Cutter machine

Abstract

To provide a cutter machine capable of freely cutting curves on a work surface. [Solution] A cutter machine comprising a base 3 positioned above the work surface C to be cut, a drive source 5 installed on the base 3, a traveling body 4 installed on the base 3 to move the base 3 relative to the work surface C, and a rotating blade 2 that rotates around a horizontally positioned central axis to cut the work surface C when power is transmitted from the drive source 5, and a steering unit that can steer the rotating blade 2 to pivot left and right with respect to the front-to-back direction of the base 3.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutter machine that cuts a pavement surface formed of, for example, asphalt with a rotary blade.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a cutter machine that cuts a pavement surface, which is a work target surface formed of asphalt or the like, with a rotary blade. However, with such a cutter machine, only linear cutting could be performed on the pavement surface.

[0003] On the other hand, Patent Document 1 discloses a cutter machine capable of cutting a pavement surface, which is a work target surface, in a curved shape. The cutter machine described in Patent Document 1 is configured to provide a wheel that can rotate on a carriage.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Although the cutter machine described in Patent Document 1 is configured to provide a wheel that can rotate on a carriage, the orientation of the rotary blade in the front-rear direction is fixed with respect to the carriage, and the wheel that cannot receive a driving force is rotated, and accordingly, the orientation of the carriage is changed. Therefore, with the cutter machine described in Patent Document 1, due to poor maneuverability, there is a limit to performing a curve cut with a desired curvature.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cutter machine capable of freely performing a curve cut on a work target surface.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The cutter machine of the present invention comprises a base located above a work surface to be cut, a drive source installed on the base, a traveling body installed on the base for moving the base relative to the work surface, and a rotating blade that rotates around a horizontally positioned central axis to cut the work surface when power from the drive source is transmitted, and a steering unit that can steer the rotating blade to rotate left and right with respect to the front-rear direction of the base.

[0008] According to the above-described cutter machine, when cutting a work surface with a rotating blade to which power from a drive source is transmitted, the base is positioned above the work surface, and the base is moved by a vehicle. The steering unit can steer the rotating blade, which is the cutting part, so that it is tilted relative to the front-rear direction of the base. As a result, the rotating blade can cut the work surface with a curvature that matches the degree of tilt of the steering.

[0009] The cutter machine of the present invention includes a coupling that transmits power from the drive source to the rotating blade, the drive source being fixed to the base, and the coupling can be configured to transmit power in accordance with the change in the inclination of the rotating blade caused by the steering unit.

[0010] According to the above-described cutter machine, even when the rotating blade is tilted in the front-to-back direction on the base, the coupling that transmits power from the drive source to the rotating blade follows the change in the tilt of the rotating blade caused by the steering unit, thereby ensuring smooth power transmission.

[0011] In the cutter machine of the present invention, the traveling bodies are provided in a pair in the width direction of the base, and each of the traveling bodies constituting the pair, one side and the other side, may be configured to be able to move up and down independently and to be able to maintain the state in which they have moved up and down.

[0012] In the above-described cutter machine, a pair of traveling bodies are provided in the width direction of the base, and since the traveling bodies can move up and down relative to the base and maintain that position, each traveling body can follow the slope and unevenness of the work surface.

[0013] The cutter machine of the present invention is provided with a pair of support rollers arranged to sandwich the rotating blade in the width direction, the pair of support rollers contact the work surface during cutting by the rotating blade, and each of the support rollers constituting the pair is independently movable up and down and can maintain its vertically moved state.

[0014] According to the above-described cutter machine, when cutting the work surface with a rotating blade, the cutting can be performed stably by a pair of support rollers that come into contact with the work surface during the cutting process. Furthermore, when the base moves, it can follow the slope and unevenness of the work surface in combination with the vertical movement of the moving body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the cutter machine of the present invention, the steering unit can steer the rotating blade, which is the cutting part, so that it is tilted with respect to the front-rear direction on the base, thereby enabling flexible curved cuts on the work surface. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a front and rear perspective view of a cutter machine showing one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view from the front. [Figure 3] This is a front view of the same object. [Figure 4] This is a front view enlarged, primarily showing the steering section. [Figure 5] This is a left side view of the same object. [Figure 6] The same plane diagram. [Figure 7] The same base view. [Figure 8] It is the same as the right side view.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, referring to FIGS. 1 to 8, a cutter machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The cutter machine 1 is a vehicle configured to be able to perform a straight or freely curved cut on a work target surface (for example, an asphalt or concrete pavement surface) C by a rotary blade (cutting blade) 2.

