Seedling transplanter

Abstract

To provide a seedling transplanter of a riding rice transplanter which can easily stop a backward travel at a ridge with good workability, the backward travel conventionally being performed for lowering a seedling planting part to the height right closer to the ground for better workability when moving a rear part of the seedling planting closer to the ridge by a backward travel in order to plant the seedling along the area close to the ridge, the backward travel closer to the ridge being however stopped by a visual check of an operator or a check or signal of an assistant, resulting in a time-consuming and poor workability.SOLUTION: A ridge detection device 70 is provided, including: a sensor stay 71 provided at a rear part of a seedling planting part 9; an arm 72 that rotates about a first rotational support shaft 72a as a rotational support point on the sensor stay 71; a sensor body 73 that rotates about a second rotational support shaft 73a as a rotational support point at a tip end of the arm 72; and a sensing device such as a switch 76, potentiometer, and the like which senses that the sensor body 73 positioned on a rear side from the rear part of the seedling planting part 9 comes into contact with the ridge and rotates about the second rotational support shaft 73a in a machine frontward direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seedling transplanter, such as a rice transplanter, for planting seedlings in a field. [Background technology]

[0002] When using a riding rice transplanter to plant seedlings from the edge of a paddy field, it is easier to work when the rear of the seedling planting part is moved closer to the paddy field by reversing, if the seedling planting part is lowered to a height just before it touches the ground (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-139374 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the stopping of the reversing when approaching the ridge was performed by the operator's visual confirmation or by confirmation and signaling from an assistant, which was troublesome and made the work less efficient.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a seedling transplanter that can easily and efficiently stop reverse movement when approaching ridges. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention described in claim 1 is a seedling transplanter in which a seedling planting section 9 is attached to the rear of a running body 7 via a lifting link device 8 so that it can be freely raised and lowered, and which is provided with a ridge detection device 70 consisting of a sensor stay 71 provided at the rear of the seedling planting section 9, an arm 72 attached to the sensor stay 71 and rotating around a first pivot shaft 72a, a sensor body 73 at the end of the arm 72 and rotating around a second pivot shaft 73a, and a sensing device such as a switch 76 or a potentiometer that detects when the sensor body 73, which is located behind the rear of the seedling planting section 9, comes into contact with a ridge A and rotates around the second pivot shaft 73a toward the front of the machine body.

[0007] According to the invention described in claim 1, the ridge detection device 70 can be installed relatively inexpensively, and when reversing the riding rice transplanter 1 to bring the rear end of the seedling planting unit 9 to the edge of the ridge A, it is no longer necessary for the operator to visually check the reverse stop position or for an assistant to check and signal, making the work easier and improving workability.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is a seedling transplanter as described in claim 1, in which the sensor body 73 can be freely switched between a sensing position located behind the seedling planting section 9 and a stored position located forward of the rear end of the seedling planting section 9 by rotating the arm 72 around the first rotating support shaft 72a, and in the sensing position the arm 72 is urged downward around the first rotating support shaft 72a by a spring 74 or the like and is provided with a stopper 71b that restricts rotation in the upward and forward direction beyond a specified level, and the sensor body 73 is urged toward the rear of the machine body around the second rotating support shaft 73a by a spring 75 or the like and is provided with a stopper 72b that restricts rotation in the rear direction beyond a specified level.

[0009] The invention as set forth in claim 3 is the seedling transplanter as set forth in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the sensor body 73 has a lower end located rearward of the machine body relative to an upper end at the sensing position.

[0010] The invention described in claim 4 is a seedling transplanter described in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the sensor body 73 is located entirely or partially behind the seedling planting device 52 and the rear ends of the floats 55, 56 at the sensing position, the rear ends of the floats 55, 56 are located midway up and down the sensor body 73, and the lower end of the sensor body 73 is located below the bottom surfaces of the floats 55, 56.

