JP7726481B2 - excavator - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. Website address: https://agriculture.kubota.co.jp/event/groundbreakers2022/ Date of website publication: January 20, 2022

The present invention relates to an excavator.

A conventional excavator is disclosed in Patent Document 1.
The digger disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a digging tool attached to the front of the machine frame, and as the machine frame moves forward, the digging tool digs up the crops grown in the ridges. The crops dug up by the digging tool are transported rearward and upward by a transport body and fall onto the top of the ridges at the rear end of the transport body.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-185846

However, crops that fall onto the top of the ridge at the rear end of the transport vehicle may roll along the top of the ridge and fall off the ridge. Crops on the ridge that fall on the rear end of the transport vehicle can be picked up and harvested, for example, by a separate picker, but crops that fall off the top of the ridge cannot be picked up by a picker. They may also be run over by the transport vehicle traveling across the ridge.

In consideration of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to prevent crops that have fallen from the carrier from falling off the furrows.

A digging machine according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a machine frame, a digging tool provided at the front of the machine frame and digging up crops grown in ridges as the machine frame moves forward, a conveying body that transports the crops dug up by the digging tool rearward and upward and drops them onto the top of the ridges at its rear end, and a groove forming member that is arranged rearward of the end side of the conveying body in the width direction of the machine frame and forms grooves in the ridges, the groove forming member being arranged rearward of the rear end of the conveying body, not rearward of the center of the conveying body in the width direction, but inward of the end side of the conveying body in the width direction and outward of the center of the conveying body in the width direction.

The groove forming member rolls on the ridges as the machine frame moves forward, forming grooves in the ridges.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a digging machine comprising a machine frame, a digging tool provided at the front of the machine frame and digging up crops grown in ridges as the machine frame moves forward, a transport body that transports the crops dug up by the digging tool rearward and upward and drops them onto the top of the ridges at the rear end, and a groove forming member that is arranged rearward of the end side of the transport body in the machine width direction, which is the width direction of the machine frame, and forms grooves in the ridges, the groove forming member including a first groove forming member that is arranged at one end side of the transport body in the machine width direction and more inward in the machine width direction than the one end, and a second groove forming member that is arranged at the other end side of the transport body in the machine width direction and more inward in the machine width direction than the other end.

The groove forming member is disposed so as to overlap the rear end of the conveying body in rear view.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to a digging machine comprising a machine frame, a digging tool provided at the front of the machine frame for digging up crops grown in ridges as the machine frame moves forward, a transport body for transporting the crops dug up by the digging tool rearward and upward and dropping them onto the top surface of the ridge at the rear end, a leveling plate for leveling the top surface of the ridge below the rear side of the transport body, and a groove forming member arranged behind the end side of the transport body in the machine width direction, which is the width direction of the machine frame, for forming grooves in the ridges , the groove forming member being arranged behind the leveling plate.
The groove forming member is disposed on the inner side in the machine width direction than the end of the ground leveling plate in the machine width direction.

It also includes a crop guide device that guides crops that are transported rearward and upward by the transport body and dropped onto the top surface of the ridge at the rear end of the transport body to the inner side of the furrow forming member in the machine width direction.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a digging machine comprises a machine frame, a digging tool provided at the front of the machine frame for digging up crops grown in ridges as the machine frame moves forward, a transport body for transporting the crops dug up by the digging tool rearward and upward and dropping them onto the top of the ridges at its rear end, a groove forming member arranged at the rear of the end of the transport body in the machine width direction, which is the width direction of the machine frame, and forming grooves in the ridges, and a crop guiding device for guiding the crops transported rearward and upward by the transport body and dropped onto the top of the ridges at the rear end of the transport body, to the inward side of the groove forming member in the machine width direction, the crop guiding device comprising a guide plate arranged above the transport body for guiding the crops on the transport body to the rear of the transport body, and an elastic guide plate formed of an elastic plate material extending downward from the rear of the guide plate for guiding the crops dropping from the transport body to the top of the ridge, the groove forming member being arranged on the outer side of the elastic guide plate in the machine width direction.

The crop guide device also has a restricting member that is positioned outward in the machine width direction of the elastic guide plate and that restricts outward deformation of the elastic guide plate in the machine width direction.
The groove forming member forms grooves on the widthwise end side and upper surface side of the ridge.
A further aspect of the present invention is a digger that is mounted to the rear of a traveling body in a manner that allows it to be raised and lowered, and that includes a machine frame, a digging tool that is provided at the front of the machine frame and that digs up crops grown in ridges as the machine frame moves forward, and a machine that transports the crops dug up by the digging tool rearward and upward.
The machine comprises a conveying body that conveys the material to the workpiece and drops it onto the top surface of the ridges at its rear end, and a groove forming member that is positioned behind the end of the conveying body in the width direction of the machine frame and forms grooves in the ridges, and the groove forming member is attached to both sides of the rear part of the machine frame in the width direction and is composed of wheels that support the machine frame.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a digging machine comprises a frame, a digging tool provided at the front of the frame for digging up crops grown in ridges as the frame moves forward, a transport body for transporting the crops dug up by the digging tool rearward and upward and dropping them onto the top of the ridges at the rear end, a groove forming member provided at the rear of the end of the transport body in the width direction of the frame, which is the width direction of the frame, for forming grooves in the ridges, and a stand member provided at the front of the frame, which can be moved between a stand position that supports the frame and a retracted position retracted upward from the stand position, and the groove forming member can be moved downward from the groove forming position where it forms grooves in the ridges to a frame support position where it supports the frame in cooperation with the stand member located at the stand position.

With the above-mentioned digger, the grooves formed in the ridges by the groove-forming members can stop crops that have fallen from the carrier from rolling along the top surface of the ridges, thereby preventing the crops from falling off the ridges.

FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the power transmission system of the excavator. FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the endless rolling body. FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of a portion of the endless rotating body. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan cross-sectional view of the adjustment mechanism. FIG. 10 is a side view of the mechanism for guiding the crop. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a mechanism for guiding a crop. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a mechanism for guiding a crop. FIG. 10 is a rear view showing the relationship between the elastic guide plate and the groove forming member. FIG. 2 is a side view of the groove forming member, the mounting device, and the ground leveling device. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a groove forming member and a mounting device. FIG. 10 is a rear view showing the relationship between the crop and the furrow forming member.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate.
1 is a schematic side view showing the overall configuration of a ground work machine 1. The ground work machine 1 has a tractor 2, which is exemplified as a traveling vehicle (traveling body), and an excavator 4 attached to the rear of the tractor 2 via a lifting link mechanism 3.
In this embodiment, the direction indicated by arrow A1 in FIG. 1 (the forward direction of the tractor 2) will be referred to as the forward direction, the direction indicated by arrow A2 (the reverse direction of the tractor 2) will be referred to as the rearward direction, and the direction indicated by arrow A3 will be referred to as the fore-and-aft direction.

The horizontal direction (left-right direction), which is perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction A3, will be referred to as the machine width direction K1 (see Figure 2). The machine width direction K1 is the width direction of the excavator 4 (machine frame 17). The direction from the center of the width of the ground work machine 1 (excavator 4) toward the right or left will be referred to as the outward direction of the machine width direction K1 (machine width direction K1 outward). In other words, the outward direction of the machine width direction K1 is the direction away from the center of the width of the ground work machine 1 (excavator 4) in the machine width direction K1. The direction opposite to the outward direction of the machine width direction K1 will be referred to as the inward direction of the machine width direction K1 (machine width direction K1 inward). In other words, the inward direction of the machine width direction K1 is the direction approaching the center of the width of the ground work machine 1 (excavator 4) in the machine width direction K1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tractor 2 has a body 9 supported for travel by left and right front wheels (not shown) and left and right rear wheels 5. At the rear of the body 9, an operator (
The vehicle is provided with a driver's seat 30 for a person (operator) to sit in. A hydraulic unit 6 is mounted on the rear of the vehicle body 9. Lift arms 7 are provided on the left and right sides of the hydraulic unit 6. The lift arms 7 are rotatable around an axis extending in the width direction K1, and are driven by the hydraulic force of the hydraulic unit 6 to swing upward. When the hydraulic force of the hydraulic unit 6 is released, the lift arms 7 swing downward. A top link bracket 8 is provided on the back of the hydraulic unit 6. A PTO shaft 10, which is a power take-off shaft that takes off rotational power, is provided on the back of the vehicle body 9.

As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the lifting link mechanism 3 is configured as a three-point link mechanism. The three-point link mechanism 3 has a single top link 11 and a pair of lower links 12 arranged below the top link 11 at a distance in the machine width direction K1. The front portion of the top link 11 is rotatably connected (pivoted) to the top link bracket 8 about an axis extending in the machine width direction K1. The front portion of the lower link 12 is rotatably connected (pivoted) to the side of the vehicle body 9 about an axis extending in the machine width direction K1. The middle portion of the lower link 12 is connected to the rear of the lift arm 7 by a lift rod 13.

The rear of the top link 11 and the rear of the lower link 12 are connected to the excavator 4 so that they can rotate about an axis extending in the machine width direction K1. Therefore, the excavator 4 is connected to the rear of the tractor 2 so that it can be raised and lowered via the lifting link mechanism 3, and is raised and lowered by the hydraulic unit 6. More specifically, when the lift rod 13 swings upward, the top link 11 and lower link 12 move upward, raising the excavator 4; when the lift rod 13 swings downward, the top link 11 and lower link 12 move downward, lowering the excavator 4. The vertical stopping position of the excavator 4 can be adjusted by the hydraulic unit 6.

