JP5393230B2 - Leaf vegetable harvesting machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a leaf vegetable harvesting machine for harvesting leafy vegetables such as spinach, and particularly to harvesting only leaf parts of leafy vegetables.

  Traditionally, spinach harvesting has been done by manually pulling out the roots one at a time, but such a manual harvesting operation is unnatural for a long time (an attitude in which the waist and legs are bent). As a result, the work was physically demanding and the work efficiency was very poor.

  On the other hand, a leaf vegetable harvesting machine as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-308353 (Patent Document 1) has been known, and this known leaf vegetable harvesting machine is self-propelled. A root cutting blade is used to cut the roots of leaf vegetables one by one, and the root cut leafy vegetables can be extracted from the field and transported and collected.

  However, with this known leaf vegetable harvesting machine, leaf vegetables can be harvested while the harvesting machine is self-propelled (the body is less fatigued), but a root cutting blade (cuts the root by diving into the surface layer in the ground) However, the roots of leafy vegetables could only be cut one by one, so the harvesting efficiency was poor. In addition, since the root cutting blade travels in the ground, it is difficult to make it for a relatively short period of time, and there is a problem that the durability of the blade is poor.

  By the way, leafy vegetables such as spinach make the leaves edible, and in particular, when used for processing, only the leaves need to be harvested. In that case, it is only necessary to cut the stem part exposed from the farm scene (each leaf part falls apart) and harvest only each leaf part.

  As described above, the applicant has already filed a patent application for Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-324539 (Patent Document 2) as a leaf vegetable harvesting machine capable of harvesting only leaf portions of leaf vegetables.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, this already-registered leaf vegetable harvesting machine is provided with a machine frame 2 including left and right support columns 21 and 21 and left and right side plates 22 and 22 on a traveling device 1. 2 is provided with a cutting blade 31 for cutting the stem Yb of the leaf vegetable Y cultivated in the field at a position slightly separated from the farm scene (upper surface), and the machine frame 2 is cut with the cutting blade 31. A conveyor belt 41 that carries each leaf portion Ya and conveys it to the rear side of the machine frame is provided, and each leaf portion Ya immediately after being cut by the cutting blade 31 at the front end portion of the conveyor belt 41 is scraped up onto the front end portion of the conveyor belt. A brush roll 51 for scraping up the part is provided.

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 9, leafy vegetables Y such as spinach are planted in a plurality of strips (for example, 5 to 6 strips) at a predetermined interval on the left and right of one pod A, but are exposed from the field scene (top of the pod). When cutting the leaf vegetable stem Yb, the leaf blades Y, Y,... Can be cut at the same time because the cutting blade 31 is not burdened so much.

  In the leaf vegetable harvester shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the left and right crawlers 11 and 11 of the traveling device 1 straddle the ridge A, the cutting blade 31 is brought close to the ridge surface, and the cutting blade 31 When the traveling device 1 (left and right crawlers 11, 11) is advanced while operating the conveyor belt 41 and the brush roll 51, each of the plurality of leaf vegetables Y, Y,. The stem portion Yb is cut, and each leaf portion Ya (separated) immediately after the cutting is scraped up onto the front end portion of the conveyor belt 41 by the brush roll 51, and each leaf portion Ya is moved by the conveyor belt 41. It can be conveyed to the rear end side of the machine body frame 2 (each leaf portion Ya can be sequentially accommodated in the collection container 18 from the end portion of the conveyor belt 41). Therefore, by using this already-registered leaf vegetable harvester, leaf vegetables cultivated on the straw can be harvested lightly and efficiently.

  By the way, when a plurality of leafy vegetables Y, Y,... Are planted in the cocoon A, when the leafy vegetables Y grow, a part of the leaf part Ya of the leafy vegetables Y located at the left and right ends of the cocoon A (Symbol Yc in FIGS. 8 and 9) may hang over the side surface Ab of the heel A beyond the edge of the heel A. Each drooping leaf Yc that hangs down on the side face Ab is also a good product and may be harvested.

JP-A-9-308353 Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-324539

  However, in the leaf vegetable harvesting machine shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 (already filed), when the leaf vegetable stem Yb is cut with the cutting blade 31 when harvesting the leaf vegetable Y on the rod A, the left and right side surfaces Ab of the rod. , Ab, each hanging leaf Yc, Yc is not picked up by the brush roll 51 and remains in the field as it is, and there is a problem that a harvest loss occurs (yield decreases).

  Therefore, in the present invention, in leaf vegetables such as spinach, each leaf part can be automatically harvested even if it is cut at the stem part (each leaf part falls apart) and drooping depending on the side of the cocoon The purpose is to provide a leaf vegetable harvester that can efficiently harvest leaves.

  The present invention has the following configuration as means for solving the above problems. The present invention is directed to a leaf vegetable harvesting machine suitable for harvesting leaf vegetables in which each leaf portion is separated by a stem portion, such as spinach.

The leaf vegetable harvesting machine of the present invention is provided with a machine frame on the traveling device, and has a length that extends over the entire width of the field basket at the front end position of the machine frame and is placed at a position slightly spaced from the top surface of the basket. A cutting blade is provided to cut the stems of the cultivated leaf vegetables, a conveyor belt is provided on the machine frame for transporting the leaves cut by the cutting blade to the rear side of the machine frame, and at the front end of the conveyor belt dripping each lobe immediately after cutting by the cutting blade only set the loaded up device placed on a conveyor belt front end on, the and left and right side surfaces of the ridge near the right and left end portions of the body frame at a slightly forward position from the cutting blade A pair of left and right scraping devices are provided to scrape the leafs of leafy vegetables on the upper surface side of the vine , and each scraping device uses a brush roll that is rotated by the drive source of the harvester. And each bra Roll, the roll lower end is characterized in that as slightly lower position and the roll lower end to be low can be displaced vertically between a slightly higher becomes higher position than the flat field surface than the ridge top.