[0011] The invention described in claim 5 is a seedling transplanter described in claim 4, in which the sensor body 73, when in the stored position, has its rear end positioned above the floats 55, 56 at the same position as the rear ends of the floats 55, 56, or the sensor body 73, when in the stored position, is positioned forward of the rear ends of the floats 55, 56 and above the floats 55, 56.

[0012] The invention described in claim 6 is a seedling transplanter described in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the arm 72 is switched between a stored position and a sensing position by a motor, and when the furrowing switch 38 is turned ON, the motor is activated to switch the arm 72 from the stored position to the sensing position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view for explaining the operation of the riding rice transplanter according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view for explaining the operation of the seedling planting section. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a side view for explaining the operation of the ridge detection device. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a seedling planting section showing another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a seedling planting section showing another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a side view of a seedling planting section showing another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, a riding type rice transplanter 1 serving as a seedling transplanter will be described as a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

[0015] 1 and 2, in the riding rice transplanter 1, a seedling planting unit 9 is mounted on the rear of a traveling body 7 via a lifting link device 8 so that the seedling planting unit 9 can be raised and lowered, and the main body of the fertilizer applicator 6 is provided on the upper rear side of the traveling body 7. The left and right directions of the riding rice transplanter 1 in the forward direction are referred to as left and right, respectively, and the forward and backward directions are referred to as front and rear, respectively.

[0016] <Traveling vehicle 7> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the running body 7 is a four-wheel drive vehicle equipped with a pair of left and right front wheels 10, 10 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 11, 11, which are drive wheels, in which a transmission case 12 is arranged at the front of the vehicle body, front wheel final cases 13, 13 are provided on the left and right sides of the transmission case 12, and the left and right front wheels 10, 10 are respectively attached to left and right front wheel axles that protrude outward from each front wheel support portion of the left and right front wheel final cases 13, 13, which can change the steering direction.

[0017] In addition, the front end of the main frame 15 is fixed to the rear portion of the transmission case 12, and the rear wheel gear cases 18, 18 are supported so as to be able to roll freely, with a rear wheel rolling axis set horizontally in the center of the left and right rear end of the main frame 15 as a fulcrum, and the rear wheels 11, 11 are attached to the rear wheel axles that protrude outward from the rear wheel gear cases 18, 18.

[0018] The engine 20 is mounted on the front of the traveling body 7, and the rotational power of the engine 20 is transmitted to the transmission case 12 via the belt transmission and the HST 23. The rotational power transmitted to the transmission case 12 is changed in speed by the transmission in the case 12, and then separated into traveling power and externally taken out power and taken out. Then, a part of the traveling power is transmitted to the front wheel final cases 13, 13 to drive the front wheels 10, 10, and the rest is transmitted to the rear wheel gear cases 18, 18 to drive the rear wheels 11, 11. The externally taken out power is transmitted to a planting clutch case provided at the rear of the traveling body 7, and then transmitted to the seedling planting section 9 by the planting transmission shaft, and is also transmitted to the fertilizer applicator 6 by the fertilizer transmission mechanism.

[0019] A seat 31 is installed on the center of the traveling body 7. In front of the seat 31 is a front cover 32 incorporating various operating mechanisms, and above that is provided a handle 34 for steering the front wheels 10, 10.

[0020] The left and right sides and rear of the lower end of the front cover 32 form a horizontal floor step 35. Part of the floor step 35 is shaped like a lattice, so that mud on the shoes of an operator walking on the step 35 falls into the field F. The rear part above the floor step 35 forms a rear step 36 that also serves as a rear wheel fender.

[0021] The lifting link device 8 is a parallel link structure, and includes one upper link 40 and a pair of lower links 41, 41 on the left and right. The base side of each of these links 40, 41, 41 is rotatably attached to a link base frame 42, which is shaped like a portal when viewed from the rear and is erected at the rear end of the main frame 15, and a vertical link 43 is connected to the tip side of each of the links. A connecting shaft 44, which is rotatably supported on the seedling planting unit 9, is inserted and connected to the lower end of the vertical link 43, and the seedling planting unit 9 is connected to the connecting shaft 44 so that it can roll freely around the connecting shaft 44. A lifting hydraulic cylinder 46 is provided between the link base frame 42 and the vertical link 43, and by hydraulically extending and retracting the cylinder 46, the lifting link device 8 rotates up and down, and the seedling planting unit 9 rises and falls while maintaining a substantially constant posture.