As shown in Figure 6, the digger 4 is a work machine (onion digger) that digs up crops 16 (e.g., onions) grown in a field 14 (ridges 15) using a digging tool 20 and transports the dug-up crops 16 rearward (upward and rearward) using a transport body 25.
As shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the excavator 4 has a machine frame 17. The machine frame 17 has a mounting frame 21 connected to the three-point linkage 3, a transmission case 22 fixed to the mounting frame 21, a pair of support arms 23 provided on the left and right sides of the transmission case 22 (on both sides in the machine width direction K1), a pair of side frames 18 arranged at a distance in the machine width direction K1 to sandwich the transmission case 22 and the pair of support arms 23, and a connecting frame 19 connecting the rear portions of the pair of side frames 18 together.

The mounting frame 21 has a pair of fixing plates 26 bolted to the left and right faces of the transmission case 22, an upper frame 27 extending from between the pair of fixing plates 26 in an inclined direction that gradually increases upward as it moves forward, a pair of lower frames 28 extending forward from each of the pair of support arms 23, a first connecting plate 29L connecting the upper frame 27 to one (left) lower frame 28, a second connecting plate 29R connecting the upper frame 27 to the other (right) lower frame 28, and a connector 32 connecting the pair of lower frames 28 together.

The transmission case 22 is disposed at the center of the machine frame 17 in the width direction (machine width direction K1). An input shaft 24 is provided in the transmission case 22 so as to protrude forward. The input shaft 24 is connected to the PTO shaft 10 of the tractor 2 via a joint shaft (universal joint). Power from the PTO shaft 10 is taken into the transmission case 22 via the input shaft 24.
One of the support arms 23 (referred to as the first support arm 23L) extends leftward from the transmission case 22. Specifically, the first support arm 23L is formed of a pipe (a cylindrical member) having an axis in the machine width direction K1, and is disposed between the transmission case 22 and the upper part of the left side frame 18. The right end side is fixed to the left fixing plate 26, and the left end side is connected to the upper part of the left side frame 18.

The other support arm 23 (referred to as the second support arm 23R) extends to the right from the transmission case 22. More specifically, the second support arm 23R is formed of a pipe (a cylindrical member) having an axis in the machine width direction K1, and is disposed between the transmission case 22 and the upper part of the right side frame 18. The left end side of the second support arm 23R is fixed to the right fixing plate 26, and the right end side is connected to the upper part of the right side frame 18.

1, the front upper portion of the upper frame 27 is connected to the rear portion of the top link 11 via the attitude adjustment mechanism 33. Note that the top link 11 may be connected directly to the front upper portion of the upper frame 27.
Each lower frame 28 has a first member 28A fixed to the support arm 23 and a second member 28B whose rear is connected to the first member 28A, and the rear of the corresponding lower link 12 in the aircraft width direction K1 is connected to the front of the second member 28B.

The posture adjustment mechanism 33 changes the working posture of the excavator 4 between the normal working posture (working posture during normal work) shown in Figure 1 when performing normal digging work, and the downward-front working posture in which the digging tool 20 is tilted downward in front from its state in the normal working posture (working posture in which the entire excavator 4 is tilted downward in front from the normal working posture). The downward-front working posture is a working posture that allows the digging tool 20 to penetrate deeper into the soil when the normal working posture would result in the digging tool 20 penetrating shallower into the soil. For example, if there is a step on the longitudinal end of the ridge 15, and when the tractor 2 enters the ridge 15 and steps over the step, causing the digging tool 20 to penetrate shallowly into the soil, the digger 4 is placed in a front-down working position before entering the ridge 15, and when the digger 4 has entered the ridge 15 and traveled a predetermined distance (for example, 2 to 3 m), the digger 4 is released from the front-down working position and changed to a normal working position, and then most of the crops 16 on the ridge 15 are dug up in the normal working position.

The operation to release the front-down working posture can be performed by the operator pulling the rope 110 from the driver's seat 30.
One (left) side frame 18 of the pair of side frames 18 is referred to as a first side frame 18L, and the other (right) side frame 18 is referred to as a second side frame 18R.
3, each side frame 18 has a first frame member 34 and a second frame member 35. The first frame member 34 and the second frame member 35 are formed of plate material. The first frame member 34 and the second frame member 35 are arranged so that their plate surfaces face the width direction K1.

The first frame member 34 extends downward from the end of the support arm 23 opposite the transmission case 22. The lower part of the first frame member 34 is longer in front-to-rear width than the upper part, and the rear part of the lower part of the first frame member 34 is located below the end of the support arm 23, while the front part of the lower part of the first frame member 34 extends so as to be located below the front parts of the upper frame 27 and lower frame 28 in a side view.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the front portion of the second frame member 35 is connected to the rear portion of the lower part of the first frame member 34. Therefore, the first frame member 34 protrudes upward from the front portion of the second frame member 35, and the second frame member 35 protrudes rearward from the lower part of the first frame member 34. The front portion of the second frame member 35 is connected to the first frame member 34 by overlapping the outer surface of the first frame member 34 in the aircraft width direction K1.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the lower end of each side frame 18 has a notch 36 cut from bottom to top. Specifically, the notch 36 includes a first notch 36A and a second notch 36B. The first notch 36A is formed in the front portion of the lower end of the first frame member 34. The second notch 36B is formed in the front portion of the lower end of the second frame member 35 and in the rear portion of the lower end of the first frame member 34. As shown in FIG. 6 , the first notch 36A corresponds to the side of the digging tool 20, and the second notch 36B corresponds to the lower side of the front of the carrier 25. The notch 36 allows stones, soil, etc. to escape from between the first side frame 18L and the second side frame 18R outward in the machine width direction K1 between the first side frame 18L and the second side frame 18R.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the connecting frame 19 includes an elongated installation member 37 extending in the aircraft width direction K1, a pair of plate members 38 fixed to one end and the other end of the installation member 37 in the longitudinal direction (aircraft width direction K1), and a support bracket 39 disposed rearward of the installation member 37. The installation member 37 is disposed so as to extend between the rear portion of the second frame member 35 of the first side frame 18L and the rear portion of the second frame member 35 of the second side frame 18R. One (left) plate member 38 is attached to the inner surface of the second frame member 35 of the first side frame 18L in the aircraft width direction K1, and the other (right) plate member 38 is attached to the inner surface of the second frame member 35 of the second side frame 18R in the aircraft width direction K1. The support bracket 39 is provided rearward of the installation member 37 and between the pair of plate members 38.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the digging tool 20 is provided at the front of the machine casing 17. The digging tool 20 is disposed between the first side frame 18L and the second side frame 18R. As shown in Figures 6 and 14, the digging tool 20 is disposed at a position corresponding to the first cutout portion 36A.
As shown in Figures 4 and 12A, the digging tool 20 is made of a plate material. More specifically, the digging tool 20 is arranged with its plate surface facing up and down, and is attached to the front of the machine frame 17 via mounting member 41. When the tractor 2 moves forward, the machine frame 17 is pulled by the tractor 2 and moves forward. As shown in Figure 6, as the machine frame 17 moves forward, the digging tool 20 moves forward over the top of the ridges 15, digging up the crops 16 (such as onions) grown in the ridges 15 while cutting the roots 16a of the crops 16.

As shown in Figure 4, the digging tool 20 has a front main body portion 20A and a rear guide portion 20B. The front edge portion 20a of the main body portion 20A (digging tool 20) is formed in an inclined shape that slopes rearward from both ends in the width direction K1 toward the center of the width direction K1. As the digging tool 20 moves forward, the inclined front edge portion 20a slides against the roots 16a of the crop 16, allowing the roots 16a to be effectively cut.

As shown in Figure 12A, the guide portion 20B is bent slightly upward relative to the main body portion 20A. Specifically, the guide portion 20B extends in an inclined direction that gradually becomes upward as it moves rearward from the rear end of the main body portion 20A. By bending the rear portion of the digging tool 20 upward relative to the front portion, a guide surface (the upper surface of the guide portion 20B) is formed that guides the dug-up crops 16 toward the upper surface of the carrier 25.

4, the guide section 20B is formed in a slatted shape with longitudinal notches in the front-rear direction at intervals in the width direction K1 of the machine so as to prevent soil from accumulating on the guide surface. Note that the guide section 20B is not limited to a slatted shape and may be a flat plate shape.
4, the mounting member 41 has a pair of plates 42 spaced apart in the machine width direction K1, and an installation bar 43. The left plate 42 is disposed on the inner side of the first side frame 18L in the machine width direction K1, and the right plate 42 is disposed on the inner side of the second side frame 18R in the machine width direction K1.

12A, the plate 42 is disposed at a position corresponding to the first notch 36A. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12A, the plate 42 is attached to a connecting member 74 of the adjustment mechanism 70 (described later) by a pair of fasteners 46.
The installation bar 43 is disposed between the pair of plates 42, spanning the left plate 42 and the right plate 42. One end of the installation bar 43 in the longitudinal direction (machine width direction K1) is fixed to the left plate 42, and the other end is fixed to the right plate 42. As shown in Figure 12A, the rear portion of the main body 20A of the digging tool 20 is placed on top of the installation bar 43. The main body 20A is attached to the installation bar 43 by a plurality of screw members 44 provided at intervals in the machine width direction K1.

As shown in FIG. 13 , a pair of fasteners 46 that attach the plate 42 to the connecting member 74 are spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction A3. Each fastener 46 is composed of a screw member 46A and a nut member 46B. As shown in FIG. 12A , the screw insertion hole 47 formed in the plate 42, through which the screw member 46A of the front fastener 46 is inserted, is formed in an arc shape centered on the screw member 46A of the rear fastener 46. Therefore, by loosening the front and rear fasteners 46, the digging tool 20 can swing up and down together with the plate 42 (see the solid lines and two-dot chain lines in FIG. 12A ). Tightening the fasteners 46 prevents the plate 42 from swinging relative to the connecting member 74, and loosening the fasteners 46 allows the plate 42 to swing relative to the connecting member 74. This allows the angle of the digging tool 20 relative to the horizontal to be adjusted. In other words, the mounting member 41 is attached to the connecting member 74 so that the angle of the digging tool 20 relative to the horizontal can be adjusted.

