Sugarcane harvester

Abstract

To provide a sugarcane harvester with a configuration that prevents crops and dust from getting entangled in the rotating part of the upper cutting device. [Solution] A sugarcane harvester comprising an upper cutting device (5) for cutting the upper part of a crop, and a support part (10b) for supporting the upper cutting device (5), wherein the upper cutting device (5) has a rotating body (50) that cuts the crop by rotating, and a drive source (M) that drives the rotating body (50), and when the direction in which the rotation axis (X2) of the rotating body (50) extends is the vertical direction, the rotating body (50) has a cylindrical part (52) provided below the support part (10b) and a cutter part (53) connected to the cylindrical part (52), and the support part (10b) extends downward from the support part (10b) and has an upper cover (71) that covers the upper end of the cylindrical part (52) from the outside.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sugarcane harvester.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional sugarcane harvester, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, there is one provided with a harvesting unit having a topper for cutting the leaf part at the upper part of the crop.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a sugarcane harvester, the harvesting unit often has an upper cutting device (referred to as a "topper" in Document 1) for cutting the upper part of the crop, and the upper cutting device cuts the crop by rotating a cutter part.

[0005] However, when harvesting the crop, a part of the crop cut by the cutter part or dust may get caught in the rotating part, and there is room for improvement.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sugarcane harvester with good working efficiency by having a configuration in which the crop is less likely to get caught in the rotating part of the upper cutting device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The characteristic configuration of the present invention is that it comprises an upper cutting device for cutting the upper part of a crop, and a support part for supporting the upper cutting device, wherein the upper cutting device has a rotating body for cutting the crop by rotating, and a drive source for driving the rotating body, the rotating body has a cylindrical part provided below the support part, and a cutter part connected to the cylindrical part, and the support part extends downward from the support part and has an upper cover that covers the upper end of the cylindrical part from the outside.

[0008] In this configuration, the rotating body is located below the support, and the rotating body rotates relative to the support. The support has an upper cover that covers the upper end of the cylindrical part. As a result, the gap between the support and the rotating body is covered by the upper cover. Consequently, it is possible to prevent crops from getting into the gap between the support and the rotating body and to prevent crops from becoming entangled in the rotating part.

[0009] A characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the lower end of the upper cover in the direction of the rotation axis is located below the upper end of the cylindrical portion in the direction of the rotation axis.

[0010] In this configuration, the lower end of the upper cover is positioned below the upper end of the cylindrical section. That is, the cylindrical section is covered by the upper cover from the support section to the upper end of the cylindrical section. This prevents crops from entering the gap between the upper cover and the cylindrical section.

[0011] A characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the rotating body has a blade portion extending outward from the cylindrical portion, and it is preferable that the lower end of the upper cover in the direction of the rotation axis extends to the vicinity of the upper end of the blade portion in the direction of the rotation axis.

[0012] In this configuration, the rotating body has a blade section, and the blade section rotates as part of the rotating body. Light objects such as crop leaves collide with the rotating blade section and are thrown away from the rotating body. As a result, it is possible to prevent crop leaves and other objects from approaching the sliding point between the rotating body and the support section. In other words, it is possible to suppress crop leaves and other objects from entering the interior of the upper cover.

[0013] The characteristic configuration of the present invention is preferably comprising an inner cylinder extending downward from the support portion and located inside the cylindrical portion, and a drive shaft connected to the output shaft of the drive source and located inside the inner cylinder, wherein the drive shaft is rotatably supported by the inner cylinder, and the cutter portion is connected to the lower end of the drive shaft.

[0014] In this configuration, an inner cylinder is located inside a cylindrical container, and the drive shaft is located inside the inner cylinder. As a result, the drive shaft is enclosed by the inner cylinder, preventing crops from directly touching the drive shaft. Consequently, crops becoming entangled in the drive shaft can be suppressed.

