Sugarcane harvester

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a reaping part 3 for reaping crops; a conveyance part 4 for conveying the reaped crops rearward; a post-processing part 5 for processing the conveyed crops; a discharge conveyor 6 for conveying the processed harvest obliquely upward and discharging the same to the outside; and a driving part 7 having a driver seat. An operation pedal for instructing operation of the discharge conveyor 6 to start and stop is provided on the floor of the driving part.

Description

sugarcane harvester

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

[0002] A sugarcane harvester is equipped with a discharge conveyor that transports harvested and processed crops diagonally upward and discharges them outside the machine. The harvesting operation is performed while the machine is traveling, and the harvested crop is discharged by the discharge conveyor onto a transport truck or the like outside the machine for loading. Conventionally, an operating device for turning the discharge conveyor on and off has been provided on a side panel located next to the driver's seat. The side panel also includes a main shift lever and other operating devices (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-101177).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-101177

[0004] During harvesting operations, the operation of the discharge conveyor may need to be switched on and off while operating the machine to travel. However, in conventional configurations, the operating device for instructing the on / off operation of the discharge conveyor is provided on a side panel, making it difficult to switch the operation of the discharge conveyor on and off during harvesting operations. Specifically, during harvesting operations, the operator must operate the steering handle with one hand to travel the machine, and use the main speed change lever with the other hand to change the speed. As a result, in order to switch the operation of the discharge conveyor on and off, the operator must take his or her hand off the main speed change lever, making operation difficult. Therefore, there has been a demand for a sugarcane harvester that allows the operator to easily switch the on / off operation of the harvested product discharge operation without any hassle during harvesting operations.

[0005] The sugarcane harvester of the present invention is characterized by the fact that it is equipped with a cutting unit that cuts the crops, a transport unit that transports the cut crops rearward, a post-processing unit that processes the transported crops, a discharge conveyor that transports the processed harvested material diagonally upward and discharges it outside the machine, and a driver's unit with a driver's seat, and an operating pedal that commands the operation of the discharge conveyor is provided on the floor of the driver's unit.

[0006] According to the present invention, the discharge conveyor can be turned on and off by operating an operating pedal provided on the floor of the driver's section. As a result, even if the operator is operating the machine with one hand and changing the vehicle speed with the other, the operator can command the discharge conveyor to start and stop operation at the appropriate time.

[0007] Therefore, it is possible to easily switch on and off the discharge of harvested products during harvesting work without any hassle.

[0008] In the present invention, it is preferable that the discharge conveyor is configured to be able to swing left and right around the vertical axis of the conveying starting end, that a turning pedal is provided to command the left and right swing of the discharge conveyor, and that the operating pedal and the turning pedal are arranged separately on the right and left sides of the steering post.

[0009] When harvesting work is carried out while the harvested crop is being discharged from the discharge conveyor to a transport vehicle traveling alongside, the transport vehicle will either travel on the left side of the machine or on the right side of the machine, depending on the work situation at the time.

[0010] According to this configuration, the discharge conveyor can be swung left and right by operating a turning pedal provided on the floor of the driver's section. As a result, even if the operator is steering the machine with one hand and changing the vehicle speed with the other, the discharge direction of the discharge conveyor can be changed by depressing the turning pedal at the appropriate time.

[0011] In the present invention, it is preferable that the operating pedal is provided on the right side of the steering post, and the turning pedal is provided on the left side of the steering post.

[0012] According to this configuration, the operating pedal and the turning pedal are arranged separately on both the left and right sides of the steering post, making it easier for the operator to operate the steering handle by using either the right foot or the left foot.

[0013] In the present invention, the discharge conveyor is configured to be switchable between a conveying state in which it conveys the harvested product and a reverse state in which it rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation direction in the conveying state, and it is preferable that a side panel having a plurality of operating devices is provided on the side of the driver's seat, and that the side panel is provided with a reverse indicator as the operating device that instructs the discharge conveyor to switch to the reverse state.

[0014] According to this configuration, the discharge conveyor can be rotated in the reverse direction by operating the reverse indicator. The reverse operation is performed to clear a jam in the conveyor. When clearing a jam like this, the reverse operation only needs to be performed for a short time, and it is not necessary to rotate it for a long time. Therefore, by manually operating the reverse indicator separately from the operating pedal, operation can be performed without any operational errors.

[0015] In the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of operating devices are arranged in a row along the horizontal direction and in a plurality of rows in the front-to-rear direction on the side panel, and the reversing indicator is provided in the front row.

[0016] When a transport jam occurs, it is an emergency and it is best to operate it quickly. Therefore, with this configuration, by providing the reverse direction indicator in the front row, it is easy to identify the reverse direction indicator to operate from among the multiple operating tools and to respond quickly.

