In 1956, we designed and constructed a small type harvester to make and drop out sheaves. (a small type dropper)
This harvester is equipped with a reciprocating cutter bar, star wheels and V belts to collect growing crops and to convey the cut crops, a divider which stops intermittently the conveyance of cut crops to make the sheaf of crops, a beater to drop out the sheaf on the field, a door which opens at same time with action of the beater.
It runes by a single line endless rail.
These are driven by a 2.5_??_ engine through ransmissions as shown in Fig 1.
We have found next results on field test.
(1) The conveying mechanisms are efficient for harvesting the crops stood upright except inclined crops.
(2) The divider acts fairly well, but not completely.
(3) The beater and door work thoroughly only when cut crops are convyieed and divided sufficiently.
(4) The single line endless rail showed good capacity for both dry and wetty field, as it run on cut stems.
(5) The new dropper type harvester is useful than windrower type harvester that we made last year, for gathering and binding crops.