JPWO2010095233A1 - Crawler traveling device and crawler traveling vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The vehicle body is easily turned in a narrow space, and the manufacturing cost is effectively reduced. In the snowplow (10), only the turning area (74) of the crawler (68) is in contact with the traveling surface (G), and the steering force from the operator causes the operation handle (12) and the vehicle body (14) to move. Is transmitted to the crawler (68) via the crawler (68), the crawler (68) turns in the direction of the moment around the turning axis (SY) around the turning region (74), and the vehicle body (14) together with the crawler (68). Also turns in the direction of the moment.

Description

  The present invention relates to a crawler traveling device that is disposed on a vehicle body and is driven by a rotational force transmitted from a driving source such as an engine and a motor to travel the vehicle body, and a crawler traveling vehicle including the crawler traveling device. .

  As a conventional crawler traveling type vehicle, for example, the one described in Patent Document 1 (snowblower) is known. The snow remover described in Patent Document 1 is provided with crawler travel devices at both ends in the width direction (left-right direction) below the vehicle body, and an operation handle that extends rearward from the vehicle body. In this snowplow, the operator travels the vehicle body by a pair of crawler travel devices that are driven by the rotational force from the engine while holding the operation handle. In addition, in the snowplow, when turning the vehicle body to the right or left, one crawler traveling device is stopped and the other crawler traveling device is driven (traveled), so that one crawler traveling device is centered. Turn the car body as.

The snow remover described in Patent Document 1 includes an auger and a blower disposed in front of the vehicle body, and a tilt mechanism for adjusting the height of the auger and the blower according to the snow accumulation level during snow removal work. Yes.
The crawler traveling vehicle as described in Patent Document 1 has a low labor burden on the operator and good workability when performing work such as snow removal work on a relatively large site. However, in such a crawler traveling vehicle, since the vehicle body is turned by the other crawler traveling device around the one crawler traveling device, the turning radius becomes larger than the interval between the pair of crawler traveling devices, When performing work such as snow removal work in a relatively small site, operation during turning becomes difficult.

  In addition, the snowplow as described in Patent Document 1 has a pair of crawler travel devices and two systems of torque transmission mechanisms for controlling the transmission of rotational force independently to the pair of crawler travel devices. It is necessary to provide a tilt mechanism for adjusting the heights of the auger and blower. This complicates the structure of the snowplow and increases the number of components of the crawler traveling device and the snowplow, resulting in high production costs for the crawler traveling device and the snowplow.

An object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost crawler traveling device and a crawler traveling vehicle capable of easily turning a vehicle body in a narrow space in consideration of the above facts.
JP 2004-278058 A

  The present invention solves the above problems by the following means. In other words, the crawler traveling device according to the first aspect of the present invention is a crawler traveling device that is disposed at the center in the width direction of the vehicle body and that is driven by the rotational force transmitted from the drive source to travel the vehicle body. A drive sprocket that rotates by transmitting force, and is wound around the outer periphery of the drive sprocket, and the lower surface of the center part in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body bulges downward from the front end side and the rear end side, and is transmitted from the drive sprocket. And an endless belt-like crawler that travels around the outer periphery of the drive sprocket by the rotational force that is caused to travel.

In the crawler traveling device according to the first aspect of the invention, the crawler wound around the outer periphery of the drive sprocket has the lower surface of the center portion in the front-rear direction bulging downward with respect to the front end side and the rear end side, and the drive sprocket The vehicle travels around the outer periphery of the drive sprocket by the rotational force transmitted from the vehicle.
As a result, a virtual axis (hereinafter referred to as “swivel axis”) along the vertical direction of the vehicle body passing through a region bulging downward on the lower surface of the crawler (hereinafter referred to as “swivel region”) is the center. When the moment is not transmitted from the vehicle body to the crawler, the crawler to which the rotational force is transmitted from the drive sprocket causes the vehicle body to travel straight.

In addition, when a moment about the turning axis is transmitted from the vehicle body to the crawler while the turning area is in contact with the traveling surface, the crawler moves toward the moment around the turning axis about the turning area. Since it turns, the car body also turns in the direction of moment along with this crawler.
At this time, since the crawler grounds the turning area to the traveling surface and does not contact the front and rear areas to the traveling surface, the ground contact area between the crawler and the traveling surface can be reduced, and the frictional resistance between the crawler and the traveling surface generated during turning is reduced. Can be effectively reduced.

The crawler travel device according to the first aspect of the invention is disposed at the center in the width direction of the vehicle body. Therefore, if only one crawler traveling device is installed on the vehicle body, this crawler traveling device can travel straight and turn while supporting the vehicle body in a balanced manner along the left-right direction.
As a result, according to the crawler traveling device of the first invention, the turning radius of the vehicle body can be made about the size from the turning region in the crawler to the front end or the rear end of the vehicle body, so that the vehicle body can be easily turned in a narrow space. be able to. Further, as compared with a conventional crawler traveling device that is not provided with a turning mechanism, the operation load can be reduced, and the turning mechanism is not necessary, and the number of components can be reduced. Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be effectively reduced.

  A crawler traveling device according to a second invention is the crawler traveling device according to the first invention, wherein the drive sprocket is disposed at one of a front end portion and a rear end portion in the inner periphery of the crawler, and a front end portion and a rear end portion in the inner periphery of the crawler. A first driven wheel is disposed on the other side of the crawler, and is pressed against the lower surface of the crawler between the drive sprocket and the first driven wheel, and the lower surface of the center portion in the front-rear direction of the crawler is set to the front end side and the rear end. A second driven wheel that bulges downward with respect to the side is arranged.

A crawler traveling device according to a third invention is the crawler traveling device according to the second invention, wherein a pair of guide protrusions arranged along the circumferential direction of the crawler are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the crawler. The driven wheel includes a center disk that is in pressure contact between the pair of guide protrusions on the inner peripheral surface of the crawler.
A crawler traveling device according to a fourth invention is the crawler traveling device according to the first invention, wherein the drive sprocket is disposed at one of a front end portion and a rear end portion in the inner circumference of the crawler, and a front end portion and a rear end portion in the inner circumference of the crawler. The other driven wheel is disposed, and is slidably pressed against the crawler between the drive sprocket and the driven wheel, and the lower surface of the central portion in the front-rear direction of the crawler is directed to the front end side and the rear end side. A slider that bulges downward is arranged.