[0015] A characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the rotating body preferably includes a bearing provided inside the inner cylinder to support the drive shaft, and a cover positioned below the bearing in the space between the drive shaft and the inner cylinder, covering the space from below in the direction of the rotation axis.

[0016] In this configuration, the drive shaft is supported by a bearing, and a cover is provided to enclose the space between the inner cylinder and the drive shaft from below. This prevents crops from becoming entangled in the bearing.

[0017] A characteristic feature of the present invention is that a suppression member is preferably placed between the cylindrical portion and the inner cylinder to suppress the arrival of dust to the lower end of the inner cylinder.

[0018] Generally, dust is stirred up when an object moves and accumulates when the object is stationary. Therefore, dust tends to accumulate at the lower end of the inner cylinder between the rotating cylindrical part and the non-moving inner cylinder. In this configuration, the arrival of dust at the lower end of the inner cylinder is suppressed. As a result, dust is less likely to accumulate at the lower end of the inner cylinder. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a left side view of a sugarcane harvesting machine. [Figure 2]It is a plan view of a sugarcane harvester. [Figure 3] It is a side view showing the configuration of the upper cutting device. [Figure 4] It is a side view showing the configuration of the front end portion of the upper cutting device. [Figure 5] It is a sectional view taken along the line V-V in Fig. 4. [Figure 6] It is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the front end portion of the upper cutting device. [Figure 7] It is a sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in Fig. 6. [Figure 8] It is a longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the stopper portion. [Figure 9] It is a bottom view showing the configuration of the stopper portion.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0020] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the direction of arrow F in the drawings is "front", the direction of arrow B is "rear", the direction of arrow L is "left", and the direction of arrow R is "right". Also, the direction of arrow U in the drawings is "up", and the direction of arrow D is "down".

[0021] 〔Overall Configuration of Sugarcane Harvester〕 As shown in Fig. 1, the sugarcane harvester includes a traveling body, and left and right front wheels 1 provided on the traveling body and capable of steering operation, and left and right rear wheels 2 that cannot be steered and are rotationally driven. The traveling body can travel by driving the rear wheels 2.

[0022] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the traveling body is provided with a driving unit 3, a cutting unit 4, an upper cutting device 5 for cutting the upper part of the crop, a conveying device 6, a separating device 7, a conveyor 8, an engine 9, a support mechanism 10 for supporting the upper cutting device 5, and the like.

[0023] The upper cutting device 5 changes its orientation depending on the aircraft's orientation and the upper cutting device 5's orientation relative to the aircraft. However, in this specification, the upper and lower relationships are described assuming that the direction in which the rotation axis of the rotating body 50 extends is parallel to the vertical direction.

[0024] The harvesting unit 4 cuts the crop (sugarcane) planted in the field. The upper cutting device 5 cuts the upper leaf portion of the crop. The conveying device 6 conveys the crop harvested by the harvesting unit 4 upwards and rearwards. The separation device 7 is located at the rear of the traveling machine and separates the crop being conveyed by the conveying device 6 into impurities and harvested material (sugarcane). The conveyor 8 is connected to the rear of the traveling machine and is capable of swiveling around the vertical axis X1 with its lower end as a pivot point. It receives the harvested material from the separation device 7 and conveys it diagonally upwards to discharge it outside the machine. The engine 9, which is the drive source, supplies power to various parts of the machine.

[0025] The driver's unit 3 is located high up at the front of the vehicle and is surrounded by a cabin 31. Inside the cabin 31 are a driver's seat, steering wheel, control panel, etc. There are openable doors on both the left and right sides of the cabin 31.

[0026] The harvesting unit 4 is located at the front lower part of the traveling machine. The harvesting unit 4 is equipped with left and right weed dividers 41 and a harvesting header 42. The left and right weed dividers 41 divide and guide the crops to be harvested from the planted crops. The harvesting header 42 cuts the crops to be planted in the field and sends them to the rear. The left and right weed dividers 41 are equipped with vertically oriented weed divider rotating bodies 41a that are driven to rotate.