[0018] The cutter machine 1 includes a base 3, traveling bodies 4, 4 that travel and move the base 3, a placed object such as a drive source 5 placed on the upper surface of the base 3, and a steering unit 6 disposed in front of the base 3.

[0019] The base 3 is arranged to be located above the work target surface C that is the object of the cutting operation. In this embodiment, the base 3 is formed in a rectangular frame shape that is long in the vehicle front-rear direction, and as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, it includes a pair of parallel reinforcing plates 3A, 3A spaced apart in the front-rear direction.

[0020] The traveling bodies 4, 4 are located at the rear part of the base 3 and are a pair of wheels arranged on the outer sides in the vehicle width direction of the base 3. These traveling bodies 4, 4 are configured to be capable of forward and backward rotation with respect to the base 3 by respective support shafts 4a, 4a along the vehicle width direction, and are configured to be vertically movable with respect to the base 3. In this embodiment, the range of vertical movement is 100 mm. Note that although the traveling bodies 4, 4 are wheels, they can also be caterpillars (registered trademark).

[0021] Here, we will describe the running mechanism 4A that allows the running bodies 4,4 to move up and down. The running mechanism 4A includes a running body gearbox 7 shown in Figures 7 and 8, mounting members 8, 8 shown in Figures 1 and 2, and running body cylinder devices 9, 9. As shown in Figure 7, the running body gearbox 7 is located below the center in the vehicle width direction of the base 3, and a motor 10 that drives the gears inside the running body gearbox 7 is located adjacent to the running body gearbox 7. The running body gearbox 7 is located on both outer sides in the vehicle width direction and is equipped with drive shafts 11, 11 connected to the gears, and the drive shafts 11, 11 are driven by the power generated by the motor 10.

[0022] The mounting members 8,8 are configured to connect the drive shafts 11,11 and the support shafts 4a,4a. Although not shown in the figures, the drive shafts 11,11 and the support shafts 4a,4a are connected by a chain or the like, and the traveling bodies 4,4 rotate around the support shafts 4a,4a when the drive shafts 11,11 are driven.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the mounting members 8,8 have an approximate L-shape, with extensions 12,12 that extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and protruding parts 13,13 that project upward from the front ends of the extensions 12,12. The support shafts 4a,4a are attached to the rear ends of the extensions 12,12, and the outer parts of the drive shafts 11,11 in the vehicle width direction are connected to the boundary between the extensions 12,12 and the protruding parts 13,13 on the mounting members 8,8.

[0024] The cylinder devices 9,9 for the running body are positioned between the base 3 and the mounting members 8,8. Specifically, the base of the cylinder 9a of the cylinder devices 9,9 is connected to the side surface 3a of the base 3, and the tip of the rod 9b of the cylinder devices 9,9 is connected to the protrusions 13,13 of the mounting members 8,8, so that the cylinder devices 9,9 for the running body can extend and retract horizontally relative to the base 3.

[0025] The cylinder devices 9,9 for the traveling bodies are hydraulic cylinders, and by making them extendable, when the rod 9b extends, the traveling bodies 4,4 descend, and when the rod 9b retracts, the traveling bodies 4,4 rise. With this configuration, the traveling bodies 4,4 can swing up and down around the drive shafts 11,11 relative to the base 3, and the up and down movement of the traveling bodies 4,4 can be maintained. Each of the pair of traveling bodies 4,4 is configured to move up and down independently relative to the base 3 by its respective cylinder device 9,9 for the traveling bodies.

