Mowing machine

Abstract

To provide a mowing implement which prevents the deformation and breakage of a side plate of a mowing blade cover due to gravel or the like scattered toward and colliding with the side plate by the rotation of a mowing blade, widens a safety area where flying stones or the like around a vehicle body are not scattered, and improves the taking-in property of grass into the mowing blade cover.SOLUTION: A buffer member K having a grass collecting surface 12 for guiding grass taken in from the traveling direction F to the inside of the cutting blade cover 11 and a turning surface 13 for turning the scattering direction of gravel or the like scattered toward the traveling direction side of the vehicle body 1 by the rotation of the rotary blade 8 is provided on the left and right inner sides on the traveling direction F side of the side plates 9L and 9R of the cutting blade cover 11, and a space S is formed by the buffer member K and the side plates 9L and 9R of the cutting blade cover 9.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a grass cutting machine for cutting weeds in orchards, fallow fields, etc., and more particularly to a grass cutting machine that prevents deformation or damage to the cutting blade cover, has good grass collection properties within the cutting blade cover, and is capable of redirecting the scattering direction of stones and gravel that are scattered by the rotation of the rotary blade. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a conventional weed-cutting machine for cutting weeds in orchards, fallow fields, etc., which has crawler travel devices on the left and right sides of the body, a rotary blade that rotates around a substantially vertical cutting axis provided in the inner space between the left and right crawler travel devices, and a blade cover that covers the rotary blade. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-125374 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the brush cutter disclosed in Patent Document 1, stones and gravel scattered by the rotation of the blade collide with the inside of the left and right side plates of the blade cover that covers the blade, often causing the side plates to become unevenly deformed or break. The unevenly deformed side plates are unsightly, and if they become significantly deformed, they can interfere with the track frame of the crawler travel device located outside the blade cover side plates. In particular, in a brush cutter equipped with a mower that can be raised and lowered, interference between the side plates and the track frame can cause problems, making it difficult for the mower to move up and down smoothly. Furthermore, the blade cover of the brush cutter disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured with side plates on the left and right sides of the blade cover, and also includes a crawler travel device such as a trek frame and rollers. Therefore, stones and gravel scattered by the rotation of the blade are unlikely to fly in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, but are more likely to fly in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle body. There is a particular risk of stones and pebbles flying in the direction of travel, and although anti-scattering members made of chains, rubber plates, steel plates, etc. are installed in front and behind the blade cover to prevent scattering, stones and pebbles may fly out through the gaps in the anti-scattering members depending on the cutting height of the mowing device and the conditions and timing of the tilt of the vehicle body.The present invention aims to provide a grass cutting machine that prevents deformation or damage to the side plates of the blade cover due to stones and pebbles that fly toward and collide with them as the blade rotates, expands the safety area around the vehicle body where flying stones and pebbles are not scattered, and improves the ability to capture grass into the blade cover. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The invention described in claim 1 is a grass cutting machine having a mowing device 6 that can be raised and lowered in the inner space A between crawler running devices 5L, 5R, which have a crawler C wound around a ground contact roller 2, a tension roller 3, and a drive sprocket 4 that are journaled on the left and right track frames T of the vehicle body 1, and the mowing device 6 has a rotary blade 8 that rotates around a mowing shaft 7 that is approximately vertical, and a cutting blade cover 11 that covers the rotary blade 8 using side plates 9L, 9R on the left and right sides of the rotary blade 8 and a top plate 10 on the top surface, and on the left and right inner sides of the side plates 9L, 9R of the mowing cover 11 in the direction of travel F, a buffer member K is provided on the left and right inner sides of the side plates 9L, 9R of the mowing cover 11 on the direction of travel F, which has a grass collecting surface 12 that guides grass taken in from the direction of travel F toward the inside of the cutting blade cover 11, and a turning surface 13 that turns the scattering direction of stones and gravel and the like that are scattered toward the direction of travel of the vehicle body 1 by the rotation of the rotary blade 8, and a space S is formed by the buffer member K and the side plates 9L, 9R of the cutting blade cover 9.

[0006] In the invention described in claim 2, the buffer member K is configured to be detachable from the side plates 9L, 9R.

