【０００１】
【発明の属する技術分野】
本発明は、甘しょのつる苗などの苗を畑圃場に植付ける苗移植機の技術分野に属する。
【０００２】
【従来の技術】
従来、特許文献１〜３に示されるように、苗を左右から挟持する左右一対の植付け苗挟持部と、前記左右一対の植付け苗挟持部を左右に開閉動作させる開閉機構と、前記左右一対の植付け苗挟持部を昇降動作させる昇降機構とを備えた苗植付け体を設けた苗移植機があった。この苗移植機は、左右一対の植付け苗挟持部が苗を左右から挟持して下降して土中に突入し、そして、土中の設定個所で左右一対の植付け苗挟持部が左右外方に開放動作し、その後、地上に上昇することで、苗を圃場に植え付ける。左右一対の植付け苗挟持部が土中に突入すると、植付け苗挟持部の開閉支点部も土中に突入する構成となっている。
【０００３】
【特許文献１】
特開平４−３６１０７号公報
【０００４】
【特許文献２】
特開平４−３６１０８号公報
【０００５】
【特許文献３】
特開平４−５８８０９号
【０００６】
【発明が解決しようとする課題】
上記従来の苗移植機では、左右の植付け苗挟持部が開放動作して上昇するとき、左右の植付け苗挟持部の間の開閉支点付近は左右間隔が狭いため、そこを土が上から下に通り抜けて行き難い。このため、植付け苗挟持部が苗を開放して上昇するとき、左右の植付け苗挟持部の間の開閉支点付近に土を挟み込んだ状態で地上に抜け出て、植付け個所に大きな穴を形成してしまうことがあった。また、植付け苗挟持部が苗を開放したにもかかわらず、土と一緒に苗までも持上げてしまうことがあった。そこで、本発明は、このような問題が生じないようにして適確な苗の植付けが行えるようにすることを課題とする。
【０００７】
【課題を解決するための手段】
本発明は、上記課題を解決するために、苗を左右から挟持する左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａと、前記左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａを左右に開閉動作させる開閉機構と、前記左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａを昇降動作させる昇降機構とを備えた苗植付け体４を設けた苗移植機において、前記開閉機構によって開閉動作し且つ前記昇降機構によって昇降動作する左右一対の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂを設けて該左右一対の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂのそれぞれ先端に前記左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａを設け、前記左右一対の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂを機体側面視でずれた状態に位置するように設けたことを特徴とする苗移植機とした。
【０００８】
【作用】
この苗移植機は、左右一対の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂが開閉機構と昇降機構によって開閉動作及び昇降動作する。この左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂのそれぞれ先端に左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが設けられ、この左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが苗を左右から挟持して下降して土中に突入し、そして、土中の設定個所で左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａが左右外方に開放動作し、その後、地上に上昇することで、苗を圃場に植え付ける。左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが土中で開放動作して上昇するとき、左右一対の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂが機体側面視でずれた状態に位置するので、その左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの左右間を土が上から下に通り抜けて行き易くなり、これにより、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの上昇時に土や苗が持上げられることが極めて生じにくくなる。
【０００９】
【発明の効果】
この発明は、上記のように構成したものなので、左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが土中で開放動作して上昇するとき、左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの左右間を土が上から下に通り抜けて行き易くなり、これにより、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの上昇時に土や苗が持上げられることが極めて生じにくくなって、従来の技術の前記問題の発生防止が図れ、適確な苗の植付けが行えるようになる。
【００１０】
【発明の実施の形態】
この発明の一実施形態として、つる苗の一例である甘しょ苗Ｎを圃場に移植する苗移植機を以下に説明する。尚、以下の図示例についての説明で前又は後というときは、操縦ハンドル２を配置した側を後とし、その前後反対側を前としていう。そして、右又は左というときは、機体の後部において機体前部に向って立つ作業者から見て右手側を右とし、左手側が左としていう。
【００１１】
ここで説明する苗移植機は、機体を自走させる走行部１と操縦ハンドル２を備えた機体に、甘しょ苗Ｎを搬送する苗搬送部３と、該苗搬送部３によって搬送されてきた苗Ｎを圃場に植付ける苗植付け体４とを備えた苗移植機である。なお、本発明を実施するに、操縦ハンドル２が機体後部に設けられて機体操縦及び苗供給等の作業を行う作業者が機体の自走と共に地面を歩行するタイプの歩行型構成であっても、操縦者及び作業者が乗車するタイプの乗用型構成であっても良い。
【００１２】
走行部１は、図示例では、エンジン５と、該エンジン５の動力が伝達されて駆動回転する左右一対の後輪６，６と、該車輪６，６の前方に転動自在に支持した左右一対の前輪７，７とを備えたものとしている。
上記エンジン５の後部には、ミッションケース８を配置し、そのミッションケース８は、その左側部からエンジン５の左側方に延びるケース部分を有し、これがエンジン５の左側部と連結している。このケース部分にエンジン５の出力軸が入り込んでミッションケース８内の伝動機構に動力が伝達する構成となっている。ミッションケース８の左右両側部に伝動ケース９，９を回動自在に取り付け、この伝動ケース９，９の回動中心にミッションケース８から左右両外側方に延出させた車輪駆動軸の先端が入り込んで伝動ケース９，９内の伝動機構に走行用の動力を伝達している。そして、走行用の動力は伝動ケース９，９内の伝動機構を介して、機体後方側に延びてその後端側側方に突出する車軸１０，１０に伝動し、後輪６，６が駆動回転するようになっている。
【００１３】
また、伝動ケース９，９のミッションケース８への取付部には、上方に延びるアーム１１，１１を一体的に取り付けていて、これがミッションケース８に固定された昇降用油圧シリンダ１２のピストンロッド先端に上下軸心周りに回動自在に取り付けた天秤杆１３の左右両側部と連結している。その連結部の右側はロッド１４で連結し、左側は伸縮作動可能な左右水平制御用油圧シリンダ１５で連結している。
【００１４】
昇降用油圧シリンダ１２が作動してそのピストンロッドが機体後方に突出すると、左右の前記アーム１１，１１は後方に回動し、これに伴い伝動ケース９，９が下方に回動して、機体が上昇する。反対に、昇降用油圧シリンダ１２のピストンロッドが機体前方に引っ込むと、左右の前記アーム１１，１１は前方に回動し、これに伴い伝動ケース９，９が上方に回動して、機体が下降する。この昇降用油圧シリンダ１２は、機体に対する畝上面高さを検出するセンサーＳの検出結果に基づいて機体を畝上面高さに対して設定高さになるよう作動するよう構成しており、また、操縦ハンドル２近傍に配置した操作具の人為操作によって機体を上昇或は下降させるよう作動する構成ともしている。
【００１５】
また、前記左右水平制御用油圧シリンダ１５が伸縮作動すると、前記天秤杆１３が、その左右中央部の昇降用油圧シリンダ１２のピストンロッド先端と連結する上下軸心周りに回動して左右の伝動ケース９，９を互い違いに上下動させ機体を左右に傾斜させる。この左右水平制御用油圧シリンダ１５は、左右水平に対する機体の左右傾斜を検出するセンサの検出結果に基づいて機体を左右水平になるように作動するよう構成している。
【００１６】
前記左右前輪７，７は、エンジン５下方の左右中央位置で前後方向の軸心周りに回動自在に取り付けた前輪支持フレーム１６の左右両側部の下方に延びるアーム部分の下端部側方に固定した車軸１７，１７に回転自在に取り付けている。従って、左右前輪７，７は、機体の左右中央の前後方向の軸心周りにローリング動自在となっている。
【００１７】
前記操縦ハンドル２は、ミッションケース８に前端部を固定したハンドルフレーム２ｂの後端部に取り付けている。ハンドルフレーム２ｂは、機体の左右中央から右側に偏った位置に配置されて後方に延び、また、前後中間部から斜め後上方に延びている。操縦ハンドル２は、ハンドルフレーム２ｂの後端部から左右に後方に延びてその各後端部を操縦ハンドル２のグリップ部２ａ，２ａとしている。操縦ハンドル２の左右のグリップ部２ａ，２ａは、作業者がそのグリップ部２ａ，２ａを楽に手で握れるように適宜高さに設定する。なお、図例ではグリップ部２ａ，２ａを左右に分かれた構成としているが、操縦ハンドル２の左右の後端部を互いに左右に連結してその連結部分をグリップ部としても良い。
【００１８】
尚、上記走行部１は、四輪構成としたものであるが、左右一対の駆動輪のみの２輪構成でもよいし、前輪の替わりに畝上面を転動する鎮圧輪としてもよい。また、クローラー式の走行部としてもよい。
次に、苗植付け体４及び苗搬送部３について説明する。
【００１９】
苗植付け体４は、その植付け苗挟持部４ａを昇降動させる駆動部と連結し、該苗植付け体４の植付け苗挟持部４ａが、苗搬送部３により搬送されてきた苗をとって苗を圃場に植付ける構成としたものである。
苗植付け体４を駆動する駆動部は、ミッションケース８内から苗植付け具駆動用の動力を受けて伝動する伝動機構を内装する植付け伝動ケース１８に設けている。図例のように植付け伝動ケース１８は、その前部がミッションケース８の後部に連結しそこから後斜め上方に延びる第一ケース部１８ａと、この第１ケース部１８ａの上部左側に円筒状に突出するボス１８ａ’に左右軸心回りに回動自在に取り付けられている第２ケース部１８ｂと、その第二ケース部１８ｂの左端部に固定され後斜め下方に延びる第三ケース部１８ｃと、その第三ケース部１８ｃの下端部外側部に固定され左側方に延びる第四ケース部１８ｄと、その第四ケース部１８ｄの左端部に固定され後方水平状に延びる第五ケース部１８ｅを有するものとしている。
【００２０】
これら第一ケース部１８ａから第五ケース部１８ｅ内に苗植付け体４を駆動するための動力を伝達する伝動機構を内装している。なお、第一ケース部１８ａ内に内装した伝動機構には、苗植付け体４をその昇降動最上位の位置で或はその近傍位置で設定時間停止させる間欠駆動機構と、苗植付け体４及び苗搬送部３を作動停止させるクラッチ機構とを備える。間欠駆動機構によって停止する時間は、該間欠駆動機構が備える変速機構によって調節され、この調節によって苗植付け体４による苗植付株間が変更調節されるようになっている。
【００２１】
そして、苗植付け体４は、その駆動部としての駆動回転する駆動アーム１９と連結して駆動される。駆動アーム１９は、前記第五ケース部１８ｃの後部右側部から突出し駆動回転する駆動軸２０に固定されている。そして、駆動アーム１９の先端部に苗植付け体４の支持リンク２１の上端部を回転自在に連結し、その支持リンク２１の下端部に揺動リンク２２の前端部を回転自在に連結している。揺動リンク２２の後端部は、第五ケース部１８ｃに前部が固定された支持フレーム２３の後端部とハンドルフレーム２ｂに固定した支持ブラケット２４とで両端部を支持された支持軸２５で回転自在に支持している。
【００２２】