[0027] The harvesting header 42 is positioned behind the left and right weed dividers 41. Rollers are provided within the area enclosed by the left and right side walls of the harvesting header 42. The rollers push the crops forward and then sweep them in backward. The harvesting header 42 is also equipped with a lower cutting device 42a for cutting the base of the crop plants. The lower cutting device 42a is located behind the left and right weed dividers 41. The lower cutting device 42a is equipped with a pair of rotary cutters on the left and right sides. The rotary cutters rotate around an axis that runs vertically to cut the base of the crop plants.

[0028] The starting end of the conveying device 6 is connected to the rear of the lower cutting device 42a. The conveying device 6 is positioned in an upward-sloping position at the rear to convey the crops toward the rear and upward of the machine. The conveying device 6 has a conveying path formed by a roughly rectangular cylindrical structure. The conveying device 6 is equipped with scraping rotating bodies on both the upper and lower sides of the transport path. The scraping rotating bodies are provided at appropriate intervals in the transport direction. The scraping rotating bodies on both the upper and lower sides are driven to rotate in opposite directions. The long crops cut by the cutting unit 4 are conveyed to the rear while being held between the scraping rotating bodies on both the upper and lower sides.

[0029] The conveying device 6 is equipped with a pair of upper and lower cutting rollers at the end of the conveying process, and the cutting rollers are equipped with cutting blades that extend radially outward. Long crops are cut to a predetermined length by being gripped by the cutting blades of the cutting rollers at the end of the conveying process. The "predetermined length" is, for example, a length that is easy to handle in subsequent transport and processing processes.

[0030] The separation device 7 separates and discharges to the outside fine stem fragments, leaf fragments, and other impurities contained in the crops discharged from the transport terminal of the transport device 6 by the ventilation action of a fan that rotates around the vertical axis X1.

[0031] [Top cutting device] As shown in Figure 3, the upper cutting device 5 and the support mechanism 10 are located at the front of the machine.

[0032] The support mechanism 10 consists of two upper and lower sections that are tilted forward from the center of the left-right direction of the machine body, and includes a support frame 10a that is supported by the running machine body, and a support body 10b (corresponding to the "support part" according to the present invention) that is connected to the upper cutting device 5 and supports the upper cutting device 5.

[0033] The upper support frame 10a is configured to pivot around a left-right axis Y2 that extends along the left-right direction of the aircraft. The lower support frame 10a is configured to pivot around a left-right axis Y1 that extends along the left-right direction of the aircraft.

[0034] As shown in Figures 3, 8, and 9, a cylinder 30 is provided below the lower support frame 10a. The rear end of the cylinder 30 is pivotally attached to the traveling body and is rotatably supported around a left-right axis Y4 that extends along the left-right direction of the body. The front end of the cylinder 30 is pivotally attached to a connecting part 10c provided below the support frame 10a and is swingable around a left-right axis Y3 that extends along the left-right direction of the body. The connecting part 10c is provided in the center of the support frame 10a in the front-rear direction and has a support pin 11c. The front end of the cylinder 30 and the stopper part 40 are swingably connected to the support pin 11c. When the cylinder 30 is displaced in the extension direction, the support frame 10a swings upward, and when the cylinder 30 is displaced in the shortening direction, the support frame 10a swings downward.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, the upper cutting device 5 includes a rotating body 50 that cuts crops by rotating, and a motor M (corresponding to the "drive source" according to the present invention) that drives the rotating body 50. The motor M is supported by the support body 10b at the front end of the support body 10b and is also provided on the upper part of the support body 10b. The rotating body 50 is provided below the motor M at the front end of the support body 10b. The rotating body 50 is pivotally attached to the support body 10b.

[0036] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the support 10b has a guide section 12 that guides crops to the vicinity of the rotating body 50. The guide section 12 comprises a horizontal plate 12a that is inclined outward towards the machine body as it approaches the rotating body 50, a vertical plate 12b provided at the rear end of the horizontal plate 12a and inclined rearward as it approaches the outside, and a rod-shaped member 12c that is curved in the center and extends outward as it approaches the front.

