A self-propelled corn harvester

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of agricultural machinery, and more specifically, to a self-propelled corn harvester, comprising a tracked trolley, a gantry frame mounted thereon, a clamping mechanism fixed to the gantry frame, and a harvesting roller. The clamping mechanism includes a main beam inclined downwards from the tail to the head and a separating assembly protruding from the gantry frame. The harvesting roller is connected to the tail of the main beam and forms a lateral compression space with the clamping mechanism. This invention addresses the technical problems of corn harvesters being unable to adapt to complex terrain, occupying too much space and lacking flexible turning, consuming too much energy during harvesting, causing significant damage to corn ears during harvesting, and resulting in poor corn ear quality. It enhances the automatic adaptability and operational stability in complex terrain; reduces the space occupied by the corn harvester, facilitating flexible turning; eliminates the need for additional power input during harvesting, reducing energy consumption during the harvesting process, making harvesting more labor-saving, and improving the quality of harvested corn ears.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural machinery, and more specifically, to a self-propelled corn harvester. Background Technology

[0002] Corn, as one of my country's main grains, has ranked first in production among the three major grains in recent years. Now, with the continuous improvement of people's living standards, the demand for fresh corn, which has higher nutritional content and better taste, is also constantly increasing.

[0003] However, the main planting areas for sweet corn in my country are currently concentrated in southern regions such as Yunnan and Guangdong. Due to the diverse terrain and complex topography in the south, most corn planting areas are scattered, making it difficult for large corn harvesters to operate in the fields. As a result, most agricultural machinery on the market cannot be matched with their agronomic practices.

[0004] In addition to the aforementioned problem that corn harvesters are unable to adapt to the complex terrain of scattered small fields, the excessive space occupied by existing corn harvesters and their inability to turn flexibly are new drawbacks. At the same time, during the corn harvesting process, the harvesting rollers require additional input power. Furthermore, when harvesting corn ears, the ears are subjected to an upward pulling force that breaks the stalks, causing severe compression damage to the corn ears and resulting in poor quality of harvested corn ears. All of the above-mentioned defects are problems that urgently need to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to overcome at least one of the defects (deficiencies) of the prior art and provide a self-propelled corn harvester to solve the technical problems of corn harvesters being unable to adapt to complex terrain, occupying too much space and being unable to turn flexibly, consuming a lot of energy during the harvesting process, causing great damage to the corn ears during the harvesting process, and resulting in poor quality of the corn ears.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is a self-propelled corn harvester, which includes a tracked trolley, a gantry frame above it, a clamping mechanism and a picking roller fixed on the gantry frame. The clamping mechanism includes a main beam inclined downward from the tail to the head and a grain-separating component protruding from the gantry frame. The picking roller is connected to the tail of the main beam and forms a lateral compression space with the clamping mechanism.

[0007] It is beneficial to enhance the traction and grip of the corn harvester by using a tracked trolley, thereby improving its ability to adapt flexibly to complex terrain and enhancing the stability of the corn harvester. It is also beneficial to arrange multiple components of the harvester compactly by using a gantry frame, reducing the space occupied by the corn harvester and facilitating its flexible steering. It is also beneficial to change the connection space between the clamping mechanism and the picking roller and the direction of force when squeezing the corn ears by using an inclined main beam. Furthermore, it is beneficial to make the corn ears picking without additional power input by using a lateral squeezing space, while the lateral tension makes picking easier and reduces the damage to the corn ears caused by squeezing.

[0008] Furthermore, the clamping mechanism includes two sets, each set of clamping mechanisms includes two main beams, the main beams are connected to the gantry frame through a square tube frame, the picking roller includes two symmetrical spiral double roller structures, the first gap between the two main beams is aligned with the second gap between the two symmetrical spiral double roller structures, and the connection between the first gap and the second gap forms a lateral extrusion space.