A crawler traveling vehicle according to a fifth aspect of the present invention includes a crawler traveling device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, an operation handle that is gripped by a driver when the vehicle travels by the crawler traveling device, A driving source that transmits a rotational force to the crawler traveling device during driving and drives the crawler traveling device.
In the crawler traveling type vehicle according to the fifth aspect, the crawler wound around the outer periphery of the drive sprocket in the crawler traveling device has the lower surface of the center portion in the front-rear direction bulging downward with respect to the front end side and the rear end side. The vehicle travels around the outer periphery of the drive sprocket by the rotational force transmitted from the drive sprocket.

As a result, in the state where the moment about the turning axis along the vertical direction passing through the turning area on the lower surface of the crawler is not transmitted from the operator to the crawler via the operation handle, the rotational force is transmitted from the drive sprocket. The crawler moves the vehicle straight ahead.
Further, when the moment about the turning axis is transmitted from the operator to the crawler via the operation handle while the turning area is in contact with the traveling surface, the crawler is centered around the turning area. Since the vehicle turns in the direction of the moment around the turning axis, the vehicle body also turns in the direction of the moment along with the crawler.

At this time, since the crawler grounds the turning area to the traveling surface and does not contact the front and rear areas to the traveling surface, the ground contact area between the crawler and the traveling surface can be reduced, and the frictional resistance between the crawler and the traveling surface generated during turning is reduced. Can be effectively reduced.
In the crawler traveling vehicle according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the crawler traveling device is disposed at the center in the width direction of the vehicle body, if only one crawler traveling device is installed on the vehicle body, the vehicle body is moved by the crawler traveling device. It is possible to run straight and turn while supporting in a balanced manner along the left-right direction.

  As a result, according to the crawler traveling vehicle according to the fifth aspect of the invention, the turning radius of the vehicle body can be reduced, so that the vehicle body can be easily turned in a narrow space, and the crawler traveling device is provided at each end of the vehicle body. Compared with the conventional crawler traveling type vehicle in which is arranged, the number of components including the torque transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational force from the drive source to the crawler traveling device can be reduced, so that the manufacturing cost can be effectively reduced.

A crawler traveling vehicle according to a sixth aspect is characterized in that, in the fifth aspect, the center of gravity of the entire vehicle is positioned on the front side with respect to the portion of the lower surface of the crawler that bulges downward.
A crawler traveling vehicle according to a seventh invention is characterized in that, in the fifth or sixth invention, the crawler traveling vehicle has a snow removal unit that is disposed on the vehicle body and scrapes and throws off the snow when inserted into the snow. To do.
As described above, according to the crawler traveling device according to the first invention and the crawler traveling vehicle according to the fifth invention, the vehicle body can be easily turned in a narrow space, and the manufacturing cost can be efficiently reduced. Can be reduced.

It is a side view showing composition of a snowplow which is an example of a crawler traveling type vehicle provided with a crawler traveling device concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the snow remover and the snow removal unit shown in FIG. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the structure of the snow removal unit shown by FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the snow removal unit shown by FIG. It is a bottom view of the snow remover and the snow removal unit shown in FIG. It is a side view for demonstrating the tilting and turning operation | movement of a vehicle body in the snow removal unit shown by FIG. It is a side view which shows the change of the inclination attitude | position with respect to the running surface at the time of snow removal of the snow remover shown by FIG. 1, and driving | running | working. It is a side view which shows the 1st modification of the crawler traveling apparatus in the snow remover which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the side view and top view which show the 2nd modification of the crawler traveling apparatus in the snow remover which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, a snowplow according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(Configuration of snow removal machine and snow removal unit)
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a snowplow as an example of a crawler traveling vehicle equipped with a crawler traveling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. It is shown. 2 is a front view of the snow removal machine along the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the snow removal unit along the section III-III shown in FIG. The snow removal machine 10 according to the present embodiment is configured as a so-called walking type that performs snow removal work by the snow removal unit 20 while the operator grips the operation handle 12 and walks.

  1 indicates the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 14 in the snow remover 10, and the arrow H indicates the vertical direction of the vehicle body 14 in the snow remover 10. 2 indicates the width direction of the vehicle body 14 in the snowplow 10. In the following description, when the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the width direction are simply described, the directions along the arrows FR, H, and W are respectively referred to.

As shown in FIG. 1, the snowplow 10 has a crawler traveling device 16 disposed below the vehicle body 14, and an operation handle 12 disposed at the rear end portion (right end portion in FIG. 1) of the vehicle body 14. Has been. Further, the snow removal machine 10 is provided with a snow removal unit 20 for performing snow removal work in front of the vehicle body 14.
Here, as shown in FIG. 5, only one crawler traveling device 16 is disposed at the center in the width direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation handle 12 is formed in a substantially U-shape that opens downward when viewed from the front, and its upper end is a grip for the operator to hold with the left and right hands. Part 13. The lower end side of the operation handle 12 is fixed to a rear end portion of a pipe frame 58R described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle body frame 18 is provided on the vehicle body 14, and an engine 22 is mounted on the vehicle body frame 18. The engine 22 is supported by the body frame 18, and the axial direction of the crankshaft 36 substantially coincides with the width direction. The engine 22 includes a throttle valve (not shown), and the opening degree of the throttle valve can be controlled by a throttle lever (not shown) disposed at the rear end of the vehicle body 14 via a governor (not shown). It is said that.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the operation handle 12 is provided with an auger clutch lever 26 and a travel clutch lever 28 on the front side of the grip portion 13. Each of the auger clutch lever 26 and the traveling clutch lever 28 has a substantially U shape corresponding to the shape of the grip portion 13. On the other hand, a pair of lever support portions 30 are fixed to the operation handle 12 on the front side of the grip portion 13, and the left and right base end portions of the auger clutch lever 26 swing on the pair of lever support portions 30. The left and right base ends of the travel clutch lever 28 are swingably connected together.