  In addition, each dimension illustrated below is for making it easy to understand the leaf vegetable harvesting machine of this application, and it does not specifically limit each, It can change a design freely in the range which satisfy | fills a requirement.

  The leaf vegetable harvesting machine of the present application can be self-propelled by a traveling device, but a motor or an engine can be used as a driving source of the traveling device. Moreover, a wheel and a crawler (each with a left-right pair) can be used for a traveling part. The distance between the left and right travel parts (wheels and crawlers) is such that it can straddle the field straw (the width of spinach cultivation is mostly 90-110 cm) (for example, 120-140 cm). The part runs in each groove on the left and right sides of the kite. In addition, the traveling speed at the time of the harvesting operation by this traveling device can be freely adjusted in a range from a low speed to, for example, about 60 m / min (in particular, a traveling speed of about 20 m to 40 m / min can be operated in a stable state).

  The body frame constitutes the skeleton of the leaf vegetable harvesting machine, and can be adopted in which two left and right side plates, which are long in the front and rear directions, are tiltably supported with respect to the left and right columns. The left and right side plates serve as mounting bases for a cutting blade (reaping device), a conveyor belt (conveying device), a lifting device, and the like. Further, the left and right side plates can be adjusted in height (side plate inclination angle) at the front end of the side plate by an appropriate height adjusting device. The body frame is provided with a steering handle.

  As the cutting blade, one having an upper blade and a lower blade in which a large number of protruding blade edges are arranged on the left and right can be used. Further, it is preferable that the cutting blade has a left-right length that is approximately the same as or slightly longer than the ridge width (about 90 to 110 cm). This cutting blade is attached to the lower surface of the front end portion of the left and right side plates of the body frame in a left-right orientation. The cutting blade is positioned at a position slightly (for example, about 1 to 2 cm) away from the field scene (upper surface) by adjusting the height of the front ends of the left and right side plates with the height adjusting device. And this cutting blade can shear the stem part of a leaf vegetable by vibrating an upper blade and a lower blade mutually in the left-right reverse direction with a motor.

  The conveyor belt preferably has a width that is slightly wider than the ridge width of the field. For example, if the ridge width is about 90 to 110 cm, the width of the conveyor belt may be about 100 to 120 cm. In addition, this conveyor belt is installed in an inclined posture with a low front and rear height, but the front end of the conveyor belt is slightly retracted (for example, about 2 to 3 cm) from the front end of the cutting blade and as far as possible to the cutting blade. It is good to make it fall to the position which adjoins closely (it becomes easy to ride the cut leaf part on the front-end part of a conveyor belt). This conveyor belt is driven by a motor so that the upper surface side travels backward. The conveyor belt is driven at a speed slightly faster than the traveling speed of the harvester (for example, about 5 to 10% faster). A leaf collection container is installed below the rear end of the conveyor belt.

  For example, a relatively large diameter brush roll can be employed as the loading device. In the case where a brush roll is adopted as the lifting device, the brush roll having an outer diameter of about 40 to 50 cm and approximately the same length as the conveyor belt width (about 100 to 120 cm) can be used. In the following description, the brush roll used in the lifting device may be referred to as a large diameter brush roll.

  The brush used for this large-diameter brush roll is preferably a soft one (one that does not damage the leaf part when the leaf part is scraped up). The large-diameter brush roll is installed such that its lowermost surface is appropriately close to (or may be in contact with) the upper surface of the front end portion of the conveyor belt. The large-diameter brush roll is rotated by a motor so that the lower surface of the brush roll moves backward. The driving speed of the large-diameter brush roll is set so that its peripheral speed is slightly faster than the conveying speed of the conveyor belt. The motor for driving the large-diameter brush roll can be shared by the motor for the conveyor belt, but a motor different from the motor for the conveyor belt may be used. In addition, as long as the lifting device used for the leaf vegetable harvesting machine of the present application can lift the leaf portion immediately after cutting onto the front end portion of the conveyor belt, an appropriate device can be used instead of the large-diameter brush roll (for example, Air suction type) can be used.

  By the way, when cultivating leafy vegetables (for example, spinach) to be harvested, they are planted in a plurality of rows at a predetermined interval (for example, an interval of about 15 to 20 cm) in front, rear, left and right. The leafy vegetables planted near the left and right ends of the cocoon are located in a position that is quite close to the heel side edge (for example, a position within and outside 10 cm from the heel side edge). On the other hand, when the spinach grows to a state where it can be harvested, the length from the stem part to the tip of the leaf part becomes considerably long (for example, around 20 to 25 cm), and the leaf vegetable planted near the end of the vine ( Some leaves of spinach may hang on the side of the cocoon beyond the heel side edge. In the following description, a leaf portion that hangs down on the side of the cocoon in the state of leaf vegetable planting is referred to as a hanging leaf.

The left and right scraping device used in the leaf vegetable harvesting machine of the present application scrapes the drooping leaves hanging on the left and right sides of the pod as described above to the upper side of the vine before cutting the stem with the cutting blade. Is for. As the respective raking device, for example a diameter length of about 20~30cm using 10cm approximately brush roll. The brush used for this brush roll is also preferably a soft one (one that does not damage the leaf portion when scraping the leaf portion). In the following description, the brush roll used in the scraping device may be referred to as a small diameter brush roll.

