Agricultural implement

Abstract

To improve convenience in maintenance.SOLUTION: An agricultural implement includes a cover 5 and a belt conveyor 41. The belt conveyor 41 includes a drive transmission-side surface 93 having an endless belt 411 as a conveyor belt and transmitting power to a drive shaft 42 of the belt conveyor 41, and a non-drive transmission-side surface 94. The cover 5 is provided at least on one surface and covers a region that can expose at least the entire endless belt 411 when the cover is removed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an agricultural machine equipped with a belt conveyor. The present invention relates to agricultural machines such as, but not limited to, a reaping, shredding and harvesting machine that forms shredded forage crops such as dent corn, sorghum, and pasture grass into roll bales. [Background technology]

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1 below, the reaping / shredding harvester has crawlers powered by an engine mounted on the vehicle body, and the reaping / shredding machine is located at the front, and sends the shredded harvest material to a hopper via a chute. The shredded harvest material collected in the hopper is dropped onto a belt conveyor from a discharge outlet below the hopper and sent to the forming section via another transport device. In the forming section, the shredded harvest material is formed into a roll bale, which is then covered with a net or the like and released into the field. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5276403 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Belt conveyors installed on agricultural machinery often use belts with joints to make them easier to replace. By removing the joints, the belt becomes a single belt and can be removed through a narrow inspection hatch. The replacement belt is then inserted into the machine through the same inspection hatch, looped between the drive shaft and driven shaft, and the joints are reconnected to perform the replacement work. Working through a narrow inspection hatch puts a strain on the worker and is difficult to use. Furthermore, when a problem occurs, such as shredded harvests clogging the belt conveyor's drive section, the worker must deal with the problem through the small inspection hatch, making it difficult to use in terms of maintenance. An object of the present invention is to improve ease of use in terms of maintenance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention solves the problem by providing an agricultural machine comprising a cover and a belt conveyor, the belt conveyor having an endless belt as a transport belt, and having a drive transmission side that transmits power to the drive shaft of the belt conveyor and a non-drive transmission side, the cover being provided on at least one of the sides and covering an area that can be removed to expose at least the entire endless belt. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The present invention improves ease of maintenance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a reaping, shredding and harvesting machine 1 (agricultural machine) according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the hopper 13 and the conveying section 4 of the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the drive transmission side surface 93 of the embodiment, and shows the peripheral drive mechanism including the conveying section 4. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the endless belt 411 in FIG. 3 with the members necessary for replacement removed. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the endless belt 411 is being pulled out from the state shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals in different drawings indicate parts with the same function, and duplicated explanations in each drawing will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, some drawings intentionally omit certain components for the sake of explanation.

[0009] [Example] (Overall structure and roll bale formation) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a reaping, shredding and harvesting machine 1 (agricultural machine) according to an embodiment. In the illustration, R (right) and L (left) refer to the direction of travel of the reaping, shredding and harvesting machine 1 (agricultural machine), with F being the forward direction (F). In the illustration, the rear is shown as (B). The reaping, shredding, and harvesting machine 1 (agricultural machine) has a traveling section 8 and a reaping and shredding section 11 at the front. As the reaping, shredding, and harvesting machine 1 (agricultural machine) travels, the reaping and shredding section 11 cuts forage crops such as dent corn, sorghum, and pasture grass from the roots and shreds them. The shredded forage crops are sent to a hopper 13 via a chute 12. The hopper 13 is covered by an external cover 9 and is not visible in Figure 1. A chute connection port 14 is provided at the top of the hopper 13 to receive the rear end of the chute 12. The chopped forage crops stored in the hopper 13 are discharged from the hopper 13 and sent to the conveying section 4, which is covered with an outer cover 9 in the figure. The chopped forage crops are sent from the conveying section 4 to the forming chamber 17, where they are formed into round bales. The formed round bales are wrapped in netting by the netting device 18 and released into the field.