[0026] The drive source 5, which is a mounted component, is configured to drive the rotating blade 2 and is positioned and fixed in the center of the base 3 in the vehicle width direction. One end of L-shaped angles 14, 14 is attached to both sides of the drive source 5 in the vehicle width direction, and the other end of the angles 14, 14 is attached to the upper surface 3b of the base 3, so that the drive source 5 is supported and fixed to the base 3. In this embodiment, an internal combustion engine, specifically a diesel engine, is used as the drive source 5. A drive joint rod 15 for transmitting the power generated by the drive source 5 to the front of the vehicle is positioned extending forward of the vehicle. The power from the drive source 5 is also supplied to a generator (not shown), which is charged in a battery and supplied to the motor 10. In addition, a drive source radiator 16 is positioned behind the drive source 5 as a mounted component. Although not shown, the base 3 is equipped with a gyro sensor for detecting the attitude of the base 3, and the attitude of the base 3 is detected by this gyro sensor.

[0027] The steering unit 6 is configured to steer the rotating blade 2 so that it tilts (i.e., swings) relative to the front-rear direction on the base 3. Before describing the configuration of the steering unit 6, the steering gear device 17, drive gear 18, and driven gear 19 that make the steering unit 6 steerable will be described.

[0028] The steering gear device 17 comprises a steering gear device body 20 and a worm gear as a gear mechanism housed within the steering gear device body 20. The steering gear device 17 also includes a motor 17A for driving the drive gear 18. The steering gear device body 20 is mounted on a lower plate member 21 positioned on the vehicle-front side of the base 3. The central axis (not shown) of the worm wheel of the worm gear protrudes downward from the steering gear device body 20. The worm gear is driven by the output of the motor 17A. The lower plate member 21 is rectangular in shape when viewed from above.

[0029] The drive gear (pinion gear) 18 is positioned between the lower plate member 21 and the steering gear device body 20. As shown in Figure 6, the central axis 18a of the drive gear 18 is coaxial with the central axis of the worm wheel, and the central axis 18a of the drive gear 18 is inserted through the lower plate member 21 from above and below, so that the drive gear 18 is rotatably supported around the central axis 18a.

[0030] As shown in Figure 6, the driven gear (pinion gear) 19 is configured to mesh with the drive gear 18. The driven gear 19 is formed with a larger diameter than the drive gear 18 and is positioned adjacent to the drive gear 18 on the lower plate member 21. The central axis 19a of the driven gear 19 is positioned parallel to the central axis 18a of the drive gear 18.

[0031] These steering gear device 17, lower plate member 21, drive gear 18, and driven gear 19 are immovable components that do not move up, down, left, or right relative to the base 3. However, the drive gear 18 is configured to rotate around the central axis 18a, and the driven gear 19 is configured to rotate around the central axis 19a.

[0032] Next, the steering unit 6 will be described. The steering unit 6 is configured to include a cutting blade gearbox 22, a coupling 23, a transmission gear (the symbols will be explained later), a rotating blade 2, a support roller device 24, and vertical cylinder devices 25, 25. This steering unit 6 can be steered by a remote control (hereinafter referred to as the remote control), which is not shown in the figure, and therefore the steering unit 6 is equipped with a control unit that receives input from the remote control. Specifically, the remote control is configured to operate the motor 17A.

[0033] As described above, the steering unit 6 is configured to steer the rotating blade 2 so that it is tilted relative to the front-rear direction of the base 3. For this reason, the cutting blade gearbox 22, the joint 23 (front member), the transmission gear, the rotating blade 2, the support roller device 24, and the vertical movement cylinder devices 25, 25 are configured to be steerable relative to the front-rear direction of the base 3.

[0034] The cutting blade gearbox 22 is located at the front of the drive joint rod 15. The cutting blade gearbox 22 comprises a cutting blade gearbox body 22A and a bevel gear as a gear mechanism housed within the cutting blade gearbox body 22A. As shown in Figure 6, the drive shaft 22a of the bevel gear is aligned horizontally and protrudes from the side of the cutting blade gearbox body 22A.

[0035] The gearbox body 22A for the cutting blade is positioned above the lower plate member 21 and is installed on an upper plate member 26 that extends to the front of the lower plate member 21. The upper plate member 26 is rectangular in shape when viewed from above and is positioned parallel to the lower plate member 21. The upper end of the central shaft 19a of the driven gear 19 is penetrated and fixed into the upper plate member 26.

[0036] The coupling 23 is configured to connect to the front of the drive joint rod 15 and to the bevel gear of the cutting blade gearbox body 22A. In this embodiment, the coupling 23 is a universal joint. The central axis 19a of the driven gear 19 and the center of the coupling 23 are aligned in the vertical direction.