  In the case of using a small-diameter brush roll for each scraping device, the small-diameter brush roll is positioned slightly forward (for example, about 3 to 5 cm) from the cutting blade and in the vicinity of the left and right ends of the machine frame. Install the roll so that its axis of rotation is facing forward. Each of the small-diameter brush rolls is in a state where the left and right traveling parts of the traveling device are in contact with the grooves on both sides of the kite and close to the side surfaces of the kite at positions close to the upper sides of the left and right sides of the kite (for example, 1 ˜2 cm apart)). Each small-diameter brush roll is rotated by an appropriate drive source so that the lower surface side of the brush roll moves toward the center of the heel. The driving source of each small-diameter brush roll may be taken from the rotating shaft of the conveyor belt, for example, or a dedicated motor may be used.

Each of these small-diameter brush rolls is prepared in several types having different diameters (for example, a plurality of types having a diameter in the range of about 20 to 30 cm in increments of 2 to 3 cm). It is advisable to use a size close to the. Further, the respective small-diameter brush roll, together are adapted to be adjusted height and vertically in accordance with the ridge height, in the case of flat field is not ribbed, the respective small-diameter brush roll its lower surface to the field surface It can be moved up to a height where it does not touch (close to the farm scene) .

  And in this leaf vegetable harvesting machine, when each small-diameter brush roll that is each scraping device is rotated while straddling on the ridge, the leaf of the leaf vegetable hanging from the left and right sides of the ridge is removed. Can be scraped to the side (inner side from the heel side edge).

  In order to use the leaf vegetable harvesting machine of the present invention, the left and right traveling parts of the traveling device are arranged in the left and right grooves of the basket, the cutting blade, the conveyor belt, the lifting device (large diameter brush roll), and the left and right scraping The harvester is caused to travel forward while driving the device (each small-diameter brush roll). Then, after each left and right scraping device (each small-diameter brush roll) squeezed each drooping leaf hanging from the side surface of the ridge over the left and right side edges of the heel sequentially, each leaf on the heel The stalks of rape are cut sequentially with a cutting blade. In addition, when the above-mentioned hanging leaves are scraped up on the ridge by each scraping device (each small-diameter brush roll), the hanging leaves are temporarily raised, and the raised leaves are cut with a cutting blade. .

  When the leaf portion of each leaf vegetable is cut, each leaf portion is separated apart (becomes unstable). At this time, the conveyor belt is driven in a driving state, and the loading device (large diameter brush roll) ) Is driven in the scraping direction, each separated leaf portion immediately contacts the front end portion (rotating in the scraping direction) of the conveyor belt and is conveyed by the lifting device (large diameter brush roll). It will be scraped up on the front end of the belt. Accordingly, most of the cut leaves are smoothly scraped up on the front end of the conveyor belt, and then sequentially fed on the conveyor belt to fall from the rear end of the conveyor belt into the collection container below. Be contained.

  By the way, each leaf of leafy vegetables that hangs down from the side of the vine at the time of harvesting is a good product. The lower surface of the lifting device (large-diameter brush roll) does not reach (contact with) each subsequent leaf, and the separated leaf (good product) cannot be placed (harvested) on the conveyor belt. In this case, a good product cannot be harvested, and the yield is reduced accordingly.

  However, as in the present application, when each of the above-mentioned hanging leaves is scraped onto the ridge by each scraping device (each small-diameter brush roll) immediately before cutting the stem with a cutting blade, the hanging leaves stand at a high position. It is awakened and can be harvested normally. In addition, although a part (especially small leaf) of each cut leaf part may remain on the field without being placed on the conveyor belt, the remaining amount that cannot be harvested is very small.

In addition, each small-diameter brush roll can be displaced up and down, and can be positioned in a low position where the lower end of the roll is slightly lower than the upper surface of the grapes when harvesting the straw. It can be positioned so that it is in a slightly higher position and posture than the field scene.

  Thus, when the leaf vegetable harvesting machine of the present application is used, each leaf vegetable (only the leaf portion) on the ridge can be cut at the traveling speed by the traveling device, and the above-mentioned hanging leaf can be reliably harvested. In addition, the leaf part harvested with this leaf vegetable harvesting machine is suitable for use mainly for processing (mixture).

  The leaf vegetable harvesting machine of the present application has the following effects.

  (1) With this leaf vegetable harvesting machine, the leaves of leaf vegetables (eg, spinach) cultivated in the field (畝) can be harvested while the worker is standing, and it is fatigued compared to manual harvesting. The degree can be greatly reduced.

  (2) The leafy vegetables (leaves) can be harvested at the running speed of the running device (up to about 60m / min is possible, but about 20m / min to 40m / min can be operated in a stable state). It can be dramatically shortened.

  (3) Since the cutting blade cuts the stem part exposed on the ground, it can cut the left and right wide range at a time, and the leafy vegetables (leaf part) with a wide area by the progress per time Can be harvested.

  (4) Each leaf part immediately after cutting the stem part of leafy vegetables is disjointed and unstable, but each leaf part immediately after cutting the stem part is placed on a conveyor with a lifting device (large diameter brush roll). It can be smoothly placed on the front end of the belt, and even when only the leaf portion is harvested, each leaf portion can be efficiently harvested (a harvesting operation with a good yield can be performed).

  (5) Before cutting the stalks of leafy vegetables on the cocoon with a cutting blade, the drooping leaves hanging on the side of the cocoon can be raked on the cocoon with a scraping device (small diameter brush roll). Therefore, the above-mentioned hanging leaves, which were difficult to harvest, can be reliably harvested (yield is further improved).