[0017] In the present invention, it is preferable that the multiple operating devices provided in the front row are forward / reverse switching type operating devices that instruct switching between forward and reverse rotation directions of rotary drive devices provided in various parts of the machine body, and that the multiple operating devices provided in the row behind the front row are variably adjustable type operating devices that can set various control target values.

[0018] According to this configuration, by arranging a plurality of operating tools in rows with similar operating modes, it is easy to understand the object to be operated and there is little risk of operating errors.

[0019] In the present invention, it is preferable that the operating pedal is configured so that when it is depressed, it switches to an ON state which operates the discharge conveyor, and the ON state continues even when the depression operation is released, and that when the operating pedal is depressed again while the ON state continues, it switches to an OFF state which stops the operation of the discharge conveyor.

[0020] With this configuration, when the operating pedal is depressed once, it turns on, and even if the depression is released, the on state is maintained. Even if the discharge conveyor is operated by operating the operating pedal while the machine is running, and the operation is continued, the operator does not need to continue operating the operating pedal. To stop operation, the operator simply depresses the operating pedal again, which is hassle-free.

[0021] In the present invention, it is preferable that the discharge conveyor be configured to be switchable between a conveying state in which the harvested product is conveyed and a reverse state in which it rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation direction in the conveying state, and that a reverse indicator be provided to instruct the discharge conveyor to switch to the reverse state, so that when the operating pedal is in the on state, the discharge conveyor operates in the conveying state unless the reverse indicator instructs switching to the reverse state, and when the reverse indicator instructs switching to the reverse state, the discharge conveyor remains in an inoperative state, and when the operating pedal is in the off state, the discharge conveyor remains in an inoperative state unless the reverse indicator instructs switching to the reverse state, and when the reverse indicator instructs switching to the reverse state, the discharge conveyor switches to the reverse state.

[0022] According to this configuration, when the operation pedal is operated to turn it on, or when the operation pedal is operated again to turn it off, the discharge conveyor switches to the reverse state when the reversal indicator instructs switching to the reverse state.

[0023] As a result, not only when the discharge conveyor is operating while the machine body is traveling, but also when the discharge conveyor is stopped, the discharge conveyor can be switched to the reverse state, and transport jams can be quickly cleared.

[0024] Fig. 1 is an overall side view of the sugarcane harvester. Fig. 2 is an overall plan view of the sugarcane harvester. Fig. 3 is a side view showing a connection structure between a conveying device and a support frame. Fig. 4 is a bottom view showing a connection structure between a conveying device and a support frame. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a driving section. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a side panel. Fig. 7 is a control block diagram. Fig. 8 is a control block diagram. Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of a discharge conveyor.

[0025] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a sugarcane harvester according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the drawings, F indicates the forward direction, B indicates the backward direction, U indicates the upward direction, D indicates the downward direction, R indicates the rightward direction, and L indicates the leftward direction.

[0026] 1 and 2, the sugarcane harvester is equipped with front wheels 1 that support the front of the machine body and rear wheels 2 that support the rear of the machine body, and the machine body, which is the entire sugarcane harvester, is supported by the left and right front wheels 1 and the left and right rear wheels 2. The machine body is equipped with a reaping unit 3 that reaps the crops, a transport device 4 as a transport unit that transports the harvested crops rearward and upward, a separation device 5 as a post-processing unit connected to the rear of the transport device 4, a discharge conveyor 6 that extends diagonally upward from a position below the separation device 5, a driving unit 7 and an engine 8 that are provided above the reaping unit 3 and the transport device 4.

[0027] As the machine advances, the reaping unit 3 cuts the bases of the crops in the field to harvest them, and the harvested crops are transported rearward by the conveying device 4. When the crops reach the end of the conveying device 4, they are shredded by a chopper (shredding device) provided at the end of the conveying device 4 and supplied to the separating device 5. The shredded crops pass downward inside the separating device 5 and fall into a hopper 6b at the front of the discharge conveyor 6. Inside the separating device 5, sorting air is supplied to the crops, and the debris is separated, blown away, and discharged.

[0028] The crops (harvested goods) that fall into the hopper 6b of the discharge conveyor 6 are transported upward outside the machine body by the discharge conveyor 6, and are then released from the discharge section 6a at the top rear of the discharge conveyor 6 onto the loading platform of an accompanying transport vehicle such as a truck (not shown) for collection.

[0029] (Configuration of Reaping Unit) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the reaping unit 3 has left and right screws 9, a cutting device 11, an upper cutting device (hereinafter referred to as a topper) 87, and the like.

[0030] There are provided right inner and outer screws 9 and left inner and outer screws 9, and the screws 9 are configured in a shape in which a helical body is attached to the outer periphery of an elongated cylindrical main body.

