Title of Invention	"RICE-PLANTING MACHINE"
Abstract	A rice-planting machine including an auxiliary brake mechanism for stopping the machine body, which the auxiliary brake mechanism is operatively coupled with a clutch mechanism installed in a power transmission path extending from a prime mover section to, a running section, wherein a transmission case is operatively coupled with the engine through the clutch mechanism, an axle case is operatively coupled with the transmission case, rind a pair of wheels are operatively coupled with the axle case, thereby forming the power transmission path to transmit the engine power from the engine to the wheels, the auxiliary brake mechanism being located in the power transmission path downstream of the transmission case. Therefore, even if the transmission case is held neutral, the rotation of the front and rear wheels can be stopped by the auxiliary brake mechanism, enabling the machine body to be reliably kept stopped even on an inclining surface such as a slope.

Title of Invention

"RICE-PLANTING MACHINE"

Abstract

A rice-planting machine including an auxiliary brake mechanism for stopping the machine body, which the auxiliary brake mechanism is operatively coupled with a clutch mechanism installed in a power transmission path extending from a prime mover section to, a running section, wherein a transmission case is operatively coupled with the engine through the clutch mechanism, an axle case is operatively coupled with the transmission case, rind a pair of wheels are operatively coupled with the axle case, thereby forming the power transmission path to transmit the engine power from the engine to the wheels, the auxiliary brake mechanism being located in the power transmission path downstream of the transmission case. Therefore, even if the transmission case is held neutral, the rotation of the front and rear wheels can be stopped by the auxiliary brake mechanism, enabling the machine body to be reliably kept stopped even on an inclining surface such as a slope.