  (6) Since only the leaf parts of leafy vegetables can be harvested, when the leaves are used for processing (for example, a mixture), root cutting work is no longer required like rooted leafy vegetables, and subsequent processing steps are not required. It will be easy.

(7) Since a brush roll that is rotated by a drive source is used as a scraping device, it is possible to efficiently scrape drooping leaves that hang down on the side surface of the heel by the rotational force of the brush roll. .

(8) Since each brush roll that becomes a scraping device can be displaced up and down, even if it can be used at a low position where the hanging leaf on the side of the cocoon can be lifted up to the side of the cocoon, By positioning so that the lower end of the roll is at a slightly higher position than the plain field scene at the time of harvesting, the brush roll can be operated without contacting the flat field scene.

It is a side view of the leaf vegetable harvesting machine of an example of the present application. It is a top view of FIG. It is a left view of FIG. It is function explanatory drawing at the time of harvesting in the leaf vegetable harvester of FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of a part (scraping device part) of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a part (scraping device part) of FIG. 2. It is a side view at the time of applying the leaf vegetable harvesting machine of FIG. 1 to the harvest of the leaf vegetable cultivated on flat ground. It is a side view of the leaf vegetable harvester concerning the application (patent document 2) of the present applicant. FIG. 9 is a left side view of FIG. 8.

  The leaf vegetable harvesting machine of the embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIGS. 1 to 6 show an example of use when harvesting leaf vegetables (spinach) Y cultivated on the straw A. FIG. 7 shows a use example in the case of harvesting leafy vegetables (spinach) Y that is cultivated on a flat ground.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, in the following description, front and rear are front and rear in the traveling direction of the leaf vegetable harvesting machine, and left and right are left and right as viewed from the front side in the traveling direction. Moreover, each dimension illustrated below is for making it easy to understand the leaf vegetable harvesting machine of the present application, and is not particularly limited, and can be freely changed in design as long as the requirements are satisfied.

  The leaf vegetable harvesting machine shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 includes a traveling device 1, a machine frame 2 installed on the traveling device 1, and leaf vegetables (spinach) Y cultivated in a field (畝) A. The cutting device 3 that cuts the leaf portion Ya at the stem portion Yb, the transport device 4 that feeds the cut leaf portions Ya, and the mount that places the cut leaf portions Ya on the conveyor belt front end 41a of the transport device The raising device 5 and a pair of left and right scraping devices 6 and 6 for scraping the hanging leaves Yc hanging from the left and right side surfaces Ab and Ab of the rod A on the rod A, as will be described later.

  The traveling device 1 causes the leaf vegetable harvester to self-propel, and in this embodiment, a pair of left and right crawlers 11 are used for the traveling unit. The distance between the left and right crawlers 11 and 11 is set so as to be able to travel on both side ridges B and B across the ridge A in the field, as shown in FIGS. In addition, the ridge width W for spinach cultivation is generally about 90 to 110 cm, and in this embodiment, the ridge width W is assumed to be 100 cm. In that case (when the heel width W is 100 cm), it is appropriate to set the inner width interval between the left and right crawlers 11, 11 to about 130 cm, for example, about 30 cm wider than the heel width W. In other embodiments, front and rear, left and right wheels (four wheels) can be used as the traveling unit of the traveling device 1 instead of the crawler.

  The body frame 2 includes a pair of left and right support columns 21 and 21 and a pair of left and right side plates 22 and 22 pivotally supported so as to be tiltable up and down with respect to the support columns 21 and 21.

  The left and right struts 21 and 21 are arranged with a slightly larger interval than the collar width W. The lower ends of the columns 21 and 21 are supported by the shafts 12 and 12 of the drive wheels 11a and 11a of the crawlers 11 and 11, respectively. In this embodiment, the columns 21 and 21 are installed in a slightly forward tilted posture as shown in FIG.

  The leaf vegetable harvesting machine is equipped with a battery 10 serving as a power source for various driving sources (motors). In addition, a stand 17 for placing the collection container 18 is provided at the rear of the leaf vegetable harvesting machine. Further, a steering handle 9 is attached to the right rear portion of the leaf vegetable harvesting machine. The battery 10, the cradle 17, and the handle 9 are each attached to the column 21.

  A motor 13 serving as a power source of the traveling device 1 is installed on the upper side of the right column 21. The power from the motor 13 drives the drive wheels 11a and 11a of the crawlers 11 and 11 via a power transmission member 14 including pulleys (or sprockets) and belts (or chains). . The traveling speed during the harvesting operation by the traveling device 1 can be freely adjusted in a range from a low speed to, for example, about 60 m / min (in particular, a traveling speed of about 20 m / min to 40 m / min can be operated in a stable state). In another embodiment, the engine can be used as a driving source of the traveling device 1.

  Cover bodies 15 and 15 that cover a part of the power transmission member 14 are provided on the outer sides of the respective crawlers 11 and 11 in a posture parallel to the respective columns 21 and 21. Each of the cover bodies 15 and 15 also has a function as a reinforcing member for both the columns 21 and 21.

  The left and right side plates 22, 22 of the body frame 2 are relatively narrow and have a considerable length in the front and rear (for example, the total length is about 120 to 130 cm). The side plates 22 and 22 are respectively attached with a reaping device 3, a conveying device 4, a lifting device 5, a scraping device 6, 6 and a height adjusting device 7, which will be described later. 4, 5, 6, 7) and the side plates 22, 22 constitute a harvesting unit U.

