Stem and leaf processing machine

Abstract

To efficiently generate a suction force caused by rotation of cutting blades for cutting foliage parts, downsize a hood, and smoothly discharge the cut foliage parts to the outside of a device.SOLUTION: A foliage treatment device 1 comprises: two cutting blades 6 horizontally rotating to cut foliage parts; a hood 7 for raising the foliage parts with a suction force caused by the rotation of the cutting blades 6, and collecting and ejecting cut foliage; a duct 8 for discharging the foliage ejected from the hood 7; a pair of rear wheel support frames 12 and rear wheels 13; lower side plates 14 provided at lower ends of both side parts of the food 7; a protective plate 17 provided in a front part of the hood 7; two arc-shaped plate bodies 18 fixed to the protective plate 17 and side surfaces of the hood 7; and two arc-shaped wall parts 20 provided on a rear side of the hood 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a stem and leaf processing machine that moves forward across ridges, cuts the stems and leaves of root vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, etc.) planted in the ridges, and discharges the cut stems and leaves to the side of the ridges. [Background technology]

[0002] When cultivating and harvesting root vegetables using mulch film, the stems and leaves above the mulch film are cut, the mulch film covering the ridges is then peeled off, and a harvester is then used to dig up the root vegetables that have grown from the ridges. The present inventors have invented a stem and leaf cutting device (1) that, as described in Patent Document 1 (JP 2017-205077 A), can raise the stems and leaves of onions that are lying down on a mulch film by using the suction force generated by the rotation of a cutting blade (10) that rotates around a vertical axis, and can cut the raised stems and leaves one after another by the cutting blade (10) rotating at high speed. Moreover, Patent Document 2 (JP Patent Publication No. 2020-28283) describes an improved invention of the stem and leaf cutting device described in Patent Document 1, which includes a pressing roll section (80) below the main chamber (61) that houses the rotating blades (40) (50) to prevent the mulch film covering the ridges from floating up (see in particular paragraphs 0006, 0066-0068 and Figure 8). Patent Document 3 (JP Patent Publication No. 2020-28284) describes an improved invention of the stem and leaf cutting device also described in Patent Document 1, in which a swingable hanging member is attached to the inner surface of the main chamber (61) in order to reduce impact noise caused by pebbles and the like colliding with the chamber (60) that houses the rotating blades (40) and (50) and to prevent damage to the chamber (60) (see in particular paragraphs 0004-0006, 0073-0077 and Figure 9). Furthermore, Patent Document 4 (JP Patent Publication No. 2021-168643) describes an improved invention of the stem and leaf cutting device also described in Patent Document 1, in which a grass dividing section (80) is provided that is located forward of the first rotating blade (40) and the second rotating blade (50) and in the center in the left-right direction, and divides the stems and leaves that have fallen on the top surface of the ridge into left and right sections, so that the stems and leaves that have fallen toward the center of the ridge can be effectively cut and removed (see in particular paragraphs 0004-0006, 0058-0059 and Figure 2).