Full Text	The present invention relates to a rice-planting machine and, more particularly, to an auxiliary brake mechanism for use with a rice-planting machine, which is adapted to stop a machine body of thereof. BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY A conventional rice-planting machine is provided with a planting machine disposed at a rear portion of the movable running machine body so as to lower downwardly and lift upwardly. The movable running machine body of such a conventional rice-planting machine has a running section composed of front and rear wheels, an association mechanism, and so on, disposed beneath a machine body frame thereof, and a prime mover section composed of an engine, transmission and so on disposed at the front portion thereof, a clutch mechanism being installed in a power transmission path extending from the prime mover section to the running section, and the clutch mechanism being operatively coupled with an auxiliary brake mechanism through a clutch-brake association mechanism. The clutch-brake association mechanism is provided with an association operation lever that is so adapted as to change a posture of the machine body, which allows a machine body to assume a running posture, in which in which the machine body is running, and to assume a suspending posture, in which the running of the machine body is suspended. When the operating lever assumes the machine body running posture, the machine performs a normal planting operation while operating the running machine body in a state in which the clutch mechanism is operatively coupled and the auxiliary brake mechanism is released. On the other hand, the machine body assumes the machine body suspending posture to suspend the movement of the machine body by means of the operation of the operator, when operations for supplementing seedlings are carried out or when the machine is running on a ridge between planting fields or the machine body is being loaded on a truck or unloaded therefrom, while suspending the running machine body in such a state in which the clutch mechanism is disconnected and the auxiliary brake mechanism is brought in an operating status. Further, the operating lever is operated so as to assume a machine body running status to run the machine body when the machine body is subjected to a running operation or a planting operation. On the other hand, the operating lever is operated so as to assume a machine body suspending posture in order to suspend the movement of the machine body new seedlings to the planting machine is to be supplemented to the planting machine, the machine body is running to a different location or being loaded on a truck or unloaded therefrom. In such a conventional rice-planting machine, the engine is operatively coupled with a transmission case, and a front axle case and a rear axle case are operatively coupled with the transmission case. Each of the front and rear axle cases is operatively coupled with a pair of left-hand and right-hand front and rear wheels, and the clutch mechanism and the auxiliary brake mechanism are interposed between the engine and the transmission case. Such a conventional rice-planting machine, however, still has problems remained still unsolved. They may include: (1) As the auxiliary brake mechanism is disposed at the position between the engine and the transmission case, that is, at the side upstream of the transmission case in the power transmission path, the rotary movement of the front and rear wheels cannot be suspended even if the auxiliary brake mechanism would be operated in the case where the transmission case is located in a neutral status, so that the machine body cannot be suspended for sure on an inclining surface of a sloping road or the like. (2) As the auxiliary brake mechanism is disposed at a pulley portion on the input shaft of the transmission case and it is not exposed to the outside, while there is no space in which maintenance is performed with a clearance, the auxiliary brake mechanism cannot be subjected to maintenance, inspection and so on with readiness from the outside of the machine body so that performance of maintenance is rendered poor. (3) If the auxiliary brake mechanism would be disposed in such a manner that it is exposed to the outside of the machine body in order to improve performance of maintenance, there is the risk that the braking performance of the auxiliary brake mechanism is rather reduced due to attachment of mud, dirt or other muddy materials to the machine body. (4) If the machine body frame would be installed separately with the auxiliary brake mechanism and a mud removal mechanism, an adjustment of the positions of the both elements is required and assembly work may become laborious. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention has the object to provide a rice-planting machine installed with an auxiliary brake mechanism for suspending the machine body thereof, the auxiliary brake mechanism being disposed so as to be operatively associated with a clutch mechanism interposed in a power transmission path interposed between a prime mover section and a running section. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a rice-planting machine having an auxiliary brake mechanism for suspending the machine body thereof, which in turn is disposed so as to be operatively coupled with a clutch mechanism interposed in a power transmission path interposed between a prime mover section and a running section, wherein an engine is operatively coupled with a transmission case through the clutch mechanism, a front axle case is operatively coupled with the transmission case, and a pair of left-hand and right-hand rear wheels are operatively coupled with the front axle case, thereby forming a power transmission path to transmit a power of the engine from the engine to the rear wheels, and the auxiliary brake mechanism is located in the power transmission path downstream of the transmission case. The auxiliary brake mechanism is further located in the position directly behind the transmission case and above the bottommost end of the transmission case. A steering wheel is operatively coupled with a steering yoke and the steering yoke is operatively coupled with each of a pair of left-hand and right-hand front wheels, so as the left-hand and right-hand front wheels can be steered by the steering wheel. Moreover, the steering yoke is disposed horizontally at the position directly beneath the auxiliary brake mechanism. Further, the rice-planting machine according to the present invention is provided with the auxiliary brake mechanism for suspending the machine body thereof, which is disposed so as to be operated in association with the clutch mechanism disposed in the power transmission path extending from the prime mover section to the running section, and in which the engine is operatively coupled with the transmission case through the clutch mechanism and a rear axle case is operatively coupled with the transmission case through a drive shaft that is further provided with the auxiliary brake mechanism. Moreover, the auxiliary brake mechanism is disposed in such a manner that the drive shaft is provided with a brake pulley that in turn is disposed with a brake pad so as to come into abutment therewith or separate therefrom, the brake pulley being provided with a mud removal mechanism for removing mud, dirt and other materials attached on the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley. The mud removal mechanism is arranged such that a support arm has a scraper made of an elastic material and the scraper is biased so as to press the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley. Further, the mud removal mechanism is disposed at the position extending in the position directly behind the transmission case and above the bottommost end of the transmission case. Moreover, in the rice-planting machine in accordance with the present invention with the auxiliary brake mechanism for suspending the machine body thereof disposed therein, the auxiliary brake mechanism is disposed so as to be operated in association with the clutch mechanism disposed in the power transmission path extending from the prime mover section to the running posture and provided in such a manner that the drive shaft for transmitting the power of the prime mover section to the running section is provided with the brake pulley and a braking body is disposed so as to come into abutment therewith or separate therefrom and to press the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley. On the other hand, the brake pulley is further provided on its outer peripheral surface with a scraper for removing mud, dirt, etc. attached on the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley. Moreover, the braking body and the scraper are supported by means of a base member. The braking body and the scraper are disposed on one of the left-hand side or the right-hand side of the base member, while a fixing member for fixing the base member to the machine body frame is disposed on the other side thereof. In addition, the fixing member is disposed so as to adjust the fixing position of the base member. Accordingly, the present invention provides for a rice-planting machine comprising an auxiliary brake mechanism (48) for suspending the movement of a machine body thereof, said auxiliary brake mechanism (48) being operatively coupled with a clutch mechanism (109) disposed in a power transmission path (79) for transmitting a power from a prime mover section (7) to a running section (6); wherein an engine (25) is operatively coupled with a transmission case (26) through said clutch mechanism (109); said transmission case (26) is operatively coupled with a rear axle case (77) which in turn is operatively coupled with a pair of left-hand and right-hand rear wheels (78, 78), respectively; and said power transmission path (79) for transmission the power of said engine (25) from said engine (25) to said rear wheels (78, 78) is formed; and said auxiliary brake mechanism (48) is disposed downstream of said transmission case (26) in said power transmission path (79). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a left-hand side view showing a rice-planting machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a machine body frame for use with the rice-planting machine of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a left-hand side view showing a clutch-brake association mechanism. Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a rear view showing an auxiliary brake mechanism for use with the rice-planting machine of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing a brake support member and a boss. Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a hydraulic cylinder. Fig. 9 is a rear view of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a left-hand side view showing a transmission case. Fig. 11 is a left-hand side view showing a drive shaft. Fig. 12 is an enlarged view showing an uppermost end portion of a steering wheel (with a power steering disposed therein). Fig. 13 is an enlarged view showing an uppermost end portion of a steering wheel (with no power steering disposed therein). Fig. 14 is a rear view showing an auxiliary brake mechanism in another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 15 is apian view of Fig. 14. BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in more detail by way of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, an operator-riding rice-planting machine 1 has a mobile machine body 2 linked at the rear portion thereof with a planting machine 3 connected thereto through an elevating system 4 so as to lift upwardly and lower downwardly. As shown in Fig. 1, the movable machine body 2 has a running section 6 at the lower portion of a machine body frame 5 and a prime mover section 7 at the upper front portion of the machine body frame 5. Further, a drive operating section 8 is disposed in a position directly behind the prime mover section 7. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the machine body frame 5 is composed of a main frame structuring member 11 and a lower frame structuring member 17. The main frame structuring member 11 is of a squared C-shaped structure, when looked on the plane from the above, which is composed of a pair of left-hand and right-hand main pipes 9 and 10, each being in a rectangular form in section, each extending in the forward and rearward directions, and a front pipe (although not shown) in a rectangular form in section, bridging the front end portions of the respective main pipes 9 and 10. The lower frame structuring member 17 is composed of a pair of left-hand and right-hand sub-pipes 14 and 15, each extending in the forward and rearward directions, and a connecting pipe 16 in a cylindrical form bridging the middle portions of the respective sub-pipes 14 and 15. The main frame structuring member 11 is connected to the lower frame structuring member 17 with connecting rods 12 and 13. The connecting rods 12 and 13 are mounted downwardly on the front middle portions of the respective left-hand and right-hand main pipes 9 and 10 of the main frame structuring member 11, and the bottom end portions of the connecting rods 12 and 13 are connected to the sub-pipes 14 and 15 of the lower frame structuring member 17, respectively. In the drawing, reference numeral 18 denotes a connecting pipe in a rectangular form in section. The machine body frame 5 is connected to a rear frame structuring member 21 in a gate form, bridging the rear portion of the main frame structuring member 11 and the rear portion of the lower frame structuring member 17. The rear frame structuring member 21 is composed of a pair of left-hand and right-hand rear pipes 19 and 19, each in a cylindrical form, and an upper pipe 20 in a cylindrical form. Each of he rear pipes 19 and 19 is mounted obliquely toward the upper front on the rear end portions of the sub-pipes 14 and 15, respectively. The upper pipe 20 is disposed bridging the upper portions of the rear pipes 19 and 19. Further, an upper frame structuring member 23 is interposed between the lower frame structuring member 17 and the rear frame structuring member 21. The upper frame structuring member 23 is composed of a pair of left-hand and right-hand inclining pipes 22 and 22, each connecting the middle portion of the connecting pipe 16 and the middle portion of the upper pipe 20 and disposed extending obliquely with its front portion directed downward and its rear portion directed upward. In the drawing, reference numeral 96 denotes a seat support pipe in a gate form, disposed bridging the middle portions of the inclining pipes 22 and 22. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the prime mover section 7 is connected to an engine table 97 in a plate form interposed between the front portions of the left-hand and right-hand main pipes 9 and 10 of the machine body frame 5. An engine 25 as a prime mover disposed on the engine table 97, and a transmission case 26 is disposed beneath the engine table 97. The engine 25 is operatively coupled with the transmission case 26 through a transmission mechanism 27 of an upper/lower two-stage belt type. With the engine 25 is operatively coupled a planting machine 3 through a planting association mechanism 28. The prime mover section 7 is configured so as to transmit the power of the engine 25 to the running section 6 and the planting machine 7 through the transmission case 26. The prime mover section 7 is provided with a fuel tank (not shown) disposed directly above the engine 25, and the fuel tank and the engine 25 are covered with a bonnet 29. On the left-hand and right-hand sides of the bonnet 29, respectively, supplemental seedlings tables 30 and 30 are disposed in order to place supplemental seedlings. As shown in Fig. 1, the bonnet 29 is composed of a front cover member 31 and a rear cover member 32 and mounted on the upper front portion of the main frame structuring member 11 of the machine body frame 5. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the transmission mechanism 27 of the upper/lower two-stage belt type is provided with an output pulley 38 at the high-speed side having a larger dimension and an output pulley 39 at the low-speed side having a smaller dimension, each being mounted in a lengthwise direction on an output shaft 37 of the engine 25, and an input pulley 41 at the high-speed side having a smaller dimension and an input pulley 42 at the low-speed side having a larger dimension, each being mounted in a widthwise direction on an input shaft 40 of the transmission case 26. The output pulley 38 at the high-speed side and the input pulley 41 at the high-speed side are bridged with a transmission belt 43 at the high-speed side, and the output pulley 39 at the low-speed side and the input pulley 42 at the low-speed side are bridged with a transmission belt 44 at the low-speed side. Moreover, the transmission belt 43 at the high-speed side is provided with a clutch pulley 45 at the high-speed side at a middle portion thereof so as to come into contact therewith or separate therefrom. Likewise, the transmission belt 44 at the low-speed side is provided with a clutch pulley 46 at the high-speed side at a middle portion thereof so as to come into contact therewith or separate therefrom. By selectively pulling either of the transmission belt 43 at the high-speed side or the transmission belt 44 at the low-speed side by means of either of the clutch pulley 45 at the high-speed side or the clutch pulley 46 at the low-speed side, respectively, the input shaft 40 of the transmission case 26 can be rotated at a high speed or at a low speed. In other words, the running speed of the machine body can be adjusted by the selection of the clutch pulley 45 at the high-speed side or the clutch pulley 46 at the low-speed speed. In the running section 6, as shown in Fig. 1, a pair of left-hand and right-hand front axle cases 74 and 75, respectively, are operatively coupled with the transmission case 26, and each of the front axle case 74 and 75 is operatively coupled with a front wheel 76. Likewise, the transmission case 26 is operatively coupled with a rear axle case 77 that in turn is operatively coupled with a pair of left-hand and right-hand rear wheels 78 and 78. With the machine body arranged in the manner as described above, the power of the engine 25 is transmitted from the engine 25 to the transmission case 26. The engine power is then transmitted from the transmission case 26 to the front axle cases 74 and 75, and it is further transmitted from the front axle case 74 to one of the front wheels 76 and 76, while it is further transmitted from the front axle case 75 to the other front wheel 76. On the other hand, the engine power transmitted to the transmission case 26 is then transmitted to the rear axle case 77, followed by transmitting to the rear wheels 78 and 78. This arrangement of the power transmission constitutes a power transmission path 79 for transmitting the engine power from the rear axle case 77 to the rear wheels 78 and 78. As shown in Figs. 1, 8 and 9, the front axle cases 74 and 75 are each in a generally L-shaped form, which comprise latitude axle case structuring members 82 and 83, respectively, connected to left-hand and right-hand side walls 80 and 81 of the transmission case 26, each in a form extending in a left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction, and longitude axle case structuring members 84 and 85, respectively, connected downwardly to the top end portions of the latitude axle case structuring members 82 and 83, respectively. The front wheels 86 and 86 are mounted on the bottom end portions of the longitude axle case structuring members 84 and 85 in the direction directed outwardly to the left and right, respectively, so as to be pivotally movable. The front wheel 76 is mounted on each of the front wheel shafts 86. The longitudinal axle case structuring members 84 and 85 are operatively connected to the top end portions of the latitudinal axle case structuring members 82 and 83, respectively, so as to be pivotally movable. Moreover, they are operatively coupled with a steering wheel 87 so as to be steered by means of a steering mechanism 88. As shown in Figs. 1 and 8 to 10, the steering mechanism 88 is arranged in such a manner that a steering case 24 is connected to the rear end portion of the transmission case 26 and that a steering shaft 89 is mounted on top of the steering case 24 so as to be pivotally movable in a vertically extending state, while the steering shaft 89 is provided with the steering wheel 87 at the top end portion thereof and the base end portion of the steering shaft 89 is operatively coupled with the top end portion of a steering yoke shaft 90 which is mounted on the lower rear end portion of the steering case 24 in a vertically extending state so as to be pivotally movable. Further, the steering yoke shaft 90 is provided at a bottom end portion thereof with a steering yoke 91 in a triangular plate form, and the left-hand and right-hand rear end portions of the steering yoke 91 are operatively coupled with the base end portions of a pair of left-hand and right-hand tie rods 92 and 93 so as to be pivotally movable to the left and right, respectively. The top end portions of the tie rods 92 and 93 are operatively coupled with the base end portions of knuckle arms 94 and 95 so as to be pivotally movable to the left and right, respectively, while the top end portions of the knuckle arms 94 and 95 are mounted on middle portions of the longitudinal axle case structuring members 84 and 85, respectively. The steering mechanism 88 is further composed of a stay 160 in a generally The hydraulic cylinder 161 for use with power steering is interposed between the main pipe 9 of the main frame structuring member 11 and the sub-pipe 14 of the lower frame structuring member 17 in such a state that it extends through the machine body in a generally left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction. Further, the hydraulic cylinder 161 is disposed directly above the cylinder support member 164. Since the hydraulic cylinder 161 is disposed in such a left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction of the machine body, the forward-rearward widthwise length of the machine body can be made shorter. Moreover, as the hydraulic cylinder 161 is disposed directly above the cylinder support member 164, the cylinder support member 164 can prevent striking against an obstacle on a road, resulting in a protection of the hydraulic cylinder 161 against damages or breakdowns. In this embodiment as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, the hydraulic cylinder 161 for use with power steering is disposed in the position directly behind the transmission case 26, so that the transmission case is located in front of the hydraulic cylinder 161. This arrangement can prevent the hydraulic cylinder 161 from striking, for example, against a ridge between rice fields upon moving from one rice field to another and protect the hydraulic cylinder 161 from damages or breakdowns. In addition, as shown in Figs. 1, 8 and 10, the hydraulic cylinder 161 is disposed at the position higher than the bottommost end of the transmission case 26, so that the hydraulic cylinder 161 can be prevented from being striking directly against an obstacle on a road or a ridge between rice fields. Therefore, damages and breakdowns of the hydraulic cylinder 161 can be prevented, too. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 13, the steering mechanism 88 is structured in such a manner that a support member 165 in a generally L-shaped form is mounted on the upper left portion of the steering case 24 and the support member 165 is mounted on a valve 166 through an adapter 167, the valve being used for operating the hydraulic cylinder 161 for use in power steering. In the case of no power steering specification, a cover member 158 in a generally L-shaped form is mounted on the upper left portion of the steering case 24, as shown in Fig. 12. As the valve 166 is mounted on the steering case 24 through the adapter 167 as shown in Fig. 13, the steering case 24 can be used in common for both of power steering specification and no pwer steering specification. This also permits an easy management of parts as well as improved assembly and disassembly performance of the steering case 24. The steering mechanism 88 can alter a posture of the machine body in such a manner that, as the steering wheel 87 is steered to the left or right, the left-hand and right-hand longitudinal axle case structuring members 84 and 85 and the front wheels 76 and 76 are steered to the left or right, respectively, in association of the steering of the steering wheel 76. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 11, the rear axle case 77 is supported at an intersection portion between the rear end portion of the lower frame structuring member 17 and the bottom end portion of the rear frame structuring member 21 and operatively coupled with the front portion of the rear axle case 77 by means of a drive shaft 99 extending in a forward/rearward lengthwise direction. Further, the rear wheels 78 and 78 are operatively coupled with the left-hand and right-hand side portions of the rear axle case 77 through a rear wheel shaft 100 extending in the left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction. As shown in Fig. 1, the drive operating section 8 is structured in such a manner that the steering wheel 87 is disposed on top of the bonnet 29 so as to be pivotally movable, and a seat 101 is disposed directly behind the steering wheel 87. On the left side portion of the seat 101, a transmission lever 102 for carrying out transmission operations of the running machine body 2 is disposed so as to be swingably operable in the forward and rearward directions. On the right side position of the seat 101, an elevation and transmission lever 103 for use in carrying out the elevating/lowering operations of the planting machine 3 and the transmission operations of the transmission mechanism 27 of the upper/lower two-stage belt type is disposed so as to be swingably operable in the forward and rearward directions. In the drawing, reference numeral 105 denotes a casing body. In the drive operating section 8, an association operation lever 107 is also disposed at the left-hand side position of the bonnet 29 so as to be swingably operable in the forward and rearward directions, which is in turn mounted on a clutch-brake association mechanism 106, as will be described later, and can be operated as an association operating member. At the position on the left-hand side of the association operation lever 107 is disposed a clutch pedal 108 so as to be operable by depressing with the foot of the operator. A pair of left-hand and right-hand braking pedals 168 and 169 of the type of being depressed by the feet of the operator is disposed at the position on the right-hand side of the bonnet 29 so as to be operable by depressing. The braking pedals 168 and 169 are supported at the base portions thereof on the connecting pipe 16 of the lower frame structuring member 17 so as to be pivotally movable. As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the association operation lever 107 is mounted on the clutch-brake association mechanism 106. The clutch-brake association mechanism 106 comprises a clutch mechanism 109 and an auxiliary brake mechanism 48. The clutch mechanism 109 is disposed at the middle portion of the power transmission path 79 extending from the prime mover section 7 to the running section 6. The auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is in turn operatively coupled with the clutch mechanism 109. As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the clutch mechanism 109 is structured in such a manner that an association shaft 111 is mounted on the left-hand connecting rod 12 of the machine body frame 5 so as to be pivotally movable in the forward and rearward directions with the axial line directed in the left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction and that two operating plates 112 and 113, each extending in a vertical direction, are mounted on the association shaft 111 in a relationship spaced in the left-hand and right-hand directions. The right-hand operating plate 113 is mounted on the base end portion of the association operation lever 107 so as to be swingable in the left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction, while a biasing spring 115 is interposed between the left-hand operating plate 112 and the connecting rod 12 so as to bias the association operation lever 107 toward the front. In the drawing, reference numeral 114 denotes a biasing spring, reference numeral 124 denotes a connecting pin, and reference numeral 125 denotes a pressing plate. The clutch mechanism 109 is further structured in such a manner that a clutch pedal shaft 116 is mounted on the left-hand main pipe 9 of the machine body frame 5 with its axial line directed in the left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction so as to be pivotally movable in the forward and rearward directions and that a clutch pedal 108 is mounted at a base end portion thereof on the left-hand end portion of the clutch pedal shaft 116. Further, a pair of left-hand and right-hand association plates 117 and 118 is mounted at the middle portions thereof on the middle portions of the clutch pedal shaft 116, each of the associations plates 117 and 118 inclining with the top portion located lower than the rear portion. A clutch rod 119 is mounted at the base end portion thereof on the bottom end portions of the association plates 117 and 118 so as to be pivotally movable. The clutch rod 119 extends in the forward and rearward directions through the left-hand and right-hand operating plates 112 and 113. The clutch rod 119 is further provided at the top end portion thereof with an engaging member 120 in a latitudinally elongated ring-shaped form, and the engaging member 120 is engaged with an engaging pin 121 at the low-speed side projecting toward the right-hand side from the upper right-hand side of a wire arm 55 at the low-speed side and with an engaging pin 122 at the high-speed side projecting toward the left-hand side from the upper left-hand side of a clutch arm 63 at the high¬speed side. In the drawing, reference numeral 139 denotes a biasing spring interposed between the clutch pedal 108 and the main pipe 9 in a manner that the clutch pedal 108 is biased with the biasing spring 139 clockwise about the clutch pedal shaft 116, as shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore, the clutch mechanism 109 is provided with a recipient member 123 at the rear portion of the clutch rod 119 and at the position directly behind the left-hand and right-hand operating plates 112 and 113. As the clutch pedal 108 is depressed, the association plates 117 and 118 are caused to pivot counterclockwise about the clutch pedal shaft 116 to transfer the clutch rod 119 toward the rear, as shown in Fig. 3. In association with this operation, the clutch arm 55 at the low-speed side and the clutch arm 63 at the high-speed side are allowed to pivot clockwise about a clutch support shaft 50, as shown in Fig. 3, while the clutch pulley 45 at the high-speed side and the clutch pulley 46 at the low-speed side are caused to be released from the transmission belt 43 at the high-speed side and the transmission belt 44 at the low-speed side, respectively, thereby bringing the clutch mechanism 109 into a disconnected state and consequently disconnecting the power transmission from the engine 25 to the transmission case 26. Moreover, as the association operation lever 107 is operated toward the rear, the operating plates 112 and 113 are caused to pivot in a clockwise direction about the association shaft 111, as shown in Fig. 3, and the top end portions of the operating plates 112 and 113 presses the recipient member 123 toward the rear, followed by transferring the clutch rod 119 toward the rear and consequently causing the clutch mechanism 109 into a disconnected status. This causes the transmission of the power from the engine 25 and the transmission case 26 to be disconnected. On the other hand, as the association operation lever 107 is operated toward the front, the operating plates 112 and 113 are caused to pivot in a counterclockwise direction about the association shaft 111, as shown in Fig. 3, and the top end portions of the operating plates 112 and 113 are released from the recipient member 123, followed by transferring the clutch rod 119 toward the front and causing the clutch arm 55 at the high-speed side or the clutch arm 63 at the low-speed side to pivot about the clutch support shaft 50, as shown in Fig. 3, and causing the clutch pulley 45 at the high-speed side or the clutch pulley at the low-speed side to approach closer to the transmission belt 43 at the high-speed side or the transmission belt 44 at the low-speed side, respectively, to bring the clutch mechanism 109 into a connected status to consequently transmit the engine power from the engine 25 to the transmission case 26. As shown in Figs. 2 to 6, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 includes a brake support bracket 51 mounted at the upper middle portion of the sub-pipe 14 of the lower frame structuring member 17, a base member 52 mounted on the brake support bracket 51, a boss 53 mounted on the base member 52, a brake support member 54 inserted into the boss 53 so as to be movable in the forward and rearward directions, and a brake pad 55 in a disc form mounted on the top end portion of the brake support member 54. Further, a brake pulley 49 in a disc form is mounted on the front portion of the drive shaft 99, and the brake pulley 49 is formed with a brake groove 55 on its outer peripheral surface. Moreover, the brake pad 55 is disposed so as to come into contact with or separate from the brake groove 50 of the brake pulley 49. As shown in Fig. 7, the brake support member 54 and the hollow portion of the boss 53 are each of a form in section having a generally rectangular shape with the left-hand and right-hand sides parallel to each other and the top and bottom sides in an arc form. Further, the length of the parallel sides of the hollow portion of the boss 53 is set to be slightly wider than the length of the parallel left-hand and right-hand sides of the brake support member 54, so that the brake support member 54 is disposed in the hollow portion of the boss 53 so as to pivot slightly about the axis thereof along the arc portions of the hollow portions of the boss 53. In other words, the position of the brake support member 54 can be adjusted in the hollow portion of the boss 53 as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 7. Further, in the auxiliary brake mechanism 48, the base end portion of an operating arm in a generally L-shaped form is operatively coupled with the top end portion of the brake support member 54, and the L-shaped operating arm 56 is mounted on the brake support bracket 51 so as to be pivotally movable. The rear end portion of a link ball 57 extending in the forward and rearward directions is operatively coupled with the top end portion of the operating arm 56 so as to be pivotally movable, and a brake connecting member 58 with the association shaft 111 mounted at the right-hand end portion thereof is operatively coupled with the top end portion of the link ball 57. As shown in the drawing, reference numeral 59 denotes a biasing spring that biases the brake pad 55 in the direction of separating it from the braking groove 50. As described above the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 supports a braking member 60 composed of the brake support member 54 and the brake pad 55 at the left-hand side position of the base member 52 that in turn is fixed to the machine body frame 5 by means of a fixing system 61. The fixing system 61 includes elongated apertures 62 and 62, each extending in the left-hand and right-hand directions at the right side position of the base member 52, each of the elongated apertures being disposed in a vertically spaced relationship, a bolt 63 being inserted through each of the elongated apertures 62, 62 and being mounted on the brake support bracket 51. The position of fixing the base member 52 can be adjusted in the left-hand and right-hand directions by means of the elongated apertures 62, 62 disposed in the base member 52. As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the drive shaft 99 may be composed of three divisions that include a shaft 147 at the transmission case side operatively coupled with the rear portion of the transmission case 26, a shaft 148 at the axle case side operatively coupled with the front portion of the rear axle case 77, and a connecting shaft 149 operatively coupling the shaft 147 with the shaft 148. At the position on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 147 at the transmission case side and nearby a connection portion between the shaft 147 at the transmission case side and the connecting shaft 149, the brake pulley 49 of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is mounted. In the drawings, reference numerals 150 and 151 denote each a bevel gear. In this embodiment, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is mounted on the drive shaft 99 exposed to the outside, not inside the transmission case 26 or the rear axle case 77, so that the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 can be inspected or repaired without detachment or disassembly of the transmission case 26 or the rear axle case 77. Therefore, this arrangement can facilitate maintenance work of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48. Further, as the drive shaft 99 is divided into three parts and the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed in the position nearby the connection portion, it can be inspected or repaired without detachment or disassembly of the transmission case 26 or the rear axle case 77. Therefore, this arrangement can further facilitate maintenance work of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48. Moreover, in this embodiment, the transmission case 26 is disposed at the position higher than the rear axle case 77 and the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is mounted on the upper portion of the drive shaft 99 disposed in an inclining way with the front portion located higher than the rear portion, so that the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 can be disposed at a position high enough to prevent mud, dirt or other muddy materials from attaching to the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 and to allow the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 to sustain a high and favorable braking force. As shown in Figs. 2 to 6, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is provided with a mud removal mechanism 64 for removing mud, dirt or other muddy materials attached to the brake grooves 50 of the brake pulley 49. In the mud removal mechanism 64, a support pin 65 is mounted on the left edge portion of the base member 52, a support arm 66 extending downwardly is mounted at a base end portion thereof on the support pin 65 so as to be pivotally movable in the left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction, and a scraper 67 in a disc shape, made of an elastic material such as resin or rubber, is mounted on the top end portion of the support arm 66 so as to be pivotally movable. The scraper 67 is biased by a biasing spring 68 interposed between the support arm 66 and the brake support bracket 51 so as to press the scraper 67 onto the brake groove 50 of the brake pulley 49. In the drawings, reference numeral 69 denotes a slip-preventive pin and reference numeral 70 denotes a support shaft. In this embodiment, the mud removal mechanism 64 for removing mud, dirt or other materials attached to the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley 49 is disposed in the manner as described above, so that mud, dirt or other materials attached to the brake pulley 49 can be removed by means of the mud removal mechanism 64, thereby sustaining a high abrasive force between the brake pulley 49 and the brake pad 135 and at the same time maintaining a good braking force of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48. Moreover, this can prevent mud, dirt or other materials from being caught between the brake pulley 49 and the brake pad 135, so that damages of the brake pulley 49 and the brake pad 135 can be prevented. As the mud removal mechanism 64 is comprised by the pivotal mounting of the scraper 67 on the support arm 66, resistance to abrasion between the scraper 67 and the brake pulley 49 can be reduced so that a power loss can also be reduced which is caused to occur by abutment of the scraper 67 with the brake pulley 49. In addition, wearing and tearing of the outer peripheral surface of the scraper 67 can be reduced, so that the long life of the scraper 67 can be ensured. Moreover, the scraper 67 made of an elastic material such as resin or rubber is disposed so as to press the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley 49, so that the scraper 67 can come into close abutment with the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley 49 and mud, dirt or other materials attached to the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley 49 can be removed for sure. The auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is arranged in the manner as described above so that workability of assembly of the rice-planting machine 1 can be remarkably improved. In this embodiment, the brake pulley 49 is disposed on the drive shaft 99 for transmitting the engine power of the prime mover section 7 to the running section 6 and the braking member 60 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley 49 so as to come into contact therewith or release therefrom. Further, the scraper 67 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley 49 in order to remove mud, dirt or other materials attached to the outer peripheral surface thereof, and the same base member 52 supports both of the braking member 60 and the scraper 67. Therefore, the braking member 60 and the scraper 67 can be integrally assembled and combined into a compact unit and they can be mounted on the base member 52 that in turn is mounted on the machine body frame 5. In other words, simply by mounting the braking member 60 and the scraper 67 in the form of a compact unit on the base member 52, the braking member 60 and the scraper 67 can be concurrently mounted on the machine body frame 5. This can improve workability of assembly of the rice-planting machine 1. Further, in this embodiment, the brake pulley 49 can also be aligned with the scraper 67, simply by aligning the brake pulley 49 with the braking member 60, upon mounting the base member 52 on the machine body frame 5. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately align each of the brake pulley 49 and the scraper 67 so that workability of assembly of the rice-planting machine 1 can be improved greatly. Moreover, in this embodiment, the braking member 60 and the scraper 67 are disposed at the left-hand side position of the base member 52, so that they can be assembled in such a state that the right-hand side position of the base member 52 is fixed with a jig or the like. Therefore, workability of assembly of a unit of the braking member 60 and the scraper 67 can be improved. In particular, in this embodiment, the fixing system 61 for fixing the base member 52 to the machine body frame 5 is disposed at the position on the right-hand side of the base member 52, so that the operator can look at the fixing system 61 without being blocked by the braking member 60 and the scraper 67, upon mounting the unit of the braking member 60 and the scraper 67 on the machine body frame 5 or detaching it therefrom. Therefore, the present invention can achieve improved workability of assembly of the rice-planting machine 1 and improved maintenance performance. In addition, the fixing system 61 is arranged so as to adjust the fixing position of the base member 52, so that alignment of the braking member 60 with the brake pulley 49 can be performed with ease, thereby eventually improving workability of assembly of the rice-planting machine 1 and maintenance performance. The auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is configured in such a manner that, when the association operation lever 107 is swingably operated toward the rear, the link ball 57 and the operating arm 56 are associated with this swingable operation to transfer the braking member 60 toward the brake pulley 49, and the brake pad 55 depresses the braking groove 50 of the brake pulley 49, thereby suspending the pivotal movement of the drive shaft 99 and stopping the movement of the machine body. In this case, the top end portions of the operating plates 112 and 113 depress the recipient member 123 before the depressing of the brake pad 135 to the braking groove 50 thereof and the start of operation of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48, thereby transferring the clutch rod 119 toward the rear and bringing the clutch mechanism 109 into a disconnected state. In this embodiment, as the brake connecting member 58 is operatively coupled with the operating arm 56 through the link ball 57, the timing of operating the clutch mechanism 109 and the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the link of the link ball 57. As shown in Fig. 6, the pivotal movement of the drive shaft 99 can be suspended by depressing the brake pad 55 in a wedge-like shape in section on the braking groove 50 of the brake pulley 49, so that this can produce a larger braking force by a smaller operation load. Further, the braking member 60 is arranged so as to press the braking groove 50 of the brake pulley 49 in a linear fashion, so that the range of transferal of the braking member 60 can be made so small that the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 can be rendered compact in size, while preventing wearing or tearing of the brake pad 55. On the other hand, when the association operation lever 107 is swigably operated toward the front, the brake pad 135 is caused to release from the braking groove 50 and the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is brought into a released state, while the top end portions of the operating plates 112 and 113 are released from the recipient member 123 to bring the clutch mechanism 109 into a connected state. As shown in Fig. 1, the association operation lever 107 can change the posture of the machine body in such a manner, as described above, that the machine body assumes a running posture 140, on the one hand, in which the clutch mechanism 109 is in a connected state and the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is in a released state and that it assumes a suspending posture 141, on the other hand, in which the clutch mechanism 109 is in a disconnected state and the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is in an operating state. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the association operation lever 107 is inserted into a L-shaped guide hole 143 formed in the guide plate 142 mounted on the left-hand main pipe 9, so that it can change the posture of the machine body along the guide hole 143 to assume the running state 140 or the suspending state 141. In the drawings, reference numeral 144 denotes a bracket. When the posture of the machine body is changed by the association operation lever 107 from the running posture 140 to the suspending posture 141, the association operation lever 107 is swingably operated to the right-hand side and then pivotally operated directly toward the rear, thereby holding the suspending posture 141 in a state in which the association operation lever 107 is located in an erect position. In this case, the middle portion of the association operation lever 107 is engaged with an engaging projection 145 of the guide hole 143, thereby blocking the left-hand swinging of the association operation lever 107. On the other hand, when the association operation lever 107 changes the posture of the machine body by from the suspending posture 141 to the running posture 140, the association operation lever 107 is pivotally operated behind and then swingably turned to the left-hand side, followed by pivotally operating toward the front. This allows the running posture 140 to be held in a state in which the association operation lever 107 is inclined toward the left-hand top. The auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed downstream of the transmission case 26 and upstream of the rear axle case 77 in the power transmission path 79 for transmitting the engine power from the engine 25 to the rear wheels 78 and 78. In a conventional machine, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is interposed between the engine 25 and the transmission case 26, so that the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed upstream of the transmission case 26 in the power transmission path 79. Therefore, when the transmission mechanism of the transmission case 26 is turned neutral, the pivotal movement of the front wheels 76, 76 and the rear wheels 78, 78 cannot be suspended even if the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is being operated, so that the machine body cannot be stopped for sure on an inclining plane such as a sloping road or the like. In this embodiment, however, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed downstream of the transmission case 26 in the power transmission path 79, so that the pivotal movement of the front wheels 76, 76 and the rear wheels 78, 78 can be suspended by the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 even if the transmission mechanism in the transmission case 26 is turned neutral, thereby stopping the machine body for sure even on an inclining plane such as a sloping road or the like. Further, in this embodiment, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed upstream of the rear axle case 77 in the power transmission path 79, so that the left-hand and right-hand rear wheels 78 and 78 can be suspended by one auxiliary brake mechanism 48 alone. Moreover, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 can be operated with a lower braking torque than the case where the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed on each of the left-hand and right-hand rear wheel shafts 100. Therefore, this configuration can simplify the structure of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48, and the operating force of the association operation lever 107 can be reduced, while improving operability. As shown in Figs. 1 and 8, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed directly behind the transmission case 26, so that the transmission case 26 is located on the front side of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48. Therefore, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 does not strike against a ridge between the adjacent planting fields upon riding the ridge and no damages of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 are caused. Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 1, 8 and 10, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is located above the bottommost end of the transmission case 26, so that it does not strike directly against an obstacle on a road or a ridge between the adjacent planting fields upon riding the ridge, etc. and it is protected from damages due to the impact of a collision, etc. Moreover, as shown in Figs. 1, 8 and 10, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed directly above the steering yoke 91, so that the bottom side of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is covered with the steering yoke 91. Therefore, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 can be prevented from mud, dirt or the like attaching thereto, thereby sustaining a good braking force of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48. In this embodiment, the mud removal mechanism 64 is disposed directly behind the transmission case 26, as shown in Fig. 8, so that the front portion of the mud removal mechanism 64 is also covered with the transmission case 26, thereby allowing a prevention of attachment of mud, dirt or other materials to the mud removal mechanism 64. Further, this structure of the mud removal mechanism 64 can prevent a small stone, in addition to mud, dirt or other materials from being caught between the scraper 67 of the mud removal mechanism 64 and the brake pulley 49 of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48. Therefore, damages of the scraper 67 and the brake pulley 49 can be prevented. Moreover, the mud removal mechanism 64 is located above the bottommost end of the transmission case 26, so that the mud removal mechanism 64 does not strike directly against an obstacle on a road or a ridge between the adjacent planting fields upon riding over the ridge. Therefore, damages of the mud removal mechanism 64 can also be prevented. In addition, the steering yoke 91 is disposed directly beneath the mud removal mechanism 64, so that the bottom side of the mud removal mechanism 64 is also covered with the steering yoke 91. Therefore, attachment of mud, dirt or other materials to the mud removal mechanism 64 can be prevented, and consequently damages of the mud removal mechanism 64 can be prevented, while maintaining a good braking force of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48. In particular, as in this embodiment, the steering yoke 91 is disposed directly behind the transmission case 26 and the mud removal mechanism 64 is disposed directly above the steering yoke 91, so that the front side of the mud removal mechanism 64 is covered with the transmission case 26 while the bottom side of the mud removal mechanism 64 is covered with the steering yoke 91. Therefore, the mud removal mechanism 64 is prevented from striking directly against an obstacle or the like on a road so that damages of the mud removal mechanism 64 can be prevented. Moreover, this can prevent mud, dirt or other materials from attachment to the mud removal mechanism 64 and sustain a favorable braking force of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the drive shaft 99 for transmitting the power of the prime mover section 7 to the running section 6 is disposed at an approximately central portion of the machine body in a forward-and-rearward elongated state. In addition, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed at the left-hand side of the drive shaft 99, so that the drive shaft 99 does not get in the way upon assembling or disassembling the auxiliary brake mechanism 48, consequently improving assembly and maintenance performance of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48. In particular, in this embodiment, the braking pedals 168 and 169 of a foot-depressing type are disposed on the right-hand side of the drive shaft 99, so that a space beneath the machine body can be utilized in an effective manner and this can serve as rendering the machine body compact in size. In addition, as the drive shaft 99 does not become a hindrance upon assembly or disassembly of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 and the braking pedals 168 and 169, performance of assembly and maintenance of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 and the braking pedals 168 and 169 can be improved. Figs. 14 and 15 show an auxiliary brake mechanism 170 in another embodiment of the present invention. In the auxiliary brake mechanism 170, a brake support bracket 171 is mounted at an upper middle portion of the sub-pipe 14 of the lower frame structuring member 17 and an operating arm 172 in a generally L-shaped form is mounted on the brake support bracket 171 so as to be pivotally movable. Between the top end portion of the operating arm 172 and the sub-pipe 14, there is mounted a braking belt 173 winding the braking groove 50 of the brake pulley 49. On the other hand, the rear end portion of the link ball 57 is mounted on the base end portion of the operating arm 172. In the drawings, reference numerals 174 and 175 denote each a tension spring. With the above arrangement, the auxiliary brake mechanism 170 can suspend the pivotal movement of the drive shaft 99 and stop the machine body by means of the swinging operation of the association operation lever 107 toward the rear and fastening the brake pulley 49 with the braking belt 173 in association with the link ball 57 and the operating arm 172. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The rice-planting machine according to the present invention is configured and operated in the manner as described above, so that it can demonstrate the effects as will be summarized below. (1) The rice-planting machine according to the present invention is structured in such a fashion that the transmission case is operatively coupled with the engine through the clutch mechanism, the axle case is in turn operatively coupled with the transmission case, the axle case is further coupled with a pair of the left-hand and right-hand wheels, thereby forming the power transmission path that transmits the engine power from the engine to the wheels, and the auxiliary brake mechanism is disposed downstream of the transmission case in the power transmission path. This structure of the rice-planting machine can suspend the pivotal movement of the front and rear wheels by means of the auxiliary brake mechanism even if the transmission case is turned neutral, thereby allowing the machine body to stop even on an inclining surface of a slanting road and so on. (2) As the rice-planting machine according to the present invention is further structured in such a fashion that the brake mechanism is located directly behind the transmission case and above the bottommost end of the transmission case, the auxiliary brake mechanism is protected with the transmission case so that the auxiliary brake mechanism are protected from damages due to an impact against an obstacle, such as a ridge on riding over the ridge, etc. without directly hitting against such an obstacle. (3) In the rice-planting machine according to the present invention, the steering wheel is operatively coupled with the steering yoke that in turn is operatively coupled with a pair of the left-hand and right-hand wheels so as to allow the steering wheel to steer the left-hand and right-hand wheels, and the steering yoke is disposed horizontally directly below the auxiliary brake mechanism. With this structure, the bottom portion of the auxiliary brake mechanism is covered with the steering yoke, so that the auxiliary brake mechanism is protected against attachment of mud, dirt and other materials and consequently can ensure a good braking force. (4) The rice-planting machine according to the present invention is structured in such a manner that the engine is operatively coupled with the transmission case through the clutch mechanism and the transmission case is operatively coupled with the rear axle case through the drive shaft that in turn is provided with the auxiliary brake mechanism, so that various work of inspection, maintenance and so on for the auxiliary brake mechanism can be carried out with ease, thereby improving maintenance performance, etc. of the auxiliary brake mechanism. (5) With the rice-planting machine according to the present invention structured above, the drive shaft for transmitting the power of the prime mover section to the running section is provided with the brake pulley that in turn is provided with the braking pad so as to come into abutment therewith or separate therefrom, and the mud removal mechanism is disposed for removing mud, dirt or other materials attached to the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley, so that the auxiliary brake mechanism can sustain a good braking performance because the mud, dirt, etc. attached to the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley can be removed with ease. (6) In the rice-planting machine according to the present invention, the support arm is provided with the scraper made of an elastic material so as to be pivotally movable and the scraper is in turn disposed so as to be biased to press the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley. Therefore, resistance to abrasion between the scraper and the brake pulley can be reduced, thereby reducing a power loss that may be otherwise caused to occur upon abutment of the scraper with the brake pulley. Further, this structure of the scraper can reduce abrasion of the outer peripheral surface thereof, thereby ensuring a long life of the scraper. (7) The rice-planting machine according to the present invention is structured in such a fashion that the mud removal mechanism is disposed in the position directly behind the transmission case and above the bottommost end of the transmission case, so that the transmission case is protected with the mud removal mechanism and prevented from an impact against obstacles, such as a ridge upon riding over the ridge, etc., and consequently from damages. (8) In the rice-planting machine according to the present invention, the drive shaft for transmitting the power of the prime mover section to the running section is provided with the brake pulley, the braking member is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley so as to come into abutment therewith or separate therefrom, the scraper for removing mud, dirt or other materials attached to the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley, and the braking member and the scraper are further supported by the same base member. Therefore, the braking member and the scraper can be integrally combined into a unit, so that the braking member and the scraper can be installed in the machine body frame simply by mounting the base member on the machine body frame. This can greatly improve workability of assembly of the rice-planting machine. Moreover, upon mounting the base member on the machine body frame, the brake pulley can be aligned with the scraper in a correct and accurate way simply by aligning the braking member with the brake pulley in the correct position, so that it is not required to align them separately, thereby greatly improving workability of assembly of the rice-planting machine. (9) The rice-planting machine according to the present invention is structured in such a manner that the braking member and the scraper are located on either of the left-hand and right- hand sides of the base member and the fixing system for fixing the base member to the machine body frame is disposed on the other side thereof, so that the operator can view the fixing system without being blocked by the braking member and the scraper upon assembling the machine body frame with a unit of the braking member and the scraper and disassembling the unit thereof from the machine body frame. This can serve as improving workability of assembly and maintenance performance of the rice-planting machine. In addition, the fixing system can adjust the position of fixing the base member, so that the alignment of the fixing system with the base member can be effected with ease so that improvements in workability of assembly and maintenance performance of the rice-planting machine can be achieved. Claim: 1. A rice-planting machine comprising an auxiliary brake mechanism (48) for suspending the movement of a machine body thereof, said auxiliary brake mechanism (48) being operatively coupled with a clutch mechanism (109) disposed in a power transmission path (79) for transmitting a power from a prime mover section (7) to a running section (6); wherein an engine (25) is operatively coupled with a transmission case (26) through said clutch mechanism (109); said transmission case (26) is operatively coupled with a rear axle case (77) which in turn is operatively coupled with a pair of left-hand and right-hand rear wheels (78, 78), respectively; and said power transmission path (79) for transmission the power of said engine (25) from said engine (25) to said rear wheels (78, 78) is formed; and said auxiliary brake mechanism (48) is disposed downstream of said transmission case (26) in said power transmission path (79). 2. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said auxiliary brake mechanism (48) is disposed directly behind said transmission case (26) and above the bottommost end of said transmission case (26). 3. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein a steering wheel (87) is operatively coupled with a steering yoke (91) and said steering yoke (91) is operatively coupled with a pair of left-hand and right- hand front wheels (76, 76), thereby steering said left-hand and right-hand front wheels (76, 76) by said steering wheel (87) and, said steering yoke (91) is disposed horizontally in a position directly beneath the auxiliary brake mechanism (48). 4. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said transmission case (109) is operatively coupled with a rear axle case (77) through a drive shaft (99); and said drive shaft (99) is provided with said auxiliary brake mechanism (48). 5. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said auxiliary brake mechanism (48) is structured in a fashion that said drive shaft is provided with a brake pulley (49), and said brake pulley (49) is provided with a braking pad (55) for abutment therewith or to separate therefrom; and said brake pulley (49) being provided with a mud removal mechanism (64) that removes muddy material attached to an outer peripheral surface of said brake pulley (49). 6. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein said mud removal mechanism (64) is provided with a scraper (67) made of an elastic material for pivotal movablility and said scraper (67) being biased to depress an outer peripheral surface of said brake pulley (49). 7. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein said mud removal mechanism (64) is disposed directly behind said transmission case (26) and above the bottommost end of said transmission case (26). 8. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein said mud removal mechanism (64) has a scraper (67) for removing muddy material attached to the outer peripheral surface of said brake pulley (49), and said braking member (60) and said scraper (67) are supported with an identical case member (52). 9. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein said braking member (60) and said scraper (67) are disposed on either one of left- hand and right-hand sides of said base member (52), a fixing system (61) for fixing said base member (52) to a machine body frame (5) is disposed on the other side, and said fixing system (61) is disposed to adjust a position of fixing said base member (52). 10. A rice-planting machine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Full Text