[0037] As described above, the upper end of the central axis 19a of the driven gear 19 is fixed to the upper plate member 26, and the coupling 23 is connected to the drive joint rod 15 and the gearbox body 22A (bevel gear) for the cutting blade. Therefore, the upper plate member 26 is configured to swing relative to the base 3 via the coupling 23 in conjunction with the driving of the worm gear of the steering gear device body 20. In this embodiment, the upper plate member 26 is configured to rotate 120° to the left and right via the coupling 23.

[0038] The transmission gear consists of multiple (four in this embodiment) pinion gears arranged vertically. If the transmission gear is designated as the first transmission gear 27, the second transmission gear 28, the third transmission gear 29, and the fourth transmission gear 30, as shown in Figure 1, then the central axes 27a, 28a, 29a, and 30a of these transmission gears are arranged horizontally along the drive shaft 22a of the bevel gear. That is, the central axis 27a of the first transmission gear 27 is coaxial with the drive shaft 22a of the bevel gear, meaning that the first transmission gear 27 is a drive gear. The second transmission gear 28 meshes with the first transmission gear 27, with the second transmission gear 28 meshing with the first transmission gear 27 below; the third transmission gear 29 meshes with the second transmission gear 28, with the third transmission gear 29 meshing with the second transmission gear 28, with the fourth transmission gear 30 meshing with the third transmission gear 29, with the fourth transmission gear 30 meshing with the third transmission gear 29 below. The second transmission gear 28, the third transmission gear 29, and the fourth transmission gear 30 are driven gears that drive the rotation of the first transmission gear 27.

[0039] On the other hand, the central axes 28a, 29a, and 30a of the second transmission gear 28, the third transmission gear 29, and the fourth transmission gear 30 are pivotally supported by a vertical plate member 31 fixed to hang down from the vehicle width end of the upper plate member 26, as shown in Figure 1. The first transmission gear 27, the second transmission gear 28, the third transmission gear 29, and the fourth transmission gear 30 are arranged so that the gears positioned lower down have smaller diameters. In other words, the rotation of the fourth transmission gear 30 around its central axis 30a increases the speed of the rotation of the first transmission gear 27 around its central axis 27a. The vertical plate member 31 is a plate-shaped member when viewed from the front, and a protruding plate portion 32 is formed midway along the vertical direction, integrally projecting forward from the vertical plate member 31.

[0040] The rotating blade 2 is a blade that rotates when power from the drive source 5 is transmitted via the drive joint rod 15, coupling 23, cutting blade gearbox 22, and transmission gear, and cuts the work surface C. In this embodiment, the rotating blade 2 is a diamond cutter blade. The rotating blade 2 has a smaller diameter than conventional rotating blades. This is preferable because a smaller diameter allows for a larger curvature when cutting curves. In this embodiment, the rotating blade 2 has a diameter of 125 mm. However, it can also be 100 mm to 250 mm.

[0041] As shown in Figure 5, the central axis 2a of the rotating blade 2 is parallel to the central axis 27a of the first transmission gear 27 and coaxial with the central axis 30a of the fourth transmission gear 30. The rotating blade 2 is a cantilevered blade supported by its central axis 2a, and the rotating blade 2 is not capable of vertical movement. This rotating blade 2 is positioned in front of and below the base 3, in the central region of the base 3 in the vehicle width direction. Since the rotating blade 2 is a diamond cutter blade, only the blade body 2b centered on the central axis 2a is capable of cutting the work surface C.

[0042] In this embodiment, the mechanism for rotating the rotating blade 2 around the central axis 2a consists of a drive source 5, a drive joint rod 15, a coupling 23, a gearbox 22 for the cutting blade, and a transmission gear.

[0043] The support roller device 24 is positioned to sandwich the rotating blade 2 in the vehicle width direction of the base 3 in pairs, so as to contact the work surface C while cutting is being performed by the rotating blade 2. The support roller device 24 is also configured to be independently movable up and down relative to the rotating blade 2.

[0044] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the support roller device 24 comprises support rollers 33, 33 and mounting bodies 34, 34. The support rollers 33, 33 are positioned adjacent to the rotating blade 2 and are capable of rotating around a horizontal axis while in contact with the work surface C.