[0003] The stem and leaf cutting device described in Patent Document 1 and the stem and leaf processing devices described in Patent Documents 2 to 4 are all designed to raise the stems and leaves by using the suction force generated by rotating the cutting blade or rotating blade, cut the stems and leaves, and then discharge the cut stems and leaves outside the device. However, Patent Document 1 describes that a rubber interference plate is located at the front of the hood (16) where the two cutting blades (10) are arranged, where the cut stems and leaves collide as they are blown away, but the length, hardness, etc. of the plate are unclear (see, in particular, paragraph 0028). Furthermore, Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose a cover (100) such as a rubber plate that hangs downward from the bottom of the chamber (60) that houses the rotary blades (40) and (50) (see particularly paragraphs 0084-0085 and Figures 2 and 4 of Patent Document 2 and paragraphs 0083-0084 and Figures 2 and 4 of Patent Document 3), but the relationship between the structure of the cover (100) and the suction force generated by the rotation of the rotary blades (40) and (50) is unclear. And while Figures 2 and 4 of Patent Documents 2-4 are almost the same, Patent Document 4 does not disclose any description of the part that corresponds to the cover. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-205077 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-28283 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2020-28284 A (Patent No. 7014429) [Patent Document 4] JP 2021-168643 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The stem and leaf cutting device described in Patent Document 1 operates smoothly for crops such as onions whose stems and leaves do not grow very large, sucking in the stems and leaves, standing them up, and discharging the cut stems and leaves outside the device. However, when applied to crops such as potatoes whose stems and leaves grow large, the suction force and cutting force must be increased when the stems and leaves are large, so the rubber interference plate is pulled into the inside of the hood (16) and may come into contact with the cutting blade (10) and be cut. The inventor then discovered that if the rubber interference plate located at the front of the hood (16) breaks, the suction force generated inside the hood (16) weakens, causing many stems and leaves to remain uncut, which causes problems when removing the mulch film thereafter.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to solve these problems, with the first objective being to efficiently generate suction force by rotating the cutting blade that cuts the stems and leaves, and the second objective being to make the hood smaller and smoothly discharge the cut stems and leaves outside the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention according to claim 1 relates to a stem and leaf processing machine for cutting stems and leaves of root vegetables planted in ridges while traveling across the ridges and discharging the cut stems and leaves to the side of the ridges, A cutting blade that rotates around a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction and cuts the stem and leaf portion; A hood that houses the cutting blade, stands the stems and leaves by suction force generated by the rotation of the cutting blade, collects the stems and leaves cut by the cutting blade, and blows the stems and leaves out of an outlet; A duct communicating with the air outlet and discharging the blown out leaves and stems; A pair of rear wheel support frames fixed to both sides of the rear portion of the hood; rear wheels pivotally attached to the ends of the pair of rear wheel support frames; The cutting blade has an arcuate portion extending from a periphery of the cutting blade to a vicinity of a lower end of the hood, The total length of the arc of the arc-shaped portion is at least 70% of the total length of the circumference of the cutting blade.

[0008] The invention according to claim 2 is the stem and leaf processing machine according to claim 1, The cutting blades are arranged in a plurality of positions in the left-right direction of the hood, The arcuate portion is not provided in an adjacent portion of the cutting blade. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the invention of claim 1, since the hood is provided with an arc-shaped portion extending from the periphery of the cutting blade to near the lower end of the hood, a suction force can be efficiently generated by the rotation of the cutting blade to cut the stems and leaves.

[0010] According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 1, since multiple cutting blades are arranged on the left and right side of the hood, the depth of the hood can be made small despite its wide width. Also, since the arc-shaped portion is not provided adjacent to the cutting blade, the cut stems and leaves do not collide with the arc-shaped portion at the adjacent portion of the cutting blade where multiple cut stems and leaves are arranged, so the cut stems and leaves can be smoothly discharged outside the device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view of the stem and leaf treatment machine according to the embodiment connected to a tractor. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the stem and leaf treatment machine according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the stem and leaf treatment machine according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to examples. EXAMPLES

