Harvester and harvesting method

Abstract

To provide a harvester capable of coping with various work systems flexibly.SOLUTION: A harvester A includes: a soiler part 11 for lifting crops in the ground; a first conveyance part 21 for conveying crops behind the soiler part 11; a second conveyance part 51 positioned below the rear end of the first conveyance part 21, which can convey the crops falling from the rear end of the first conveyance part 21 or can convey picked-up crops falling onto the farm field; a switching part (switching plate) for switching the state between a non-conveyance state in which the crops falling from the rear end of the first conveyance part 21 are caused to fall in front of the second conveyance part 51, and a conveyance state in which the crops falling from the rear end of the first conveyance part 21 are conveyed upward and backward; a dozer part 41 for gathering soil ahead of the crops falling in the non-conveyance state and forming a groove in the farm field below the second conveyance part 51; and a storage part 31 for receiving the crops falling from the rear and of the first conveyance part 21 and storing them in the front end part of the second conveyance part 51.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a harvesting machine and a harvesting method.

Background Art

[0002] There is a working system that performs a lifting operation of digging up a crop, which is a harvesting target buried underground, from a field and temporarily placing it on the field, and a collecting operation of picking up the crop placed on the field after the lifting operation and collecting it into a storage container or the like. For example, there is a working method of using a different working machine for each operation, such as using the device described in Patent Document 1 for the temporary placement on the field in the lifting process and then using the device described in Patent Document 2 for the collecting process.

[0003] On the other hand, even for the same crop to be harvested, there is also a working system that performs a harvesting operation of digging it up and directly collecting it into a storage container without temporarily placing it on the field and without going through other operations. In this case, for example, a harvesting method using the device described in Patent Document 3 is known.

[0004] Furthermore, "Underground Stem Crop Digging Device" of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-198847 filed by the applicant of the present patent application is known. The same invention has a first conveying unit and a second conveying unit in the present invention, but it does not place the crop on the field once after being conveyed by the first conveying unit, nor does it have a switching plate in the storage unit. "Conveying Device and Working Machine Equipped with the Same" of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-138461 filed by the applicant of the present patent application has a first conveying unit in the present invention. "Underground Stem Crop Harvester" of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-137499 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-037725) filed by the applicant of the present patent application has a second conveying unit in the present invention.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Differences in the above work systems exist in a wide variety of ways. These are caused by the customs of the region where the crops are cultivated, the climate environment of the region and the harvest time, and the equipment status held by the workers. Using different working machines for each working method to cope with differences in work systems, work procedures, working methods, etc. is an economic burden on the workers who use the machines. That is, if the harvester can adapt to the form desired by each work system, it is considered that the burden on the worker can be reduced.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a harvester that can flexibly cope with various work systems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] This invention is a soiler part for lifting crops in the ground, a first conveying part for conveying crops behind the soiler part, a second conveying part that is located below the rear end of the first conveying part and can convey the crops that have fallen from the rear end of the first conveying part, or can convey the crops that have fallen on the picked-up field, a switching part that can switch between a non-conveying state in which the crops that have fallen from the rear end of the first conveying part are dropped in front of the second conveying part and a conveying state in which the crops that have fallen from the rear end of the first conveying part are conveyed upward and rearward, and is characterized by comprising a harvester according to

[0009] This invention further The crop that has fallen onto the field is the crop that has fallen from the rear end of the first conveying unit, a harvester, relates to.

[0010] This invention further relates to, a harvester in which the switching unit is formed of a plate-like body, relates to.

[0011] This invention further relates to, a dozer unit that forms a groove in the field by pushing the soil in front of the crop that has fallen in the non-conveying state under the second conveying unit, a harvester characterized by comprising, relates to.

[0012] This invention further relates to, the dozer unit forms embankments on both sides of the groove formed by being formed symmetrically left and right, a harvester characterized by, relates to.

[0013] This invention further relates to, a storage unit that receives and can store the crop that has fallen from the rear end of the first conveying unit at the front end of the second conveying unit, and, the switching unit is provided in the storage unit, a harvester characterized by, relates to.

[0014] This invention, a lifting step of lifting the crop in the ground, a first conveying step of conveying the crop lifted in the lifting step, a dropping step of dropping the crop onto the field after the first conveying step, a harvesting method characterized by including, relates to.

[0015] This invention further relates to, a groove forming step of forming a groove in the field by pushing the soil in front of the crop dropped in the dropping step, a harvesting method characterized by including, relates to.

[0016] The present invention further relates to a second conveying step of receiving and conveying the crop without going through the dropping step after the first conveying step, and a harvesting method characterized by including relates to

[0017] The present invention further relates to a picking-up step by the dropping step, a first picking-up and conveying step of conveying the crop picked up in the picking-up step, a second picking-up and conveying step of receiving and conveying the crop after the first picking-up and conveying step is completed, and a harvesting method characterized by including relates to

[0018] The present invention further relates to a drying step of sun-drying the crop on the field after the dropping step, and a harvesting method characterized by including relates to

[0019] The present invention further relates to a switching step of switching to either the second conveying step or the dropping step, and a harvesting method characterized by including relates to

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] The present invention can provide a harvesting machine that can flexibly respond to various working systems.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

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Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] The harvester A of the present invention is a harvester A that can be mounted on the rear part of a traveling machine body such as a tractor and, while advancing, dig up the crop B buried in the ground and then place it on the field or collect it in a collection container. Although the crop B in the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment will be described as being garlic, crops B growing underground such as onions, burdock roots, and Chinese artichokes can be adapted by the harvester A of the present invention. Note that the stems and leaves of the crop B grown in the ridges are described as having been pre-cut.

