Sugarcane harvester

Abstract

This sugarcane harvester includes: a reaping part for reaping crops in a field; a conveying device for conveying the crops reaped by the reaping part; and a sorting device for sorting the crops conveyed by the conveying device into a harvested material and impurities by sorting wind. The sorting device includes a fan 6 rotating around an axis. The fan 6 includes a blade member. The blade member has first portions 61a, and second portions 61b provided at front end portions of the blade member in a rotation direction D1 and harder than the first portions 61a.

Description

sugarcane harvester

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a sugarcane harvester equipped with a sorting unit that separates sugarcane leaves (including dust) from stalks. The sorting unit includes a vertically extending cylindrical section and a fan located inside the cylindrical section that generates an upward airflow.

[0003] JP 2020-195311 A

[0004] The sorting unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 has an annular protrusion that protrudes inward and is provided on the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion below the fan blades. As a result, even if the sorting wind from the sorting unit causes the sugarcane stalks to rise inside the cylindrical portion, the sugarcane stalks will come into contact with the annular protrusion, making it difficult for the sugarcane stalks to rise above the annular protrusion. This prevents the sugarcane stalks from coming into contact with the blades, thereby preventing wear on the blades.

[0005] However, the annular protrusion disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not improve the wear resistance of the blade itself.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a sugarcane harvester equipped with a fan having blade members with improved wear resistance.

[0007] The harvester of the present invention comprises a cutting unit that cuts crops in a field, a transport device that transports the crops cut by the cutting unit, and a sorting device that sorts the crops transported by the transport device into harvested products and impurities using sorting wind, the sorting device comprising a fan that rotates around an axis, the fan comprising blade members that have a first portion and a second portion that is provided at the front end in the rotational direction of the blade member and is harder than the first portion.

[0008] According to this configuration, the blade member has the second portion at the front end in the rotation direction of the blade member where it is likely to come into contact with crops, which makes the blade member less susceptible to wear even when it comes into contact with crops.

[0009] In the present invention, it is preferable that the first portion is plate-shaped, and the second portion is provided on a side surface of the first portion on a front side in a rotation direction.

[0010] According to this configuration, the second portion is provided on the side surface of the first portion, which is more likely to come into contact with crops, in the direction of rotation, so that the blade members are less likely to wear out even when they come into contact with crops.

[0011] In the present invention, it is preferable that the second portion be provided on a side surface on the front side in the rotation direction of the first portion and on a front surface of the first portion.

[0012] According to this configuration, the second section is provided on the front side of the first section in the rotation direction, which is likely to come into contact with crops, and on the front surface of the first section, which makes the blade members less susceptible to wear even when they come into contact with crops.

[0013] In the present invention, it is preferable that the second portion is detachable from the first portion.

[0014] According to this configuration, even if the second portion wears over time, replacing the second portion makes maintenance easier than replacing the blade member, and also reduces maintenance costs.

[0015] In the present invention, it is preferable that the second portion is formed by applying build-up welding to the blade member.

[0016] According to this configuration, only the portions of the blade member that are likely to come into contact with crops can be hardened by build-up welding, and costs are reduced compared to machining the entire blade member.

[0017] In the present invention, it is preferable that the second portion is formed by subjecting the blade member to a hardening treatment.

[0018] According to this configuration, only the portions of the blade members that are likely to come into contact with crops can be hardened by hardening.

[0019] In the present invention, it is preferable that the fan further includes a cylindrical shaft member that rotates about the axis and to which the blade members are fixed, and that the blade members are detachable from the shaft member.

[0020] According to this configuration, even if the blade members wear out over time, replacing the blade members makes maintenance easier than replacing the fan, and also reduces maintenance costs.

[0021] Fig. 1 is a left side view of the sugarcane harvester; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sugarcane harvester; Fig. 3 is a left vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the sorting device; Fig. 4 is a plan cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the sorting device; Fig. 4 is a left side view of the fan; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the fan; Fig. 6 is a plan view of a blade member; Fig. 7 is a side vertical cross-sectional view of the blade member.