[0009] It is advantageous to simultaneously clamp two rows of corn stalks using two sets of clamping mechanisms; it is advantageous to transport the corn stalks through the first gap to the second gap, where they are subjected to lateral force within the lateral compression space, which is less strenuous than the traditional bottom-up pulling force that breaks the stalks and causes less compression damage to the corn ears; it is advantageous to avoid the corn stalks breaking or getting blocked during the transmission process by aligning the first and second gaps, thus preventing a decrease in corn harvesting efficiency.

[0010] Furthermore, the symmetrical spiral double-roller structure includes a first spiral roller and a second spiral roller, wherein the protrusions on the first spiral roller and the second spiral roller form a V-shaped extrusion space with the second gap.

[0011] The parallel arrangement of the first and second spiral rollers allows the spiral-shaped convex strips above them to form a symmetrical extrusion space, namely a V-shaped extrusion space, which makes it easier to harvest corn stalks in the harvesting rollers.

[0012] Furthermore, each clamping mechanism also includes a clamping hand wheel protruding from the main beam. There is a gap between the two sets of parallel clamping mechanisms. A guide is provided at the head of the gap. The dividing assembly includes a dividing belt. The clamping hand wheel and the guide are respectively arranged with the dividing belt to form two clamping openings symmetrically arranged along the gap. The opening of the clamping opening gradually narrows to the first gap.

[0013] It facilitates the provision of space for the corn ears picked by the harvesting roller to fall through the gap; it facilitates the clearing of excess leaves in the cornfield by the separating component, and the restriction of the corn stalks in the clamping opening by the guide component. Then, the separating belt drives the corn stalks into the first gap, and the clamping hand wheel supports and drives the separating belt, so that the upper end of the corn stalks, which are straightened by the separating component and placed at the clamping hand wheel, is clamped tightly; the gradually narrowing clamping opening allows the corn stalks to quickly form a neat and uniform state during the clamping process, avoiding the corn ears from clogging when they reach the harvesting roller and affecting the harvesting efficiency.

[0014] Furthermore, the dividing assembly also includes a tensioning pulley, a fixed pulley, and a drive wheel motor disposed within the main beam. The drive wheel motor drives the dividing belt to move on the tensioning pulley and the fixed pulley. The tensioning pulley and the fixed pulley are staggered within the main beam, and the ratio of the number of tensioning pulleys to the number of fixed pulleys is 2:1.

[0015] It is advantageous to adjust the tension of the dividing belt through the tensioning pulley and the fixed pulley, and to drive the dividing belt through the drive wheel motor. The staggered arrangement and ratio of the tensioning pulley and the fixed pulley make the dividing belt clamp more tightly, preventing the corn stalks from slipping off.

[0016] Furthermore, it also includes a cutter. The gantry frame includes a multi-hole adjustable square tube. The cutter is positioned between the tracked trolley and the gantry frame via a contouring component. The height of the cutter is adjusted on the gantry frame via the multi-hole adjustable square tube.

[0017] When the large clamping wheel grips the upper end of the corn stalk, the bottom end of the corn stalk is cut off by the contour cutter, so that the corn plant is transported into the first gap along the rotation of the large clamping wheel; it is convenient to adjust the height of the contour cutter on the corn stalk by means of the multi-hole adjustable square tube, so as to adapt to the harvesting of corn plants under different terrains.

[0018] Furthermore, the cutter includes driven wheels, a disc cutter, and a cutter drive motor. The driven wheels are located on both sides of the tracked trolley via multi-hole position adjustment square tubes, with two driven wheels on each side. The disc cutter protrudes from the gantry frame.

[0019] It is advantageous to achieve flexible control of the disc cutter through driven wheels, disc cutter blades and cutter drive motor, especially in fields with complex terrain where the cutting height of each corn stalk is different, and traditional fixed cutters are prone to wear. It is also advantageous to use disc cutters located outside the gantry to cut the corn stalks when they enter the clamping mechanism, avoiding the corn stalks being pulled during the transport of the separating belt, thus affecting the service life of the separating belt.

[0020] Furthermore, the distance by which the disc cutter protrudes from the front end of the gantry is less than the distance by which the dividing assembly protrudes from the front end of the gantry.

