Combine-harvester
The combine harvester's innovative pre-harvest processing device with rotary blades and lifters addresses maintenance and stopping issues by minimizing soil contact and reaction forces, ensuring efficient cutting and reduced straw loss.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024023608
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-02-20
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-01
AI Technical Summary
Conventional combine harvesters experience frequent maintenance issues and stopping of the cutting device due to damage and large reaction forces when harvesting short stalks like red kidney beans, as the cutting blades plunge into the field.
A combine harvester design featuring a pre-harvest processing device with a raking, cutting, and auger system, where the cutting device comprises rotary blades and lifters attached to support shafts, and a sled to prevent excessive soil penetration, along with a regulating member to control blade descent, ensuring efficient cutting and reduced maintenance.
The design reduces maintenance frequency and prevents cutting device stoppages by minimizing soil contact and reaction forces, enhancing cutting efficiency and reducing straw loss.
Smart Images
Figure 2025127093000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a combine harvester equipped with a pre-harvest treatment device. [Background technology]
[0002] A conventional technology has been known in which a pre-harvest processing device is provided in front of the threshing device of a combine harvester, which comprises a scraping device that raises the stalks in the field while transporting them backward, a cutting device that cuts the base of the transported stalks, an auger device that gathers the transported stalks to one side, and a feeder house that transports the gathered stalks to the threshing device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-63442 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, when the pre-harvesting treatment device is lowered close to the field to harvest short stalks such as red kidney beans and kidney beans, the cutting blades extending to the left and right of the cutting device plunge into the field and are damaged, resulting in frequent repair work for the cutting device and the risk of the cutting device stopping due to the large reaction force received from the field.
[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to propose a combine harvester that can reduce the frequency of maintenance work on the cutting device and prevent the cutting device from being stopped. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] The present invention, which has solved the above problems, is as follows. That is, the invention described in claim 1 is a combine harvester in which a traveling device (2) is provided under a machine frame (1), a pre-harvesting device (3) is provided in front of the machine frame (1), and a threshing device (4) is provided behind the pre-harvesting device (3), The pre-harvest processing device (3) is composed of a raking device (3A) that transports the stalks in the field rearward while raising them up, a cutting device (3B) that cuts the base of the transported stalks, an auger device (3C) that gathers the transported stalks to one side, and a feeder house (3D) that transports the gathered stalks to the threshing device (4), and the cutting device (3B) is formed by a pair of left and right rotary blade devices (20) and a lifter device (30) arranged above the rotary blade devices (20), and a pair of left and right lifters (31) extending in the front-to-rear direction of the lifter device (30) are arranged above the rotary blades (22) of the rotary blade devices (20), and the rear parts of the lifters (31) are rotatably attached to a first support shaft (34) extending in the left-to-right direction.
[0007] The invention described in claim 2 is a combine described in claim 1 in which, in a side view, the front end of the lifter (31) is positioned forward of the rotary blade (22), and the lifter (31) is formed from its front end with an upward rearward slope above the motor (23) that drives the rotary blade (22) of the rotary blade device (20), and then is formed with a downward rearward slope toward the first support shaft (34).
[0008] The invention of claim 3 is the combine harvester of claim 2, wherein a sled (32) that slides on the field surface is provided below the front part of the lifter (31).
[0009] The invention described in claim 4 is the combine according to claim 3, wherein rear portions of the pair of left and right lifters (31) are connected by a cover (33) in a plan view.
[0010] The invention of claim 5 is the combine harvester of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a rear portion of the rotary blade device (20) is rotatably mounted on a second support shaft (25) extending in the left-right direction.
[0011] The invention described in claim 6 is a combine described in claim 5, in which a regulating member (26) is provided at the front of the lower wall of the auger frame (60) of the auger device (3C), and when the front of the rotary blade device (20) descends by more than a predetermined amount, the regulating member (26) engages with the rear of the rotary blade device (20).