[0022] A base of a front frame 47 is fixed to the front end of the traveling vehicle body 7, and a GPS 3 is mounted on an upper portion of the front frame 47.

[0023] Left and right spare seedling carriers 48, 48 are provided on both the left and right sides of the front of the traveling body 7.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, an operation panel 37 is provided on the upper part of the front cover 32 below the handle 34. The operation panel 37 has various operation devices such as a ridge-pushing switch 38 (described later) and a monitor mounted thereon.

[0025] <Seedling planting section 9> As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the seedling planting section 9 has an 8-row planting configuration and is equipped with a planting transmission case 50 which also serves as a frame, a seedling carrier 51 which carries mat seedlings and moves back and forth from side to side to supply seedlings one by one to the seedling outlet 51a of each row, and which transports the seedlings downward by a seedling feed belt which supplies all of the seedlings in a horizontal row to the seedling outlet 51a, and a seedling planting device 52 which plants the seedlings supplied to the seedling outlet 51a in the field F.

[0026] A center float 55 is provided in the center of the lower part of the seedling planting section 9, and side floats 56, 56 are provided on both the left and right sides of the center float 55. When the vehicle is advanced with these floats 55, 56, 56 in contact with the muddy surface of the field F, the floats 55, 56, 56 slide along the muddy surface while leveling it, and the seedling planting device 52 plants seedlings in the leveled area.

[0027] Each float 55, 56, 56 is attached so that it can rotate freely so that its front end moves up and down in response to the unevenness of the topsoil surface of the field F. During planting work, the up and down movement of the front of the center float 55 is detected by an angle of attack control sensor, and in response to the detection result, the hydraulic valve that controls the lifting hydraulic cylinder 46 is switched to raise and lower the seedling planting section 9, thereby maintaining the seedling planting depth constant at all times.

[0028] A soil leveling rotor 27, which is an example of a soil leveling device, is attached to the seedling planting section 9.

[0029] In addition, the symbol 58 in the figure denotes a seedling plate guard that protects both left and right end portions of the seedling plate 59 in which the seedling removal opening 51a is formed.

[0030] Here, a ridge detection device 70 is provided at the rear of the seedling planting unit 9, which detects that the rear end of the seedling planting unit 9 reaches the edge of the ridge A when the riding rice transplanter 1 is moved backward in the field F. The ridge detection device 70 will be described in detail below.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the planting transmission case 50 has four case bodies 50a extending toward the rear of the machine body, and seedling planting devices 52 are attached to both the left and right sides of the rear ends of the four case bodies 50a.

[0032] The ridge detection devices 70 are provided at the rear end portions of the case bodies 50a located at both the left and right outer positions among the four case bodies 50a.

[0033] Therefore, two ridge detection devices 70 are provided at both the left and right outer positions of the rear end of the seedling planting section 9.

[0034] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the ridge detection device 70 is composed of a sensor stay 71 having a base fixed to the upper rear surface of the case body 50a, an arm 72 having a base pivoted to the sensor stay 71 at a first pivot shaft 72a so that the tip can rotate freely up and down, and a sensor body 73 having a base pivoted to the arm 72 at a second pivot shaft 73a so that the tip can rotate freely up and down.

[0035] The sensor stay 71 is provided with a sensing position stopper 71a that restricts downward rotation of the arm 72 when the arm 72 faces downward and rearward, and a storage position stopper 71b that restricts forward rotation of the arm 72 when the arm 72 faces upward.

