agricultural machinery

Abstract

To provide an agricultural implement capable of reducing a load on an operator.SOLUTION: An agricultural implement 1 includes a machine body 2 coupled to a rear part of a tractor, a tilling body for executing tilling work, and a ground levelling body 4 for executing ground levelling work behind the tilling body. The agricultural implement 1 also includes grounding pressure adjusting means 9 disposed between the machine body 2 and the ground levelling body 4, and lifting assist means 8 disposed between the machine body 2 and the ground levelling body 4. The lifting assist means 8 assists lifting of the ground levelling body 4 from the initial lifting stage to the most lifted position of the ground levelling body 4 using energization force.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an agricultural work machine that can reduce the burden on an operator. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, an agricultural work machine such as that described in Patent Document 1 below is known.

[0003] This conventional agricultural machine comprises a body that is connected to a running vehicle such as a tractor, a tilling body that is rotatably mounted on the body and performs tilling work while rotating, a leveling body that is rotatably mounted on the body in the vertical direction and performs ground leveling work behind the tilling body, and a stopper device that locks the leveling body in the highest position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-218316 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with the above-mentioned conventional agricultural work machines, when performing maintenance such as replacing the tines of the tilling body or cleaning the leveling body, the worker needs to lift the relatively heavy leveling body, which can be time-consuming.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and has an object to provide an agricultural work machine that can reduce the burden on the worker. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The agricultural work machine of the present invention comprises a machine body connected to a running vehicle, a ground leveling body attached to the machine body for performing ground leveling work, a ground pressure adjusting means attached between the machine body and the ground leveling body for adjusting the ground pressure of the ground leveling body, and a lifting assist means attached between the machine body and the ground leveling body separately from the ground pressure adjusting means, which has a force-applying body for lifting assistance and uses the force of the force-applying body to assist in lifting the ground leveling body from the initial lifting position to its highest position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the lifting assist means assists in lifting the ground leveling body, thereby reducing the burden on the worker. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of an agricultural work machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same agricultural work machine when the soil leveling body is raised to the highest position (during maintenance). [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view of the agricultural work machine when the assist is off. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a side view of the agricultural work machine when the assist is off. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view of the agricultural work machine when assist is on. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a side view of the agricultural work machine when assist is on. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a front view of the lifting assist means (assist off state) of the agricultural work machine. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a side view of the elongated body of the lifting assist means. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a side view of a rotating body of the lifting assist means. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a front view of a lifting assist means (assist off state) of an agricultural work machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a side view of the lifting assist means (assist-off state). [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a front view of the lifting assist means (assist on state). [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a front view of the elongated body of the lifting assist means. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a side view of the elongated body of the lifting assist means. [Figure 18] FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a side view of a moving body of the lifting assist means. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the moving body of the lifting assist means. [Figure 21] FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. 4 is a side view of a rotating body of the lifting assist means. [Figure 23] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the rotating body of the lifting assist means. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a side view of an agricultural work machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention in an assist-off state. [Figure 25] FIG. 2 is a side view of the agricultural work machine when the assist is off. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is a side view of the agricultural work machine when assist is on. [Figure 27] FIG. 2 is a side view of the agricultural work machine when assist is on. [Figure 28] FIG. 2 is a front view of the lifting assist means (assist off state) of the agricultural work machine. [Figure 29] (a) is a view taken along the arrow a in FIG. 28, and (b) is a partially enlarged view thereof. [Figure 30] FIG. 30 is a view taken along arrow b in FIG. 29. [Figure 31] 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the lifting assist means. FIG. [Figure 32] FIG. [Figure 33] FIG. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a plan view of an agricultural work machine according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0011] In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an agricultural work machine, which is connected to the rear of a traveling vehicle such as a tractor (not shown), and performs tilling and leveling work (agricultural work) while moving forward (in the direction of travel) on a field as the tractor travels.

[0012] The agricultural implement 1 comprises a body 2 that is detachably connected to a three-point link section (agricultural implement lifting section) at the rear of the tractor, a tillage body (rotary) 3 that is rotatably mounted on the body 2 and performs tilling work while rotating in a predetermined direction, and a plate-shaped leveling body (leveling plate) 4 that is rotatably mounted on the body 2 in the vertical direction around a left-right axis (rotational fulcrum) 5 and performs ground leveling work behind the tillage body 3.

[0013] The agricultural work machine 1 is also equipped with a lifting assist means 8 that assists an operator in manually lifting (rotating upward) the soil leveling body 4 during maintenance of the tilling body 3, soil leveling body 4, etc. The lifting assist means 8 is, for example, a single piece and is provided between the machine body 2 and the soil leveling body 4 on one side of the agricultural work machine 1, that is, on the left side.

[0014] Furthermore, the agricultural work machine 1 is equipped with a ground pressure adjusting means 9 that adjusts the ground pressure of the soil leveling body 4 on the field surface in accordance with the field conditions. There is, for example, one ground pressure adjusting means 9, which is provided between the machine body 2 and the soil leveling body 4 on the other side, that is, the right side, of the agricultural work machine 1.