[0031] As shown in Figure 7, the hydraulic motor 12 is provided above the screw 9, and an electromagnetically operated control valve 62 is provided to supply and discharge hydraulic oil to the hydraulic motor 12, and the screw 9 is driven to rotate about an axis extending in the vertical direction by the hydraulic motor 12. Left and right first hydraulic cylinders 13 are provided that can change the height of the left and right screws 9, and an electromagnetically operated control valve 63 is provided to the first hydraulic cylinders 13 to supply and discharge hydraulic oil.

[0032] As shown in Figure 7, a crop-falling device 10 is provided behind the screw 9, and the crop-falling device 10 has a sweeping roller that sweeps the crop backward while pushing it down so that it falls forward. The crop-falling device 10 is driven to rotate about a left-right axis by a hydraulic motor 14. An electromagnetically operated control valve 64 is provided to supply and discharge hydraulic oil to the hydraulic motor 14.

[0033] The left and right cutting devices 11 are provided behind the felling device 10 and have rotary blades that are rotatably supported around vertical axes. The rotary blades are driven to rotate by hydraulic motors 15. An electromagnetically operated control valve 65 is provided to the hydraulic motors 15 to supply and discharge hydraulic oil.

[0034] The topper 87 is supported above the screw 9 and has a rotary blade that is supported rotatably around an axis that extends in the vertical direction. The rotary blade is rotationally driven by a hydraulic motor 16. A second hydraulic cylinder 101 that can change the height of the topper 87 is provided.

[0035] As the machine moves forward, the left and right screws 9 separate the crops to be harvested from the crops to be left in the field, while the top leaves of the crops to be harvested are cut off by the topper 87 and the crops to be harvested are introduced between the left and right screws 9. The crops introduced between the left and right screws 9 are then felled forward by the felling device 10, and the bases of the plants are cut off by the cutting device 11, and the crops are supplied to the conveying device 4 from the bases of the plants.

[0036] (Configuration of the Conveying Device) The conveying device 4 has left and right side panels (not shown) that are arranged in a front-to-rear direction with a tilted rearward upward orientation, and an upper rotating body (not shown) and a lower rotating body (not shown) are supported by the side panels at a distance in the direction in which the crops are transported. The upper and lower rotating bodies are driven to rotate in opposite directions around axes that extend in the left-to-right direction, so that the crops are sandwiched between the upper and lower rotating bodies and transported backward so that the base of the crop leads the top of the crop.

[0037] Choppers (not shown) are provided on the upper and lower rotors located at the end of the conveying section of the conveying device 4, and when the crop reaches the end of the conveying section of the conveying device 4, the crop is cut to a predetermined length by the choppers and supplied to the separating device 5. As shown in Figure 7, hydraulic motors 17 are provided to rotate the upper and lower rotors, and electromagnetically operated control valves 67 are provided to supply and discharge hydraulic oil to the hydraulic motors 17.

[0038] 7, the separating device 5 has a cylindrical main body 18 connected to the rear of the conveying device 4 and arranged along the vertical direction, and a blower 19 supported inside the main body 18 so as to be rotatable about an axis along the vertical direction. The blower 19 is rotationally driven by a hydraulic motor 20.

[0039] When the shredded crops are supplied from the conveying device 4 to the main body 18, the crops pass downward inside the main body 18 and fall into the hopper 6b of the discharge conveyor 6. A blower 19 generates a sorting wind from the bottom to the top of the main body 18, which separates the waste from the crops and blows it upward to be discharged from the discharge outlet 18a at the top of the main body 18.

[0040] (Configuration of the Discharge Conveyor 6) The discharge conveyor 6 has left and right frames (not shown) arranged in a rear-upward tilted position, and a conveyor belt (not shown) rotatably supported between the left and right frames. As shown in Figure 7, a hydraulic motor 21 is provided to rotate the conveyor belt, and an electromagnetically operated control valve 71 is provided to supply and discharge hydraulic oil to the hydraulic motor 21. The discharge conveyor 6 is configured to be switchable between a conveying state in which the harvested products are conveyed and a reverse state in which the discharge conveyor 6 rotates in the direction opposite to the rotation direction in the conveying state. The conveying state is achieved by driving the hydraulic motor 21 in the forward direction, and the reverse state is achieved by driving the hydraulic motor 21 in the reverse direction.

[0041] As shown in Figure 1, a hopper 6b is provided at the front of the discharge conveyor 6, and the crops from the separator 5 can be received and stored in the hopper 6b. A discharge section 6a is provided at the rear end of the discharge conveyor 6, and a guide member 23 is provided at the discharge section 6a of the discharge conveyor 6. As shown in Figure 7, the orientation of the guide member 23 can be changed up and down by an electric motor 24. By changing the orientation of the guide member 23 up and down, the orientation of the crops discharged from the discharge section 6a of the discharge conveyor 6 can be changed up and down.