[0036] The arm 72 can be freely switched between a sensing position where it is biased against and abuts the sensing position stopper 71a and a storage position where it is biased against and abuts the storage position stopper 71b when a tension spring 74 provided between the base side near the first pivot shaft 72a and the sensor stay 71 passes over the first pivot shaft 72a.

[0037] The tip of the arm 72 is bent in a V-shape in side view to form a stopper portion 72b.

[0038] The sensor body 73 is a rod body bent in an L-shape with the tip protruding rearward when viewed from the side, and has a stopper piece 73b on the base side near the second rotating support shaft 73a, which abuts against the stopper portion 72b of the arm 72.

[0039] One end of a coil spring 75 supported by the second pivot shaft 73a is engaged with the arm 72, and the other end is engaged with the sensor body 73, and the sensor body 73 is biased by the biasing force of the coil spring 75 in a direction to rotate toward the rear of the aircraft at the sensing position with the second pivot shaft 73a as the pivot point.

[0040] Therefore, the stopper piece 73b of the sensor body 73 abuts against the stopper portion 72b of the arm 72, so that the rearward rotation of the sensor body 73 is restricted, and the sensor body 73 can only rotate forward against the biasing force of the coil spring 75.

[0041] A microswitch 76 is provided as a sensing device on the stopper portion 72b of the arm 72, and when the rearward rotation of the sensor body 73 is restricted by its stopper piece 73b abutting the stopper portion 72b of the arm 72, the microswitch 76 is pressed by the sensor body 73 and turned OFF. When the machine is reversed within the field F and the tip of the sensor body 73 abuts against a ridge A or the like and rotates forward against the biasing force of the coil spring 75, the microswitch 76 is no longer pressed by the sensor body 73 and turns ON.

[0042] When the ridge detection device 70 (arm 72 and sensor body 73) is in the sensing position, the sensor body 73 is located rearward of the seedling planting device 52 and the rear ends of the center float 55 and side float 56, and the tip of the sensor body 73 is located below the bottom surfaces of the center float 55 and side float 56 (the rear ends of the center float 55 and side float 56 are located midway up and down the sensor body 73).

[0043] When the ridge detection device 70 (arm 72 and sensor body 73) is rotated upward from the sensing position around the first pivot shaft 72a to the storage position, the sensor body 73 is positioned forward and above the rear ends of the center float 55 and side float 56 (the rear end of the sensor body 73 may be positioned above the center float 55 and side float 56 at the same position as the rear ends of the center float 55 and side float 56).

[0044] Therefore, by rotating the arm 72 and sensor body 73 of the ridge detection device 70 upwardly from the sensing position about the first pivot shaft 72a to a stored position, the overall length of the machine body can be prevented from increasing.

[0045] Next, a control configuration and operation of the ridge detection device 70 when the riding rice transplanter 1 is moved backward in the field F so that the rear end of the seedling planting part 9 reaches the edge of the ridge A and is stopped will be described.

[0046] During normal rice planting work in a field, the ridge detection device 70 is stored in a stored position so as not to interfere with the rice planting work. Therefore, when the riding rice transplanter 1 is reversed in field F and the rear end of the seedling planting unit 9 reaches the edge of ridge A and is stopped, the arm 72 and sensor body 73 of the ridge detection device 70 are rotated rearward and downward from the stored position around the first pivot shaft 72a to a sensing position, as shown by the solid line in Figure 4, and the seedling planting unit 9 is positioned so that the tip of the sensor body 73 of the ridge detection device 70 is slightly above the surface of the field F.

[0047] When the ridge-pushing switch 38 on the operation panel 37 is turned ON, the ridge-pushing control state is established, and the control device restricts the reverse speed of the HST 23 to a low speed, causing the riding rice transplanter 1 to reverse at a low speed.

[0048] Then, as shown in Figure 1, when the operator reverses the riding rice transplanter 1 and the sensor body 73 comes into contact with the ridge A and rotates forward against the biasing force of the winding spring 75, the microswitch 76 is no longer pressed by the sensor body 73 and turns ON. With the microswitch 76 turned ON, the control device moves the HST 23 to the neutral position and stops the machine.