[0015] The machine body 2 has a three-point linkage (traveling vehicle linkage) 11 that is detachably connected to a three-point linkage at the rear of the tractor. The three-point linkage 11 is made up of one top mast 12, a top pin 13 attached to the top mast 12, two lower arms 14 (one pair on the left and one on the right), and lower pins 15 attached to each of the lower arms 14.

[0016] The machine body 2 also has a transmission case 17, which is a shaft holder that rotatably holds the input shaft 16, and inner ends of frame pipes 18 are attached to both the left and right sides of the transmission case 17. The input shaft 16 is connected to the PTO shaft of the tractor via a joint (not shown).

[0017] A chain case 19, which is a box-shaped tillage unit support, is attached to the outer end of the left frame pipe 18. A bracket 20, which is a plate-shaped tillage unit support, is attached to the outer end of the right frame pipe 18. The tillage unit 3 is rotatably supported by the chain case 19 and bracket 20, which are spaced apart and facing each other. Side cover plates 10 are attached to the chain case 19 and bracket 20 so as to protrude rearward.

[0018] Furthermore, the machine body 2 has a tillage cover part 21 in the form of an upwardly convex curved plate that covers the upper part of the tillage body 3. To the rear end of the tillage cover part 21, a soil leveling body 4 is attached via multiple, for example three, hinges 22 so that it can rotate up and down around a left-right axis 5. In addition, a gauge wheel 30 is provided on the front side of the machine body 2 for adjusting the up and down position.

[0019] The tillage body 3 has a left-right tillage shaft 23 rotatably mounted between the lower part of the chain case part 19 and the lower part of the bracket part 20. In other words, the left end, which is one axial end of the tillage shaft 23, is rotatably supported by the lower part of the chain case part 19, and the right end, which is the other axial end of the tillage shaft 23, is rotatably supported by the lower part of the bracket part 20.

[0020] The tillage shaft 23 receives power from a power transmission means (not shown) that transmits power from the input shaft 16 to the tillage body 3 and rotates in a predetermined direction. The power transmission means is composed of a gear in the transmission case 17, a shaft in the frame pipe 18, and a chain in the chain case 19, etc.

[0021] In addition, cultivating tines 24 are detachably attached to multiple locations spaced apart in the axial direction of the cultivating shaft 23. The cultivating tines 24 rotate in a predetermined direction integrally with the cultivating shaft 23 to perform cultivating work. A cutting edge 25 is formed on the front side of each cultivating tine 24 in the rotational direction.

[0022] The soil leveling body 4 has a generally rectangular soil leveling main body plate 26 that is elongated in the left-right direction and is attached to the rear end of the tilling cover portion 21 so that the rear end can be rotated up and down around the front end shaft 5. Soil leveling side plates 27 are fixed to both left and right ends of the soil leveling main body plate 26.

[0023] Furthermore, a pair of left and right protruding plates 28 that are spaced apart and face each other are provided on the left side of the rear surface of the ground leveling main plate 26 (the surface opposite the side facing the tillage body 3). Similarly, a pair of left and right protruding plates 29 that are spaced apart and face each other are provided on the right side of the rear surface of the ground leveling main plate 26.

[0024] The lifting assist means 8 assists in lifting the ground leveling body 4, i.e., in the upward rotation of the ground leveling body 4 relative to the machine body 2, by using the force of a compression spring 31, which is, for example, an expandable coil-shaped force-applying body, to urge the ground leveling body 4 upward.

[0025] The lifting assist means 8 can be selectively switched between an assist-on state (operating state) in which the compression spring 31 urges the ground leveling body 4 upward, and an assist-off state (non-operating state) in which the compression spring 31 does not urge the ground leveling body 4 upward. That is, for example, the lifting assist means 8 is put into the assist-off state by attaching the detachable pin 32, which is a detachable member, and is put into the assist-on state by removing the detachable pin 32.

[0026] Here, the lifting assist means 8 has a long body (rod) 36 that is longitudinal in the front-to-rear direction and has a hole 35 in the middle in the longitudinal direction, through which the detachable pin 32 is attached. The long body 36 is attached to the machine body 2 so as to be rotatable in the up-and-down direction about a left-right axis 37. That is, a mounting portion 33 protrudes from the frame pipe portion 18 on the left side of the machine body 2, and the front end of the long body 36 is rotatably attached to this mounting portion 33 via the axis 37.

[0027] The elongated body 36 is an elongated cylindrical (including substantially cylindrical) body having a longitudinal direction in the front-to-rear direction. A shaft hole 38 is formed in the front end of the elongated body 36, and a shaft 37 is inserted into this shaft hole 38 and a hole in the mounting part 33, so that the elongated body 36 can rotate relative to the machine body 2 around the inserted shaft 37. A pin hole 39 is formed in the rear end of the elongated body 36, and a spring receiving pin (R pin) 40, which is a spring receiving member, is detachably attached to this pin hole 39. Furthermore, a hole 35, which is a pin hole, is formed in the center of the elongated body 36 in the front-to-rear direction, and a detachable pin (R pin) 32 is attached to and detached from this hole 35.