[0037] The horizontal plates 12a are provided on both the left and right sides of the rotating body 50. In the vertical direction, the horizontal plates 12a are higher towards the rotating body 50 and lower towards the outside relative to the rotating body 50. That is, the horizontal plate 12a on the right side of the machine is located lower towards the right, and the horizontal plate 12a on the left side of the machine is located lower towards the left. The upper end of the horizontal plate 12a is located below the lower end of the rotating body 50. The left and right horizontal plates 12a are connected by a connecting body 13 provided on the underside of the horizontal plates 12a.

[0038] The connecting body 13 is made of square pipes or the like and extends along the left-right direction of the machine. The connecting body 13 is located behind the drive shaft 51 which is connected to the output shaft of the motor M.

[0039] A reinforcing member 14, bent at approximately a right angle, is provided on the lower surface of the horizontal plate 12a. The reinforcing members 14 are provided along the front-rear direction of the aircraft and at regular intervals.

[0040] The rod-shaped member 12c is curved to form a predetermined angle, and the rotating body 50 is located near the curved portion. The rod-shaped member 12c is inclined downwards towards the front and is connected to the left and right horizontal plates 12a, respectively. The vertical plate 12b is located behind the rotating body 50 and at the rear end of the horizontal plates 12a. The upper end of the rod-shaped member 12c is approximately at the same height as the upper end of the horizontal plates 12a. The upper end of the rod-shaped member 12c and the upper end of the connecting body 13 are at approximately the same height. The front end of the rod-shaped member 12c is located in front of the front end of the horizontal plates 12a.

[0041] The vertical plates 12b are provided on both the left and right sides of the rotating body 50. The lower ends of the vertical plates 12b are connected to the horizontal plates 12a. That is, the lower end of the vertical plate 12b on the right side of the machine is located lower the further to the right it is, and the vertical plate 12b on the left side of the machine is located lower the further to the left it is. The vertical plates 12b are located further back the further out they are. That is, the vertical plate 12b on the right side of the machine is located further back the further to the right it is, and the vertical plate 12b on the left side of the machine is located further back the further to the left it is.

[0042] With the above configuration, when the mobile machine moves, the upper part of the crop comes into contact with the rod-shaped member 12c and is guided to approach the rotating body 50.

[0043] [Rotating body] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the rotating body 50 has a cylindrical portion 52 provided below the support 10b, a cutter portion 53 connected to the cylindrical portion 52, and a blade portion 54 extending outward from the cylindrical portion 52. The cylindrical portion 52 is provided below the motor M. The cutter portion 53 has a disc 53a and blades 53b provided on the disc 53a in the circumferential direction, protruding radially outward and spaced apart. In this embodiment, four blades 53b are provided. The blade portion 54 is provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 52. The outer end of the blade portion 54 substantially coincides with the outer end of the disc 53a. In a plan view, the blade portion 54 and the blades 53b are provided so as not to overlap.

[0044] The drive shaft 51 is connected to the output shaft of the motor M and is located inside the inner cylinder 55. The drive shaft 51 rotates around the vertical axis X2. The cutter section 53 is connected (supported) to the lower end of the drive shaft 51. The cylindrical section 52 is connected to the cutter section 53.

[0045] The upper part of the blade section 54 is composed of a plate material that is positioned closer to the vertical axis X2 as it rises. The drive shaft 51, the cutter section 53, the cylindrical section 52, and the blade section 54 rotate together. That is, the upper end of the cylindrical section 52 rotates relative to the support 10b. The cutter section 53 is configured to cut crops by rotation, but it is not limited to this configuration; a clipper-like design is also acceptable.