[0010] (Drive transmission side and non-drive transmission side) Power from the engine is sent via a hydraulic pump. The hydraulic pressure sent to the hydraulic motor rotates a gear, driving a conveyor drive chain. The conveyor drive chain 421, which will be described later, drives the conveyor unit 4. The drive transmission side 93, through which power is sent to the conveyor unit 4, is on the left (L) side of FIG. 1 and is not visible. The right (R) side, on which the conveyor unit 4 is shown in FIG. 1, is the non-drive transmission side (the driven side).

[0011] (Outline of the hopper and conveyor) 2 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the hopper 13 and the conveying unit 4 of the embodiment. The hopper 13 has a chute connection port 14 at the front upper part, through which the shredded feed crops are inserted from the rear end of the chute 12. Hopper 13 is provided with an agitator 15 inside. By rotating, agitator 15 agitates the chopped forage crops stored in hopper 13, preventing the chopped forage crops from clogging inside hopper 13. A substantially constant amount of chopped forage crops is then dropped from discharge outlet 16 onto transport belt conveyor 41. Transport belt conveyor 41 has an endless belt 411 attached between conveyor drive shaft 42 and conveyor driven shaft 43.

[0012] (endless belt) Conventional conveyor belts with joints have the problem that when a scraper is installed to remove chopped feed crops stuck to the conveyor belt, the scraper can collide with the joint, causing the joint to come loose. On the other hand, the endless belt 411 has the advantage that such a problem does not occur even when a scraper is installed. Furthermore, because the endless belt 411 has no joints, it always adheres tightly to the conveyor drive shaft 42 and conveyor driven shaft 43, which has the advantage of making it difficult to come loose, but it is difficult to install.

[0013] (Transportation section) A rotor 45 provided at the upper rear part of the transfer belt conveyor 41 rotates around a rotor drive shaft 451. The chopped forage crops placed on the transfer belt conveyor 41 are roughly leveled by the rotor 45. The chopped forage crops are then fed into the molding chamber 17 via a conveying device (not shown) located further rearward of the transfer belt conveyor 41.

[0014] (Drive transmission mechanism on the drive transmission side) The reaping, shredding and harvesting machine 1 (farm work machine) has a drive transmission side 93 equipped with a drive transmission system for driving the transfer belt conveyor 41. The drive transmission side surface 93 in this embodiment is the surface on the left (L) side in FIG. 1, as described above. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the drive transmission side 93 of the embodiment, showing the peripheral drive mechanism including the conveying section 4. Fig. 3 shows the reaping, shredding and harvesting machine 1 (agricultural machine) with the external cover 9 (not shown) that covers the area including the conveying unit 4 removed. The drive units of the conveying unit 4 shown in Fig. 3 are only the conveyor drive shaft 42 and the rotor drive shaft 451. The conveying unit 4 also has a conveying device toward the molding chamber 17, but this is not shown. Fig. 3 also shows the agitator drive shaft 151 attached to the hopper 13. The agitator drive shaft 151 receives drive force and rotates through a rotor-agitator drive chain 452 provided on the drive transmission side surface 93.

[0015] The output from the engine is transmitted to a hydraulic pump, which receives hydraulic pressure through hydraulic piping and rotates a hydraulic motor, which drives a conveyor drive chain 421. The conveyor drive chain 421 rotates a conveyor drive shaft 42. The conveyor drive shaft 42 is coaxially provided with a gear that drives a rotor / agitator drive chain 452 that sends power to the agitator 15 and rotor 45.

[0016] The endless belt 411, which is the main part of the transport belt conveyor 41, is attached between the conveyor drive shaft 42 and the conveyor driven shaft 43, although it is not clearly visible. A tension pulley 453 is provided midway along the rotor / agitator drive chain 452. The tension pulley 453 prevents the rotor / agitator drive chain 452 from slackening, and is pulled by a tensioner 454. The tensioner 454 is attached so as to cross the center of the endless belt 411 (not shown).