また、支持リンク２１の側方に、板状に形成した植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａを下端部に備える左右一対の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂを装着している。この左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの上部側は、互いに左右に交差し、その交差部で回動軸４ｃにより互いに回動自在に連結している。そして、左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの回動軸４ｃから上側部分と下側部分とを、支持リンク２１の側方上部側部分に設けた支持ピンと、支持リンク２１と揺動リンク２２とが回動自在に連結する連結軸とに左右軸心方向に移動自在に連結している。更に、駆動アーム１９の先端部側方に円盤状のカム体４ｄを駆動アーム１９と一体動作するよう取り付け、該カム体４ｄの左右両側面外周側に凹凸を円形状に形成して構成したカム部を、左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの各上端部間に入り込むように設けている。また、左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの各上端部が互いに接近する方向に動作するよう付勢するスプリング等の弾性部材４ｅを左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂ間に設け、左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの上端部が常時カム体４ｄのカム部を左右両側から弾性的に挟み込むようになっている。
【００２３】
従って、苗植付け体４は、駆動アーム１９の駆動回転により、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの先端部（下端部）が設定した軌跡Ｔを描くように動作し、また、カム体４ｄにより、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが設定したタイミングで開閉する。具体的には、駆動アーム１９が駆動回転すると、該駆動アーム１９と、その先端部に連結する支持リンク２１と、その下端部に回動自在に連結する揺動リンク２２からなるリンク機構が動作して、支持リンク２１の側方に支持された左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂが動作し、その下端部に備えた左右の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの先端部（下端部）が、図中に示すような軌跡Ｔを描いて運動することになる。なお、図３に示す軌跡Ｔは、機体に対して植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの先端部（下端部）が描く運動軌跡であり、軌跡Ｔ’は、設定した作業時走行速度で機体が前進走行したとき圃場に対して植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの先端部が描く運動軌跡である。
【００２４】
また、カム体４ｄのカム作用により左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの上端部が接近離間動作し、これにより、左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂは回動軸４ｃ回りに回動して、左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの各先端部に板状に形成した植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが開閉動作する。この開閉動作のタイミングは、カム体４ｄのカム部の形状及び位相によって、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが苗搬送部３により搬送されてきた甘しょ苗Ｎの基部側部分ｋを挟んでとるときに、左右の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが互いに接近するように閉じ動作し、そして、左右の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａは、その閉じ状態のままで圃場の土中に移動し、更に、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが土中設定個所まで移動すると、左右の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが互いに離間するよう開き動作するように設定している。
【００２５】
以上のように、苗植付け体４は、苗を左右から挟持する左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａと、前記左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａを左右に開閉動作させる開閉機構と、前記左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａを昇降動作させる昇降機構とを備えたものである。そして、前記開閉機構によって開閉動作し且つ前記昇降機構によって昇降動作する左右一対の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂを設けて該左右一対の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂのそれぞれ先端に前記左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａを設けた構成であり、更に、図６に示すように、前記左右一対の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂを機体側面視でずれた状態に位置するように設けた構成としている。
【００２６】
これにより、この苗移植機は、左右一対の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂが開閉機構と昇降機構によって開閉動作及び昇降動作する。この左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂのそれぞれ先端に左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが設けられ、この左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが苗を左右から挟持して下降して土中に突入し、そして、土中の設定個所で左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａが左右外方に開放動作し、その後、地上に上昇することで、苗を圃場に植え付ける。左右一対の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが土中で開放動作して上昇するとき、左右一対の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂが機体側面視でずれた状態に位置するので、その左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの左右間を土が上から下に通り抜けて行き易くなり、これにより、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの上昇時に土や苗が持上げられることが極めて生じにくくなって、従来の技術の前記問題の発生防止が図れ、適確な苗の植付けが行えるようになる。
【００２７】
また、左右一対の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの土中に突入する部分を、機体側面視で前後にずれた状態になっているように形成している。このように形成したとき、最も土や苗の持上げが生じにくくなった。また、マルチシートを被覆した畝においては、前後にずれた左右一対の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂでマルチシートの孔Ｈを前後に長く形成できるので、苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの先端に設けた植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａがマルチシートを引っ掛けることなくスムーズに地上に抜け出ることができて、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａにマルチシートの切れ端が引っ掛かって次に植え付けた苗にその切れ端がくっついてしまい、収穫時にマルチシートの切れ端が付着するということも生じにくくなる。
【００２８】
更にまた、左右一対の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの土中に突入する部分を、機体側面視で前後にずれた状態で、且つ、機体前後方向において左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂが前後に重なる状態に設けている。このように設けると、左右の苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの間に土が入り込みにくく、且つ、入り込んでも抜け落ち易くなり、苗植付け体４上昇時の土や苗の持上げが一層生じにくくなった。
【００２９】
なお、図６に示すように、左右の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａに左右内側部に付着した土は、土除去具５０によって除去するように設けている。この土除去具５０は、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが土中に下降して地表上に抜け出る間は、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの昇降機構や苗植付けアーム４ｂ，４ｂの動作によって植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの移動軌跡Ｔの外側に移動され、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが、その移動軌跡Ｔの上端に近づいてくると植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの移動軌跡Ｔに入り込んで、左右の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが、その左右内側部が土除去具５０の左右端部に接触しながら移動し、その後で左右の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが次の苗を挟持するように構成していて、これにより、左右の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａに左右内側部に付着した土が土除去具５０によって除去されて、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａによる苗の挟持が適確に継続して行え、苗の植付けが良好に継続できる。
【００３０】
植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが苗を挟持してから土中に突入するまでの上下間隔が大きいと、その間に挟持した苗が乱れて植付け不良を生じることがある。そのため、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの移動軌跡Ｔにあって地上に出ている区間を少なくすると、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが苗を挟持してから直ぐに土中に突入することになって、上記問題を有効に回避できる。しかしながら、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの移動軌跡Ｔにあって地上に出ている区間が短くなるように構成し、且つ、苗植付け体４の昇降機構をコンパクトに構成しようとすると、昇降機構のリンク部材、本例では、揺動リンク２２の下端部が植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの移動軌跡Ｔの上端付近まで下降するようになり、土除去具を植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの移動軌跡Ｔの上端付近に固定して設けると、揺動リンク２２の下端部と土除去具が干渉してしまう。ところが、上記のように、土除去具５０が、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの移動軌跡Ｔの上端付近で植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの移動軌跡Ｔに入り込み、それ以外の個所では植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの移動軌跡Ｔの外側（本例では、後側）に移動する構成としているので、上記のような干渉を回避でき、しかも、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの移動軌跡Ｔにあって地上に出ている区間が短くなるように構成して、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが苗を挟持してから土中に直ちに突入して良好な姿勢で苗を植え付けられるようにでき、なお且つ、苗植付け体４の昇降機構をコンパクトに構成できるものとなる。