[0021] The arrangement of the dividing component in front and the disc cutter behind ensures that the upper end of the corn stalk has a fixed force point when it is cut, making it less likely to slip during the cutting process and avoiding problems such as missed cuts, insufficient cuts, or incomplete cuts.

[0022] Furthermore, it also includes a collection frame, which is located below the square tube frame and connected to the square tube frame within the gantry to form a collection space. Along the length of the main beam, the length of the collection space is greater than the length of the lateral compression space.

[0023] It is beneficial to collect the harvested corn ears in time through the collection box, and by setting the length of the collection space to be greater than the length of the lateral squeezing space, the corn ears fall completely into the collection box after being subjected to the lateral force of the harvesting roller.

[0024] Furthermore, it also includes a battery housing located above the tracked vehicle. The tracked vehicle includes track wheel plates, and the collection frame includes a front plate, a bottom plate, and a tail plate. The front plate and the bottom plate are both fixed to the track wheel plates and the battery housing, and the tail plate is movably connected to the bottom plate via a hinge.

[0025] It is advantageous to power the entire corn harvester through the battery housing, enabling the unmanned corn harvester to complete the automatic harvesting; it is also advantageous to provide support for the collection frame through the track wheel plates, and to form a frame by fixing the front and rear plates to the battery housing, and to enable the flexible opening of the tail plate through the hinges.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: by strengthening the traction and grip of the corn harvester through the tracked trolley, it enhances the automatic adaptability to complex terrain and improves the stability of the corn harvester; by compactly arranging multiple components on the harvester through the gantry frame, the space occupied by the corn harvester is reduced, facilitating its flexible turning; by changing the connection space between the clamping mechanism and the picking roller and the direction of force when squeezing the corn ears through the inclined main beam; by using the lateral squeezing space, the corn ears do not require additional power input for picking, reducing energy consumption in the picking process, while the lateral tension makes picking less strenuous, reduces the damage to the corn ears caused by squeezing, and improves the quality of corn ear picking. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the left front axonometric structure of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the left rear isometric structure of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the left-side structure of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a front view structural diagram of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a top view of the structure of the present invention.

[0032] Attached diagram labels: 1. Clamping mechanism; 2. Harvesting roller; 3. Cutter; 4. Collection frame; 5. Tracked trolley; 6. Main beam; 7. Dividing assembly; 8. Multi-hole adjustable square tube; 9. Driven wheel; 10. Clamping hand belt; 11. Disc cutter; 12. Clamping hand wheel; 13. Cutter drive motor; 14. Dividing belt; 15. Contouring assembly; 16. Tracked wheel unit; 17. Battery housing; 18. Tail plate; 19. Protective shell; 20. Gantry frame; 21. Square tube frame. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the invention. To better illustrate the following embodiments, some parts in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual product dimensions; it is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings.

[0034] Example

[0035] like Figure 1-5 As shown, a self-propelled corn harvester includes a tracked trolley, a gantry frame mounted above it, a clamping mechanism and a picking roller fixed to the gantry frame. The clamping mechanism includes a main beam inclined downward from the tail to the head and a separating assembly protruding from the gantry frame. The picking roller is connected to the tail of the main beam and forms a lateral compression space with the clamping mechanism.

[0036] In this embodiment, the tracked trolley 5 replaces the traditional wheeled chassis, facilitating travel on various terrains, including mountains, hills, and other complex terrains. Besides its strong adaptability, the tracked trolley 5 provides better traction and grip, resulting in greater stability for the corn harvester during operation. In contrast, traditional wheeled chassis are prone to slippage or rollover when dealing with complex terrain and soil conditions. The tracked trolley 5 can also turn on the spot with a small turning radius, allowing for flexible maneuvering even in fields with small headlands. The gantry frame 20 has ample space to accommodate various components such as the clamping mechanism 1 and the harvesting roller 2, making the corn harvester's structure more compact. The picking roller 2 has a symmetrical spiral double roller structure, and the lateral compression space formed by the picking roller 2 and the clamping mechanism 1 is arranged in a "V" shape. Compared with the traditional corn harvester that picks the corn upwards, this "V" shape arrangement makes the corn ears pick from top to bottom. At the same time, when picking the corn ears, the force at the connection between the corn ear and the stalk is a lateral force, so that the driven rotation in the picking roller 2 does not require power input, which simplifies the overall structure of the picking roller 2 and reduces the quality damage caused by the compression of the corn ears.

