JP7424645B2 - Harvesting methods and working machines using harvesting methods - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for harvesting root vegetables, which are crops buried underground, and a harvester using this method.

A long root vegetable harvesting machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as a harvesting machine that digs up and harvests long root vegetables buried underground, such as burdock. The long root vegetable harvesting machine according to Patent Document 1 includes a front digging section made of double-sided raised plates for digging up long root vegetables such as burdock, and a pulling and conveying section provided at the rear of the digging section that pulls out the long root vegetables and conveys them to the rear. ing.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-116218

When the harvest season is configured as in the invention described in Patent Document 1, the long root vegetables dug up by the digging section are then moved to be delivered to the pulling conveyance section, where they are pulled and conveyed.
However, in the case of this configuration, there is a problem that the long root vegetable crop cannot be properly transported unless it reaches the starting end where it can be held by the pair of left and right holding belts of the pulling and carrying section. In addition, for long root vegetables, the soil around the top of the crop is loosened by a digging section that moves up and down using a rotating eccentric crank device.
However, it is not easy to completely remove the soil that has adhered to the crop by just moving the digging part up and down, and the weight of the soil that the crop is attached to may cause the top of the crop to tilt to the side. There was a problem that it could not be held between the two.

This invention is
a swelling and softening process that can soften the soil surrounding the crops buried underground;
an auxiliary step of supporting and assisting the crop from above by tying a string-like body to the crop;
A harvesting method comprising:
Pertains to.

This invention further includes:
A harvesting method characterized by sequentially attaching string-like bodies to the crops and lifting the crops one after another;
Pertains to.

This invention further includes:
The auxiliary step is performed after the swelling and softening step.
A harvesting method characterized by
Pertains to.

This invention further includes:
a pulling step performed after the auxiliary step, in which the crop can be pulled out of the ground;
A harvesting method further comprising:
Pertains to.

This invention is
a swelling and softening means capable of swelling and softening soil surrounding crops buried underground;
An auxiliary means having a string-like body capable of tying one end to the crop, and capable of supporting and assisting the crop from above by pulling up the other side of the string-like body;
A harvester characterized by comprising:
Pertains to.

This invention further includes:
A harvesting machine characterized by continuously providing a string-like body,
Pertains to.

This invention further includes:
The auxiliary means is disposed substantially on the same side as the swelling and softening means or on the rear side in the direction of travel, when viewed from the side in the direction of travel.
A harvester characterized by
Pertains to.

This invention further includes:
a pulling means arranged behind the swelling and softening means and the auxiliary means and capable of pulling out the crop assisted by the auxiliary means from the soil;
A harvester further comprising:
Pertains to.

This invention further includes:
A harvesting machine, characterized in that an annular part that can be attached to the crop is provided at one end of the string-like body,
Pertains to.

This invention further includes:
A harvesting machine, characterized in that the relative distance between a support supporting the string-shaped body and a conveying means for conveying the pulled crop decreases as the distance goes downstream in the conveying direction,
Pertains to.

This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a harvesting machine that allows smooth clamping between both clamping belts and can completely remove soil attached to the periphery of crops. .

FIG. 1 is a front view of a harvester according to an embodiment of the invention. The left side of the figure is the front in the direction of travel, and the traveling body (tractor) is not shown. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a harvester according to an embodiment of the invention. The left side in the figure is the front side in the direction of travel. The support is fixed to the moving frame. FIG. 1 is a side view of a harvester according to an embodiment of the invention. This is a view of the swelling and softening means viewed from the rear side in the direction of movement. The extraction means is represented by a two-dot chain line. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a harvesting machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a sectional view showing the process from driving the swelling and softening means to pulling out the crop. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing how the annular portion according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to and removed from a crop. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing how the annular portion according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to and removed from a crop. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing how the annular portion according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to and removed from a crop.

One embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 7. This embodiment is an example in which the root vegetable that is the crop R is burdock.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a harvester 101 that is a root vegetable harvester. The harvester 101 is for harvesting crops R, which are root vegetables such as burdock, which are cultivated in rows in cultivation rows W formed in a field.
The harvester 101 is connected to a three-point link mechanism 52 provided on the rear side of a tractor (not shown), which is a traveling body. The harvesting machine 101 includes a swelling and softening means 102 as a spatula or digging part, a pulling means 103, a stocker 104, and an auxiliary means 131. The auxiliary means 131 comprises a support 132, a rail 133 and a removal means 136. A soil removing body (not shown) may be provided to break up and remove the soil S on the sides of the upper part of the crop R that has been lifted up together with the crop R by the swelling and softening means 102.

When a tractor (not shown), which is a traveling body, moves forward along the cultivation row W, the swelling and softening means 102 lifts the crop R and the soil S around the crop R toward the ground surface GL. GL1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is soil that has expanded and softened.
The soil S lifted up by the swelling and softening means 102 together with the crops R is broken up and softened and removed by a soil removing body (not shown), thereby swelling and softening the soil surrounding the crops R buried underground. be able to.

The pulling means 103 is arranged behind and above the swelling and softening means 102, grips the upper part of the crop R raised by the swelling and softening means 102, pulls out the crop R from the cultivation ridge W, and transports it to the rear side of the harvester 101. . Further, the pulling means 103 is assisted by an auxiliary means 131, which will be described later, to be able to pull out the crop R from the soil. Store the harvested crops R. When the weight of the crops R stored in the stocker 104 exceeds a predetermined value, the bottom of the stocker 104 opens and the stored crops R fall in a bunch onto the ground surface GL.

Harvester 101 includes a fixed frame 111. Fixed frame 111 is connected to three-point linkage mechanism 52 .
The fixed frame 111 includes a horizontal pipe 112 extending in the vehicle width direction A. A support pipe 112a is slidably attached to the outer periphery of the horizontal pipe 112. This support pipe 112a forms part of the moving frame 113.
A rotating frame 113b is rotatably provided at the rear end of the moving frame 113 via a support shaft 113a. The support pipe 112a is moved in the vehicle width direction A by a hydraulic cylinder 112b fixed to the fixed frame 111. As the support pipe 112a slides, the support pipe 112a, the moving frame 113, and the rotating frame 113b slide together in the vehicle width direction A.

A beam 114 is attached to the rotating frame 113b. The beam 114 is long and extends in the vertical direction. The beam 114 is inclined so that its lower portion is located forward and inside in the vehicle width direction A with respect to its upper portion, and is fixed to the rotating frame 113b.
The swelling and softening means 102 is attached to the lower end of the beam 114. The swelling and softening means 102 is inclined so as to rise toward the rear, extends in the front-rear direction in a plan view, and has an inverted eight-shape in a side view shown in FIG. 3 . A blade-shaped portion 102a is formed at the front end of the swelling and softening means 102.

Above the moving frame 113, mechanisms for transmitting or branching power, such as an input shaft 115a, a vertically moving body 115b, and a universal joint 115c, are arranged. This mechanism is covered by a cover 115. The vertical moving body 115b moves up and down in response to the rotational force of the input shaft 115a.

The input shaft 115a protrudes from the cover 115 toward the front side of the harvester 101 in plan view. The input shaft 115a is attached to a PTO shaft (not shown) provided on a tractor (not shown) via a universal joint (not shown). Power is input and transmitted from a tractor (not shown) to the input shaft 115a. A portion of this power causes the rotating frame 113b to rotate in the vertical direction (in the direction of arrow R1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4) about the support shaft 113a via the vertical moving body 115b. As the rotating frame 113b rotates, the beam 114 and the swelling/softening means 102 also rotate in the direction of arrow R1.

The universal joint 115c transmits a part of the power input to the input shaft 115a to the extraction means 103, and drives the extraction means 103. The universal joint 115c can be expanded and contracted to a desired length.
A gauge wheel (not shown) and a bowl-shaped soil removal disk 120 are arranged below the input shaft 115a. Both the gauge wheel and the removal disc 120 are mounted on the fixed frame 111. The gauge wheel runs on the ground surface GL and keeps the attitude of the harvester 101 constant. The depth at which the earth removal disk 120 penetrates into the ground surface GL is adjusted by the gauge wheel. The soil removal disk 120 rolls as the traveling machine advances while sticking its lower part into the cultivation ridge W. By rolling the soil removal disk 120, the soil on both left and right sides of the upper part of the crop R buried in the cultivation row W is cut, and the cut soil is pushed away in the left and right outward direction.