  The auger clutch lever 26 can be swung from the non-operating position shown in the drawing to the operating position at which the operator can hold the grip part 13 with both hands or one hand, and is always in the non-operating position by the urging force from the clutch wire 32W. Is being energized. The auger clutch lever 26 is connected to the belt clutch 35 via a clutch wire 32W. The traveling clutch lever 28 can also be swung from the non-operating position shown in the drawing to the operating position at which the operator can hold it with both hands or one hand together with the grip portion 13 and is always non-operated by the urging force from the clutch wire 34D. Biased to position. The traveling clutch lever 28 is connected to the belt clutch 33 via a clutch wire 34D.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the snow removal unit 20 is provided with a traveling transmission 42 on the rear side of the engine 22, and the crankshaft 36 of the engine 22 is connected to the input shaft of the traveling transmission 42 via a belt clutch 33. 46M. The travel transmission 42 can be operated with a gear ratio and a rotation direction of an output shaft (not shown) by a transmission lever 24 disposed at the rear end of the vehicle body 14.

Here, the belt clutch 33 includes a driving pulley 40 attached to the crankshaft 36 of the engine 22, a driven pulley 44 attached to the input shaft 46 </ b> M, and a belt 48 wound around the driving pulley 40 and the driven pulley 44. Is provided. Further, the belt clutch 33 is provided with a belt tensioner 49 that is operated by an operating force transmitted from the traveling clutch lever 28 via the clutch wire 34D.
The belt clutch 33 is turned on so that the rotational force of the crankshaft 36 can be transmitted to the input shaft 46M when the traveling clutch lever 28 is in the operating position, and when the traveling clutch lever 28 is in the non-operating position, the crank clutch 36 is turned on. An OFF state is established in which transmission of rotational force from the shaft 36 to the input shaft 46M is cut off.

  The crankshaft 36 of the engine 22 is connected to the auger shaft 82 via the belt clutch 35. Here, the belt clutch 35 is wound around a drive pulley 38 attached to the crankshaft 36 of the engine 22, a driven pulley 88 (see FIG. 4) attached to the auger shaft 82, and the drive pulley 38 and the driven pulley 88. A hung belt 90 is provided. Further, the belt clutch 35 is provided with a belt tensioner 91 that is operated by an operating force transmitted from the auger clutch lever 26 via the clutch wire 32W.

When the auger clutch lever 26 is in the operating position, the belt clutch 35 is turned on so that the rotational force of the crankshaft 36 can be transmitted to the auger shaft 82, and when the auger clutch lever 26 is in the non-operating position, An off state in which the transmission of the rotational force from the shaft 36 to the auger shaft 82 is cut off is established.
As shown in FIG. 1, the crawler traveling device 16 is provided with a pair of traveling frames 50 (only the traveling frame 50 on the front side of the paper is shown) extending in the front-rear direction. . The pair of travel frames 50 are integrally formed with the body frame 18 and extend downward from both ends in the width direction of the body frame 18. The crawler traveling device 16 is provided with a driven wheel 52F on its front end side and a drive sprocket 54R on its rear end side.

  As shown in FIG. 5, between the pair of travel frames 50, support shafts 53 </ b> F are spanned between the front ends, and both ends of the support shafts 53 </ b> F are fixed to the pair of travel frames 50, respectively. . The driven wheel 52F is rotatably supported by the support shaft 53F. Further, the crawler traveling device 16 is provided with a pair of support plates 56 so as to sandwich the drive sprocket 54R in the width direction. The pair of support plates 56 are respectively fixed to the auger housing 80 via the pipe frame 58R, and the auger housing 80 is fixed to the vehicle body frame 18.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the snowplow 10 is provided with a speed reducer 64 such as a worm speed reducer outside the support plate 56 on one side (the back side in FIG. 1). The speed reducer 64 includes an input shaft (not shown) and an output shaft 65. The output shaft 43 of the traveling transmission 42 is connected to the input shaft of the speed reducer 64 via a coupling member (not shown) such as a coupling so that torque can be transmitted. As shown in FIG. 5, the output shaft 65 of the speed reducer 64 passes through the pair of support plates 56 and is rotatably supported by the pair of support plates 56. The drive sprocket 54R is disposed on the outer periphery of the output shaft 65 and rotates integrally with the output shaft 65.

  In the crawler traveling device 16, a driven wheel 60 is disposed at the approximate center between the driven wheel 52F and the drive sprocket 54R. Here, the outer diameter of the driven wheel 60 is larger than the outer diameters of the driven wheel 52F and the drive sprocket 54R. Between the pair of travel frames 50, a support shaft 62 is spanned between the support shaft 53F and the output shaft 65. Both ends of the support shaft 62 are fixed to the pair of travel frames 50, respectively. Yes. The driven wheel 60 is disposed on the outer periphery of the support shaft 62 and is rotatably supported by the support shaft 62. The directions of the shaft centers of the support shaft 62, the support shaft 53F, and the output shaft 65 all coincide with the width direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the crawler traveling device 16 is provided with a rubber crawler 68 wound around the outer periphery of the driven wheel 52F, the driven wheel 60, and the drive sprocket 54R. The crawler 68 is formed in an endless belt shape, and is stretched by a driven wheel 52F, a driven wheel 60, and a drive sprocket 54R so as to follow a substantially elliptical endless track that is long in the front-rear direction. A large-diameter driven wheel 60 is in pressure contact with the crawler 68 from the inner peripheral side with respect to the driven wheel 52F and the drive sprocket 54R. Thus, the crawler 68 has a maximum dimension in the vertical direction near the center in the front-rear direction.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the lower surface of the crawler 68 is formed with a travel region 70F that is linearly stretched on the front side of the driven wheel 60, and is also stretched linearly on the rear side. A travel region 72R is formed. Further, on the lower surface of the crawler 68, a swivel region 74 is formed between the front and rear travel regions 70F and 72R and protrudes downward in a substantially V shape with respect to the travel regions 70F and 72R.

  In the crawler traveling device 16, when the vehicle body 14 is in a predetermined horizontal state (see FIG. 6A), a predetermined clearance angle θF is formed between the traveling region 70F and the traveling surface G around the turning region 74. In addition, a predetermined clearance angle θR is formed between the traveling region 72R and the traveling surface G with the turning region 74 as the center. In this embodiment, the clearance angle θF is set to 5 °, and the clearance angle θR is set to 15 °. When the vehicle body 14 is in a horizontal state, both a lower end of an auger 92 and a turning area 74 described later are in contact with the traveling surface G. In the snowplow 10, the center of gravity is located on the front side of the driven wheel 60.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the snowplow 10 has the crawler traveling device 16 grounding the traveling region 70F on the traveling surface G as shown in FIG. 6B, and on the hard snow surface as shown in FIG. As shown, the crawler traveling device 16 keeps the turning region 74 on the traveling surface G.
As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of guide protrusions 69 </ b> A are linearly arranged along the circumferential direction of the crawler 68 on one end side in the width direction (right side as viewed from the operator) on the inner circumferential surface of the crawler 68. In addition, a plurality of guide protrusions 69B are also arranged in a straight line along the circumferential direction on the other end side in the width direction on the inner circumferential surface (left side as viewed from the operator). The guide protrusions 69A and 69B are arranged at a constant pitch along the circumferential direction.