【００３１】
上記構成の具体例を図７に示している。土除去具５０は、ゴム板等の弾性板体や左右端部に鋭角の突起を複数設けた板体で構成し、これを支持フレーム２３の後端部に横軸５１回りに回動自在に取り付けた支持アーム５２の下端部に取付ける。支持アーム５２は、土除去具５０が植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの移動軌跡Ｔの上端付近に入り込んだ位置で前側に回動規制されるように、ストッパ５３を支持フレーム２３の取付部に設け、また、そのストッパ５３で回動規制された状態になるよう支持アーム５２を前側に付勢する付勢体としてスプリング５４を支持アーム５２と支持フレーム２３の取付部とに引っ掛けて設けている。揺動リンク２２には、下降回動すると支持アーム５２を押して後方回動させるための作動ピン５５を設けている。これにより、苗植付け体４が下降していくと昇降機構の揺動リンク２２か下降回動して作動ピン５５が支持アーム５２に当って支持アーム５２を後方回動させる。これにより、土除去具５０は、植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの移動軌跡Ｔから外れて後側に移動する。植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが苗を土中で開放して上昇し地表上に抜け出てくると、揺動リンク２２が上昇回動し、それとともに作動ピン５５も上昇回動して支持アーム５２がスプリング５４によって付勢されて前方回動していく。支持アーム５２がストッパ５３で回動規制された状態になると、土除去具５０が植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａの移動軌跡Ｔの上端付近に入り込んだ状態となり、この状態で、左右の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが、その左右内側部が土除去具５０の左右端部に接触しながら移動していって土が除去され、その後、左右の植付け苗挟持部４ａ，４ａが次の苗を挟持する。
【００３２】
苗搬送部３は、甘しょ苗Ｎを基部側部分ｋが前後方向に向く姿勢で一つづつ収容する苗収容部２６を複数設けて該苗収容部を複数の前後方向の軸周りに一列で周回動させて苗を搬送する構成のものである。また、この苗搬送部３は、苗収容部２６を機体上部側で左右一方向に搬送する上部横搬送部３ａと、該上部横搬送部３ａにより搬送されてきた苗収容部２６を機体下方に搬送する下降搬送部３ｂと、該下降搬送部３ｂにより搬送されてきた苗収容部２６を機体上方に搬送し前記上部横搬送部３ａの搬送始端側に戻す上昇搬送部３ｃとを備えている。そして、上部横搬送部３ａで搬送される苗収容部２６に作業者が苗を供給する構成とするとともに、前記下降搬送部３ｂによって設定箇所に下降した苗収容部２６から前記苗植付け体４が苗をとって圃場に植付ける構成としている。ところで、本実施例では、苗搬送部３が後輪６，６よりも後側に位置し、上部横搬送部３ａが機体の左右側方に張り出すように設けているので、作業者が機体の進行と共に歩きながら苗Ｎを苗収容部２６に供給する作業を行う作業位置ＷＰは、上部横搬送部３ａの張り出し側の機体側方位置であって上部横搬送部３ａ及び車輪６，７の後方位置となる。更に、本例では、上部横搬送部３ａが機体の左右一側方（図例では左側方）に張り出し、ハンドル２をその左右反対側（図例では右側方）に偏らせて配置しているので、上記作業位置ＷＰは、図２に示すように、上部横搬送部３ａの後方近傍に位置するように構成でき、苗供給作業が容易に行えるものとなる。
【００３３】
苗収容部２６は、前後に長い樋状の形態で、上部横搬送部３ａで苗Ｎを載せる受け面となる受け板部２６ａと、隣接する苗収容部２６，２６とを仕切る面となる側板部２６ｂ，２６ｂとを備え、上部横搬送部３ａで上方に開放部を有する形態となっている。また、前後にも開放された形状であるが、後部側には、苗収容部２６に甘しょ苗Ｎの基部側部分ｋを挟持する挟持部材２７ａ・２７ａを左右に備える苗挟持部２７を設けている。
【００３４】
そして、この苗収容部２６・・・をチェン２８，２８に複数並べて取り付け、そのチェン２８，２８を、機体上部側の左右に各前後一対づつ設けたスプロケット２９，２９；３０，３０と、機体下部側の左右に各前後一対づつ設けたスプロケット３１，３１；３２，３２とに巻きかけている。機体上部側の左右のスプロケット２９，２９；３０，３０は、植付け伝動ケース１８の第一ケース部１８ａの後部に固定された支持パイプ３３に固着した支持部材３４，３５で支持した軸３６，３７に取り付けている。機体下部側の左右のスプロケット３１，３１；３２，３２は、植付け伝動ケース１８の第五ケース部１８ｃに前部を固定した支持フレーム２３に固着した支持プレート３８で支持した軸３９，４０に取り付けている。そして、上部右側のスプロケット２９，２９が駆動されて苗収容部２６が設定移動方向Ｃに移動するよう苗搬送部３が駆動する構成となっている。そして、苗搬送部３の駆動部４１は、苗植付け体４に連結して動作する部材２２と一体に上下揺動する連動リンク４２の先端部と連動ロッド４３を介して連動連結している。また、苗植付け体４の植付け苗挟持部４ａが下降するときは苗収容部２６が停止し苗植付け体４の植付け苗挟持部４ａが上昇するときは苗収容部２６が移動するよう苗搬送部３が間欠駆動するように設けて、苗植付け体４が苗をとって圃場に植え付ける毎に、苗収容部２６を苗植付け体４が苗をとっていく設定箇所に一つづつ間欠的に繰り出すように構成している。
【００３５】
ところで、苗搬送部３の上部横搬送部３ａで搬送される苗収容部２６に作業者が苗を供給し、その苗が供給された苗収容部２６が下降搬送部３ｂを経由して下降し設定箇所に到るとそこで苗植付け体４が苗収容部２６から苗をとって圃場に植付けるので、苗移植作業を開始時にあって苗収容部２６に苗が全く供給されていないときには、上部横搬送部３ａで苗が供給された苗収容部２６が苗植付け体４が苗をとる設定箇所まで搬送されまで、苗植付け体４が作動しても苗が圃場に植付けられない。そこで、予め機体を空運転し、上部横搬送部３ａにおいて苗を収容した苗収容部２６を上記設定個所まで搬送させれば、そこから苗移植作業を開始できるが、苗移植作業を迅速に開始できず作業能率が悪い。
【００３６】
そこで、ここでは、苗搬送部３の駆動経路を遮断して苗搬送部３が非駆動状態で苗収容部２６を周回動可能な状態とするクラッチ手段Ｃを設けている。従って、苗移植作業を開始する時には、まず、作業者は、上部横搬送部３ａの苗収容部２６に苗を供給し、そして、上記クラッチ手段Ｃを操作して苗搬送部３を非駆動状態で苗収容部２６を周回動可能な状態にし、その状態で苗収容部２６を苗植付け体４が苗をとる設定個所に向けて人為的に周回動させる。このようにして、予め機体を空運転することなく、苗収容部２６を上記設定個所まで搬送させることができ、よって、苗移植作業を迅速に開始できる作業能率の良いものとなる。更に、上記クラッチ手段Ｃは、苗植付け体４の駆動経路は遮断せず苗搬送部３の駆動経路を遮断する箇所に設けたので、上記クラッチ手段Ｃを操作して苗収容部２６を上記設定個所に向けて人為的に周回動させるとき、これに連動して苗植付け体４が動作することはないので、苗収容部２６の周回動操作が軽快に行え、操作性も良好である。なお、上記クラッチ手段Ｃには、苗搬送部３を非駆動状態で苗収容部２６を周回動可能な状態に切替え操作するための人為操作具Ｌを設けている。また、苗収容部２６を上記設定個所に移動させる周回動操作を行った後、上記クラッチ手段Ｃによる苗搬送部３の駆動経路の遮断操作を解除するが、このとき、苗搬送部３の位相がずれないように駆動系が復帰するように構成している。
【００３７】
上記クラッチ手段Ｃを備えた苗搬送部３の駆動部４１の具体的な構造は、例えば、図５に示すようなものとしている。まず、支持パイプ３３の後端部に固着したブラケット４４に支持した軸４５を上部右側のスプロケット２９，２９を一体回転するよう取り付けている軸３６の後部と軸継手を介して連結し、この軸４５に一体回転するよう取り付けた突起４６ａ付きの従動ディスク４６を取付ける。突起４６ａは、苗収容部２６を苗植付け体４が苗をとっていく設定箇所に一つづつ繰り出すように送るのに必要なスプロケット２９，２９の回動角度と同じ角度、即ち、苗収容部２６の送りピッチに相当する角度で設けている。そして、この従動ディスク４６の後側に駆動アーム４７を軸４５に回転自在に取付け、この駆動アーム４７の先端部に前記連結ロッド４３の上端部を回動自在に取付ける。また、駆動アーム４７には、従動ディスク４６の突起４６ａに係合する爪４８を取り付けていて、この爪４８は、駆動アーム４７が苗搬送部３の設定移動方向Ｃに作動させるようにスプロケット２９，２９を駆動回転させる方向に回動するとき（図５では駆動アーム４７が上動するとき）には、従動ディスク４６の突起４６ａに係合固定されて従動ディスク４６を一体回転させる。反対方向に回動するとき（図５では駆動アーム４７が下動するとき）には、従動ディスク４６の突起４６ａに係合しても逃げて従動ディスク４６を一体回転させないというように、ラチット機構を構成している。そして、従動ディスク４６を時計回り及び反時計回りの回り止めとして従動ディスク４６の突起４６ａに係合する二つの爪４９ａ，４９ｂを設けている。なお、従動ディスク４６を一体的に回転するように駆動アーム４７が回動すると、前記ラチェット機構を構成する駆動アーム４７の爪４８が従動ディスク４６の突起４６ａに係合するのに先行して、駆動アーム４７と一体に設けた回り止め解除カム５０が、従動ディスク４６の一体回動を阻止するように回り止め作用をする爪４９ａの先端部を従動ディスク４６の突起４６ａと係合しない位置に移動させるようになっている。そして、駆動アーム４７がそのストローク上限位置まで回動して従動ディスク４６が苗収容部２６の送りピッチに相当する角度（図５では９０度）回動されると、回り止め解除カム５０が前記回り止め用の爪４９ａから外れて、該回り止め用の爪４９ａは再び、従動ディスク４６の突起４６ａと係合して従動ディスク４６の回転が固定される。
【００３８】
また、従動ディスク４６の駆動回転方向への回り止め作用をする爪４９ａは、これが従動ディスク４６の突起４６ａに係合しない状態のときスプロケット２９，２９が苗収容部移動方向Ｄに回動可能になる。従って、この爪４９ａを従動ディスク４６の突起４６ａと係合しうる位置と係合しない位置とに切替操作可能に設けると、これが苗搬送部３の駆動経路を遮断して苗搬送部３が非駆動状態で苗収容部２６を周回動可能な状態とするクラッチ手段Ｃとなる。また、これは、苗植付け体４の駆動経路は遮断せず苗搬送部３の駆動経路を遮断する箇所に設けたものとなる。上記回り止め用の爪４９ａを従動ディスク４６の突起４６ａと係合しうる位置と係合しない位置との切替える操作を容易に行えるようにするレバーＬを回り止め用の爪４９ａに一体的に取り付けている。これが、クラッチ手段Ｃの人為操作具Ｌとなる。このレバーＬは、上部横搬送部３ａの搬送終端部付近に上方に向けて延びるように設けているので、上部横搬送部３ａで苗を苗収容部２６に供給した後に、苗収容部２６を苗植付け体４が苗をとる設定個所に向けて人為的に周回動させるときに一方の手でこのレバーＬを操作し、他方の手で苗収容部２６を周回動させるという動作が行えるので、操作性が良い。また、苗収容部２６を上記設定個所に移動させる周回動操作を行った後、レバーＬを戻して上記回り止め用の爪４９ａを従動ディスク４６の突起４６ａと係合しうる位置に復帰可能にすると、爪４９ａは苗収容部２６の送りピッチに相当する角度で設けられた従動ディスク４６の突起４６ａに再び係合するので、苗搬送部３の位相がずれることはない。
【００３９】
以上のように、この発明の一実施態様である苗移植機は、機体を自走させる走行部１と、つる苗を前後方向に向く姿勢で一つづつ収容する苗収容部２６を複数設けて該苗収容部２６を複数の前後方向の軸３６，３７，３９，４０周りに一列で周回動させて苗を搬送する苗搬送部３と、該苗搬送部３によって搬送されてきたつる苗をとって圃場に植付ける苗植付け体４とを備えた苗移植機において、前記苗搬送部３は、苗収容部２６を機体上部側で左右一方向に搬送する上部横搬送部３ａと、該上部横搬送部３ａにより搬送されてきた苗収容部２６を機体下方に搬送する下降搬送部３ｂと、該下降搬送部３ｂにより搬送されてきた苗収容部２６を機体上方に搬送し前記上部横搬送部３ａの搬送始端側に戻す上昇搬送部３ｃとを備え、前記上部横搬送部３ａで搬送される苗収容部２６に作業者が苗を供給する構成とするとともに、前記下降搬送部３ｂによって設定箇所に下降した苗収容部２６から前記苗植付け体４が苗をとって圃場に植付ける構成とし、苗搬送部３の駆動経路を遮断して苗搬送部３が非駆動状態で苗収容部２６を周回動可能な状態とするクラッチ手段Ｃを、苗植付け体４の駆動経路は遮断せず苗搬送部３の駆動経路を遮断する箇所に設けたものである。