[0049] Only in the ridge-pushing control state in which the ridge-pushing switch 38 is turned on, the control device turns on the microswitch 76 to place the HST 23 in the neutral position and stops the machine.

[0050] Then, the worker turns off the ridge switch 38, lowers the seedling planting unit 9 located at the edge of the ridge A to the planting position where the center float 55 and the side float 56 are on the ground, and drives each part to move the riding rice transplanter 1 forward, allowing seedling planting and fertilization work to be performed from the edge of the ridge A.

[0051] The arm 72 and the sensor body 73 are rotated about the first rotation shaft 72a from the sensing position to the storage position.

[0052] Therefore, the ridge detection device 70 is composed of a sensor stay 71 provided at the rear of the seedling planting section 9, an arm 72 attached to the sensor stay 71 which rotates about a first pivot shaft 72a as a pivot point, and a sensor body 73 attached to the tip of the arm 72 which rotates about a second pivot shaft 73a as a pivot point. A microswitch 76 detects when the sensor body 73, which is located rearward of the rear of the seedling planting section 9, comes into contact with the ridge A and rotates toward the front of the machine about the second pivot shaft 73a. This makes it possible to provide the ridge detection device 70 at a relatively low cost, and when reversing the riding rice transplanter 1 to bring the rear end of the seedling planting section 9 to the edge of the ridge A, there is no need for the operator to visually check the reverse stop position or for an assistant to check and signal, making it easier and more efficient to work.

[0053] In addition, if the first rotating support shaft 72a is rotated by an electric motor to switch the arm 72 between the storage position and the sensing position, and the control device is configured to operate the electric motor to switch the arm 72 from the storage position to the sensing position when the ridge-pushing switch 38 is turned ON, and to operate the electric motor to switch the arm 72 from the sensing position to the storage position when the ridge-pushing switch 38 is turned OFF, then switching operations for the ridge detection device 70 (arm 72 and sensor body 73) are not required, improving work efficiency.

[0054] Furthermore, when the ridge-pushing switch 38 is turned OFF during normal rice planting work, the arm 72 and the sensor body 73 are automatically stored in the storage position, thereby preventing damage to the arm 72 and the sensor body 73 and improving their durability.

[0055] In addition, instead of the microswitch 76, a potentiometer may be provided which detects the rotation angle of the second pivot shaft 73a, and the configuration may detect when the sensor body 73 comes into contact with the ridge A and rotates forward against the biasing force of the coiled spring 75. When the control device detects that the sensor body 73 of the potentiometer has come into contact with the ridge A and rotated forward against the biasing force of the coiled spring 75, it may place the HST 23 in the neutral position and stop the machine.

[0056] An adjustment device may be provided that adjusts the detection angle of a potentiometer that issues an aircraft stop command to place HST23 in a neutral position and stop the aircraft, and the distance from ridge A at which HST23 is placed in the neutral position and the aircraft is stopped may be changed by changing the detection angle of the potentiometer that issues the aircraft stop command using the adjustment device.

[0057] Figure 6 shows an example in which the ridge detection device 70 is installed in the central left and right position at the rear of the seedling planting section 9, and Figure 7 shows an example in which the ridge detection device 70 is installed on both the left and right outer sides of the rear of the seedling planting section 9, inside the seedling plate guard 58.

[0058] In addition, if two ridge detection devices 70 are provided, when either one detects ridge A, the control device places the HST 23 in the neutral position and stops the machine.

[0059] Figure 8 shows an embodiment in which a ridge detection device 70 is provided in a seedling planting section 9 equipped with a seedling pesticide spraying device 80 that sprays pesticides such as insecticides and fungicides on seedlings placed on a seedling carrier 51, and a field pesticide spraying device 90 that sprays pesticides such as herbicides in the field.