A rear portion of the moving frame 113 extends upwardly, from which a retaining frame 118 extends. The holding frame 118 holds the extraction means 103 and slides in the vehicle width direction A together with the moving frame 113.
Specifically, the pulling means 103 includes a pair of clamping belts 122 that are arranged in the vehicle width direction A and face each other. The clamping belt 122 is endless, is stretched around a driven pulley 123 located at the front, and a drive pulley 124 located at the rear, and extends so as to gradually rise toward the rear in a side view with respect to the traveling direction shown in FIG. . Further, the clamping belt 122 is stretched by a plurality of support pulleys 125 located between the driven pulley 123 and the driving pulley 124. The driven pulley 123, drive pulley 124, and support pulley 125 are held by a holding frame 118.
After reaching the end of the clamping belt 122, which is a conveyance unit constituting the pulling unit 103, the clamping belt 122 is returned to a position above the swelling and softening unit 102 again.

The drive pulley 124 is connected to the universal joint 115c, rotates by power input from the input shaft 115a and transmitted via the universal joint 115c, and rotates the driven pulley 123 in the direction R2 shown in FIG. The crops R are moved and conveyed to the rear side while being circularly driven.
The holding frame 118 also holds a stocker 104 located at the rear end of the extraction means 103. The stocker 104 has a cage shape and includes a guide ring 127, a plurality of rods 128, and a spring (not shown). The receiving rod 128 extends in the lateral direction of the stocker 104, is rotatable so as to move downward, is oriented substantially horizontally by a spring, and functions as the bottom of the stocker 104.

Guide wheel 127 is arranged in front of stocker 104. The guide wheel 127 contacts the crop R conveyed by the pulling means 103 and tilts the crop R hanging vertically. When the upper part of the crop R is released at the end of the pulling means 103, the crop R is stored in the stocker 104 and placed on the receiving rod 128. When a certain amount of the stored crops R is stored, the receiving rod 128 is rotated downward by the weight of the stored crops R. Thereby, the stored crops R are released from the stocker 104 onto the ground surface GL in fixed amounts.

Here, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the clamping belt 122 is arranged such that the rear end of the harvester 101 is a predetermined distance (for example, a cultivation row) from the front end in the vehicle width direction A, as shown in FIG. It extends diagonally laterally with respect to the direction of movement of the harvester 101 so as to be deviated by one W). In plan view, the stocker 104 is oriented laterally at an angle (for example, about 40 degrees) with respect to the traveling direction of the harvester 101 so as to extend in the length direction of the clamping belt 122.

If a soil removing body is provided, the soil removing body (not shown) is fixedly attached to the beam 114 and is located forward of the pulling means 103 in the direction of travel, and extends from the beam 114 to the rear and below of the harvester 101. It may be provided as a member that extends vertically, is bent, and extends vertically downward. The soil removing body is formed of a rigid body such as metal, and has sufficient strength to break up and remove soil lifted from the cultivation ridges W.

131 is an auxiliary means. The auxiliary means 131 will be explained below. The auxiliary means 131 assists the action of the extracting means 103.
The auxiliary means 131 includes a support body 132, a rail 133, a removal means 136, a string-like body 134, and an annular portion 135. The front end of the auxiliary means 131 is disposed approximately at the same level as the swelling and softening means 102 or above the rear side in the direction of travel, as viewed from the side in the direction of travel shown in FIG. The rear end portion of the auxiliary means 131 is disposed approximately in the middle of the pulling means 103 or above the rear side in the direction of movement, as viewed from the side in the direction of movement shown in FIG.
The auxiliary process by the auxiliary means 131 is performed after the swelling and softening process by the swelling and softening means 102.