[0012] The invention described in claim 7 is a combine described in claim 6 in which the regulating member (26) is formed by a vertical portion extending downward from the front of the lower wall of the auger frame (60) and a horizontal portion extending forward from the lower end of the vertical portion, the front surface of the vertical portion and the upper surface of the horizontal portion are connected by a reinforcing member (27) at a predetermined distance in the left-right direction, and the second support shaft (25) is fitted into an opening of a connecting portion (24A) formed at the rear of the protective cover (24) of the rotary blade device (20) and an opening formed in the reinforcing member (27). [Effects of the Invention]
[0013] According to the invention described in claim 1, the pre-harvest processing device (3) is composed of a scraping device (3A) that transports the stalks in the field rearward while raising them upright, a cutting device (3B) that cuts the base of the transported stalks, an auger device (3C) that gathers the transported stalks to one side, and a feeder house (3D) that transports the gathered stalks to the threshing device (4). The cutting device (3B) is formed by a pair of left and right rotary blade devices (20) and a lifter device (30) arranged above the rotary blade devices (20). A pair of left and right lifters (31) extending in the front-to-rear direction of the lifter device (30) are arranged above the rotary blades (22) of the rotary blade devices (20). The rear of the lifter (31) is rotatably attached to a first support shaft (34) extending in the left-to-right direction, thereby reducing the frequency of maintenance work on the cutting device (3B). In addition, the reaction force applied to the cutting device (3B) from the field can be suppressed, thereby preventing the driving of the cutting device (3B) from stopping. Furthermore, the front part of the lifter (31) can be raised and lowered in accordance with the raising and lowering of the pre-harvesting treatment device (3).
[0014] According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effects of the invention described in claim 1, when viewed from the side, the front end of the lifter (31) is positioned forward of the rotary blade (22), and the lifter (31) is formed with an upward rearward slope from its front end above the motor (23) that drives the rotary blade (22) of the rotary blade device (20), and then with a downward rearward slope toward the first support shaft (34).Therefore, the stalks transported by the scraping device (3A) can be efficiently erected, and the rotary blade (22) can efficiently cut the base of the stalks.
[0015] According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 2, a sled (32) that slides on the field surface is provided on the underside of the front part of the lifter (31), thereby preventing the front part of the lifter (31) from being excessively thrust into the soil of the field.
[0016] According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 3, when viewed in a plane, the rear parts of the pair of left and right lifters (31) are connected by a cover (33), so that the amount of straw leaking out from the rear parts of the pair of left and right lifters (31) to the outside can be reduced, thereby suppressing head loss.
[0017] According to the invention described in claim 5, in addition to the effect of the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 4, the rear part of the rotary blade device (20) is rotatably attached to the second support shaft (25) extending in the left-right direction, so that the front part of the rotary blade (22) can be raised and lowered in accordance with the raising and lowering of the pre-cutting treatment device (3).
[0018] According to the invention of claim 6, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 5, a regulating member (26) is provided at the front of the lower wall of the auger frame (60) of the auger device (3C), and when the front of the rotary blade device (20) descends by more than a predetermined amount, the regulating member (26) engages with the rear of the rotary blade device (20). This prevents the front of the rotary blade (22) from descending excessively, and prevents the front of the rotary blade (22) from being excessively dug into the soil of the field.
[0019] According to the invention of claim 7, in addition to the effects of the invention of claim 6, the regulating member (26) is formed of a vertical portion extending downward from the front portion of the lower wall of the auger frame (60) and a horizontal portion extending forward from the lower end of the vertical portion, and the front surface of the vertical portion and the upper surface of the horizontal portion are connected by a reinforcing member (27) at a predetermined distance in the left-right direction, and the second support shaft (25) is fitted into the opening of the connecting portion (24A) formed at the rear portion of the protective cover (24) of the rotary blade device (20) and an opening formed in the reinforcing member (27), so that deformation of the horizontal portion of the regulating member (26) due to contact with the rotary blade device (20) can be prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cutting blade device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of the cutting blade device. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating a method for attaching a movement restricting member. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a general-purpose combine harvester has a traveling device 2 consisting of a pair of left and right crawlers that travels on the soil surface on the underside of a body frame 1, a pre-harvesting processing device 3 that harvests stalks in the field on the front side of the body frame 1, a threshing device 4 that threshers and sorts the harvested stalks on the rear left side of the pre-harvesting processing device 3, and a control unit 5 on which an operator rides on on the rear right side of the pre-harvesting processing device 3.
[0022] An engine room 6 that houses the engine is provided below the control unit 5, a grain tank 7 that stores threshed and sorted grain is provided behind the control unit 5, and a discharge auger 8 that discharges the grain to the outside is provided behind the grain tank 7.
[0023] The pre-harvest processing device 3 is composed of a raking device 3A that transports the stalks in the field rearward while raising them upright, a cutting device 3B that cuts the base of the stalks that are transported to the rear and below the raking device 3A, an auger device 3C that gathers the stalks whose bases have been cut to the left, and a feeder house 3D that transports the gathered stalks to the threshing device 4.