[0013] FIG. 1 is a side view of a forage treatment machine 1 according to the embodiment in a state where it is connected to a tractor 2, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are a front view and a bottom view, respectively, of the forage treatment machine 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the front side of the stem and leaf treatment machine 1 according to the embodiment is detachably connected to the rear side of a tractor 2 by a pair of connecting cylinders 3 and one connecting member 4. As shown in FIG. 3, the stem and leaf processing machine 1 comprises two cutting blades 6 that rotate around two rotating shafts 5 extending in the vertical direction, a hood 7 that houses both cutting blades 6, and a duct 8 that is connected to an air outlet (not shown) on the right side of the hood 7 and is fixed to the right side. The stem and leaf treatment machine 1 can be lifted off the ground when traveling on roads or for inspection by extending the pair of connecting cylinders 3.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a front support frame 9 is fixed to the front of the hood 7 (tractor 2 side), slightly left of the center, and the tip of the front support frame 9 is provided with legs 10 that are raised off the ground when connected to the tractor 2 and that are in contact with the ground when detached from the tractor 2. A pair of frame fixing members 11 are provided near the center of both sides of the rear of the hood 7 (opposite the tractor 2), and a rear wheel support frame 12 is attached to each frame fixing member 11 so that it can slide vertically and be fixed at multiple positions, and a rear wheel 13 is fixed to the tip of each rear wheel support frame 12. Therefore, by adjusting and fixing the vertical position of the rear wheel support frame 12 according to the height of the ridges and the size of the stems and leaves, the height of the cutting blade 6 can be optimized, and the stems and leaves can be passed through smoothly even if the height of the ridges or the size of the stems and leaves varies slightly. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, a connecting portion 16 is provided near the center of the front part of the hood 7 for connecting a rotating drive shaft 15 rotated by the drive unit of the tractor 2, and the rotational force from the rotating drive shaft 15 can be transmitted by a drive mechanism (not shown) inside the hood 7 to rotate the two rotating shafts 5 and two cutting blades 6 shown in FIG. 3. With this structure, the hood 7 and duct 8 are supported between the tractor 2 and the rear wheel support frame 12, and the rear wheels 13 are pulled by the tractor 2 and roll along both sides of the paths across the ridges, allowing the machine to move over the ridges, and the two cutting blades 6 can be rotated as it moves to cut the stems and leaves of various root vegetables.

[0015] As shown in the lower right of Fig. 1, a rubber lower side plate 14 is provided at the lower end of both sides of the hood 7. Also, as shown in Fig. 3, a metal protective plate 17 is provided at the front of the hood 7 (upper side in Fig. 3), and two arc-shaped plates 18 extending from around the two cutting blades 6 to near the lower end of the hood 7 are fixed to the protective plate 17 and the side of the hood 7 on the inside of the protective plate 17 (lower side in Fig. 3). Therefore, the stems and leaves do not directly collide with the two arc-shaped plates 18, and the arc-shaped plates 18 are not damaged or deformed. Furthermore, a rubber front plate 19 that protects the front surface of the protective plate 17 is provided between the protective plate 17 and the front support frame 9, and the front plate 19 can be replaced as required. Furthermore, two arc-shaped wall portions 20 are provided on the rear side of the hood 7 (the lower side in FIG. 3) so as to extend to the vicinity of the lower end of the hood 7 and surround the two cutting blades 6. In the following description, the two arc-shaped plates 18 and the arc-shaped wall portions 20 are collectively referred to as the arc-shaped portion. As described above, the two cutting blades 6 are surrounded by an arc-shaped portion extending from their periphery to near the lower end of the hood 7, so that when both cutting blades 6 rotate, an ascending air current is generated only inside the arc-shaped portion, thereby efficiently generating suction force. However, it is not necessary for the cutting blade 6 to be completely surrounded by the arc-shaped portion. In particular, when there are multiple cutting blades, it is better not to install arc-shaped portions adjacent to the cutting blade 6, so that the cut stems and leaves will not collide with the arc-shaped portions adjacent to the cutting blade 6, and the cut stems and leaves can be smoothly discharged outside the device. In other words, if the portion of the periphery of the cutting blade 6 that is away from the inner wall surface of the hood 7 and that is not adjacent to other cutting blades 6 is made into an arc-shaped portion, suction force can be generated efficiently, so the total length of the arc in the arc-shaped portion should be more than 70% of the total length of the periphery of the cutting blade 6.