[0023] The outline of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 14, the crop B is grounded on the ridge edges E2 on both sides of the ridge E where the crop B is cultivated by the trough-shaped shoes 42 and moves forward together with the traveling machine body. The root of the crop B cultivated in the soil of the ridge is dug up while being cut by the excavation part (soiler part 11). Then, it is conveyed rearward and upward by the first conveying part 21 arranged behind the excavation part (soiler part 11). The crop B can be further conveyed rearward and obliquely upward by the second conveying part 51 located below the first conveying part 21. The front end of the second conveying part 51 has a storage part 31 that receives the crop B dropped from the first conveying part 21, temporarily stores it, and supplies the crop B to the second conveying part 51.

[0024] The soil part 11 of the first embodiment of the present invention corresponds to the excavation blade part or the excavation part described in JP-A-2020-198847 "Underground stem crop digging device" and JP-A-2021-138461 "Conveying device and working machine equipped with the same" filed by the applicant of the present patent application. The first conveying part 21 of the first embodiment of the present invention corresponds to the harvesting conveying part and the conveyor part composed of finger rolls described in the above application. The configuration of the connection part between the storage part 31 and the second conveying part 51 of the first embodiment of the present invention is based on JP-A-2020-137499 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-037725) "Underground stem crop harvester". The first embodiment of the present invention is configured such that a part of the front side plate constituting the storage part 31 in the same application is a detachable switching plate 35.

[0025] A switching plate 35, which is a switching part, is provided below the storage part 31. By means of the switching plate 35, it is possible to switch between a conveying state in which the crop B that has fallen from the first conveying part 21 is stored in the storage part 31 and the crop B is supplied to the second conveying part 51, and a non-conveying state in which the crop B is not conveyed by the second conveying part 51 and is dropped from the front end part of the second conveying part 51 onto the field.

[0026] In the conveying state, as shown in FIG. 14, the crop B conveyed by the second conveying part 51 falls into the collection container G arranged below from the rear end of the second conveying part 51 and is collected. As shown in FIG. 12, in the non-conveying state, the crop B dropped onto the field from the front end part of the second conveying part 51 can be directly exposed to the sun and dried. The crop B dried on the field is picked up again by the soil part 11, which is the excavation part, conveyed by the first conveying part 21, and dropped into the storage part 31. The crop B is supplied from the storage part 31 to the second conveying part 51 by the switching plate 35 switched to the conveying state, and the crop B is conveyed by the second conveying part 51. The sun-dried crop B can be collected in the collection container G.

[0027] The details of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. At the center of the front of the body of the harvester A according to the embodiment of the present invention, a top link pin 72 is provided at the upper part which is the mounting part, and lower link pins 73 are provided on the lower left and right which are also mounting parts, and they are connected to the three-point link mechanism part of the tractor. The top link pin 72 is connected to the top link of the three-point link mechanism part of the tractor, and the lower link pins 73 are connected to the left and right lower links. The three-point link mechanism of the tractor can raise and lower the connected harvester A. At the center of the front of the body of the harvester A which is the body, a gear box 62 is provided, and an input shaft 61 protruding forward is provided from the gear box 62. Although not shown, the input shaft 61 is connected to the tractor PTO shaft by a universal joint, and the power of the tractor is transmitted to the gear box 62.

[0028] At the lower end of the front of the body of the harvester A, a digging blade 12 of the soiler part 11 is provided. As shown in FIGS. 1, 12, and 14, the digging blade 12 is a flat plate shape in the left-right direction with a blade having an acute angle in side view at the front edge, and is inclined rearward and upward. The front end of the digging blade 12 is provided with irregularities in the front-rear direction, but the shape of the front end is not limited and can be in any form. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of round bar-shaped guide bars 13 extending rearward are provided in the left-right direction at the rear end edge of the digging blade 12 to guide the crop B which is an underground stem crop rearward. Reference numeral 14 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is a soiler arm. The left and right ends of the digging blade 12 are fixed and held with flat plate-shaped soiler arms 14 facing forward. The soiler arm 14 rises upward from the digging blade 12, and the upper end is fixed to a pipe-shaped soiler frame 18 provided in the left-right horizontal direction.