【００４０】
この苗移植機は、走行部１により機体が自走し、苗搬送部３が、複数設けられた苗収容部２６につる苗を前後方向に向く姿勢で一つづつ収容し、その苗収容部２６が複数の前後方向の軸３６，３７，３９，４０周りに一列で周回動して苗を搬送する。そして、苗搬送部３によって搬送されてきた苗を苗植付け体４がとって圃場に植付けていく。また、苗搬送部３は、上部横搬送部３ａで苗収容部２６を機体上部側で左右一方向に搬送し、下降搬送部３ｂで上部横搬送部３ａにより搬送されてきた苗収容部２６を機体下方に搬送し、上昇搬送部３ｃで下降搬送部３ｂにより搬送されてきた苗収容部２６を機体上方に搬送し前記上部横搬送部３ａの搬送始端側に戻すようになっていて、上部横搬送部３ａで搬送される苗収容部２６に作業者が苗を供給し、下降搬送部３ｂによって設定箇所に下降した苗収容部２６から苗植付け体４が苗をとって圃場に植付ける。
【００４１】
苗移植作業を開始する時には、まず、作業者は、上部横搬送部３ａの苗収容部２６に苗を供給し、そして、クラッチ手段Ｃを操作して苗搬送部３を非駆動状態で苗収容部２６を周回動可能な状態にし、その状態で苗収容部２６を苗植付け体４が苗をとる設定個所に向けて作業者が人為的に周回動させる。この後、直ちに苗移植作業を開始できる。従って、予め機体を空運転することなく、苗収容部２６を上記設定個所まで搬送させることができ、よって、苗移植作業を迅速に開始できる作業能率の良いものとなる。また、上記クラッチ手段Ｃを操作して苗収容部２６を上記設定個所に向けて人為的に周回動させるとき、これに連動して苗植付け体４が動作することはない。従って、苗収容部２６の周回動操作が軽快に行え、操作性も良好である。
【００４２】
また、この苗移植機は、機体を自走させる走行部１と、つる苗Ｎを前後方向に向く姿勢で一つづつ収容する苗収容部２６を複数設けて該苗収容部２６を複数の前後方向の軸３６，３７，３９，４０周りに一列で周回動させて苗Ｎを搬送する苗搬送部３と、該苗搬送部３によって搬送されてきたつる苗Ｎをとって圃場に植付ける苗植付け体４とを備えた苗移植機において、前記苗収容部２６につる苗Ｎの基部側部分ｋを挟持する挟持部材２７ａ，２７ａを左右に備える苗挟持部２７を設けたものである。よって、この苗移植機は、走行部１により機体は自走し、苗Ｎを搬送する苗搬送部３は複数の苗収容部２６が複数の前後方向の軸３６，３７，３９，４０周りに一列で周回動し、この苗収容部２６には、作業者が、つる苗Ｎを一つづつ前後方向に向く姿勢とし、そして、つる苗Ｎの基部側部分ｋを苗挟持部２７の左右の挟持部材２７ａ，２７ａの間に挿入し挟持させる。このようにして苗収容部２６に収容されてつる苗Ｎは確実に搬送されるものとなり、更に、苗植付け体４が確実に苗Ｎの基部をとって圃場に植付けていくものとなる。
【００４３】
上記のように構成した苗搬送部３と苗植付体４とを支持するフレーム構造体は、植付伝動ケース１８の第２ケース部１８ｂ、第３ケース部１８ｃ、第４ケース部１８ｃ、第５ケース部１８ｅと、支持フレーム２３，２４，３３と、連結軸２５、及び、支持部材３４，３５，３８等からなるフレーム構造体で構成しており、そして、このフレーム構造体は、第１ケース部１８ａの上部左側に円筒状に突出するボス１８ａ’に左右軸心回りに回動自在に取り付けた第２ケース部１８ｂを中心に回動自在に取付けられた構成となっている。更に、該フレーム構造体の後部には、植付けた苗に対して覆土鎮圧する接地転輪４４，４４を取付けていて、第２ケース部１８ｂを中心に上下に回動する前記フレーム構造体の後部を畝Ｕの上面に支持させる構成としている。従って、圃場面の凹凸などにより走行部１と畝Ｕの上面との相対的な上下位置関係が変動しても、前記フレーム構造体は上下回動して接地転輪４４，４４による支持状態が継続し、畝Ｕの上面に対するフレーム構造体の高さが設定高さ（接地転輪４４，４４による支持高さ）に略々維持される。従って、上記フレーム構造体に支持される苗搬送部３と苗植付体４とは、走行部１側に対して上下回動可能で、且つ、接地転輪４４，４４によって支持される構成となるので、畝Ｕの上面に対して設定高さに略々維持されるように上下動し得るものとなる。なお、植付伝動ケース１８の第１ケース部１８ａの上部から第３ケース部１８ｃ内への伝動は、第１ケース部１８ａの上部から、該第１ケース部１８ａのボス１８ａ’内を通過させて左外側方に突出させた伝動軸１８ｓを介して伝動する構成で、この伝動軸１８ｓの左右方向の軸心が第１ケース部１８ａのボス１８ａ’に回動自在に取り付けている第２ケース部１８ｂの回動中心となるように設定している。
【図面の簡単な説明】
【図１】苗移植機の側面図。
【図２】苗移植機の平面図。
【図３】苗搬送部と苗植付け体とを示す一部省略した側面図。
【図４】苗搬送部と苗植付け体とを示す一部省略した平面図。
【図５】苗搬送部の駆動部を示す背面図。
【図６】苗植付け体を示す図で、（ａ）は側面図、（ｂ）背面図。
【図７】苗植付け体と土除去具を示す側面図。
【符号の説明】
１：走行部
３：苗搬送部
３ａ：上部横搬送部
３ｂ：下降搬送部
３ｃ：上昇搬送部
４：苗植付け体
４ａ，４ａ：植付け苗挟持部
４ｂ，４ｂ：苗植付けアーム
２６：苗収容部
３６，３７，３９，４０：軸
Ｎ：つる苗（甘しょ苗）
Ｄ：苗収容部移動方向[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention belongs to the technical field of a seedling transplanter for planting seedlings such as sweet vine seedlings in a field field.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as shown in Patent Documents 1 to 3, a pair of left and right planted seedling sandwiching portions that sandwich a seedling from the left and right, an opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes the pair of left and right planted seedling sandwiching portions, and the pair of left and right There has been a seedling transplanting machine provided with a seedling planting body provided with a lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers a planted seedling sandwiching portion. In this seedling transplanter, a pair of left and right planted seedling sandwiching parts clamps the seedling from the left and right, descends and enters the soil, and the pair of left and right planted seedling sandwiching parts outwardly to the left and right at a set point in the soil The seedlings are planted in the field by opening and then ascending to the ground. When the pair of right and left planted seedling holding parts enter the soil, the opening / closing fulcrum part of the planted seedling holding part also enters the soil.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-4-36107 [0004]
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-4-36108
[Patent Document 3]
JP-A-4-58809 [0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above-mentioned conventional seedling transplanter, when the left and right planted seedling pinching parts are lifted and lifted, the distance between the left and right fulcrum between the left and right planting seedling pinching parts is narrow, so the soil should move from top to bottom. It is difficult to go through. For this reason, when the planting seedling sandwiching part rises with the seedling released, it escapes to the ground with the soil sandwiched near the opening and closing fulcrum between the left and right planting seedling sandwiching parts, forming a large hole at the planting site There was a case. In addition, even though the planted seedling sandwiching part opened the seedling, it could lift the seedling together with the soil. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to enable appropriate planting of seedlings without causing such a problem.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a pair of left and right planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a that sandwich a seedling from the left and right, and an opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes the pair of left and right planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a left and right. In the seedling transplanting machine provided with a seedling planting body 4 provided with a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the pair of left and right planting seedling sandwiching portions 4a, 4a, the left and right which are opened and closed by the opening and closing mechanism and are lifted and lowered by the lifting mechanism A pair of seedling planting arms 4b, 4b are provided, and the pair of right and left seedling planting arms 4b, 4b are provided with the pair of right and left seedling planting arms 4a, 4a at the tips of the pair of right and left seedling planting arms 4b, 4b. The seedling transplanting machine is characterized in that the seedling transplanting machine is provided so as to be shifted in a side view of the body.