[0060] The sensor body 73 of the ridge detection device 70 is positioned at the sensing position rearward of the spray port 8a of the seedling pesticide spraying device 80 and forward of the spray port 90a of the field pesticide spraying device 90, so that the sensor body 73 of the ridge detection device 70 does not interfere with the spraying of pesticides by the seedling pesticide spraying device 80 and the field pesticide spraying device 90.

[0061] <Fertilizer 6> The fertilizer application device 6 feeds out a fixed amount of granular fertilizer, which is a material stored in a fertilizer tank 60 serving as a material tank, using a feed section 61, and guides the granular fertilizer via a fertilizer application hose 62 to fertilizer application guides 63 attached to both the left and right sides of the floats 55, 56, 56, and drops the fertilizer into a fertilization area formed near the side of the seedling planting row by a furrow making body provided in front of the fertilizer application guide 63.

[0062] Air generated by a blower driven by an electric blower motor is blown into the fertilizer application hose 62 via an air chamber 65 that is long in the left-right direction, and the granular fertilizer in the fertilizer application hose 62 is forcibly transported by the wind pressure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 7 Running vehicle 8 Lifting link device 9 Seedling planting department 38 Ridge Switch 52 Seedling planting device 55 Float (Center Float) 56 Float (Side Float) 71 Sensor stay 71b Stopper (storage position stopper) 72 Arm 72a 1st rotation support shaft 72b Stopper (stopper part) 73 Sensor body 73a 2nd rotation support shaft 74 Spring (tension spring) 75 Spring (wound spring) 76 Switch (micro switch) A ridge

Claims

1. A seedling transplanter having a seedling planting section (9) mounted on the rear side of a running body (7) via a lifting link device (8) so that the seedling planting section (9) can be raised and lowered freely, characterized in that the seedling transplanter is provided with a ridge detection device (70) consisting of a sensor stay (71) provided at the rear of the seedling planting section (9), an arm (72) attached to the sensor stay (71) and rotating about a first pivot shaft (72a) as a pivot point, a sensor body (73) at the tip of the arm (72) and rotating about a second pivot shaft (73a) as a pivot point, and a sensing device such as a switch (76) or a potentiometer that detects when the sensor body (73), located rearward of the rear of the seedling planting section (9), comes into contact with a ridge (A) and rotates around the second pivot shaft (73a) toward the front of the machine body.

2. 2. The seedling transplanter according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor body (73) can be freely switched between a sensing position located behind the seedling planting section (9) and a stored position located forward of the rear end of the seedling planting section (9) by rotating the arm (72) around the first rotating support shaft (72a), and in the sensing position, the arm (72) is urged downward around the first rotating support shaft (72a) by a spring (74) or the like and is provided with a stopper (71b) that restricts rotation in an upward and forward direction beyond a predetermined value, and the sensor body (73) is urged toward the rear of the machine body around the second rotating support shaft (73a) by a spring (75) or the like and is provided with a stopper (72b) that restricts rotation in the backward direction beyond a predetermined value.

3. 3. The seedling transplanter according to claim 1, wherein the sensor body (73) has a lower end located further rearward than an upper end at the sensing position.

4. A seedling transplanter as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that at the sensing position, the sensor body (73) is located entirely or partially behind the rear ends of the seedling planting device (52) and the float (55, 56), the rear end of the float (55, 56) is located midway between the top and bottom of the sensor body (73), and the lower end of the sensor body (73) is located below the bottom surface of the float (55, 56).

5. A seedling transplanter as described in claim 4, characterized in that, when the sensor body (73) is in the storage position, its rear end is located above the float (55, 56) at the same position as the rear end of the float (55, 56), or, when the sensor body (73) is in the storage position, it is located forward of the rear end of the float (55, 56) and above the float (55, 56).

6. A seedling transplanter as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the arm (72) is switched between a storage position and a sensing position by a motor, and when a furrowing switch (38) is turned ON, the motor is operated to switch the arm (72) from the storage position to the sensing position.

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