[0029] Reference numeral 151 shown in FIG. 3 is a swing arm. One end of the swing arm 151 is attached to a swing shaft 15, and the other end is attached to the soiler arm 14. The soiler frame 18 can swing in the front-rear direction at the lower end side around a left-right horizontal swing shaft 15 provided on the front side of the soiler frame 18, that is, the soiler part 11 can swing in the front-rear direction. That is, a swing arm 151 provided rearward is provided at the center of the soil frame 18, and the end of the swing arm 151 is rotatably connected to a crank portion provided on the input shaft 61 at the front of the gearbox 62 by a rod. Due to the eccentric portion of the crank portion, the soil frame 18 is swung back and forth, and the excavation blade 12 fixed to the soil frame 18 is also swung back and forth at the same time. The excavation blade 12 is extended in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction, passes through the lower part of the crop B which is a rhizome crop to cut the roots, softens the soil to lift the crop B which is a rhizome crop, and the crop B which is a rhizome crop is moved along with the traveling by the first conveying part 21 which is the rear conveying part.

[0030] The first conveying part 21 according to the first embodiment of this invention will be described in detail. 22 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is a feed roller constituting the first conveying part 21. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first conveying part 21 is provided with a plurality of feed rollers 22 arranged horizontally on the left and right, each of which has a finger roll 23 provided with a plurality of projections 221 made of a rubber-like elastic material in a star-shaped radial pattern. A plurality of them are provided at regular intervals obliquely upward in the rear direction. The first conveying part 21 conveys the crop B lifted by the soil part 11 upward and rearward by the rotating finger roll 23 of the first conveying part 21. The structure of the feed roller 22 is the same as that of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-198847 "Rhizome Crop Digging Device" and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-138461 "Conveying Device and Working Machine Equipped with the Same" filed by the applicant of the present application.

[0031] The plurality of feed rollers 22 are each configured to rotate in a direction in which the crop B, which is a rhizome crop placed on the upper surface of the first conveying unit 21, moves upward and rearward. The crop B, which is a rhizome crop placed on the upper surface of the first conveying unit 21, moves rearward while being bounced up by the protrusions 221 of the rotating feed rollers 22, and the soil adhering to the crop B, which is a rhizome crop, is scraped off and moves rearward. The intervals between the feed rollers 22 are provided such that the rotation trajectories of the protrusions 221 of the feed rollers 22 in a side view overlap, and in a front view, they are provided so that their left - right positions do not overlap with each other. The soil carried onto the first conveying unit 21 together with the dug - up rhizome crop B and the soil scraped off from the rhizome crop B fall downward through the gaps between the protrusions 221 of the feed rollers 22, and the crop B, which is a rhizome crop, is conveyed rearward.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the feed rollers (conveying shafts) 22 are each rotatably held at their left - and right - end portions by bearings below the left - and right - standing side plates 17. In this embodiment, sprockets (not shown) are respectively fixed to the shaft ends protruding outside the left side of the side plate 17, and roller chains (not shown) are respectively wound between the adjacent sprockets (not shown), and the respective feed rollers (conveying shafts) 22 are configured to rotate integrally. As shown in FIG. 3, the power input to the input shaft 61 is transmitted by bevel gears (not shown) provided in the gearbox 62 to an output shaft (not shown) passing through the inside of the left side of the pipe frame 71 fixed to the left and right of the gearbox 62, and rotates an output shaft sprocket (not shown) fixed to the outside of the side plate 17 at the left end portion of the output shaft (not shown). The output shaft sprocket (not shown) is interlocked with the sprocket (not shown) of the foremost row of the feed rollers (conveying shafts) 22 via a roller chain, and the conveyor drive unit 24 is configured such that when the input shaft 61 rotates, the first conveying unit 21 is rotationally driven. The crop B, which is a rhizome crop conveyed rearward by the first conveying unit 21, falls from the rear of the first conveying unit 21 into the lower storage unit 31 and is conveyed by the second conveying unit 51.

[0033] A detailed description will be given of the second conveying unit 51 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 3, 12, etc., the second conveying unit 51 has an endless belt conveyor 52, and is disposed sandwiched between plate-shaped conveyor frames 55 arranged on both the left and right sides. The second conveying unit 51 is arranged such that the endless belt conveyor 52 wound around a rotating shaft horizontally disposed at both ends before and after the conveyor frame 55 faces obliquely upward to the rear. The belt conveyor 52 can convey the crop B, which is a rhizome crop that has fallen, to the rear side and upward by circumferential driving, and protrusions 53 with their surfaces facing the conveying direction are provided upright on the outer peripheral surface serving as the conveying surface. By means of these protrusions 53, the crop B, which is a rhizome crop, is prevented from rolling down downward on the inclined conveying surface of the belt conveyor 52. The crop B that has reached the rear end of the second conveying unit 51 falls downward. By arranging a collection container G below the second conveying unit 51, the fallen crop B can be collected. In the belt conveyor 52 in the first embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of plate-shaped protrusions 53 erected in the radial direction are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. The protrusions 53 in the first embodiment of the present invention are provided to be the same width as or slightly narrower than the width of the belt conveyor 52. Particularly when the width of the protrusion is provided to be slightly narrower, a gap that prevents the crop B from falling can be provided between the protrusion 53 and the conveyor frame 55. Due to the gap, while being supported by the protrusion 53, it is possible to convey the crop B obliquely upward to the rear and let excess lumps of soil and earth and sand fall downward from the gap with the conveyor frame 55. The crop B that has reached the rear end of the second conveying unit 51 can be collected in the collection container G in a state with excess lumps of soil and earth and sand.