[0037] In this embodiment, the corn ears are on the branches of the corn stalk. When the upper end of the corn stalk is clamped by the clamping mechanism 1 and transported to the lateral compression space to start the harvesting action, the branch with the corn ear is relatively heavier than the corn stalk and leans forward to contact the harvesting roller 2 first. The corn stalk is clamped and transported in the main beam 6. The corn ear branch in front is squeezed by the harvesting roller 2 and detaches from the corn stalk behind. The harvested corn ear falls directly below the harvesting roller 2. The quality of the corn ear is not damaged during the entire harvesting process.

[0038] The clamping mechanism 1 includes two sets, each set of clamping mechanism 1 includes two main beams 6, the main beams 6 are connected to the gantry frame 20 through a square tube frame 21, the picking roller 2 includes two symmetrical spiral double roller structures, the first gap between the two main beams 6 is aligned with the second gap between the two symmetrical spiral double roller structures, and the connection between the first gap and the second gap forms a lateral extrusion space.

[0039] In this embodiment, the clamping mechanism 1 has a main beam 6 as its frame, with clamping hand wheels 12 connected to the front and rear ends of the main beam 6. The drive motor is connected to the clamping hand wheels 12 installed on the rear side of the main beam 6. The separating assembly 7 is installed below the clamping hand wheels 12 on the front side of the clamping mechanism 1. The bottom of the gantry frame 20 is fixed with a square tube frame 21, and the main beam 6 is connected to the square tube frame 21. The clamping hand wheels 12 are connected to both ends of the main beam 6, and a protective shell 19 is fixed to the upper end of the main beam 6. The clamping hand wheels 12 on the rear side of the main beam 6 are equipped with a drive motor 24, and the separating assembly 7 is fixed to the lower side of the clamping hand wheels 12 on the front side. The picking roller 2 is connected to the clamping mechanism 1 through the square tube frame 21.

[0040] In this embodiment, the corn ears are branched on the corn stalks by the separating assembly 7. When the upper end of the corn stalk is clamped by the clamping hand wheel 12 in the clamping mechanism 1, it is transported to the lateral compression space at the first gap to start the harvesting action. The branch with the corn ears is relatively heavier than the corn stalk, and it leans forward and contacts the harvesting roller 2 first, while the corn stalk is still clamped and transported in the first gap. The force on the front corn ear branch at the second gap is different from the force on the rear corn stalk at the first gap, thereby generating a lateral force that separates the corn ear branch from the corn stalk, thus improving the harvesting quality of the corn ears.

[0041] The symmetrical spiral double-roller structure includes a first spiral roller and a second spiral roller. The convex strips on the first spiral roller and the second spiral roller form a V-shaped extrusion space with the second gap.

[0042] In this embodiment, the protrusions on the first and second spiral rollers are arranged in a "V" shape. This arrangement allows the harvesting roller 2 to rotate automatically as it is pulled by the corn stalk, eliminating the need for power input, thus saving power and simplifying the overall structure.

[0043] In this embodiment, the kinetic energy of the corn stalk at the first gap drives the first and second spiral rollers to rotate. The first and second spiral rollers rotate in opposite directions due to the convex strips on them. The contact surfaces of the corn ear branches and the corn stalks at the second gap are different, which makes the magnitude of the force on them different. Therefore, the corn ear branches can be easily separated from the corn stalks without damaging the quality of the corn ear.

[0044] Each clamping mechanism also includes a clamping hand wheel 12 protruding from the main beam 6. There is a gap between the two sets of parallel clamping mechanisms 1. A guide is provided at the head of the gap. The rice separating assembly 7 includes a rice separating belt 14. The clamping hand wheel 12 and the guide form two clamping openings symmetrically arranged along the gap with the rice separating belt 14. The opening of the clamping opening gradually narrows to the first gap.