[0028] The lifting assist means 8 also has a cylindrical rotating body (tumbler) 41 having an insertion hole 42. The rotating body 41 is provided on the upper part of the protruding plate 28 of the ground leveling body 4 so as to be able to rotate.

[0029] The rotating body 41 is composed of a cylindrical tubular portion 43 having an insertion hole portion 42 formed therein, and left-right round shaft-like portions 44 protruding outward on both sides of the cylindrical portion 43, and each of the shaft-like portions 44 is rotatably attached to the mounting hole portion 28a of the protruding plate 28.

[0030] Furthermore, the lifting assist means 8 has a cylindrical moving body (spring case) 46 that is inserted into the insertion hole 42 of the rotating body 41, is movable (for example, slidable) relative to the elongated body 36, and covers the compression spring 31. The moving body 46 is disposed on the outer circumferential side of the elongated body 36 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction along the outer circumferential surface of the elongated body 36.

[0031] The movable body 46 has a cylindrical main body tubular portion 47 that is longitudinal in the front-rear direction and shorter than the elongated body 36. A circular annular spring bearing portion 48 is fixed to the inner periphery of the front end of the main body tubular portion 47. A circular annular flange portion 49, which is a rotating body abutment portion, is fixed to the outer periphery near the rear end of the main body tubular portion 47 and which pushes up the rotating body 41 based on the biasing force of the compression spring 31 when the assist is on.

[0032] The rotating body 41 is disposed on the outer periphery of the main body tubular portion 47 of the moving body 46 so as to be able to slide in the front-to-rear direction along the outer periphery of the main body tubular portion 47. In other words, the rotating body 41 slides in the front-to-rear direction along the outer periphery of the main body tubular portion 47 of the moving body 46 in response to the up-and-down rotation of the ground leveling body 4 in the assist-off state.

[0033] Additionally, a compression spring 31, which is an elastically deformable elastic body for assisting lifting and biasing the movable body 46 forward, is disposed in a compressed state between the inner circumferential side of the main body tubular portion 47 of the movable body 46 and the outer circumferential side of the elongated body 36. The front end portion 31a of this compression spring 31 abuts against the spring bearing portion 48 of the movable body 46, and the rear end portion 31b abuts against the spring bearing pin 40 (see FIG. 8).

[0034] The ground pressure adjusting means 9 has a connecting rod 55 having a plurality of holes 52 into which the pins (not shown) of the spring end 51 are attached and detached, and one stopper pin hole (not shown) into which the stopper pin 54 of the stopper device 53 is attached and detached.

[0035] The connecting rod 55 is mounted on the machine body 2 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction around a left-right axis 56. In other words, a mounting portion 33 protrudes from the frame pipe portion 18 on the right side of the machine body 2, and the front end of the connecting rod 55 is mounted to this mounting portion 33 so as to be rotatable via the axis 56.

[0036] Additionally, a first coil spring 58 and a second coil spring 59 for adjusting ground pressure are disposed on the outer periphery of the connecting rod 55. Furthermore, the connecting rod 55 is inserted into a cylindrical rod receiving body (tumbler) 60 that is rotatably attached to the upper part of the protruding plate 29 of the ground leveling body 4.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, when the leveling body 4 is lifted to the highest position (maintenance position) by rotating it upward around the axis 5, for example, during maintenance, the stopper pin 54 of the stopper device 53 is automatically inserted into the stopper pin hole of the connecting rod 55, and as a result, the leveling body 4 is positioned and fixed in the highest position.

[0038] In this way, the ground leveling body 4 is automatically locked in the highest position by the locking means, the stopper device 53. When lowering the ground leveling body 4, the lever of the stopper device 53 is operated to insert and remove the stopper pin 54 from the stopper pin hole.

[0039] Next, the operation of the agricultural work machine 1 will be described.

[0040] When using the agricultural implement 1 connected to a tractor to perform agricultural work such as tilling and leveling, the worker sets the lifting assist means 8 to the assist-off state by attaching the detachable pin 32 to the hole 35 of the elongated body 36.

[0041] When the worker gets on the tractor and moves the agricultural work machine 1 in the direction of travel by driving the tractor, the tilling body 3 performs tilling work, and behind it the soil leveling body 4 performs soil leveling work.

[0042] At this time, the front end of the movable body 46 abuts against the detachable pin 32, which restricts the forward movement of the movable body 46 relative to the elongated body 36 (i.e., restricts the extension of the compression spring 31), so that the rotating body 41 slides back and forth relative to the movable body 46 in response to the up and down rotation of the leveling body 4 (see Figure 5).

[0043] That is, the rotating body 41 slides forward and backward along the outer circumferential surface of the moving body 46, whereby the ground leveling body 4 rotates vertically around the shaft 5 relative to the machine body 2.

[0044] On the other hand, when performing maintenance such as replacing the tiller tines 24 or cleaning the soil leveling body 4, the worker sets the lifting assist means 8 to the assist on state by removing the detachable pin 32 from the hole 35 of the elongated body 36.