[0042] The discharge conveyor 6 is supported so as to be swingable left and right about a vertical axis P1 that passes through the conveyance starting end of the discharge conveyor 6 in the up-down direction, and is supported so as to be swingable up and down with the front part of the discharge conveyor 6 as a fulcrum. As shown in Figure 7, a third hydraulic cylinder 22 that can swing the discharge conveyor 6 left and right, and a fourth hydraulic cylinder 33 that can swing the discharge conveyor 6 up and down are provided, and electromagnetically operated control valves 72 and 73 that supply and discharge hydraulic oil to the hydraulic cylinders 22 and 33 are provided.

[0043] By swinging the discharge conveyor 6 left and right, the orientation of the discharge conveyor 6 and the position of the discharge portion 6a of the discharge conveyor 6 can be changed left and right. By swinging the discharge conveyor 6 up and down, the position of the discharge portion 6a of the discharge conveyor 6 can be changed up and down.

[0044] (Support structure of front wheels) As shown in Fig. 8, a fifth hydraulic cylinder 29 is provided as an elevating device that raises and lowers the front wheels 1 relative to the machine body. By raising and lowering the front wheels 1 relative to the machine body through the raising and lowering operation of the fifth hydraulic cylinder 29, the front part of the machine body including the reaping unit 3 and the transport device 4 can be raised and lowered with the rear wheels 2 that come into contact with the field as a fulcrum. In addition, by rotating the main body 29a of the fifth hydraulic cylinder 29 with the sixth hydraulic cylinder 30, the front wheels 1 can be steered.

[0045] The fifth hydraulic cylinders 29 are arranged vertically on the right and left sides of the front of the machine body corresponding to the left and right front wheels 1. A piston 29b of each fifth hydraulic cylinder 29 is connected to the machine body. A main body 29a of each fifth hydraulic cylinder 29 is supported rotatably about the axis of the fifth hydraulic cylinder 29 by a support arm 31 that is supported on the machine body so as to be able to swing up and down. For simplification, only one of the left and right fifth hydraulic cylinders 29 is shown in Figure 8.

[0046] A sixth hydraulic cylinder 30 is provided to rotate a main body 29a of the fifth hydraulic cylinder 29 relative to the piston 29b of the fifth hydraulic cylinder 29, and the front wheels 1 are rotatably supported by the main body 29a of the fifth hydraulic cylinder 29. An electromagnetically operated control valve 79 is provided to the fifth hydraulic cylinder 29 to supply and discharge hydraulic oil, and a mechanically operated control valve 80 is provided to the sixth hydraulic cylinder 30 to supply and discharge hydraulic oil.

[0047] (Configuration of Transmission System to Rear Wheels and Support Structure) As shown in Figure 8, a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission 26 is provided as a transmission for traveling. The hydrostatic continuously variable transmission 26 has a hydraulic pump 26a connected to the engine 8 and a hydraulic motor 26b provided at the rear of the vehicle, and the hydraulic pump 26a and the hydraulic motor 26b are connected by a hydraulic hose 26c. The hydrostatic continuously variable transmission 26 is configured to be able to continuously change speed from the neutral position to the forward side or the reverse side by changing the angle of the swash plate of the hydraulic pump 26a.

[0048] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a travel drive mechanism 38 for driving the rear wheels 2 is provided between the left and right rear wheels 2. The travel drive mechanism 38 includes a transmission case 38a that houses the hydraulic motor 26b of the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission 26, an auxiliary transmission (not shown), and a gear-type transmission mechanism (not shown) that branches and transmits power to the left and right rear wheels 2, left and right axle cases 38b that extend to both the left and right sides from the transmission case 38a, and left and right reduction cases 38c that are provided on the outer ends of the left and right axle cases 38b and have gear-type reduction mechanisms (not shown) that reduce the power. The transmission case 38a, the axle case 38b, and the left and right reduction cases 38c are integrally connected. The auxiliary transmission is configured as a gear-shift type and can be changed between two speeds: high and low. The auxiliary transmission is switched by operating an auxiliary speed change lever 53 (see Figure 6).

[0049] As shown in Figure 4, there is provided a support frame 40 that supports the travel drive mechanism 38. The support frame 40 includes a right-side front-rear frame portion 40a located on the right side of the machine body and extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body, a left-side front-rear frame portion 40b located on the left side of the machine body and extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body, a lateral connecting frame portion 40c connecting these, and a conveyor support portion 40d that supports the discharge conveyor 6.

[0050] The travel drive mechanism 38 is fixed to the right front and left front and rear frame portions 40 a, 40 b. The left and right deceleration cases 38 c of the travel drive mechanism 38 are mounted on and supported by connecting portions 55 provided on the right front and left front and rear frame portions 40 a, 40 b, and are fixed by flange connection.

[0051] The support frame 40 is fixed at its front and rear to the transport device 4. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a front connector 56 is fixed integrally to the front of the transport device 4. The front end of the support frame 40 is connected to the front connector 56 by bolts. The front connectors 56 are provided on both the left and right sides corresponding to the right front and left front and rear frame portions 40a, 40b.