[0045] The support rollers 33, 33 are formed in an annular shape, with an axial space 33A formed in the center. The axial space 33A is a circular hole when viewed from the front, and the end of the central axis 2a of the rotating blade 2 in the vehicle width direction can contact the circumferential surface 33a of the axial space 33A.

[0046] The mounting bodies 34, 34 are members that support the support rollers 33, 33 so that they rotate around a horizontal axis. The mounting bodies 34, 34 have an insertion space 34A that communicates with the axial space 33A from the lateral direction, and the insertion space 34A has the same diameter as the axial space 33A. One of the mounting bodies 34, 34 is positioned on the inside in the vehicle width direction of the vertical plate member 31, as shown in Figure 1. The other mounting body 34 is positioned parallel to the other mounting body 34. Both mounting bodies 34, 34 are formed in a plate shape that extends forward from the vertical plate member 31, and the insertion space 34A is formed on the rear side of the mounting bodies 34, 34.

[0047] The intermediate portions of the mounting bodies 34, 34 in the front-rear direction are pivotally supported by the protruding plate portion 32 of the vertical plate member 31. That is, the protruding plate portion 32 and the intermediate portions of the mounting bodies 34, 34 in the front-rear direction are supported by a horizontal shaft 35 that is parallel to the drive shaft 22a of the bevel gear and located below the drive shaft 22a. However, as mentioned above, the protruding plate portion 32 is fixed to the upper plate member 26. Therefore, in this case, the mounting bodies 34, 34 are configured to be rotatable around the horizontal shaft 35. In order to enable the mounting bodies 34, 34 to rotate around the horizontal shaft 35, an auxiliary plate 36 is formed that hangs down from the center of the upper plate member 26 in the vehicle width direction, and the horizontal shaft 35 is also inserted through the auxiliary plate 36. The auxiliary plate 36 is positioned at the center of the mounting bodies 34, 34 in the vehicle width direction in order to enable the mounting bodies 34, 34 to rotate around the horizontal shaft 35.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, the vertical-moving cylinder devices 25, 25 are configured to move the mounting bodies 34, 34 up and down around the horizontal axis 35. The vertical-moving cylinder devices 25, 25 are positioned between the mounting bodies 34, 34 and the upper plate member 26. Specifically, the bases of the cylinders 25a, 25a of the vertical-moving cylinder devices 25, 25 are supported by a cylinder holding portion 37 that extends forward from the upper plate member 26, and the tips of the rods 25b, 25b of the vertical-moving cylinder devices 25, 25 are supported on the front of the mounting bodies 34, 34, so that the vertical-moving cylinder devices 25, 25 can extend and retract vertically relative to the base 3.

[0049] The vertical movement cylinder devices 25, 25 are hydraulic cylinders, and by making them into a predetermined telescopic body, when the rods 25b, 25b extend, the support rollers 33, 33 rise, and when the rods 25b, 25b extend, the support rollers 33, 33 descend. With this configuration, the vertical movement state of the support rollers 33, 33 can be maintained.

[0050] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the cylinder holding portion 37 includes a rising plate 38 that rises from the front end of the upper plate member 26, and a protruding plate 39 that protrudes forward from the center of the rising plate 38 in the vehicle width direction. The cylinders 25a, 25a of the vertically moving cylinder devices 25, 25 are supported by the protruding plate 39 so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis 40, and the tips of the rods 25b, 25b of the vertically moving cylinder devices 25, 25 are supported at the front of the mounting bodies 34, 34 so as to be rotatable around the horizontal axis 40.

[0051] In the cutter machine 1 described above, when not in use, the vertical cylinder devices 25, 25 retract, causing the mounting bodies 34, 34 to rotate around the horizontal axis 35. The mounting bodies 34, 34 sandwich the rotating blade 2 on both sides in the vehicle width direction, and the central axis 2a of the rotating blade 2 is in the axial space 33A. As shown in Figure 4, the outer surfaces of the support rollers 33, 33 are in contact with the work surface C. In other words, the outer surface of the rotating blade 2 does not come into contact with the work surface C, and the rotating blade 2 does not cut the work surface C.