  Although the detailed configuration of the harvesting unit U will be described later, the harvesting unit U is pivoted by a single shaft 24 at a position spaced rearward from the center of gravity position of the entire harvesting unit U to the intermediate height position of the left and right columns 21, 21. I support. Therefore, the harvesting unit U is swingable up and down around the shaft 24, and in the natural state, the front side of the harvesting unit U tilts downward about the shaft 24 due to its own weight. It is like that. In the following description, the shaft 24 that pivotally supports the harvesting unit U in a vertically swingable manner may be referred to as a vertically swinging shaft.

  The side plates 22 and 22 of the harvesting unit U have a slightly larger interval (inner surface interval of about 115 cm, for example) than the interval (100 cm) of the ridge width W. A conveyor belt 41 of the conveying device 4 is installed across the entire length of the side plate 22 between the side plates 22 and 22. The conveyor belt 41 has a wide width (for example, 110 cm width) that is slightly narrower than the distance between the side plates 22 and 22. The conveyor belt 41 is driven by a motor 42 attached to the left side plate 22 so that the upper surface travels backward (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4). The conveyance speed of the conveyor belt 41 is set to be slightly faster (for example, about 5 to 10% faster) than the traveling speed of the traveling device 1.

  The cutting device 3 is configured to drive the cutting blade 31 with a motor 32. As shown in FIG. 2, the cutting blade 31 has an upper blade and a lower blade in which a large number of protruding blade edges are arranged on the left and right. The cutting blade 31 has a left and right length (for example, 110 cm) slightly longer than the ridge width W (100 cm).

  The cutting blade 31 is attached to the lower surfaces of the front end portions of the left and right side plates 22, 22 so that the blade tip protrudes slightly from the front end portion 41 a of the conveyor belt 41 (for example, about 2 to 3 cm). The cutting blade 31 can shear the stem portion Yb of the leaf vegetable Y by causing the motor 32 to vibrate the upper blade and the lower blade in the left and right directions at high speed (for example, 1000 to 2000 times / min). It has become.

  A brush roll 51 is employed for the loading device 5. The brush roll 51 has an outer diameter of about 40 to 50 cm and a length (about 110 cm) substantially equal to the width of the conveyor belt 41. The brush used for the brush roll 51 is a relatively soft one (one that does not damage the leaf Ya leaf). In the following description, the brush roll 51 of the loading device 5 is referred to as a large diameter brush roll.

  The large-diameter brush roll 51 is installed such that the lowermost surface of the brush roll is close to the upper surface of the front end portion 41 a of the conveyor belt 41 by the left and right support arms 52 and 52. That is, the base ends of the support arms 52 and 52 are pivotally supported on the side plates 22 and 22 by a single shaft 53, and the large-diameter brush roll 51 is rotated between the tips of the support arms 52 and 52. Supports freely. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, each support arm 52, 52 is supported by each side plate 22, 22 with a support frame 54 with a height adjusting mechanism (long hole), and the fixed height of each support frame 54. By adjusting this, the distance between the lowermost surface of the large-diameter brush roll 51 and the upper surface of the conveyor belt front end portion 41a can be adjusted.

  The large-diameter brush roll 51 is rotated by a motor 55 so that the lower surface side of the brush roll moves backward (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4) via a power transmission member (pulley and belt) 56. The driving speed of the large-diameter brush roll 51 is set so that the peripheral speed is slightly faster than the conveying speed of the conveyor belt 41. The large-diameter brush roll driving motor 55 can be shared by the conveyor belt motor 42.

  The harvesting unit U has a height adjustment for use in a state where the cutting blade 31 is slightly separated (for example, about 1 to 2 cm) from the field scene (the upper surface Aa of the ridge A in the case of FIGS. 1 to 4). A device 7 is used.

  The height adjusting device 7 used in this embodiment includes a grounding roller 71 having a predetermined length (for example, about 80 to 90 cm) on the left and right sides, and the grounding roller 71 on the lower surface near the front part of the side plates 22 and 22. And an operating device 75 for adjusting the height.

  The grounding roller 71 is installed in the horizontal direction on the lower surface near the front between the left and right side plates 22, 22. Both end portions of the ground roller 71 are pivotally supported at the distal end portions (lower end portions) of the relatively small left and right arms 72, 72, and the base end portions (upper end portions) of the respective arms 72, 72 are supported. A shaft 74 is pivotally supported on a horizontal member 73 (FIG. 2) installed on the lower surface near the front part between the left and right side plates 22 and 22, and the ground roller 71 swings forward and backward (and up and down) together with both arms 72 and 72. It is installed so that it can move. As shown in FIG. 1, when the left and right arms 72 are largely tilted forward (corresponding to the heel), the height of the bottom surface of the ground roller 71 is considerably separated from the height of the bottom surface of the crawler 11, while FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, when the left and right arms 72 are swung back to a posture in which the left and right arms 72 are oriented substantially vertically (corresponding to flat ground), the lower surface height of the ground roller 71 is set to be equal to the lower surface height of the crawler 11. . The grounding roller 71 supports the harvesting unit U by grounding on the field scene in the state of FIG. 1 or FIG. 7, but at that time, the harvesting unit U of the harvesting unit U depends on the height difference from the lower surface of the crawler 11 to the lower surface of the grounding roller 71. The tilt angle changes.

  The operating device 75 can swing the arm 72 back and forth and maintain the posture of the arm 72. The operating device 75 uses a long connecting member 76 having an expansion / contraction part 77 formed of a screw cylinder in the middle part. Yes. The connecting member 76 can expand and contract the expansion / contraction part 77 by rotating the handle 78 on the rear lower surface of the right side plate 22, and the arm 72 can be moved back and forth by expanding and contracting the expansion / contraction part 77. Can be swung. That is, when the expansion / contraction part 77 is extended, the arm 72 is tilted forward as shown in FIG. 1 and the ground roller 71 is moved upward. On the other hand, when the expansion / contraction part 77 is contracted, the arm 72 is moved as shown in FIG. The grounding roller 71 moves downward by swinging backward to a substantially vertical posture. Note that the operation device 75 may have an appropriate configuration as long as the height of the ground roller 71 can be adjusted up and down.