As shown in Figure 6, the transport body 25 is positioned behind the digging tool 20. Specifically, the transport body 25 is located behind the digging tool 20 and between the first side frame 18L and the second side frame 18R. The transport body 25 is also sloped upward as it extends rearward. Therefore, the transport body 25 transports the crops 16 dug up by the digging tool 20 rearward and upward, and drops the crops 16 at the rear end 25a onto the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 (field 14). The crops 16 that have fallen onto the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 are picked up by a separately operated picker or the like.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the power transmitted to the input shaft 24 is transmitted to the conveying body 25 via a power transmission device 48. The power transmission device 48 has a transmission shaft 49 housed in the second support arm 23R, a gear mechanism (bevel gear mechanism) 50 that transmits power from the input shaft 24 to the transmission shaft 49, and a transmission mechanism (belt winding transmission mechanism) 52 that transmits power from the transmission shaft 49 to the drive shaft 51 of the conveying body 25.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the conveying body 25 includes a drive shaft 51 , a drive wheel 53 , a driven wheel 54 , and an endless rotating body (endless rotating body) 55 .
5, the drive shaft 51 is disposed at the rear of the machine casing 17. More specifically, the drive shaft 51 is disposed at a vertically midway point at the rear of the second frame members 35, spanning from the left second frame member 35 to the right second frame member 35. An end of the drive shaft 51 is supported by the second frame members 35 via a bearing 56 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the machine width direction K1.

The drive wheels 53 are disposed at the rear of the machine casing 17, and are provided on the left and right portions of the drive shaft 51 between the left and right second frame members 35. Each drive wheel 53 is fixed by a bolt or the like to a mounting plate 57 fixed to the drive shaft 51. Therefore, the drive wheels 53 rotate integrally with the drive shaft 51.
As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the drive wheel 53 is configured as a sprocket having a plurality of teeth 53a arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the drive wheel 53 and around the entire circumference.

As shown in Fig. 6, the driven wheels 54 are disposed in front of the machine casing 17 (second frame members 35) and behind the digging tool 20. As shown in Fig. 5, the driven wheels 54 are provided on the inward side in the machine width direction K1 of the front part of the left second frame member 35 and on the inward side in the machine width direction K1 of the front part of the right second frame member 35. In other words, there are a pair (plurality) of driven wheels 54.
As shown in FIG. 13, each driven wheel 54 is supported by a support shaft 58 attached to the machine frame 17 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the machine width direction K1.

9, the endless runner 55 is wound around the drive wheel 53 and the driven wheel 54, and receives power from the drive wheel 53 to circulate in the circumferential direction (the direction of arrow 59 in FIG. 9). As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the endless runner 55 has a number of conveying rods 61 and a plurality of endless belts 62.
7 and 9, the numerous conveying rods 61 are arranged in a loop, parallel to one another at equal intervals in the running direction (the direction of arrow 59 in FIG. 9) of the endless running body 55. Each conveying rod 61 is formed from a pipe material extending in the machine width direction K1, and has flattened portions 63 formed by crushing the pipe material at both ends and the center in the longitudinal direction (machine width direction K1) of the pipe material.

As shown in FIG. 9, the endless belt 62 is formed by forming a band-shaped elastic belt made of an elastic material such as rubber into a ring shape, and then overlapping and joining both ends of the elastic belt to form an endless belt.
7, the endless belts 62 include a first endless belt 62A disposed at one longitudinal end (left portion) of each of the conveying rods 61, a second endless belt 62B disposed at the other longitudinal end (right portion), and a third endless belt 62C disposed at the center. The first endless belt 62A is disposed so as to surround the flat portions 63 at the left portions of each of the conveying rods 61, the second endless belt 62B is disposed so as to surround the flat portions 63 at the right portions of each of the conveying rods 61, and the third endless belt 62C is disposed so as to surround the flat portions 63 at the center of each of the conveying rods 61.

10, each endless belt 62 is connected to the flat portion 63 by a fastener 64. The fastener 64 includes a bolt member 64A that passes through the endless belt 62 and a nut member 64B that is screwed onto the bolt member 64A.
7, the first endless belt 62A and the second endless belt 62B are wound around the driven wheel 54. Therefore, the driven wheel 54 is driven by the rotation of the endless runner 55.

13, a flange portion 54b is provided on the outer side portion in the machine width direction K1 of the driven wheel 54. The flange portion 54b can restrict the movement of the endless runner 55 in the machine width direction K1.
As shown in Fig. 7, the drive wheel 53 is disposed inward of the first endless belt 62A and the second endless belt 62B in the machine width direction K1. As shown in Fig. 9, the drive wheel 53 meshes with the cylindrical portion of the conveying rod 61. This transmits power from the drive wheel 53 to the endless runner 55. When the drive wheel 53 rotates in the direction of arrow 60 in Fig. 9, the endless runner 55 circulates in the direction of arrow 59 in Fig. 9, conveying the crops 16 rearward and upward.

As shown in Figure 7, numerous conveying rods 61 are arranged at equal intervals (equal pitch) in the rotating direction 59. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the endless belt 62 is made by overlapping and joining the ends of strip material, resulting in a step at the overlapping portion 66. Therefore, in the past, when a conveying rod 61A fastened to the overlapping portion 66 of the endless belt 62 meshed with the sprocket (drive wheel 53), it came into strong contact with the teeth 53a of the sprocket (drive wheel 53), causing wear to the conveying rod 61A.

This problem occurs because when the sprocket (drive wheel 53) engages with the conveying rod 61, the distance (pitch) between the adjacent conveying rods 61A and 61B changes at the step portion 67. In other words, this problem occurs because the trajectories of the adjacent conveying rods 61A and 61B at the step portion 67 are different.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the R-shape of the tooth tip side portion of the circumferential surface 53b of the tooth portion 53a of the drive wheel 53 is formed into an R-shape that matches the trajectory of the conveying rod 61A that is fastened to the overlapping portion 66 of the adjacent conveying rods 61A and 61B at the step portion 67, thereby absorbing the difference in distance between the adjacent conveying rods 61A and 61B at the step portion 67 and reducing wear.

As shown in FIG. 7, the conveying body 25 has a plurality of guide wheels 68A, 68B. As shown in FIG. 5, the guide wheel 68A of the plurality of guide wheels 68A, 68B is rotatably supported on a support shaft 69 attached to the second frame member 35. Also, as shown in FIG. 9, the guide wheel 68A is disposed below the upper and lower parts of the endless belt 62 (first endless belt 62A and second endless belt 62B). As shown in FIG. 7, the other guide wheel 68B is disposed to the side of the front part of the third endless belt 62C.

As shown in Figure 11, the digger 4 is equipped with an adjustment mechanism 70 at the front of the machine frame 17 for adjusting the tension of the endless runner (endless rotating body) 55. The adjustment mechanism 70 is a mechanism that can adjust the tension of the endless runner 55 and change the position of the digging tool 20 in conjunction with adjusting the tension of the endless runner 55. Therefore, even if the tension of the endless runner 55 is adjusted, the position of the digging tool 20 also changes in conjunction with the adjustment of the tension of the endless runner 55, so the distance between the digging tool 20 and the conveying body 25 can be maintained constant. In other words, the distance between the digging tool 20 and the conveying body 25 is set appropriately so that the dug crop 16 moves smoothly from the digging tool 20 to the conveying body 25, but the tension of the endless runner 55 can be adjusted without changing this distance.

In this embodiment, the tension of the endless runner 55 (endless belt 62) is adjusted by adjusting the center-to-center distance 71 between the drive wheel 53 and the driven wheel 54, as shown in Figure 9. Specifically, the tension of the endless runner 55 (endless belt 62) can be adjusted by moving the driven wheel 54 in the adjustment direction 72, which is the direction connecting the center (rotational axis) 53c of the drive wheel 53 and the center (rotational axis) 54a of the driven wheel 54.

As shown in Figure 11, the adjustment mechanism 70 includes a first adjustment mechanism 70L provided on the left side of the machine frame 17 (first side frame 18L) and a second adjustment mechanism 70R provided on the right side of the machine frame 17 (second side frame 18R).
As shown in FIGS. 12A and 13, the adjustment mechanism 70 includes an adjustment member 73, a connecting member 74, the support shaft 58, a guide shaft 75, and an operation mechanism 76.

The adjustment member 73 adjusts the tension of the endless runner 55 by moving the driven wheel 54 in the adjustment direction 72. Specifically, the adjustment member 73 is formed from a plate material and is disposed on the outer side of the side frame 18 in the machine width direction K1. The adjustment member 73 has a main plate portion 73a and an extension piece 73b. The main plate portion 73a is formed in the shape of a strip that is long in one direction and is disposed so that its plate surface faces the machine width direction K1 and its longitudinal direction is aligned (aligned) with the adjustment direction 72. The main plate portion 73a is disposed at the rear of the lower part of the first frame member 34 (the front and lower part of the second frame member 35). The main plate portion 73a is disposed in contact with the outer surface of the second frame member 35 (side frame 18) in the machine width direction K1. The extension piece 73b extends outward in the machine width direction K1 from the rear end of the main plate portion 73a.

As shown in Figures 3, 12A, and 13, the side frame 18 has an elongated hole 77 and a guide hole 78 that penetrate the side frame 18 (first frame member 34 and second frame member 35) formed in the portion corresponding to the main plate portion 73a. The elongated hole 77 and the guide hole 78 are elongated in the adjustment direction 72 and are formed side by side in the adjustment direction 72. The guide hole 78 is formed behind the elongated hole 77.

