JPH02245121A - Apparatus for pruning branch at high place - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable consistent and sure catching of a scene in cutting a pruned branch on one screen by rotatably providing a branch nipper and branch cutting blade with a prescribed radius around the collimation axial center of a video camera for picking up a state of the pruned branch. CONSTITUTION:A video camera 3 is built in the end of an expansion boom and a cutting blade 1 and a nipper 2 are rotatably provided on the outer peripheral part around the collimation axial center with a prescribed radius by a rotating means. In the rotation, the cutting blade 1 and nipper 2 can be always located in the pickup visual field of the video camera 3. Thereby, the cutting blade and nipper can be regulated to places where the branch can be cut therewith and positioned there while monitoring an image on a screen of a monitoring television. As a result, cutting and pruning of a branch can be carried out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application This invention relates to a high-altitude pruning device, and more specifically, a telescopic boom having joints with multiple degrees of freedom performs tree branch pruning at high places from the ground. It can be used at times.

Prior Art and Problems to be Solved by the Invention Conventionally, pruning of trees, etc., has been a so-called pruning operation in which unnecessary lower branches of mountain forests, roadside trees, etc. are pruned, and has been necessary for the growth and management of trees, etc. This pruning work has traditionally been done by hand, but as this manual pruning work is extremely inefficient and is dangerous and heavy labor, there is a demand for mechanization of this work. Some devices have already been trialled that rotate up the trunk of a tree and automatically remove lower branches, but there are still many problems with performance and cost, and this device has yet to become widespread. Not yet reached.

On the other hand, as a fruit harvesting device, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-3
No. 1614, JP-A-59-95809, JP-A-61-
249314, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-271915, etc., there have been applications for fruit thinning that is equipped with a video camera and captures images on a monitor TV, etc., but in these fruit thinning, the fruit is It is in a hanging state due to its own weight, and the position of the clamping tool and cutting blade when thinning the fruit is
For example, fruit can be pruned by holding the vertical position and catching the fruit from below, but when pruning the lower branches of a tree, it is necessary to remove branches that intersect vertically, horizontally, and vertically. Even if the video camera captures the branch to be plucked, in extreme cases the cutting blade and the clamping tool may have to be turned over significantly in order to cut the branch. Therefore, the cutting scene is likely to deviate greatly. In addition to the above-mentioned already-filed invention, an invention has already been filed as in JP-A-55-13878, in which the video camera is rotated around a boom that supports a manipulator. Due to the rotation of the manipulator itself, there are problems such as blind spots occurring during photographing, and problems such as the fact that the cutting blade and the clamping tool easily come off the screen because the photographing position constantly moves. However, there was a problem in that it was difficult to capture the cutting scene on the screen of the monitor television.

Therefore, the present invention allows the cutting scene of the pruning to be consistently and accurately captured on the screen of the monitor television by rotating the cutting blade and the clamping tool at a constant radius around the viewing axis 6 of the video camera. The idea is to make it more appealing.

Means for Solving the Problems This invention has a cutting blade (1), a clamping tool (2), and a video camera (3) at the tip and has a joint with multiple degrees of freedom for pruning tree branches at high places. In the retractable boom, the clamping tool (2) that clamps the branch and the cutting blade (1) that cuts the clamped branch are fixed around the visual axis 6 of the video camera (3) that photographs the pruning state. The structure of the high-place pruning device is such that it is rotatable with a radius of .

Effect of the Invention With the above configuration, a video camera (3) is installed at the end of the most advanced boom of a telescopic boom having joints with multiple degrees of freedom, and the outer circumference around the viewing axis 6 of this video camera (3) is A cutting blade (1) in the form of scissors, for example, and a clamping tool (2) adjacent to the negative side of the cutting blade (1) that clamps the branch to be pruned at a constant radius by means of rotation means. By providing the cutting blade (1) in a rotatable manner, the cutting blade (1) can be rotated during this rotation.
and the clamping tool (2) can be always positioned within the photographic field of view of the video camera (3), and the video camera (3)
When a branch that requires pruning at a high location such as a tree is shown on the screen of a monitor TV, etc., the operator should remove the cutting blade ( 1), operate the cutting blade (1) and the clamping tool (2) vertically, horizontally, or rotatably relative to the video camera (3) until the optimum cutting condition is achieved. The procedure is to adjust the position and cut the branch so that it is obtained.