[0034] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the overall width of the second conveying unit 51 with respect to the left and right in the advancing direction is narrower than the overall width of the first conveying unit 21. As a result, the weight of the second conveying unit 51 located at the rear of the harvester A can be suppressed, so that the center of gravity of the harvester A can be prevented from shifting backward. That is, when the harvester A is mounted on a tractor which is a traveling body, the grounding balance of the traveling part such as the tires of the tractor can be kept good. Also, by narrowing the overall width of the second conveying unit 51, the crop B that falls from the rear end of the second conveying unit 51 can be concentrated and dropped at one place. Since the overall width of the second conveying unit 51 at the rear part is narrower than the overall width of the first conveying unit, when the tractor equipped with the underground stem crop harvester A turns, the left and right side parts of the second conveying unit 51 at the rear part of the underground stem crop harvester A do not interfere with other structures or the like.

[0035] Above the front part of the belt conveyor 52, a left side plate 33 and a right side plate 34 are installed to collect the crop B, which is the fallen underground stem crop, at the front end of the belt conveyor 52. The left side plate 33 and the right side plate 34 efficiently drop the crop B onto the front end part of the belt conveyor 52, which is narrower than the overall width of the first conveying unit 21.

[0036] The conveying distance of the belt conveyor 52 of the second conveying unit 51 is longer than the conveying distance of the first conveying unit, and has a length of 1.4 to 1.8 times. The conveying angle of the belt conveyor 52 with respect to the ground is the same as or greater than the conveying angle of the first conveying unit 21 with respect to the ground. The conveying angle of the belt conveyor 52 adopts 45 degrees, which is slightly larger than 40 degrees of the conveying angle of the first conveying unit 21. By setting it in this way, as shown in FIG. 14, the recovery container G that can accompany the digging device of the crop B, which is an underground stem crop, can be positioned below the second conveying unit 51.

[0037] The rear end part of the belt conveyor 52 of the second conveying unit 51 can be positioned above the recovery container G located at the rear. Therefore, the recovery container G can evenly input the crop B, which is an underground stem crop, into the recovery container G by adjusting the front-rear distance from the digging device of the crop B, which is an underground stem crop.

[0038] A discharge chute 54 is provided on a conveyor frame 55 at the rear of a belt conveyor 52. The discharge chute 54 is provided at the rear end side so as to be rotatable up and down, and the discharge direction of crop B, which is a rhizome crop falling from the rear end of the belt conveyor 52, can be arbitrarily determined. The discharge chute 54 further improves the unbiased input of crop B, which is a rhizome crop, into the collection container G.

[0039] The circumferential drive of the belt conveyor 52 is performed by a drive motor (not shown). The drive motor (not shown) drives a rotating shaft at the rear of the belt conveyor 52 to make the belt conveyor 52 in a conveyable state. The drive motor (not shown) is an energy generation device J arranged near the input unit 12, and is driven using the energy generated by obtaining rotational power from the input unit 12. The energy generation device J of this embodiment obtains rotational power by winding a chain (not shown) around an input shaft 61 and a shaft provided on the front side of the energy generation device J.

[0040] In an embodiment of the present invention, the drive motor 56 is a hydraulic motor, and the energy generation device J uses a hydraulic pump. Further, the drive motor 56 may be an electric motor, and the energy generation device J may be configured as a generator. By doing so, it is possible to drive the drive motor 56 only by providing piping or wiring (not shown) between the energy generation device J and the drive motor 56. Therefore, mechanical members related to drive such as chains, shafts, and gears can be eliminated, and the degree of freedom in installing the drive motor 56 is improved.

[0041] The hydraulic motor, which is the drive motor 56, has a speed controller installed in the middle of the piping path. Thereby, it is possible to adjust the belt conveyor 52 to the conveyance speed desired by the operator. Even if the drive motor 56 is an electric motor, the same effect can be obtained by installing a speed controller in the middle of the electric circuit.

[0042] The soiler unit 11 of the harvester A will be further described. A soil tilling part 11 is provided at the front part of the machine body of the harvester A. A cutting blade 12 is provided at the lower part of the soil tilling part 11 so as to cross the left and right sides of the machine body. The cutting blade 12 is a flat plate-shaped member provided with a blade having an acute angle in side view at the front edge, and is inclined so that the rear part is rearwardly upward with respect to the front end. By moving in the ground, the cutting blade 12 can cut the roots of the crop B and dig up the crop B from the ground. In order to improve the effects of these cutting and digging-up operations, the cutting blade 12 can vibrate. The mechanism for generating vibration will be described later.

[0043] A plurality of round bar-shaped guide bars can be provided at intervals in the left-right direction at the rear edge of the cutting blade 12. The guide bar 13 is provided parallel to or slightly inclined upward with respect to the front-rear inclination of the cutting blade 12. The guide bar 13 guides the crop B dug up by the cutting blade 12 and moving on the cutting blade 12 to the rear. Note that the lengths of the guide bars 13 may all be the same, or may be provided to be different from each other. Also, the cutting blade 12 may be provided such that the front-rear lengths are different in each of the width directions, or may be provided with a single front-rear length.

