JP7525451B2 - Peeling device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a peeling device that removes bracts from corn bunches.

In conventional peeling devices, multiple peeling rolls extending in the front-to-rear direction of the device are arranged in the left-to-right direction of the device, and a conveying section that conveys the crop rearward is configured with multiple feed members extending in the left-to-right direction of the device and arranged in the front-to-rear direction. The power transmission mechanism that transmits power to this conveying section is configured so that power is transmitted directly from a drive shaft to which the engine power is transmitted to an input shaft of the conveying section via a transmission chain (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2015-181388 A

In this type of peeling device, the corn bunch is supported from above by a feeding member to prevent it from lifting off the peeling roll, and the corn bunch is peeled by the peeling roll. If the height of the feeding member relative to the peeling roll is high compared to the thickness of the corn bunch, it will tend to lift off the peeling roll and the bracts will not be sufficiently peeled off. If the height of the feeding member relative to the peeling roll is low compared to the thickness of the corn bunch, the corn bunch will be pressed hard against the peeling roll by the feeding member, which may cause the seeds of the corn bunch to fall off. Therefore, in order to eliminate such disadvantages, it has been proposed to make it possible to adjust the height of the conveying section relative to the peeling roll depending on the thickness of the corn bunch.

In the above-mentioned configuration for adjusting the height of the conveying section, the input shaft of the conveying section is changed in its vertical position as a unit. However, in conventional transmission structures, power is transmitted from the drive shaft to the input shaft of the conveying section via the transmission chain, and tension is applied to the transmission chain to ensure that power is transmitted. Therefore, when attempting to change the position of the input shaft of the conveying section around which the transmission chain is wound in the vertical direction, there are disadvantages such as the tension making it difficult to change the circumference of the transmission chain, and requiring a strong operating force.

Therefore, there was a demand for a system that allows the height of the peeling roll in the conveying section to be adjusted with a light operating force.

The characteristic configuration of the peeling device according to the present invention is that it is provided with a peeling processing section that receives harvested corn bunches and peels the braches from the received corn bunches, a conveying section that is provided above the peeling processing section and conveys the corn bunches located above the peeling processing section from the start end to the end end of the peeling processing section, and a power transmission mechanism that transmits power from a drive source to the conveying section, and the peeling processing section is provided with a plurality of peeling rolls that extend along the conveying direction of the corn bunches and are aligned in the left-right direction of the peeling processing section, and the conveying section is provided with left and right side wall sections, an input rotor that extends along the left-right direction of the device and to which power from the power transmission mechanism is transmitted, and a tow roller that is supported by the input rotor and rotates together with the input rotor to convey the tow The power transmission mechanism is provided with a drive rotor supported on the sidewalls and power from the drive source is transmitted to the drive rotor and an intermediate rotor supported on the sidewalls while being positioned between the drive rotor and the input rotor in the transmission path of the power transmission mechanism, a first endless rotor wound around the drive rotor and the intermediate rotor, and a second endless rotor wound around the intermediate rotor and the input rotor.

According to the present invention, the power transmitted from the drive source to the drive rotor is transmitted to the relay rotor via the first endless rotor, and is then transmitted from the relay rotor to the input rotor of the conveying section via the second endless rotor. In this way, power is transmitted via the relay rotor. When the vertical position of the frame body relative to the side wall is changed to change the height of the conveying section relative to the peeling roll, the position of the input rotor is simultaneously changed, and the tension state of the second endless rotor changes.

The second endless rotating body only transmits power from the intermediate rotating body to the transport section, but the first endless rotating body may transmit power from the driving rotating body to devices other than the transport section, and so there is a need to reliably transmit power from the driving rotating body, so there is a risk that a strong tension is applied to the first endless rotating body.

When changing the vertical position of the frame body, the winding state of the first endless rotating body does not change, and it is not related to the operation of changing the position of the input rotating body. As a result, there is little risk of a large operating force being required when changing the vertical position of the frame body.

As a result, it is now possible to change and adjust the height of the peeling roll in the conveying section with a light operating force.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the power transmission mechanism is provided with a branch rotor that is supported on the side wall and branches the power to another device, and that the first endless rotating body is wound around the branch rotor.