[0052] The right front connector 56 is bolted to the right front / rear frame 40a, and is also bolted to the right front frame 57 of the left and right front frame 57 located on the front side of the aircraft. The left front connector 56 is bolted to the left front / rear frame 40b, and is also bolted to the left front frame 57.

[0053] The left and right front frame portions 57 are spaced apart from each other by a distance greater than the distance between the right front-rear frame portion 40 a and the left front-rear frame portion 40 b. The front portion of the transport device 4 extends between the left and right front frame portions 57 and projects downwardly beyond the front frame portions 57.

[0054] Vertical frame portions 58 extending upward are provided at the rear of each of the right front and left front and rear frame portions 40a and 40b. Connecting structures 59 are fixed integrally to both the left and right sides of the rear of the transport device 4. The upper portions of the left and right vertical frame portions 58 are connected to the connecting structures 59 by bolts.

[0055] The connecting structure 59 is formed in a substantially triangular shape in a side view. The upper part of the vertical frame portion 58 is connected to the lower rear end of the connecting structure 59 with bolts, and the upper part of the reduction gear case 38c is connected to the lower front end of the connecting structure 59 with bolts.

[0056] 3, the rear ends of the right front / rear frame portion 40a and the left front / rear frame portion 40b of the support frame 40 are provided with rear-rising portions 40e located rearward of the axles of the rear wheels 2 and having their lower surfaces formed in a rear-rising shape. In addition, the conveyor support portion 40d is provided with a rear-rising portion 40f connected to the rear-rising portion 40e and having its lower surface formed in a rear-rising shape.

[0057] By providing the rear raised portions 40e, 40f in this manner, for example, when the ridges formed in the field are high and the rear wheels 2 are running in the grooves on both sides of the ridges, the cutting height control described below can be performed and the front of the machine body can swing upward around the axle of the rear wheels 2 to match the height of the ridges, but the support frame 40 can be prevented from coming into contact with the ground.

[0058] When the traveling drive mechanism 38 needs to be removed for maintenance, the traveling drive mechanism 38 and the support frame 40 can be removed as a unit. That is, the bolt connections between the right front-rear frame portion 40a and the left front-rear frame portion 40b of the support frame 40 and the left and right front connectors 56 of the transport device 4 are released, and the bolt connections between the left and right vertical frame portions 58 and the left and right connecting structures 59 are released. Furthermore, the bolt connections between the traveling drive mechanism 38 (deceleration case 38c) and the connecting structures 59 are released, so that the traveling drive mechanism 38 and the support frame 40 can be removed as a unit. That is, the support frame 40 is detachably fixed to the transport device 4.

[0059] 1, 2, and 5, the driver's section 7 is covered by a cabin 41. The driver's section 7 is provided with a driver's seat 42, a steering post 43 provided in front of the driver's seat 42, a steering handle 44 supported on the upper part of the steering post 43, a side panel 54 provided on the upper part of an operation box located to the right of the driver's seat 42, a monitor device 34 supported on the right pillar 32 of the left and right pillars 32 of the cabin 41, and the like.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 5 , on the floor 46 of the driving section 7, a swing pedal 50 for commanding the left-right swing of the discharge conveyor 6 is disposed on the left side of the steering post 43, and a brake pedal 48 and a conveyor operating pedal 47 for commanding the on / off operation of the discharge conveyor 6 are disposed on the right side of the steering post 43.

[0061] Although not described in detail, the swing pedal 50 is supported by a support portion located below so that it can swing left and right about a longitudinal axis and is biased back to a neutral position. A detection sensor (not shown) is provided to detect the swing operation of the swing pedal 50, and can detect whether the swing pedal is depressed to the right or to the left. A locking device 61 is provided near the swing pedal 50 to hold the swing pedal 50 in the neutral position.

[0062] When depression of the swing pedal 50 to the right is detected, the third hydraulic cylinder 22 swings the discharge conveyor 6 to the right in a plan view. When depression of the swing pedal 50 to the left is detected, the third hydraulic cylinder 22 swings the discharge conveyor 6 to the left in a plan view. When depression of the swing pedal 50 is stopped, the neutral biasing force returns the swing pedal 50 to the neutral position, and the swinging of the discharge conveyor 6 is stopped.

[0063] The conveyor operating pedal 47 can be swung about a horizontal axis by being depressed, and is biased back to an upper standby position. The conveyor operating pedal 47 is equipped with a detection sensor (not shown) that detects that the pedal is depressed. The conveyor operating pedal 47 is depressed against the biasing force, and this is detected by the detection sensor. Information from the detection sensor is transmitted to the control device 100.