[0044] The vibration of the soil tilling part 11 according to the first embodiment of this invention will be described. 14 is a soil tilling arm. The soil tilling arm 14 has a U-shape in front view as shown in FIG. 2 and the like. One end of the swing arm 151 shown in FIG. 3 is attached to the swing shaft 15, and the other end is attached to the soil tilling arm 14. The cutting blade 12 is fixed and held at the lower part of the soil tilling arm 14 having a U-shape in front view. The soil tilling arm 14 can swing the cutting blade 12 in the front-rear direction by swinging about a swing shaft 15 provided at the upper part of the soil tilling arm 14. The upper part of the soil tilling arm 14 is connected to an eccentric part provided in the middle part of the input shaft 61 by a crank part 16. The input shaft 61 takes in power from the PTO shaft of a traveling machine body such as a tractor. 62 is a gear box. The gear box 62 is provided at the base of the input shaft 61 and increases or decreases the driving force input from the input shaft 62. The cutting blade 12 receives the rotation of the input shaft 61 and swings and vibrates back and forth. Due to the vibration, it facilitates the cutting of roots when passing through the lower part of the crop B in the ground, loosens the soil to make it soft and fluffy, lifts the crop B, and moves it to the rear first conveying unit 21.

[0045] The storage unit 31 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 and below, the storage unit 31 is provided at the front part of the second conveying unit 51. The storage unit 31 is above the front end of the second conveying unit 51 and below the rear part of the first conveying unit 21. The storage unit 31 receives the crop B that has fallen from the first conveying unit 21 and guides it to the second conveying unit 51, and can store the crop B at the front part of the second conveying unit 51. As shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the storage unit 31 is composed of a front side plate 32, a left side plate 33, and a right side plate 34. The front side plate 32 is on the front side in the traveling direction from the second conveying unit 51, the left side plate 33 is on the left side in the traveling direction of the second conveying unit 51, and the right side plate 34 is on the right side in the traveling direction of the second conveying unit 51. The left side plate 33 and the right side plate 34 are inclined so as to narrow toward the center with respect to the width of the second conveying unit 51 as they go downward so as to correspond to the full width of the first conveying unit 21 to the full width of the second conveying unit 51. The front side plate 32 is arranged so as to be inclined rearward as it goes downward so as to reach from the rear end of the first conveying unit 21 to the front end of the second conveying unit 51. The front side plate 32, the left side plate 33, and the right side plate 34 may be formed by bending or may be formed by curving, and it is desirable to form them according to the form of the harvesting machine A to be implemented.

[0046] The switching plate 35 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be further described. The switching plate 35 shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 constitutes a switching part together with the hooking part 36. A switching plate 35 is arranged at the lower part of the front side plate 32. The switching plate 35 is detachably attached to the front side plate 32 and can be switched between a mounted state and a non-mounted state according to the application. A U-shaped hook portion 36 is formed at the upper part of the switching plate 35, and the switching plate 35 forms a mounted state on the front side plate 32 by hooking the hook portion 36 on the front side plate 32. By removing the hook portion 36 from the front side plate 32, it easily becomes a non-mounted state. Instead of providing the hook portion 36, the opening may be opened and closed by sliding the switching plate 35 through the opening.

[0047] In the mounted state of the switching plate 35 with respect to the front side plate 32, the crop B is received and stored in the storage portion 31, and a conveyance state enabling conveyance by the second conveyance portion 51 is formed. In the non-mounted state of the switching plate 35 with respect to the front side plate 32, a non-conveyance state is formed in which the crop B is not stored in the storage portion 31 and conveyance by the second conveyance portion 51 is not performed, and the crop B is dropped onto the lower field.

[0048] The switching plate 35 in the mounted state with respect to the front side plate 32 will be described. The switching plate 35 in the mounted state with respect to the front side plate 32 is provided with a first opening C that has a gap so as to open between the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 52 of the second conveyance portion 51. The first opening C is opened to a size through which the protrusion 53 of the belt conveyor 52 can pass. The first opening C is sequentially closed and opened by the protrusion 53 of the belt conveyor 52, and does not interfere with the circumferential drive of the belt conveyor 52.

[0049] A swing body 38 made of a flexible material is arranged at the lower part of the switching plate 35. The swing body 38 can close the first opening C by the lower end contacting the belt conveyor 52, and the protrusion 53 of the belt conveyor 52 can push the swing body 38 in the conveyance direction, so that the protrusion 53 can pass through the first opening C. In the mounted state of the switching plate 35 with this structure, the protrusion 53 and the swing body 38 block the first opening C, preventing the crop B from falling from below the switching plate 35. Therefore, in the mounted state of the switching plate 35, the crop B that has fallen from the first conveying unit 21 can be sequentially conveyed by the second conveying unit 51. Also, when a crop B that is more than the conveyance amount by the second conveying unit 51 is supplied from the first conveying unit 21, it can be stored in the storage unit 31 with the switching plate 35 mounted thereon.

