JPH04237679A - Steering device for traveling vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the handle holding by a right hand in a vertical attitude by constituting an operating device for a traveling vehicle so that speed is adjusted by the longitudinal swing of an operating lever and carrying out steering operation by the turn in the horizontal direction, in a vehicle equipped with the left and right traveling devices which are hydraulic driven independently. CONSTITUTION:During the drive of hydraulic pumps 87 and 87', a driver at a vertical attitude holds a handle for handrail by a left hand, and holds the handle 29 of an operating lever 23 by a right hand, and turns the handle 29 gradually forward from a vertical neutral position. Then, the left and right operating arms 89 and 89' are turned simultaneously upward through a rod 79, levers 65 and 65' arms 81 and 81, and rods 85 and 85', and the left and right hydraulic motors are revolved at the same time, and the left and right traveling devices are revolved and travelled. Speed is controlled by controlling the discharge quantity of the hydraulic pump by the tilt angle of the operating lever 23, When the handle 29 is turned left and right, the left and right arms 39 and 39' relatively revolve, and one of the discharge quantity of the hydraulic pumps 87 and 87' is increased and the other is reduced. Accordingly, a speed difference is generated between the left and right traveling devices, and the traveling direction is changed.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an operating device for operating a traveling vehicle equipped with a traveling device that is independently driven on the left and right sides by hydraulic pressure using a single operating lever.

0002

[Prior Art] Conventionally, this type of operating lever has been used to steer left and right by horizontally rotating the handle at the upper end of the operating lever, and to move forward and backward by swinging the operating lever back and forth. , the speed was increased by a large movement, but this back and forth rocking motion was designed to swing in a plane perpendicular to the floor of the vehicle.

0003

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] When a vehicle is traveling in a direction across a slope, the driver maintains a vertical body posture even if the vehicle slopes to the left or right. In the 1990s, the control levers were tilted to the left, and the handle at the top of the control levers moved to the left side of the driver's body, making it difficult to operate them with the driver's right hand.

0004

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects According to the present invention, the operating lever is pivotally mounted so as to be swingable in the left and right directions, and is provided so as to be able to be locked at a predetermined swing position. In other words, when driving on a slope that slopes downward to the left, by locking the operating lever in the rightward swiveling position, you can easily grasp the steering wheel with your right hand even if you keep your body in a vertical position. It is.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0006]Crawler-type left and right running devices 5, 5' are attached to both sides of the vehicle body 3 on which the engine 1 is mounted, a mowing device 7 is provided at the front so as to be movable up and down, and a tread plate 9,
An operating device 11 and a handrail handle 13 are provided.

The operating device 11 is constructed as follows. A support shaft 19 is fixed to the mounting frame 15 in the lateral direction by left and right side plates 17, 17', and a bearing 2 is mounted in the center of the mounting frame 15.
A cylindrical portion 25 fixed to the lower end of the operating lever 23 via the
are mated. The operating lever 23 has a handle 29 equipped with a switch 27 on one end for switching a solenoid valve (not shown) for raising and lowering the mowing device 7, and a handle 29 that is connected to a vertical operating pipe 31.
It is fixed in a horizontal position in the left-right direction via a bracket 33. The operating tube 31 is rotatably supported vertically by a support tube 37 via a bearing 35, and has arms 39, 39' fixed thereto that protrude to the left and right sides.

The support cylinder 37 has a horizontal cylinder 4 in the front-rear direction that is fixed to the upper end of the lever part 41 whose lower end is fixed to the cylinder part 25.
A shaft 4 rotatably supported by a bearing 45 at
It is fixed to the end of 7. A locking plate 49 that is perpendicular to the axial center line is fixed to the lower part of the cylinder 43, and a locking pin 53 that is retractable and retractable is removably locked to a bracket 51 that protrudes below the support tube 37. The holes 55, 55, . . . are provided on concentric circles centered on the axis of the cylindrical body 43. A connecting rod 59 passes through the inside of the operation tube 31 below the handle 29 and fixes a handle 57 parallel to the handle 29 to the upper end, and the lower end is interlocked with the locking pin 53 via an L-shaped link 61. death,
When the operator who is holding the handle 29 pulls up the handle 57 with the fingers of the hand, the locking pin 53 is released from the locking hole 55, and the handle 57 is placed in a position where the handle 29 is tilted to the left and right appropriately around the shaft 47. When released, the locking pin 53 is engaged with the locking hole 55 by the bullet 63, and the support cylinder 37 and the cylinder body 43 are
are fixed to each other.