[0045] This allows the movable body 46 to move forward relative to the elongated body 36 (i.e., allows the compression spring 31 to extend), and the movable body 46, together with the rotating body 41 abutting the flange portion 49, moves forward relative to the elongated body 36 based on the biasing force of the compression spring 31, and as a result, the leveling body 4 rotates upward based on the biasing force of the compression spring 31 (see Figure 7).

[0046] Then, when the worker lifts the ground leveling body 4 to the highest position with a light manual force, the ground leveling body 4 is automatically locked in the highest position by the stopper device 53 (see FIG. 3).

[0047] In the illustrated example, the leveling body 4 does not rotate upward to the highest position solely due to the biasing force (elastic restoring force) of the compression spring 31, so the worker must manually lift it up slightly to the highest position. However, at this time, the compression spring 31 is not at its free length (maximum length) and biases the leveling body 4 upward, so the worker can lift the leveling body 4 to the highest position with light manual force.

[0048] With such an agricultural work machine 1, when the lifting assist means 8 is switched to the assist-on state during maintenance, etc., the lifting assist means 8 in this assist-on state assists in lifting the soil leveling body 4, allowing the worker to easily lift the soil leveling body 4 to the highest position, thereby reducing the burden on the worker.

[0049] Furthermore, not only is the configuration of the lifting assist means 8 simple, but the lifting assist means 8 can be easily switched to an assist-off state simply by attaching the detachable pin 32, and the lifting assist means 8 can be easily switched to an assist-on state simply by removing the detachable pin 32. In other words, the lifting assist means 8 can be easily switched on and off simply by inserting and removing the detachable pin 32 (one action).

[0050] Furthermore, when the lifting assist means 8 is in the assist-off state, the movement of the moving body 46 relative to the long body 36 is restricted by the detachable pin 32, and the rotating body 41 moves relative to this restricted moving body 46 in accordance with the movement of the leveling body 4, so the lifting assist means 8 does not have a negative effect on the leveling work performed by the leveling body 4.

[0051] Furthermore, when the lifting assist means 8 is in the assist-on state, the moving body 46 is allowed to move relative to the long body 36, and the moving body 46 moves relative to the long body 36 together with the rotating body 41 based on the biasing force of the compression spring 31, so that the biasing force of the compression spring 31 can be utilized to appropriately assist in lifting the leveling body 4.

[0052] Furthermore, the compression spring 31, which is the biasing body, is stored in a cylindrical moving body 46 when the lifting assist means 8 is in the assist-off state, and the entire (almost the entire) compression spring 31 is covered by the moving body 46, thereby preventing mud and the like from adhering to the compression spring 31 during work.

[0053] In addition, the lifting assist means 8 of the agricultural work machine 1 may assist in lifting the ground leveling body 4 by using the force of a gas spring 61, which is an expandable force body, to urge the ground leveling body 4 upward, as in the second embodiment shown in Figures 13 to 23, for example.

[0054] The lifting assist means 8 can be selectively switched between an assist-on state (operating state) in which the gas spring 61 urges the ground leveling body 4 upward, and an assist-off state (non-operating state) in which the gas spring 61 does not urge the ground leveling body 4 upward. That is, for example, the lifting assist means 8 is put into the assist-off state by attaching a detachable pin 62, which is a detachable member, and is put into the assist-on state by removing the detachable pin 62.

[0055] The lifting assist means 8 also has a long body 66 that is longitudinal in the front-to-rear direction and has a hole 65 in the middle of its length that accepts the detachable pin 62. Similar to the long body 36, the long body 66 is mounted on the machine body 2 so as to be rotatable in the up-and-down direction about a left-right axis 37. That is, a mounting portion 33 protrudes from the frame pipe portion 18 on the left side of the machine body 2, and the front end of the long body 66 is mounted on the mounting portion 33 so as to be rotatable via the axis 37.

[0056] The elongated body 66 is composed of a pair of plate-like members 63 facing each other at a distance, multiple, for example, two, collar members 64 at the front and rear ends, and bolts 69 and nuts 70 which are fasteners that secure the two plate-like members 63 together via these collar members 64.

[0057] A shaft hole 68 is formed at the front end of the elongated body 66, and the shaft 37 is inserted into this shaft hole 68 and the hole portion of the mounting part 33, so that the elongated body 66 can rotate relative to the machine body 2 around the inserted shaft 37. In addition, a hole 65 which is a pin hole is formed in the center of the elongated body 66 in the fore-and-aft direction, that is, the intermediate part in the fore-and-aft direction, so that the detachable pin 62 can be attached to and detached from (inserted into) this hole 65.

[0058] The lifting assist means 8 also has a cylindrical rotating body (tumbler) 71 having an insertion hole 72. Similar to the rotating body 41, the rotating body 71 is rotatably mounted on the upper part of the protruding plate 28 of the ground leveling body 4. The rotating body 71 is made up of a rectangular cylindrical portion 73 having an insertion hole 72 formed therein, and left and right round shaft portions 74 that protrude outward from both sides of the cylindrical portion 73, and each of the shaft portions 74 is rotatably mounted in a mounting hole 28a of the protruding plate 28.