[0007] In the invention described in claim 3, the operation mode of the brush cutting machine is configured as a wireless remote control type. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the invention described in claim 1, buffer members K are provided on the left and right inner sides of the side plates 9L, 9R of the cutting cover 11 in the direction of travel F, with grass collection surfaces 12 for guiding grass taken in from the direction of travel F toward the inside of the cutting blade cover 11, and with deflection surfaces 13 for deflecting stones and gravel scattered toward the direction of travel of the vehicle body 1 due to the rotation of the rotary blade 8. A space S is formed between the buffer members K and the side plates 9L, 9R of the cutting blade cover 9. Therefore, even if stones and gravel are scattered toward the side plates 9L, 9R due to the rotation of the rotary blade 8 and collide with the buffer members K, the space S absorbs the impact and prevents direct deformation or damage to the side plates 9L, 9R, preventing the side plates 9L, 9R from becoming uneven and causing an unsightly appearance. Furthermore, the deformed side plates 9L, 9R do not interfere with the crawler traveling devices 5L, 5R, which would impede the lifting and lowering operation of the cutting device 6. In addition, the buffer member K is formed with a grass collection surface 12 and a turning surface 13, and the grass collection surface 12 guides grass entering the blade cover 11 from the direction of travel F toward the inside of the side plates 9L, 9R, so that grass can be easily collected.The turning surface 13 acts to change the direction of scattering of stones and gravel that are scattered toward the direction of travel of the vehicle body 1 due to the rotation of the rotary blade 8, so that the scattering direction of stones and gravel that are scattered straight in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body 1 is changed inward, and the scattering speed of stones and gravel that have once hit the turning surface 13 is slowed down, thereby increasing safety in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body 1.

[0009] In the invention described in claim 2, the buffer members K are configured to be detachable from the side plates 9L, 9R, so that only the buffer members K that are frequently deformed can be replaced.

[0010] In the invention described in claim 3, the brush cutter is configured to be remotely controlled by radio. Normally, with a brush cutter that is operated from a seat on the vehicle body 1, there is little chance that stones and pebbles will be thrown towards the operator. However, with a radio-controlled brush cutter, the operator can operate it from anywhere around the vehicle body 1, which can lead to the operator inadvertently standing in the front or rear of the vehicle body 1, where stones and pebbles are likely to fly. With a configuration consisting of only side panels 9L, 9R, for example, when the rotary blade is rotating clockwise, stones and pebbles may be thrown slightly to the left of the front of the left side panel 9L in the direction of travel F. However, with the present invention, a buffer member K is provided with a turning surface 13 that deflects stones and pebbles inward when they collide with the side panel 9L and can slow down the speed of scattering, thereby having the effect of expanding the safe area in front of the left side of the vehicle body 1 in the direction of travel F from which stones and pebbles will not be scattered. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a partial plan view of the reaping device showing the direction in which stones and gravel are scattered. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a partial plan view of the reaping device showing the direction in which stones and gravel are scattered. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of a wireless remote-controlled grass cutting machine. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of a wireless remote-controlled grass cutting machine. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Next, a wireless remote-controlled grass mower according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The grass mower of the present invention allows the operator to remotely control the travel, start and stop of the engine E, and raise and lower the mowing device 6 to adjust the mowing height, all using a remote control (not shown) carried by the operator. This mower can perform grass mowing while moving forward and backward along the contour lines on slopes. Crawler travel units 5L, 5R are provided on the left and right sides of the main frame 20 that forms the vehicle body 1. The mowing device 6 is provided in the inner space A between the crawler travel units 5L, 5R via a pair of left and right link mechanisms 21 arranged front and rear in parallel. The mowing device 6 can be raised and lowered via a lift link 23 by extending and retracting a lift cylinder 22. Inside the cutting blade cover 11 of the cutting device 6, a knife stay 24 and a bar knife 25 are attached to the lower end of the central, approximately vertical cutting shaft 7, and a rotary blade 8 is provided with upper and lower two-tiered cutting blades 26 rotatably supported at the tip of the bar knife 25. The crawler traveling devices 5L, 5R have multiple ground contact rollers 2 journaled on track frames T provided on the left and right sides of the main frame 20, and the crawler C is wound around the tension roller 3 at the front of the track frame T, the large diameter ground contact roller 27 at the rear, and the drive sprocket 4 above the large diameter ground contact roller 27, and the tension of the crawler C can be adjusted by adjusting the tension roller 3 at the front end forward and backward.

