower part of the stem is cut by mistake when cutting the stem and the second part is attached to the upper part of the stem, the gap t on the rear end side is widened to make the most The thin second can pass through the harvesting rod 41 together with the upper part of the stem and is not harvested.

The dimension of each part in one Example of the harvesting rod 41 is as follows, for example.
・ Total length L1: 1m
・ Exposed width of rod core L2: 6cm
・ Width of spiral protrusion L3: 4cm
・ Front end gap L4: 2cm
・ Rear end gap L5: 4cm
-Rod core diameter d1: 6cm
・ Maximum diameter d2: 10cm

<Conveyors 51, 52, 53 and container 95>
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of a plurality of conveyors 51, 52, 53 installed on the base frame. Referring to FIG. 1, the conveyor 51 is installed below the middle portion of the harvesting rod 41 in the longitudinal direction. Most of the sweet corn fruit SC is squeezed above the conveyor 51 and falls onto the conveyor 51. As shown in FIG. 10, the sweet corn fruit SC dropped on the conveyor 51 is transported in the horizontal direction and dropped onto the lower end of the conveyor 52. The conveyor 52 has an inclination that rises rearward, and lifts the sweet corn fruit SC to above the container 95 and drops it into the container 95. The conveyor 53 receives the sweet corn fruit SC squeezed near the rear end of the harvesting rod 41 and conveys the sweet corn fruit SC onto the conveyor 51. The conveyors 51, 52, and 53 are driven by hydraulic motors 54, 55, and 56, respectively.

  FIG. 11 is a detailed perspective view of the conveyor 51. The conveyor 51 is a rod conveyor formed by connecting conveyor rods 51a. Each conveyor rod 51a meshes with a pair of conveyor sprockets 51b at both ends of the conveyor shaft 51c. The conveyor sprocket 51b is rotationally driven by a hydraulic motor 54.

  FIG. 12 is a detailed perspective view of the conveyor 52. The conveyor 52 is also a rod conveyor formed by connecting the conveyor rods 52a. Locking claws 52d are attached to the conveyor rod 52a at predetermined intervals. This latching claw 52d is for hooking the sweet corn fruit SC when it rises.

<Working status>
With reference to FIGS. 13-16, the working condition using the sweet corn harvester of this invention is demonstrated.

  FIG. 13 is a side view showing the work situation in the front part of the sweet corn harvester 1. One sweet corn plant 200 has a stalk 202 standing in a field, the stalk is usually provided with sweet corn fruits SC1 and SC2 at two locations, and a squirrel-like ear 201 is attached to the tip of the stalk 202. . The upper fruit is first and SC1, and the lower fruit is second and SC2. Normally, only the most likely SC1 is suitable for shipping, and therefore, the operation for harvesting only the most likely SC1 will be described here.

  Prior to the start of work, the height position of the sandwiching conveyor belt 11 of the sweet corn harvester 1 is optimally adjusted by the above-described inclination adjusting mechanism. The height position of the holding and conveying belt 11 determines the holding position of the stem 202. As described above, it is preferable that the most SC1 is squeezed off when reaching the substantially middle portion of the harvesting rod 41 in the longitudinal direction. Based on this, the position farthest away from the position where SC1 is attached at the optimum interval is set as the clamping position of the stem 202, and the height position of the clamping conveyance belt 11 is set in accordance with this.

  Furthermore, the height of the lower cutter blade 21 is also adjusted. The lower cutter blade 21 is set so as to cut the stem 202 below the first position SC1 and below the second position SC2. It is preferable to use the vicinity of the position where the second SC2 is attached as an indication of the cutting position.