A left lever cylinder 67 and a brake cylinder 69 which are adjacent to both sides of the cylinder part 25 and which fix the lower end of the left lever 65 are fitted onto the shaft 19, and which are adjacent to the right side of the brake cylinder 69 and which fix the lower end of the left lever 65. A right lever cylinder 67' whose lower end is fixed is fitted. Between the left lever tube 67 and the left side plate 17 and the right lever tube 67'
Friction plates 71 are interposed between and the right side plate 17'. The shaft 19 rotatably holds the lever cylinders 67, 67', the cylinder part 25, and the brake cylinder 69 by a collar 73 at one end and a bolt 75 screwed into the other end. The upper ends of the left and right levers 65, 65' are connected by left and right rods 79, 79' via a universal joint 77, respectively.

Horizontal arms 81, 81' are fixed to the left and right lever cylinders 67, 67', respectively, and universal joints 8 are provided at both ends.
The left and right rods 85, 85' having a diameter of 3 are connected to respective operating arms 89, 89' of left and right variable displacement hydraulic pumps 87, 87'. Hydraulic pump 87, 87
'' communicates with left and right hydraulic motors (not shown) that independently drive the left and right traveling devices 5, 5', respectively, and when the operating arms 89, 89' are swung upward from the horizontal neutral position, the hydraulic motors are activated. When the hydraulic motor is rotated in the forward direction and rocked downward in the opposite direction, the hydraulic motor is rotated in the reverse direction, and as the operating arms 87 and 87' are rocked upward and downward, the forward and reverse speeds increase. It is set up so that Note that this hydraulic pump and hydraulic motor are the same as those commonly used, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.

The braking device 91 is constructed as follows. The left end of the brake cylinder 69 rotatably contacts the cylinder portion 25 via a washer 93, and a cam cylinder 95 is rotatably fitted into the inner diameter of the right end. The cam cylinder 95 engages with a pin 97 passing through the shaft 19 via an elongated hole 99, and has four cam surfaces 101 on its inner end surface. The brake cylinder 69 includes a cam cylinder 95.
A large diameter portion 103 on the right side that fits into the shaft 19 and a small diameter portion 105 that fits on the outer periphery of the shaft 19 are formed, and four balls 109 are rotatably inserted into four holes 107 that penetrate the small diameter portion 105 in the axial direction. They fit together and roll while coming into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 19 and the cam surface 101. Arm 1 fixed to the lower surface of the outer periphery of the brake cylinder 69
The other end of the wire 113, which has one end connected to 11, is connected to a pedal 115 on the footboard 9. One end of the bullet 119 is locked to an arm 117 fixed to the upper surface of the outer periphery of the brake cylinder 69, and the other end of the bullet 119 is locked to the mounting frame 15, biasing the wire 113 in a direction to pull it back.

Horizontal spring arms 121, 121' are fixed to the left and right lever barrels 67, 67', respectively, and are pivotally connected to the lower ends of spring rods 123, 123'. A washer 12 is fixed to the spring rod 123, 123'.
The upper and lower springs 127 and 129 are fitted with the upper and lower springs 127 and 129 interposed therebetween, and the upper and lower end surfaces of the spring rods 123 and 123' are locked by U-shaped support fittings 131 and 131' that penetrate in the vertical direction, respectively. The levers 65, 65' are each biased in the direction of returning to the neutral position. Support metal fittings 131
is fixed to a stay 133 fixed to the mounting frame 15 by a bolt 135.

A shock absorber 139 is pivotally attached to the mounting frame 15 via a shaft 137, and its lower end is pivotally attached via a shaft 143 to a buffer arm 141 which is fixed horizontally to the cylindrical portion 25.

Further, a swinging plate 149 is pivotably mounted to a bracket 145 fixed to the upper part of the mounting frame 15 by a shaft 147 so as to be able to swing vertically.
151' removably engages with locking pins 153, 153 protruding from the upper ends of the left and right levers 65, 65' to lock the lever portions 65, 65' in the neutral position. The rocking plate 149 is provided so as to be biased upward and downward when the rocking plate 149 exceeds a rocking neutral position by a bomb 155 which is locked at both ends between the rocking plate 149 and the bracket 145 . Further, the upward swinging position is regulated by an adjustment screw 157 and is freely adjustable. A handle 159 is fixed to the swing plate 149.

In the above configuration, when the vehicle is run, the engine 1 is started and the hydraulic pumps 87, 87' are driven. The operating lever 23 returns to the neutral position with the user's hand released. The operator stands on the footboard 9, grasps the handle 13 with his left hand, grasps the handle 29 of the operating lever 23 with his right hand, and gradually tilts it forward.
9, 79', lever 65, 65', arm 81, 81'
, left and right operating arms 89 via rods 85, 85',
89' simultaneously rotates upward, the left and right hydraulic motors (not shown) rotate simultaneously, the left and right traveling devices 5, 5' begin to rotate at the same speed, and the vehicle begins to move straight forward. When the operating lever 23 is gradually tilted forward greatly, the swinging of the operating arms 89, 89' increases, the discharge amount of the hydraulic pump increases, the rotational speed of the hydraulic motor increases, and the traveling speed of the vehicle increases. . To turn the vehicle, for example, to the right, when the handlebar 29 is rotated to the right (clockwise) at the forward travel control lever 23 position, the left arm 39 swings forward. The right arm 39' then rotates backward. Therefore, the left hydraulic pump 8
7 increases, the speed of the left traveling device 5 increases, and conversely, the discharge amount of the right hydraulic pump 87' decreases, causing the speed of the right traveling device 5' to slow down, causing the vehicle 1 to move to the right. Turn in the direction.