[0013] On the top surface of the cutting blade cover 11 of the cutting device 6, there is provided a cutting blade pulley 28 attached to the upper end of the cutting shaft 7 that passes through the top plate 10 of the cutting blade cover 11, and two upper and lower counter pulleys 29 behind it, with a V-belt 30 wound between the cutting blade pulley 28 and the lower counter pulley 29 to enable belt transmission. This V-belt 30 can be operated to turn on or off the transmission of power from the counter pulley 29 to the cutting blade pulley 28 by rotating a tension clutch mechanism 49 and loosening the V-belt 30. Reference numeral 50 denotes a brake device that can quickly stop the rotation of the rotary blade 8 when the transmission of power from the counter pulley 29 to the cutting blade pulley 28 is cut off. Furthermore, engine E is mounted at the front of engine base 31 above harvesting device 6, and a generator 32, fuel tank 33, traveling battery 34, engine E starting battery 35, etc. are arranged behind it, and engine base 31 is configured to be swingable left and right about a longitudinal swing axis provided at the front and rear ends of engine base 31 by extending and retracting tilting cylinder 46. The generator 32, fuel tank 33, traveling battery 34, engine E starting battery 35, etc. are covered above with a resin cover 36, and a guard pipe 48 is provided above resin cover 36. A guard pipe 48 is also provided above engine E.

[0014] Two engine pulleys 37, one above the other, are attached to the output shaft that projects downward from the engine E, and a generator pulley 38 is attached to the generator shaft that projects downward from the generator 32, with two V-belts 39 held in a taut state by a tension mechanism 51 connecting the upper engine pulley 37 and the generator pulley 38 to enable belt transmission. Also, a counter V-belt 40 held in a taut state by a tension mechanism 52 connects the lower engine pulley 37 and the upper counter pulley 29 to enable belt transmission.

[0015] The front and rear ends of the cutting device 6 are provided with a first scattering prevention device 41a and a second scattering prevention device 41b that prevent stones and pebbles, which are scattered by the rotation of the rotary blade 8, from scattering outward in the front-to-rear direction of the cutting blade cover 11. The first scattering prevention device is composed of multiple sheet metal cover plates that hang down across the entire width of the cutting blade cover 11 and are pivoted like a curtain by shafts 42. The second scattering prevention device 41b is composed of a rubber plate that extends across the entire width of the cutting blade cover 11 on the outer side of the cover plates. Outside the first and second scattering prevention devices 41a and 41b, third scattering prevention devices 43 are provided, each having approximately the same width as the width of the main frame 20 of the vehicle body 1. The third scattering prevention devices 43 are arranged at the front and rear of the main frame 20, and the third scattering prevention devices 43 restrict any debris scattered outward from the first and second scattering prevention devices 41a and 41b so that it does not scatter further outward. The third scattering prevention device 43 is composed of multiple chains 44 suspended across the width of the main frame 20 and a comb plate 45 hanging down inside the chains.

[0016] The engine base 31 is configured to swing left and right around longitudinal swing axes provided at the front and rear ends of the engine base 31 by extending and retracting the tilting cylinder 46. When the vehicle body 1 tilts left and right, the engine base 31 swings toward the slope, preventing the engine E from seizing due to poor engine oil circulation. A control box 47 that controls driving and charging is located behind the left and right swingable engine base 31, and below the control box 47 are provided a travel motor M and a gearbox G that drive the left and right crawler travel devices 5L, 5R. The travel motor M and gearbox G can drive the left and right crawlers C, and by rotating the left and right crawlers C in opposite directions, it is possible to perform a pivot turn (turn on the spot), or to stop one crawler C and rotate the other crawler C to perform a pivot turn.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a blade cover 11 of the present invention, in which a freely liftable reaping device 6 is mounted in the inner space A between the left and right crawler travelling devices 5L, 5R. The reaping device 6 is a rotary-type, large-diameter single rotary blade 8, with the rotary blade 8 attached to a generally vertical cutting shaft 7 located in the center. The blade cover 11, which is rectangular in plan view and consists of a top plate 10 and side plates 9L, 9R, covers the rotary blade 8. When the rotary blade 8 rotates clockwise in the direction of travel F, a buffer member K having a space S is provided inside the left and right side plates 9L, 9R on the side of the direction of travel F. The buffer member K has a grass collecting surface 12 inclined inward from the direction of travel F and a deflecting surface 13 that deflects the scattering direction of stones and gravel that collide with the rotation of the rotary blade 8. A triangular space S is provided between the buffer member K and the side plates 9L, 9R. Stones and debris scattered by the clockwise rotating blades 8 collide with the side panel 9R at a nearly perpendicular angle, causing severe damage to the side panel 9R. However, in the present invention, the buffer member K with the space S is provided, so that the buffer member K absorbs the impact on the side panel 9R, preventing the side panel 9R from being deformed or damaged. Furthermore, the grass collection surface 12 on the side panel 9R guides grass on the right side (the side panel 9R side) in the direction of travel F inward toward the blade cover 11, improving cutting performance. As shown in FIG. 2, the grass collection surface 12 of the buffer member K on the side panel 9L guides grass on the left side in the direction of travel F inward toward the blade cover 11, just like the grass collection surface 12 of the buffer member K on the side panel 9R. Furthermore, the deflection surface 13 can deflect stones and debris scattered by the clockwise rotating blades 8 so that they are scattered slightly inward, thereby expanding the safety area Y in front of the side panel 9L where scattered debris does not scatter.