[0064] 7 and 8, a control device 100 is provided that controls the operation of actuators such as a plurality of hydraulic cylinders and a plurality of hydraulic motors. The control device 100 controls the operation of the corresponding actuators in accordance with commands issued by a plurality of operating tools provided in the driving unit 7 and a preset processing program.

[0065] The conveyor operating pedal 47 is configured so that when depressed, it switches to an ON state in which the discharge conveyor 6 is operated, and remains in the ON state even when the depression is released. When the conveyor operating pedal 47 is depressed again in the ON state, it switches to an OFF state in which the operation of the discharge conveyor 6 is stopped. Specifically, based on the detection information of the detection sensor, the control device 100 switches between an operating mode (ON state) in which the discharge conveyor 6 is operated and a stop mode (OFF state) in which the operation of the discharge conveyor 6 is stopped.

[0066] Once the operator operates the conveyor operating pedal 47 to switch it to the ON state, the ON state is maintained even if the operator stops depressing the conveyor operating pedal 47, which reduces the operator's burden by eliminating the need to continue depressing the conveyor operating pedal 47. In addition, the conveyor operating pedal can be switched to the OFF state by depressing it again.

[0067] The steering handle 44 is mechanically connected to the control valve 80. When an operator seated in the driver's seat 42 operates the steering handle 44 to operate the control valve 80, the front wheels 1 are steered by the hydraulic cylinder 30.

[0068] The brake pedal 48 and the brake 28 are mechanically connected via a linkage mechanism 60. By applying a lock lever 49 to the brake pedal 48, the brake pedal 48 can be held in a depressed state and used as a parking brake.

[0069] (Configuration of Side Panel) As shown in FIG. 6, a main speed change lever 51 capable of changing the speed of the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission 26 is provided on the front left side of the side panel 54.

[0070] A plurality of operating tools are arranged in a row along the horizontal direction and in multiple rows in the front-to-rear direction on the side panel 54. The operating tools in the front row are forward / reverse switching type operating tools that instruct switching between forward and reverse rotation directions of rotary drive devices provided in various parts of the machine body, and the operating tools in the row behind the front row are variable adjustment type operating tools that can set various control target values.

[0071] The multiple operating devices will be described in detail below. As shown in Figure 6, in the front row of the row of multiple operating devices, a transport device operating device 36 for switching the operation of the transport device 4 as a rotary drive device, a topper operating device 75 for switching the operation of the topper 87 as a rotary drive device, and a conveyor reversing operating device 37 as a reversing indicator for switching the operation of the discharge conveyor 6 as a rotary drive device are arranged in that order horizontally from the driver's seat side. In addition, a weed removal command switch 76 for use when performing weed removal work is provided at the right end of the front row.

[0072] The transport device operating tool 36, the topper operating tool 75, and the conveyor reversing operating tool 37 are configured as seesaw switches that can be manually pushed back and forth. The transport device operating tool 36 and the topper operating tool 75 can be operated from a central stop position to a forward rotation position and a reverse rotation position.

[0073] The conveyor reversing operation device 37 can be switched between a non-operating position and a reverse operating position, and is biased back to the non-operating position. That is, the conveyor reversing operation device 37 is normally in the non-operating position, can be manually operated to the reverse operating position against the biasing force, and returns to the non-operating position when released.

[0074] The control valves 62, 64, 65, and 67 are operated by the transport device operating tool 36, and the hydraulic motors 12, 14, 15, and 17 are activated. Under normal operating conditions, the transport device operating tool 36 is set to the forward rotation position. If an abnormality occurs, such as crops or the like clogging the reaping unit 3 or the transport device 4, the transport device operating tool 36 is set to the reverse rotation position to clear the clogging or the like in the reaping unit 3 or the transport device 4.

[0075] The control valve 66 is operated by the topper operating device 75, which activates the hydraulic motor 16. Under normal operating conditions, the topper operating device 75 is set to the forward rotation position. If an abnormality occurs, such as crops or the like clogging the topper 87, the topper operating device 75 is set to the reverse rotation position to clear the clogging of the topper 87.

[0076] The conveyor reversing operation device 37 is set to the inactive position (OFF) under normal operating conditions. When an abnormality occurs, such as when crops or the like are jammed in the discharge conveyor 6, the conveyor reversing operation device 37 is operated to the reverse operating position (ON) to clear the jam in the discharge conveyor. As will be explained below, the operation and stop of the discharge conveyor 6 are commanded by the conveyor operating pedal 47.

[0077] The switching operation of the discharge conveyor 6 will now be described. When the conveyor operating pedal 47 is depressed, it is switched to the on state (ON) as described above. When it is in the on state, the discharge conveyor 6 operates in the transport state unless the conveyor reversing operation device 37 commands switching to the reverse state. That is, the control valve 72 is switched to rotate the hydraulic motor 21 in the forward direction, thereby performing the discharge operation by the discharge conveyor 6. Then, when the conveyor reversing operation device 37 commands switching to the reverse state, it is switched to the off state (OFF), and the control valve 72 is switched to rotate the hydraulic motor 21 in the reverse direction, thereby reversing the discharge conveyor 6.