As shown in Figures 12A and 13, the connecting member 74 connects the adjustment member 73 and the digging tool 20. In other words, the connecting member 74 connects the adjustment member 73 and the digging tool 20. The connecting member 74 is formed from a plate material and is positioned on the inward side of the side frame 18 in the machine width direction K1. Specifically, the connecting member 74 is formed in the shape of a strip that is long in one direction and is positioned so that the plate surface faces the machine width direction K1 and its longitudinal direction is along the adjustment direction 72. Furthermore, the rear of the connecting member 74 corresponds to the main plate portion 73a of the adjustment member 73, and the front portion protrudes forward beyond the main plate portion 73a. The plate 42 of the mounting member 41 to which the digging tool 20 is attached is attached to the front portion of the connecting member 74. As a result, the connecting member 74 is connected to the digging tool 20 via the mounting member 41.

4, the left (first adjustment mechanism 70L) connecting member 74 and the right (second adjustment mechanism 70R) connecting member 74 are connected by a connecting bar 79. The guide wheel 78B is supported by a bracket (not shown) fixed to the connecting bar 79 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the machine width direction K1.
As shown in Fig. 3, the connecting bar 79 is formed of a cylindrical pipe (round pipe). The connecting bar 79 may also be formed of a square pipe (rectangular pipe). Note that a round pipe is preferable in that it is less likely for stones to become caught between the connecting bar 79 and the conveying rod 61.

As shown in FIG. 13 , the support shaft 58 has an axis extending in the width direction K1, and its inner portion in the width direction K1 supports the driven wheel 54 for free rotation about the axis via a bearing (not shown). The outer portion of the support shaft 58 in the width direction K1 protrudes outward from the driven wheel 54 in the width direction K1 and penetrates the connecting member 74, the side frame 18 (first frame member 34 and second frame member 35), and the adjustment member 73. Specifically, the support shaft 58 penetrates the adjustment member 73 and the connecting member 74, thereby moving integrally with the adjustment member 73 and the connecting member 74 in the adjustment direction 72. The support shaft 58 also penetrates the elongated hole 77 and is movable within the elongated hole 77 in the adjustment direction 72. As a result, the adjustment member 73, the connecting member 74, and the driven wheel 54 are supported by the side frame 18 via the support shaft 58 so that the connecting member 74 and the driven wheel 54 move in the adjustment direction 72 together with the adjustment member 73.

As shown in FIG. 13, the support shaft 58 has a male thread 58a on the outer side in the machine width direction K1. The male thread 58a protrudes outward in the machine width direction K1 from the adjustment member 73, and a nut member 80 is threaded onto the male thread 58a on this protruding portion. The support shaft 58 also has a flange 58b that abuts against the inner surface of the connecting member 74 in the machine width direction K1. By sandwiching the side frame 18, adjustment member 73, and connecting member 74 between the nut member 80 and the flange 58b, movement of the support shaft 58 in the axial direction (machine width direction K1) is restricted.

The nut member 80 is tightened to such an extent that it can move the adjustment member 73. By tightening the nut member 80, the support shaft 58 can also be fixed to the side frame 18.
The guide shaft 75 is a member that guides the adjustment member 73 and the connecting member 74 in the adjustment direction 72 relative to the side frame 18 .

As shown in FIG. 13 , the guide shaft 75 penetrates the connecting member 74, guide hole 78, and adjustment member 73 from the inner side of the connecting member 74 in the machine width direction K1. The guide shaft 75 is formed by a bolt member, and the head 75a abuts the inner surface of the connecting member 74 in the machine width direction K1. The guide shaft 75 is movable integrally with the adjustment member 73 and connecting member 74 in the adjustment direction 72 and is also movable within the guide hole 78 in the adjustment direction 72. The guide shaft 75 protrudes outward from the adjustment member 73 in the machine width direction K1, and a nut member 81 is threadedly engaged with this protruding portion. This nut member 81 prevents the guide shaft 75 from coming loose. The guide shaft 75 is inserted through a collar 82 disposed in the guide hole 78. The collar 82 is rotatable about the axis of the guide shaft 75.

The nut member 81 is tightened to such an extent that it can move the adjustment member 73. By tightening the nut member 81, the guide shaft 75 can also be fixed to the side frame 18.
The connecting member 74 is connected to the adjusting member 73 by the support shaft 58, the nut member 80, the guide shaft 75, the nut member 81, and the like.

The operation mechanism 76 is a mechanism for moving and adjusting the adjustment member 73 in the adjustment direction 72 and fixing it at the adjusted position.
12A and 12B , the operation mechanism 76 is provided on the outer side of the side frame 18 (second frame member 35) in the machine width direction K1. The operation mechanism 76 includes a stay member 83, an operation bolt 84, and a plurality of nut members 85 (a first nut member 85A, a second nut member 85B, and a third nut member 85C).

The stay member 83 is arranged rearward of the adjustment member 73 in the adjustment direction 72 with a gap therebetween. The stay member 83 is formed from a plate material and has a first portion 83a and a second portion 83b. The first portion 83a is arranged along the adjustment direction 72 with its plate surface facing the aircraft width direction K1. The first portion 83a is also fixed by welding or other means to the outer surface of the second frame member 35 (side frame 18) in the aircraft width direction K1. The second portion 83b extends outward in the aircraft width direction K1 from the front end of the first portion 83a and faces the extending piece 73b of the adjustment member 73 in the adjustment direction 72.

The head 84a of the operating bolt 84 abuts against the front surface of the extension piece 73b, and the shaft 84b passes through the extension piece 73b and the second portion 83b.
12A and 12B , the multiple nut members 85 are threaded onto the shaft portion 84b of the operating bolt 84. Specifically, the first nut member 85A abuts against the front surface of the second portion 83b of the stay member 83. The second nut member 85B abuts against the rear surface of the second portion 83b. The third nut member 85C abuts against the rear surface of the extending piece 73b. By sandwiching the second portion 83b between the first nut member 85A and the second nut member 85B and sandwiching the extending piece 73b between the head portion 84a of the operating bolt 84 and the third nut member 85C, the adjustment member 73 is fixed to the side frame 18 so as not to move in the adjustment direction 72.

In the above-mentioned adjustment mechanism 70, by moving and adjusting the adjustment member 73 in the adjustment direction 72 using the operating mechanism 76, the tension of the endless running body 55 (endless belt 62) can be adjusted, and the position of the digging tool 20 can be adjusted in conjunction with the adjustment of the tension of the endless running body 55.
The operating mechanism 76 can move the adjustment member 73 forward (in the tension direction of the endless runner 55) by, for example, loosening the second nut member 85B, rotating (retracting) the operating bolt 84 relative to the first nut member 85A in the direction of loosening the screw, and screwing in the third nut member 85C. As the adjustment member 73 moves forward, the driven wheel 54 also moves forward together with the adjustment member 73, increasing the tension of the endless runner 55. Furthermore, as the adjustment member 73 moves forward, the connecting member 74 and the digging tool 20 also move forward together with the adjustment member 73.

Furthermore, for example, by loosening the second nut member 85B and the third nut member 85C and rotating (screwing forward) the operating bolt 84 in the screwing direction relative to the first nut member 85A, the adjustment member 73 can be moved rearward (in the direction of loosening the endless runner 55). When the adjustment member 73 moves rearward, the driven wheel 54 also moves rearward together with the adjustment member 73, loosening the tension on the endless runner 55. When the adjustment member 73 moves rearward, the connecting member 74 and the digging tool 20 also move rearward together with the adjustment member 73.

The method of operating the operating mechanism 76 is not limited to the above method.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tension of the endless rolling body 55 is adjusted by adjusting the center-to-center distance 71 between the drive wheel 53 and the driven wheel 54. However, this is not limited to this. For example, in a configuration in which the endless rolling body 55 has a pair of driven wheels 54 spaced apart in one direction and the drive wheel 53 is located between the pair of driven wheels 54, the tension of the endless rolling body 55 is adjusted by adjusting the center-to-center distance between the pair of driven wheels 54. Specifically, the tension of the endless rolling body (endless rotating body) 55 is adjusted by moving the driven wheel 54 closer to the digging tool 20 relative to the driven wheel 54 farther from the digging tool 20. In short, the tension of the endless rolling body (endless rotating body) 55 can be adjusted by moving the driven wheel 54 located behind the digging tool 20. Furthermore, when adjusting the tension of the endless traveling body 55, the side of the endless traveling body 55 facing the digging tool 20 moves toward the digging tool 20 and toward the opposite side, and the position of the digging tool 20 is also changed in conjunction with this movement.

As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of side plates 86 are provided at the front of the machine frame 17, located on one side (left) and the other side (right) of the digging tool 20 in the machine width direction K1. More specifically, the pair of side plates 86 are a first side plate 86L located on the left side of the digging tool 20 and a second side plate 86R located on the right side of the digging tool 20. The first side plate 86L and the second side plate 86R prevent the crops 16 dug up by the digging tool 20 from escaping outward in the machine width direction K1 and guide the crops 16 from the digging tool 20 to the transport body 25.

6 and 14, the side plates 86 are positioned higher than the digging tool 20. As shown in Fig. 15, the side plates 86 are positioned so that their plate surfaces face the machine width direction K1, and are attached to the first frame members 34 of the side frames 18 via a plurality of mounting fixtures 87 so that their positions can be adjusted in the machine width direction K1.
As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the multiple mounting fixtures 87 include a pair of upper and lower first mounting fixtures 87A and a second mounting fixture 87B provided behind the upper first mounting fixture 87A.

The mounting fixture 87 has a bolt member 88 that is inserted between the side plate 86 and the first frame member 34, a nut member 90 that is screwed onto the bolt member 88 on the outer side of the first frame member 34 in the machine width direction K1, and a plurality of collars (spacers) 89 that are interposed between the side plate 86 and the first frame member 34 and that are inserted into the bolt member 88.
One of the plurality of collars 89, a collar 89A, is welded and fixed to the outer surface of the side plate 86 (a rear plate 86B described later) in the aircraft width direction K1. The other collars 89B, 89C, and 89D are arranged between the collar 89A and the first frame member 34. By changing the number of collars 89B, 89C, and 89D arranged between the collar 89A and the first frame member 34, the distance between the side plate 86 and the first frame member 34 can be changed, as shown in FIG. 16 . In other words, the distance between the first side plate 86L and the second side plate 86R in the aircraft width direction K1 can be changed (the distance can be adjusted).