As described above, the branch to be plucked, which is captured by the video camera (3) and displayed on the screen of the monitor television, is held by the clamping tool (2) and cut by the cutting blade (1). When pruning,
By rotating the cutting blade (1) and the clamping tool (2) around the visual axis 6 of the video camera (3), even if the branches to be pruned are crossed vertically and horizontally, the cutting blade (1) and the clamping tool (2) can be The cutting blade (1) and the clamping tool (2) are brought into the field of view of the video camera (3) while gripping the branch parallel to the branch, so that clamping and cutting can be performed in the optimal cutting state. In this device, the cutting blade (1) and the clamping tool (2) cannot be turned over as in the case of fruit thinning, and the television camera (
3) Even in the case where the camera rotates, there are problems such as the occurrence of blind spots during photographing, and the problem that the cutting blade (1) and the clamping tool (2) tend to come off the screen due to movement of the photographing position. When pruning, it is not difficult to see the cutting scene on the screen of the monitor TV, and according to the present invention, the cutting scene of the pruning can be consistently and accurately captured on the screen, and the cutting can be done directly by hand. This allows safe and efficient cutting and pruning with the same feeling as when cutting.

Embodiment A cutting device (4) having a cutting blade (1) and a clamping tool (2) for pruning unnecessary lower branches of a tree or the like at a high place will be exemplified. This cutting device (4) is attached to the tip of a telescopic boom (5) that is configured to be extendable and retractable with multiple joints and a degree of freedom. Also, this telescopic boom (
5) is a boom support frame (7) which is rotatably supported in the horizontal direction on a cylindrical base (6), and is supported by a fulcrum pin (8) so as to be vertically movable. The telescoping boom (5) is configured to be extendable and retractable in three stages by means of a boom, and the telescoping boom (5) is made up of a telescoping boom base (5a), a telescoping boom middle (5b), and a telescoping boom tip 6 (5c). It has a nested structure with tiers that can be tightly fitted and expanded to allow for storage and extension. Note that these drives use power devices such as hydraulic pressure and electricity.

Further, an adjustment holding frame (9) is supported at the tip of the telescoping boom end (5c) of the telescoping boom (5) so as to be movable up and down, and the cutting device having a square cross section is supported on the adjustment holding frame (9). (4)
A sliding boom (1 [I) is slidably inserted into the adjusting holding frame (9). A sliding boom motor (111) is installed inside the adjustment holding frame (9) to rotate and slide the sliding boom O1. and configure it.

In addition, a video camera (3) is fixed inside the tip of the sliding boom (In) so that it can take pictures of the front, and a ring with a square inner diameter and a circular outer diameter is attached to the outer periphery of the tip, and a side plate is attached to one side of the ring. A rotation guide Oi5 integrally provided with is fitted, and the outer circumference of the video camera (3) is rotated via a bearing (1:l) on the outer circumference of the ring of this rotation guide Oi5. The rotating case 04 is loosely fitted into the structure.