The support body 132 is made of a square piece of metal, and is arranged so that the string-like body 134 is directed toward a conveyance process consisting of a pulling means 103 located behind the swelling and softening means 102. At least a portion of the support 132 may be located above the crop R from underground through the swelling and softening process to the end of the conveyance process.
The support body 132 supports the rail 133 from above. As shown in FIG. 1, the support body 132 is bent in a dogleg shape when viewed from the side in the direction of travel, the front side is inclined to become higher toward the rear, and the middle part becomes almost parallel to the ground surface GL. .
The relative distance between the support body 132 that supports the string-like body 134 and the holding belt 122, which is a conveying means constituting the pulling means 103 that conveys the pulled crop R, is arranged so that the distance decreases toward the downstream in the conveying direction. .

As shown in FIG. 1, the rail 133 is attached to the lower part of the support 132 along substantially the shape of the support 132 in side view.
The angle of the slope of the support 132 to which the rail 133 is attached with respect to the ground surface L is the same as or greater than the slope of the swelling and softening means 102. Alternatively, the angle of the slope of the support body 132 with respect to the ground surface L is equal to or greater than the angle at which the crop R is gradually lifted upward and backward relative to the swelling and softening means 102. do. By doing this, the string-like body 134 suspended from the rail 133 attached to the support body 132 approaches the rear end of the swelling and softening means 102 and pulls out the crop R from the soil, or the swelling and softening means 102 When reaching the rear end, the crop R can be pulled up from the rear end without falling or falling.

In the embodiment, the rail 133 is formed of a deformed oval shape bent into a dogleg shape with four arcuate corners, as shown in a plan view in FIG. The rail 133 is attached to a support 132, and the support 132 supports the rail 133.
As shown in FIG. 1, the position of the rail 133 increases from the front side to the rear side. Then, it is provided parallel to the ground surface GL from the middle part to the rear end part. That is, the rail 133 from the intermediate portion to the rear end portion is arranged so that the relative distance between the pulling means 103 and the holding belt 122 decreases as it goes downstream in the conveyance direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a part of the rail 133 is disposed above the pair of opposing clamping belts 122 of the swelling and softening means 102 and the pulling means 103. The rail 133 is not limited to the illustrated shape. As shown in the figure, the string-like body 134 is located above the swelling and softening means 102 and has a section in which it can move parallel to the traveling direction of the root vegetable harvester 101, and this section is located behind the rear end of the swelling and softening means 102. If you can reach it, you can help pull the crop R upwards.

The rail 133 supports a string-like body 134 constituting the auxiliary means 131 and supports the other end of the string-like body 134. A plurality of string-like bodies 134 are attached to the rail 133. The rail 133 can move the suspended string-like body 134 along the circumference of the rail 133.
The rail 133 may be driven by a motor to rotate the string-like body 134, which is the auxiliary means 131, along the circumference of the rail 133. Alternatively, it may be driven by the same driving source as the driving source for the beam 114.

The string-like bodies 134 are provided on the rear side with respect to the traveling direction of the beam 114 by continuously suspending the string-like bodies 134 at equal intervals.
The string-like bodies 134 are provided so as to be continuously suspended at equal intervals toward the rear side with respect to the direction in which the expanding and softening means 102 moves. The rail 133 for moving the string-like body 134 around is provided so that at least a part thereof is located above the intermediate portion between the left and right sides of the expanding and softening means 102 in the traveling direction, as shown in a plan view in FIG. A string-like body 134 that moves around the rail 133 can be positioned above the crops R. The string-like body 134 located above the crops R drives the rails 133 so that the relative speeds between the ground surface L and the crops R are the same in plan view.

The string-like body 134 has a flat cross section and is made of fibers made of metal wire, resin yarn, plastic yarn, etc., to increase its flexibility. The string-like bodies 134 have their bases attached to the rails 134, and are suspended at equal intervals on the rear side with respect to the traveling direction of the root vegetable harvester 101, and are continuously provided.
The string-like bodies 134 are attached to the crops R one after another, and the crops R are lifted up one after another.
The string-like body 134 can be tied to the crop R at one end, and by pulling up the other end of the string-like body 134, it can support the crop R from above and assist the pulling operation of the pulling means 103. can.