The present invention relates to a rice-planting machine and, more particularly, to an auxiliary brake mechanism for use with a rice-planting machine, which is adapted to stop a machine body of thereof.
BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY
A conventional rice-planting machine is provided with a planting machine disposed at a rear portion of the movable running machine body so as to lower downwardly and lift upwardly. The movable running machine body of such a conventional rice-planting machine has a running section composed of front and rear wheels, an association mechanism, and so on, disposed beneath a machine body frame thereof, and a prime mover section composed of an engine, transmission and so on disposed at the front portion thereof, a clutch mechanism being installed in a power transmission path extending from the prime mover section to the running section, and the clutch mechanism being operatively coupled with an auxiliary brake mechanism through a clutch-brake association mechanism.
The clutch-brake association mechanism is provided with an association operation lever that is so adapted as to change a posture of the machine body, which allows a machine body to assume a running posture, in which in which the machine body is running, and to assume a suspending posture, in which the running of the machine body is suspended. When the operating lever assumes the machine body running posture, the machine performs a normal planting operation while operating the running machine body in a state in which the clutch mechanism is operatively coupled and the auxiliary brake mechanism is released. On the other hand, the machine body assumes the machine body suspending posture to suspend the movement of the machine body by means of the operation of the operator, when operations for supplementing seedlings are carried out or when the machine is running on a ridge between planting fields or the machine body is being loaded on a truck or unloaded therefrom, while suspending the running machine body in such a state in which the clutch mechanism is disconnected and the auxiliary brake mechanism is brought in an operating status.
Further, the operating lever is operated so as to assume a machine body running status to run the machine body when the machine body is subjected to a running operation or a planting operation. On the other hand, the operating lever is operated so as to assume a machine body suspending posture in order to suspend the movement of the machine body new seedlings
to the planting machine is to be supplemented to the planting machine, the machine body is running to a different location or being loaded on a truck or unloaded therefrom.
In such a conventional rice-planting machine, the engine is operatively coupled with a transmission case, and a front axle case and a rear axle case are operatively coupled with the transmission case. Each of the front and rear axle cases is operatively coupled with a pair of left-hand and right-hand front and rear wheels, and the clutch mechanism and the auxiliary brake mechanism are interposed between the engine and the transmission case.
Such a conventional rice-planting machine, however, still has problems remained still unsolved. They may include:
(1) As the auxiliary brake mechanism is disposed at the position between the engine
and the transmission case, that is, at the side upstream of the transmission case in the power
transmission path, the rotary movement of the front and rear wheels cannot be suspended even
if the auxiliary brake mechanism would be operated in the case where the transmission case is
located in a neutral status, so that the machine body cannot be suspended for sure on an
inclining surface of a sloping road or the like.
(2) As the auxiliary brake mechanism is disposed at a pulley portion on the input shaft
of the transmission case and it is not exposed to the outside, while there is no space in which
maintenance is performed with a clearance, the auxiliary brake mechanism cannot be subjected
to maintenance, inspection and so on with readiness from the outside of the machine body so
that performance of maintenance is rendered poor.
(3) If the auxiliary brake mechanism would be disposed in such a manner that it is
exposed to the outside of the machine body in order to improve performance of maintenance,
there is the risk that the braking performance of the auxiliary brake mechanism is rather reduced
due to attachment of mud, dirt or other muddy materials to the machine body.
(4) If the machine body frame would be installed separately with the auxiliary brake
mechanism and a mud removal mechanism, an adjustment of the positions of the both elements
is required and assembly work may become laborious.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has the object to provide a rice-planting machine installed with an auxiliary brake mechanism for suspending the machine body thereof, the auxiliary brake mechanism being disposed so as to be operatively associated with a clutch mechanism interposed in a power transmission path interposed between a prime mover section and a running section.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a rice-planting machine having an auxiliary brake mechanism for suspending the machine body thereof, which
in turn is disposed so as to be operatively coupled with a clutch mechanism interposed in a power transmission path interposed between a prime mover section and a running section, wherein an engine is operatively coupled with a transmission case through the clutch mechanism, a front axle case is operatively coupled with the transmission case, and a pair of left-hand and right-hand rear wheels are operatively coupled with the front axle case, thereby forming a power transmission path to transmit a power of the engine from the engine to the rear wheels, and the auxiliary brake mechanism is located in the power transmission path downstream of the transmission case.
The auxiliary brake mechanism is further located in the position directly behind the transmission case and above the bottommost end of the transmission case.
A steering wheel is operatively coupled with a steering yoke and the steering yoke is operatively coupled with each of a pair of left-hand and right-hand front wheels, so as the left-hand and right-hand front wheels can be steered by the steering wheel. Moreover, the steering yoke is disposed horizontally at the position directly beneath the auxiliary brake mechanism.
Further, the rice-planting machine according to the present invention is provided with the auxiliary brake mechanism for suspending the machine body thereof, which is disposed so as to be operated in association with the clutch mechanism disposed in the power transmission path extending from the prime mover section to the running section, and in which the engine is operatively coupled with the transmission case through the clutch mechanism and a rear axle case is operatively coupled with the transmission case through a drive shaft that is further provided with the auxiliary brake mechanism.
Moreover, the auxiliary brake mechanism is disposed in such a manner that the drive shaft is provided with a brake pulley that in turn is disposed with a brake pad so as to come into abutment therewith or separate therefrom, the brake pulley being provided with a mud removal mechanism for removing mud, dirt and other materials attached on the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley.
The mud removal mechanism is arranged such that a support arm has a scraper made of an elastic material and the scraper is biased so as to press the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley.
Further, the mud removal mechanism is disposed at the position extending in the position directly behind the transmission case and above the bottommost end of the transmission case.
Moreover, in the rice-planting machine in accordance with the present invention with the auxiliary brake mechanism for suspending the machine body thereof disposed therein, the auxiliary brake mechanism is disposed so as to be operated in association with the clutch mechanism disposed in the power transmission path extending from the prime mover section to
the running posture and provided in such a manner that the drive shaft for transmitting the power of the prime mover section to the running section is provided with the brake pulley and a braking body is disposed so as to come into abutment therewith or separate therefrom and to press the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley. On the other hand, the brake pulley is further provided on its outer peripheral surface with a scraper for removing mud, dirt, etc. attached on the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley. Moreover, the braking body and the scraper are supported by means of a base member.
The braking body and the scraper are disposed on one of the left-hand side or the right-hand side of the base member, while a fixing member for fixing the base member to the machine body frame is disposed on the other side thereof. In addition, the fixing member is disposed so as to adjust the fixing position of the base member.
Accordingly, the present invention provides for a rice-planting machine comprising an auxiliary brake mechanism (48) for suspending the movement of a machine body thereof, said auxiliary brake mechanism (48) being operatively coupled with a clutch mechanism (109) disposed in a power transmission path (79) for transmitting a power from a prime mover section (7) to a running section (6); wherein
an engine (25) is operatively coupled with a transmission case (26) through said clutch mechanism (109); said transmission case (26) is operatively coupled with a rear axle case (77) which in turn is operatively coupled with a pair of left-hand and right-hand rear wheels (78, 78), respectively; and said power transmission path (79) for transmission the power of said engine (25) from said engine (25) to said rear wheels (78, 78) is formed; and
said auxiliary brake mechanism (48) is disposed downstream of said transmission case (26) in said power transmission path (79).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a left-hand side view showing a rice-planting machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a machine body frame for use with the rice-planting machine of the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a left-hand side view showing a clutch-brake association mechanism.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a rear view showing an auxiliary brake mechanism for use with the rice-planting machine of the present invention.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing a brake support member and a boss.
Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a hydraulic cylinder.
Fig. 9 is a rear view of Fig. 8.
Fig. 10 is a left-hand side view showing a transmission case.
Fig. 11 is a left-hand side view showing a drive shaft.
Fig. 12 is an enlarged view showing an uppermost end portion of a steering wheel (with a power steering disposed therein).
Fig. 13 is an enlarged view showing an uppermost end portion of a steering wheel (with no power steering disposed therein).
Fig. 14 is a rear view showing an auxiliary brake mechanism in another embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 15 is apian view of Fig. 14.
BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The present invention will be described in more detail by way of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in Fig. 1, an operator-riding rice-planting machine 1 has a mobile machine body 2 linked at the rear portion thereof with a planting machine 3 connected thereto through an elevating system 4 so as to lift upwardly and lower downwardly.
As shown in Fig. 1, the movable machine body 2 has a running section 6 at the lower portion of a machine body frame 5 and a prime mover section 7 at the upper front portion of the machine body frame 5. Further, a drive operating section 8 is disposed in a position directly behind the prime mover section 7.
As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the machine body frame 5 is composed of a main frame structuring member 11 and a lower frame structuring member 17. The main frame structuring member 11 is of a squared C-shaped structure, when looked on the plane from the above, which is composed of a pair of left-hand and right-hand main pipes 9 and 10, each being in a rectangular form in section, each extending in the forward and rearward directions, and a front pipe (although not shown) in a rectangular form in section, bridging the front end portions of the respective main pipes 9 and 10. The lower frame structuring member 17 is composed of a pair of left-hand and right-hand sub-pipes 14 and 15, each extending in the forward and rearward directions, and a connecting pipe 16 in a cylindrical form bridging the middle portions of the respective sub-pipes 14 and 15. The main frame structuring member 11 is connected to the lower frame structuring member 17 with connecting rods 12 and 13. The connecting rods 12 and 13 are mounted downwardly on the front middle portions of the respective left-hand and right-hand main pipes 9 and 10 of the main frame structuring member 11, and the bottom end portions of the connecting rods 12 and 13 are connected to the sub-pipes 14 and 15 of the lower frame structuring member 17, respectively. In the drawing, reference numeral 18 denotes a connecting pipe in a rectangular form in section.
The machine body frame 5 is connected to a rear frame structuring member 21 in a gate form, bridging the rear portion of the main frame structuring member 11 and the rear portion of the lower frame structuring member 17. The rear frame structuring member 21 is composed of a pair of left-hand and right-hand rear pipes 19 and 19, each in a cylindrical form, and an upper pipe 20 in a cylindrical form. Each of he rear pipes 19 and 19 is mounted obliquely toward the upper front on the rear end portions of the sub-pipes 14 and 15, respectively. The upper pipe 20 is disposed bridging the upper portions of the rear pipes 19 and 19. Further, an upper frame structuring member 23 is interposed between the lower frame structuring member 17 and the rear frame structuring member 21. The upper frame structuring member 23 is composed of a pair of left-hand and right-hand inclining pipes 22 and 22, each connecting the middle portion of the connecting pipe 16 and the middle portion of the upper
pipe 20 and disposed extending obliquely with its front portion directed downward and its rear portion directed upward. In the drawing, reference numeral 96 denotes a seat support pipe in a gate form, disposed bridging the middle portions of the inclining pipes 22 and 22.
As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the prime mover section 7 is connected to an engine table 97 in a plate form interposed between the front portions of the left-hand and right-hand main pipes 9 and 10 of the machine body frame 5. An engine 25 as a prime mover disposed on the engine table 97, and a transmission case 26 is disposed beneath the engine table 97. The engine 25 is operatively coupled with the transmission case 26 through a transmission mechanism 27 of an upper/lower two-stage belt type. With the engine 25 is operatively coupled a planting machine 3 through a planting association mechanism 28.
The prime mover section 7 is configured so as to transmit the power of the engine 25 to the running section 6 and the planting machine 7 through the transmission case 26.
The prime mover section 7 is provided with a fuel tank (not shown) disposed directly above the engine 25, and the fuel tank and the engine 25 are covered with a bonnet 29. On the left-hand and right-hand sides of the bonnet 29, respectively, supplemental seedlings tables 30 and 30 are disposed in order to place supplemental seedlings.
As shown in Fig. 1, the bonnet 29 is composed of a front cover member 31 and a rear cover member 32 and mounted on the upper front portion of the main frame structuring member 11 of the machine body frame 5.
As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the transmission mechanism 27 of the upper/lower two-stage belt type is provided with an output pulley 38 at the high-speed side having a larger dimension and an output pulley 39 at the low-speed side having a smaller dimension, each being mounted in a lengthwise direction on an output shaft 37 of the engine 25, and an input pulley 41 at the high-speed side having a smaller dimension and an input pulley 42 at the low-speed side having a larger dimension, each being mounted in a widthwise direction on an input shaft 40 of the transmission case 26. The output pulley 38 at the high-speed side and the input pulley 41 at the high-speed side are bridged with a transmission belt 43 at the high-speed side, and the output pulley 39 at the low-speed side and the input pulley 42 at the low-speed side are bridged with a transmission belt 44 at the low-speed side. Moreover, the transmission belt 43 at the high-speed side is provided with a clutch pulley 45 at the high-speed side at a middle portion thereof so as to come into contact therewith or separate therefrom. Likewise, the transmission belt 44 at the low-speed side is provided with a clutch pulley 46 at the high-speed side at a middle portion thereof so as to come into contact therewith or separate therefrom.
By selectively pulling either of the transmission belt 43 at the high-speed side or the transmission belt 44 at the low-speed side by means of either of the clutch pulley 45 at the high-speed side or the clutch pulley 46 at the low-speed side, respectively, the input shaft 40 of the
transmission case 26 can be rotated at a high speed or at a low speed. In other words, the running speed of the machine body can be adjusted by the selection of the clutch pulley 45 at the high-speed side or the clutch pulley 46 at the low-speed speed.
In the running section 6, as shown in Fig. 1, a pair of left-hand and right-hand front axle cases 74 and 75, respectively, are operatively coupled with the transmission case 26, and each of the front axle case 74 and 75 is operatively coupled with a front wheel 76. Likewise, the transmission case 26 is operatively coupled with a rear axle case 77 that in turn is operatively coupled with a pair of left-hand and right-hand rear wheels 78 and 78.
With the machine body arranged in the manner as described above, the power of the engine 25 is transmitted from the engine 25 to the transmission case 26. The engine power is then transmitted from the transmission case 26 to the front axle cases 74 and 75, and it is further transmitted from the front axle case 74 to one of the front wheels 76 and 76, while it is further transmitted from the front axle case 75 to the other front wheel 76. On the other hand, the engine power transmitted to the transmission case 26 is then transmitted to the rear axle case 77, followed by transmitting to the rear wheels 78 and 78. This arrangement of the power transmission constitutes a power transmission path 79 for transmitting the engine power from the rear axle case 77 to the rear wheels 78 and 78.
As shown in Figs. 1, 8 and 9, the front axle cases 74 and 75 are each in a generally L-shaped form, which comprise latitude axle case structuring members 82 and 83, respectively, connected to left-hand and right-hand side walls 80 and 81 of the transmission case 26, each in a form extending in a left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction, and longitude axle case structuring members 84 and 85, respectively, connected downwardly to the top end portions of the latitude axle case structuring members 82 and 83, respectively. The front wheels 86 and 86 are mounted on the bottom end portions of the longitude axle case structuring members 84 and 85 in the direction directed outwardly to the left and right, respectively, so as to be pivotally movable. The front wheel 76 is mounted on each of the front wheel shafts 86.
The longitudinal axle case structuring members 84 and 85 are operatively connected to the top end portions of the latitudinal axle case structuring members 82 and 83, respectively, so as to be pivotally movable. Moreover, they are operatively coupled with a steering wheel 87 so as to be steered by means of a steering mechanism 88.
As shown in Figs. 1 and 8 to 10, the steering mechanism 88 is arranged in such a manner that a steering case 24 is connected to the rear end portion of the transmission case 26 and that a steering shaft 89 is mounted on top of the steering case 24 so as to be pivotally movable in a vertically extending state, while the steering shaft 89 is provided with the steering wheel 87 at the top end portion thereof and the base end portion of the steering shaft 89 is operatively coupled with the top end portion of a steering yoke shaft 90 which is mounted on
the lower rear end portion of the steering case 24 in a vertically extending state so as to be pivotally movable. Further, the steering yoke shaft 90 is provided at a bottom end portion thereof with a steering yoke 91 in a triangular plate form, and the left-hand and right-hand rear end portions of the steering yoke 91 are operatively coupled with the base end portions of a pair of left-hand and right-hand tie rods 92 and 93 so as to be pivotally movable to the left and right, respectively. The top end portions of the tie rods 92 and 93 are operatively coupled with the base end portions of knuckle arms 94 and 95 so as to be pivotally movable to the left and right, respectively, while the top end portions of the knuckle arms 94 and 95 are mounted on middle portions of the longitudinal axle case structuring members 84 and 85, respectively.
The steering mechanism 88 is further composed of a stay 160 in a generally The hydraulic cylinder 161 for use with power steering is interposed between the main pipe 9 of the main frame structuring member 11 and the sub-pipe 14 of the lower frame structuring member 17 in such a state that it extends through the machine body in a generally left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction. Further, the hydraulic cylinder 161 is disposed directly above the cylinder support member 164.
Since the hydraulic cylinder 161 is disposed in such a left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction of the machine body, the forward-rearward widthwise length of the machine body can be made shorter. Moreover, as the hydraulic cylinder 161 is disposed directly above the cylinder support member 164, the cylinder support member 164 can prevent striking against an obstacle on a road, resulting in a protection of the hydraulic cylinder 161 against damages or breakdowns.
In this embodiment as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, the hydraulic cylinder 161 for use with power steering is disposed in the position directly behind the transmission case 26, so that the transmission case is located in front of the hydraulic cylinder 161. This arrangement can prevent the hydraulic cylinder 161 from striking, for example, against a ridge between rice fields upon moving from one rice field to another and protect the hydraulic cylinder 161 from damages or breakdowns.
In addition, as shown in Figs. 1, 8 and 10, the hydraulic cylinder 161 is disposed at the
position higher than the bottommost end of the transmission case 26, so that the hydraulic cylinder 161 can be prevented from being striking directly against an obstacle on a road or a ridge between rice fields. Therefore, damages and breakdowns of the hydraulic cylinder 161 can be prevented, too.
Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 13, the steering mechanism 88 is structured in such a manner that a support member 165 in a generally L-shaped form is mounted on the upper left portion of the steering case 24 and the support member 165 is mounted on a valve 166 through an adapter 167, the valve being used for operating the hydraulic cylinder 161 for use in power steering. In the case of no power steering specification, a cover member 158 in a generally L-shaped form is mounted on the upper left portion of the steering case 24, as shown in Fig. 12.
As the valve 166 is mounted on the steering case 24 through the adapter 167 as shown in Fig. 13, the steering case 24 can be used in common for both of power steering specification and no pwer steering specification. This also permits an easy management of parts as well as improved assembly and disassembly performance of the steering case 24.
The steering mechanism 88 can alter a posture of the machine body in such a manner that, as the steering wheel 87 is steered to the left or right, the left-hand and right-hand longitudinal axle case structuring members 84 and 85 and the front wheels 76 and 76 are steered to the left or right, respectively, in association of the steering of the steering wheel 76.
As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 11, the rear axle case 77 is supported at an intersection portion between the rear end portion of the lower frame structuring member 17 and the bottom end portion of the rear frame structuring member 21 and operatively coupled with the front portion of the rear axle case 77 by means of a drive shaft 99 extending in a forward/rearward lengthwise direction. Further, the rear wheels 78 and 78 are operatively coupled with the left-hand and right-hand side portions of the rear axle case 77 through a rear wheel shaft 100 extending in the left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction.
As shown in Fig. 1, the drive operating section 8 is structured in such a manner that the steering wheel 87 is disposed on top of the bonnet 29 so as to be pivotally movable, and a seat 101 is disposed directly behind the steering wheel 87. On the left side portion of the seat 101, a transmission lever 102 for carrying out transmission operations of the running machine body 2 is disposed so as to be swingably operable in the forward and rearward directions. On the right side position of the seat 101, an elevation and transmission lever 103 for use in carrying out the elevating/lowering operations of the planting machine 3 and the transmission operations of the transmission mechanism 27 of the upper/lower two-stage belt type is disposed so as to be swingably operable in the forward and rearward directions. In the drawing, reference numeral 105 denotes a casing body.
In the drive operating section 8, an association operation lever 107 is also disposed at
the left-hand side position of the bonnet 29 so as to be swingably operable in the forward and rearward directions, which is in turn mounted on a clutch-brake association mechanism 106, as will be described later, and can be operated as an association operating member. At the position on the left-hand side of the association operation lever 107 is disposed a clutch pedal 108 so as to be operable by depressing with the foot of the operator. A pair of left-hand and right-hand braking pedals 168 and 169 of the type of being depressed by the feet of the operator is disposed at the position on the right-hand side of the bonnet 29 so as to be operable by depressing. The braking pedals 168 and 169 are supported at the base portions thereof on the connecting pipe 16 of the lower frame structuring member 17 so as to be pivotally movable.
As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the association operation lever 107 is mounted on the clutch-brake association mechanism 106. The clutch-brake association mechanism 106 comprises a clutch mechanism 109 and an auxiliary brake mechanism 48. The clutch mechanism 109 is disposed at the middle portion of the power transmission path 79 extending from the prime mover section 7 to the running section 6. The auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is in turn operatively coupled with the clutch mechanism 109.
As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the clutch mechanism 109 is structured in such a manner that an association shaft 111 is mounted on the left-hand connecting rod 12 of the machine body frame 5 so as to be pivotally movable in the forward and rearward directions with the axial line directed in the left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction and that two operating plates 112 and 113, each extending in a vertical direction, are mounted on the association shaft 111 in a relationship spaced in the left-hand and right-hand directions. The right-hand operating plate 113 is mounted on the base end portion of the association operation lever 107 so as to be swingable in the left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction, while a biasing spring 115 is interposed between the left-hand operating plate 112 and the connecting rod 12 so as to bias the association operation lever 107 toward the front. In the drawing, reference numeral 114 denotes a biasing spring, reference numeral 124 denotes a connecting pin, and reference numeral 125 denotes a pressing plate.
The clutch mechanism 109 is further structured in such a manner that a clutch pedal shaft 116 is mounted on the left-hand main pipe 9 of the machine body frame 5 with its axial line directed in the left-hand and right-hand widthwise direction so as to be pivotally movable in the forward and rearward directions and that a clutch pedal 108 is mounted at a base end portion thereof on the left-hand end portion of the clutch pedal shaft 116. Further, a pair of left-hand and right-hand association plates 117 and 118 is mounted at the middle portions thereof on the middle portions of the clutch pedal shaft 116, each of the associations plates 117 and 118 inclining with the top portion located lower than the rear portion. A clutch rod 119 is mounted at the base end portion thereof on the bottom end portions of the association plates 117 and 118 so