[0022] A sugarcane harvester according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction of arrow F in the drawings will be referred to as the "front side," the direction of arrow B as the "rear side," the direction of arrow U as the "upper side," the direction of arrow D as the "lower side," the direction of arrow R as the "right side," and the direction of arrow L as the "left side."

[0023] [Overall Structure] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sugarcane harvester comprises a body 1, a traveling device 2 that supports the body 1, a cutting unit 3 that cuts crops in a field, a conveying device 4 that transports the crops cut by the cutting unit 3, a sorting device 5 that sorts the crops transported by the conveying device 4 into harvested products and impurities using a sorting wind, a rear conveying device 7 that transports the harvested products supplied from the sorting device 5 rearward and then discharges them to the outside, a driving unit 8 that a driver rides in, and an engine E supported by the body 1.

[0024] The traveling device 2 includes left and right front wheels 21 and left and right rear wheels 22 located rearward of the front wheels 21. The rear wheels 22 are supported by an axle case connected to the vehicle body 1. Power from the engine E is transmitted to the left and right rear wheels 22 via a transmission. In other words, the rear wheels 22 are driven by the engine E.

[0025] The reaping unit 3 is equipped with a cutting blade 31 that cuts crops. The cutting blade 31 is suspended from the machine body 1. The cutting blade 31 has a drive shaft that extends in the vertical direction. The drive shaft is driven by a hydraulic motor. The driving of the drive shaft causes the cutting blade 31 to rotate.

[0026] The front wheels 21 are supported on the aircraft body 1 so as to be movable up and down and steerable. Power from the engine E is not transmitted to the front wheels 21.

[0027] The transport device 4 is supported by the machine body 1 in a rear-upward tilted position. Specifically, the lower part of the transport device 4 is supported by the machine body 1. In addition, the rear part of the transport device 4 is supported by the machine body 1 via an axle case or a transmission located below the rear part of the transport device 4.

[0028] The front part of the conveying device 4 is connected to the rear part of the reaping unit 3. As a result, the crops cut by the reaping unit 3 are conveyed by the conveying device 4 diagonally upward and rearward from the machine body 1.

[0029] The conveying device 4 has a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape, and a crop transport path is formed inside the conveying device 4. As shown in Figure 3, a pair of upper and lower cutting rollers 41 is provided at the conveying end of the conveying device 4. The cutting rollers 41 are cylindrical members extending in the left-right direction of the machine body 1, and are equipped with cutting blades extending radially outward from the cutting rollers 41. Long crops passing through the inside of the conveying device 4 are cut to a predetermined length by the pair of upper and lower cutting rollers 41 at the conveying end of the conveying device 4.

[0030] The sorting device 5 is connected to the rear of the conveying device 4. Crops shredded at the end of the conveying process of the conveying device 4 are supplied to the sorting device 5. The crops supplied from the conveying device 4 fall downward as they pass through the inside of the sorting device 5. Crops passing through the sorting device 5 are sorted by the sorting wind blowing impurities outside the machine body 1. The sorted harvested crops fall into a hopper 9 provided in front of the rear conveying device 7.

[0031] The hopper 9 has a semicircular shape in a plan view. The hopper 9 is provided so as to surround the front, right, and left parts of the inlet of the rear conveying device 7. The harvested product that falls from the sorting device 5 is received by the hopper 9 and guided to the inlet of the rear conveying device 7.

[0032] The rear conveying device 7 extends diagonally upward and rearward in a rear-upward tilted position. The rear conveying device 7 conveys the harvested product diagonally upward and rearward. The rear conveying device 7 can rotate around an axis A1 that extends in the vertical direction. The conveyed harvested product is discharged to the outside of the machine body 1 from a discharge area provided at the rear of the rear conveying device 7. Specifically, the rear conveying device 7 discharges the harvested product onto the loading platform of a transport vehicle traveling alongside the sugarcane harvester.