[0045] In this embodiment, the two large gripping wheels 12 on the front outer side are connected to the separating belt 14 and the gripping belt 10. The large gripping wheels 12 support and drive the gripping belt 10, so that the upper end of the corn stalk that is straightened by the separating component 7 to the large gripping wheels 12 is clamped. At the same time, the disc cutter cuts off the bottom end of the corn stalk, and the corn plant is transported backward and upward with the large gripping wheels 12.

[0046] In this embodiment, the clamping hand wheel 12 can also control the opening and closing angle of the separating component 7 to adapt to the clamping and harvesting of corn stalks of different densities.

[0047] The dividing assembly also includes a tensioning pulley, a fixed pulley, and a drive wheel motor located inside the main beam. The drive wheel motor drives the dividing belt to move on the tensioning pulley and the fixed pulley. The tensioning pulley and the fixed pulley are staggered inside the main beam, and the ratio of the number of tensioning pulleys to the number of fixed pulleys is 2:1.

[0048] In this embodiment, the tensioning pulley 22 and the fixed pulley 23 are staggered and connected to the main beam 6, and the number of tensioning pulleys 22 and fixed pulleys 23 is set in a 2:1 ratio. This makes the clamping of the separating belt 14 more compact and prevents the corn stalks from slipping off.

[0049] It also includes a cutter 3. The gantry 20 includes a multi-hole adjustable square tube 8. The cutter 3 is disposed between the tracked trolley 5 and the gantry 20 through a contouring component 15. The height of the cutter 3 is adjusted on the gantry 20 through the multi-hole adjustable square tube 8.

[0050] In this embodiment, the cutter 3 is connected to the square tube frame 21 through the contouring component 15. The cutter 3 can be contoured by the contouring component 15. The cutter 3 can be contoured according to the undulation of the ridge surface, avoiding cutting into the soil and damaging the cutter, and ensuring the ground clearance of the cutting point.

[0051] The cutter 3 includes driven wheels 9, a disc cutter 11 and a cutter drive motor 13. The driven wheels 9 are located on both sides of the tracked trolley 5 through a multi-hole position adjustment square tube 8. Each side of the driven wheels 9 includes two. The disc cutter 11 protrudes out of the gantry frame 20.

[0052] In this embodiment, the cutter 3 is composed of two driven wheels 9, a disc cutter 11, and a cutter drive motor 13 connected by a square tube frame 21. The height of the cutter 3 can be adjusted by connecting to the multi-hole position on the square tube frame 21. The disc cutter 11 protrudes out of the gantry frame 20 to cut the corn ears before picking, which facilitates the sequential processing of the corn stalks by the clamping mechanism 1 and the picking roller 2, and avoids the uncut corn stalks being pulled in the clamping mechanism 1, which would damage the service life of the corn harvester.

[0053] The distance by which the disc cutter 11 protrudes from the front end of the gantry frame 20 is less than the distance by which the dividing assembly 7 protrudes from the front end of the gantry frame 20.

[0054] In this embodiment, the dividing component 7 contacts the corn stalk first, and the disc cutter 11 contacts the corn stalk later, so that the disc cutter 11 has an upper fixed point when it applies force to cut, thus avoiding slippage when cutting the corn stalk.

[0055] It also includes a collection frame 4, which is located below the square tube frame 21 and connected to the square tube frame 21 within the gantry 20 to form a collection space. Along the length of the main beam 6, the length of the collection space is greater than the length of the lateral compression space.

[0056] In this embodiment, the picking roller 2 extends from the middle of the clamping mechanism 1 to the rear side and directly below the end of the clamping mechanism 1, so that the picked corn ears fall into the collection frame 4; the length of the collection space is greater than the length of the lateral squeezing space to prevent the picked corn ears from being missed.