[0008]
[Action]
In this seedling transplanting machine, a pair of right and left seedling planting arms 4b, 4b is opened and closed and raised and lowered by an opening and closing mechanism and a lifting mechanism. A pair of right and left planted seedling holding parts 4a and 4a are provided at the respective tips of the left and right seedling planting arms 4b and 4b. The pair of right and left planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a is released to the left and right outward at a set point in the soil, and then ascends to the ground, thereby planting the seedling in the field. When the pair of right and left planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a are lifted by opening in the soil, the pair of right and left seedling planting arms 4b and 4b are positioned in a state shifted from the side of the fuselage. It becomes easy for the soil to pass from the top to the bottom between the left and right sides of 4b and 4b, and it is extremely difficult for the soil and seedlings to be lifted when the planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a are lifted.
[0009]
【The invention's effect】
Since the present invention is configured as described above, when the pair of right and left planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a are lifted by opening in the soil, the soil is located between the left and right seedling planting arms 4b and 4b. This makes it easier to pass through the soil and seedlings when the planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a are lifted, thereby preventing the occurrence of the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and making it appropriate. Plant seedlings.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As one embodiment of the present invention, a seedling transplanting machine for transplanting a sweet potato seedling N, which is an example of a vine seedling, to a field will be described below. In the following description of the illustrated example, when referring to the front or rear, the side on which the steering handle 2 is arranged is referred to as the rear, and the opposite side is referred to as the front. When the term “right” or “left” is used, the right hand side is referred to as the right and the left hand side is referred to as the left when viewed from the worker standing toward the front of the body at the rear of the body.
[0011]
The seedling transplanting machine described here has been transported by the seedling transporting section 3 for transporting the sweet potato seedling N and the seedling transporting section 3 to the body having the traveling unit 1 and the steering handle 2 for self-running the body. This is a seedling transplanter provided with a seedling planting body 4 for planting a seedling N in a field. In order to carry out the present invention, even if the maneuvering handle 2 is provided at the rear of the aircraft and the operator who performs operations such as maneuvering the aircraft and supplying seedlings walks on the ground along with the self-running of the aircraft, Further, a riding-type configuration in which the operator and the operator get on may be used.
[0012]
In the illustrated example, the traveling unit 1 includes an engine 5, a pair of left and right rear wheels 6 and 6 that are driven and rotated by transmission of the power of the engine 5, and left and right that are rotatably supported in front of the wheels 6 and 6. A pair of front wheels 7 and 7 is provided.
A mission case 8 is disposed at the rear portion of the engine 5, and the mission case 8 has a case portion extending from the left side portion to the left side of the engine 5, and this is connected to the left side portion of the engine 5. The output shaft of the engine 5 enters the case portion and the power is transmitted to the transmission mechanism in the transmission case 8. The transmission cases 9 and 9 are rotatably attached to the left and right sides of the transmission case 8, and the tip ends of the wheel drive shafts extending from the transmission case 8 to the left and right outer sides at the rotation centers of the transmission cases 9 and 9. The power for traveling is transmitted to the transmission mechanism in the transmission cases 9, 9. The driving power is transmitted to the axles 10 and 10 which extend to the rear side of the machine body and protrude to the side of the rear end side via the transmission mechanism in the transmission cases 9 and 9, and the rear wheels 6 and 6 are driven to rotate. It is supposed to be.
[0013]
Also, upwardly extending arms 11, 11 are integrally attached to the attachment parts of the transmission cases 9, 9 to the transmission case 8, and this is the tip of the piston rod of the lifting hydraulic cylinder 12 fixed to the transmission case 8. Are connected to the left and right sides of a balance rod 13 that is pivotably mounted around a vertical axis. The right side of the connecting portion is connected by a rod 14, and the left side is connected by a left / right horizontal control hydraulic cylinder 15 which can be expanded and contracted.
[0014]
When the lifting / lowering hydraulic cylinder 12 is actuated and the piston rod projects rearward, the left and right arms 11 and 11 are rotated rearward, and accordingly the transmission cases 9 and 9 are rotated downward, and the airframe. Rises. On the contrary, when the piston rod of the elevating hydraulic cylinder 12 is retracted forward, the left and right arms 11 and 11 are rotated forward, and accordingly the transmission cases 9 and 9 are rotated upward so that the aircraft is Descend. The elevating hydraulic cylinder 12 is configured to operate the airframe to be a set height with respect to the height of the heel surface based on the detection result of the sensor S that detects the height of the heel surface with respect to the airframe. It is also configured to operate so as to raise or lower the airframe by manual operation of an operating tool disposed in the vicinity of the steering handle 2.
[0015]
Further, when the left / right horizontal control hydraulic cylinder 15 expands / contracts, the balance rod 13 rotates around the vertical axis connected to the tip of the piston rod of the lifting hydraulic cylinder 12 at the center of the left / right to transmit left / right transmission. Cases 9 and 9 are moved up and down alternately to incline the aircraft from side to side. The left / right horizontal control hydraulic cylinder 15 is configured to operate so that the airframe is horizontally horizontal based on a detection result of a sensor that detects the right / left inclination of the airframe relative to the left / right horizontal.
[0016]
The left and right front wheels 7 and 7 are fixed to the side of the lower end portion of the arm portion extending below the left and right side portions of the front wheel support frame 16 attached to the left and right central positions below the engine 5 so as to be rotatable around the front and rear axis. It is attached to the axles 17 and 17 rotatably. Accordingly, the left and right front wheels 7 and 7 are capable of rolling around the longitudinal center of the left and right center of the aircraft.
[0017]
The steering handle 2 is attached to a rear end portion of a handle frame 2b whose front end portion is fixed to the mission case 8. The handle frame 2b is disposed at a position deviated from the left and right center of the machine body to the right and extends rearward, and extends obliquely rearward and upward from the front and rear intermediate portion. The steering handle 2 extends rearward left and right from the rear end portion of the handle frame 2b, and the rear end portions thereof serve as grip portions 2a and 2a of the steering handle 2. The left and right grip portions 2a, 2a of the steering handle 2 are set to an appropriate height so that the operator can easily grip the grip portions 2a, 2a with hands. In the example shown in the figure, the grip portions 2a, 2a are divided into left and right, but the left and right rear end portions of the steering handle 2 may be connected to each other left and right, and the connecting portion may be used as the grip portion.
[0018]
The traveling unit 1 has a four-wheel configuration, but may have a two-wheel configuration including only a pair of left and right drive wheels, or may be a pressure-reducing wheel that rolls on the upper surface instead of the front wheels. Moreover, it is good also as a crawler type traveling part.
Next, the seedling planting body 4 and the seedling transport unit 3 will be described.
[0019]
The seedling planting body 4 is connected to a drive unit that moves the planting seedling sandwiching part 4a up and down, and the planting seedling sandwiching part 4a of the seedling planting body 4 takes the seedlings that have been transported by the seedling transporting part 3 to produce seedlings. It is configured to be planted in a farm field.
The drive unit that drives the seedling planting body 4 is provided in a planting transmission case 18 that includes a transmission mechanism that receives power for driving the seedling planting tool from the inside of the mission case 8. As shown in the figure, the planting transmission case 18 has a first case portion 18a whose front portion is connected to the rear portion of the mission case 8 and extends rearward and obliquely upward therefrom, and is cylindrical on the upper left side of the first case portion 18a. A second case portion 18b attached to the projecting boss 18a 'so as to be rotatable about the left and right axis, a third case portion 18c fixed to the left end portion of the second case portion 18b and extending obliquely downward thereafter; A fourth case portion 18d fixed to the outer side of the lower end of the third case portion 18c and extending leftward, and a fifth case portion 18e fixed to the left end portion of the fourth case portion 18d and extending rearward horizontally. It is said.
[0020]
A power transmission mechanism for transmitting power for driving the seedling planting body 4 is provided in the fifth case portion 18e from the first case portion 18a. The transmission mechanism built in the first case portion 18a includes an intermittent drive mechanism for stopping the seedling planting body 4 at a position where the seedling planting body 4 is moved up and down or in the vicinity thereof, a seedling planting body 4 and a seedling body. A clutch mechanism for stopping the operation of the transport unit 3. The time to stop by the intermittent drive mechanism is adjusted by a speed change mechanism provided in the intermittent drive mechanism, and the adjustment between the seedling planting stocks by the seedling planting body 4 is adjusted by this adjustment.