In the driven wheel 60, a disc-shaped center disk 150 is arranged at the center in the axial direction of the support shaft 62. The driven wheel 60 is provided with a disk-shaped side disk 152 on one end side of the support shaft 62 (right side when viewed from the operator) and at the other end side of the support shaft 62 (left side when viewed from the driver). Also, a disk-shaped side disk 154 is disposed.
The support shaft 62 coaxially supports the center disk 150, the side disk 152, and the side disk 154. The center disk 150 is in pressure contact between the guide protrusions 69A and 69B on the inner peripheral surface of the crawler 68. The side disk 152 is in pressure contact with the outer side in the width direction of the guide protrusion 69A on the inner peripheral surface of the crawler 68, and the side disk 154 is in pressure contact with the outer side in the width direction of the guide protrusion 69B on the inner peripheral surface of the crawler 68.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the snow removal unit 20 includes an auger housing 80 that covers the upper side of an auger 92 to be described later and whose front and lower surfaces are opened, and an auger shaft 82 that is rotatably supported by the auger housing 80. Yes. As shown in FIG. 4, the auger housing 80 is closed at both ends in the width direction by side plate portions 84. The auger shaft 82 has an axial direction substantially coincident with the width direction, and is rotatably supported by bearings 86A (see FIG. 2) whose both ends are fixed to a pair of side plate portions 84, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the auger shafts 82 are respectively disposed at both end sides in the axial direction of the auger shaft 82. The auger shaft 82 includes an impeller 94 and a blade 96 disposed between a pair of augers 92. Here, the auger 92 includes a first auger blade 98 and a second auger blade 100 that extend spirally around the auger shaft 82. As shown in FIG. 1, the first auger blade 98 and the second auger blade 100 are connected to an auger shaft 82 via connecting arms 102A and 104B that are elongated along the radial direction. It rotates together with the shaft 82. Further, the first auger blade 98 and the second auger blade 100 are arranged so that the phases along the rotation direction (in the direction of arrow R in FIG. 3) about the auger shaft 82 are shifted from each other by 180 °.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of auger blades 98 and 100 are each provided with a blade body 106 made of an elastic material capable of absorbing an impact when cutting snow. These cutting blades 108 are attached in a replaceable manner. Various elastic materials can be employed as the elastic material that is the material of the blade body 106 as long as it can absorb the impact when cutting snow. In this embodiment, the blade is made of rubber material. A main body 106 is formed.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of cutting blades 108 are arranged at a substantially constant pitch along the locus in the rotation direction from one end to the other end of the blade body 106. The cutting blade 108 is excellent in wear resistance and rust resistance, and is made of a metal material such as steel, stainless steel, plastic, or the like that can cut snow.
As shown in FIG. 2, the auger housing 80 has a discharge port 116 formed in the top plate portion 114. The discharge port 116 is formed in a cylindrical shape protruding upward from the impeller 94. The snow removal unit 20 is provided with a bowl-shaped shooter 118 that communicates with the discharge port 116. The lower end portion of the shuter 118 is connected to the discharge port 116 so as to be rotatable. As a result, if the operator appropriately turns the shooter 118 via the turning operation lever 119 (see FIG. 1), the throwing direction of snow from the shooter 118 can be set to a desired direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, a hook-shaped guide nozzle 120 is connected to the tip of the shooter 118 so as to be swingable along the vertical direction. As a result, if the operator appropriately adjusts the inclination of the guide nozzle 120, the flying distance of snow thrown from the shooter 118 can be changed.
As shown in FIG. 2, disk-like (see FIG. 3) flange plates 122 </ b> R and 124 </ b> L are fixed to the auger shaft 82 inside the pair of augers 92, respectively. Here, the right auger 92 is connected to the flange plate 122R located on the right side (left side in FIG. 2) when viewed from the pilot, and is connected to the flange plate 124L located on the left side (right side in FIG. 2) when viewed from the pilot. Is connected to the left auger 92. A plurality (two in this embodiment) of impellers 94 and a plurality (two in this embodiment) of blades 96 are connected to the pair of flange plates 122R and 124L, respectively. 94 and the blade 96 are fixed to the auger shaft 82 via a pair of flange plates 122R and 124L.

As shown in FIG. 3, the two impellers 94 are arranged at equal intervals (180 ° intervals) along the rotation direction around the auger shaft 82, and the blades 96 are adjacent to each other along the rotation direction. It is arranged at a central position between the two impellers 94. That is, the two impellers 94 and the two blades 96 are alternately arranged at 90 ° intervals along the rotation direction.
It is also possible to arrange two or more blades 96 between two adjacent impellers 94. In this case, the two impellers 94 and the two or more blades 96 are aligned along the rotational direction. It is preferable to set the pitch of the impeller 94 and the blade 96 so as to be arranged at intervals. As a result, when the auger shaft 82 rotates, the dynamic unbalance around the auger shaft 82 can be reduced, and the occurrence of vibrations and an increase in load on the bearing can be effectively suppressed.

  The impeller 94 is provided with a rubber-made impeller body 126 having a constant thickness, and a metal support plate 128 that supports the impeller body 126 from the back side. The impeller body 126 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape whose longitudinal direction is the axial direction of the auger shaft 82. The support plate 128 is also formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape whose longitudinal direction is the axial direction of the auger shaft 82, and the radial width around the auger shaft 82 is narrower than the impeller body 126. The support plate 128 is bent in a V shape at the center in the longitudinal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the impeller 94 includes a pair of connecting arms 130 that connect both ends of the support plate 128 in the longitudinal direction to a pair of flange plates 122R and 124L, respectively. The connecting arm 130 is formed in an elongated plate shape along the radial direction centering on the auger shaft 82. Here, the outer peripheral side of the connecting arm 130 is fixed to the side end surface of the support plate 128 by welding or the like, and the inner peripheral side base end portion is attached to the outer side surface of the flange plates 122R and 124L by bolts or the like. It is fixed.