[0046] The inner cylinder 55 extends downward from the support 10b and is located inside the cylindrical portion 52. The cylindrical portion 52 is supported by the support 10b. The lower end of the inner cylinder 55 is located above the cylindrical portion 52.

[0047] The rotating body 50 is located inside the inner cylinder 55 and has a bearing 60 that supports the drive shaft 51. This allows the drive shaft 51 to rotatably support the inner cylinder 55. The inner cylinder 55 does not rotate integrally with the rotating body 50.

[0048] The rotating body 50 is positioned below the bearing 60 in the space between the drive shaft 51 and the inner cylinder 55, and has a cover 70 that covers the space from below. The cover 70 is provided above the lower end of the inner cylinder 55. The cover 70 has an annular structure with the drive shaft 51 inserted in its center. In this embodiment, the bearing 60 is provided at the lower end of the inner cylinder 55 and at the upper part of the inner cylinder 55. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the bearing 60 may be provided at any position in the inner cylinder 55.

[0049] [Top cover] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the support body 10b has an upper cover 71 that extends downward from the support body 10b in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotating body 50 and covers the upper end of the cylindrical portion 52 from the outside, and an outer edge cover 72 that is on the outer edge of the support body 10b and adjacent to the upper cover 71. The upper cover 71 has a front cover 71a and a rear cover 71b. The rear end of the front cover 71a and the outer edge cover 72 are continuous. That is, in a plan view, the upper cover 71 is shaped to follow the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 52, and the outer edge cover 72 and the front cover 71a are integrally formed and shaped to follow the outer edge of the support body 10b. The front cover 71a and the rear cover 71b are arc shapes corresponding to semicircles, but are not limited to this shape.

[0050] The lower end of the upper cover 71 in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotating body 50 is located below the upper end of the cylindrical portion 52 in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotating body 50. The lower part of the upper cover 71 in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotating body 50 extends to the vicinity of the upper end of the blade portion 54 in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotating body 50. The lower end of the rear of the outer edge cover 72 is located lower than the lower end of the upper cover 71. The upper ends of the outer edge cover 72 and the front cover 71a are located higher than the lower end of the motor M. That is, the lower end of the motor M overlaps with the front cover 71a and the outer edge cover 72 in a horizontal view. This prevents crops from becoming entangled in the output shaft of the motor M.

[0051] [Stopper section] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, a stopper portion 40 is provided above the cylinder 30, which contacts the cylinder 30 to restrict its displacement in the shortening direction.

[0052] The stopper section 40 has a gate wall 20 extending in the front-rear direction and a rear wall 21 at the rear end of the gate wall 20. The gate wall 20 has an open shape at the bottom when viewed from the front and has a pivot portion 20a at its front end. The pivot portion 20a is bent outward in the left-right direction of the machine body at its front side, and its front end is pivotally attached to the support pin 11c from the outside of the support frame 10a. The stopper section 40 is supported by the support mechanism 10 from the inside in the left-right direction at the locking portion 22 and is pivotable around the left-right axis Y3.

[0053] The rear wall 21 has a locking portion 22 that can be locked to the support mechanism 10, and a contact portion 23 located below the locking portion 22. The support frame 10a is provided with a positioning portion 15. The positioning portion 15 is provided with pin-locking holes oriented substantially along the front-rear direction. Locking pins can be inserted into the pin-locking holes.

[0054] The cylinder 30 has a rod 30a and a tube 30b. The front end of the rod 30a is connected to the center of the support pin 11c. That is, the front end of the cylinder 30 is pivotally attached to the locking portion 22. The rear end of the tube 30b is located behind the rear end of the contact portion 23.

[0055] The contact portion 23 has a gate-like shape with its lower side open when viewed from the front. When the stopper portion 40 swings downward, the contact portion 23 swings over the rod 30a from above. When the stopper portion 40 is swinging downward, if the rod 30a is displaced in the shortening direction to a length of less than or equal to a predetermined value, the contact portion 23 comes into contact with the front end of the tube 30b. In other words, when the stopper portion 40 is swinging downward, the cylinder 30 cannot be shortened to a length less than a certain length. The predetermined value is the value at which the extension of the rod 30a matches the length from the base end to the free end of the stopper portion 40. In other words, when the stopper portion 40 is swinging downward, the length of the rod 30a in the front-rear direction cannot be less than the length of the stopper portion 40 in the front-rear direction.