[0024] <Scraping device> 4 and 5, the sweeping device 3A is provided on the front upper side of the auger frame 60 of the auger device 3C. The sweeping device 3A has approximately the same width as the auger frame 60 in the left-right direction.
[0025] The take-in device 3A is composed of a take-in reel 10 and an arm 11 that moves the take-in reel 10 up and down.
[0026] When viewed from the side, the take-up reel 10 is formed in an approximately hexagonal shape, and tine support rods 12 extending in the left-right direction are provided at six corners, and multiple reel tines 13 are suspended from the tine support rods 12 at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction.
[0027] A rotary shaft 14 extending in the left-right direction is installed at the front of the arm 11, and the rotary shaft 14 supports the take-up reel 10. The rear of the arm 11 is rotatably fixed to the upper part of the rear wall of the auger frame 60 of the auger device 3C, and the arm 11 and the left wall of the auger frame 60 are connected at their intermediate portions by a lifting device such as a hydraulic cylinder that swings the arm 11 up and down.
[0028] <Cutting device of first embodiment> As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the cutting device 3B of the first embodiment is formed from a pair of left and right rotary blade devices 20 that cut the base of the stalk, and a pair of left and right lifter devices 30 that are provided above the rotary blade devices 20 and lift the stalks that have been shoveled in by the shoveling device 3A.
[0029] The distance between the left and right cutting devices 3B in the left-right direction is set to the distance between rows in the field, which allows the rotary blade device 20 to efficiently cut the stalks planted in each row.
[0030] The rotary blade device 20 is made up of a frame 21 extending in the front-to-rear direction, a rotary blade 22 provided on the upper front side of the frame 21, a motor 23 provided on the upper rear side of the frame 21 for rotating the rotary blade 22, and a protective cover 24 detachably attached to the lower part of the frame 21. The frame 21 of the rotary blade device 20 located on the left side extends from the rear to the front right, and the frame 21 of the rotary blade device 20 located on the right side extends from the rear to the front left.
[0031] The rotary blade 22 of the left rotary blade device 20 rotates clockwise, and the rotary blade 22 of the right rotary blade device 20 rotates counterclockwise. This prevents soil that comes into contact with the rotary blade 22 from being discharged outside the auger frame 60.
[0032] Inside the protective cover 24, there are arranged a rotary blade sprocket supported on the lower part of the rotary shaft of the rotary blade 22, a motor sprocket supported on the lower part of the rotary shaft of the motor 23, and a chain wound around both sprockets. The rotary shaft of the rotary blade 22 and the rotary shaft of the motor 23 pass through the frame 21 and extend below the lower surface of the frame 21. This prevents the rotary blade sprocket and other components from coming into contact with the soil in the field, thereby suppressing deformation and malfunction of the rotary blade sprocket and other components.
[0033] As shown in Figure 7, the rear of the protective cover 24 is rotatably fixed to a support shaft (referred to as the "second support shaft" in the claims) 25 extending in the left-right direction, and the support shaft 25 is installed on the left and right walls of the auger frame 60. This allows the front of the rotary blade device 20 to move up and down along the unevenness of the field, allowing the rotary blade 22 to efficiently cut the base of the stalk.
[0034] The front lower part of the protective cover 24 is sloped upward at the front, which prevents the front part of the protective cover 24 from digging into the soil in the field and allows the front part of the rotary blade device 20 to move up and down efficiently along the unevenness.
[0035] The rotary blade 22 is positioned below the upper surface of the lower wall of the auger frame 60. This prevents soil that comes into contact with the rotary blade 22 from entering the auger frame 60. Furthermore, when the raking device 3A is lowered, the tip of the reel tine 13 moves close to and above the rotary blade 22. This prevents head loss and allows the base of the stalk raked in by the raking device 3A to be cut and transported to the auger frame 60 efficiently.
[0036] A restricting member 26 is provided below the rear lower part of the protective cover 24. This prevents the front part of the rotary blade device 20 from descending excessively and coming into contact with the soil in the field when the pre-harvesting treatment device 3 is raised.
[0037] As shown in Figure 8, the restricting member 26, which has a predetermined length in the left-right direction, is fixed to the front portion of the lower wall of the auger frame 60 by fastening means such as bolts. The restricting member 26 is formed of a vertical portion extending downward from the front portion of the lower wall of the auger frame 60 and a horizontal portion extending forward from the lower end of the vertical portion, and the front surface of the vertical portion and the upper surface of the horizontal portion are connected by a reinforcing member 27 provided at a predetermined distance in the left-right direction. This prevents deformation of the horizontal portion of the restricting member 26 due to contact with the protective cover 24 of the rotary blade device 20. The support shaft 25 is inserted through an opening formed in the connecting portion 24A at the rear of the protective cover 24 and an opening formed in the reinforcing member 27.