[0017] The conveyor belt tension adjustment unit 44 adjusts the position of the conveyor driven shaft 43 to provide an appropriate tension to the endless belt 411. The conveyor belt tension adjustment unit 44 is configured to be removable from the drive transmission side surface 93 side.

[0018] (Cover part) The conveyor belt 41 is covered by a cover 5. The cover 5 is divided into a first cover 51, a second cover 52, a third cover 53, and a fourth cover 54, with gaps 6 between each cover that allow observation of the interior of the conveyor belt 41. These gaps 6 function as inspection hatches, and the gap 6 between the first cover 51 and the second cover 52 is useful for adjusting the conveyor belt tension adjustment unit 44 and checking the amount of chopped forage crops stuck on the conveyor driven shaft 43. If a large amount of chopped forage crops is stuck, the operator removes the first cover 51 and clears the jam. Similarly, the gaps 6 between the second cover 52 and the third cover 53 and the gaps 6 between the third cover 53 and the fourth cover 54 are positioned to facilitate inspection of the degree of jamming of chopped forage crops, the condition of the endless belt 411, and the conveyor drive shaft 42. Since the cover portion 5 in the embodiment is divided into multiple parts, the operator can complete most of the inspections related to the conveyor belt 41 simply by removing the external cover 9 (not shown), thereby improving usability. Furthermore, the worker can perform tasks such as removing clogged feed crops by simply removing the cover part 5 of the embodiment that requires attention, thereby improving usability. As described above, the divided cover portion 5 covers an area where at least the entire endless belt 411 can be exposed by removing each cover (51 to 54). The cover portion 5 is divided into a plurality of covers (51 to 54) and covers the endless belt 411 with gaps 6 between each cover.

[0019] The cover portion 5 may be a single portion or a plurality of portions, and it is sufficient that the entire endless belt 411 can be exposed when removed, and it does not matter whether the gap 6 is open or not.

[0020] (Variation) The cover portion 5 may have a gap 6 or not, and may have a plurality of cover portions. If there is no gap 6, the cover portion 5 covers an area that can be removed to inspect the inside and expose at least the entire endless belt. The present invention also includes a modification in which there is one or more cover parts 5, and the endless belt is covered with at least one gap. When there is one cover part 5, the gap 6 may be left only on the conveyor driven shaft 43 side. When there are multiple cover parts 5, there may be cover parts 5 on both sides of the endless belt 411 (the conveyor driven shaft 43 side and the conveyor drive shaft 42 side), and the gap 6 may be left only in the middle part of the endless belt 411. Although the embodiment shows that the cover portion 5 may be divided, a modified embodiment also includes an embodiment in which no gap 6 is provided. In this modified embodiment, there are multiple cover portions 5, which are attached without providing any gap 6 so as to completely hide the endless belt 411. This reduces the amount of chopped forage crops that spills through the gap 6. An operator can inspect the cover portions 5 by removing one or more of the multiple cover portions 5. Furthermore, regardless of whether the cover part 5 is divided or not, it may be attached so that there is only one gap 6 for inspection. The width of the gap 6 is also appropriate. Furthermore, the cover part 5 may be a single piece without being divided and attached so as to completely hide the endless belt 411. Since this embodiment makes inspection difficult, opening and closing windows may be provided at appropriate intervals as necessary so that the inside can be inspected by opening the opening and closing windows. The present invention also includes another embodiment in which only one cover portion 5, for example, only the third cover 53, is provided and gaps 6 are formed on both the left and right sides of the third cover 53. In this embodiment, the entire endless belt 411 can be exposed by simply removing the third cover 53. Furthermore, in another embodiment, one or more cover parts 6 may be configured to be slidable, and the gap 6 may be created in an appropriate position by sliding the cover part 5. By sliding the cover part 5, the worker can change the position of the gap 6 that serves as an inspection hatch. As described above, the cover portion 5 can have various configurations.

