Rotational monitoring device for ground working machine

Abstract

In a ground working machine that is connected to a tractor via a connecting member so as to be vertically movable and exhibits its function by shaft rotation, the state of the connecting member and / or the traveling state of the tractor are judged without manual operation, and non-rotation of the ground working machine is immediately alarmed. 【Solution means】 A limit switch 08 provided in a three-point hitch 02 that connects a tractor 01 and a ground working machine 03 supplies current to a working machine rotation means 12 only when the limit switch 08 detects a state in which the ground working machine 03 is lowered to the ground and a tire rotation detection means 10 detects rotation of a tire 13 of the tractor 01. When a working machine rotation detection means 12 detects non-rotation of a shaft-rotating member of the ground working machine 03, an alarm issuing means 17 is activated, and the alarm issuing means 17 issues an alarm to notify an operator that a problem has occurred in the ground working machine 03. A rotation monitoring device for the ground working machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotary monitoring device capable of detecting non-rotation of a rotary shaft of a ground working machine, which is connected to a tractor via a connecting member so as to be vertically movable and exhibits a function by axial rotation.

Background Art

[0002] As a method for directly detecting non-rotation of a rotary shaft of a ground working machine, a vibration sensor that detects a change in vibration due to a stop of shaft rotation or a rotation sensor that measures the speed and position of shaft rotation may be attached to a rotating part of the ground working machine. However, when replenishing seeds, fertilizers, etc. with the ground working machine lifted from the ground, or even when the ground working machine is installed on the ground, it is necessary not to activate the above-mentioned sensors when the tractor is stopped, and manual operations such as turning the switch on and off are involved each time.

[0003] And, as a prior art for monitoring the rotation of a ground working machine without manual operation, Patent Document 1 is known. The technology according to the known document 1 exerts a control function by monitoring the rotation of the PTO shaft, which is a power source, because the PTO shaft connected to the tractor is driven, and a certain effect is recognized. However, when there is a problem in the "connection part between the tilling body and the PTO shaft" described in the invention according to the known document 1, or when the rotary shaft does not rotate due to damage to the "rotating part of the tilling body", the rotation of the PTO shaft is not inhibited, so there is a problem that the non-rotation state of the tilling body cannot be immediately recognized.

[0004] In addition, a ground working machine connected to a tractor without using a PTO shaft uses the driving force generated by the running of the tractor, so the power source is the rotation of the tractor tires. However, by only monitoring the rotation of the power source, the problems caused by the above-mentioned connection part defects and rotating part damage are not solved in the same way as when using a PTO shaft.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-91104 Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a ground working machine that is connected to a tractor via a connecting member so as to be vertically movable and exhibits functions by axial rotation. The present invention determines whether or not the connecting member (three-point lift) holds the ground working machine in a lifted state and / or whether or not the tractor is running without manual operation, and immediately notifies the operator of the ground working machine of the non-rotating state of the rotating shaft of the ground working machine. Another object of the present invention is to provide versatility that can also be used in a ground working machine that utilizes the drive of a PTO shaft connected to a tractor and a ground working machine that utilizes the driving force of the tractor's travel without using the PTO shaft. Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the rotation monitoring device for the ground working machine of the present invention is a ground working machine that is connected to a tractor via a connecting member so as to be vertically movable and exhibits its function by axial rotation, and includes a three-point lift vertical movement sensing means, a tire rotation detection means, a working machine rotation detection means, and an alarm issuing means. The three-point lift vertical movement sensing means energizes the tire rotation detection means when the ground working machine is lowered to the ground by the connecting member, or stops energizing the tire rotation detection means when the connecting member holds the ground working machine in a lifted state. The tire rotation detection means energizes the working machine rotation detection means while the tires of the tractor are rotating, or stops energizing the working machine rotation detection means while the rotation of the tires has stopped. The working machine rotation detection means energizes the alarm issuing means while the axially rotating member in the ground working machine is rotating, or has a function of activating the alarm issuing means when the axially rotating member in the ground working machine is non-rotating. The alarm issuing means has a function of issuing an alarm that enables the driver of the tractor to recognize the abnormality visually or and aurally. And in addition to the above features, as long as the ground working machine is lowered to the ground by the connecting member, the three-point lift vertical movement sensing means is turned on, and the tires of the tractor are rotating and the tire rotation sensing means is on, the working machine rotation detection means is turned on and activated. When the axially rotating member in the ground working machine of the working machine rotation detection means is detected as non-rotating and turned off, the alarm issuing means is turned on and activated, and the alarm issuing means issues an alarm.