[0038] 4 to 6, the lifter device 30 is composed of lifters 31 made of round steel and installed at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction above the rotary blade 22, and a sled 32 attached to the front lower part of the lifters 31. The rear parts of the pair of left and right lifters 31 are preferably connected by a plate-shaped or comb-shaped cover 33. This reduces the amount of straw leaking out from the rear parts of the pair of left and right lifters 31, thereby suppressing head loss.
[0039] The lifter 31 is formed with an upward slope from its front end located in front of the rotary blade 22 of the rotary blade device 20 to above the motor 23, and then with a downward slope, and the rear part of the lifter 31 is rotatably fixed to a support shaft 34 (referred to as the "first support shaft" in the claims) extending in the left-right direction. This allows the front part of the lifter 31 to move up and down along the unevenness of the field, efficiently standing up the stalks raked in by the raking device 3A. The support shaft 34 is located above and behind the support shaft 25, and reference numeral 36 is a detector of a sensor that detects the elevation position of the cutting device 3B. Furthermore, because the lifter 31 is formed with an upward slope from its front end to above the motor 23, and then with a downward slope, the stalks that have been cut fall downward and can be efficiently transferred to the auger device 3C.
[0040] The front portion of the lifter 31 penetrates the soil of the field, and a sled 32 is provided below the front of the lifter 31. In a plan view, the left portion of the sled 32 is inclined rearward and leftward from the front end, and the right portion of the sled 32 is inclined rearward and rightward from the front end. In a left-right cross-sectional view, the left portion of the sled 32 is inclined upward and leftward, and the right portion of the sled 32 is inclined upward and rightward. This allows the sled 32 to move along the unevenness of the field, preventing the front end of the lifter 31 from penetrating excessively into the soil of the field.
[0041] <Cutting device of second embodiment> 9 to 11 show a cutting device 3B of the second embodiment. The same parts and members as those of the cutting device 3B of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.
[0042] The cutting device 3B of the second embodiment is formed from a pair of left and right rotary blade devices 20 that cut the base of the stalk, and a pair of left and right conveyor devices 40 that are located above the rotary blade devices 20 and that erect the stalks that have been shoveled in by the shoveling device 3A.
[0043] The conveyor device 40 is formed from a drive sprocket supported on a rotating shaft 41 to which the output rotation of the engine is transmitted, a driven sprocket supported on the rotating shaft, and a chain wound around the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket, and lugs 42 that transport the grain straw at predetermined intervals are attached to the chain.
[0044] The rear of the conveyor device 40 is rotatably fixed to a rotating shaft 41, and a divider 43 that divides the stalks is provided at the front end of the conveyor device 40. This allows the front of the conveyor device 40 to move up and down along the unevenness of the field, efficiently standing up the stalks raked in by the raking device 3A. The rotating shaft 41 is located above and behind the support shaft 34, and reference numeral 36 denotes a sensor detector for maintaining the elevation position of the cutting device 3B above the field surface at a predetermined height. The entire pre-harvesting treatment device 3 is raised and lowered to maintain the elevation position of the cutting device 3B at a predetermined height.
[0045] It is preferable to connect the conveyor device 40 and the rear part of the adjacent conveyor device 40, the left wall of the auger frame 60 and the rear part of the conveyor device 40, and the rear part of the conveyor device 40 and the right wall of the auger frame 60 with a plate-shaped or comb-shaped cover 44. This reduces the amount of straw that leaks out from the rear parts of the pair of left and right conveyor devices 40 to the outside (field scene), thereby suppressing head loss.
[0046] In a side view, the front end of the cover 44 is located close to and above the rotary blade 22. The cover 44 is also formed with an upward slope from the front end of the cover 44 to above the rotary shaft 41, and then is formed with a downward slope. This prevents the stalks transported rearward by the conveyor device 40 from getting clogged in the cover 44, allowing the stalks to be efficiently transferred to the auger device 3C. Furthermore, it is preferable that the rear of the cover 44 be rotatably fixed to a support shaft extending in the left-right direction. This makes it easy to remove stalks that have gotten stuck between the conveyor device 40 and the cover 44.
[0047] It is preferable to provide a gauge wheel device 50 that moves along the unevenness of the field between the right conveyor device 40 of the left cutting device 3B and the left conveyor device 40 of the right cutting device 3B.