Moreover, this rotating case 04 is equipped with the clamping tool (2) that clamps the branch to be pruned when pruning, and the cutting blade (1) that cuts the clamped branch. This cutting blade (1) has an upper blade (1a) and a lower blade (1b).
For example, the upper blade (1a) can be engaged with the upper blade (1a) to cut the branch by the action of the lower blade (lb) on the inner wall of the rotating case (to). fixed in position, the lower blade (1b) is moved by the upper blade (1b) by the cutting motor (19).
Arm + IQ and link (
Connect by 1η. Further, the lower claw (2b) of the clamping tool (2) having a length sufficient to clamp the branch is attached to the side of the lower blade (1b) opposite to the video camera (3), In response to the action of the lower claw (2b), an upper claw (2a) capable of holding the branch is rotatably supported on the inner wall of the rotating case 041, and the upper claw (2a) is moved from the pivot point. A clamping spring (Ifl) is elastically biased so that when the opposite side is extended and the branch is clamped at this extended end, a constant clamping pressure is applied.At this time, the upper claw (2a) is extended. The end part regulates the position of the upper claw (2a) by the inner wall of the rotating case (B) by the pressing force of the clamping spring (+11) so that the optimum cutting position can be maintained with respect to the cutting blade (1). Configure it to make it work.

In addition, the rotating case has an L-shaped configuration, with the cutting blade (1) and the clamping tool (2) located on one side of the L-shape, and the bearing (1) loosely fitted on the other side. The rotary case a4 is configured as a rotatable boss (14a), and a ring gear (l) is fixed to the side plate of the rotary guide tool 0 of the rotary boss (14a). A ring gear (a pinion gear (to) that meshes with l is pivotally supported by a rotary motor 1211 that rotationally drives the rotary case 04, and this rotary motor mill) is connected to the pinion gear (to) on the side plate of the rotary guide tool a. 2).The rotation boss (14a) regulates the thrust by the side plate of the rotation guide (JB) and the stop ring t2δ at the other end, and also controls the thrust of the rotation guide (JB) on the side opposite to the ring gear (FII
A flange covering the pinion gear blade is extended from the rotation case 04.

The telescopic boom (5) has its base (6) installed on the bed of a truck (to) or the front of a tractor (c), and the telescopic boom (5) is placed near the driver's seat (c). (5) and the cutting device (4) are provided with an operation panel (a) and a monitor television (a), and the operation panel (to)
The panel (26a) has switches (a), (b), (
c), (d) and operating levers (e), (he), (g), (ch)
and the operation panel (2) and the monitor television (
(b), the telescopic boom (5), and the cutting device (4) are communicably connected by a harness or the like.

When using the high-place pruning device configured as described above, for example, when pruning unnecessary lower branches of trees at high places, first press the switch (c) on the panel (26a) on the operation panel (to). A telescopic boom (5) stored on the bed of a truck (2) or on the roof of the cabin of a tractor (2) by a person.
) and the cutting device (4) are automatically moved and set to the working position in front of the driver's seat (c).

With the completion of the movement settings to this working position, the telescopic boom (
5), by operating the operating rod (E) left and right, it performs rotation in the horizontal direction, by operating the operating rod (E) up and down, it performs a vertical movement, and by operating the operating rod (E) up and down, it performs three stages of expansion and contraction. At the same time, the cutting device (4) is rotated in the vertical direction by vertical operation of the operating rod (T), and at this stage, the cutting blade (1) is directly attached to the target branch to be pruned by the operator's visual observation. ) and the clamping tool (2) are brought closer together.

Next, while watching the monitor TV (5), repeat the above operation so that the direction of the target branch projected on the screen is in the normal direction from the center of the screen as shown in Figures 7 and 8. At this point, the target branch and the cutting blade (1) are rotated by rotating the rotating case 04 by moving the operating rod up and down.
The direction of the cutting blade (1) is adjusted so that the optimum cutting condition can be obtained, and with this positioning, the operating rod (111) is operated left and right, and the cutting blade (111) is moved by the pushing and pulling action of the sliding boom (111
) to match the target branch cutting position.

At this time, by arranging the cutting blade (1) on the branch tip side and the clamping tool (2) on the branch tip side, it is possible to sufficiently check the condition of the branch tip side that should be left, and this confirmation is possible. At this stage, by turning on the switch (A), the cutting motor (19 is driven and the lower blade (1b) of the cutting blade (1) is connected to the upper blade (1a) via the arm (IG) and the link (ω). The lower claw (2b) of the clamping tool (2) clamps the tip of the branch to be cut between it and the upper claw (2a) in accordance with the movement of the lower blade (1b). do.