Effect of the Invention

[0008] The rotation monitoring device for the ground working machine according to the present invention detects the movement of the member connecting the tractor and the ground working machine, and the rotation or non-rotation of the tires of the tractor and the axially rotating member of the ground working machine, and adjusts the power supply based on these detection results. Therefore, the working machine rotation detection means is activated only when it is necessary to detect an abnormality of the axially rotating member in the ground working machine, and the rotation of the axially rotating member in the ground working machine can be monitored without human operation. As described above, since the non-rotation of the axially rotating member in the ground working machine can be directly detected, it has versatility that can function in any of the ground working machines that utilize the drive of the PTO shaft connected to the tractor and the ground working machines equipped with a member that axially rotates by utilizing the driving force of the tractor's travel without using the PTO shaft. Since the structure of this device does not have a complicated structure, it is easy to simultaneously monitor the rotation at multiple locations, not only for the purpose of detecting the non-rotation of the axially rotating member in the ground working machine by the working machine rotation detection means. For example, in the case of a seeder, it is possible to simultaneously monitor not only the full-ted roller but also the shear breakage of the drive unit.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] The rotation monitoring device of the ground working machine of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the configurations, drawings, etc. described in this device are not intended to limit the scope of this invention unless specifically described, and are merely illustrative examples.

[0011] The rotation monitoring device of the ground working machine according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, lowers the ground working machine 03 connected to the three-point lift 02 attached to the rear part of the tractor 01 to the ground, and uses the propulsion force generated when the tractor 01 moves forward to rotate the rotating shaft 04 (not shown) such as the roller of the ground working machine 03. It is used to issue an alarm to the operator in the driver's seat of the tractor 01 when a problem occurs in the rotating shaft 04 of the ground working machine 03. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the seeder 05 is used as the ground working machine 03. As shown in FIG. 2, the three-point lift 02, which is a connecting member between the tractor and the ground working machine, has the role of lifting the seeder 05 from the ground when preparing seeds and the like, and the role of lowering it to the ground during seeding as shown in FIG. 1.

[0012] FIG. 3 is an overall image diagram showing the structure of the rotation monitoring device of the ground working machine of this embodiment in consideration of the positional relationship with other devices used. The power source 06, which is the power source generated by the tractor 01, is located on the left hand side of the illustration in this figure. The current path 07 from the power source 06 is connected through wiring to the limit switch 08 in contact with the three-point lift 02 located at the center of the illustration. The limit switch 08 is a device that detects the position of the three-point lift 02 and turns on and off the energization. When the three-point lift 02 lifts the seeder 05 to the highest point, it is off, and in other states, it is on. In the off case, the energization to the tire rotation detection means 10, which is the connection destination of the current path 09 from the limit switch 08, is cut off. The tire rotation detection means 10 is located at the center of the tractor 01 in this figure, and is a device that controls the supply of the current supplied in the on state of the limit switch 08 to the work implement rotation detection means 12 which is the connection destination of the power supply path 11 from the tire rotation detection means 10. A proximity switch 15a which is a part of the tire rotation detection means 10 detects the rotation of the tire 13 or the wheel 14 of the tractor 01. The proximity switch a15a is installed at a position where the rotation of the tire 13 or the wheel 14 can be detected. When the proximity switch a15a detects the rotation of the tire 13 or the wheel 14, the tire rotation detection means 10 energizes the work implement rotation detection means 12. On the other hand, when the rotation of the tire 13 or the wheel 14 is not detected, the tire rotation detection means 10 cuts off the energization to the work implement rotation detection means 12.

[0013] The work implement rotation detection means 12 is a device that controls the supply of the current supplied in the on state of the tire rotation detection means 10 to the alarm means 17 which is the connection destination of the current path 16 from the work implement rotation detection means 12. A proximity switch b15b which is a part of the work implement rotation detection means 12 detects the rotation of the member rotating on the shaft in the seeder 05. The proximity switch b15b, when detecting that the member rotating on the shaft in the seeder 05 is non-rotating, the work implement rotation detection means 12 supplies current to the alarm means 17 installed near the driver's seat of the tractor 01. On the other hand, when detecting the rotation of the member rotating on the shaft in the seeder 05, the work implement rotation detection means 12 cuts off the current supply to the alarm means 17. And the alarm means 17 has the role of notifying the operator in the driver's seat of the tractor 01 of an abnormality by making a buzzer sound or turning on a lamp by energization to notify the non-rotation of the member rotating on the shaft in the seeder 05.

[0014] (Regarding the power supply) In this embodiment, the power supply of the rotation monitoring device for the ground working machine according to the present invention assumes directly obtaining power from the battery of the tractor 01. However, it is necessary to select according to the power consumption of the device according to the present invention, the power supply capacity of the tractor, the working environment, the type of the ground working machine, etc. Also, when using the PTO shaft, there is no limitation to this, such as a method of ensuring power supply by a PTO-driven generator.