[0059] Furthermore, the lifting assist means 8 has a moving body 76 that is inserted into the insertion hole 72 of the rotating body 71 and is movable (for example, slidable) relative to the elongated body 66. Similar to the moving body 46, the moving body 76 is disposed outside the elongated body 66 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction along the outer surface of the elongated body 66.

[0060] The movable body 76 has main body plate portions 77 that are longitudinal in the front-rear direction and shorter in length than the elongated body 66, and that face each other at a distance. The front ends of both main body plate portions 77 are connected and fixed by connecting plate portions 78, which are pin abutment portions that abut against the attachment / detachment pins 62, and an attachment hole portion 79 is formed in the center of this connecting plate portion 78. In addition, protruding plate portions 80, which are plate-shaped rotating body abutment portions that push up the rotating body 71 based on the biasing force of the gas spring 61 when in the assist-on state, are protrudingly provided at the rear ends of both main body plate portions 77.

[0061] The rotating body 71 is disposed outside the main body plate portion 77 of the moving body 76 so as to be able to slide along the outer surface of the main body plate portion 77. In other words, the rotating body 71 slides in the front-to-rear direction along the outer surface of the main body plate portion 77 of the moving body 76 in response to the up-and-down rotation of the ground leveling body 4 when in the assist-off state.

[0062] In this assist-off state, the gas spring 61 is housed in a cylindrical portion 81 made up of both main body plate portions 77 of the movable body 76 and both plate-like members 63 of the elongated body 66, and the entire gas spring 61 (almost the entire gas spring 61) is covered by the cylindrical portion 81. In other words, when the lifting assist means 8 is in the assist-off state, the gas spring 61 is covered by the elongated body 66 and the movable body 76 (see FIGS. 13 and 14).

[0063] A gas spring 61 for lifting assistance, which urges the movable body 76 forward, is disposed in a compressed state between the two plate-like members 63 of the elongated body 66. This gas spring 61 is composed of a main body 82 filled with high-pressure gas such as nitrogen gas, and a rod 83 that extends into and out of the main body 82. The base end of the main body 82 is attached to the collar member 64 on the rear end side of the elongated body 66, and the tip end of the rod 83 is attached to the attachment hole 79 of the connecting plate 78 of the movable body 76 via an attachment pin 84. The other configurations of the agricultural work machine 1 according to this second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0064] When performing tilling and leveling work using the agricultural work machine 1 according to this second embodiment, the worker sets the lifting assist means 8 to the assist-off state by attaching the detachable pin 62 to the hole 65 of the elongated body 66.

[0065] Thereafter, the worker gets on the tractor and moves the agricultural work machine 1 in the direction of travel by driving the tractor, and the tilling body 3 performs tilling work, and behind it the soil leveling body 4 performs soil leveling work.

[0066] At this time, the front end of the connecting plate portion 78 of the movable body 76 abuts against the detachable pin 62, which restricts the forward movement of the movable body 76 relative to the elongated body 66 (i.e., restricts the extension of the gas spring 61), so the rotating body 71 slides in the front-to-rear direction relative to the movable body 76 in response to the up-and-down rotation of the ground leveling body 4 (see FIG. 13). In other words, the rotating body 71 slides in the front-to-rear direction along the outer circumferential surface of the square-tube-shaped cylindrical portion 81, causing the ground leveling body 4 to rotate in the up-and-down direction about the axis 5 relative to the machine body 2.

[0067] On the other hand, when performing maintenance such as replacing the tiller tines 24 or cleaning the soil leveling body 4, the worker sets the lifting assist means 8 to the assist on state by removing the detachable pin 62 from the hole 65 of the elongated body 66.

[0068] This allows the movable body 76 to move forward relative to the elongated body 66 (i.e., allows the gas spring 61 to extend), and the movable body 76, together with the rotating body 71 abutting against the protruding plate portion 80, moves forward relative to the elongated body 66 based on the biasing force of the gas spring 61, and as a result, the leveling body 4 rotates upward based on the biasing force of the gas spring 61 (see Figure 15).

[0069] Then, when the worker lifts the ground leveling body 4 to the highest position with light manual force, the stopper device 53 automatically locks the ground leveling body 4 in that highest position. In this example, the ground leveling body 4 does not rotate upward to the highest position solely by the biasing force of the gas spring 61, so the worker needs to manually lift it up a little to the highest position, but at this time, the gas spring 61 is not at its free length (maximum length) and is biasing the ground leveling body 4 upward, so the worker can lift the ground leveling body 4 to the highest position with light manual force.

[0070] In this way, the agricultural work machine 1 according to the second embodiment can also achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0071] In addition, the lifting assist means 8 of the agricultural work machine 1 may assist in lifting the ground leveling body 4 by using the biasing force of a gas spring 91, which is an expandable biasing body, to bias the ground leveling body 4 upward, as in the third embodiment shown in Figures 24 to 33, for example.

[0072] This lifting assist means 8 can be selectively switched between an assist-on state in which the gas spring 91 urges the ground leveling body 4 upward and an assist-off state in which the gas spring 91 does not urge the ground leveling body 4 upward by operating (for example, rotating to change position) the operating member, the operating lever 90.