  The front surface of the support plate 128 is in close contact with the back surface of the impeller body 126, and the impeller body 126 is fixed to the support plate 128 by two connecting pins 132. The two connecting pins 132 pass through the impeller body 126 and the support plate 128, respectively, and are fixed while the impeller body 126 is in pressure contact with the support plate 128. Thereby, the impeller body 126 is held in a state bent in a V shape along the longitudinal direction by the support plate 128. Further, the outer peripheral portion of the impeller body 126 extends to the outer periphery of the support plate 128 and can be elastically deformed in the bending direction.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the blade 96 includes a plate-like blade main body 134 that is elongated in the axial direction, and a pair of connecting portions bent from the both ends in the longitudinal direction of the blade main body 134 toward the inner peripheral side. An arm 136 is provided. The blade body 134 and the connecting arm 136 are formed using a single metal plate as a material. As this metal plate, those having high wear resistance, rust resistance and toughness are desirable, and for example, carbon steel and stainless steel are preferably used. The blade body 96 may be made of plastic.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the blade body 134 has a thickness direction substantially coincident with a radial direction centered on the auger shaft 82, and a blade width direction is a circumferential tangential direction centered on the auger shaft 82. Is substantially consistent. The blade body 134 has a front end surface serving as a blade portion 138 for cutting snow. As shown in FIG. 2, the blade portion 138 is formed in a V shape in which the central portion projects in the rotation direction with respect to both ends along the blade width direction.

The base ends of the pair of connecting arms 136 in the blade 96 are fixed to the outer surfaces of the pair of flange plates 122R and 124L by bolts or the like, respectively. The blade body 134, as shown in FIG. 3, is disposed on the inner peripheral side by a predetermined offset length D _R with respect to the outer peripheral edge of the impeller body 126 along the radial direction around the auger shaft 82. Thereby, for example, when a hard foreign object other than snow, such as stone or concrete, is present in front of the vehicle body 14, the rubber impeller body 126 is given priority over such a foreign object over the metal blade body 134. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the blade 96 from being damaged due to an impact caused by a collision with a hard foreign object.

  A plate-like skid 76 is attached to the auger housing 80 near the lower end of the rear plate portion 115. The skid 76 is bent in an L shape when viewed from the side, and a flat plate-like leveler portion 78 extending rearward is formed at the lower end portion thereof. The skid 76 is attached to the rear plate portion 115 so that the lowermost position of the auger 92 can be adjusted. The skid 76 is for adjusting the height from the ground contact surface of the auger 92 to stabilize the snow removal depth.

(Operation and action of snowplow)
Next, the operation and action of the snowplow 10 configured as described above will be described. In the snowplow 10, the engine 22 is started by the operator performing a predetermined starting operation. At this time, the engine 22 rotates at a predetermined idling rotation speed. Next, when the operator tilts the shift lever 24 in the neutral position to the front side (forward position), the traveling transmission 42 is shifted to the forward gear. Thereby, the preparation for rotating the output shaft of the traveling transmission 42 in the forward rotation direction is completed.

  Next, when the operator swings the travel clutch lever 28 from the non-operation position to the operation position, the belt clutch 33 changes from the off state to the on state, and the rotational force of the engine 22 is transmitted through the belt clutch 33 to the travel transmission. 42 to the input shaft 46M. The rotational force of the output shaft 43 of the traveling transmission 42 is transmitted to the drive sprocket 54R via the output shaft 65 of the speed reducer 64, and rotates the drive sprocket 54R in the forward rotation direction. Accordingly, the crawler 68 in the crawler traveling device 16 circulates around the outer periphery of the driven wheel 52F, the driven wheel 60, and the drive sprocket 54R, and transmits the driving force in the forward direction to the traveling surface G. That is, the crawler traveling device 16 causes the vehicle body 14 to travel forward when the rotational force in the forward rotation direction from the engine 22 is transmitted to the speed reducer 64.

Further, when the driver tilts the shift lever 24 at the neutral position to the rear side (reverse position), the traveling transmission 42 is shifted to the reverse stage. In this state, when the operator swings the travel clutch lever 28 to the operation position, the vehicle body 14 travels in the reverse direction by the crawler travel device 16.
When the operator causes the crawler travel device 16 to travel straight on the vehicle body 14, a downward pressing force is applied to the operation handle 12 to push down the operation handle 12 and follow the vehicle body 14 to walk. . In the snowplow 10, when the operator applies a downward pressing force to the operation handle 12, the crawler 68 has an imaginary axis (hereinafter referred to as a “tilt axis SP”) passing through the vicinity of the turning region 74. (Refer to FIG. 6A)) is transmitted from the vehicle body 14 side. This moment rotates the crawler 68 in one direction (the clockwise direction in FIG. 6A) about the tilt axis SP.

  Therefore, when the operator depresses the operation handle 12 downward, the crawler traveling device 16 and the vehicle body 14 supporting the crawler traveling device 16 tilt (pitch) so that the front end of the snowplow 10 is lifted around the tilt axis SP. To do. In this state, the crawler 68 contacts the turning area 74 with the traveling surface G, and the contact area between the crawler 68 and the traveling surface G is very small.

  In the snow removal machine 10, the height of the snow removal unit 20 disposed in front of the vehicle body 14 can be adjusted to an optimal position by the operator adjusting the amount by which the operation handle 12 is pushed down. Therefore, the operator can drive the vehicle body 14 while lifting the snow removal unit 20 upward from the running surface G so that the snow removal unit 20 does not interfere with the travel during travel without performing snow removal work.

  When the operator turns the vehicle body 14 to the right or left by the crawler traveling device 16, the steering force follows the vehicle body 14 while transmitting the right or left steering force to the vehicle body 14 via the operation handle 12. To walk. In the snowplow 10, when the operator applies a right or left steering force to the operation handle 12, the crawler 68 has a virtual axis (hereinafter referred to as “vertical axis”) passing through the vicinity of the turning region 74. A moment centered on the “turn axis SY” (refer to FIG. 6A) is transmitted from the vehicle body 14 side. This moment acts to rotate the crawler 68 in one direction (clockwise or counterclockwise as viewed from above) around the turning axis SY.