as to be pivotally movable. The clutch rod 119 extends in the forward and rearward directions through the left-hand and right-hand operating plates 112 and 113. The clutch rod 119 is further provided at the top end portion thereof with an engaging member 120 in a latitudinally elongated ring-shaped form, and the engaging member 120 is engaged with an engaging pin 121 at the low-speed side projecting toward the right-hand side from the upper right-hand side of a wire arm 55 at the low-speed side and with an engaging pin 122 at the high-speed side projecting toward the left-hand side from the upper left-hand side of a clutch arm 63 at the high¬speed side. In the drawing, reference numeral 139 denotes a biasing spring interposed between the clutch pedal 108 and the main pipe 9 in a manner that the clutch pedal 108 is biased with the biasing spring 139 clockwise about the clutch pedal shaft 116, as shown in Fig. 3.
Furthermore, the clutch mechanism 109 is provided with a recipient member 123 at the rear portion of the clutch rod 119 and at the position directly behind the left-hand and right-hand operating plates 112 and 113.
As the clutch pedal 108 is depressed, the association plates 117 and 118 are caused to pivot counterclockwise about the clutch pedal shaft 116 to transfer the clutch rod 119 toward the rear, as shown in Fig. 3. In association with this operation, the clutch arm 55 at the low-speed side and the clutch arm 63 at the high-speed side are allowed to pivot clockwise about a clutch support shaft 50, as shown in Fig. 3, while the clutch pulley 45 at the high-speed side and the clutch pulley 46 at the low-speed side are caused to be released from the transmission belt 43 at the high-speed side and the transmission belt 44 at the low-speed side, respectively, thereby bringing the clutch mechanism 109 into a disconnected state and consequently disconnecting the power transmission from the engine 25 to the transmission case 26.
Moreover, as the association operation lever 107 is operated toward the rear, the operating plates 112 and 113 are caused to pivot in a clockwise direction about the association shaft 111, as shown in Fig. 3, and the top end portions of the operating plates 112 and 113 presses the recipient member 123 toward the rear, followed by transferring the clutch rod 119 toward the rear and consequently causing the clutch mechanism 109 into a disconnected status. This causes the transmission of the power from the engine 25 and the transmission case 26 to be disconnected.
On the other hand, as the association operation lever 107 is operated toward the front, the operating plates 112 and 113 are caused to pivot in a counterclockwise direction about the association shaft 111, as shown in Fig. 3, and the top end portions of the operating plates 112 and 113 are released from the recipient member 123, followed by transferring the clutch rod 119 toward the front and causing the clutch arm 55 at the high-speed side or the clutch arm 63 at the low-speed side to pivot about the clutch support shaft 50, as shown in Fig. 3, and causing the clutch pulley 45 at the high-speed side or the clutch pulley at the low-speed side to approach
closer to the transmission belt 43 at the high-speed side or the transmission belt 44 at the low-speed side, respectively, to bring the clutch mechanism 109 into a connected status to consequently transmit the engine power from the engine 25 to the transmission case 26.
As shown in Figs. 2 to 6, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 includes a brake support bracket 51 mounted at the upper middle portion of the sub-pipe 14 of the lower frame structuring member 17, a base member 52 mounted on the brake support bracket 51, a boss 53 mounted on the base member 52, a brake support member 54 inserted into the boss 53 so as to be movable in the forward and rearward directions, and a brake pad 55 in a disc form mounted on the top end portion of the brake support member 54. Further, a brake pulley 49 in a disc form is mounted on the front portion of the drive shaft 99, and the brake pulley 49 is formed with a brake groove 55 on its outer peripheral surface. Moreover, the brake pad 55 is disposed so as to come into contact with or separate from the brake groove 50 of the brake pulley 49.
As shown in Fig. 7, the brake support member 54 and the hollow portion of the boss 53 are each of a form in section having a generally rectangular shape with the left-hand and right-hand sides parallel to each other and the top and bottom sides in an arc form. Further, the length of the parallel sides of the hollow portion of the boss 53 is set to be slightly wider than the length of the parallel left-hand and right-hand sides of the brake support member 54, so that the brake support member 54 is disposed in the hollow portion of the boss 53 so as to pivot slightly about the axis thereof along the arc portions of the hollow portions of the boss 53. In other words, the position of the brake support member 54 can be adjusted in the hollow portion of the boss 53 as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 7.
Further, in the auxiliary brake mechanism 48, the base end portion of an operating arm in a generally L-shaped form is operatively coupled with the top end portion of the brake support member 54, and the L-shaped operating arm 56 is mounted on the brake support bracket 51 so as to be pivotally movable. The rear end portion of a link ball 57 extending in the forward and rearward directions is operatively coupled with the top end portion of the operating arm 56 so as to be pivotally movable, and a brake connecting member 58 with the association shaft 111 mounted at the right-hand end portion thereof is operatively coupled with the top end portion of the link ball 57. As shown in the drawing, reference numeral 59 denotes a biasing spring that biases the brake pad 55 in the direction of separating it from the braking groove 50.
As described above the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 supports a braking member 60 composed of the brake support member 54 and the brake pad 55 at the left-hand side position of the base member 52 that in turn is fixed to the machine body frame 5 by means of a fixing system 61.
The fixing system 61 includes elongated apertures 62 and 62, each extending in the left-hand and right-hand directions at the right side position of the base member 52, each of the
elongated apertures being disposed in a vertically spaced relationship, a bolt 63 being inserted through each of the elongated apertures 62, 62 and being mounted on the brake support bracket 51. The position of fixing the base member 52 can be adjusted in the left-hand and right-hand directions by means of the elongated apertures 62, 62 disposed in the base member 52.
As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the drive shaft 99 may be composed of three divisions that include a shaft 147 at the transmission case side operatively coupled with the rear portion of the transmission case 26, a shaft 148 at the axle case side operatively coupled with the front portion of the rear axle case 77, and a connecting shaft 149 operatively coupling the shaft 147 with the shaft 148. At the position on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 147 at the transmission case side and nearby a connection portion between the shaft 147 at the transmission case side and the connecting shaft 149, the brake pulley 49 of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is mounted. In the drawings, reference numerals 150 and 151 denote each a bevel gear.
In this embodiment, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is mounted on the drive shaft 99 exposed to the outside, not inside the transmission case 26 or the rear axle case 77, so that the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 can be inspected or repaired without detachment or disassembly of the transmission case 26 or the rear axle case 77. Therefore, this arrangement can facilitate maintenance work of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48.
Further, as the drive shaft 99 is divided into three parts and the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed in the position nearby the connection portion, it can be inspected or repaired without detachment or disassembly of the transmission case 26 or the rear axle case 77. Therefore, this arrangement can further facilitate maintenance work of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48.
Moreover, in this embodiment, the transmission case 26 is disposed at the position higher than the rear axle case 77 and the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is mounted on the upper portion of the drive shaft 99 disposed in an inclining way with the front portion located higher than the rear portion, so that the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 can be disposed at a position high enough to prevent mud, dirt or other muddy materials from attaching to the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 and to allow the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 to sustain a high and favorable braking force.
As shown in Figs. 2 to 6, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is provided with a mud removal mechanism 64 for removing mud, dirt or other muddy materials attached to the brake grooves 50 of the brake pulley 49.
In the mud removal mechanism 64, a support pin 65 is mounted on the left edge portion of the base member 52, a support arm 66 extending downwardly is mounted at a base end portion thereof on the support pin 65 so as to be pivotally movable in the left-hand and
right-hand widthwise direction, and a scraper 67 in a disc shape, made of an elastic material such as resin or rubber, is mounted on the top end portion of the support arm 66 so as to be pivotally movable. The scraper 67 is biased by a biasing spring 68 interposed between the support arm 66 and the brake support bracket 51 so as to press the scraper 67 onto the brake groove 50 of the brake pulley 49. In the drawings, reference numeral 69 denotes a slip-preventive pin and reference numeral 70 denotes a support shaft.
In this embodiment, the mud removal mechanism 64 for removing mud, dirt or other materials attached to the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley 49 is disposed in the manner as described above, so that mud, dirt or other materials attached to the brake pulley 49 can be removed by means of the mud removal mechanism 64, thereby sustaining a high abrasive force between the brake pulley 49 and the brake pad 135 and at the same time maintaining a good braking force of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48.
Moreover, this can prevent mud, dirt or other materials from being caught between the brake pulley 49 and the brake pad 135, so that damages of the brake pulley 49 and the brake pad 135 can be prevented.
As the mud removal mechanism 64 is comprised by the pivotal mounting of the scraper 67 on the support arm 66, resistance to abrasion between the scraper 67 and the brake pulley 49 can be reduced so that a power loss can also be reduced which is caused to occur by abutment of the scraper 67 with the brake pulley 49.
In addition, wearing and tearing of the outer peripheral surface of the scraper 67 can be reduced, so that the long life of the scraper 67 can be ensured.
Moreover, the scraper 67 made of an elastic material such as resin or rubber is disposed so as to press the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley 49, so that the scraper 67 can come into close abutment with the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley 49 and mud, dirt or other materials attached to the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley 49 can be removed for sure.
The auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is arranged in the manner as described above so that workability of assembly of the rice-planting machine 1 can be remarkably improved. In this embodiment, the brake pulley 49 is disposed on the drive shaft 99 for transmitting the engine power of the prime mover section 7 to the running section 6 and the braking member 60 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley 49 so as to come into contact therewith or release therefrom. Further, the scraper 67 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley 49 in order to remove mud, dirt or other materials attached to the outer peripheral surface thereof, and the same base member 52 supports both of the braking member 60 and the scraper 67. Therefore, the braking member 60 and the scraper 67 can be integrally assembled and combined into a compact unit and they can be mounted on the base
member 52 that in turn is mounted on the machine body frame 5. In other words, simply by mounting the braking member 60 and the scraper 67 in the form of a compact unit on the base member 52, the braking member 60 and the scraper 67 can be concurrently mounted on the machine body frame 5. This can improve workability of assembly of the rice-planting machine 1.
Further, in this embodiment, the brake pulley 49 can also be aligned with the scraper 67, simply by aligning the brake pulley 49 with the braking member 60, upon mounting the base member 52 on the machine body frame 5. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately align each of the brake pulley 49 and the scraper 67 so that workability of assembly of the rice-planting machine 1 can be improved greatly.
Moreover, in this embodiment, the braking member 60 and the scraper 67 are disposed at the left-hand side position of the base member 52, so that they can be assembled in such a state that the right-hand side position of the base member 52 is fixed with a jig or the like. Therefore, workability of assembly of a unit of the braking member 60 and the scraper 67 can be improved.
In particular, in this embodiment, the fixing system 61 for fixing the base member 52 to the machine body frame 5 is disposed at the position on the right-hand side of the base member 52, so that the operator can look at the fixing system 61 without being blocked by the braking member 60 and the scraper 67, upon mounting the unit of the braking member 60 and the scraper 67 on the machine body frame 5 or detaching it therefrom. Therefore, the present invention can achieve improved workability of assembly of the rice-planting machine 1 and improved maintenance performance.
In addition, the fixing system 61 is arranged so as to adjust the fixing position of the base member 52, so that alignment of the braking member 60 with the brake pulley 49 can be performed with ease, thereby eventually improving workability of assembly of the rice-planting machine 1 and maintenance performance.
The auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is configured in such a manner that, when the association operation lever 107 is swingably operated toward the rear, the link ball 57 and the operating arm 56 are associated with this swingable operation to transfer the braking member 60 toward the brake pulley 49, and the brake pad 55 depresses the braking groove 50 of the brake pulley 49, thereby suspending the pivotal movement of the drive shaft 99 and stopping the movement of the machine body.
In this case, the top end portions of the operating plates 112 and 113 depress the recipient member 123 before the depressing of the brake pad 135 to the braking groove 50 thereof and the start of operation of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48, thereby transferring the clutch rod 119 toward the rear and bringing the clutch mechanism 109 into a disconnected state.
In this embodiment, as the brake connecting member 58 is operatively coupled with the operating arm 56 through the link ball 57, the timing of operating the clutch mechanism 109 and the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the link of the link ball 57.
As shown in Fig. 6, the pivotal movement of the drive shaft 99 can be suspended by depressing the brake pad 55 in a wedge-like shape in section on the braking groove 50 of the brake pulley 49, so that this can produce a larger braking force by a smaller operation load.
Further, the braking member 60 is arranged so as to press the braking groove 50 of the brake pulley 49 in a linear fashion, so that the range of transferal of the braking member 60 can be made so small that the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 can be rendered compact in size, while preventing wearing or tearing of the brake pad 55.
On the other hand, when the association operation lever 107 is swigably operated toward the front, the brake pad 135 is caused to release from the braking groove 50 and the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is brought into a released state, while the top end portions of the operating plates 112 and 113 are released from the recipient member 123 to bring the clutch mechanism 109 into a connected state.
As shown in Fig. 1, the association operation lever 107 can change the posture of the machine body in such a manner, as described above, that the machine body assumes a running posture 140, on the one hand, in which the clutch mechanism 109 is in a connected state and the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is in a released state and that it assumes a suspending posture 141, on the other hand, in which the clutch mechanism 109 is in a disconnected state and the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is in an operating state.
As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the association operation lever 107 is inserted into a L-shaped guide hole 143 formed in the guide plate 142 mounted on the left-hand main pipe 9, so that it can change the posture of the machine body along the guide hole 143 to assume the running state 140 or the suspending state 141. In the drawings, reference numeral 144 denotes a bracket.
When the posture of the machine body is changed by the association operation lever 107 from the running posture 140 to the suspending posture 141, the association operation lever 107 is swingably operated to the right-hand side and then pivotally operated directly toward the rear, thereby holding the suspending posture 141 in a state in which the association operation lever 107 is located in an erect position. In this case, the middle portion of the association operation lever 107 is engaged with an engaging projection 145 of the guide hole 143, thereby blocking the left-hand swinging of the association operation lever 107.
On the other hand, when the association operation lever 107 changes the posture of the machine body by from the suspending posture 141 to the running posture 140, the association
operation lever 107 is pivotally operated behind and then swingably turned to the left-hand side, followed by pivotally operating toward the front. This allows the running posture 140 to be held in a state in which the association operation lever 107 is inclined toward the left-hand top.
The auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed downstream of the transmission case 26 and upstream of the rear axle case 77 in the power transmission path 79 for transmitting the engine power from the engine 25 to the rear wheels 78 and 78.
In a conventional machine, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is interposed between the engine 25 and the transmission case 26, so that the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed upstream of the transmission case 26 in the power transmission path 79. Therefore, when the transmission mechanism of the transmission case 26 is turned neutral, the pivotal movement of the front wheels 76, 76 and the rear wheels 78, 78 cannot be suspended even if the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is being operated, so that the machine body cannot be stopped for sure on an inclining plane such as a sloping road or the like. In this embodiment, however, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed downstream of the transmission case 26 in the power transmission path 79, so that the pivotal movement of the front wheels 76, 76 and the rear wheels 78, 78 can be suspended by the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 even if the transmission mechanism in the transmission case 26 is turned neutral, thereby stopping the machine body for sure even on an inclining plane such as a sloping road or the like.
Further, in this embodiment, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed upstream of the rear axle case 77 in the power transmission path 79, so that the left-hand and right-hand rear wheels 78 and 78 can be suspended by one auxiliary brake mechanism 48 alone. Moreover, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 can be operated with a lower braking torque than the case where the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed on each of the left-hand and right-hand rear wheel shafts 100. Therefore, this configuration can simplify the structure of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48, and the operating force of the association operation lever 107 can be reduced, while improving operability.
As shown in Figs. 1 and 8, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed directly behind the transmission case 26, so that the transmission case 26 is located on the front side of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48. Therefore, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 does not strike against a ridge between the adjacent planting fields upon riding the ridge and no damages of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 are caused.
Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 1, 8 and 10, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is located above the bottommost end of the transmission case 26, so that it does not strike directly against an obstacle on a road or a ridge between the adjacent planting fields upon riding the ridge, etc. and it is protected from damages due to the impact of a collision, etc.
Moreover, as shown in Figs. 1, 8 and 10, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed
directly above the steering yoke 91, so that the bottom side of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is covered with the steering yoke 91. Therefore, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 can be prevented from mud, dirt or the like attaching thereto, thereby sustaining a good braking force of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48.
In this embodiment, the mud removal mechanism 64 is disposed directly behind the transmission case 26, as shown in Fig. 8, so that the front portion of the mud removal mechanism 64 is also covered with the transmission case 26, thereby allowing a prevention of attachment of mud, dirt or other materials to the mud removal mechanism 64.
Further, this structure of the mud removal mechanism 64 can prevent a small stone, in addition to mud, dirt or other materials from being caught between the scraper 67 of the mud removal mechanism 64 and the brake pulley 49 of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48. Therefore, damages of the scraper 67 and the brake pulley 49 can be prevented.
Moreover, the mud removal mechanism 64 is located above the bottommost end of the transmission case 26, so that the mud removal mechanism 64 does not strike directly against an obstacle on a road or a ridge between the adjacent planting fields upon riding over the ridge. Therefore, damages of the mud removal mechanism 64 can also be prevented.
In addition, the steering yoke 91 is disposed directly beneath the mud removal mechanism 64, so that the bottom side of the mud removal mechanism 64 is also covered with the steering yoke 91. Therefore, attachment of mud, dirt or other materials to the mud removal mechanism 64 can be prevented, and consequently damages of the mud removal mechanism 64 can be prevented, while maintaining a good braking force of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48.
In particular, as in this embodiment, the steering yoke 91 is disposed directly behind the transmission case 26 and the mud removal mechanism 64 is disposed directly above the steering yoke 91, so that the front side of the mud removal mechanism 64 is covered with the transmission case 26 while the bottom side of the mud removal mechanism 64 is covered with the steering yoke 91. Therefore, the mud removal mechanism 64 is prevented from striking directly against an obstacle or the like on a road so that damages of the mud removal mechanism 64 can be prevented. Moreover, this can prevent mud, dirt or other materials from attachment to the mud removal mechanism 64 and sustain a favorable braking force of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the drive shaft 99 for transmitting the power of the prime mover section 7 to the running section 6 is disposed at an approximately central portion of the machine body in a forward-and-rearward elongated state. In addition, the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 is disposed at the left-hand side of the drive shaft 99, so that the drive shaft 99 does not get in the way upon assembling or disassembling the auxiliary brake mechanism 48, consequently improving assembly and maintenance performance of the auxiliary brake
mechanism 48.
In particular, in this embodiment, the braking pedals 168 and 169 of a foot-depressing type are disposed on the right-hand side of the drive shaft 99, so that a space beneath the machine body can be utilized in an effective manner and this can serve as rendering the machine body compact in size.
In addition, as the drive shaft 99 does not become a hindrance upon assembly or disassembly of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 and the braking pedals 168 and 169, performance of assembly and maintenance of the auxiliary brake mechanism 48 and the braking pedals 168 and 169 can be improved.
Figs. 14 and 15 show an auxiliary brake mechanism 170 in another embodiment of the present invention. In the auxiliary brake mechanism 170, a brake support bracket 171 is mounted at an upper middle portion of the sub-pipe 14 of the lower frame structuring member 17 and an operating arm 172 in a generally L-shaped form is mounted on the brake support bracket 171 so as to be pivotally movable. Between the top end portion of the operating arm 172 and the sub-pipe 14, there is mounted a braking belt 173 winding the braking groove 50 of the brake pulley 49. On the other hand, the rear end portion of the link ball 57 is mounted on the base end portion of the operating arm 172. In the drawings, reference numerals 174 and 175 denote each a tension spring.
With the above arrangement, the auxiliary brake mechanism 170 can suspend the pivotal movement of the drive shaft 99 and stop the machine body by means of the swinging operation of the association operation lever 107 toward the rear and fastening the brake pulley 49 with the braking belt 173 in association with the link ball 57 and the operating arm 172.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
The rice-planting machine according to the present invention is configured and operated in the manner as described above, so that it can demonstrate the effects as will be summarized below.
(1) The rice-planting machine according to the present invention is structured in such a fashion that the transmission case is operatively coupled with the engine through the clutch mechanism, the axle case is in turn operatively coupled with the transmission case, the axle case is further coupled with a pair of the left-hand and right-hand wheels, thereby forming the power transmission path that transmits the engine power from the engine to the wheels, and the auxiliary brake mechanism is disposed downstream of the transmission case in the power transmission path. This structure of the rice-planting machine can suspend the pivotal movement of the front and rear wheels by means of the auxiliary brake mechanism even if the transmission case is turned neutral, thereby allowing the machine body to stop even on an
inclining surface of a slanting road and so on.
(2) As the rice-planting machine according to the present invention is further
structured in such a fashion that the brake mechanism is located directly behind the transmission
case and above the bottommost end of the transmission case, the auxiliary brake mechanism is
protected with the transmission case so that the auxiliary brake mechanism are protected from
damages due to an impact against an obstacle, such as a ridge on riding over the ridge, etc.
without directly hitting against such an obstacle.
(3) In the rice-planting machine according to the present invention, the steering wheel
is operatively coupled with the steering yoke that in turn is operatively coupled with a pair of
the left-hand and right-hand wheels so as to allow the steering wheel to steer the left-hand and
right-hand wheels, and the steering yoke is disposed horizontally directly below the auxiliary
brake mechanism. With this structure, the bottom portion of the auxiliary brake mechanism is
covered with the steering yoke, so that the auxiliary brake mechanism is protected against
attachment of mud, dirt and other materials and consequently can ensure a good braking force.
(4) The rice-planting machine according to the present invention is structured in such a
manner that the engine is operatively coupled with the transmission case through the clutch
mechanism and the transmission case is operatively coupled with the rear axle case through the
drive shaft that in turn is provided with the auxiliary brake mechanism, so that various work of
inspection, maintenance and so on for the auxiliary brake mechanism can be carried out with
ease, thereby improving maintenance performance, etc. of the auxiliary brake mechanism.
(5) With the rice-planting machine according to the present invention structured above,
the drive shaft for transmitting the power of the prime mover section to the running section is
provided with the brake pulley that in turn is provided with the braking pad so as to come into
abutment therewith or separate therefrom, and the mud removal mechanism is disposed for
removing mud, dirt or other materials attached to the outer peripheral surface of the brake
pulley, so that the auxiliary brake mechanism can sustain a good braking performance because
the mud, dirt, etc. attached to the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley can be removed
with ease.
(6) In the rice-planting machine according to the present invention, the support arm is
provided with the scraper made of an elastic material so as to be pivotally movable and the
scraper is in turn disposed so as to be biased to press the outer peripheral surface of the brake
pulley. Therefore, resistance to abrasion between the scraper and the brake pulley can be
reduced, thereby reducing a power loss that may be otherwise caused to occur upon abutment of
the scraper with the brake pulley.
Further, this structure of the scraper can reduce abrasion of the outer peripheral surface thereof, thereby ensuring a long life of the scraper.
(7) The rice-planting machine according to the present invention is structured in such a
fashion that the mud removal mechanism is disposed in the position directly behind the
transmission case and above the bottommost end of the transmission case, so that the
transmission case is protected with the mud removal mechanism and prevented from an impact
against obstacles, such as a ridge upon riding over the ridge, etc., and consequently from
damages.
(8) In the rice-planting machine according to the present invention, the drive shaft for
transmitting the power of the prime mover section to the running section is provided with the
brake pulley, the braking member is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley
so as to come into abutment therewith or separate therefrom, the scraper for removing mud, dirt
or other materials attached to the outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley is disposed on the
outer peripheral surface of the brake pulley, and the braking member and the scraper are further
supported by the same base member. Therefore, the braking member and the scraper can be
integrally combined into a unit, so that the braking member and the scraper can be installed in
the machine body frame simply by mounting the base member on the machine body frame. This
can greatly improve workability of assembly of the rice-planting machine.
Moreover, upon mounting the base member on the machine body frame, the brake pulley can be aligned with the scraper in a correct and accurate way simply by aligning the braking member with the brake pulley in the correct position, so that it is not required to align them separately, thereby greatly improving workability of assembly of the rice-planting machine.
(9) The rice-planting machine according to the present invention is structured in such a
manner that the braking member and the scraper are located on either of the left-hand and right-
hand sides of the base member and the fixing system for fixing the base member to the machine
body frame is disposed on the other side thereof, so that the operator can view the fixing system
without being blocked by the braking member and the scraper upon assembling the machine
body frame with a unit of the braking member and the scraper and disassembling the unit
thereof from the machine body frame. This can serve as improving workability of assembly and
maintenance performance of the rice-planting machine.
In addition, the fixing system can adjust the position of fixing the base member, so that the alignment of the fixing system with the base member can be effected with ease so that improvements in workability of assembly and maintenance performance of the rice-planting machine can be achieved.