[0052] The operation of the cutter machine 1 described above will now be explained. In other words, the operation state is such that the rotating blade 2 can cut straight lines or curves freely according to the conditions and purpose of the construction site onto the work surface C.

[0053] When cutting a work surface C in a straight line with the rotating blade 2, the operator moves the cutter machine 1 to the work surface C using the traveling bodies 4, 4, and operates the remote control to drive the vertical movement cylinder devices 25, 25, raising the support rollers 33, 33, thereby exposing the rotating blade 2 to the support rollers 33, 33. In this state, as shown in Figure 3, the central axis 2a of the rotating blade 2 is in contact with the circumferential surface 33a of the axial space 33A.

[0054] Then, the rotating blade 2 is placed on the work surface C, and the drive source 5 is turned ON. When the drive source 5 is turned ON, power is transmitted to the rotating blade 2 via the drive joint rod 15, coupling 23, cutting blade gearbox 22, and transmission gear, causing the rotating blade 2 to rotate around the central axis 2a.

[0055] When cutting the work surface C in a straight line, the steering unit 6 is not operated relative to the base 3. For example, by marking the work surface C in advance, moving the rotating blade 2 along the markings, and operating the base 3 in the direction of travel with the traveling bodies 4,4, the work surface C can be cut by the rotating blade 2.

[0056] To perform a curved cut with the rotating blade 2, the operator operates the remote control in the same way as when cutting a straight line to drive the vertical cylinder devices 25, 25 and raise the support rollers 33, 33, thereby exposing the rotating blade 2 to the support rollers 33, 33. In this state, the central axis 2a of the rotating blade 2 contacts the circumferential surface 33a of the axial space 33A.

[0057] When performing curved cuts with the rotating blade 2, the base 3 is supported by the traveling bodies 4,4, and the steering unit 6 is steerable (rotatable) relative to the base 3. Specifically, the steering unit 6 can rotate (swivel) 120° to the left and right while transmitting power for cutting via the joint 23. Therefore, the steering unit 6 can perform curved cuts H (see Figure 7) by transmitting power from the drive source 5 to the base 3, following the change in the inclination of the rotating blade 2 via the joint 23. In other words, curved cuts H can be performed by the blade body 2b of the rotating blade 2 without having to worry about the orientation of the base 3.

[0058] According to the cutter machine 1 of this embodiment, the steering unit 6 can steer the rotating blade 2 so that it is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction of the base 3, so that the rotating blade 2 can cut the work surface C with a curvature that matches the degree of inclination of the steering.

[0059] Incidentally, each of the pair of mobile bodies 4,4 is configured to move up and down independently relative to the base 3 by its respective mobile body cylinder device 9,9. The mobile body cylinder devices 9,9 are controlled by the remote control, and the base 3 is equipped with a gyro sensor to detect its orientation, which in turn detects the orientation of the base 3. In this way, the mobile bodies 4,4 are provided as a pair in the width direction of the base 3, and by operating the remote control, the mobile bodies 4,4 can move up and down relative to the base 3 and maintain that position. Therefore, as shown by the dashed lines in Figure 5, the mobile bodies 4,4 can follow the incline and unevenness of the work surface C.

[0060] Furthermore, the vertical movement cylinder devices 25, 25 that move the support rollers 33, 33 of the support roller device 24 up and down are also operated by remote control. Therefore, when cutting the work surface C with the rotating blade 2, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 5, the cutting can be performed stably by the pair of support rollers 33, 33 that are in contact with the work surface C during the cutting process by the rotating blade 2, and when the base 3 is moving, it can follow the slope and unevenness of the work surface C in combination with the vertical movement of the traveling bodies 4, 4. Although the rotating blade 2 was used to cut the work surface C, it can also be used to form grooves on the surface of the work surface C.

[0061] The present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from its spirit. Furthermore, the specific configuration of each part is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the base 3 was operated in the direction of travel by the traveling bodies 4,4. However, the traveling bodies 4,4 may be configured to move rotatably by branching and transmitting the power generated by the drive source 5. Alternatively, the traveling bodies 4,4 may simply be configured to be connected to the side surface 3a of the base 3 via support shafts 4a,4a.