  Accordingly, when the driver transmits a right or left steering force to the operation handle 12, the crawler traveling device 16 and the vehicle body 14 supporting the crawler traveling device 16 are moved to the right or left about the turning axis SY. Turn to yaw. At this time, since the contact area between the crawler 68 and the running surface G is very small, the steering force required for the driver to turn the vehicle body 14 can be reduced, and the vehicle body 14 is easily required. You can swivel by the amount.

  When the snowplow 10 moves to the snow removal place, the operator swings the auger clutch lever 26 from the non-operation position to the operation position. Thereby, the rotational force of the engine 22 is transmitted to the auger shaft 82 via the belt clutch 35, and the auger shaft 82 rotates in a predetermined rotational direction (the direction of arrow R in FIG. 3). At this time, the operator adjusts the amount by which the operation handle 12 is pushed down and adjusts the position of the auger 92 in the vertical direction according to the snow level or the like.

In the snowplow 10, since the center of gravity position is on the front side with respect to the driven wheel 60, a part of the weight of the snowplow 10 can act as a pressing force that biases the auger 92 downward. Thus, the operator can cause the auger 92 to bite into the snow with a small force, so that the labor required for snow removal work can be effectively reduced.
In the snowplow 10, when the traveling surface G is formed by relatively soft snow such as fresh snow, the crawler 68 bites into the traveling surface G, and in addition to the turning region 74, one of the traveling region 70 </ b> F and the traveling region 72 </ b> R. The part is also in contact with the traveling surface G. Accordingly, since a large driving force (trunkation) can be applied to the traveling surface G by the crawler 68, it is possible to effectively prevent the crawler 68 from idling with respect to the traveling surface G.

  In the snowplow 10, a center disk 150 and a pair of side disks 152 and 154 are coaxially provided on the driven wheel 60 of the crawler traveling device 16, and the center disk 150 is a pair of guide protrusions on the inner peripheral surface of the crawler 68. 69A and 69B, one side disk 152 is in pressure contact with the outer region of the guide protrusion 69A on the inner peripheral surface of the crawler 68, and the other side disk 154 is the guide protrusion 69B on the inner peripheral surface of the crawler 68. It is in pressure contact with the outer area. Thereby, even when the snowplow 10 turns around the turning region 74, the crawler 68 is less likely to be displaced along the width direction with respect to the driven wheel 60 by the pair of guide protrusions 69A and 69B. It is possible to effectively prevent the crawler 68 from being detached from the driven wheels 52F and 60 and the drive sprocket 54R during the turning.

  The snow removal machine 10 pushes the snow accumulated in front of the snow removal unit 20 into the auger housing 80 while traveling forward. At this time, the snow that has been in front of the pair of augers 92 along the traveling direction is scraped by the pair of rotating augers 92 and pushed along the axial direction of the auger shaft 82 when pushed into the auger housing 80. Collected on the center side and fed into the flange plates 122R and 124L. The snow is splashed upward by the impeller body 126 that rotates integrally with the auger shaft 82 and is thrown to the side or front of the snow removal machine 10 through the shooter 118.

  Further, during the snow removal work by the snow removal unit 20, the snow that is in front of the blade 96 along the traveling direction is scraped off by the blade body 134 of the blade 96 that rotates together with the auger shaft 82. The scraped snow is sent to the impeller 94 through a pair of connecting arms 136 in the blade 96. This snow is also splashed upward by the impeller body 126 and thrown through the shooter 118. Thereby, since the snow accumulated on the travel route of the snow removal machine 10 can be thrown to the side or the front of the travel route, the snow accumulated on the travel route can be piled up in a place where it does not interfere with humans or automobiles.

  When the operator returns the auger clutch lever 26 to the non-operation position after the snow removal work is completed, the belt clutch 35 is turned off, and the transmission of the rotational force from the engine 22 to the auger shaft 82 is cut off by the belt clutch 35. In addition, an auger brake (not shown) is activated. As a result, the auger shaft 82 stops rotating and the snowplow 10 enters a normal traveling state. When the operator returns the traveling clutch lever 28 to the non-operation position, the belt clutch 33 is turned off, and transmission of the rotational force from the engine 22 to the traveling transmission 42 is interrupted by the belt clutch 33, so that the crawler The traveling device 16 stops.

  In the snowplow 10 according to the present embodiment, the lower surface of the center portion in the front-rear direction of the crawler 68 wound around the outer periphery of the driven wheel 52F, the driven wheel 60, and the drive sprocket 54R in the crawler traveling device 16 is on the front end side and the rear end side. On the other hand, it bulges downward. As a result, in a state where the moment around the turning axis SY passing through the vicinity of the swollen swivel region 74 on the lower surface of the crawler 68 is not transmitted to the crawler 68, the crawler 68 to which the rotational force is transmitted from the drive sprocket 54R Drive the vehicle straight ahead.

In the snowplow 10, when only the turning area 74 is in contact with the traveling surface G by the operator and a moment centered on the tilt axis SP is transmitted to the crawler 68, the crawler 68 is centered on the turning area 74. And turn in the direction of the moment. Accordingly, the vehicle body 14 also turns in the direction of the moment together with the crawler 68.
At this time, the crawler 68 causes the turning region 74 to contact the traveling surface G, and the traveling regions 70F and 72R before and after that do not contact the traveling surface G. For this reason, the ground contact area between the crawler 68 and the running surface G can be reduced, and the frictional resistance between the crawler 68 and the running surface G generated during turning can be effectively reduced.

In the snowplow 10, the crawler traveling device 16 is disposed at the center in the width direction below the vehicle body 14. Accordingly, if only one crawler traveling device 16 is installed on the vehicle body 14, the crawler traveling device 16 can travel straight and turn while supporting the vehicle body 14 along the left-right direction in a balanced manner.
As a result, according to the snow remover 10, the turning radius of the vehicle body 14 can be made about the size from the turning region 74 to the front end or the rear end of the crawler 68, so that the vehicle body 14 can be easily turned in a narrow space. Further, since the number of components including the torque transmission mechanism can be reduced as compared with a conventional snow remover in which a pair of crawler traveling devices is disposed on the vehicle body 14, the manufacturing cost of the snow remover 10 can be effectively reduced.