[0021]
The seedling planting body 4 is driven by being connected to a driving arm 19 that rotates as a driving portion thereof. The drive arm 19 is fixed to a drive shaft 20 that protrudes from the right side of the rear portion of the fifth case portion 18c and rotates. And the upper end part of the support link 21 of the seedling planting body 4 is rotatably connected to the tip part of the drive arm 19, and the front end part of the swing link 22 is rotatably connected to the lower end part of the support link 21. . The rear end portion of the swing link 22 has a support shaft 25 supported at both ends by a rear end portion of a support frame 23 whose front portion is fixed to the fifth case portion 18c and a support bracket 24 fixed to the handle frame 2b. It is supported rotatably.
[0022]
In addition, a pair of left and right seedling planting arms 4b and 4b each provided with a planted seedling sandwiching portion 4a and 4a formed in a plate shape at the lower end are mounted on the side of the support link 21. The upper sides of the left and right seedling planting arms 4b, 4b intersect with each other left and right, and are connected to each other by a pivot shaft 4c at the intersection. And the support pin which provided the upper part and lower part from the rotating shaft 4c of the right and left seedling planting arms 4b and 4b in the side upper part of the support link 21, the support link 21 and the swing link 22 are provided. It is connected to a connecting shaft that is rotatably connected so as to be movable in the left-right axial direction. Further, a disc-shaped cam body 4d is attached to the side of the distal end portion of the drive arm 19 so as to operate integrally with the drive arm 19, and the cam body 4d is configured by forming irregularities on the outer peripheral sides of the left and right sides in a circular shape. The part is provided so as to enter between the upper ends of the left and right seedling planting arms 4b, 4b. In addition, an elastic member 4e such as a spring that biases the upper end portions of the left and right seedling planting arms 4b and 4b to move toward each other is provided between the left and right seedling planting arms 4b and 4b. The upper end portions of 4b and 4b always sandwich the cam portion of the cam body 4d from the left and right sides.
[0023]
Therefore, the seedling planting body 4 operates so as to draw a locus T set by the tip end portions (lower end portions) of the planting seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a by the drive rotation of the drive arm 19, and is planted by the cam body 4d. The seedling holding parts 4a and 4a are opened and closed at the set timing. Specifically, when the drive arm 19 is driven and rotated, a link mechanism comprising the drive arm 19, a support link 21 connected to the tip end portion thereof, and a swing link 22 connected to the lower end portion thereof so as to freely rotate is operated. Then, the left and right seedling planting arms 4b, 4b supported on the side of the support link 21 are operated, and the left and right planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a, 4a provided at the lower ends of the tips (lower ends) are shown in FIG. It will exercise while drawing a trajectory T as shown in the figure. The trajectory T shown in FIG. 3 is a motion trajectory drawn by the tip portions (lower end portions) of the planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a with respect to the airframe, and the trajectory T ′ is the forward travel of the airframe at the set operating traveling speed. It is an exercise | movement locus | trajectory which the front-end | tip part of the planting seedling clamping parts 4a and 4a draws with respect to an agricultural field when it drive | works.
[0024]
Also, the cam action of the cam body 4d causes the upper end portions of the left and right seedling planting arms 4b and 4b to approach and separate, whereby the left and right seedling planting arms 4b and 4b rotate about the rotation shaft 4c, Planting seedling sandwiching portions 4a, 4a formed in a plate shape at the respective tip ends of the seedling planting arms 4b, 4b open and close. The timing of this opening / closing operation is determined when the planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a, 4a sandwich the base side portion k of the sweet potato seedling N transported by the seedling transporting portion 3 depending on the shape and phase of the cam portion of the cam body 4d. The left and right planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a are moved so as to approach each other, and the left and right planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a are moved into the soil in the field in the closed state, When the planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a move to the set position in the soil, the left and right planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a are set to open so as to be separated from each other.
[0025]
As described above, the seedling planting body 4 includes a pair of left and right planting seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a that sandwich a seedling from the left and right, and an opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes the pair of left and right planting seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a. The left and right pair of planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a, 4a are provided with an elevating mechanism that moves up and down. Then, a pair of left and right seedling planting arms 4b, 4b that are opened and closed by the opening / closing mechanism and moved up and down by the lifting mechanism are provided, and the pair of left and right planted seedlings are sandwiched at the tips of the pair of left and right seedling planting arms 4b, 4b. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the pair of right and left seedling planting arms 4 b and 4 b are provided so as to be positioned in a shifted state in a side view of the body.
[0026]
Thereby, in this seedling transplanting machine, the pair of left and right seedling planting arms 4b, 4b is opened / closed and lifted / lowered by the opening / closing mechanism and the lifting mechanism. A pair of right and left planted seedling holding parts 4a and 4a are provided at the respective tips of the left and right seedling planting arms 4b and 4b. The pair of right and left planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a is released to the left and right outward at a set point in the soil, and then ascends to the ground, thereby planting the seedling in the field. When the pair of right and left planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a are lifted by opening in the soil, the pair of right and left seedling planting arms 4b and 4b are positioned in a state shifted from the side of the fuselage. It becomes easy for soil to go through from the top to the bottom between the left and right of 4b, 4b, and this makes it extremely difficult for soil and seedlings to be lifted when the planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a, 4a are lifted. The occurrence of the above problems can be prevented and planting of seedlings can be performed accurately.
[0027]
Moreover, the part which plunges into the soil of a pair of right and left seedling planting arms 4b, 4b is formed so as to be shifted back and forth in the body side view. When formed in this way, the lifting of soil and seedlings was less likely to occur. In addition, in a cocoon covered with a multi-sheet, a multi-sheet hole H can be formed long in the front-rear direction with a pair of left and right seedling-planting arms 4b, 4b displaced forward and backward, so that the planting provided at the tip of the seedling-planting arms 4b, 4b The seedling sandwiching portions 4a, 4a can be smoothly pulled out to the ground without hooking the multi-sheet, and the cut end of the multi-sheet is caught on the planted seedling sandwiching portion 4a, 4a and the next planted seedling is stuck. In addition, it becomes difficult for the multi-sheet pieces to adhere to each other at the time of harvest.
[0028]
Furthermore, the right and left seedling planting arms 4b and 4b overlap in the front-rear direction in a state where the portions of the pair of left and right seedling planting arms 4b and 4b that are inserted into the soil are shifted back and forth in the body side view. In the state. When provided in this way, the soil is less likely to enter between the left and right seedling planting arms 4b, 4b, and even if it enters, the soil and seedling are easily lifted off, and the lifting of the soil and seedlings when the seedling planting body 4 is raised is further less likely to occur.
[0029]
As shown in FIG. 6, the soil attached to the left and right inner side portions of the left and right planted seedling sandwiching portions 4 a and 4 a is provided so as to be removed by the soil removing tool 50. This soil removal tool 50 is a planting seedling by the raising / lowering mechanism of the planting seedling clamping unit 4a, 4a and the operation of the seedling planting arms 4b, 4b while the planting seedling clamping unit 4a, 4a descends into the soil and comes out on the ground surface. When the planted seedling sandwiching parts 4a, 4a are moved to the outside of the movement locus T of the sandwiching parts 4a, 4a and approach the upper end of the movement locus T, they enter the movement locus T of the planting seedling sandwiching parts 4a, 4a, The left and right planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a move while the left and right inner portions thereof are in contact with the left and right ends of the soil removal tool 50, and then the left and right planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a sandwich the next seedling. As a result, the soil attached to the left and right inner side portions of the left and right planted seedling holding parts 4a and 4a is removed by the soil removing tool 50, and the seedling holding by the planted seedling holding parts 4a and 4a is accurately performed. Planting seedlings You can continue to good.
[0030]
If the vertical spacing between the planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a sandwiching the seedling and entering the soil is large, the seedling sandwiched between them may be disturbed to cause poor planting. For this reason, if the number of sections on the movement trajectory T of the planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a and appearing on the ground is reduced, the planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a enter the soil immediately after sandwiching the seedlings. The above problem can be effectively avoided. However, if it is configured such that the section on the movement trajectory T of the planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a, 4a and coming out on the ground is shortened, and the lifting mechanism of the seedling planting body 4 is configured to be compact, In the link member, in this example, the lower end portion of the swing link 22 descends to the vicinity of the upper end of the movement locus T of the planting seedling holding portions 4a, 4a, and the soil removal tool is moved to the movement locus of the planting seedling holding portions 4a, 4a. If it is provided in the vicinity of the upper end of T, the lower end of the swing link 22 and the soil removing tool will interfere with each other. However, as described above, the soil removal tool 50 enters the movement trajectory T of the planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a near the upper end of the movement trajectory T of the planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a. Since it is configured to move to the outside (in this example, the rear side) of the movement trajectory T of the parts 4a, 4a, the above interference can be avoided, and the movement trajectory T of the planted seedling sandwiching parts 4a, 4a can be avoided. The section that is on the ground is shortened so that the planting seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a can sandwich the seedling and then immediately enter the soil to plant the seedling in a good posture. And the raising / lowering mechanism of the seedling planting body 4 can be comprised compactly.