[0033] 3 and 4 , the sorting device 5 includes a cylindrical case portion 51 extending in the vertical direction, a hood portion 52 located above the case portion 51 and communicating with the case portion 51, a fan 6 that rotates about an axis A1 extending along the vertical direction, and a hydraulic motor 53 that drives the fan 6. The fan 6 is driven about the axis A1 by the power of the hydraulic motor 53. The hydraulic motor 53 is located above the fan 6.

[0034] The case portion 51 is open downward. The inner surface of the case portion 51 has a circular shape centered on the axis A1 in a plan view. The case portion 51 separates the crop into debris and the harvested product, and guides the debris upward and the harvested product downward.

[0035] The case portion 51 has an inlet 51a through which the crops are introduced, an air intake 51b located at the bottom of the case portion 51, a plate-like member 51c extending in the front-to-rear direction of the machine body 1 from above the cutting roller 41 to above the inlet 51a, and a scattering prevention chain 51d hanging down from the lower end of the case portion 51 to the upper end of the hopper 9. The crops introduced through the inlet 51a are guided into the case portion 51 along the plate-like member 51c. The scattering prevention chain 51d also prevents the sorted harvested crops from falling outside the hopper 9.

[0036] The hood portion 52 has a discharge opening 52a for discharging impurities to the outside of the machine body 1. The hood portion 52 is rotatable around an axis A1 extending in the vertical direction. In other words, the orientation of the discharge opening 52a is changeable. The hood portion 52 rotates relative to the case portion 51. Specifically, an interlocking mechanism is provided that interlocks the hood portion 52 with the rear conveying device 7. This allows the hood portion 52 to rotate in accordance with the rotation of the rear conveying device 7.

[0037] [Fan] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the fan 6 includes a plurality of blade members 61 and a cylindrical shaft member 62 that rotates around an axis A1 extending in the vertical direction and to which the plurality of blade members 61 are fixed.

[0038] The rotation direction D1 of the fan 6 is counterclockwise in a plan view. As the fan 6 rotates, air inside the case part 51 is sucked in by the fan 6. At this time, outside air is sucked into the inside of the case part 51 through the air intake 51b.

[0039] The fan 6 is located inside the case part 51 and the hood part 52. Specifically, the fan 6 is located inside the case part 51 and the hood part 52, spanning from the top of the hood part 52 to the top of the case part 51.

[0040] The shaft member 62 is disposed in such a position that the longitudinal direction of the shaft member 62 extends along the vertical direction. The upper end of the shaft member 62 is spline-connected to the output shaft of the hydraulic motor 53. As a result, the shaft member 62 is driven by the hydraulic motor 53.

[0041] The blade members 61 are detachable from the shaft member 62. Specifically, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the shaft member 62 has a flange-shaped portion 62a provided on the side surface of the shaft member 62. The flange-shaped portion 62a extends along the outer periphery of the shaft member 62. The flange-shaped portion 62a also extends radially outward from the shaft member 62. The flange-shaped portion 62a is welded to the side surface of the shaft member 62. The blade members 61 are fixed to the flange-shaped portion 62a with bolts. This allows the blade members 61 to be detachable from the shaft member 62.

[0042] 5 and 6 , in this embodiment, the blade members 61 include three blade members 61. The number of blade members 61 is not limited to three, and may be any number. The blade members 61 are fixed to the shaft member 62 in an inclined position relative to the horizontal plane. Specifically, the blade members 61 are inclined so that the blade members 61 are positioned lower toward the front in the rotation direction D1 of the blade members 61. This makes it easier for crops to come into contact with the side surfaces of the blade members 61 toward the front in the rotation direction and the front surfaces of the blade members 61 when the fan 6 rotates.

[0043] 7 and 8, the blade member 61 has a first portion 61a and a second portion 61b that is harder than the first portion 61a and is provided at the front end of the blade member 61 in the rotation direction D1. Specifically, the second portion 61b has a harder hardness than the first portion 61a. In this embodiment, the second portion 61b is provided at the right end of the first portion 61a in the drawing.