[0016] The steps for using the stem and leaf processing machine 1 of the embodiment to cut the stems and leaves of root vegetables planted in ridges and discharge the cut stems and leaves to the side of the ridges, and the operation of the stem and leaf processing machine 1 for each task are as follows. (1) The tractor 2 is moved in front of the stem and leaf treatment machine 1, and the pair of connecting cylinders 3 and one connecting member 4 are connected to the corresponding connecting fittings of the stem and leaf treatment machine 1. (2) The rotary drive shaft 15 is connected to the connecting portion 16, and the rotary drive shaft 15 is rotated to check whether the two rotary shafts 5 and the two cutting blades 6 rotate normally. (3) Operate the tractor 2 to move the stem and leaf treatment machine 1 to the work start position. (4) In order to match the height of the two cutting blades 6 to the height of the ridges and the size of the stems and leaves, the vertical position of the rear wheel support frame 12 is adjusted and fixed (this operation may be performed before moving the stem and leaf processing machine 1 to the start position if the height of the ridges and the size of the stems and leaves are known in advance).

[0017] (5) A tractor 2 moves straight across the rows of root vegetables planted in rows, towing the stem and leaf processing machine 1 so that its rear wheels 13 roll along the paths on both sides of the rows. Before the stem and leaf processing machine 1 enters the rows, the rotary drive shaft 15 is rotated, causing the two cutting blades 6 to rotate. When the two cutting blades 6 rotate, an updraft is generated. When the hood 7 and duct 8 are inserted above the ridges in this state, the suction force caused by the updraft causes the stems and leaves to stand up, and the standing stems and leaves are cut one after another by the two cutting blades 6 rotating at high speed. (6) The cut stems and leaves are blown above the cutting blades 6 by the rising air current caused by the rotation of the two cutting blades 6, rise along the sloping wall 21 provided inside the hood 7 shown by the dotted line at the top of Figure 2, pass through an outlet (not shown) provided on the right side of the hood 7, and are sent to the duct 8, and are discharged to the side of the furrows from the exhaust outlet 22 provided on the underside and rear side of the duct 8.

[0018] (7) The tractor 2 continues moving straight, and when the stalk / leaf processor 1 moves off the top of the furrow, the rotation of the rotary drive shaft 15 is stopped. Furthermore, when cutting the stems and leaves of root vegetables planted in another furrow, the tractor 2 and the stem and leaf processing machine 1 are made to make a U-turn, and the above steps and operations (5) and (6) are repeated. (8) When the work and operation of cutting the stems and leaves of the planted root vegetables is completed, the rotation of the rotating drive shaft 15 is stopped and then the connection between the rotating drive shaft 15 and the connecting part 16 is released. Furthermore, the pair of connecting cylinders 3 and the single connecting member 4 are released from the corresponding connecting fittings of the stem and leaf treating machine 1, and the stem and leaf treating machine 1 is moved to a storage location.

[0019] Modifications of the embodiment are listed below. (1) In the embodiment, the cutting blade 6 is composed of two blades that rotate around the rotating shaft 5 located below the hood 7, as shown in FIG. 3, but it may be composed of three or four blades that rotate around the rotating shaft 5. (2) As shown in FIG. 3, the stem and leaf processing machine 1 in the embodiment has two cutting blades 6 that rotate around two rotating shafts 5 extending in the vertical direction. However, it may have multiple sets of cutting blades that rotate around three or more rotating shafts that extend in the vertical direction, or it may have one cutting blade that rotates around a single rotating shaft that is positioned in the center of the hood 7 and extends in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the more cutting blades arranged side by side, the smaller the depth of the hood 7 can be made given its width, and the fewer the number of cutting blades, the simpler the structure of the stem and leaf processing machine 1 can be. (3) In the embodiment, two cutting blades 6 are housed in the lower part of the hood 7, and arc-shaped portions (two arc-shaped plates 18 and two arc-shaped wall portions 20) are provided extending from around both cutting blades 6 to near the lower end of the hood 7, and nothing is provided adjacent to both cutting blades 6. However, a rectangular plate connecting the center of the arc-shaped portion or plate 18 to the center of the wall portion 20 may be provided in the adjacent portion. In addition, in the explanation of the embodiments, it is sufficient if the total length of the arc in the arc-shaped portion is 70% or more of the total length around the cutting blade 6, but as shown in Figure 3, it is better if the total length of the arc on the front side is 38% or more of the total length around the cutting blade 6 (left and right arc-shaped portions are 135 degrees or more), and the total length of the arc on the rear side is 40% or more of the total length around the cutting blade 6 (left and right arc-shaped portions are 145 degrees or more). (4) As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the stem and leaf treating machine 1 of the embodiment has a front support frame 9 fixed to the front of the hood 7, slightly to the left of the center, and legs 10 at the tips of which are raised above the ground when connected to the tractor 2 and in contact with the ground when detached from the tractor 2, but a pair of front wheel support frames may be fixed to both sides of the front of the hood 7, and front wheels may be provided at the tips of which are raised above the ground when connected to the tractor 2 and in contact with the ground when detached from the tractor 2. In this way, even if the stem and leaf treating machine 1 is detached from the tractor 2, the stem and leaf treating machine 1 can be easily moved.