[0050] With the above configuration, when the crop B located at the lower part of the storage unit 31 is placed on the protrusion 53 that has passed through the swing body 38, a conveyance state is formed in which the crop B can be conveyed rearward and upward by the second conveying unit 51. The crop B that has moved in the second conveying unit 51 falls downward from the rear end portion of the second conveying unit 51. By positioning the collection container G below the rear end side of the second conveying unit 51, the crop B can be collected into the collection container G. Note that the collection container G may be in any form desired by the operator regardless of the illustrated form, and there is no limitation on its form and shape.

[0051] The non-mounted state of the switching plate 35 with respect to the front side plate 32 will be described. When the switching plate 35 is removed from the front side plate 32, it becomes a non-mounted state with respect to the front side plate 32. A second opening D that is larger than the first opening C is formed between the lower part of the front side plate 32 in the non-mounted state and the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 52. The second opening D is formed to be of a size that cannot block the opening even when the protrusion 53 is located below. The second opening D enables the crop B that has fallen from the rear end of the first conveying unit 21 to pass in front of the second conveying unit 51 and fall onto the lower field without heading towards the second conveying unit 51. That is, the crop B that has fallen from the rear end of the first conveying unit 21 passes through the second opening D without being stored in the storage unit 31 and falls onto the field in front of the second conveying unit 51, resulting in a non-conveying state in which the crop B cannot be conveyed by the second conveying unit 51.

[0052] By switching the mounting state of the switching plate 35 to the front plate 32 between the mounted state and the non-mounted state, it is possible to switch between a transport state in which the crop B that has fallen from the first transport unit 21 can be transported by the second transport unit 51, and a non-transport state in which the crop B that has fallen from the first transport unit 21 is not transported by the second transport unit 51 and is dropped onto the field.

[0053] The auxiliary sheet 37 will be described. When the switching plate 35 is in the non-mounted state, an auxiliary sheet 37 for assisting the fall of the crop B may be provided. The auxiliary sheet 37 is a thin film-like member, and in the first embodiment of the present invention, soft plastic is used. The auxiliary sheet 37 is laid so as to cover the upper part of the belt conveyor 52 from the middle part of the belt conveyor 52 of the second transport unit 51 to the second opening D at the front end of the belt conveyor 52. By laying the auxiliary sheet 37, even if the crop B is bounced by the finger roll 23 and heads toward the second transport unit 51 when it falls from the rear end of the first transport unit 21, it is prevented from being placed on the protrusion 53 and the crop B is smoothly dropped onto the field. Further, the auxiliary sheet 37 can be set in a non-laid state so that the crop B can fall onto the belt conveyor 52 when the switching plate 35 is in the mounted state.

[0054] The configuration of the auxiliary sheet 37 is not limited by the form of the first embodiment, and may be made of, for example, metal or hard plastic that does not have flexibility. There is no limitation on the material, form, and arrangement method as long as the transport surface of the belt conveyor 52 can be shielded.

[0055] The dozer unit 41 will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, 42 is the front surface of the dozer unit 41. 43 is the lower end 43 of the dozer unit 41. A dozer unit 41 is provided in front of the second conveying unit 51 and in front of the position where it drops from the rear end of the first conveying unit 21. The dozer unit 41 has a shape in which plates inclined rearward as they go from the center to the outside with respect to the body width are symmetrically arranged with the center of the body width as a reference in a plan view. The lower end 43 of the dozer unit 41 is provided at a position lower than the height of the ridge E before being lifted by the soiler unit 11. Also, the overall width of the dozer unit 41 is provided narrower than the width of the ridge E before being lifted by the soiler unit 11.

[0056] For this reason, as the harvester A moves forward and the dozer unit 41 pushes away the soil on the original ridge E, a groove F with a flat bottom is formed along the traveling direction as shown in FIGS. 12 and 14. F1 is the bottom surface of the groove. The soil pushed together by the dozer unit 41 gradually moves along the front surface 42 of the dozer unit 41 as it moves forward and reaches both sides of the ridge E. The height of the embankment H is formed higher than the height of the original ridge E. On the ridge E after the dozer unit 41 has passed, an embankment H in the shape of a raised embankment is formed along the traveling direction, and a groove F sandwiched by this embankment H is formed. The lower end 43 of the dozer unit 41 is formed so as to bend toward the rear side. The lower end 43 advances so as to press against the upper surface of the bottom surface F1 of the groove F formed by the dozer unit 41. Therefore, the bottom surface F1 of the groove F to be formed can be leveled. In FIGS. 10, 11, and 12, E1 is the top surface of the ridge, and E2 is the bottom of the ridge. The embankment H is formed at the ends on both sides in the traveling direction of the top surface E1 of the ridge and is formed on the top surface E1 of the ridge.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 12, the crop B that drops from the rear end of the first conveying unit 21 and does not reach the second conveying unit 51 but drops onto the field falls onto the groove F sandwiched by the embankment H. Since the groove F is formed lower than the height of the top surface of the original ridge E, a gap can be ensured between the crop B that has fallen onto the groove F and the lower end of the second conveying unit 51.

[0058] The bottom surface F1 of the groove F is leveled by the lower end of the dozer part 41. The crop B that has fallen in front of the second conveying part 51 and behind the dozer part 41 falls onto the groove F that has been leveled flat. For this reason, the fallen crop B lands on the flat and leveled groove F in a state where the contact area with the soil is reduced. As a result, the ventilation around the crop B is improved, and efficient drying can be promoted when sun-drying.