As shown by the solid lines in Figure 16, when the side plate 86 is brought closest to the first frame member 34, the bolt members 88 are short in length so that they do not protrude excessively from the first frame member 34. Furthermore, the number and lengths of the collars 89B, 89C, and 89D disposed between the collar 89A and the first frame member 34 are not limited to those in the illustrated embodiment.

As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the side plate 86 has a front plate 86A and a rear plate 86B. The front portion of the front plate 86A is formed in an inclined shape that transitions outward in the aircraft width direction K1 as it moves forward, and the rear portion is formed to extend in the front-to-rear direction. The rear plate 86B is formed in a flat shape that extends in the front-to-rear direction. The rear portion of the front plate 86A is overlapped on the inner surface of the front portion of the rear plate 86B in the aircraft width direction K1 and is attached to the front portion of the rear plate 86B by a pair of upper and lower first attachment fixtures 87A that are fastened together. A midpoint of the rear plate 86B in the front-to-rear direction A3 is attached to the first frame member 34 by a second attachment fixture 87B.

14 , the rear of the front plate 86A is located above the main body 20A of the digging tool 20. Furthermore, the front plate 86A has a bolt insertion hole 91 formed therein that is long in the vertical direction, through which the bolt member 88 of the first mounting fixture 87A is inserted. Therefore, the position of the front plate 86A can be adjusted in the vertical direction relative to the rear plate 86B and the first frame member 34.
Front plate 86A abuts against the upper surface of digging tool 20 to prevent weeds or the stems and leaves of crop 16 from clogging the gap between front plate 86A and digging tool 20. Because the position of front plate 86A is adjustable in the vertical direction, it is possible to adjust the angle of digging tool 20, and even if the angle of digging tool 20 is adjusted, the lower end of front plate 86A can be made to abut against the upper surface of digging tool 20 by adjusting the position of front plate 86A in the vertical direction.

6, the rear plate 86B extends rearward from the rear of the front plate 86A and above the front of the conveyor body 25. The rear plate 86B is also positioned so that its plate surface is perpendicular to the machine width direction K1. This allows the crops 16 dug up by the digging tool 20 to be guided above the front of the conveyor body 25 without being retained.
In this embodiment, the position of the side plate 86 in the machine width direction K1 is adjusted in stages using a collar, but this is not limited to this. For example, the position of the side plate 86 in the machine width direction K1 may be adjusted continuously using a screw structure. Also, the position of the side plate 86 may be adjusted using an expandable structure in which multiple tubes are nested together.

As shown in Figures 2 and 6, the digger 4 is equipped with a crop guide device 92 that guides the crop 16, which is transported rearward and upward by the transport body 25 and dropped onto the top surface of the ridge 15 at the rear end 25a of the transport body 25, toward the inner side (center) of the transport body 25 in the machine width direction K1. The crop guide device 92 allows the crop 16 to be dropped toward the inner side (center) of the ridge width direction rather than the ends of the ridge width direction. By dropping the crop 16 toward the center of the ridge width direction rather than the ends of the ridge width direction, the crop 16 that falls from the rear end 25a of the transport body 25 can be prevented from rolling on the ridge 15 and falling off the ridge 15.

As shown in FIG. 2, the crop guide device 92 includes a first guide device 92L provided on the left side of the digger 4 and a second guide device 92R provided on the right side of the digger 4. The first guide device 92L is located behind the first side plate 86L. The second guide device 92R is located behind the second side plate 86R. The front of the first guide device 92L is connected to the rear end of the first side plate 86L, and the front of the second guide device 92R is connected to the rear end of the second side plate 86R. By providing the crop guide devices 92 continuously behind the side plates 86, the crops 16 on the conveyor 25 are smoothly guided from the side plates 86 to the crop guide devices 92, preventing the crops 16 from becoming stuck on the conveyor 25.

As shown in FIG. 14 , the crop guide device 92 includes a guide plate 94 , a swing restriction mechanism 95 , an elastic guide plate 96 , and a restriction member 97 .
As shown in Figure 6, the guide plate 94 is disposed above the conveying body 25 and guides the crops 16 on the conveying body 25 toward the rear of the conveying body 25. As shown in Figure 14, the front end of the guide plate 94 is pivotally supported on the rear end of the side plate 86, and is swingable in the machine width direction K1 about the pivot. The swing restriction mechanism 95 restricts the swing of the guide plate 94. The elastic guide plate 96 is formed of an elastic plate material and extends downward from the rear of the guide plate 94 to guide the crops 16 that fall from the conveying body 25 to the top surface of the ridge 15. The restriction member 97 is located outward of the elastic guide plate 96 in the machine width direction K1 and restricts outward deformation of the elastic guide plate 96 in the machine width direction K1.

6, 14, and 15, the guide plate 94 is formed of a plate material and is disposed so that the plate surface faces the machine width direction K1. The guide plate 94 has a first portion 94a that constitutes the front and middle portions of the guide plate 94, and a second portion 94b that constitutes the rear portion.
The first portion 94a extends rearward from the rear end of the side plate 86 above the conveying body 25 and extends to the rear end of the conveying body 25. A front portion of the first portion 94a is connected to the rear end of the side plate 86 via a pivot mechanism 98.

The pivot mechanism 98 includes a first cylindrical member 99, a second cylindrical member 100, and a pin member 101. The first cylindrical member 99 is a tube with an inclined axis that slopes forward as it extends upward, and is fixed to the rear end of the side plate 86 by welding or other means. The second cylindrical member 100 is concentrically positioned below the first cylindrical member 99 and is fixed by welding or other means to a mounting plate 102 attached to the guide plate 94. The pin member 101 includes a fixed portion 101a fixed to the front and upper portion of the guide plate 94, and a pivot portion 101b bent downward from the fixed portion 101a and inserted through the first cylindrical member 99 and the second cylindrical member 100. The pivot mechanism 98 enables the guide plate 94 to swing relative to the side plate 86 around the axes of the first cylindrical member 99 and the second cylindrical member 100.

The second portion 94 b of the guide plate 94 extends downward from the rear of the first portion 94 a at the rear of the conveying body 25 and toward the rear of the conveying body 25 .
14 and 15, the swing restriction mechanism 95 is disposed on the rear side of the guide plate 94. The swing restriction mechanism 95 has a restriction plate 103 and a fixing member 104.

The regulating plate 103 is formed of a plate material that is long in one direction, and one end side in the longitudinal direction is pivotally supported to the guide plate 94. More specifically, a support wall 105 that protrudes outward in the machine width direction K1 from the outer surface of the guide plate 94 in the machine width direction K1 is provided on the outer surface of the guide plate 94 in the machine width direction K1, and one end side of the regulating plate 103 is pivotally supported to the support wall 105 via a pivot 106.
The fixing device 104 can fix the other longitudinal end of the regulating plate 103 to the upper part of the second frame member 35. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14 , a support wall 107 protruding outward in the machine width direction K1 is provided at the upper end of the second frame member 35. The support wall 107 has a fixing piece 107a to which the other end of the regulating plate 103 is fixed. The fixing device 104 has a bolt member 104A having an operating handle and a nut member 104B threaded onto the bolt member 104A. The other longitudinal end of the regulating plate 103 can be fixed to the support wall 107 by passing a threaded shaft portion 104Aa of the bolt member 104A through the washer member 108, the regulating plate 103, and the fixing piece 107a and screwing the nut member 104B onto the threaded shaft portion 104Aa. By fixing the other end of the regulating plate 103 with the fixture 104, the guide plate 94 can be maintained in an inclined position that shifts inward in the aircraft width direction K1 as it moves rearward, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 15, multiple hook grooves 103a are formed at the other longitudinal end of the regulating plate 103 and spaced apart along the longitudinal direction. The fastener 104 can secure the other longitudinal end of the regulating plate 103 via the hook grooves 103a. By changing the fixing position of the fastener 104, the inclination angle of the guide plate 94 relative to the front-to-rear direction can be changed. In addition, because the inclination angle of the guide plate 94 relative to the front-to-rear direction A3 can be changed, it is possible to adjust the position of the side plate 86 in the machine width direction K1 (see FIG. 16).

14 and 17, the upper part of the elastic guide plate 96 is overlapped with the lower part of the second portion 94b of the guide plate 94 and is fixed to the guide plate 94 by bolts 109. The elastic guide plate 96 extends downward from the lower part of the second portion 94b of the guide plate 94 so that its lower end is close to the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15.
As shown in Figures 14 and 17, the regulating member 97 is located outward of the elastic guide plate 96 in the machine width direction K1. The regulating member 97 is made of a hard material such as metal and prevents the elastic guide plate 96 from deforming outward in the machine width direction K1. For example, if the regulating member 97 were not provided, the crop 16 falling from the rear end 25a of the conveyor 25 would hit the elastic guide plate 96, causing the elastic guide plate 96 to elastically deform, causing the crop 16 to roll from the center toward the edge of the ridge 15 in the width direction. In this embodiment, the regulating member 97 prevents the elastic guide plate 96 from deforming outward in the machine width direction K1, thereby preventing the crop 16 from rolling from the center toward the edge of the ridge 15 in the width direction.

In this embodiment, the regulating members 97 are provided at the front and rear of the elastic guide plate 96. That is, a pair (multiple) of regulating members are provided, one at the front and one at the rear. The pair of regulating members 97 are also spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction. The regulating members 97 are formed from a strip of plate material that is long in the vertical direction. The upper part of the regulating member 97 is attached to the guide plate 94 by being fastened together with the bolt 109 that attaches the elastic guide plate 96.