  After finishing the setting, the sweet corn harvester 1 is operated. The sweet corn harvester 1 performs work while traveling forward by the traveling unit 1. The traveling direction is the same as the row direction of the single row of sweet corn plants 200, and the vehicle travels toward the foremost sweet corn plant 200. First, the pair of guide belts 17 positioned at the forefront of the sweet corn harvester 1 draws the stem 202 by pulling the leaves spreading around the stem 202 by the engaging projections, and the rear holding conveyance belt 11 Guide you towards. When the sandwiching position of the stem 202 reaches the front end of the sandwiching and transporting belt 11, the pair of sandwiching and transporting belts 11 pulls the stem 202 securely and starts transporting backward. At the same time that the stem 202 starts to be conveyed backward, the lower cutter blade 21 cuts the stem 202 at the cutting position. At this time, since the second SC2 is left in the field, there is no problem even if it is damaged. The most SC1 is attached to the cut upper stem portion 202a. The lower stalk 202b is left in the field. Further, when the stem upper part 202a moves backward, the upper cutter blade 16 cuts the ear 201. The male ear 201 falls on the field.

  FIG. 14 is a side view showing the work situation in the middle part of the sweet corn harvester 1. FIG. Since the sandwiching and conveying belt 11 has an inclination that rises backward, the upper stem portion 202a rises as it goes backward. The stem upper part 202 a enters the gap between the harvesting rods 41 when reaching the front ends of the pair of harvesting rods 41. Since the harvesting rod 41 has a slope that descends toward the rear, if the stem upper part 202a continues to rise, the SC1 hits the harvesting rod 41 first. Since SC1 cannot pass through the gap between the harvesting rods 41, it is squeezed from the upper stem 202a. The most SC1 that has been squeezed down falls onto the conveyor 51. Thereafter, the upper stem portion 202a passes through the gap between the harvesting rods 41 together with the leaves attached thereto, and is further conveyed rearward. The most complete SC1 that falls on the conveyor 51 is carried to the container as described above.

  FIG. 15 is a front view showing how a pair of harvesting rods (spiral rods) 41 squeeze off the uppermost stem 202a. (A) is a state immediately after the upper stem 202a enters the gap between the harvesting rods 41, and the most composed SC1 is still located below the harvesting rod 41. (B) is the state where the upper stem 202a is raised and SC1 hits the harvesting rod 41 most frequently. The stem upper portion 202a is further lifted upward, but the first SC1 cannot pass through the gap between the harvesting rods 41. Therefore, the one harvesting rod 41 rotating in the direction of the arrow acts to peel off SC1 from the stem upper portion 202a. At this time, the other harvesting rod 41 plays a role of maintaining the posture of the upper stem 202 in the vertical direction. The spiral protrusion 41b of the spiral rod is the first while rotating and can cleanly scalp SC1 from the stem. By making the spiral projection 41b a soft material, it is possible to harvest without damaging the SC1.

  FIG. 16 is a side view showing a work situation in the rear part of the sweet corn harvester 1. The uppermost stem portion 202 a that has been squeezed off is conveyed to the rear end by the nipping and conveying belt 11. The stem upper part 202 a released at the rear end falls into the chute 81. And it cuts with the cutting cylinder cutter 82 provided in the lower part of the chute | shoot 81, and is discharged | emitted afterwards as the cut piece 202c.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sweet corn harvester 11 Nipping conveyance belt 12a Conveyor belt drive pulley 12b Conveyor belt driven pulley 12c Pulley shaft 14 Belt receiving roller 15 Conveyance frame 16 Upper cutter blade 16a Upper cutter drive motor 17 Guide belt 17a Locking protrusion 18a Guide belt drive pulley 18b Guide belt driven pulley 19a Pressing tension pulley 19a1 Tension spring 19a2 Bending arm 19a3 Rotating shaft 19b Supporting tension pulley 19b1 Fixing point 19b2 Rotating shaft 21 Lower cutter blade 22 Cutter support rod 23 Lower cutter drive motor 31, 32 Support frame 33, 34 Crank frame 35 Hydraulic cylinder P, Q, R, S Support point (rotation center)
41 Harvest Rod 41a Rod Core 41b Spiral Projection 42a, 42b Harvest Rod Bearing 46 Harvest Rod Drive Shaft 46a, 46b Universal Joint 47 Bracket 48a First Sprocket 48b Second Sprocket 48c Third Sprocket 48d Fourth Sprocket 49 Miter Gear 51, 52 , 53 Conveyor 51a, 52a Conveyor rod 51b, 52b Conveyor sprocket 51c, 52c Conveyor shaft 52d Locking claw 54, 55, 56 Conveyor motor 61 Traveling part 71, 72 Pillar frame 73 Base frame 74 Ceiling frame 81 Chute 82 Cutting cylinder cutter 83 Cutting cutter drive motor 91 Forklift 92 Forklift vertical cylinder 93 Forklift left and right cylinder 94 Fork Shift tilt cylinder 95 container 96 operating section 101 belt drive motor 102 driving box 200 Sweet corn plant 201 tassels 202 stems 202a upper stems 202b stem bottom 202c trimming strips SC, SC1, SC2 sweet corn fruit