[0059] Since the embankments H are formed on both sides of the groove F, it is possible to prevent the crop B from moving outside the groove F. For example, the crop B that has fallen from the first conveying part 21 does not move outside the groove F due to the momentum of the fall, and is not blown outside the groove F by strong winds or the like during sun-drying on the groove F.

[0060] The working process will be described. According to FIGS. 12 and 14, a series of working processes until the crop B in the ground is collected in the collection container G will be described. First, the switching plate 35 is made non-attached to the front side plate 32, the second conveying part 51 is made non-conveying, and the harvesting machine A is positioned on the ridge E in a state where the crop B is buried. The harvesting machine A mounted on the traveling body is moved forward along the ridge E.

[0061] (1) Lifting process While vibrating the soiler part 11 and moving forward, gradually make the excavation blade 12 of the soiler part 11 sneak into the ridge E, and position the excavation blade 12 below the crop B in the ridge E. By doing so, unnecessary roots growing further downward from the lower part of the crop B can be cut by moving forward with the vibration of the excavation blade 12. Then, the soil is softened and loosened by the vibration of the soiler part 11. Since the excavation blade 12 is shaped to be inclined upward as it goes backward, as it passes below the crop B in the ridge E, the crop B is lifted upward along the inclination of the excavation blade 12. Then, the crop B is further lifted to the ground surface of the ridge E by the guide bar 13 located at the rear part of the excavation blade 12.

[0062] (2) First conveying process The crop B lifted to the ground surface in the lifting step enters the first conveying step of being further moved upward by the first conveying unit 21. The crop B lifted to the ground surface of the ridge E by the soiler unit 11 moves above the plurality of feed rollers 22 by the rotation of the feed roller 22 of the first conveying unit 21 and gradually moves upward. By the protrusions 221 provided on the finger roll 23 of the feed roller 22, while crushing the soil lumps adhering to the crop B by rotational driving, the crop B gradually moves upward and rearward and reaches the rear end of the first conveying unit 21.

[0063] (3) Furrow F formation step While the crop B is being moved upward and rearward by the lifting step and the first conveying unit 21, the harvester A continues to move forward. For this reason, the ridge E after the crop B is lifted out of the ridge E by the lifting step and the first conveying unit 21 reaches the dozer unit 41. A furrow forming step of forming a furrow F by pushing aside the soil of the ridge E that has reached the dozer unit 41 is performed. In the furrow forming step, the pushed - aside soil is moved to both side portions of the ridge E on both sides of the furrow F to form a bank H as well. The furrow F is sandwiched by the banks H, resulting in a relatively deep furrow F. Since the furrow F is leveled at the lower end 43 of the dozer unit 41, it is leveled flat.

[0064] (4) Falling step The crop B that has reached the rear end of the first conveying unit 21 falls downward and undergoes a falling step of falling onto the ridge E. In the falling step, the switching plate 35 of the storage unit 31 is in a non - attached state and is in a non - conveying state where conveyance by the second conveying unit 51 is not performed. The crop B falling from the rear end of the first conveying unit 21 falls into the furrow F formed in the ridge E via the second opening D formed in the storage unit 31. That is, in the falling step, the crop B dug up from the field is dropped back into the field.

[0065] (5) Drying step The crop B that has fallen onto the field enters the drying step. The drying step is a step of drying the crop B in the sun and is a step of natural drying for about several days to several weeks. Note that the drying period in the drying step can be freely selected according to environmental factors and the intention of the operator.

[0066] (6) Switching step After the drying process is completed, a switching process is performed to switch from a non-mounted state in which the switching plate 35 is removed from the storage unit 31 to a mounted state in which the switching plate 35 is mounted on the storage unit 31. The switching process may include changing from a laid state in which the auxiliary sheet 37 is laid on the belt conveyor 52 to a removed non-laid state. The harvester A switches from a non-conveying state in which conveyance by the second conveying unit 51 is not performed to a conveying state in which conveyance by the second conveying unit 51 is possible by the switching process.

[0067] (7) Picking-up process The crop B that has undergone the drying process on the groove F is recovered again by the harvester A by the picking-up process. In the picking-up process, the front end of the excavation blade 12 of the soiler unit 11 is positioned between the crop B and the surface of the groove F, or at a height buried in the ridge E slightly below the surface of the groove F. In the drawing, the tip of the excavation blade 12 of the soiler unit 11 is arranged to be in the latter position. Then, as the harvester A mounted on the traveling body moves forward, the soiler unit 11 vibrates in the front-rear direction, causing the crop B to move backward along the upper surfaces of the excavation blade 12 and the guide rod 13.

[0068] (8) First picking-up and conveying process The crop B that has undergone the drying process and has been picked up by the soiler unit 11 reaches the first conveying unit 21, and a first picking-up and conveying process is performed to convey it upward and rearward by the first conveying unit 21. Similar to the first conveying process, in the first picking-up and conveying process, the rotation of the feed roller 22 having the finger roll 23 moves the crop B sequentially toward the rear side in the conveying direction, and it drops from the rear end.

