Harvester Classification

Side-Hung Type

The hard shaft transmission system is primarily composed of an engine, transmission system, clutch, working components, control device, and a side-hung belt. One end of the transmission shaft is equipped with a 0.75 to 2 kW single-cylinder, two-stroke, air-cooled gasoline engine and a centrifugal friction clutch. The other end is fitted with a working component that includes a reducer and a cutting tool. Various types of cutting tools can be used, typically including a circular saw blade, a blade, or nylon wire.

Knapsack Type

The device is powered by a flexible shaft. Its overall structure resembles that of a side-hung irrigation cutter; however, the engine is positioned at the back of the operator, with the cutting components driven by the flexible shaft. The engine typically delivers a power output ranging from 0.75 to 1.2 kW. The engine and the rear frame are connected at two points and are equipped with specialized rubber components for vibration isolation. The flexible shaft consists of a steel wire encased in a hose to effectively transmit torque. This hose is a threaded pipe reinforced with a steel belt and encased in a metal woven mesh, which is further covered by a rubber protective sleeve to prevent dust from entering the shaft and to retain lubricating oil on the shaft surface. The cutting width generally ranges from 1.5 to 2 meters.

Walking Type

The weight of the implement is supported by the traveling wheel, while a person pushes the machine forward. The engine powers the working parts for cutting and filling operations. Its structure and working principle are similar to those of portable brush cutters. The hanging harvester is attached to the back of the tractor and is driven by the power output shaft to rotate the working components. This machine is suitable for large-scale cutting and irrigation tasks. It primarily consists of a frame, saw blade, transmission device, suspension device, and push plate. During irrigation cutting, the tractor moves in reverse at a working speed of 5 km/h and can saw through shrubs with a diameter of up to 10 cm.

Horizontal Type

The horizontal header harvester consists of a reel, one or two front and rear canvas conveyor belts, a divider, a cutter, and a transmission device (see Fig. 1). During operation, the reciprocating cutter, in conjunction with the reel press plate, cuts the crop and transfers it onto the canvas conveyor belt, which directs the crop to the left side of the machine. Since the rear conveyor belt is longer than the front conveyor belt, the ear head portion falls later, allowing the discharged straw to be laid neatly on the ground at an angle to the machine's direction of travel. This arrangement facilitates manual collection and bundling of the straw. The horizontal header harvester demonstrates good adaptability to varying growth densities, plant heights, lodging degrees, and yields of rice and wheat, and features a simple structure. However, it has a large longitudinal size and limited flexibility in the operation timing group. Most models are designed to be paired with wheeled or walking tractors with a power output of less than 15 kW. The cutting width is less than 2.0 meters, and each meter of cutting width can harvest 4 to 5 mu of wheat per hour.

Vertical Type

The crop harvested by the vertical header harvester remains upright on the cutter plane and is laid into strips adjacent to the conveyor outside the output machine. There are two types of paving: side paving and rear paving. The side paving harvester consists of a divider, a reel star wheel (or reel thumb wheel), a cutter, and a transverse vertical toothed belt conveyor. The cut crop is drawn by the reel to the upper and lower toothed belts of the conveyor, which transports it laterally to the side of the machine for paving. The rear-laying harvester incorporates a set of triangular reeling belts, star wheels, and crimping spring strips with teeth spaced every 30 cm between the two dividers to maintain the straw in a stable and upright position during the transverse conveying process. Once it reaches the right side of the machine, the straw is conveyed backward by a pair of longitudinal conveyor belts. The straw is laid into strips at the rear of the machine with the assistance of the crimping plate. In the context of interplanting corn, this type of machine does not compress the straw onto the corn seedlings, and its cutting width is equivalent to the width of the wheat border between two rows of corn. The vertical header harvester features a compact structure, small longitudinal size, portability, flexibility, and excellent handling performance. It is well-suited for harvesting rice and wheat in small plots. Most models are compatible with walking tractors ranging from 7 to 9 kW or wheeled tractors of approximately 15 kW, with a cutting range of 1.1 to 1.2 meters. Additionally, there is a small self-propelled harvester with a cutting range of about 1 meter, designed to be paired with a specialized chassis of 2 to 3 kilowatts. Reason: Improved clarity, vocabulary, and technical accuracy while maintaining the original meaning.