  By the way, when cultivating leafy vegetables (for example, spinach) Y to be harvested on cocoon A, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in a plurality of rows with predetermined intervals (for example, intervals of about 15 to 20 cm) in the front and rear and right and left directions. Planted. Moreover, leafy vegetables Y and Y planted near the left and right ends of the cocoon A are in positions that are quite close to the heel side edge (for example, positions within and outside 10 cm from the heel side edge). On the other hand, when the spinach grows to a state where it can be harvested, the length from the stem Yb to the tip of the leaf Ya is considerably long (for example, about 20 to 25 cm), and the leaves are planted near the end of the heel. Some leaf parts Yc of rape (spinach) Y may hang over the side surfaces Ab, Ab of the cocoon beyond the heel side edge. In the following description, a leaf part that hangs down on the side face Ab in the state of planting leafy vegetables is referred to as a hanging leaf Yc.

  The left and right scraping devices 6, 6 used in the leaf vegetable harvesting machine of this embodiment are prepared by using the cutting blade 31 to stalk the hanging leaves Yc, Yc hanging from the left and right sides Ab, Ab of the cocoon as described above. This is for scraping to the side of the upper surface Aa before cutting the part.

  In this embodiment, a brush roll 61 having a diameter of about 20 to 30 cm and a length of about 10 cm is used as each of the scraping devices 6 and 6. The brush used for the brush roll 61 is also preferably a soft brush (one that does not damage the leaf portion Ya when scraping the leaf portion Ya of the leaf vegetable Y). In the following description, the brush roll 61 used in the scraping device 6 is referred to as a small diameter brush roll.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, each of the scraping devices 6 and 6 has the small-diameter brush rolls 61 and 61 slightly forward (for example, about 3 to 5 cm) from the cutting blade 31 and the body frame 2. The left and right side plates 22 and 22 are installed in a posture in which the rotation shaft of the small-diameter brush roll 61 faces front and rear in the vicinity of the front end portion of each side plate 22, 22. Each of the small-diameter brush rolls 61, 61 has left and right side surfaces Ab of the kite in a state where the left and right running portions (crawlers 11, 11) of the running device 1 are grounded to the grooves B, B on both sides of the kite A. It is arranged in a state close to the heel side surface Ab, Ab at a position near the top of Ab (for example, a state separated by about 1 to 2 cm).

  As a driving source for each of the small-diameter brush rolls 61, 61, in this embodiment, a rotating shaft 43 of the roll at the front end portion 41a of the conveyor belt 41 is used. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the rotary shafts 62 and 62 of the small-diameter brush rolls 61 and 61 are moved forward on the left and right ends of the rotary shaft 43 of the conveyor belt front end 41 a via the bevel gears 63 and 63, respectively. When the rotating shaft 43 of the conveyor belt front end 41a rotates, the left and right brush rolls 61, 61 move in the direction of the arrows in FIG. Direction).

  The left and right bevel gears 63 and 63 are covered with gear cases 64 and 64, respectively. Each of the gear cases 64 and 64 can be rotated within a predetermined angle range around the rotation shaft 43 of the conveyor belt front end portion 41a together with the rotation shaft 62 of the small-diameter brush roll 61. That is, a mounting plate 65 is fixed to the base end portion of each gear case 64, 64, and the mounting plate 65 rotates the conveyor belt front end portion 41 a with respect to the outer surface of the front end portion of each side plate 22, 22 of the machine frame 2. The mounting plate 65 is installed so as to be rotatable in a vertical plane around the shaft 43, and the mounting plate 65 is rotated within a range of arc-shaped elongated holes 66 provided in the mounting plate 65 (in the illustrated example, there are two inside and outside). I can do it. A bolt 67 is inserted into each arc-shaped elongated hole 66, and the mounting plate 65 can be fixed to the side plate 22 at an arbitrary rotation angle with the bolt 67.

  In this embodiment, by changing the fixing posture of the mounting plate 65 on each side, the left and right small-diameter brush rolls 61 are moved to a low position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 5 and a high position indicated by a chain line (reference numeral 61 ′). Can be displaced between. 1 to 4, the lower end of the small-diameter brush roll 61 is positioned in a low position so that the lower end of the small-diameter brush roll 61 is slightly lower than the upper surface Aa of the straw. Position so that the lower end of the is in a slightly higher position than the plain field scene.

  By the way, the ridge width W of the field may vary in a range of about 90 to 110 cm depending on the grower. In this embodiment, the rotation shafts 62 of the small-diameter brush rolls 61 and 61 are installed at fixed positions in the left-right direction. In relation to this, when the collar width W is different, the outer peripheral surfaces of the small-diameter brush rolls 61 and 61 may not be disposed at appropriate close positions with respect to the left and right collar side surfaces Ab and Ab. Therefore, in this embodiment, several types of small-diameter brush rolls 61, 61 having different diameters (for example, a plurality of types having a diameter in the range of about 20 to 30 cm in increments of 2 to 3 cm) are prepared. Accordingly, it is preferable to use a roller having such a size that the outer peripheral surfaces of the small-diameter brush rolls 61 and 61 are close to the appropriate positions of the flange side surfaces Ab and Ab, respectively. In addition, about 1-2 cm is suitable for the proximity | contact distance of the small diameter brush roll outer peripheral surface with respect to the collar side surface Ab.