Claim:
1. A rice-planting machine comprising an auxiliary brake
mechanism (48) for suspending the movement of a machine body thereof, said
auxiliary brake mechanism (48) being operatively coupled with a clutch
mechanism (109) disposed in a power transmission path (79) for transmitting
a power from a prime mover section (7) to a running section (6); wherein
an engine (25) is operatively coupled with a transmission case (26) through said clutch mechanism (109); said transmission case (26) is operatively coupled with a rear axle case (77) which in turn is operatively coupled with a pair of left-hand and right-hand rear wheels (78, 78), respectively; and said power transmission path (79) for transmission the power of said engine (25) from said engine (25) to said rear wheels (78, 78) is formed; and
said auxiliary brake mechanism (48) is disposed downstream of said transmission case (26) in said power transmission path (79).
2. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
auxiliary brake mechanism (48) is disposed directly behind said transmission
case (26) and above the bottommost end of said transmission case (26).
3. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein a
steering wheel (87) is operatively coupled with a steering yoke (91) and said
steering yoke (91) is operatively coupled with a pair of left-hand and right-
hand front wheels (76, 76), thereby steering said left-hand and right-hand
front wheels (76, 76) by said steering wheel (87) and, said steering yoke (91) is
disposed horizontally in a position directly beneath the auxiliary brake
mechanism (48).
4. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein
said transmission case (109) is operatively coupled with a rear axle case (77)
through a drive shaft (99); and said drive shaft (99) is provided with said
auxiliary brake mechanism (48).
5. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said
auxiliary brake mechanism (48) is structured in a fashion that said drive shaft
is provided with a brake pulley (49), and said brake pulley (49) is provided
with a braking pad (55) for abutment therewith or to separate therefrom; and
said brake pulley (49) being provided with a mud removal mechanism (64) that removes muddy material attached to an outer peripheral surface of said brake pulley (49).
6. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein said
mud removal mechanism (64) is provided with a scraper (67) made of an
elastic material for pivotal movablility and said scraper (67) being biased to
depress an outer peripheral surface of said brake pulley (49).
7. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein
said mud removal mechanism (64) is disposed directly behind said
transmission case (26) and above the bottommost end of said transmission
case (26).
8. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein said
mud removal mechanism (64) has a scraper (67) for removing muddy material
attached to the outer peripheral surface of said brake pulley (49), and said
braking member (60) and said scraper (67) are supported with an identical
case member (52).
9. The rice-planting machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein said
braking member (60) and said scraper (67) are disposed on either one of left-
hand and right-hand sides of said base member (52), a fixing system (61) for
fixing said base member (52) to a machine body frame (5) is disposed on the
other side, and said fixing system (61) is disposed to adjust a position of fixing
said base member (52).
10. A rice-planting machine substantially as herein described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