[0078] When the conveyor operating pedal 47 is not depressed and is in the OFF state, the discharge conveyor 6 remains in the stopped state unless the conveyor reversing operation device 37 commands switching to the reverse state, and when the conveyor reversing operation device 37 commands switching to the reverse state, the discharge conveyor 6 switches to the reverse state.

[0079] As shown in Figure 9, when the conveyor reversing operation device 37 is operated to the inactive position (OFF) and the conveyor operating pedal 47 is depressed to the on state (ON), the discharge conveyor 6 operates in the forward direction. When the operation pedal is depressed again to the off state (OFF), the discharge conveyor 6 stops operating. Furthermore, whether the conveyor operating pedal 47 is in the on state (ON) or the off state (OFF), when the conveyor reversing operation device 37 is operated to the reverse operating position (ON), the discharge conveyor 6 rotates in the reverse direction only while it is being operated.

[0080] The second row from the front on the side panel 54 is provided with a blower rotation speed adjuster 84, a reference height adjuster 85, and a reference load adjuster 86, which are variable adjustment type operating devices, lined up on the left and right.

[0081] The blower rotation speed adjuster 84 is a dial type that is rotated. By operating the blower rotation speed adjuster 84, the control valve 70 shown in Figure 14 is operated, and the rotation speed (an example of a control target value) of the hydraulic motor 20 (blower 19) is changed between high and low.

[0082] The reference height adjuster 85 is configured as a dial and is rotated. The reference height adjuster 85 allows the reference height (an example of a control target value) for mowing height control to be set, and the reference height can be changed to a higher or lower value. When the fifth hydraulic cylinder 29 is used to raise or lower the front part of the machine body (the mowing unit 3), the reference height is the limit value at which the lowering operation of the front part of the machine body (the mowing unit 3) is stopped.

[0083] The reference load adjuster 86 is a dial that is rotated to set the reference load (an example of a control target value) for cutting height control, and can change the reference load between high and low.

[0084] A load sensor (not shown) is provided to detect the load on the hydraulic motor 15 of the cutting device 11, and when the detected value of the load sensor becomes greater than the reference load, the fifth hydraulic cylinder 29 raises the front part of the machine body (the reaping unit 3) to reduce the load on the cutting device 11. When the detected load value returns to the reference load, the fifth hydraulic cylinder 29 lowers the front part of the machine body (the reaping unit 3).

[0085] The third row from the front of the side panel 54 is provided with a cutting height control operating device 81, an automatic storage operating device 83, and a work clutch switch 35.

[0086] The mowing height control operating device 81 is configured to be push-operated, and is operated to an active position and a stopped position by repeatedly pushing the operating device. The mowing height control is activated or deactivated depending on the operating position. In mowing height control, the front wheels 1 are raised or lowered relative to the machine body by the fifth hydraulic cylinder 29, thereby raising or lowering the front part of the machine body (the mowing unit 3) around the rear wheels 2 that are in contact with the field as a fulcrum. This makes it possible to change or adjust the height at which the crops are mowed by the mowing unit 3.

[0087] The automatic accumulation operating device 83 is configured to be push-operated, and is operated to an operating position and a stopped position by repeatedly pushing it. This activates and stops the automatic accumulation control. In the automatic accumulation control, when the hopper 6b of the discharge conveyor 6 becomes full with no crops on the discharge conveyor 6, the discharge conveyor 6 starts operating, and when the crops reach just before the discharge portion 6a of the discharge conveyor 6, the discharge conveyor 6 automatically stops.

[0088] The rearmost row of the side panel 54 is provided with an accelerator operating device 52 and a conveyor lift operating device 82. The accelerator operating device 52 is configured to be able to be held in any position by friction. Based on the operating position of the accelerator operating device 52, the speed governor 88 is operated by the control device 100.

[0089] The conveyor lifting / lowering operating device 82 is configured as a seesaw switch type that can be operated by manually pushing the front and rear portions, and can be operated to a stop position, an up position, and a down position. The conveyor lifting / lowering operating device 82 operates the control valve 73, and the discharge conveyor 6 is raised and lowered by the hydraulic cylinder 33.

[0090] Other Embodiments The present invention is not limited to the configurations exemplified in the above-described embodiments, and other representative embodiments of the present invention will be exemplified below.

[0091] (1) The conveyor operating pedal 47 may be provided on the left side of the steering post 43 and the turning pedal 50 may be provided on the right side of the steering post 43, or the conveyor operating pedal 47 and the turning pedal 50 may be provided side by side on either the left or right side of the steering post 43.