[0069] (9) Second picking-up and conveying process When the crop B that has undergone the drying process reaches the rear end of the first conveying unit 21, a second picking-up and conveying process is performed by the second conveying unit 51 located below. Since the crop B in the second picking-up and conveying process is blocked from the second opening D by the switching plate 35 in the mounted state, it does not fall onto the lower field but falls into the storage unit 31 and can be stored. The crop B in the storage unit 31 is scooped up by the protrusion 53 of the second conveying unit 51 so as to be scraped in and moves upward and rearward. Then, the crop B that has reached the rear end of the second conveying unit 51 falls into the collection container G located below the rear end of the second conveying unit 51 and is collected.

[0070] (10) Others, the second conveying process In the above, the working process from digging up the crop B in the ridge E, dropping it onto the field, leaving a drying period, and then picking it up again and collecting it in the collection container G has been described. However, the harvester A is not limited to this working process. For example, starting from the lifting process, the crop B that has undergone the first conveying process may be subjected to a second conveying process in which it is conveyed by the second conveying device without going through a dropping process of dropping onto the field without being conveyed by the second conveying device. In this case, the crop B dug out from the ridge E is conveyed by the first conveying unit 21 and the second conveying unit 51 and directly collected in the collection container G without undergoing a drying process.

[0071] That is, by performing a switching process of switching the switching plate 35 to either the mounted state or the non-mounted state, the second conveying unit 51 can be switched to either the conveying state or the non-conveying state, and it is possible to select whether to directly collect the dug-out crop B or to dry it on the field. In this case, it is also possible to remove the dozer unit 41 and omit the groove forming process. In this way, by making the working process switchable, the harvester A can flexibly respond to various working systems.

[0072] The second embodiment according to this invention will be described. In FIGS. 15 and 16 showing the second embodiment, 81 is a roller and 82 is a gap. In the second embodiment, the switching plate 35 which is a switching part is provided with a plurality of rotatable rollers 81. A clearance 82 is ensured between the rollers 81, and unnecessary soil clods adhering to the crop B are dropped downward from this clearance 82, and the crop B is surely made to reach the lower second conveying section 51 by the rotation of the rollers 81.

[0073] A third embodiment according to this invention will be described. In FIGS. 17 and 18 showing the third embodiment, reference numeral 83 denotes a net-like portion. In the third embodiment, the switching plate 35, which is a switching section, is provided with a net-like portion 83. Unnecessary soil clods adhering to the crop B are dropped downward from the gaps of the mesh of the net-like portion 83, and the falling crop B is received and made to reach the lower second conveying section 51.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0074] 11 Soil working section 21 First conveying section 31 Storage section 35 Switching plate (switching section) 36 Hooking section (switching section) 41 Dozer section 51 Second conveying section A Harvester B Crop

Claims

1. a soil part for lifting crops in the ground; a first conveying part for conveying crops behind the soil part; a second conveying part which is positioned below the rear end of the first conveying part and can convey the crops that have fallen from the rear end of the first conveying part, or can convey the crops that have fallen on the picked-up field; a switching part that can be switched between a non-conveying state in which the crops that have fallen from the rear end of the first conveying part are dropped in front of the second conveying part and a conveying state in which the crops that have fallen from the rear end of the first conveying part are conveyed upward and rearward; a harvester characterized by comprising the above.

2. The harvester according to Claim 1, wherein the crops that have fallen on the field are the crops that have fallen from the rear end of the first conveying part.

3. The harvester according to Claim 2, wherein the switching part is composed of a plate-like body.

4. a dozer part for pushing the soil in front of the crops that have fallen in the non-conveying state below the second conveying part to form a groove in the field; The harvester according to Claim 3, characterized by comprising the above.

5. The dozer part forms dikes on both sides of the groove formed by symmetrically forming on the left and right. The harvester according to Claim 4, characterized by the above.

6. a storage part that can receive and store the crops that have fallen from the rear end of the first conveying part is provided at the front end of the second conveying part; The switching part is provided in the storage part. The harvester according to any one of Claims 3 to 5, characterized by the above.

7. a lifting step of lifting crops in the ground; a first conveying step of conveying the crops lifted in the lifting step; a dropping step of dropping the crops on the field after the first conveying step; a harvesting method characterized by including the above.

8. a groove forming step of pushing the soil in front of the crops dropped in the dropping step to form a groove in the field; The harvesting method according to Claim 7, characterized by including the above.

9. a second conveying step of receiving and conveying the crops without going through the dropping step after the first conveying step is completed; The harvesting method according to Claim 7, characterized by including the above.

10. a picking-up step by the dropping step; a first picking-up conveying step of conveying the crops picked up in the picking-up step; a second picking-up conveying step of receiving and conveying the crops after the first picking-up conveying step is completed; The harvesting method according to any one of Claims 7 to 9, characterized by including the above.

11. a drying step of sun-drying the crops on the field after the dropping step; The harvesting method according to any one of Claims 7 to 9, characterized by including the above.

12. A switching step of switching to either one of the second conveying step and the dropping step, The harvesting method according to claim 9, characterized by including this.

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