[0057] It also includes a battery housing 17 located above the tracked vehicle 5. The tracked vehicle 5 includes track wheel plates. The collection frame 4 includes a front plate, a bottom plate, and a tail plate 18. The front plate and the bottom plate are both fixed to the track wheel plates and the battery housing 17. The tail plate 18 is movably connected to the bottom plate via a hinge.

[0058] In this embodiment, the tracked trolley 5 is composed of tracked wheel units 16 on both sides of the vehicle body, fixed by a gantry frame 20. The battery housing 17 is fixed on the tracked wheel units 16, and the collection frame 4 is fixed on the battery housing 17. The collection frame 4 is positioned directly below the harvesting roller 2, and the bottom of the collection frame 4 has a downward tilt angle. The collection frame 4 and the tail plate 18 form a rotating structure via hinges, and the electric push rod provides opening and closing capability. When the collection frame 4 is full of corn ears, the corn harvester moves to the storage area, and the electric push rod opens the tail plate 18. Due to the downward tilt angle at the bottom of the collection frame 4, the corn ears slide out under the action of gravity.

[0059] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the technical solution of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the specific implementation of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the claims of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-propelled corn harvester, characterized in that, It includes a tracked trolley, a gantry frame mounted on it, a clamping mechanism and a picking roller fixed on the gantry frame. The clamping mechanism includes a main beam that slopes downward from the tail to the head and a grain-dividing assembly that protrudes from the gantry frame. The picking roller is connected to the tail of the main beam and forms a lateral compression space with the clamping mechanism. The clamping mechanism includes two sets, each set of clamping mechanisms includes two main beams, the main beams are connected to the gantry frame through a square tube frame, the picking roller includes two symmetrical spiral double roller structures, the first gap between the two main beams is aligned with the second gap between the two symmetrical spiral double roller structures, and the connection between the first gap and the second gap forms a lateral extrusion space. The symmetrical spiral double-roller structure includes a first spiral roller and a second spiral roller. The convex strips on the first spiral roller and the second spiral roller form a V-shaped extrusion space with the second gap.

2. The self-propelled corn harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each clamping mechanism also includes a clamping hand wheel protruding from the main beam. There is a gap between the two sets of parallel clamping mechanisms. A guide is provided at the head of the gap. The dividing assembly includes a dividing belt. The clamping hand wheel and the guide are respectively arranged with the dividing belt to form two clamping openings symmetrically arranged along the gap. The opening of the clamping opening gradually narrows to the first gap.

3. The self-propelled corn harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dividing assembly also includes a tensioning pulley, a fixed pulley, and a drive wheel motor located inside the main beam. The drive wheel motor drives the dividing belt to move on the tensioning pulley and the fixed pulley. The tensioning pulley and the fixed pulley are staggered inside the main beam, and the ratio of the number of tensioning pulleys to the number of fixed pulleys is 2:

1.

4. The self-propelled corn harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a cutter, and the gantry includes a multi-hole adjustable square tube. The cutter is positioned between the tracked trolley and the gantry through a contouring component, and the height of the cutter is adjusted on the gantry through the multi-hole adjustable square tube.

5. The self-propelled corn harvester according to claim 4, characterized in that, The cutter includes driven wheels, a disc cutter, and a cutter drive motor. The driven wheels are located on both sides of the tracked trolley through multi-hole adjustable square tubes, with two driven wheels on each side. The disc cutter protrudes from the gantry frame.

6. The self-propelled corn harvester according to claim 5, characterized in that, The distance by which the disc cutter protrudes from the front end of the gantry is less than the distance by which the dividing assembly protrudes from the front end of the gantry.

7. The self-propelled corn harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a collection frame, which is located below the square tube frame and connected to the square tube frame to form a collection space inside the gantry. Along the length of the main beam, the length of the collection space is greater than the length of the lateral compression space.

8. The self-propelled corn harvester according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a battery housing located above the tracked vehicle. The tracked vehicle includes track wheel plates. The collection frame includes a front plate, a bottom plate, and a tail plate. The front plate and the bottom plate are both fixed to the track wheel plates and the battery housing. The tail plate is movably connected to the bottom plate via a hinge.

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