[0031]
A specific example of the above configuration is shown in FIG. The soil removing tool 50 is composed of an elastic plate such as a rubber plate or a plate provided with a plurality of acute angle protrusions on the left and right ends, and is rotatable around the horizontal axis 51 at the rear end of the support frame 23. It is attached to the lower end of the attached support arm 52. The support arm 52 is provided with a stopper 53 at the attachment portion of the support frame 23 so that the soil removal tool 50 is restricted to rotate forward at a position where the soil removal tool 50 enters the vicinity of the upper end of the movement trajectory T of the planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a, 4a. In addition, a spring 54 is provided as a biasing member that biases the support arm 52 forward so as to be in a state in which the rotation is restricted by the stopper 53, and is hooked between the support arm 52 and the mounting portion of the support frame 23. The swing link 22 is provided with an operating pin 55 for pushing the support arm 52 to rotate backward when it rotates downward. Thereby, when the seedling planting body 4 is lowered, the swing link 22 of the lifting mechanism is lowered and rotated, and the operating pin 55 hits the support arm 52 to rotate the support arm 52 backward. Thereby, the soil removal tool 50 deviates from the movement trajectory T of the planted seedling clamping parts 4a, 4a and moves to the rear side. When the planting seedling sandwiching portions 4a, 4a open the seedling in the soil and rise and come out on the ground surface, the swing link 22 is turned up and the operating pin 55 is also turned up and turned together with the support arm 52. Is biased by the spring 54 and rotates forward. When the support arm 52 is in a state where the rotation of the support arm 52 is restricted by the stopper 53, the soil removal tool 50 enters the vicinity of the upper end of the movement locus T of the planted seedling clamping parts 4a, 4a. The portions 4a and 4a move while the left and right inner portions thereof are in contact with the left and right ends of the soil removing tool 50, and the soil is removed. Thereafter, the left and right planted seedling sandwiching portions 4a and 4a sandwich the next seedling. To do.
[0032]
The seedling transport unit 3 is provided with a plurality of seedling storage units 26 that store the sweet potato seedlings N one by one in a posture in which the base side portion k faces in the front-rear direction, and the seedling storage units are arranged in a line around a plurality of axes in the front-rear direction. It is a thing of the structure which rotates a circumference and conveys a seedling. In addition, the seedling transport unit 3 includes an upper horizontal transport unit 3a that transports the seedling storage unit 26 in the left-right direction on the upper side of the machine body, and the seedling storage unit 26 that has been transported by the upper horizontal transport unit 3a to the lower side of the machine body. A descending transport unit 3b for transporting, and an ascending transport unit 3c for transporting the seedling storage unit 26 transported by the descending transport unit 3b to the upper side of the machine body and returning it to the transport start end side of the upper lateral transport unit 3a. And while setting it as the structure which an operator supplies a seedling to the seedling accommodating part 26 conveyed by the upper side conveyance part 3a, the said seedling planting body 4 is from the seedling accommodating part 26 lowered | hung to the setting location by the said descending conveyance part 3b. It is configured to take seedlings and plant them in the field. By the way, in this embodiment, since the seedling transport unit 3 is located behind the rear wheels 6 and 6 and the upper lateral transport unit 3a is provided so as to project to the left and right sides of the machine body, The work position WP for supplying the seedling N to the seedling storage unit 26 while walking as the vehicle progresses is the side position of the machine body on the overhanging side of the upper lateral transport unit 3a, and the upper lateral transport unit 3a and the wheels 6, 7 It becomes the rear position. Further, in the present example, the upper horizontal conveying portion 3a projects to the left and right sides (left side in the illustrated example) of the machine body, and the handle 2 is disposed so as to be biased to the opposite side (right side in the illustrated example). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the work position WP can be configured to be positioned in the vicinity of the rear side of the upper lateral transport unit 3a, and the seedling supply work can be easily performed.
[0033]
The seedling container 26 has a long bowl shape in the front and rear, and a side plate serving as a surface that partitions the receiving plate part 26a serving as a receiving surface on which the seedling N is placed in the upper lateral transport unit 3a and the adjacent seedling receiving parts 26 and 26. Part 26b, 26b, and the upper horizontal transfer part 3a has an open part on the upper side. Moreover, although it is the shape open | released also in front and back, the seedling holding part 27 which equips the right and left with clamping member 27a * 27a which clamps the base side part k of the sweet potato seedling N in the seedling accommodation part 26 is provided in the rear part side. ing.
[0034]
A plurality of the seedling storage portions 26... Are attached to the chains 28, 28, and the chain 28, 28 is provided with a pair of front and rear sprockets 29, 29; It is wound around sprockets 31, 31; 32, 32 provided in pairs on the left and right sides of the lower part. The left and right sprockets 29, 29; 30, 30 on the upper side of the machine body are shafts 36, 37 supported by support members 34, 35 fixed to a support pipe 33 fixed to the rear portion of the first case portion 18a of the planting transmission case 18. It is attached to. The left and right sprockets 31, 31; 32, 32 on the lower side of the machine body are attached to shafts 39, 40 supported by a support plate 38 fixed to a support frame 23 whose front part is fixed to the fifth case part 18 c of the planting transmission case 18. ing. And the seedling conveyance part 3 drives so that the sprockets 29 and 29 on the upper right side are driven and the seedling accommodating part 26 moves in the set movement direction C. And the drive part 41 of the seedling conveyance part 3 is interlockingly connected via the interlocking rod 43 with the front-end | tip part of the interlocking link 42 which rocks | fluctuates up and down integrally with the member 22 connected and operated with the seedling planting body 4. In addition, when the planting seedling holding part 4a of the seedling planting body 4 is lowered, the seedling container 26 is stopped, and when the planting seedling holding part 4a of the seedling planting body 4 is raised, the seedling transporting part is moved. 3 is intermittently driven, and every time the seedling planting body 4 takes a seedling and plantes it in the field, the seedling container 26 is intermittently fed out one by one to a set location where the seedling planting body 4 takes the seedling. It is configured as follows.
[0035]
By the way, the operator supplies seedlings to the seedling storage part 26 transported by the upper lateral transporting part 3a of the seedling transporting part 3, and the seedling storage part 26 to which the seedlings are supplied descends via the descending transporting part 3b. When the set point is reached, the seedling planting body 4 takes the seedling from the seedling storage unit 26 and transplants it into the field. Therefore, when the seedling transplanting operation is started and no seedling is supplied to the seedling storage unit 26, Even if the seedling planting body 4 is actuated, the seedling is not planted in the field until the seedling container 26 to which the seedling planting body 4 has been fed is transported to the seedling container 26 to which the seedling has been supplied by the lateral transport unit 3a. Therefore, if the aircraft is idled in advance and the seedling storage section 26 that stores seedlings in the upper lateral transport section 3a is transported to the set location, seedling transplanting work can be started from there, but seedling transplanting work is started quickly. The work efficiency is poor.
[0036]
Therefore, here, the clutch means C is provided that blocks the drive path of the seedling transporting section 3 so that the seedling transporting section 3 can rotate around the seedling transporting section 26 in a non-driven state. Accordingly, when starting the seedling transplanting operation, first, the operator supplies seedlings to the seedling accommodating portion 26 of the upper lateral conveying portion 3a, and operates the clutch means C so that the seedling conveying portion 3 is not driven. In this state, the seedling accommodating portion 26 is made to be capable of rotating around, and in this state, the seedling accommodating portion 26 is artificially rotated toward the setting location where the seedling planting body 4 takes seedlings. In this way, the seedling container 26 can be transported to the above-mentioned set place without previously operating the airframe in advance, so that the work efficiency can be improved so that the seedling transplanting operation can be started quickly. Furthermore, since the clutch means C is provided at a location where the drive path of the seedling planting body 4 is not interrupted and the drive path of the seedling transporting section 3 is interrupted, the clutch means C is operated to set the seedling accommodating part 26 as described above. Since the seedling planting body 4 does not operate in conjunction with the rotation of the seedling planting body 4 artificially toward the place, the circumferential rotation operation of the seedling container 26 can be performed easily and the operability is also good. The clutch means C is provided with an artificial operation tool L for switching the seedling container 26 to a state in which the seedling container 26 can be rotated in a non-driven state. Moreover, after performing the rotation operation which moves the seedling accommodating part 26 to the said setting part, the interruption | blocking operation of the drive path | route of the seedling conveyance part 3 by the said clutch means C is cancelled | released. The drive system is configured to return so as not to shift.
[0037]
The specific structure of the drive part 41 of the seedling conveying part 3 provided with the clutch means C is, for example, as shown in FIG. First, the shaft 45 supported by the bracket 44 fixed to the rear end portion of the support pipe 33 is connected to the rear portion of the shaft 36 attached so as to integrally rotate the upper right sprocket 29, 29 via a shaft joint, and this shaft A follower disk 46 with a projection 46a attached to rotate integrally with 45 is attached. The protrusion 46a has the same angle as the rotation angle of the sprockets 29 and 29 required to feed the seedling container 26 so that the seedling planting body 4 feeds the seedling planting body 4 one by one, that is, the seedling container The angle is equivalent to 26 feed pitches. A drive arm 47 is rotatably attached to the shaft 45 on the rear side of the driven disk 46, and an upper end portion of the connecting rod 43 is rotatably attached to a tip end portion of the drive arm 47. The drive arm 47 is provided with a claw 48 that engages with the protrusion 46 a of the driven disk 46, and the claw 48 is operated by the sprocket 29 so that the drive arm 47 is operated in the set movement direction C of the seedling transport unit 3. , 29 are rotated in the direction to drive and rotate (when the drive arm 47 moves upward in FIG. 5), the driven disk 46 is integrally rotated by being engaged with and fixed to the protrusion 46a of the driven disk 46. When rotating in the opposite direction (when the drive arm 47 moves downward in FIG. 5), the ratchet mechanism prevents the driven disk 46 from rotating integrally with the protrusion 46a of the driven disk 46 so as to escape. Is configured. Two pawls 49a and 49b are provided to engage the protrusions 46a of the driven disk 46 as a stop for the driven disk 46 to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise. When the drive arm 47 rotates so as to rotate the driven disk 46 integrally, prior to the claw 48 of the drive arm 47 constituting the ratchet mechanism engaging the protrusion 46a of the driven disk 46, A detent release cam 50 provided integrally with the drive arm 47 is located at a position where the tip of the claw 49a that prevents the rotation of the driven disk 46 from engaging with the protrusion 46a of the driven disk 46 is prevented. It is designed to move. When the drive arm 47 is rotated to the stroke upper limit position and the driven disk 46 is rotated by an angle (90 degrees in FIG. 5) corresponding to the feed pitch of the seedling container 26, the detent release cam 50 is The anti-rotation pawl 49a is detached from the anti-rotation pawl 49a, and the anti-rotation pawl 49a is again engaged with the protrusion 46a of the driven disk 46 to fix the rotation of the driven disk 46.