The annular portion 135 has an annular shape, is provided at one end of the string-like body 134, and constitutes a part of the auxiliary means 131 that performs the auxiliary process.
The annular portion 135 is formed by winding one end of the string-like body 134 into an annular shape, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. The annular portion 135 is configured so that the annular portion 135 becomes constricted by being pulled toward the other end of the string-like body 134 . The annular portion 135 can be flexibly curved and has a flat cross section.

The annular part 135 is positioned and attached to the upper part of the crop R as shown in FIG. 5, the annular part 135 is constricted as shown in FIG. 6, and the other end of the string-like body 134 is pulled up. Thus, the crop R and the annular portion 135 can be pulled upward together.
When the annular part 135 is positioned above the crop R and the other end of the string-like body 134 is pulled up, the annular part 135 at the top of the crop R narrows (buds), and the crop R and the string-like body 134 become one. Pulling up the other end of the string-like body 134 serves as an auxiliary means and an auxiliary process to prevent the crop R from falling to the side.
The annular portion 135 shown in the embodiment is just an example, and any structure may be used as long as the annular portion 135 can be formed at one end of the string-like body 134. For example, as in laundry scissors, the scissors may have an annular portion and the annular portion 135 can be expanded or contracted in diameter. The annular portion 135 is not limited to a string shape.

The removal means 136 is provided at an intermediate portion of the conveyance means 122 . The relative distance between the support body 132 and the conveying means 122 is arranged such that the distance decreases toward the downstream in the conveying direction. Therefore, as the crop R moves downstream in the transport direction, the string-like body 134 becomes slack. When the string-like body 134 slackens, the constriction (bud) of the annular portion 135 attached to the upper part of the crop R naturally loosens. The removal means 136 holds the annular part 135 from the upper part of the crop R and removes the loosened annular part 135, as shown in FIG.

When harvesting the crops R grown in the cultivation rows W using such a harvester 101, the blade-shaped portion 102a of the swelling and softening means 102 provided in the harvester 101 is rotated by operating a tractor (not shown). It is positioned near the root edge of the crop R planted in the cultivation row W.
Subsequently, when a tractor (not shown) runs, the harvester 101 is pulled by the tractor (not shown) and moves forward, and the swelling and softening means 102 moves underground near the roots of the crop R to loosen the surrounding soil. Make crop R stand out along with S. Soil S is attached to the floated crop R, and a clod composed of the crop R and soil S is placed on the swelling and softening means 102.
When a soil removing body is provided, a part of the soil S around the crop R is broken down by the soil removing body, becomes soft, and is removed.

The crop R that has undergone the swelling and softening process in the swelling and softening means 102 moves upward along with the swelling and softening soil from underground as the soil expands and softens. Since the swelling and softening means 102 is configured to vibrate or swing, the upper soil is sieved off and the upper part of the crop R is exposed.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the annular part 135 provided at the tip of the string-like body 134 is brought close to the upper part of the crop R.
Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the annular part 135 provided at the tip of the string-like body 134 is fitted onto the upper part of the crop R and fixed.
The annular part 135 provided at the tip of the string-like body 134 is brought close to the upper part of the crops R in order for a plurality of crops R, and is fitted and fixed to the upper part of the crops R.

An annular body that can be sequentially attached to the crop R and constricted is attached to the string-like body 134, the crop R is constricted by the annular part 135, and the string-like body 134 is pulled up to raise the crop R. The crops R are successively pulled out from the ground and lifted up one after another.
When a crop is attached to the string-like body 134 and the root vegetable harvester 101 moves forward, the crop R is pulled to the ground and the string-like body 134 moves relatively backward along the rail 133.