When the handle 29 is released, the left spring 12
7, 129 and right springs 127', 129', the left and right levers 65, 65' return to the neutral position, and the vehicle moves straight and stops. In addition, in order to maintain the running state such as straight running, when the pedal 115 is depressed, the ammunition 1
19, the brake cylinder 69 rotates, and the ball 109 moves against the cam surface 1.
01 and rotates, the washer 93 and the cam cylinder 95 are pushed in the direction away from each other, and the left and right lever cylinders 67, 6 are rotated.
Friction plates 71, 71' are pressed between the lever 7' and the left and right side plates 17, 17', respectively, to brake the lever cylinders 67, 67', so that the operating state of the operating lever 23 is maintained. In this operating state, when the foot is released from the pedal 115, the brake cylinder 69 is rotated in the opposite direction by the bullet 119, and the brake is released.

When the vehicle 1 is not in use, the handle 15
9 is pushed down, the rocking plate 149 is lowered and the locking pin 153 at the upper end of the left and right levers 65, 65' is in the neutral position.
The locking hole 151 of the swing plate 149 is engaged with the lever 65,
65' is locked. When the handle 159 is lifted, the levers 65, 65' are unlocked.

When the vehicle 1 is traveling along a slope that slopes from side to side, for example, when traveling on a slope that slopes downward to the left, the fingers of the right hand gripping the handle 29 are pressed against the handle 5.
7 is pulled up, the locking pin 53 is removed from the locking hole 55 of the locking plate 49 via the link 61. The operation tube 31 is connected to the shaft 4
When the handle 57 is rotated to the right around 7 and becomes a vertical position, when the handle 57 is released, the handle 57 is rotated by the bullet 63 and gravity.
is lowered, the locking pin 53 locks into the locking hole 55, and the operating tube 31 is maintained in a vertical position with respect to the left and right sides, and the handle 29 approaches the right hand position of the worker standing vertically on the footboard 9.
This makes operation easier.

Furthermore, in order to raise and lower the working device (grass cutting device in this embodiment) 7 while driving, the switch 27 is switched, a solenoid valve (not shown) is switched, and a hydraulic cylinder (not shown) is activated. Since the mowing device 7 moves up and down, it is easy to move the working device up and down while it is running.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments; for example, (1) the traveling device may be of a wheel type. (2) The braking method is not limited to a cam, and other means such as a disc brake, a locking protrusion, a ratchet type, etc. may be used. (3) Braking is not limited to pedals, and may be manual or electric. (4) The locking pin 53 that engages with the locking plate 49 has a handle 57
Instead of operating the locking pin 53, a knob may be provided directly on the locking pin 53 and the retracting operation may be performed.

It should be noted that if only the swinging motion of the operating lever 23 is braked and the swinging motion of the left and right levers 65, 65' is not damped (that is, only the cylinder portion 25 is braked and the left and right lever cylinders 67 , 67' are capable of turning while maintaining a constant traveling speed (without braking).

[0022]

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, when driving on an inclined surface that slopes in the left-right direction, the operation lever can be operated by grasping the handle at the upper end of the operation lever by swinging it toward the mountain side and locking it. This makes it easier.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an operating device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of essential parts.

FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of the braking device.

FIG. 4 is a front cross-sectional view (a), a plan cross-sectional view (b), and a side cross-sectional view (c) of the same essential part.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the operating mechanism of the braking device.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the lever locking mechanism.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of a vehicle equipped with a device according to the invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

23 Operation lever 29 Handle 57 Handle

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: In a vehicle equipped with a traveling device that is hydraulically driven independently on the left and right sides, an operating lever 23 for adjusting the speed by swinging back and forth in conjunction with the traveling device is centered on a center line. The rotating operation and the steering operation are provided in conjunction with each other, and the operating lever 23 is pivotally mounted to be swingable in the left and right direction, and is provided to be freely locked at a predetermined swinging position. An operating device for a traveling vehicle characterized by the following. 2. A handle 57 for engaging and disengaging a locking device that locks the operating lever 23 at a predetermined swinging position in the left and right direction is provided near a handle 29 provided at the upper end of the operating lever 23. An operating device for a traveling vehicle according to claim (1), which is provided as follows.