This configuration makes effective use of the first endless rotating body to which power is transmitted from the drive rotating body, allowing for good power transmission to other devices via the branch rotating body.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the power transmission mechanism is provided with only an idler wheel fixed in position to the side wall portion as a tension mechanism that applies tension to the first endless rotating body.

With this configuration, the first endless rotating body maintains a state in which tension is applied by the fixedly positioned free-wheel body, allowing for reliable power transmission from the drive shaft.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the power transmission mechanism is provided with a tension wheel around which the second endless rotating body is wound, and a tension arm that is supported on the side wall and supports the tension wheel in a rotatable state, as a tension mechanism that applies tension to the second endless rotating body.

With this configuration, even if the position of the input rotor is changed, the action of the movable tension wheel absorbs the change in circumference, and the tension of the second endless rotor can be automatically maintained in a good state. In addition, the tension wheel can be stably supported by the tension arm supported by the side wall portion.

In the present invention, it is preferable that an actuator capable of changing the vertical position of the frame body is provided.

With this configuration, the vertical position of the transport section can be adjusted by operating the actuator. The height of the transport section can be changed and adjusted with a light operating force, so a small actuator that requires a small operating force can be used.

In the present invention, a guide member is provided that is connected to the rear end of the peeling processing section and receives the corn from which the brans have been peeled from the peeling processing section and guides it rearward. The guide member is preferably configured to have a wave-shaped cross-sectional shape in a front view of the device so as to conform to the uneven shape of the upper parts of the multiple peeling rolls, and the upper surface of the front end of the guide member is preferably formed in a downward-sloping shape so that it is lower than the rear ends of the peeling rolls.

According to this configuration, the guide member has a corrugated cross-sectional shape that conforms to the uneven shape of the upper part of the peeling roll, and the upper surface of the front end is lower than the rear end of the peeling roll, so the corn can be smoothly received and guided from the peeling roll toward the guide member without getting caught.

In the present invention, the input rotor is provided with an input rotor shaft, the transport body is provided with a plurality of vane bodies supported on the input rotor with a space between them in the left-right direction, and intrusion prevention bodies that are configured to have a smaller diameter than the vane bodies and are supported on the input rotor, and that prevent the corn clusters being transported from entering between the adjacent vane bodies, and it is preferable that the vane bodies and the intrusion prevention bodies are integrally formed.

According to this configuration, the rotating blade acts on the corn, transporting it backward. In this configuration, when the blade rotates and jumps up, it pushes the end of the corn, causing the corn to stand upright and attempt to get into the gaps between the multiple blades located downstream in the conveying direction. However, the intrusion prevention section adjacent to the blade prevents this from happening, reducing the amount of shedding.

And because the blade body and the intrusion prevention part are integrally formed, costs can be reduced and assembly is easier than if they were made separately.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the corn harvester. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the corn harvester. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the vertical position adjustment mechanism. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the transmission structure of the peeling device. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the rear part of the skinning processing unit. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional rear view of the rear part of the skinning processing unit. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a conveying section of another embodiment.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction of the arrow "F" is the "front side of the aircraft" (see Figs. 1 and 2), the direction of the arrow "B" is the "rear side of the aircraft" (see Figs. 1 and 2), the direction of the arrow "L" is the "left side of the aircraft" (see Fig. 2), and the direction of the arrow "R" is the "right side of the aircraft" (see Fig. 2).

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the corn harvester of the present invention is configured with a running body 3 equipped with a pair of left and right front wheels 1 with fixed orientation and a pair of left and right rear wheels 2 that can be steered. The running body 3 is equipped with a harvesting device 4 that harvests corn bunches with many seeds inside the braches from the crop planted as the machine travels, a feeder 5 that transports the corn bunches harvested by the harvesting device 4 toward the rear and upper part of the machine, a husking device 6 that strips the braches from the transported corn bunches, a sorting device 7 located below the husking device 6 and sorting the stripped braches from the threshed seeds mixed in with the braches, a collection section 8 that collects the seeds sorted by the sorting device 7, a storage tank 9 as a storage section that stores the corn (harvested product) after the braches have been stripped, and a stalk processing device 10 located at the lower part of the running body 3, in the front-to-rear intermediate portion between the front wheels 1 and the rear wheels 2.