As shown in FIG. 17 , the regulating member 97 is formed in an inclined shape that transitions inward in the machine width direction K1 as it extends downward from the upper mounting portion. The elastic guide plate 96 also protrudes downward from the lower end of the regulating member 97. Therefore, the upper part of the elastic guide plate 96 is regulated by the regulating member 97 and deforms in an inclined shape that transitions inward in the machine width direction K1 as it extends downward, while the lower part protrudes downward from the lower end of the regulating member 97.

The restricting member 97 restricts the overall deformation of the elastic guide plate 96 in the machine width direction K1 when the crop 16 hits the elastic guide plate 96. However, because the restricting member 97 is not provided across the entire surface of the elastic guide plate 96, localized deformation is permitted when the crop 16 hits the elastic guide plate 96, thereby absorbing the impact when the crop 16 hits the elastic guide plate 96.

As shown in Figures 2 and 6, a ground leveling mechanism 111 is provided at the rear of the machine frame 17. The ground leveling mechanism 111 is provided behind the digging tool 20 and levels the ridges 15 after the crops 16 have been dug up by the digging tool 20. More specifically, the ground leveling mechanism 111 is provided between the first side frame 18L and the second side frame 18R and below the rear side of the transport body 25 and levels the upper surface 15a of the ridges 15 below the rear side of the transport body 25 after the digging tool 20 has dug up the ridges 15. The crops 16 transported by the transport body 25 fall onto the upper surface 15a of the ridges 15 that has been leveled by the ground leveling mechanism 111.

As shown in Figures 4 and 18, the leveling mechanism 111 has a pair of stay members 112 arranged at a distance from each other in the machine width direction K1, a leveling plate 113 provided between the pair of stay members 112, and a pressure mechanism 114 that presses (urges) the stay members 112 and the leveling plate 113 downward (towards the upper surface of the ridge 15).
One (left) stay member 112 is disposed on the inner side in the machine width direction K1 of the left plate member 38 of the connecting frame 19, and the other (right) stay member 112 is disposed on the inner side in the machine width direction K1 of the right plate member 38 of the connecting frame 19. The front portion of the stay member 112 is supported by a pivot 115 provided at the front portion of the installation member 37 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the machine width direction K1.

The leveling plate 113 is positioned between the pair of stay members 112 and from one stay member 112 to the other. The leveling plate 113 is fixed to the pair of stay members 112 and can swing up and down together with the stay members 112 around the pivot 115. The rear of the leveling plate 113 protrudes rearward from between the pair of stay members 112 and comes into contact with the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 to level the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15.

A pair of pressure mechanisms 114 are provided corresponding to a pair of stay members 112. By using the pressure mechanism 114 to press the leveling plate 113 toward the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15, the leveling plate 113 levels the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 and forms a depression in the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15. By forming a depression in the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15, crops 16 that have fallen onto the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 from the rear end of the conveying body 25 can be prevented from falling off the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15. This makes it easy to pick up crops 16 that have fallen onto the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 using a picker, etc. Furthermore, by leveling the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 with the leveling plate 113, crops 16 that have fallen onto the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 from the rear end of the conveying body 25 can be prevented from becoming buried in the soil. This makes it easier for the crops 16 to dry and easier to pick up.

2, the width of the leveling board 113 in the machine width direction K1 is formed to be slightly narrower than the width of the conveying body 25 in the machine width direction K1. Specifically, the leveling board 113 is arranged so that the center of the leveling board 113 in the machine width direction K1 and the center of the conveying body 25 in the machine width direction K1 approximately coincide with each other, the left end of the leveling board 113 is located inward of the left end of the conveying body 25 in the machine width direction K1, and the right end of the leveling board 113 is located inward of the right end of the conveying body 25 in the machine width direction K1.

As shown in FIG. 18, the pressure mechanism 114 has an interlocking member 116 and a biasing member 117. The interlocking member 116 has a rod portion 116a and a connecting portion 116b fixed to the lower end of the rod portion 116a. The rod portion 116a passes through the upper wall 39a of the support bracket 39 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. A washer 118 and a pin 119 that prevents the washer 118 from coming loose are provided at the upper part of the rod portion 116a, and these washer 118 and pin 119 restrict the downward movement of the rod portion 116a (the downward swing of the leveling plate 113). In addition, a ring-shaped disk-shaped spring retainer 120 is fitted to the rod portion 116a so as to be movable in the axial direction. The downward movement of the spring retainer 120 is restricted by a pin on the lower side of the rod portion 116a. The connecting portion 116b is pivotally connected to the stay member 112 via a support shaft 121 having an axis extending in the machine width direction K1. The biasing member 117 is composed of a compression coil spring and is fitted onto the outside of the rod portion 116a between the upper wall 39a of the support bracket 39 and the spring bearing 120.

In the pressure mechanism 114 configured as described above, when the ground leveling plate 113 touches the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15, it swings upward around the pivot 115, compressing the biasing member 117. The biasing force of this biasing member 11783 presses the ground leveling plate 113 toward the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15.
The biasing member 117 is not limited to a compression coil spring, but may be, for example, a torsion coil spring.

As shown in FIG. 2, a groove forming member 122 is provided behind the machine frame 17. The groove forming member 122 forms a groove 123 on the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 after the crops 16 have been dug up. The groove forming member 122 is disposed rearward of the end 25b of the conveying body 25 in the machine width direction K1. The groove forming member 122 is also disposed inward in the machine width direction K1 from the end 25b of the conveying body 25 in the machine width direction K1. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 20, the groove forming member 122 is disposed so as to overlap the conveying body 25 in a rear view. In detail, the rear portion of the conveying body 25 is indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 20, and the groove forming member 122 overlaps with the rear portion of the conveying body 25 in a rear view. Note that the rear portion of the conveying body 25 is also indicated by a two-dot chain line in the rear view of FIG. 17.

20, the groove forming member 122 includes a first groove forming member 122L located on one end (left side) of the conveying body 25 in the machine width direction K1 and more inward in the machine width direction K1 than the one end, and a second groove forming member 122R located on the other end (right side) of the conveying body 25 in the machine width direction K1 and more inward in the machine width direction K1 than the other end. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 20, the first groove forming member 122L forms a groove 123 on one end side of the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 in the ridge width direction, and the second groove forming member 122R forms a groove 123 on the other end side of the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 in the ridge width direction. In other words, grooves 123 are formed on both sides of the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 in the ridge width direction.

As shown in Figure 20, by forming grooves 123 on both sides of the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 in the ridge width direction, the crop 16 can be prevented from falling off the ridge 15. In other words, when the crop 16 falls from the rear end 25a of the transport body 25 and rolls along the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 toward the side of the ridge 15, the crop 16 fits into the grooves 123 formed on the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15, thereby stopping the crop 16 from rolling. This in turn prevents the crop 16 from falling off the ridge 15.

For example, if a crop 16 falls off a ridge 15, the fallen crop 16 cannot be picked up by a picker. Furthermore, when digging up crops 16 on a ridge 15 adjacent to a ridge 15 that has already been dug up, the crops 16 may be run over by the tractor 2 pulling the digger 4. For this reason, conventionally, fallen crops 16 have been manually returned to the top surface 15a of the ridge 15. While this task was previously tedious, the digger 4 of this embodiment eliminates this need.

As shown in Figures 2 and 6, the groove forming member 122 is positioned behind the leveling board 113. By forming the groove 123 in the area left by the leveling board 113, the groove 123 can be clearly formed. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the groove forming member 122 is positioned further inward in the machine width direction K1 than the end 113a of the leveling board 113 in the machine width direction K1. Therefore, the synergistic effect of the depression formed in the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 by the leveling board 113 and the groove 123 formed in the area left by the leveling board 113 by the groove forming member 122 can enhance the fall prevention effect that prevents the crops 16 from falling off the ridge 15.

As shown in FIG. 17, the groove forming member 122 is disposed on the outer side of the elastic guide plate 96 in the machine width direction K1. As shown in FIG. 14, the groove forming member 122 overlaps with the elastic guide plate 96 in side view. By disposing the groove forming member 122 on the outer side of the elastic guide plate 96 in the machine width direction K1 so as to overlap with the elastic guide plate 96 in side view, the crop 16 that is transported rearward and upward by the conveying body 25 and falls onto the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 at the rear end side 25a of the conveying body 25 can be guided by the crop guiding device 92 to the inner side of the groove forming member 122 in the machine width direction K1, and the crop 16 that falls from the conveying body 25 can be prevented from directly hitting the groove forming member 122.

18 and 19, the groove forming member 122 is formed by a wheel. In this embodiment, the groove forming member 122 is formed by a wheel having a tire attached to the outer periphery of the wheel.
As shown in Figure 2, the groove forming members 122 are attached to the machine casing 17. Specifically, the groove forming members 122 are attached to both sides in the machine width direction K1 at the rear of the machine casing 17. More specifically, the first groove forming member 122L is attached to the rear of the first side frame 18L (the second frame member 35 of the first side frame 18L), and the second groove forming member 122R is attached to the rear of the second side frame 18R (the second frame member 35 of the second side frame 18R). Thus, the groove forming members 122 support the rear of the machine casing 17.

18 and 19, the groove forming member 122 is attached to the second frame member 35 via a mounting device 124. The mounting device 124 has a mounting plate 125, a support bracket 126, a support cylinder 127, a support member 128, and a stay (wheel stay) 129.
The mounting plate 125 is attached via bolts or the like to the outer surface of the second frame member 35 in the machine width direction K1. The mounting plate 125 has a mounting portion 125a that protrudes rearward from the second frame member 35.