[0092] (2) The conveyor reversing operation device 37 (reversing indicator) may be provided in the second or subsequent row from the front, rather than in the front row, of the side panel 54. The conveyor reversing operation device 37 (reversing indicator) may be provided on the top of the steering post 43, rather than on the side panel 54.

[0093] (3) The multiple operating devices provided in the front row of the side panel 54 may be variable adjustment type operating devices (blower RPM adjuster 84, reference height adjuster 85, reference load adjuster 86) that can set various control target values, and the multiple operating devices provided in the second row from the front may be forward / reverse switching type operating devices (transport device operating device 36, topper operating device 75, conveyor reversing operating device 37). The arrangement order of these operating devices is not limited to the above-mentioned arrangement and may be changed in various ways. Furthermore, the rotary drive device is not limited to the transport device 4, topper 87, and discharge conveyor 6, but may also be other rotary drive devices.

[0094] (4) The conveyor operating pedal 47 may be configured to maintain the ON state while being depressed, and to switch to the OFF state when the depression is released.

[0095] (5) In the above embodiment, a detection sensor is provided to detect that the conveyor operating pedal 47 has been operated, and the control device 100 switches between an operating mode (on state) in which the discharge conveyor 6 is operated and a stop mode (off state) in which the discharge conveyor 6 is stopped based on the detection information from the detection sensor. However, instead of this configuration, once the conveyor operating pedal 47 is depressed, the depressed state is mechanically held in position, so that the detection sensor maintains the on state, and when the conveyor operating pedal 47 is depressed further, the mechanical position holding is released and the detection sensor switches to the off state.

[0096] The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with the configurations disclosed in other embodiments, unless a contradiction occurs. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the purpose of the present invention.

[0097] The present invention is applicable to sugarcane harvesters.

[0098] 3 Reaping section 4 Conveying device (conveying section) 5 Separating device (post-processing section) 6 Discharge conveyor 7 Driving section 37 Conveyor reversing operation device (reversing indicator) 42 Driving seat 43 Steering post 46 Floor section 47 Conveyor operating pedal (operating pedal) 50 Swing pedal 54 Side panel

Claims

1. A sugarcane harvester comprising: a harvesting section that harvests crops; a transporting section that transports the harvested crops rearward; a post-processing section that processes the transported crops; a discharge conveyor that transports the processed harvested crops diagonally upward and discharges them outside the machine; and a driver's section having a driver's seat, wherein an operating pedal that commands the discharge conveyor to be turned on and off is provided on the floor of the driver's section.

2. A sugarcane harvester as described in claim 1, wherein the discharge conveyor is configured to be able to swing left and right around the vertical axis of the conveying start end, a turning pedal is provided to command the left and right swing of the discharge conveyor, and the operating pedal and the turning pedal are arranged separately on the right and left sides of the steering post.

3. A sugarcane harvester as claimed in claim 2, wherein said operating pedal is provided on the right side of said steering post and said turning pedal is provided on the left side of said steering post.

4. A sugarcane harvester as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the discharge conveyor is configured to be switchable between a conveying state in which it conveys the harvested product and a reverse state in which it rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation direction in the conveying state, and a side panel having a plurality of operating devices is provided on the side of the driver's seat, and a reverse indicator device as an operating device for instructing the discharge conveyor to switch to the reverse state is provided on the side panel.

5. A sugarcane harvester as set forth in claim 4, wherein a plurality of operating devices are arranged in a row along the horizontal direction and in a plurality of rows in the front-to-back direction on the side panel, and the reversing indicator is provided in the front row.

6. A sugarcane harvester as described in claim 5, wherein the plurality of operating devices provided in the front row are forward / reverse switching type operating devices that instruct switching between forward and reverse rotation directions of rotary drive devices provided in various parts of the machine body, and the plurality of operating devices provided in the row behind the front row are variable adjustment type operating devices that can set various control target values.

7. A sugarcane harvester as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the operating pedal is configured to switch to an ON state in which the discharge conveyor is operated when depressed, and to maintain the ON state even when the depression operation is released, and when the operating pedal is depressed again while the ON state is maintained, to switch to an OFF state in which the discharge conveyor is stopped from operating.

8. A sugarcane harvester as set forth in claim 7, wherein the discharge conveyor is configured to be switchable between a conveying state in which the harvested product is conveyed and a reverse state in which it rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation direction in the conveying state, and is provided with a reverse indicator for instructing the discharge conveyor to switch to the reverse state, wherein when the operating pedal is in the on state, the discharge conveyor operates in the conveying state unless an instruction to switch to the reverse state is given by the reverse indicator, and when an instruction to switch to the reverse state is given by the reverse indicator, the discharge conveyor remains in an inoperative state when the operating pedal is in the off state, unless an instruction to switch to the reverse state is given by the reverse indicator, and when an instruction to switch to the reverse state is given by the reverse indicator, the discharge conveyor switches to the reverse state.

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