The traveling vehicle body 3 is provided with a driving section 12 at the front of the vehicle body, the upper part of which is covered by a cabin 11, and a driving section 13 is provided behind the driving section 12. The driving section 13 is provided with an engine 14 that transmits power to each section, as well as various associated devices.

On the left side of the driver's section 12, there is a step 15 for the driver to get on and off, and on the left rear side of the driver's section 12 on the traveling body 3, there is a work deck 16 on which an operator can board in order to perform maintenance work on the feeder 5, the skinning device 6, etc. This work deck 16 is provided in a state where it extends long in the front-to-rear direction across the left side of the feeder 5 and the left side of the skinning device 6.

During harvesting, the traveling machine body 3 is driven by the front wheels 1, and the corn bunches harvested by the harvesting device 4 are transported to the rear and upper part of the machine body by the feeder 5, and the corn after the bracts are stripped from the corn bunches by the husking device 6 is stored in the storage tank 9.

The storage tank 9 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape in a plan view and has an open top, allowing the harvested crop to be received through the open area. Stems left in the field at the time of harvest are shredded by the residual stalk processing device 10.

The harvesting device 4 has four parallel introduction paths 17 in the horizontal direction, and is equipped with a pair of harvesting rolls 18 on either side of each introduction path 17, and a pair of endless conveying chains 19 on either side. The harvesting rolls 18 are supported rotatably around a rotation axis that faces forward and backward and is parallel to the introduction paths 17.

[Skinning device]
As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the husk peeling device 6 is surrounded by an apparatus case 28 having left and right side wall portions 27, and a receiving opening 29 for receiving corn bunches is opened at the front of the apparatus case 28. A discharge opening 30 for discharging corn bunches is opened at the rear of the apparatus case 28. A husk peeling processing section 31 for peeling the brackens from the corn bunches is provided in the lower part of the internal space of the apparatus case 28, and a conveying section 32 for conveying the corn bunches located at the husk peeling processing section 31 toward the rear of the apparatus is provided above the husk peeling processing section 31. A pick-up rotor 33 is provided in front of the conveying section 32, and a discharge rotor 34 is provided behind the conveying section 32.

As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the peeling processing section 31 is provided with multiple peeling rolls 36 that extend along the front-to-rear direction of the device and are aligned in the left-to-right direction of the device. As shown in Figure 4, a guide plate 37 is provided on the front side of the device from the peeling processing section 31 with a downward slope, and guides the corn clusters downward toward the peeling processing section 31.

The conveying section 32 is provided with a plurality of (specifically, five) feed members 38 that extend in the left-right direction of the device and are aligned in the front-rear direction of the device. Each of the five feed members 38 is provided with a rotating shaft 40 that extends in the left-right direction of the device and transmits power from a power transmission mechanism 39 described below, and a conveying body 41 that is supported by the rotating shaft 40 and rotates together with the rotating shaft 40 to convey the corn bunches. The conveying section 32 also includes a frame body 42 that supports both the left and right ends of the rotating shaft 40 and is supported on the left and right side wall portions 27 so that its vertical position can be changed.

The conveying body 41 is provided with a plurality of vane bodies 43 supported by the rotating shaft 40 with a space between them in the left-right direction, and an intrusion prevention body 44 that is provided between adjacent vane bodies 43 and supported by the rotating shaft 40 with a smaller diameter than the vane bodies 43, and prevents the corn clusters being conveyed from entering between the adjacent vane bodies 43. As shown in FIG. 5, the vane bodies 43 and the intrusion prevention body 44 are integrally formed from a resin material.

The conveying section 32 is provided with a vertical position adjustment mechanism 45 that changes the height position of the conveying body 41 relative to the peeling roll 36 by changing the vertical position of the frame body 42. The left and right frame bodies 42 that rotatably support the five rotating shafts 40 are supported so that they can slide vertically against the outer surface of the side wall section 27. Although not shown, the insertion holes of the rotating shafts 40 are formed as long holes on the top and bottom.