The cut branch tips held by the holding tools (2) are moved to an appropriate dropping position, and then dropped by the person at the switch (B). Further, when the pruning work is completed, the telescopic boom (5) and the cutting device [4] are automatically stored in the storage position by the switch (d). By monitoring these operations on the monitor TV (5) and accurately capturing the cutting scene of the pruning on the screen, it is possible to cut the pruning safely and efficiently with the same feeling as when cutting directly by hand. It is Uruchino.

Further, instead of using the cutting blade (1) in the form of scissors, the cutting blade (1) may be configured to press and cut a disk blade (c) rotated by a rotary blade motor (2) as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

In this case, the lower claw (2b) of the clamping tool (2) is positioned so as to be swingable so that the optimal cutting position can be clamped by the clamping spring (IB).

Further, a cutter device 0 using a reciprocating clipper blade O1 or the like is attached to the tip of the telescopic boom tip (5c) of the telescopic boom (5).
An adjustment rotation frame (support) on which the υ is mounted is supported so as to be movable up and down, and a sliding prism (to) with a rectangular cross section is slidably inserted into this adjustment rotation frame (to). A sliding prismatic motor (to) that causes the moving frame (support) to rotate and slide the sliding prismatic pillar (to)
Interior and configuration. Further, a rotating shaft C1'9 is rotatably fitted and supported through the inner diameter center of the sliding prism (to), and this rotating shaft Oe is projected from the upper end portion of the sliding prism (to). A bracket (to) is extended and fixed in an L shape, and a rotation shaft motor (b) for rotating the rotation shaft (to) is provided at the base of this bracket (to), and the bracket cI
The video camera (3) is attached to the tip of the Q so that it can take pictures of the lower part.
A clipper blade O1 is installed and fixed in an L shape at the lower end of the rotating shaft (to) that protrudes from the sliding prism (to), and a clipper blade O1 is driven near this clipper blade (to). A clipper motor (to) for use is provided and configured. With the above configuration,
For example, when mowing and managing weeds on banks, etc., the telescopic boom (5) installed on the loading platform of a truck (2), etc.
is operated by the operation panel (a), and is raised and lowered □ and extended and contracted in three stages according to the slope of the bank, etc., and the cutter device 1cll attached to the tip of the telescopic boom tip (5C) ) by the vertical movement of the adjustment rotation frame (support), the vertical sliding of the sliding prism 03, and the horizontal rotation of the rotation shaft (to), as shown in FIG. 13. The weeds are cut by adjusting the weeds, and during this cutting, the video camera (3), which moves in the same manner as the clipper blade O1, photographs the working condition, and the weeds are recorded on the monitor television (3).
By accurately capturing the work scene on the screen while monitoring (b), it is possible to perform safe and efficient reaping work with the same feeling as when reaping work is performed directly by hand.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figures show an embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 1 and 2 are side views, FIG. 3 is a slope view, and FIG. 4 is a partial plan cross-sectional view.
Figures 5 and 6 are partial side sectional views, Figures 7 and 8 are video screen views, Figure 9 is a partial front view, Figure 10 is a partial plan sectional view, and Figure 11 is a partial side sectional view. The figure is a partial side sectional view, FIG. 12 is a side view, and FIG. 13 is a front view of the work. In the figure, reference numeral (1) indicates a cutting blade, (2) a clamping tool, and (3) a video camera.

Claims (1)

[Claims] The cutting blade (1), clamping tool (2) and video camera (
3) is equipped with a telescopic boom having joints with multiple degrees of freedom for pruning tree branches at high places. A clamping tool (2) and the cutting blade (1) that cuts the clamped branch.
A high-place pruning device that is rotatable at a fixed radius.