In the crawler traveling device according to the present invention, a driving sprocket is disposed at the front end, a small diameter driven wheel is disposed at the rear end, and a large diameter driven wheel is provided between the driving sprocket and the driven wheel. May be used.
In the snowplow 10 according to the present embodiment, the engine 22 is used as a drive source for transmitting the rotational force to the crawler traveling device 16. However, an electric motor other than the engine 22 may be used as such a drive source. good. In the snowplow 10, the engine 22 is used as a drive source for transmitting the rotational force to the auger 92, but an electric motor other than the engine 22 may be used as such a drive source. That is, in the snowplow 10, one or both of the crawler traveling device 16 and the auger 92 may be driven by an electric motor.

FIG. 7 shows a change in posture in the tilting direction with respect to the traveling surface G during snow removal and traveling of the snow removal machine 10. In FIG. 7, G ₀ indicates a traveling surface when the snowplow 10 is in the standard horizontal posture.
When the snowplow 10 turns in normal running, the front end of the snowplow 10 is lifted with the turning region 74 as a fulcrum as compared to when the snowplow 10 is in a horizontal posture. At this time, the position of the snow removal machine 10 in the tilt direction is adjusted within the angle range θT of the traveling surface between G _{1 and} G ₂ .

When performing snow removal work above the horizontal level by the snow removal unit 20 while the snow removal machine 10 is traveling, the front end of the snow removal machine 10 is lifted with the swivel region 74 as a fulcrum as compared to when the snow removal machine 10 is in a horizontal posture. It becomes the posture that was given. At this time, the position of the snow removal machine 10 in the tilting direction is adjusted within the angular range θS of the traveling surface between G _{0 and} G ₃ .
Further, when snow removal work is performed deeper than horizontal by the snow removal unit 20 while the snow removal machine 10 is traveling, the rear end of the snow removal machine 10 has the turning region 74 as a fulcrum as compared to when the snow removal machine 10 is in a horizontal posture. The posture is lifted. At this time, the position of the snow removal machine 10 in the tilting direction is adjusted within the angle range θD of the traveling surface between G _{0 and} G ₅ .

  In addition, as the crawler traveling device 16 used in the snowplow 10 according to the present embodiment, the crawler 68 is wound around the outer periphery of the driven wheel 52F, the driven wheel 60, and the drive sprocket 54R. Instead of 52F, a slider in which a slider is slidably pressed against the crawler 68 may be used.

  FIG. 8 shows a first modification of the crawler traveling device in the snowplow 10 according to the present invention. In the crawler traveling device 140, a driven wheel 52F is disposed at the front end portion on the inner periphery of the crawler 68, and a drive sprocket 54R is disposed at the rear end portion. In the crawler traveling device 140, a slider 142 that is in pressure contact with the crawler 68 is disposed between the driven wheel 52F and the drive sprocket 54R on the inner periphery of the crawler 68. The slider 142 is disposed near the center between the driven wheel 52F and the drive sprocket 54R.

  The slider 142 is formed in a substantially semicircular shape in a side view, and a sliding surface 144 curved in an arc shape is formed on the lower surface thereof. The slider 142 slidably presses the sliding surface 144 against the crawler 68, and the lower surface of the central portion in the front-rear direction of the crawler 68 bulges downward. As a result, the crawler 68 is formed with a swivel region 74 that bulges in a V shape on the lower surface of the central portion. Therefore, similarly to the crawler traveling device 16, the crawler traveling device 140 is also provided with the turning region 74, the traveling region 70F, and the traveling region 72R on the lower surface of the crawler 68, respectively.

In addition, guide grooves 145 are formed on the sliding surface 144 at portions facing the guide protrusion 69A and the guide protrusion 69B, respectively. Thus, the sliding surface 144 is slidably pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the crawler 68 without contacting the pair of guide protrusions 69A and 69B.
When the crawler traveling device 140 shown in FIG. 8 is applied to the snowplow 10, the snowplow 10 can be easily turned in a narrow space by the steering force from the operator, and the crawler traveling device 140 and the snowplow 10 are manufactured. Cost can be effectively reduced.

  In the crawler traveling device 140, the crawler 68 slides with respect to the sliding surface 144 of the slider 142 while inserting the pair of guide protrusions 69 </ b> A and 69 </ b> B into the pair of guide grooves 145. Even when turning around the region 74, the pair of guide protrusions 69A and 69B makes it difficult for the crawler 68 to be displaced along the width direction with respect to the slider 142. It is possible to effectively prevent the drive sprocket 54R and the slider 142 from coming off.

  FIG. 9 shows a second modification of the crawler traveling device in the snowplow 10 according to the present invention. The crawler traveling device 160 differs from the crawler traveling device 16 shown in FIG. 1 in that the side disk 152 and the side disk 154 are omitted from the driven wheel 60 and a pair of sliders 162 on the inner periphery of the crawler 68. , 164 is arranged.

  The sliders 162 and 164 are formed in an elongated rod shape along the front-rear direction, and as shown in FIG. 9A, are curved so that the center side in the front-rear direction bulges downward relative to both ends. Thereby, a sliding surface 166 curved in a convex shape is formed on the lower surface of the pair of sliders 162 and 164. The sliding surface 166 is curved with a substantially constant radius of curvature. The pair of sliders 162 and 164 are disposed between the driven wheel 52F and the drive sprocket 54, and the sliding surface 166 is slidably pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the crawler 68.

  On the other hand (on the right side as viewed from the operator), the slider 162 presses the sliding surface 166 to the outside of the guide protrusion 69 </ b> A of the crawler 68. The slider 164 on the other side (left side as viewed from the operator) presses the sliding surface 166 against the outer side of the guide protrusion 69B on the inner peripheral surface of the crawler 68. As a result, the lower end portion of the crawler 68 is curved along the sliding surface 166 at a portion between the driven wheel 52 </ b> F and the drive sprocket 54. Accordingly, a surface curved in a convex shape along the front-rear direction is formed on the lower surface of the crawler 68, and this curved surface constitutes a turning area 168 of the crawler traveling device 160.

  When the crawler traveling device 160 shown in FIG. 9 is applied to the snow removal machine 10, the crawler traveling device 160 contacts only a part of the turning region 168 along the front-rear direction with the traveling surface G. Specifically, when the vehicle body 14 (see FIG. 1) is in a horizontal posture, the crawler traveling device 160 turns slightly on the front side of the support shaft 62 of the driven wheel 60, as shown in FIG. 9A. A part of the region 168 is grounded to the traveling surface G.