  In another embodiment, a dedicated motor can be used as a driving source for each small-diameter brush roll 61, 61. Further, if each small-diameter brush roll 61, 61 can be adjusted to the left and right, even if the ridge width W is different, only a single-diameter small-diameter brush roll can be used.

  In this embodiment, the leaf vegetable harvesting machine rolls while the ground roller 71 of the height adjusting device 7 is in contact with the upper surface Aa of the cocoon A while harvesting. 11 and 11 in which the grooves B and B traveled are uneven (the harvester tilts to the left and right), or when the ridge upper surface Aa is inclined in the ridge width direction, the cutting blade 31 has a ridge width with respect to the ridge upper surface Aa. The left and right leafy vegetables Y, Y,... Are harvested with an angle in the direction. In that case, the cutting heights of the left and right leaf vegetables Y, Y. For example, if the ridge width direction of the ridge upper surface Aa and the length direction of the cutting blade 31 are inclined by about 2 °, for example, the cutting height of the leaf vegetables by the cutting blade 31 at the left and right side edges of the ridge A is increased. A difference of about 3 to 4 cm occurs, and the length of the leaf portion Ya cut by each leaf vegetable Y located on the left and right is different.

  Therefore, the leaf vegetable harvesting machine of this embodiment includes the cutting blade follower 8 for automatically causing the cutting blade 31 to follow the heel inclination in parallel with the inclination state of the ridge upper surface Aa in the ridge width direction.

  The cutting blade follower 8 includes a grounding roller 71 of the height adjusting device 7 and swing support means 80 that swings the entire harvesting unit U so as to swing left and right. The grounding roller 71 is always maintained in a parallel posture with the cutting blade 31 that can swing up and down with respect to the left and right side plates 22 and 22.

  The swing support means 80 is a bracket 81 attached to the above-described vertical swing shaft 24 (built between both supports 21 and 21) pivotally supporting the left and right side plates 22 and 22 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. And a bracket 83 fixed to a horizontal member 82 installed between the left and right side plates 22 and 22 are pivotally supported by a single shaft 84 facing forward and backward. Accordingly, the harvesting unit U can swing left and right around the shaft 84 facing forward and backward with respect to the vertical swing shaft 24. In the following description, the front / rear shaft 84 is referred to as a left / right swing shaft.

  The vertical swing shaft 24 supports the harvesting unit U so as to be swingable up and down as described above. The vertical swing shaft 24 is rotatably attached to the left and right support columns 21 and 21. In this case, when the bracket 81 on the vertical swing shaft 24 side is fixed to the vertical swing shaft 24 and the vertical swing shaft 24 is non-rotatably attached to the left and right support columns 21, 21, The bracket 81 on the moving shaft 24 side is made swingable with respect to the vertical swing shaft 24.

  The cutting blade follower 8 functions as follows. At the time of harvesting, the leaf vegetable harvesting machine is moved forward with the left and right crawlers 11, 11 straddling the ridge A. At this time, the cutting blade 31 is set to support the height of the front end of the harvesting unit by the ground roller 71. It is set so as to be positioned at a predetermined proximity height (interval of 1 to 2 cm) from the upper surface Aa.

  In this state, the harvesting unit U is swingable up and down around the vertical swing shaft 24 and swingable left and right around the left and right swing shaft 84. Regardless of the right-and-left inclination state or the heel width direction inclination state of the heel surface Aa, the entire length of the ground roller 71 comes into contact with the heel surface Aa by the weight of the harvesting unit U. That is, the ground roller 71 comes into contact with the ground roller 71 in a state where the axis of the ground roller 71 is parallel to the heel surface Aa in the heel width direction, and the cutting blade 31 installed in parallel with the ground roller 71 is also in contact with the heel surface Aa. Become parallel.

  And even during the harvesting operation (while the leaf vegetable harvesting machine is traveling forward), there are irregularities in the ridges B, B where the crawlers 11, 11 travel, or the ridge upper surface Aa is inclined in the ridge width direction. Since the entire harvesting unit U is swingable left and right around the left and right swing shaft 84, the grounding roller 71 follows the ground surface in a parallel posture with respect to the top surface Aa in the width direction, and the cutting blade 31 comes to maintain a parallel posture with respect to the ridge surface Aa (the height of cutting of the leaf vegetables Y and Y cultivated on the left and right is uniform).

In order to harvest the leafy vegetables Y cultivated on the straw A with this leaf vegetable harvesting machine, each crawler 11, 11 of the traveling device 1 straddles the straw A as shown in FIGS. It arrange | positions so that it may face in parallel with the ridge A (each crawler 11, 11 is located in the left and right ridge grooves B, B). At this time, the front portion of the harvesting unit U is lowered by its own weight, and the grounding roller 71 contacts the heel surface Aa. In this state, the operating blade 75 is operated by operating the operating device 75 (handle 78) of the height adjusting device 7. The height is adjusted so as to be separated from the upper surface Aa by a predetermined interval (1-2 cm). In this state, the outer peripheral surfaces of the small-diameter brush rolls 61 and 61 of the left and right scraping devices 6 and 6 are close to the upper positions of the left and right side surfaces Ab and Ab of the ridge A, respectively.