[0015] (Regarding the connecting member) The connecting member between the tractor 01 and the ground working machine 03 preferably uses two lower links and one top link which are three connecting points provided at the rear part of the tractor 01, and the three-point lift 02 for connecting and lifting the ground working machine 03 using a hydraulic mechanism. However, as long as a structure is provided in which the limit switch 08 described later in

[0018] can exhibit a function of turning on and off the current supply, there is no limitation to this, such as using a two-point lift or a hydraulic lift.

[0016] (Regarding the ground working machine) In this embodiment, it is assumed that a seeder 05 is used as the ground working machine 03. However, there is no limitation to this as long as it is a machine equipped with a member that exhibits a function by shaft rotation, such as a trailer that uses the traction force of the tractor 01, other than the seeder 05 and the harvester, a rotary tiller, a lawn mower, a fertilizer spreader, etc. that use the rotation of the PTO shaft.

[0017] (Regarding the three-point lift lifting detection means) The limit switch 08 is a device that detects a specific height and position of the lower arm of the three-point lift 02 and controls the current supply to the tire rotation detection means 10 which is the connection destination of the current path 09. In this embodiment, when the lower arm of the three-point lift reaches the highest point, the limit switch 08 turns off, and when lifting the seeder 05 to prepare for sowing etc., the current supply is cut off, so an alarm due to non-rotation of the shaft rotating member in the seeder 05 is not issued. Also, according to the characteristics of the ground working machine 03 to be used, it is possible to adjust at which height within the movable range of the lower arm the operating point of the limit switch 08 is provided. And it is also possible to connect a pilot lamp to the current path 09 between the limit switch 08 and the tire rotation detection means 10 which is the connection destination, so that it can be visually confirmed that the current supply is being carried out.

[0018] (Regarding the tire rotation detection means) The tire rotation detection means 10 is a device that, when supplying the current supplied in the state where the limit switch 08 is on to the working machine rotation detection means 12 which is the connection destination of the tire rotation detection means 10 through the current path 11, the proximity switch a15a detects the rotation of the tire 13 of the tractor 01 and controls the current supply based on the detection result. The configuration according to this embodiment adopts a method in which a metal piece for the proximity switch a15a to detect rotation is attached to the tire 13 or the wheel 14, when the proximity switch a15a detects the rotation of the tire 13 or the wheel 14, it outputs a signal a18a, and the control circuit of the relay circuit or simple logic circuit in the tire rotation detection means 10 directly receives the signal a18a of the proximity switch a15a, so that the current supply device in the tire rotation detection means 10 turns on and supplies current to the working machine rotation detection means 12. Since this method does not require complicated signal processing, it has the merit of being able to quickly respond to changes in the rotation state, but this is just an example, and the tire rotation detection method is not limited to this.

[0019] (Regarding the working machine rotation detection means) The working machine rotation detection means 12 supplies the current supplied when the limit switch 08 and the tire rotation detection means 10 are on, to the alarm issuing means 17 which is the connection destination of the working machine rotation detection means 12, through the current path 16. When the proximity switch b15b detects the rotation of the member rotating on the axis in the ground working machine 03, it is a device that controls the supply of power or the activation of the alarm issuing means 17 based on the detection result. In the configuration according to this embodiment, a metal piece for the proximity switch b15b to detect rotation is fixed to the rotating portion of the shaft of the fulltet roller used in the mechanism for feeding out seeds in the seeder 05. The proximity switch b15b detects the non-rotation of the fulltet roller and outputs a signal b18b. The control circuit of the relay circuit or simple logic circuit in the working machine rotation detection means 12 directly receives the signal b18b of the proximity switch b15b, so that the current supply device in the working machine rotation detection means 12 is turned on, and a method of supplying power to the alarm issuing means 17 is adopted. In addition to that method, when the working machine rotation detection means 12 and the alarm issuing means 17 are both supplied with current in a state where the limit switch 08 and the tire rotation detection means 10 are on, and the control circuit of the relay circuit or simple logic circuit receives the signal b18b of the proximity switch b15b, the working machine rotation detection means 12 may further send a signal c18c for activating the alarm issuing means 17, and the received alarm issuing means 17 may be configured to issue an alarm. The function of the working machine rotation detection means 12 is not necessarily limited to the control of current supply.

[0020] (Regarding the alarm issuing means) As shown in FIG. 3, the alarm issuing means 17 is preferably a device that allows the operator to visually or audibly recognize the alarm in the driver's seat of the tractor 01. It is desirable to adjust according to the type of agricultural machinery and the working environment, such as the method of flashing or lighting warning lights of red, yellow, etc., buzzer sounds, voice announcements, etc., and there is no limitation to that method.