in-pct-2001-00584-del-abstract.pdf

in-pct-2001-00584-del-claims.pdf

in-pct-2001-00584-del-correspondence-others.pdf

in-pct-2001-00584-del-correspondence-po.pdf

in-pct-2001-00584-del-description (complete).pdf

in-pct-2001-00584-del-drawings.pdf

in-pct-2001-00584-del-form-1.pdf

in-pct-2001-00584-del-form-19.pdf

in-pct-2001-00584-del-form-2.pdf

in-pct-2001-00584-del-form-3.pdf

in-pct-2001-00584-del-form-5.pdf

in-pct-2001-00584-del-pa.pdf

in-pct-2001-00584-del-pct-210.pdf

in-pct-2001-00584-del-petition-138.pdf

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Patent Number

228334

Indian Patent Application Number

IN/PCT/2001/00584/DEL

PG Journal Number

08/2009

Publication Date

20-Feb-2009

Grant Date

02-Feb-2009

Date of Filing

03-Jul-2001

Name of Patentee

YANMAR AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT CO. LTD.,

Applicant Address

1-32, CHAYAMACHI, KITA-KU, OSAKA-SHI, OSAKA 530-0013, JAPAN.

Inventors:

#	Inventor's Name	Inventor's Address
1	YAMAMOTO TSUGUNORI	C/O YANMAR AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT CO LTD., 1-32, CHAYAMACHI, KITA-KU, OSAKA-SHI, OSAKA 530-0013, JAPAN.
2	TAKEUCHI OSAMU	C/O YANMAR AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT CO LTD., 1-32, CHAYAMACHI, KITA-KU, OSAKA-SHI, OSAKA 530-0013, JAPAN.

PCT International Classification Number

B60K 17/00

PCT International Application Number

PCT/JP99/05739

PCT International Filing date

1999-10-18

PCT Conventions:

#	PCT Application Number	Date of Convention	Priority Country
1	PCT/JP99/05739	1999-10-18	PCT