[0063] In the above embodiment, when performing a curved cut on the work surface C using the rotary blade 2, it is done by remote control operation. However, when performing a curved cut using the rotary blade 2, the operator may directly operate the steering unit 6 to perform the curved cut.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the rotating blade 2 can also be rotated to follow the ink application based on detection by a sensor or camera.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the central axis 2a of the rotating blade 2 was parallel to the central axis 27a of the first transmission gear 27. However, the rotating blade 2 can also be configured to be tiltable with respect to the horizontal axis. In this case, the work surface C can be cut according to the tilting direction of the rotating blade 2.

[0066] In the above configuration, a steering rod can be provided to position the rotating blade 2 on the work surface C. The steering rod is fixed, for example, to the lower part of the upper plate member 26 and extends forward. It is desirable that there are no other components constituting the cutter machine 1 around the front portion of the steering rod.

[0067] In the above embodiment, a universal joint was used as the coupling 23. However, if the steering unit 6 is to be steered, a coupling that can rotate (tilt) freely in the horizontal direction can also be used. Also, in the above embodiment, an internal combustion diesel engine was used as the drive source 5. However, it is also possible to use an engine as the drive source 5.

[0068] In the above embodiment, to ensure safety, a cover may be placed over the transmission gear, which is attached to a predetermined location on the steering unit 6, or a cover may be placed over the rotating blade 2 so that the blade body 2b is exposed. Furthermore, the cutter machine 1 may be equipped with an emergency stop function in case the traveling body 4,4 comes off its wheels. In this case, for example, a lever may be provided on the steering unit 6, and the cutter machine 1 can be brought to an emergency stop by operating the lever. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 1: Cutter machine, 2: Rotating blade, 2a: Central shaft, 2b: Blade body, 3: Base, 4,4: Traveling body, 4A: Traveling mechanism, 4a: Support shaft, 5: Drive source, 6: Steering unit, 7: Gearbox for traveling body, 8,8: Mounting member, 9,9: Cylinder device for traveling body, 9a: Cylinder, 9b: Rod, 10: Motor, 11,11: Drive shaft, 12,12: Extension part, 13,13: Protruding part, 14,14: Angle, 15: Drive joint rod, 16: Radiator for drive source, 17: Steering gear device, 17A: Motor, 18: Drive gear, 18a: Central shaft, 19: Driven gear, 19a: Central shaft, 20: Steering gear device body, 21: Lower plate member, 22 : Gearbox for cutting blade, 22A: Gearbox body for cutting blade, 22a: Drive shaft, 23: Joint, 24: Support roller device, 25,25: Up and down cylinder device, 25a,25a: Cylinder, 25b,25b: Rod, 26: Upper plate member, 27: First transmission gear, 28: Second transmission gear, 29: Third transmission gear, 30: Fourth transmission gear, 31: Vertical plate member, 32: Protruding plate part, 33,33: Support roller, 33A: Axle space, 33a: Circumferential surface, 34,34: Mounting body, 34A: Insertion space, 35: Horizontal shaft, 36: Auxiliary plate, 37: Cylinder holding part, 38: Upper plate, 39: Protruding plate, 40: Horizontal shaft, C: Working surface, H: Curved cutting

Claims

1. A base located above the work surface that is the target of the cutting operation, The drive source installed on the base, A traveling body is installed on the base and moves the base relative to the work surface, A cutter machine having a rotating blade that rotates around a horizontally positioned central axis to cut the work surface when power from the aforementioned drive source is transmitted, and a steering unit that can steer the rotating blade to pivot left and right with respect to the front-rear direction of the base.

2. The system includes a coupling that transmits power from the drive source to the rotating blade, The drive source is fixed to the base, The cutter machine according to claim 1, wherein the coupling transmits power in accordance with the change in the inclination of the rotating blade caused by the steering unit.

3. The aforementioned traveling body is provided in a pair in the width direction of the base, The cutter machine according to claim 1, wherein, of the pair of traveling bodies, one traveling body and the other traveling body are each independently capable of moving up and down and maintaining a state of vertical movement.

4. The rotating blade is provided with a pair of support rollers arranged to sandwich it in the width direction, The pair of support rollers contact the work surface while cutting is being performed by the rotating blade. The cutter machine according to claim 3, wherein, of the pair of support rollers, one support roller and the other support roller are each independently movable up and down and capable of maintaining their vertically moved state.

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