As shown in FIG. 6, an L-shaped swing arm 46 is supported on the side wall 27 on both the front and rear sides so that it can swing about a horizontal axis. One lower end of the swing arm 46 is linked to a support arm 47 that is pivotally connected to the frame body 42. Female screw members 48 are attached to the other upper ends of the front and rear swing arms 46. The front and rear female screw members 48 are each supported so that they can rotate relative to the swing arm 46 about a horizontal axis and can move relative to the swing arm 46 in the vertical direction via a long hole.

A screw shaft 49 that screws into the front and rear female screw members 48 is provided so as to extend long in the front-rear direction. An electric motor 50 is provided at the rear end of the screw shaft 49 as an actuator. The electric motor 50 has a motor body 50a supported by a support bracket 51 fixed to the side wall portion 27, and an output shaft 50b is interlockingly connected to the screw shaft 49. The front and rear female screw members 48 have threaded portions formed with screw feed directions that are opposite to each other. Therefore, when the screw shaft 49 is rotated, the front and rear female screw members 48 are screw fed in opposite directions to each other.

When the screw shaft 49 is rotated by the electric motor 50, the front and rear swing arms 46 swing in opposite directions, and the frame body 42 can be moved up and down in parallel via the front and rear support arms 47. When the left and right frame bodies 42 move up and down, the five feed members 38 move up and down together, and the vertical position of the conveying section 32 can be changed and adjusted.

As shown in FIG. 4, a guide member 52 is provided connected to the rear end of the husking processing section 31, and receives the corn from which the bracts have been removed from the husking processing section 31 and guides it rearward.

As shown in FIG. 9, the guide member 52 is configured with a wave-shaped cross section to conform to the uneven shape of the upper parts of the multiple peeling rolls 36 when viewed from the front of the device. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper surface of the front end of the guide member 52 is formed with a downward sloping shape so that it is lower than the rear end of the peeling roll 36. The guide member 52 is fixed from above by bolts to a bearing holder 54 that holds a bearing 53 that supports the rear end of the peeling roll 36.

As shown in FIG. 4, a roll cover 55 that covers the multiple peeling rolls 36 is provided in a portion of the working area of the peeling processing section 31. The roll cover 55 is configured to cover the multiple peeling rolls 36 across the entire width of the peeling processing section 31. This roll cover 55 is used when harvesting corn that has a property that makes the seeds easily fall off.

The roll cover 55 extends from the front end to the point where the third feed member 38 begins to act, and has a front-to-rear width that is approximately half the operating area of the peeling processing section 31. Covering the upper part with the roll cover 55 reduces the risk of grain shedding.

When harvesting corn, which is less likely to lose seeds, the harvesting operation is performed with the roll cover 55 stored in a storage location (not shown) or removed to the outside of the machine. In this case, the husk removal process is performed in all working areas of the husk removal processing unit 31.

[Transmission configuration]
Next, a transmission structure for the conveying section 32 will be described.
7, a power transmission mechanism 39 is provided for transmitting power to the conveying section 32. The power transmission mechanism 39 includes a driving rotor 56 supported by the side wall portion 27 and receiving power from the engine 14 as a driving source, an intermediate rotor 58 supported by the side wall portion 27 while being located between the driving rotor 56 and an input rotor 57 in a transmission path of the power transmission mechanism 39, a first transmission chain 59 as a first endless rotating body wound around the driving rotor 56 and the intermediate rotor 58, and a second transmission chain 60 as a second endless rotating body wound around the intermediate rotor 58 and the input rotor 57.

The driving rotor 56 includes a driving shaft 61 rotatably supported across the left and right side wall portions 27 at the lower front portion of the peeling device 6, and a sprocket 62 that is integrally rotatable on the outer periphery of the driving shaft 61. The input rotor 57 includes a rotating shaft 40 as an input rotating shaft, and a sprocket 63 that is integrally rotatable on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 40.