[0020] (5) In the embodiment, the lower side panel 14 and the front panel 19 are made of rubber, but the material of the lower side panel 14 and the front panel 19 is not limited to rubber and may be any material such as cloth or plastic as long as it is flexible and has a certain degree of durability. Furthermore, the lower side panel 14 is often located just outside the ridges, and the front panel 19 protects the front of the protective plate 17, and neither contributes significantly to the generation of an updraft caused by the rotation of the cutting blade 6, so they may not be provided. Furthermore, the protective plate 17 is also provided to protect the front portions of the two arc-shaped plate bodies 18, and does not directly contribute to the generation of an updraft caused by the rotation of the cutting blade 6, so it does not need to be provided. However, if the protective plate 17 and the front plate 19 are not provided, it is necessary to increase the durability of the plate 18 by, for example, reinforcing the front portions of the two arc-shaped plate bodies 18. (6) In the embodiment, no rear plate is provided at the rear of the hood 7, but a flexible rear plate made of rubber or the like may be provided at the rear of the hood 7. If a rear plate is provided, it is preferable that the shape of the ridges is taken into consideration (a shape having an arch-shaped cutout in the center). [Explanation of symbols]

[0021] 1. Stem and leaf processor 2. Tractor 3. Connected cylinder 4 connecting member 5 rotating shaft 6 cutting blade 7 hood 8 Duct 9 Front support frame 10 Leg 11 frame fixing member 12 rear wheel support frame 13 rear wheel 14 Lower side plate 15 Rotation drive shaft 16 Connection part 17 Protective plate 18 Arc-shaped plate 19 Front plate 20: arc-shaped wall portion; 21: inclined wall; 22: discharge port

Claims

1. A stem and leaf processing machine for cutting stems and leaves of root vegetables planted in ridges while traveling across the ridges and discharging the cut stems and leaves to the side of the ridges, A cutting blade that rotates around a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction and cuts the stem and leaf portion; A hood that houses the cutting blade, stands the stems and leaves by suction force generated by the rotation of the cutting blade, collects the stems and leaves cut by the cutting blade, and blows the stems and leaves out of an outlet; A duct communicating with the air outlet and discharging the blown out leaves and stems; A pair of rear wheel support frames fixed to both sides of the rear portion of the hood; rear wheels pivotally attached to the ends of the pair of rear wheel support frames; The cutting blade has an arc-shaped portion extending from a periphery of the cutting blade to a vicinity of a lower end of the hood, The total length of the arc of the arc-shaped portion is 70% or more of the total length of the circumference of the cutting blade. A stem and leaf treatment machine characterized by the above.

2. The cutting blades are arranged in a plurality of positions in the left-right direction of the hood, The arcuate portion is not disposed adjacent to the cutting blade.

2. The foliage treatment machine according to claim 1 .

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