The support bracket 126 is formed in a square tubular shape having an axis extending in the machine width direction K1, and the outer portion in the machine width direction K1 passes through the mounting portion 125a of the mounting plate 125 and is welded and fixed to the mounting portion 125a. Therefore, the support bracket 126 protrudes inward in the machine width direction K1 from the mounting plate 125.
The support tube 127 is formed in the shape of a square tube having an axis extending in the vertical direction, and is arranged on the inner side of the support bracket 126 in the machine width direction K1 and fixed to the inner end of the support bracket 126 in the machine width direction K1 by welding or the like.

The support member 128 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape with an axis extending in the vertical direction, and is inserted through the support tube 127 so as to be movable relative to the support tube 127 in the vertical direction. The support member 128 is fixed to the support tube 127 by a pin 130 that passes through the support tube 127 and the support member 128. The support member 128 has a plurality of pin insertion holes 131 (holes through which the pins 130 are inserted) arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction). Therefore, the position of the groove forming member 122 in the vertical direction can be adjusted.

The wheel stay 129 has a front portion fixed to the lower portion of the support member 128 and protrudes rearward from the support member 128. A scraper 133 is attached to the wheel stay 129.
The groove forming member 122 is disposed inward of the wheel stay 129 in the machine width direction K1, and is supported so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the machine width direction K1 via a shaft (wheel axle) 132. When the excavator 4 is pulled forward by the tractor 2 and moves forward, the groove forming member 122 rolls on the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 while rolling forward.

1, a stand member 134 is provided at the front of the machine casing 17. The stand member 134 is changeable between a stand position X1 (position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) where it supports the machine casing 17 and a retracted position X2 (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1) retracted upward from the stand position X1.
1, the groove forming member 122 can be moved downward from a groove forming position X3 (position shown by a solid line in FIG. 1) where it forms grooves in the ridges 15, to a machine frame support position X4 (position shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) where it supports the machine frame 17 in cooperation with the stand member 134 located at the stand position X1. In other words, the groove forming member 122 also serves as a stand member when the digger 4 is removed from the tractor 2 and stored (to make the digger 4 stand on its own) (for example, when storing it).

Furthermore, by attaching the left support member 128 to the right support tube 127 and the right support member 128 to the left support tube 127, i.e., by switching the left and right trench forming members 122, the trench forming members 122 can be configured to roll in the inter-furrow 15 furrows (the furrows between furrows 15) during the crop 16 digging operation, and function as gauge wheels supporting the machine frame 17.

Furthermore, the groove forming member 122 is not limited to a wheel shape, and may be formed in, for example, a skid shape (sled shape). In short, the groove forming member 122 may be formed in any shape that can form a groove on the upper surface 15 a of the ridge 15.
The digging machine 4 of the above embodiment comprises a machine frame 17, a digging tool 20 that is provided at the front of the machine frame 17 and digs up crops 16 grown in the field 14 as the machine frame 17 moves forward, an endless rotor 55 that is provided at the rear of the digging tool 20 and transports the crops 16 dug up by the digging tool 20, and an adjustment mechanism 70 that can adjust the tension of the endless rotor 55 and change the position of the digging tool 20 in conjunction with adjusting the tension of the endless rotor 55.

According to this configuration, when the tension of the endless rotating body 55 is adjusted, the position of the digging tool 20 is also changed in conjunction with the adjustment of the tension of the endless rotating body 55, so that the distance between the digging tool 20 and the endless rotating body 55 can be maintained constant.
It also has a drive wheel 53 that rotates the endless rotating body 55 and a driven wheel 54 that follows the rotation of the endless rotating body 55, and the adjustment mechanism 70 changes the position of the digging tool 20 by adjusting the center distance 71 between the drive wheel 53 and the driven wheel 54.

In this configuration, the adjustment mechanism 70 changes the position of the digging tool 20 while adjusting the center distance 71 between the drive wheel 53 and the driven wheel 54, so that even if the tension of the endless rotating body 55 is adjusted, the distance between the digging tool 20 and the endless rotating body 55 can be kept constant.
The adjustment mechanism 70 also has an adjustment member 73 that adjusts the tension of the endless rotating body 55 by moving the driven wheel 54 relative to the drive wheel 53 in an adjustment direction 72, which is the direction connecting the center 53c of the drive wheel 53 and the center 54a of the driven wheel 54, and a connecting member 74 that is connected to the adjustment member 73 and the digging tool 20.

According to this configuration, when driven wheel 54 is moved in adjustment direction 72 by adjustment member 73, connecting member 74 connected to adjustment member 73 and digging tool 20 connected to connecting member 74 also move together with adjustment member 73. This makes it possible to adjust the tension of endless rotor 55 while changing the position of digging tool 20 in conjunction with the adjustment of the tension of endless rotor 55.
The adjustment mechanism 70 also has a support shaft 58 that supports the driven wheel 54, and that passes through the adjustment member 73 and the connecting member 74 and moves integrally with the adjustment member 73 and the connecting member 74 in the adjustment direction 72.

According to this configuration, the adjustment member 73 and the connecting member 74 can be connected by the support shaft 58 that supports the driven wheel 54, thereby simplifying the structure.
The machine frame 17 also has a pair of side frames 18 spaced apart in the machine width direction K1, which is the width direction of the machine frame 17, and the digging tool 20 and endless rotating body 55 are arranged between the pair of side frames 18, the adjustment member 73 is arranged on the outer side of the side frame 18 in the machine width direction K1, the connecting member 74 is arranged on the inner side of the side frame 18 in the machine width direction K1, and the support shaft passes through a long hole 77 formed in the side frame 18 in the adjustment direction 72 and is movable within the long hole 77.

According to this configuration, the adjustment member 73 can be operated from outside the machine casing 17, improving operability.
The adjustment mechanism 70 also has a guide shaft 75 that guides the adjustment member 73 and the connecting member 74 in the adjustment direction 72 relative to the side frame 18, and which passes through the adjustment member 73 and the connecting member 74 and is capable of moving integrally with the adjustment member 73 and the connecting member 74 in the adjustment direction 72, and which passes through a guide hole 78 that is long in the adjustment direction 72 and is formed in the side frame 18 and is capable of moving within the guide hole 78 in the adjustment direction 72.

According to this configuration, the adjustment member 73 and the connecting member 74 can be moved stably.
The adjustment mechanism 70 also has an operation mechanism 76 that moves and adjusts the adjustment member 73 in the adjustment direction 72 and fixes it at the adjusted position.
According to this configuration, the adjustment member 73 can be moved and fixed by the operation mechanism 76 .

The operating mechanism 76 is provided on the outer side of the side frame 18 in the machine width direction K1.
According to this configuration, the operation mechanism 76 can be operated from outside the machine casing 17, improving operability.
The apparatus also includes a mounting member 41 to which the digging tool 20 is attached, the mounting member 41 being attached to the connecting member 74 so that the angle of the digging tool 20 relative to the horizontal can be adjusted.

According to this configuration, the position of the digging tool 20 can be changed in conjunction with the adjustment of the tension of the endless rotor 55, and the angle of the digging tool 20 relative to the horizontal can be adjusted.
The adjustment mechanism 70 also includes a first adjustment mechanism 70L provided on one side of the machine casing 17 in the machine width direction K1, and a second adjustment mechanism 70R provided on the other side of the machine casing 17 in the machine width direction K1.
According to this configuration, the tension of the endless rotating body 55 can be adjusted on both sides of the endless rotating body 55 using the first adjustment mechanism 70L and the second adjustment mechanism 70R, thereby enabling good tension adjustment of the endless rotating body 55.

Also provided is a connecting bar 79 that connects the connecting member 74 of the first adjustment mechanism 70L and the connecting member 74 of the second adjustment mechanism 70R.
This configuration can prevent misalignment between the connecting member 74 of the first adjustment mechanism 70L and the connecting member 74 of the second adjustment mechanism 70R.
In addition, the drive wheel 53 is arranged at the rear of the machine frame 17, the driven wheel 54 is arranged at the front of the machine frame 17 and behind the digging tool 20, and the endless rotating body 55 may be configured to have a number of conveying rods 61 arranged in a loop in parallel with gaps in the direction of rotation of the endless rotating body 55, to which power is transmitted from the drive wheel 53, and an endless belt 62 made of an elastic material that connects the many conveying rods 61 to each other and is wrapped around the driven wheel 54.

The digger 4 also includes a machine frame 17, a digging tool 20 that is mounted at the front of the machine frame 17 and digs up the crops 16 cultivated on the ridges 15 as the machine frame 17 moves forward, a conveying body 25 that transports the crops 16 dug up by the digging tool 20 rearward and upward and drops them onto the upper surface 15a of the ridges 15 at the rear end, and a groove forming member 122 that is positioned behind the end of the conveying body 25 in the machine width direction K1, which is the width direction of the machine frame 17, and forms grooves 123 in the ridges 15.

With this configuration, the groove forming member 122 forms a groove 123 in the ridge 15, thereby preventing the crop 16 that has fallen from the conveying body 25 from falling off the ridge 15. In other words, the groove 123 formed in the ridge 15 by the groove forming member 122 can stop the crop 16 that has fallen from the conveying body 25 from rolling over the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15, thereby preventing the crop 16 from falling off the ridge 15.

The groove forming member 122 is disposed on the inner side in the machine width direction K1 than the end of the conveying body 25 in the machine width direction K1.
According to this configuration, if the groove forming member 122 is positioned closer to the end of the conveying body 25 in the machine width direction K1, there is a risk that the groove forming member 122 will collapse the end side of the ridge 15 in the machine width direction. However, by positioning the groove forming member 122 more inward in the machine width direction K1 than the end of the conveying body 25 in the machine width direction K1, the groove 123 formed by the groove forming member 122 is formed away from the end side of the ridge 15 in the machine width direction, thereby preventing the ridge 15 from collapsing.