  In the crawler traveling device 160, when the vehicle body 14 is in a posture in which the front end is lifted from a horizontal posture (backward tilted posture), a portion (grounding portion) that makes contact with the traveling surface G of the turning region 168 compared to the case of the horizontal posture. Is moved to the rear side (drive sprocket 54R side). In addition, when the vehicle body 14 is in a posture in which the rear end is lifted from a horizontal posture (forward tilted posture), the crawler traveling device 160 sets the grounding portion of the turning region 168 to the front side (driven wheel 52F side) compared to the case of the horizontal posture. ).

In the snow remover 10 to which the crawler traveling device 160 is applied, a virtual axis that passes through the ground contact portion of the turning region 168 of the crawler 68 and is substantially parallel to the vertical direction can be considered. This virtual axis becomes a turning axis SY when the vehicle body 14 turns. FIG. 9A shows the turning axis SY when the vehicle body 14 is in a horizontal posture.
In the snowplow 10 to which the crawler traveling device 160 is applied, the crawler 68 to which the rotational force is transmitted from the drive sprocket 54R is not connected to the vehicle body 14 in a state where the moment around the turning axis SY is not transmitted from the vehicle body 14 to the crawler 68. Drive straight ahead.

  Further, in the snowplow 10, even when the vehicle body 14 is in any of the horizontal posture, the forward leaning posture, and the backward leaning posture, a part of the turning area 168 (the ground contact portion) is in contact with the traveling surface G. When the moment is transmitted to the crawler 68, the crawler 68 turns in the direction of the moment about the turning axis SY passing through the grounding portion of the turning area 168. Accordingly, the car body 14 also turns in a direction corresponding to the direction of the moment together with the crawler 68.

At this time, since the crawler 68 contacts only a part of the turning area 74 with the traveling surface G, the contact area between the crawler 68 and the traveling surface G can be reduced, so that the driver can turn the vehicle body 14. The required steering force can be reduced, and the vehicle body 14 can be easily turned by a required amount.
Further, in the snow remover 10 to which the crawler traveling device 160 is applied, the crawler 68 causes a part of the turning region 168 to contact the traveling surface G regardless of whether the vehicle body 14 is in the forward inclined posture or the backward inclined posture. Thereby, for example, when removing snow deeper than the traveling surface G by the snow removal unit 20, or when removing snow above the traveling surface G, an operation necessary for turning the snow removal machine 10 is required. Power can be reduced.

  In the crawler traveling device 160 shown in FIG. 9, the driven wheel 60 in which the side disk 152 and the side disk 154 are omitted is used, but the center disk 150 is omitted from the driven wheel 60 shown in FIG. The slider 162 may be pressed between the guide protrusion 69A and the guide protrusion 69B of the crawler 68. Further, the driven wheel 60 may be omitted from the crawler traveling device 160, and the three sliders 162 may be brought into pressure contact with each other between the guide projections 69A and 69B of the crawler 68, the outside of the guide projection 69A, and the outside of the guide projection 69B. Also in these cases, the swirl area having the same shape as the swivel area 168 shown in FIG.

  Moreover, although this embodiment demonstrated the case where the crawler traveling apparatus 16,140,160 was applied to the snow remover 10, the crawler traveling apparatus 16,140,160 which concerns on this invention is a traveling vehicle for conveyance, a traveling vehicle for agricultural work, etc. The crawler traveling devices 16, 140, and 160 can be applied to the crawler traveling vehicle, so that the vehicle body can be mounted in a narrow space as in the case of the snowplow 10. The effect that it can be made to turn easily and manufacturing cost can be reduced efficiently is acquired.

  The present invention relates to a crawler traveling device that is disposed at the center in the width direction of a vehicle body of a crawler traveling vehicle and that is driven by a rotational force transmitted from a driving source to travel the vehicle body, and extends rearward from the crawler traveling device and the vehicle body. The present invention can be applied to a crawler traveling type vehicle having an operation handle.

Claims (7)

A crawler traveling device that is disposed at the center in the width direction of the vehicle body and is driven by a rotational force transmitted from a drive source to travel the vehicle body,
A driving sprocket that rotates when a rotational force from a driving source is transmitted;
It is wound around the outer periphery of the drive sprocket, and the lower surface of the center portion in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body bulges downward with respect to the front end side and the rear end side, and the outer periphery of the drive sprocket is caused by the torque transmitted from the drive sprocket. An endless belt-like crawler that goes around and runs the vehicle body,
A crawler traveling device comprising: The drive sprocket is disposed on one of the front end and the rear end on the inner periphery of the crawler, and the first driven wheel is disposed on the other of the front end and the rear end on the inner periphery of the crawler,
A second surface that presses against the lower surface of the crawler between the driving sprocket and the first driven wheel, and bulges the lower surface of the center portion in the front-rear direction of the crawler downward with respect to the front end side and the rear end side. 2. The crawler traveling device according to claim 1, further comprising a driven wheel. A pair of guide protrusions arranged along the circumferential direction of the crawler are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the crawler,
The crawler traveling device according to claim 2, wherein the second driven wheel includes a center disk that presses between the pair of guide protrusions on the inner peripheral surface of the crawler. The drive sprocket is disposed at one of the front end and the rear end in the inner periphery of the crawler, and the driven wheel is disposed at the other of the front end and the rear end in the inner periphery of the crawler,
A slider is disposed between the drive sprocket and the driven wheel so as to be slidably pressed against the crawler and to bulge the lower surface of the central portion in the front-rear direction of the crawler downward with respect to the front end side and the rear end side. The crawler traveling device according to claim 1. A crawler traveling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An operation handle that is gripped by a driver when the vehicle is traveling by the crawler traveling device;
A driving source that transmits a rotational force to the crawler traveling device to drive the crawler traveling device during traveling of the vehicle body;
A crawler traveling vehicle characterized by comprising:   6. The crawler traveling vehicle according to claim 5, wherein a center of gravity of the entire vehicle is positioned on the front side with respect to a portion of the lower surface of the crawler that bulges downward.   The crawler traveling vehicle according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a snow removal unit that is disposed on the vehicle body and scrapes and throws off the snow when inserted into the snow.

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