[0038]
In addition, the claw 49a that prevents the driven disk 46 from rotating in the drive rotation direction is configured so that the sprockets 29 and 29 can rotate in the seedling container moving direction D when the claw 49a is not engaged with the protrusion 46a of the driven disk 46. Become. Accordingly, when the claw 49a is provided so as to be switchable between a position where it can be engaged with the protrusion 46a of the driven disk 46 and a position where it is not engaged, this interrupts the drive path of the seedling transporting section 3 and the seedling transporting section 3 becomes non-conductive. It becomes the clutch means C which makes the seedling accommodating part 26 the state which can be rotated in a drive state. In addition, this is provided at a location where the drive path of the seedling planting body 4 is not interrupted and the drive path of the seedling transport unit 3 is interrupted. A lever L that makes it easy to switch the position of the non-rotating claw 49a between the position where it can be engaged with the protrusion 46a of the driven disk 46 and the position where it is not engaged is integrally attached to the claw 49a for preventing rotation. ing. This is the artificial operation tool L of the clutch means C. Since this lever L is provided so as to extend upward in the vicinity of the conveyance end portion of the upper horizontal conveyance unit 3a, after the seedlings are supplied to the seedling accommodation unit 26 by the upper horizontal conveyance unit 3a, Since the lever L is operated with one hand when the seedling planting body 4 is artificially rotated around the set point where the seedling is taken, and the seedling container 26 can be rotated with the other hand, Good operability. In addition, after the circumferential rotation operation for moving the seedling container 26 to the set position, the lever L is returned so that the detent pawl 49a can be returned to a position where it can engage with the protrusion 46a of the driven disk 46. Then, the claw 49a is again engaged with the protrusion 46a of the driven disk 46 provided at an angle corresponding to the feed pitch of the seedling container 26, so that the phase of the seedling transport unit 3 is not shifted.
[0039]
As described above, the seedling transplanting machine according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with a plurality of the traveling unit 1 for self-propelling the aircraft and the seedling accommodating unit 26 for accommodating the vine seedlings one by one in a posture facing the front-rear direction. A seedling transport unit 3 that transports seedlings by rotating the seedling container 26 around a plurality of longitudinal axes 36, 37, 39, 40 in a row, and a vine seedling that has been transported by the seedling transport unit 3 In the seedling transplanting machine provided with the seedling planting body 4 to be planted in the field, the seedling transporting section 3 includes an upper lateral transporting section 3a for transporting the seedling storage section 26 in the left-right direction on the upper body side, and the upper section The lower conveyance unit 3b that conveys the seedling storage unit 26 conveyed by the horizontal conveyance unit 3a to the lower side of the machine body, and the upper horizontal conveyance unit that conveys the seedling storage unit 26 conveyed by the lower conveyance unit 3b to the upper side of the machine body 3a, and a transporting portion 3c for returning to the transport start end side. The seedling planting body 4 takes seedlings from the seedling container 26 that has been lowered to a set location by the descending conveyance unit 3b while the operator supplies seedlings to the seedling container 26 conveyed by the feeding unit 3a. The seedling planting body 4 is driven by the clutch means C that is configured to be planted in the field and that blocks the drive path of the seedling transporting unit 3 so that the seedling transporting unit 3 is in a non-driven state and the seedling storage unit 26 can rotate. The path is provided at a location where the drive path of the seedling transport unit 3 is blocked without being blocked.
[0040]
In this seedling transplanting machine, the vehicle body is self-propelled by the traveling unit 1, and the seedling transporting unit 3 accommodates a plurality of seedlings one by one in a posture facing the front-rear direction, and the seedling accommodating unit 26 rotates in a line around a plurality of longitudinal axes 36, 37, 39, 40 to convey seedlings. Then, the seedling planting body 4 takes the seedlings that have been transported by the seedling transporting section 3 and plant them in the field. In addition, the seedling transport unit 3 transports the seedling storage unit 26 in the left-right direction on the upper side of the machine body by the upper lateral transport unit 3a, and the seedling storage unit 26 transported by the upper lateral transport unit 3a by the descending transport unit 3b. The seedling container 26 that has been transported downward in the machine body and transported by the descending transport part 3b in the ascending transport part 3c is transported upward to the machine body and returned to the transport start end side of the upper lateral transport part 3a. An operator supplies seedlings to the seedling accommodating part 26 conveyed by the conveying part 3a, and the seedling planting body 4 takes the seedlings from the seedling accommodating part 26 lowered to the set position by the descending conveying part 3b and transplants them in the field.
[0041]
When starting the seedling transplanting operation, first, the operator supplies seedlings to the seedling accommodating portion 26 of the upper lateral conveying portion 3a, and operates the clutch means C to accommodate the seedlings in the non-driven state. The part 26 is set in a state in which the part 26 can be rotated, and in this state, the worker artificially rotates the seedling accommodation part 26 toward a setting portion where the seedling planting body 4 takes a seedling. After this, seedling transplanting work can be started immediately. Therefore, the seedling container 26 can be transported to the set location without previously operating the airframe in advance, so that the work efficiency can be improved so that the seedling transplanting operation can be started quickly. In addition, when the clutch means C is operated to artificially rotate the seedling container 26 toward the set location, the seedling planting body 4 does not operate in conjunction therewith. Therefore, the circumferential rotation operation of the seedling container 26 can be easily performed, and the operability is also good.
[0042]
In addition, the seedling transplanting machine is provided with a traveling unit 1 for self-propelling the machine body and a plurality of seedling accommodation units 26 for accommodating the vine seedlings N one by one in a posture facing the front-rear direction. Seedling transporting section 3 for transporting seedling N by rotating in a line around direction shafts 36, 37, 39, 40, and a seedling for taking vine seedling N transported by seedling transporting section 3 and planting it in the field In the seedling transplanting machine provided with the planting body 4, a seedling holding part 27 provided with holding members 27 a and 27 a for holding the base side part k of the seedling N to the seedling containing part 26 on the left and right sides is provided. Therefore, in this seedling transplanting machine, the machine body is self-propelled by the traveling unit 1, and the seedling transporting unit 3 for transporting the seedling N has a plurality of seedling storage units 26 around a plurality of longitudinal axes 36, 37, 39, 40. In this seedling storage section 26, the operator takes a posture in which the vine seedlings N are directed in the front-rear direction one by one, and the base part k of the vine seedlings N is placed on the left and right sides of the seedling holding part 27. It is inserted and clamped between the clamping members 27a and 27a. In this way, the vine seedlings N accommodated in the seedling storage part 26 are surely conveyed, and the seedling planting body 4 reliably takes the base of the seedlings N and plants them in the field.
[0043]
The frame structure that supports the seedling transport unit 3 and the seedling planting body 4 configured as described above includes the second case unit 18b, the third case unit 18c, the fourth case unit 18c, 5 case portion 18e, support frames 23, 24, 33, a connecting shaft 25, a support member 34, 35, 38, and the like. It is configured to be pivotally mounted around a second case portion 18b that is pivotally mounted around a left and right axis center on a boss 18a ′ that protrudes in a cylindrical shape on the upper left side of the case portion 18a. Furthermore, grounding wheels 44, 44 for covering and compressing seedlings are attached to the rear part of the frame structure, and the rear part of the frame structure is rotated up and down around the second case part 18b. Is supported on the upper surface of the ridge U. Therefore, even if the relative vertical positional relationship between the traveling unit 1 and the upper surface of the eaves U varies due to unevenness of the farm scene, the frame structure rotates up and down and the support state by the grounding wheels 44 and 44 is maintained. Continuing, the height of the frame structure with respect to the upper surface of the heel U is substantially maintained at the set height (supporting height by the grounding wheels 44, 44). Therefore, the seedling transport unit 3 and the seedling planting body 4 supported by the frame structure can be rotated up and down with respect to the traveling unit 1 and are supported by the grounding wheels 44 and 44. Therefore, it can move up and down so as to be substantially maintained at a set height with respect to the upper surface of the ridge U. The transmission from the upper part of the first case part 18a of the planting transmission case 18 into the third case part 18c is allowed to pass through the boss 18a 'of the first case part 18a from the upper part of the first case part 18a. A second case in which the transmission shaft 18s is transmitted through a transmission shaft 18s that protrudes to the left and the left and right axial centers of the transmission shaft 18s are rotatably attached to the boss 18a 'of the first case portion 18a. It is set to be the rotation center of the portion 18b.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a seedling transplanter.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a seedling transplanter.
FIG. 3 is a partially omitted side view showing a seedling transport unit and a seedling planting body.
FIG. 4 is a partially omitted plan view showing a seedling transport unit and a seedling planting body.
FIG. 5 is a rear view showing a drive unit of a seedling transport unit.
6A and 6B are diagrams showing a seedling planting body, where FIG. 6A is a side view, and FIG. 6B is a rear view.
FIG. 7 is a side view showing a seedling planting body and a soil removal tool.
[Explanation of symbols]
1: Traveling unit 3: Seedling conveying unit 3a: Upper horizontal conveying unit 3b: Lowering conveying unit 3c: Ascending conveying unit 4: Seedling planted body 4a, 4a: Planted seedling clamping unit 4b, 4b: Seedling planting arm 26: Seedling container 36, 37, 39, 40: axis N: vine seedling (sweet potato seedling)
D: Seedling container moving direction