  Then, the motors (32, 42, 55) of the reaping device 3, the transport device 4, and the lifting device 5 are respectively driven (the small diameter brush rolls 61, 61 of the left and right scraping devices 6, 6 also rotate. ), The harvesting machine is advanced by the traveling device 1. Then, first, the left and right side surfaces Ab and Ab of the kite are squeezed into the upper surface Aa side of the hanging leaves Yc and Yc by the small diameter brush rolls 61 and 61 of the left and right scraping devices 6 and 6 (each hanging leaf). Immediately after that, the cutting blade 31 sequentially cuts the stems Yb of the leafy vegetables Y, Y,. When the stem portion Yb of each leaf vegetable Y is cut, the leaf portions Ya are separated apart. At this time, the conveyor belt 41 is advanced in a driving state and the large-diameter brush roll 51 of the loading device 5 is moved. By rotating in the scraping direction, each separated leaf portion Ya, Ya,... Immediately contacts the conveyor belt front end portion 41a and is scraped up onto the conveyor belt front end portion 41a by the large-diameter brush roll 51. Become. Therefore, most of the cut leaf portions Ya, Ya,... (Most) are smoothly scraped up onto the conveyor belt front end portion 41a, and are sequentially fed back on the conveyor belt 41 to be the rear end portion of the conveyor belt. To the collection container 18 below.

  Thus, when this leaf vegetable harvesting machine is used, only each leaf portion Ya can be collected automatically, and the harvesting operation can be performed at the traveling speed by the traveling device 1, so that the collection efficiency is higher than that of the manual operation. Good for scratching steps. Further, in the case where only the leaf portion Ya of the leaf vegetable Y is harvested, each leaf portion Ya immediately after being cut by the cutting blade 31 is sequentially scraped up onto the conveyor belt front end portion 41a by the large-diameter brush roll 51. Then, even if each leaf portion Ya is cut and unstable, it can be collected with high probability.

  Furthermore, before cutting the stem Yb of the leaf vegetable Y on the cocoon A with the cutting blade 31, the left and right scraping devices 6, 6 (small diameter brush rolls 61, 61) hang down from the left and right heel side surfaces Ab, Ab. Since each dripping leaf Yc of the leafy green can be scraped onto the ridge A (the dripping leaf Yc can be raised), the dripping leaf Yc that has been difficult to harvest can be reliably harvested (yield is further increased). Will be better). A part (particularly small leaves) of each cut leaf portion Ya may remain on the field without being placed on the conveyor belt 41, but the remaining amount that cannot be collected is very small.

  Moreover, in the leaf vegetable harvesting machine of this embodiment, even if there are irregularities in the grooving grooves B, B on which the crawlers 11, 11 of the traveling device 1 travel, or the ridge upper surface Aa is inclined in the cocoon width direction, The cutting blade follower 8 always keeps the cutting blade 31 in a parallel posture with respect to the upper surface Aa of the cutting blade, and the cutting height of each leaf vegetable Y, Y... (The quality of the cut-off leaves is good).

  In FIG. 7, the case where the leaf vegetable Y cultivated on the flat ground with the above leaf vegetable harvesting machine is harvested is shown. In the case of this FIG. 7, since the lower surface of the crawler 11 becomes the same height as the planting surface (field scene A) of the leaf vegetable Y, the height adjusting device 7 is adjusted and the cutting blade 31 is brought close to the planting surface. While lowering to a position (position for cutting leaf vegetable stem Yb), the small diameter brush rolls 61 and 61 of the left and right scraping devices 6 and 6 are moved up to a height at which the lower surface of the brush roll is slightly separated from the planting surface. Secure at the position. In addition, since the other usage method and the function of each apparatus are the same as the Example shown in FIGS. 1-6, the description is used.

  1 is a traveling device, 2 is a body frame, 3 is a cutting device, 4 is a conveying device, 5 is a lifting device, 6 is a scraping device, 7 is a height adjusting device, 8 is a cutting blade follower, 11 is a crawler, 21 is a support, 22 is a side plate, 24 is a shaft (vertical swing shaft), 31 is a cutting blade, 32 is a cutting blade motor, 41 is a conveyor belt, 41a is a front end of the conveyor belt, 42 is a conveyor belt motor, 51 is a large-diameter brush roll, 55 is a motor for a large-diameter brush roll, 61 is a small-diameter brush roll, 71 is a grounding roller, 75 is an operating device, U is a harvesting unit, A is a straw, Aa is a straw top, Ab is a straw side , Y is leafy vegetables, Ya is leaf parts, Yb is stem parts, and Yc is drooping leaves.

Claims (1)

Airframe frame (2) is provided on traveling device (1),
The body frame (2) is cultivated on the cocoon (A) at a position at the front end of the field frame (2) having a length that extends over the entire width (W) of the field and slightly spaced from the cocoon upper surface (Aa). A cutting blade (31) for cutting the stem (Yb) of the leafy green (Y)
A conveyor belt (41) for carrying each leaf portion (Ya) cut by the cutting blade (31) on the machine frame (2) and transporting it to the machine frame rear side is provided.
A lifting device (5) is provided on the front end (41a) of the conveyor belt (41) to place each leaf portion (Ya) immediately after cutting with the cutting blade (31) on the front end (41a) of the conveyor belt. The
The leafy vegetables (Y) hanging from the left and right side surfaces (Ab, Ab) of the basket (A) slightly forward of the cutting blade (31) and in the vicinity of the left and right ends of the fuselage frame (2) A pair of left and right scraping devices (6, 6) for scraping the drooping leaves (Yc) toward the upper surface (Aa) side of each are provided ,
Each scraping device (6, 6) uses a brush roll (61, 61) rotated by a driving source,
Furthermore, each brush roll (61, 61) can be displaced up and down between a low position where the lower end of the roll is slightly lower than the upper surface (Aa) and a higher position where the lower end of the roll is slightly higher than the plain field scene. Like,
A leaf vegetable harvesting machine.

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