The intermediate rotor 58 is provided with an intermediate shaft 64 that is rotatably supported across the left and right side wall portions 27 at the upper front portion of the peeling device 6, and a number of sprockets 65, 66 that are integrally rotatable on the outer periphery of the intermediate shaft 64.

A branch rotor 67 is provided below the conveying section 32, supported by the side wall section 27, and branches off power to a sorting device 7, which is another device. The branch rotor 67 includes a branching rotation shaft 68 extending in the left-right direction, and a number of sprockets 69 that are mounted on the outer periphery of the branching rotation shaft 68 and can rotate together with the shaft. The first transmission chain 59 is wound around the sprockets 69 of the branch rotor 67.

A first transmission chain 59 is wound around a sprocket 62 on the drive shaft 61, a sprocket 65 on the intermediate shaft 64, and a sprocket 69 on the branch rotor 67. A fixed-position idler wheel 70 that acts from the outer periphery of the first transmission chain 59 is provided between the sprocket 65 and the sprocket 69 on the branch rotor 67. The idler wheel 70 can be adjusted in the front-to-rear direction along the long hole by loosening a fastening screw (not shown), and can be fastened and fixed in position while applying an appropriate tension to the first transmission chain 59.

A second transmission chain 60 is wound around a sprocket 66 on the intermediate shaft 64 and a sprocket 63 on the front rotating shaft 40. The second transmission chain 60 is provided with a movable tension wheel 72 whose tension can be adjusted, and a tension arm 73 that movably supports the tension wheel 72.

The tension wheel 72 is disposed between the sprocket 66 and the driven sprocket 71 so as to act from the inner peripheral side of the second transmission chain 60. The tension arm 73 is supported on the side wall portion 27 so as to be swingable about the horizontal axis. The tension arm 73 is also biased to swing downward by the tension spring 74, and is configured to apply tension to the second transmission chain 60.

The rotating shaft 40 located at the front end is equipped with a sprocket (not shown) in addition to the sprocket 63. The second rotating shaft 40 from the front end is equipped with a large diameter driven sprocket 75. A reduction transmission chain 76 is wound around the other sprocket and the driven sprocket 75.

The second rotating shaft 40 is equipped with a small diameter sprocket 63 in addition to the driven sprocket 75. The third, fourth, and fifth rotating shafts 40 from the front are equipped with sprockets 63 with the same diameter as the small diameter sprocket 63.

The branch rotor 67 is provided with a drive sprocket (not shown) in addition to the sprocket 69. A branch transmission chain 80 is wound around the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket 79 of the discharge rotor 34.

The branch rotor 67 is provided with a sprocket (not shown) in addition to the sprocket 69, and is configured to branch and transmit power from this sprocket via a transmission chain 81 to a sorting device 7, which is another device.

[Another embodiment]
(1) In the above embodiment, the configuration is provided with only the idler wheel 70 that is fixed in position to the first transmission chain 59. However, instead of or in addition to this, the configuration may be such that the first transmission chain 59 is provided with a tension wheel supported by a tension arm.

(2) In the above embodiment, the second transmission chain 60 is configured to be equipped with a tension wheel 72 supported by a tension arm 73, but instead of or in addition to this, it may be configured to be equipped with a fixedly positioned free-rolling wheel.

(3) In the above embodiment, a branch rotor 67 is provided to branch the power to another device (sorting device 7), and the first transmission chain 59 is wound around the branch rotor 67. However, the configuration may not include such a branch rotor. In addition, the other device may be one that branches and transmits power to a device other than the sorting device 7.

(4) In the above embodiment, an electric motor 50 is provided as an actuator capable of changing the vertical position of the frame body 42. However, various actuators such as hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic motors, and electromagnetic solenoids can be used. Also, the vertical position may be manually adjusted without providing such an actuator.

(5) In the above embodiment, the conveying section 32 is configured to include a feed member 38 extending in the left-right direction of the device. However, instead of this configuration, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, rotating rollers 84, 85 that rotate on rotating shafts 82, 83 extending in the left-right direction on both front and rear sides are provided, an endless conveying belt 86 is wound around the front and rear rotating rollers 84, 85, and a conveying blade body 87 that extends outward at an appropriate interval from the outer periphery of the conveying belt 86 may be provided. In this case, a pressure plate 88 for preventing the conveying belt 86 from floating up may be provided on the inner periphery of the lower path of the conveying belt 86 that exerts the feeding action. In addition, the conveying width of the conveying belt 86 may be set to a width that allows one conveying belt 86 to act on two peeling rolls 36.