As the rail 133 goes rearward from the front end side, its position becomes higher with respect to the swelling and softening means 102, so as the string-like body 134 attached to the rail 133 is sent rearward, the upper part of the crop R is lowered into the ground. pulled upwards from That is, the upper part of the crop R can maintain an upright posture until the crop R reaches the pulling means 103, and the upper part of the crop R can be positioned between the clamping belts 122 without falling down.
When the crop R reaches the pulling means 103 and the pulling means 103 starts the pulling process of the crop R, the rail 133 above the crop R is arranged so that the relative distance to the pulling means 103 decreases as it goes downstream in the conveyance direction. are doing. Therefore, the string-like body 134 attached to the upper part of the crop R gradually loosens as it goes downstream in the conveying direction of the pulling means 103. As the string-like body 134 loosens, the annular portion 135 becomes less narrow, and the annular portion 135 becomes removable from the top of the crop R. The string-like body 134 that has reached the rear end of the rail 133 removes the annular portion 135 from the crop R by the removal means 136, goes around the rail 133, and moves above the swelling and softening means 102 again. In addition, since a plurality of string-like bodies 134 are provided on the rail 133 and sequentially go around the rail 133, it is possible to assist in continuously pulling out the crops R as the root vegetable harvester 101 advances.
A soil removal step using a soil removal body may be provided during or after the swelling and softening step in which the crop R is shaken together with the surrounding soil S to expand and soften the soil and float the crop R upward. By the soil removal process, the soil above the lifted crop R is broken down, and the upper part of the crop R can be exposed more than when only the swelling and softening process is performed.

The drawing step is performed after the swelling and softening step. After the swelling and softening process is completed, the upper part of the crop R is raised higher than the ground level L, so that the process of attaching the annular part 135 to the crop R, which is performed in the auxiliary process, can be facilitated. The auxiliary process makes it possible to maintain the upright posture of the crop R raised above the ground level L after the swelling and softening process.
By attaching the annular part 135 to the exposed part of the upper part of the crop R and pulling it upward, it becomes an auxiliary means 131 and an auxiliary process to prevent the crop R in the expanded and softened soil from falling to the side.

The operator only needs to position the annular part 135 of the string-like body 134 above the crop R and tie or attach it, and the work of tying or tying the string-like body 134 becomes unnecessary.
When removing the annular part 135 provided at the tip of the string-like body 134 from the upper part of the crop R, as shown in FIG. ) is naturally loosened, the string-like body 134 is loosened, and the removal means 136 holds the annular part 135 from the upper part of the crop R and removes the annular part 135, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a means 136 for removing the loosened annular portion 135 is provided at an intermediate portion of the conveying portion of the clamping belt 122. The annular portion 135 is removed from the upper part of the crop R by the removal means 136. The crop R reaches the end of the conveyance direction and falls. Only the crop R falls downward. In the case of the embodiment, a stocker 104, which is a storage section, is installed below the terminal end of the conveyance means, and the fallen crops R are temporarily stored here. The string-like body 134 and the annular portion 135 are returned again by the rail 133 so as to be positioned above the swelling and softening means 102 that performs the swelling and softening process, and the auxiliary process is repeated.

In the case where the annular part 135 is formed of the string-like body 134 as in the embodiment, even if the annular part 135 is larger than the crop R, the annular part 135 can be narrowed by pulling the other end of the string-like body 134. It is easy to bring the annular portion 135 into close contact with the crop R by turning the crop R into a pot. Therefore, when the other end of the string-like body 134 is pulled up, the annular part 135 does not fall out from the top of the crop R.

The annular portion 135 can be flexibly curved and has a flat cross section. Therefore, it is possible to make close contact with the crop R, and the contact area between the annular portion 135 and the crop R can be increased. Therefore, when the string-like body 134 is pulled upward, the annular portion 135 does not press the crop R locally, and the crop R is not damaged. Moreover, since the contact area with the crop R is large, it is possible to provide an appropriate amount of frictional force with the crop R when pulling up. The crop R can be stably suspended by the string-like body 134 even when soil is attached to the crop R as well as its own weight.

It is preferable that the other end of the string-like body 134 be located at a position that is as far away from the ground as possible above. Even when the annular part 135 is pulled up together with the string-like body 134 in a state where the other end of the string-like body 134 is not directly above the crop R, it is difficult to apply force in the lateral direction to the crop R during the auxiliary process, causing it to break. This can be prevented.
The other end of the string-like body 134 is configured so that it can be positioned above the crop R to be auxiliary. In other words, as the swelling and softening means 102 that performs the illustrated swelling and softening process advances, the other end of the string-like body 134 also moves backward along with the crop R that relatively retreats from the swelling and softening means 102. In other words, the annular portion 135 attached to the crop R can also move together with the crop R. As a result, the other end of the string-like body 134 can be positioned as high as possible above the crop R, so that the crop R can be pulled out without applying any force in the lateral direction.