[0073] That is, for example, the lifting assist means 8 is put into an assist-off state (locked state) when the operating lever 90 is rotated in one direction (e.g., downward), and is put into an assist-on state (unlocked state) when the operating lever 90 is rotated in another direction opposite to the one direction (e.g., upward).

[0074] Here, the lifting assist means 8 has a long body (inner pipe) 93 formed in a long and narrow cylindrical shape and elongated in the front-rear direction.

[0075] The long body 93 is mounted on the machine body 2 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction around a left-right axis 37. That is, a mounting portion 33 protrudes from the frame pipe portion 18 on the left side of the machine body 2, and the front end of the long body 93 is mounted to this mounting portion 33 so as to be rotatable via the axis 37.

[0076] The elongated body 93 is formed, for example, from a single round pipe, and has an axle hole 94 formed at its front end, with the axle 37 inserted into the axle hole 94 and the hole in the mounting part 33, allowing the elongated body 93 to rotate up and down relative to the machine body 2 around the inserted axle 37. Furthermore, a long guide hole 95 is formed in the middle of the elongated body 93 in the front-to-rear direction, extending along the longitudinal direction of the elongated body 93. Furthermore, a pin hole 96 is formed at the rear end of the elongated body 93.

[0077] A gas spring 91 is housed and disposed within the elongated body 93, and as a result, the gas spring 91 is always entirely covered and protected by the elongated body 93. The gas spring 91 is made up of a main body 98 filled with high-pressure gas such as nitrogen gas, and a rod 99 that moves in and out of the main body 98.

[0078] A pin hole 100 is formed at the base end of the main body 98 of the gas spring 91, and the main body 98 of the gas spring 91 is attached to the elongated body 93 by a mounting pin 101 and a stop pin 102 inserted into this pin hole 100 and the pin hole 96 of the elongated body 93.

[0079] The lifting assist means 8 also has a short cylindrical (e.g., octagonal) rotating body (tumbler) 106 having an insertion hole 105. The rotating body 106 is rotatably provided on the upwardly protruding portion at the top of the protruding plate 28 of the ground leveling body 4.

[0080] The rotating body 106 is composed of an octagonal cylindrical portion 107 with an insertion hole 105 formed therein, and left-right round shaft portions 108 that protrude outward on both the left and right sides of the cylindrical portion 107, and each of the shaft portions 108 is rotatably attached to the mounting hole 28a of the protruding plate 28. The rotating body 106 is rotatable relative to the ground leveling body 4 around the left-right shaft portions 108.

[0081] Furthermore, the lifting assist means 8 has a movable body (outer pipe) 111 that is inserted into the insertion hole 105 of the rotating body 106 and is movable (for example, slidable) relative to the elongated body 93. This movable body 111 is disposed on the outside (outer peripheral side) of the elongated body 93 so as to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction (the longitudinal direction of the elongated body) along the outer peripheral surface of the elongated body 93.

[0082] The movable body 111 has a cylindrical tubular portion 112 that is longitudinal in the front-rear direction and has the rotating body 106 slidably disposed on its outer periphery, and a pin hole 113 is formed in the front end of the tubular portion 112. The rod portion 99 of the gas spring 91 is attached to the movable body 111 by an attachment pin 115 and a retaining pin 116 that are inserted into the pin hole 113, the pin hole 114 of the rod portion 99, and the elongated guide hole 95 of the elongated body 93. Therefore, as the gas spring 91 expands and contracts to bias the movable body 111 upward, the movable body 111 slides along the outer periphery of the elongated body 93 (see FIG. 31 ). At this time, the attachment pin 115 is guided by the elongated guide hole 95 of the elongated body 93.

[0083] Furthermore, a flange 118, which is a circular, annular rotating body abutment portion that pushes up the rotating body 106 based on the biasing force of the gas spring 91 when the lifting assist means 8 is in the assist-on state, is fixedly provided in a protruding manner on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 112 in the middle portion in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, a restricting plate mounting portion 120 and a lever mounting portion 121 are fixedly provided on the rear end side of the cylindrical portion 112. The restricting plate mounting portion 120 is composed of a substantially L-shaped plate 123 with a screw hole 122 formed therein. The lever mounting portion 121 is composed of a pair of opposing plates 124 that are spaced apart and face each other.

[0084] A lever restricting plate 125, which is a restricting part that restricts excessive rotation of the operating lever 90 by contacting the operating lever 90, is attached to the restricting plate attachment part 120 of the movable body 111 with an attachment screw 126. A mounting hole part 127 and a restricting elongated hole part 128 are formed in the lever restricting plate 125.

[0085] Furthermore, a substantially L-shaped operating lever 90 that is gripped and manually operated by an operator is attached to a lever attachment portion 121 of the moving body 111 so as to be rotatable between an OFF position (lower position) and an ON position (upper position).