[0021] (Replacing the endless belt) The endless belt 411 has not been used in agricultural machines because it is difficult to replace. In the embodiment, even if the endless belt 411 is used, it can be easily replaced. To replace the endless belt 411, it is necessary to remove the components between the conveyor drive shaft 42 and the conveyor driven shaft 43. The components that need to be removed are the tensioner 454 and the conveyor belt tension adjustment unit 44, both of which can be removed from the drive transmission side surface 93. Also, the conveyor drive chain 421 is removed. The rotor / agitator drive chain 452 is a single chain, and can be loosened and easily removed by removing the tensioner 454. This embodiment is much simpler and easier to use than one in which the rotor 45 and agitator 15 are driven by separate drive chains. 4 is a perspective view of the endless belt 411 after removing any members that may hinder replacement. The endless belt 411 is placed in a state where any members that may hinder replacement have been removed from between the conveyor drive shaft 42 and the conveyor driven shaft 43. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the endless belt 411 is being pulled out from the state shown in Fig. 4. The old endless belt 411 is removed, and a new endless belt 411 is attached in the reverse order.

[0022] (Repair and inspection of parts other than endless belts) The embodiment has been described taking the endless belt 411 as an example. In the embodiment, even if a problem occurs in the conveyor drive shaft 42 or the conveyor driven shaft 43, replacement, repair, and inspection can be easily performed, improving usability.

[0023] (Variation) In the embodiment, the endless belt 411 is replaced from the drive transmission side 93. In the modified example, the endless belt 411 is replaced from the non-drive transmission side, i.e., the right side in FIG. 1. The non-drive transmission side has fewer drive transmission mechanisms such as the conveyor drive chain 421, and the procedure for replacing the endless belt 411 is simple. The cover portion 5 is divided into a first cover 51 to a fourth cover 54, in the same arrangement as on the drive transmission side 93. The gap 6 is also provided in the same way as in the embodiment.

[0024] (Contribution to SDGs) In the embodiment, the inspection and part replacement of the conveyor belt 41 of the agricultural machine 1 is simplified to an extent that any worker can do it without going to a vehicle repair shop, making it easy to use. The present invention contributes to Goal 9 of the SDGs, which aims to "develop new technologies and promote stable industrialization that benefits everyone."

[0025] Furthermore, the technical matters of the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications can be combined by utilizing each other's techniques, as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in the purpose, configuration, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1. Harvesting machine (agricultural machinery) 11 Cutting and shredding section 12 shots 13 Hopper 14 Chute connection port 15 Agitator 151 Agitator drive shaft 16 Outlet 17 Molding room 18 Network equipment 4. Conveyor 41 Conveyor belt 411 endless belt 42 Conveyor drive shaft 421 Conveyor drive chain 43 Conveyor driven shaft 44 Conveyor belt tension adjustment unit 45 rotors 451 rotor drive shaft 452 Rotor / Agitator Drive Chain 453 Tension pulley 454 tensioner 5 Cover 51 First Cover 52 Second Cover 53 Third Cover 54 4th Cover 6. Gap 8 Running part 9 Outer cover 93 Drive transmission side After B Before F L left R right

Claims

1. Equipped with a cover and belt conveyor, The belt conveyor has an endless belt as a conveying belt, a drive transmission side surface that transmits power to a drive shaft of the belt conveyor; There is a non-drive transmission side, The agricultural work machine is characterized in that the cover is provided on at least one of the surfaces and covers an area that can be removed to expose at least the entire endless belt.

2. 2. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein the cover is divided into a plurality of sections, and covers all or at least a part of the endless belt.

3. 2. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein there is one or more covers, and the covers cover the endless belt with at least one gap therebetween.

4. The agricultural work machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the agricultural work machine is a reaping, shredding and harvesting machine.

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