A support 132 that supports the other end of the string-like body 134 of the auxiliary means 131 that performs the auxiliary process is arranged so that the string-like body 134 faces the conveying process located behind the swelling and softening means 102. Therefore, the crop R, which is floated and whose upper part is assisted by the swelling and softening means 102, is drawn into the holding belt 122, which is a conveying means, without falling to the side.
Subsequently, the upper part of the crop R, which has been lifted up by the swelling and softening means 102 and from which the soil S has been further removed by the soil removing body if a soil removing body is provided, is held by the clamping belt 122 of the pulling means 103. The crop R whose upper part is gripped is conveyed rearward by the pulling means 103 and placed in the stocker 104.

As the tractor (not shown) advances, the crops R are successively pulled out and stored in the stocker 104 as described above. When a certain amount of crops R is stored in the stocker 104, the crops R fall in bunches onto the ground surface GL. A worker following a tractor (not shown) picks up the crops R on the ground surface GL and loads them onto a companion vehicle (not shown).
In this manner, in the harvesting machine 101 of the present embodiment, the soil S adhering to the floating crop R is expanded and removed by the swelling and softening means 102, and then the exposed portion of the upper part of the crop R is removed by the auxiliary means 131. The annular portion 135 is attached to the crop R, and the crop R is pulled upward, and then the upper part of the crop R is gripped by the clamping belt 122.

In this embodiment, the swelling and softening means 102 is attached to the beam 114 and swings, but in another embodiment, the swelling and softening means 102 is fixedly attached to the fixed frame 111. It may be arranged so that it does not swing.
Further, in this embodiment, a case where the root vegetable is burdock is shown, but it goes without saying that the harvester 101 of this embodiment can be applied to a cultivation ridge in which other long-rooted plants are grown in rows.

101 Root vegetable harvester 102 Swelling and softening means (spatula, upper part of the moat)
103 Pulling means 122 Holding belt (conveying means)
131 Auxiliary means 132 Support body 133 Rail 134 String-like body 135 Annular part 136 Removal means A Vehicle width direction C Surface intersecting the vehicle width direction GL Ground surface R Crops (burdock, root vegetables)
S soil

Claims (10)

A swelling and softening process that can soften the soil surrounding the crops buried underground;
an auxiliary step in which a string-like body is tied to the crop to support and assist the crop from above;
A harvesting method characterized by comprising: 2. The harvesting method according to claim 1, further comprising sequentially attaching string-like bodies to the crops and lifting the crops one after another. The auxiliary step is performed after the swelling and softening step.
The harvesting method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: a pulling step performed after the auxiliary step, in which the crop can be pulled out of the ground;
4. The harvesting method according to claim 1, further comprising: a swelling and softening means capable of swelling and softening soil surrounding crops buried underground;
auxiliary means having a string-like body that can be tied to the crop at one end, and capable of supporting and assisting the crop from above by pulling up the other side of the string-like body;
A harvesting machine characterized by comprising: 6. The harvesting machine according to claim 5, wherein the string-like body is provided continuously. The auxiliary means is disposed substantially on the same side as the swelling and softening means or on the rear side in the direction of travel, when viewed from the side in the direction of travel.
The harvesting machine according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: a pulling means arranged behind the swelling and softening means and the auxiliary means and capable of pulling out the crop assisted by the auxiliary means from the soil;
The harvesting machine according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising: 9. The harvesting machine according to claim 6, wherein an annular portion that can be attached to the crop is provided at one end of the string-like body. Claim 6, 7, 8, or 9, characterized in that the relative distance between the support for supporting the string-like body and the conveying means for conveying the pulled crop is arranged such that the distance decreases toward the downstream in the conveying direction. The harvester described in any of the above.

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