[0086] That is, the operating lever 90 is inserted into the mounting hole 124a of the opposing plate 124 of the lever mounting portion 121, a retaining ring 130 for preventing the inserted operating lever 90 from coming off is attached to the inserted operating lever 90, and the operating lever 90 is inserted into the elongated restricting hole portion 128 of the lever restricting plate 125. In this way, the operating lever 90 is rotatable between the OFF position and the ON position around the center line X in the front-to-rear direction (including the approximate front-to-rear direction) relative to the movable body 111 (see FIG. 30).

[0087] This operating lever 90 has a lever body 131 made of a round bar bent into an L-shape, and a screw hole 132 is formed in the middle of this lever body 131. A male-threaded pin 133 is screwed into the screw hole 132, and a cylindrical resin collar 134 is attached to this pin.

[0088] Meanwhile, a leaf spring 136, which is an elastically deformable plate-shaped elastic member that positions the operating lever 90 at either the OFF position or the ON position, is detachably attached to the lever restricting plate 125 by an attachment means 137. The attachment means 137 is made up of, for example, a bolt 138, a nut 139, and a spacer 140, and a gap 135 exists between the lever restricting plate 125 and the leaf spring 136.

[0089] The leaf spring 136 has, for example, a rectangular flat plate shape before elastic deformation, and one end of the leaf spring 136 is formed with a mounting hole 136a through which a bolt 138 is inserted. Furthermore, a contact portion 134a, which is part of the outer peripheral surface of the collar 134 of the operating lever 90, is in contact with the surface of the leaf spring 136 located opposite the lever restricting plate 125 side.

[0090] Therefore, when the operating lever 90 is rotated, the collar 134 moves along an imaginary arc centered on the center line X, and at this time, the contact portion 134a of the collar 134 presses against the leaf spring 136, elastically bending and deforming the leaf spring 136, while smoothly sliding along the leaf spring 136.

[0091] When the operating lever 90 is positioned at the OFF position or the ON position, the leaf spring 136 returns to its original flat shape due to its elastic restoring force, and this restored leaf spring 136 positions and holds the operating lever 90 in the desired position (either the OFF position or the ON position).

[0092] 30, when the operating lever 90 is in the OFF position, an abutment portion 90a, which is part of the operating lever 90, faces the rear end surface 93a of the elongated body 93 and abuts against this rear end surface 93a, thereby restricting the movement of the movable body 111 relative to the elongated body 93. However, when the operating lever 90 is rotated upward from the OFF position to the ON position, the abutment portion 90a of the operating lever 90 moves away from the rear end surface 93a of the elongated body 93, and the restriction on the movement of the movable body 111 by this operating lever 90 is released.

[0093] The rest of the configuration of the agricultural work machine 1 according to the third embodiment shown in Figs. 24 to 33 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0094] When performing tilling and leveling work using the agricultural work machine 1 according to this third embodiment, the worker operates the operating lever 90 to place it in the off position, thereby setting the lifting assist means 8 to the assist off state.

[0095] Thereafter, the worker gets on the tractor and moves the agricultural work machine 1 in the direction of travel by driving the tractor, and the tilling body 3 performs tilling work, and behind it the soil leveling body 4 performs soil leveling work.

[0096] At this time, the abutment portion 90a of the operating lever 90 abuts against the rear end surface 93a of the elongated body 93, and therefore the operating lever 90 restricts the forward movement of the movable body 111 relative to the elongated body 93 (i.e., restricts the extension of the gas spring 91), and therefore the rotating body 106 slides in the front-to-rear direction relative to the movable body 111 in accordance with the up-and-down rotation of the ground leveling body 4 (see FIG. 25). In other words, the rotating body 106 slides in the front-to-rear direction along the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 112 of the movable body 111, and the ground leveling body 4 rotates in the up-and-down direction about the axis 5 relative to the machine body 2.

[0097] On the other hand, when performing maintenance such as replacing the tiller tines 24 or cleaning the soil leveling body 4, the worker operates the operating lever 90 to position it in the on position, thereby separating the contact portion 90a from the rear end surface 93a of the elongated body 93 and setting the lifting assist means 8 to the assist on state.

[0098] This allows the movable body 111 to move forward relative to the elongated body 93 (i.e., allows the gas spring 91 to extend), and the movable body 111, together with the rotating body 106 abutting against the flange portion 118, moves forward relative to the elongated body 93 based on the biasing force of the gas spring 91, and as a result, the leveling body 4 rotates upward based on the biasing force of the gas spring 91 (see Figure 27).

[0099] Then, when the worker lifts the ground leveling body 4 to the highest position with light manual force, the stopper device 53 automatically locks the ground leveling body 4 in that highest position. In this example, the ground leveling body 4 does not rotate upward to the highest position solely by the biasing force of the gas spring 91, so the worker needs to manually lift it up a little to the highest position, but at this time, the gas spring 91 is not at its free length (maximum length) and is biasing the ground leveling body 4 upward, so the worker can lift the ground leveling body 4 to the highest position with light manual force.

[0100] In this way, the agricultural work machine 1 according to the third embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the first and second embodiments.