[0018] Figure 3 shows an embodiment in which buffer members K are provided not only on the side in the direction of travel F but also on the rear side in the direction of travel F. The buffer members K provided on the rear side in the direction of travel F are not on the grass collection side, so they do not have a grass collection function on the grass collection surface 12, but the buffer members K on the side of side plate 9L are mainly effective in preventing deformation of side plate 9L due to scattered stones and gravel, and the buffer members K on the side of side plate 9R are mainly intended to deflect scattered stones and gravel with the turning surface 13, thereby expanding the safety area where stones and gravel do not scatter. Note that the amount of scattered stones and gravel on the rear side in the direction of travel F is less than the amount scattered on the side in the direction of travel F. Therefore, the main purpose of the buffer member K on the side panel 9R on the side of the traveling direction F is to collect grass on the right side and absorb shock, the main purpose of the buffer member K on the side panel 9L on the side of the traveling direction F is to collect grass on the left side and to deflect the scattering direction of flying debris and reduce the scattering speed, the main purpose of the buffer member K on the side panel 9R on the rear side of the traveling direction F is to deflect the scattering direction of flying debris and reduce the scattering speed, and the main purpose of the buffer member K on the side panel 9L on the rear side of the traveling direction F is to absorb shock.

[0019] The buffer members K may be attached to the side plates 9L and 9R by any method such as screws, bolts, and nuts. [Explanation of symbols]

[0020] 1. Body 2 Ground Roller 3 Tension roller 4 drive sprocket 5L crawler travel device 5R crawler running device 6 Reaping device 7 Reaping axis 8 Rotary Blade 9L side plate 9R side plate 10. Top plate 11 Blade cover 12 Grass collection surface 13 Turning Surface A Spacing C Crawler F Direction of travel K Buffer member S space T-track frame

Claims

1. A vehicle body (1), a ground contact roller (2) journaled on left and right track frames (T), a tension roller (3), and a crawler travel device (5L), each having a crawler (C) wound around a drive sprocket (4), are provided in an inner space (A) between the crawler travel device (5L), (5R), and a raking device (6) that can be raised and lowered. The raking device (6) has a rotary blade (8) that rotates around a substantially vertical raking shaft (7), and a blade cover (11) that covers the rotary blade (8) by means of side plates (9L), (9R) on the left and right sides of the rotary blade (8) and a top plate (10) on the top surface. In this grass cutting machine, a buffer member (K) is provided on the left and right inner sides of the side plates (9L), (9R) of the cutting cover (11) in the direction of travel (F) on the left and right sides thereof, which have a grass collecting surface (12) for guiding grass taken in from the direction of travel (F) into the cutting blade cover (11), and a turning surface (13) for turning the direction of scattering stones and gravel that are scattered toward the direction of travel of the vehicle body (1) due to the rotation of the rotary blade (8), and a space (S) is formed by the buffer member (K) and the side plates (9L), (9R) of the cutting blade cover (9).

2. 2. The brush cutter according to claim 1, wherein the buffer member (K) is detachable from the side plates (9L, 9R).

3. 3. A brush cutter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the brush cutter is remotely controlled by radio.

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