[0056] With the above configuration, when the stopper portion 40 is swinging downwards, the upper cutting device 5 will not descend below a certain height in the vertical direction.

[0057] [Alternative Embodiment] (1) A suppression member may be placed between the cylindrical portion 52 and the inner cylinder 55 to suppress dust from reaching the lower end of the inner cylinder 55.

[0058] (2) The lower end of the upper cover 71 does not have to be located below the upper end of the cylindrical portion 52.

[0059] (3) The rotating body 50 does not have to have the blade portion 54. The upper cover 71 does not have to be located near the upper end of the blade portion 54, and may be located below the predetermined position.

[0060] (4) It is not necessary to have an inner cylinder 55.

[0061] (5) The bearing 60 is not required. Also, the cover 70 is not required.

[0062] (6) The guide unit 12 does not necessarily have to include a horizontal plate 12a and a vertical plate 12b. Furthermore, the guide unit 12 is not limited to the above configuration and may have any structure.

[0063] (7) The stopper portion 40 does not need to swing downwards and may be fixed to the upper part of the cylinder 30. It may also be of any shape.

[0064] (8) The support frame 10a does not necessarily need to have two upper and lower sections.

[0065] (9) The cylinder 30 does not have to be located below the support frame 10a.

[0066] (10) The stopper portion 40 does not have to be in contact with the tube 30b. The configuration is not limited to one in which it covers the cylinder 30 from above, and for example, the upper cutting device 5 may be configured such that it does not fall below a certain height by connecting the support frame 10a and the traveling machine body.

[0067] Furthermore, the configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no inconsistencies arise. In addition, the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the object of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0068] The present invention can be used in a sugarcane harvester equipped with a separation device that separates harvested crops into impurities and harvested material. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 5: Upper cutting device 10b: Support body (support part) 50: Solid of revolution 51: Drive shaft 52: Cylindrical section 53: Cutter section 54: Feather part 55: Inner cylinder 60: Bearings 70: Cover 71: Top cover M: Motor (drive source) X2: Vertical axis (rotation axis)

Claims

1. A top cutting device for cutting the top of crops, It comprises a support portion that supports the upper cutting device, The aforementioned upper cutting device comprises a rotating body that cuts crops by rotating, and a drive source that drives the rotating body. When the direction in which the rotation axis of the aforementioned rotating body extends is defined as the vertical direction, The rotating body has a cylindrical portion provided below the support portion and a cutter portion connected to the cylindrical portion. The sugarcane harvester has a support portion that extends downward from the support portion and has an upper cover that covers the upper end of the cylindrical portion from the outside.

2. The sugarcane harvester according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the upper cover is located below the upper end of the cylindrical portion.

3. The rotating body has a vane portion that extends outward from the cylindrical portion, The sugarcane harvester according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the upper cover extends to the vicinity of the upper end of the blade portion.

4. An inner cylinder extending downward from the support portion and located inside the cylindrical portion, The drive shaft is connected to the output shaft of the drive source and is located inside the inner cylinder, The drive shaft is rotatably supported in the inner cylinder, The sugarcane harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cutter section is connected to the lower end of the drive shaft.

5. The rotating body is provided inside the inner cylinder and includes a bearing that supports the drive shaft, The sugarcane harvester according to claim 4, further comprising a cover disposed below the bearing in the space between the drive shaft and the inner cylinder, and covering the space from below.

6. The sugarcane harvester according to claim 4, wherein a suppression member is arranged between the cylindrical portion and the inner cylinder to suppress dust from reaching the lower end of the inner cylinder.

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