[0101] That is, for example, when the lifting assist means 8 is switched to the assist-on state by operating the operating lever 90 during maintenance, the lifting assist means 8 in this assist-on state assists in lifting the ground leveling body 4, so that the worker can easily lift the ground leveling body 4 to the highest position, thereby reducing the burden on the worker.

[0102] Furthermore, the lifting assist means 8 can be easily switched on and off by a single action of the operating lever 90, that is, by simply rotating it, for example.

[0103] Furthermore, when the lifting assist means 8 is in the assist-off state with the operating lever 90 in the off position, the operating lever 90 restricts the movement of the movable body 111 relative to the elongated body 93, and the rotating body 106 moves relative to the movable body 111 whose movement is restricted in accordance with the movement of the ground leveling body 4, so the lifting assist means 8 does not have a negative effect on the ground leveling work performed by the ground leveling body 4.

[0104] Furthermore, when the operating lever 90 is in the on position and the lifting assist means 8 is in the assist on state, the movable body 111 is permitted to move relative to the elongated body 93, and the movable body 111, which has been permitted to move, moves together with the rotating body 106 relative to the elongated body 93 based on the biasing force of the gas spring 91, so that the biasing force of the gas spring 91 can be utilized to appropriately assist in lifting the leveling body 4.

[0105] Furthermore, the gas spring 91, which is the biasing body, is housed and arranged within the elongated body 93, and is always entirely covered by the elongated body 93, which prevents mud and other particles from adhering to the gas spring 91 during work and also prevents damage from foreign matter and the like.

[0106] In addition, the lifting assist means 8 has a leaf spring 136 that positions the operating lever 90, so that the operating lever 90 can be appropriately positioned and held in either the OFF position or the ON position, and inadvertent rotation of the operating lever 90 can be prevented.

[0107] The operating lever (operating member) 90 is not limited to being rotatably mounted on the movable body 111 so that its contact portion 90a moves toward and away from the rear end surface 93a of the elongated body 93, but may be, for example, movable relative to the movable body or detachable from the movable body.

[0108] Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, the configuration is described in which one lifting assist means 8 and one ground contact pressure adjusting means 9 are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the number of such means may be any number.

[0109] For example, as shown in Fig. 34, a configuration may be provided with two (or more) lifting assist means 8 and two (or more) ground contact pressure adjusting means 9. Alternatively, a configuration may be provided with one lifting assist means 8 and two (or more) ground contact pressure adjusting means 9 on the left and right.

[0110] Furthermore, the position at which the lifting assist means 8 is disposed may also be arbitrary, and for example, the lifting assist means 8 may be disposed at a position on the central side of the agricultural work machine 1 in the left-right direction.

[0111] Furthermore, for example, the leveling body 4 may be rotated upward to the highest raised position only by the biasing force of the biasing body (compression spring 31 or gas springs 61, 91, etc.) of the lifting assist means 8.

[0112] Furthermore, the agricultural work machine 1 is not limited to a single piece, but may be, for example, a folding agricultural work machine divided into three parts, or may be, for example, a harrow equipped with a leveling body consisting of a first leveling plate (leveling plate) and a second leveling plate (rake), etc.

[0113] Although several embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described, it is also possible to combine the above-described embodiments and modifications as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 1 Agricultural machinery 3 Cultivating body 4 Earth leveling body 8 Lifting assistance means 31 Compression spring as biasing body 32,62 Detachable pin as a detachable member 35,65 hole 36,66,93 Long body 41,71,106 Rotating body 42, 72, 105 Insertion hole 46,76,111 Mobile 61,91 Gas spring as a biasing body 90 Operating lever as an operating member 136 Leaf springs, which are elastic members

Claims

1. A machine body coupled to a traveling vehicle; a ground leveling body provided on the aircraft body and performing ground leveling work; a ground pressure adjusting means provided between the machine body and the ground leveling body, the ground pressure adjusting means having an elastic member for adjusting ground pressure, and adjusting the ground pressure of the ground leveling body; and a lifting assist means provided between the machine body and the ground leveling body separately from the ground pressure adjusting means, having a biasing body for lifting assistance, and using the biasing force of the biasing body to assist in lifting the ground leveling body from the initial lifting position to the highest lifted position; The ground pressure adjusting means and the lifting assisting means are disposed at different positions in the left-right direction, The ground pressure adjusting means has a connecting rod, the lifting assist means has a separate elongated body different from the connecting rod, The lift-assist biasing body is housed and disposed within the elongated body, The front end of the elongated body is rotatably attached to a mounting portion of the machine body. Agricultural machinery characterized by:

2. The lift-assist biasing body is entirely housed and disposed within the elongated body.

2. The agricultural implement according to claim 1.

3. The ground pressure adjusting means is the connecting rod having a stopper pin hole; an elastic member for adjusting the ground pressure provided on the outer circumferential side of the connecting rod; an end member against which the elastic member abuts; a stopper device having a stopper pin, With the end member attached to the connecting rod, the leveling body moves to the highest position based only on the biasing force of the biasing body at the end of the lifting of the leveling body, and the stopper pin is automatically inserted into the stopper pin hole, thereby positioning and fixing the leveling body at the highest position.

3. The agricultural machine according to claim 1 or 2.

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