[0044] The first portion 61a is plate-shaped. The second portion 61b is formed by build-up welding on the blade member 61. The second portion 61b is provided on a side surface F1 of the first portion 61a on the front side in the rotational direction and on a front surface F2 of the first portion 61a. As shown in FIG. 8 , the second portion 61b is formed in an L-shape in vertical cross section from the side surface F1 to the front surface F2. In other words, the second portion 61b bulges out from the side surface F1 of the first portion 61a on the front side in the rotational direction. Furthermore, the second portion 61b bulges out upward from the front surface F2 of the first portion 61a.

[0045] The second portion 61b is provided along the longitudinal direction of the first portion 61a at the front end of the first portion 61a in the rotational direction. The second portion 61b is formed by welding a rod-shaped metal to the first portion 61a while the rod-shaped metal is in contact with the side surface F1 of the first portion 61a on the front side in the rotational direction and the front surface F2 of the first portion 61a.

[0046] [Other Embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the present invention may be configured as in the following other embodiments. In the other embodiments described below, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are assigned the same numbers and symbols as those in the above-described embodiment.

[0047] [1] The second portion 61b may be generated by subjecting the blade member 61 to a quenching treatment. In this case, the second portion 61b is generated by modifying (hardening) a part of the blade member 61 by the quenching treatment.

[0048] [2] The rotation direction D1 of the fan 6 may be clockwise in a plan view. In this case, in FIG. 7, the second portion 61b may be provided at the left end of the first portion 61a in the drawing.

[0049] [3] The second portion 61b may be provided only on the side surface F1 on the front side in the rotational direction of the first portion 61a. In other words, the second portion 61b does not have to be provided on the front surface F2 of the first portion 61a.

[0050] [4] The second portion 61b may be provided on the side surface F1 on the front side in the rotational direction of the first portion 61a, the front surface F2 of the first portion 61a, and the rear surface of the first portion 61a.

[0051] [5] The second portion 61 b ​​may be provided in a portion other than the front end portion of the first portion 61 a in the rotational direction D1. For example, the second portion 61 b ​​may be provided on the entire front surface F2 of the first portion 61 a and on the side surface F1 of the first portion 61 a on the front side in the rotational direction D1.

[0052] [6] The second portion 61b may be detachable from the first portion 61a using a bolt or the like. In other words, the second portion 61b may be provided on the blade member 61 by attaching a member other than the first portion 61a to the first portion 61a.

[0053] [7] The sugarcane harvester does not need to be equipped with the post-conveying device 7. In this case, the harvested product sorted by the sorting device 5 is discharged into a harvested product storage bag or the like.

[0054] [8] The traveling device 2 may be a crawler type device.

[0055] [9] The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, unless a contradiction arises. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto and can be appropriately modified within the scope that does not deviate from the purpose of the present invention.

[0056] The present invention is applicable to sugarcane harvesters.

[0057] 3: Harvesting unit 4: Conveying device 5: Sorting device 6: Fan 61: Blade member 61a: First portion 61b: Second portion 62: Shaft member A1: Axis center D1: Rotation direction

Claims

1. A sugarcane harvester comprising: a cutting unit that cuts crops in a field; a transport device that transports the crops cut by the cutting unit; and a sorting device that sorts the crops transported by the transport device into harvested products and impurities using sorting wind, wherein the sorting device has a fan that rotates around an axis, and the fan has blade members that have a first section and a second section that is provided at the front end in the rotation direction of the blade member and is harder than the first section.

2. A sugarcane harvester as described in claim 1, wherein the first section is plate-shaped, and the second section is provided on a side surface of the first section that is forward in the direction of rotation.

3. A sugarcane harvester as described in claim 1, wherein the second section is provided on the front side of the first section in the direction of rotation and on the front surface of the first section.

4. A sugarcane harvester as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second section is detachable from the first section.

5. A sugarcane harvester as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second portion is formed by applying build-up welding to the blade member.

6. A sugarcane harvester as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second portion is formed by subjecting the blade member to a hardening treatment.

7. A sugarcane harvester as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fan further comprises a cylindrical shaft member that rotates around the axis and to which the blade members are fixed, and the blade members are detachable from the shaft member.

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