[0048] The gauge wheel device 50 is formed of a gauge wheel 51 that travels on the field and a frame 52 that supports the gauge wheel 51, and the rear part of the frame 52 is fixed to the rotary shaft 41 so as to be freely rotatable.
[0049] <Auger device> As shown in FIG. 4, the auger device 3C is composed of an auger frame 60 and a scraping auger 61 installed on the left and right walls of the auger frame 60.
[0050] The auger frame 60 is formed of a lower wall, a left wall erected on the left portion of the lower wall, a right wall erected on the right portion of the lower wall, and a rear wall connecting the rear portion of the lower wall to the left and right walls. An inlet (not shown) for transporting the stalks to the feeder house 3D is formed on the left side of the rear wall. In side view, the lower wall of the auger frame 60 is formed in a gently curved shape that protrudes downward.
[0051] A plurality of raking fingers 62 that can freely appear and disappear from the outer peripheral surface are provided on the left side of the outer peripheral surface of the raking auger 61. This allows the grain straw that has gathered in front of the inlet of the auger frame 60 to be efficiently transported to the feeder house 3D.
[0052] A plurality of conveying spirals 63 are provided on the right side of the outer peripheral surface of the raking auger 61. This allows the grain straw conveyed to the auger frame 60 to be efficiently gathered in front of the inlet.
[0053] <Feeder House> As shown in FIG. 2, the feeder house 3D is a device that connects the auger device 3C and the threshing device 4, and transports the stalks (material to be processed) transported to the left part of the auger frame 60 to the threshing device 4. [Explanation of symbols]
[0054] 1 Aircraft frame 2 Running gear 3 Pre-harvest processing equipment 3A scraping device 3B Cutting device 3C Auger Device 3D Feeder House 4. Threshing equipment 20 Rotary blade device 22 Rotary blade 23 Motor 24 Protective cover 24A connection part 25 Support shaft (second support shaft) 26 Regulatory components 27 Reinforcement member 30 Lifter device 31 Lifter 32 Sled 33 Cover 34 Support shaft (1st support shaft)
Claims
1. A combine harvester having a traveling device (2) provided below a machine frame (1), a pre-harvesting device (3) provided in front of the machine frame (1), and a threshing device (4) provided behind the pre-harvesting device (3), The pre-harvesting treatment device (3) is composed of a raking device (3A) that transports the culms in the field backward while raising them upright, a cutting device (3B) that cuts the bases of the transported culms, an auger device (3C) that gathers the transported culms to one side, and a feeder house (3D) that transports the gathered culms to a threshing device (4), The cutting device (3B) is formed by a pair of left and right rotary blade devices (20) and a lifter device (30) arranged above the rotary blade devices (20), A combine harvester characterized in that a pair of left and right lifters (31) extending in the front-to-rear direction of the lifter device (30) are arranged above the rotary blade (22) of the rotary blade device (20), and the rear parts of the lifters (31) are rotatably attached to a first support shaft (34) extending in the left-to-right direction.
2. A combine harvester as described in claim 1, wherein, in a side view, the front end of the lifter (31) is positioned forward of the rotary blade (22), and the lifter (31) is formed from its front end at an upward rearward incline above a motor (23) that drives the rotary blade (22) of the rotary blade device (20), and then at a downward rearward incline toward the first support shaft (34).
3. 3. A combine harvester according to claim 2, wherein a sled (32) for sliding on the field surface is provided below the front portion of said lifter (31).
4. 4. The combine harvester according to claim 3, wherein rear portions of the pair of left and right lifters (31) are connected by a cover (33) in a plan view.
5. The combine harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a rear portion of the rotary blade device (20) is rotatably mounted on a second support shaft (25) extending in the left-right direction.
6. a restricting member (26) is provided at the front of the lower wall of the auger frame (60) of the auger device (3C); 6. A combine harvester according to claim 5, wherein the regulating member (26) is configured to engage with the rear portion of the rotary cutter device (20) when the front portion of the rotary cutter device (20) is lowered by a predetermined amount or more.
7. The regulating member (26) is formed by a vertical portion extending downward from a front portion of the lower wall of the auger frame (60) and a horizontal portion extending forward from a lower end of the vertical portion, The front surface of the vertical portion and the upper surface of the horizontal portion are connected by reinforcing members (27) at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction, A combine harvester as described in claim 6, wherein the second support shaft (25) is fitted into an opening of a connecting portion (24A) formed at the rear of the protective cover (24) of the rotary blade device (20) and an opening formed in the reinforcing member (27).
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Normal combine harvester
JP2010063442A