[0021] (Explanation of the control flowchart) The control flow according to the present invention will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 4. The initial setting 101, which is the step following the start, performs settings such as at what height within the movable range of the lowering arm to set the operating point of the limit switch 08. The next step, the tractor engine start 102, is a determination of whether the power supply 06 for starting the rotation monitoring device according to the present invention is ensured. If it is ON, it proceeds to the next step; if it is OFF, the rotation monitoring device itself will not start. Then, the next step, the connecting member (three-point lift) 103, determines whether the operating point of the limit switch 08 for which the initial setting has been made has been reached. In the case of UP when the operating point is reached, since the member that rotates about the axis within the ground working machine 03 is in a non-rotating state, the current supply to the rotation monitoring device is cut off. In the case of DOWN when the operating point has not been reached, since there is a possibility that the member that rotates about the axis within the ground working machine 03 is rotating, the current supply to the rotation monitoring device is performed and it proceeds to the next step. Also, the next step, during tractor operation or traveling 104, determines whether the tractor 01 is traveling by the tire rotation detection means 10. When it is OFF and the tractor 01 is stopped, since the member that rotates about the axis within the ground working machine 03 is in a non-rotating state, the current supply to the rotation monitoring device is cut off. When it is ON and the tractor 01 is traveling, since there is a possibility that the member that rotates about the axis within the ground working machine 03 is rotating, the current supply to the rotation monitoring device is performed and it proceeds to the next step. Furthermore, the next step, the rotation of the ground working machine 105, determines whether the member that rotates about the axis within the ground working machine 03 is rotating normally. In the case of OFF when the rotation of the member that rotates about the axis within the ground working machine 03 is not recognized, the alarm issuing means 17 is activated, and an abnormality is notified to the operator in the driver's seat of the tractor 01 by a buzzer sound and the lighting of a light. On the other hand, in the case of ON when normal rotation of the member that rotates about the axis within the ground working machine 03 is recognized, it returns to the step of the connecting member (three-point lift) 103 and continues the monitoring.

[0022] In this way, the ground working machine is lowered to the ground by the connecting member, the three-point lift elevation sensing means is turned on, and as long as the tires of the tractor are rotating and the tire rotation sensing means is turned on, the working machine rotation detection means is turned on and activated. When the non-rotation OFF of the shaft rotating member in the ground working machine of the working machine rotation detection means is detected, the alarm issuing means is turned on and activated, and the alarm issuing means issues an alarm.

Explanation of Signs

[0023] 01 Tractor 02 Three-point lift 03 Ground working machine 04 Rotating shaft 05 Seeder 06 Power supply 07 Current path from power supply 06 08 Limit switch 09 Current path from limit switch 08 10 Tire rotation detection means 11 Current path from tire rotation detection means 10 12 Working machine rotation detection means 13 Tire 14 Wheel 15a Proximity switch a 15b Proximity switch b 16 Current path from working machine rotation detection means 12 17 Alarm issuing means 18a Signal a 18b Signal b 18c Signal c 101 Initial setting 102 Starting of the tractor engine 103 Connecting member (three-point lift) 104 During tractor operation or traveling 105 Rotation of the ground working machine

Claims

1. A ground working machine that is connected to a tractor via a connecting member so as to be able to rise and fall freely and that performs its function by rotating an axle, The device is provided with a three-point lift elevation sensing means, a tire rotation detection means, a work machine rotation detection means, and an alarm issuing means, the three-point lift elevation sensing means has a function of energizing the tire rotation detection means when the ground work machine is lowered to the ground by the connecting member, or stopping energization of the tire rotation detection means when the connecting member holds the ground work machine in a lifted state, the tire rotation detection means has a function of energizing the work machine rotation detection means while the tire of the tractor is rotating, or stopping energization of the work machine rotation detection means while the rotation of the tire is stopped, the work machine rotation detection means has a function of energizing the alarm issuing means when a member having a rotating shaft in the ground work machine is rotating, or activating the alarm issuing means when the member having a rotating shaft in the ground work machine is not rotating, The rotation monitoring device for a ground work machine, wherein the alarm issuing means has a function of issuing an alarm that enables a driver of the tractor to recognize the abnormality visually and / or audibly.

2. 2. The ground work machine rotation monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that the ground work machine is lowered to the ground by the connecting member, the three-point lift up / down sensing means is turned ON, and only when the tires of the tractor are rotating and the tire rotation sensing means is ON, the work machine rotation detection means is turned ON, and when the work machine rotation detection means detects that a member whose axis rotates in the ground work machine is not rotating and is turned OFF, the alarm issuing means is turned ON, and the alarm issuing means issues an alarm.

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