(6) In the above embodiment, the drive rotor 56, the input rotor 57, and the intermediate rotor 58 are configured to include a rotating shaft and a sprocket that rotates integrally with the shaft. However, instead of this configuration, a non-rotating shaft may be provided with a freely rotatable sprocket or the like.

The present invention can be applied to a peeling device that removes bracts from corn bunches.

Description of the Reference Signs 27: Side wall portion 31: Skinning processing portion 32: Conveying portion 36: Skinning roll 39: Power transmission mechanism 40: Input rotating shaft 41: Conveying body 43: Blade body 44: Intrusion prevention body 45: Position adjustment mechanism 50: Actuator 52: Guide member 56: Drive rotating body 57: Input rotating body 58: Intermediate rotating body 59: First endless rotating body 60: Second endless rotating body 67: Branch rotating body 70: Idle wheel body 72: Tension wheel body 73: Tension arm

Claims (7)

a hulling unit configured to receive the harvested corn bunches and to strip the bracts from the received corn bunches;
A conveying section is provided above the husking section and conveys the corn bunch located above the husking section from a starting end to a terminal end of the husking section;
a power transmission mechanism that transmits power from a drive source to the conveying unit,
The peeling processing unit is provided with a plurality of peeling rolls extending along the conveying direction of the corn bunch and arranged in the left and right direction of the peeling processing unit,
The conveying section is provided with left and right side wall portions, an input rotor extending along the left-right direction of the device and receiving power from the power transmission mechanism, a conveying body supported by the input rotor and rotating together with the input rotor to feed the corn bunches, a frame body supporting both left and right ends of the input rotor and supported by the left and right side wall portions so that its vertical position can be changed, and a vertical position adjustment mechanism for changing the vertical position of the frame body to change the height position of the conveying body relative to the peeling roll,
The power transmission mechanism includes a driving rotor supported on the side wall portion and receiving power from the driving source, an intermediate rotor supported on the side wall portion and positioned between the driving rotor and the input rotor in the transmission path of the power transmission mechanism, a first endless rotating body wound around the driving rotor and the intermediate rotor, and a second endless rotating body wound around the intermediate rotor and the input rotor. the power transmission mechanism is provided with a branch rotor that is supported by the side wall portion and branches power to another device,
The peeling device according to claim 1 , wherein the first endless rotating body is wound around the branch rotating body. The peeling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the power transmission mechanism is provided with only a freewheel body fixed in position to the side wall portion as a tension mechanism that applies tension to the first endless rotating body. A peeling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the power transmission mechanism is provided with a tension wheel around which the second endless rotating body is wound, and a tension arm supported by the side wall portion and supporting the tension wheel in a rotatable state, as a tension mechanism for applying tension to the second endless rotating body. A peeling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is provided with an actuator capable of changing the vertical position of the frame body. A guide member is provided that is connected to a rear end of the husking processing unit and receives the corn from which the bracts have been removed from the husking processing unit and guides it rearward.
The guide member is configured to have a corrugated cross-sectional shape so as to conform to the uneven shapes of the upper parts of the plurality of peeling rolls when viewed from the front of the device,
The peeling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an upper surface of a front end portion of the guide member is formed in a shape that slopes downward toward the front so that the upper surface is positioned lower than a rear end portion of the peeling roll. The input rotor is provided with an input rotation shaft,
The conveying body is provided with a plurality of blade bodies supported on the input rotor with a space therebetween in the left-right direction, and an intrusion prevention body that is provided between adjacent blade bodies and supported on the input rotor with a smaller diameter than the blade bodies, and prevents corn clusters from entering between the adjacent blade bodies during conveyance,
7. The peeling device according to claim 1, wherein the blade body and the intrusion prevention body are integrally formed.

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