Claims (11)

A traveling section (61) capable of self-propelled in the field;
In order to move the object sandwiched between the pair of belts extending in a slanting manner so that the front becomes lower and juxtaposed on the left and right above the traveling unit (61) from the front to the rear A pair of nipping and conveying belts (11) each driven,
Another pair of belts arranged on the left and right sides so that the gap between each other gradually expands forward from the front ends of the pair of sandwiching and conveying belts (11) from the front. A pair of guide belts (17) each driven to move backwards,
At least one lower cutter blade (21) positioned below the front end of the pair of sandwiching and conveying belts (11);
The pair of sandwiching and transporting belts (11) extend rearward from the lower surface of the intermediate transport position of the pair of sandwiching and transporting belts (11) at a predetermined angle with respect to the pair of sandwiching and transporting belts, and are juxtaposed side by side with a predetermined gap (t) therebetween. A pair of harvesting rods (41) that are driven to rotate about the axis of each rod body,
When the traveling unit (61) travels forward in the field, the guide belt (17) pulls the sweet corn plant (200) and guides it to the pair of nipping and conveying belts (11), and the pair of nipping and conveying The lower cutter blade (21) sandwiches the stem (202) of the sweet corn plant at the front end of the belt (11) and at the same time, the lower cutter blade (21) attaches the stem to the upper stem (at least one sweet corn fruit (SC1)) ( 202a) and the lower stem (202b) remaining in the field, the pair of sandwiching and transporting belts (11) transports the stem upper part (202a) to the rear end while sandwiching the upper stem (202a), while the stem from the midway of transporting. The upper part (202a) enters the gap (t) between the pair of harvesting rods (41), so that the pair of harvesting rods are configured to squeeze the sweet corn fruit (SC1) from the upper part of the stem (202a). Sweetco Harvester.   The upper cutter blade (16) positioned above the vicinity of the front end of the pair of nipping and conveying belts (11) is further provided, and the upper cutter blade is configured to feed the ears (201) of the upper stem portion (202a) being conveyed. The sweet corn harvester according to claim 1, wherein the sweet corn harvester is configured to cut. A container (95) attached to the rear of the traveling part (61);
2. One or more conveyors (51, 52, 53) for transferring the sweet corn fruit (SC 1) that has been squeezed out from the drop point to the container (95). Or Sweet corn harvester according to 2. A chute (81) installed to receive the upper stem portion (202a) discharged from the rear ends of the pair of sandwiching and conveying belts (11),
The sweet corn harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a cutting cylinder cutter (82) provided below the chute (81) for cutting the upper stem (202a). Machine.   The sweet corn harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pair of harvesting rods (41) are installed so that the front of the gap (t) is narrow and the rear is wide.   Each of the pair of harvesting rods (41) is a spiral rod provided with a rod core part (41a) and a spiral projection part (41b) projecting spirally on the peripheral surface of the rod core part. The sweet corn harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   The sweet corn harvester according to claim 6, wherein the spiral protrusion (41b) is made of a soft material.   2. A pressing tension pulley (19a) for pressing one back surface of the pair of sandwiching and conveying belts (11) and a supporting tension pulley (19b) for supporting the other back surface. Sweet corn harvesting machine in any one of -7.   The sweet corn harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising means for adjusting an inclination of the pair of sandwiching and conveying belts (11).   The sweet corn harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising means for adjusting a height position of the lower cutter blade (21).   The sweet corn harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the two lower cutter blades (21) are juxtaposed side by side.

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