In addition, the groove forming member 122 includes a first groove forming member 122L located on one end side of the conveying body 25 in the machine width direction K1 and positioned more inward in the machine width direction K1 than the one end, and a second groove forming member 122R located on the other end side of the conveying body 25 in the machine width direction K1 and positioned more inward in the machine width direction K1 than the other end.
According to this configuration, by forming grooves 123 on both sides of the intended fall position of the crop 16 falling from the conveying body 25, the fall prevention effect of preventing the crop 16 from falling off the ridge 15 can be improved.

Further, the groove forming member 122 is disposed so as to overlap with the conveying body 25 in rear view.
According to this configuration, the groove forming member 122 is formed at a height that overlaps with the conveying body 25 when viewed from behind, thereby preventing the crops 16 from falling over the groove forming member 122 and falling off the ridge 15 as they fall from the conveying body 25.

In addition, a leveling board 113 for leveling the upper surface 15 a of the ridge 15 is provided below the rear side of the conveying body 25 , and the groove forming member 122 is arranged behind the leveling board 113 .
According to this configuration, the grooves 123 formed by the groove forming members 122 are formed on the upper surface 15a of the ridges 15 after the ground has been leveled by the ground leveling boards 113. This allows the grooves 123 to be formed clearly.

In addition, the groove forming member 122 is arranged on the inner side in the machine width direction K1 than the end of the ground leveling plate 113 in the machine width direction K1.
According to this configuration, the grooves 123 can be reliably formed on the upper surface 15 a of the ridges 15 after the ground has been leveled by the leveling board 113 .
It also has a crop guide device 92 that guides the crops 16 that are transported rearward and upward by the transport body 25 and dropped onto the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 at the rear end of the transport body 25 to the inner side of the furrow forming member 122 in the machine width direction K1.

With this configuration, the crops 16 can be dropped on the inner side of the groove 123 formed by the groove forming member 122 in the machine width direction K1, i.e., on the center side of the ridge 15, and the crops 16 falling from the conveying body 25 can be prevented from falling off the ridge 15.
The crop guide device 92 also has a guide plate 94 that is arranged above the conveying body 25 and guides the crops 16 on the conveying body 25 to the rear of the conveying body 25, and an elastic guide plate 96 that extends downward from the rear of the guide plate 94 and is formed from an elastic plate material that guides the crops 16 falling from the conveying body 25 to the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15, and the groove forming member 122 is arranged on the outer side of the elastic guide plate 96 in the machine width direction K1.

According to this configuration, the elastic guide plate 96 can prevent the crops 16 falling from the conveying body 25 from hitting the groove forming member 122, thereby protecting the crops 16 from the groove forming member 122.
The crop guide device 92 also has a restricting member 97 that is positioned outward of the elastic guide plate 96 in the machine width direction K1 and that restricts the elastic guide plate 96 from deforming outward in the machine width direction K1.

According to this configuration, when the crop 16 hits the elastic guide plate 96, the elastic guide plate 96 deforms outward in the machine width direction K1, preventing the crop 16 from rolling outward in the machine width direction K1.
The groove forming member 122 also forms grooves 123 on the widthwise end side of the ridge 15 and on the upper surface 15a side.

With this configuration, when crops 16 are dropped from the conveying body 25 toward the center of the width of the ridge 15, the groove 123 formed on the width end side of the upper surface 15a of the ridge 15 can prevent the crops 16 from falling off the ridge 15.
In addition, the excavator 4 is mounted on the rear of the running body (tractor 2) so that it can be raised and lowered, and the trench forming member 122 is attached to both sides of the rear of the machine frame 17 in the machine width direction K1 and is composed of wheels that support the machine frame 17.

With this configuration, the groove forming member 122 is attached to the rear of the traveling body 2 and supports the rear of the digging machine 4 that performs digging work, and can also form grooves 123 in the ridges 15. In other words, the groove forming member 122 functions both as a support wheel that supports the rear of the digging machine 4 and as a wheel that forms grooves 123 in the ridges 15.
The machine frame 17 is also provided with a stand member 134 which is provided at the front of the machine frame 17 and can be moved between a stand position X1 for supporting the machine frame 17 and a retracted position X2 retracted upward from the stand position X1, and the groove forming member 122 can be moved downward from a groove forming position X3 where it forms grooves in the ridges 15 to a machine frame supporting position X4 where it supports the machine frame 17 in cooperation with the stand member 134 at the stand position X1.

According to this configuration, the groove forming member 122 can function as a stand member for the excavator 4 to stand on its own.
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the embodiment disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

2. Tractor
4 Digger 17 Machine frame 15 Furrow 15a Upper surface 16 Crop 20 Digging tool 25 Conveyor 92 Crop guide device 94 Guide plate 96 Elastic guide plate 97 Regulating member 113 Leveling plate 122 Groove forming member 122L First groove forming member 122R Second groove forming member 123 Groove 134 Stand member K1 Machine width direction X1 Stand position X2 Retracted position X3 Groove forming position X4 Machine frame support position

Claims (12)

The machine frame and
a digging tool provided at the front of the machine frame and configured to dig up crops grown in the furrows as the machine frame moves forward;
a conveyor that conveys the crops dug up by the digging tool rearward and upward and drops them onto the top surface of the ridge at the rear end;
a groove forming member disposed rearward of an end portion of the conveying body in a width direction of the machine frame, the groove forming member forming grooves in the ridges;
Equipped with
The groove forming member is an excavator that is positioned rearward of the rear end of the conveying body, not rearward of the center of the conveying body in the machine width direction, but on the inner side of the end of the conveying body in the machine width direction and on the outer side of the center of the conveying body in the machine width direction . 2. The excavator according to claim 1 , wherein the groove forming member rolls on the ridges as the machine frame moves forward to form grooves in the ridges . The machine frame and
a digging tool provided at the front of the machine frame and configured to dig up crops grown in the furrows as the machine frame moves forward;
a conveyor that conveys the crops dug up by the digging tool rearward and upward and drops them onto the top surface of the ridge at the rear end;
a groove forming member disposed rearward of an end portion of the conveying body in a width direction of the machine frame, the groove forming member forming grooves in the ridges;
Equipped with
The excavator includes a first groove forming member that is located on one end side of the conveying body in the machine width direction and is located more inward in the machine width direction than the one end, and a second groove forming member that is located on the other end side of the conveying body in the machine width direction and is located more inward in the machine width direction than the other end. The excavator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the groove forming member is arranged so as to overlap the rear end of the transport body in a rear view. The machine frame and
a digging tool provided at the front of the machine frame and configured to dig up crops grown in the furrows as the machine frame moves forward;
a conveyor that conveys the crops dug up by the digging tool rearward and upward and drops them onto the top surface of the ridge at the rear end;
a leveling board that levels the upper surface of the ridge below the rear side of the conveying body ;
a groove forming member disposed rearward of an end portion of the conveying body in a width direction of the machine frame, the groove forming member forming grooves in the ridges;
Equipped with
The trench forming member is an excavator arranged behind the ground leveling plate. An excavator as described in claim 5, wherein the groove forming member is positioned inward in the machine width direction from the machine width direction end of the leveling plate. The digger described in any one of claims 1 to 6 is equipped with a crop guide device that guides crops that are transported rearward and upward by the transport body and dropped onto the top surface of the ridge at the rear end of the transport body toward the inner side of the furrow forming member in the machine width direction. The machine frame and
a digging tool provided at the front of the machine frame and configured to dig up crops grown in the furrows as the machine frame moves forward;
a conveyor that conveys the crops dug up by the digging tool rearward and upward and drops them onto the top surface of the ridge at the rear end;
a groove forming member disposed rearward of an end portion of the conveying body in a width direction of the machine frame, the groove forming member forming grooves in the ridges;
a crop guide device that guides the crops that are transported rearward and upward by the transport body and dropped onto the upper surface of the ridge at the rear end side of the transport body toward the inner side of the furrow forming member in the machine width direction;
Equipped with
The crop guiding device includes a guide plate disposed above the conveying body and guiding the crops on the conveying body to the rear of the conveying body, and an elastic guide plate formed of an elastic plate material extending downward from the rear of the guide plate and guiding the crops falling from the conveying body to the upper surface of the furrow,
The groove forming member is disposed on the outer side of the elastic guide plate in the machine width direction. The digger described in claim 8, wherein the crop guide device has a restricting member located on the outer side of the elastic guide plate in the machine width direction, which restricts outward deformation of the elastic guide plate in the machine width direction. An excavator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the groove-forming member forms grooves on the widthwise end and upper surface sides of the ridges. An excavator mounted on the rear of a traveling body so as to be able to rise and fall,
The machine frame and
It is installed at the front of the machine frame, and when the machine frame moves forward, it digs up the crops grown in the furrows.
Digging tools and
a conveyor that conveys the crops dug up by the digging tool rearward and upward and drops them onto the top surface of the ridge at the rear end;
a groove forming member disposed rearward of an end portion of the conveying body in a width direction of the machine frame, the groove forming member forming grooves in the ridges;
Equipped with
The trench forming members are attached to both sides of the rear of the machine frame in the machine width direction and are composed of wheels that support the machine frame. The machine frame and
a digging tool provided at the front of the machine frame and configured to dig up crops grown in the furrows as the machine frame moves forward;
a conveyor that conveys the crops dug up by the digging tool rearward and upward and drops them onto the top surface of the ridge at the rear end;
a groove forming member disposed rearward of an end portion of the conveying body in a width direction of the machine frame, the groove forming member forming grooves in the ridges;
a stand member provided at the front of the machine frame, the stand member being positionally changeable between a stand position for supporting the machine frame and a retracted position retracted upward from the stand position ;
Equipped with
The trench forming member is movable downward from a trench forming position where it forms trenches in the furrows to a frame supporting position where it supports the frame in cooperation with the stand member at the stand position.