Work equipment

Abstract

To provide a work machine equipped with a handle that has a high rigidity in both right and left directions.SOLUTION: A work machine 1 in this invention comprises a machine body 3, work parts 6 and 7 arranged at the front part of the machine body 3, a pair of travel parts 4 arranged on the right and left of the machine body 3, and a handle 5 arranged at the rear part of the machine body 3. The machine body 3 comprises a pair of side members 37 that extend in the longitudinal direction supporting the travel parts 4, and a rear member 38 that extends in the transverse direction connecting the rear parts of the side members 37 with each other. The handle 5 comprises right and left side bars 20a that vertically extend above the rear member 38, and cross members 21 and 64 that extend in the transverse direction between both the side bars 20a. Both the side bars 20a and the rear member 38 are connected with each other with a pair of brackets 45 each of which includes right and left sidewalls 43 arranged on both sides of each of the side bars and a cross wall 44 connecting either the forward edges with each other or the rear edges with each other of both the sidewalls 43.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work machine, and more particularly to a walk-behind work machine including a handle provided at the rear of the machine body. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a known work machine (snow removal machine) includes a machine body, a traveling section for traveling the machine body, and a working section for performing snow removal work (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The snow blower described in Patent Document 1 further includes a pair of track frame sections extending forward and rearward and supporting a traveling unit, and a connecting frame section connecting the rear sections of the track frame sections. Handle support frame sections, each having a roughly plate-like shape with its main surface facing left and right, protrude upward from the left and right ends of the connecting frame sections, and a round pipe-shaped control handle extends upward from the handle support frame sections. The base of the control handle is press-deformed so that a portion of its outer periphery is flat along the side of the handle support frame sections. This snow blower also includes a support frame that can swing up and down relative to the track frame sections, a snow blowing unit supported by the support frames, and an elevation drive mechanism that swings the support frame. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-115312 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the work machine (snow blower) described in Patent Document 1, the base of the steering handle is connected to only one side of the handle support frame, which causes a problem in that the rigidity of the steering handle is relatively low in either the left or right direction.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above background, an object of the present invention is to provide a work machine equipped with a handle that has high rigidity in both the left and right directions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a work machine (1) including a body (3), working units (6, 7) provided at the front of the body for performing a predetermined task, a pair of running units (4) provided on the left and right sides of the body for traveling the machine, and a handle (5) provided at the rear of the body, the body including a pair of side members (37) extending in the fore-and-aft direction and supporting the running units, and a rear member (38) extending in the left-and-right direction and connecting the rear units of the side members to each other, the handle having left and right side bars (20a) extending in the vertical direction above the rear member and a cross member (21, 64) extending in the left-and-right direction between the side bars, and the side bars and the rear member are connected to each other via a pair of brackets (45) each including left and right side walls (43) arranged on both sides of each side bar and a vertical wall (44) connecting the leading edges or the trailing edges of the side walls to each other.

[0008] According to this aspect, since the side walls of the bracket are disposed on both sides of the side bar, it is possible to provide a work machine equipped with a handle device that has high rigidity in both the left and right directions.

[0009] In the above aspect, the side bar may have a hollow cylindrical shape and be welded to the bracket.

[0010] According to this aspect, the bending rigidity of the side bar does not weaken in a particular direction in the cross section (the moment of inertia does not become small), so the rigidity of the handle device is increased in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0011] In the above aspect, the bracket may have a main body portion (43, 44) that is joined to the upper surface of the rear member, and an extension portion (48) that extends downward from the main body portion and is joined to the rear surface of the rear member.

[0012] According to this aspect, the connection length of the bracket to the rear member can be increased, thereby improving the connection strength of the bracket. Also, by connecting the bracket to the upper and rear surfaces of the rear member that intersect with each other, the connection strength of the bracket against upward and forward forces is increased.

[0013] In the above aspect in which the bracket has an extension, the extension may be provided on only one of the two side walls of the bracket, the one disposed on the outer left or right side.

[0014] According to this aspect, the extension portion is less likely to interfere with the walking of an operator positioned at the rear of the machine body.

[0015] In the above aspect, each of the running parts is supported by the corresponding side member and includes a driving wheel (15) located at the front and a driven wheel (16) located at the rear, the side member includes an elongated hole (50) that is long in the front-to-rear direction and that receives an axle (16a) of the driven wheel, a bolt (52) that is connected to the axle of the driven wheel and extends rearward through the rear member, and a position adjustment nut (53) that screws onto the bolt and adjusts the front-to-rear position of the bolt, the bracket includes a main body portion (43, 44) that is connected to the upper surface of the rear member, and an extension portion (48) that extends downward from the main body portion and is connected to the rear surface of the rear member, the extension portion being provided on only one of the side walls of the bracket, and the lower end of the extension portion is located below the position adjustment nut.

[0016] According to this aspect, the connection length of the bracket to the rear member can be increased, thereby improving the connection strength of the bracket. Also, by connecting the bracket to the upper and rear surfaces of the rear member that intersect with each other, the connection strength of the bracket against upward and forward forces is increased. Furthermore, even if the extension portion is provided, the fore-and-aft position of the driven wheel can be easily adjusted via the position adjustment nut.

[0017] In the above embodiment in which the bracket has an extension, the extension may have the same thickness as the thickness of the corresponding side wall.

[0018] According to this aspect, the extension is less likely to impede the walking of an operator positioned at the rear of the machine body than when the extension is thicker than the side wall.

[0019] In the above aspect, each side member and the rear member may be fastened together by a plurality of fastening members (54) arranged on the left and right inner sides and the left and right outer sides of the side walls.

[0020] According to this aspect, the bracket is joined to a portion of the vehicle body that has high rigidity due to the side member and the rear member being fastened together, thereby increasing the rigidity of the handle device.

[0021] In the above aspect, the side member has an outer wall (37a) extending in the vertical direction and an upper wall (37b) extending inwardly to the left and right from the upper end of the outer wall, and the upper wall has an expanded portion (41) that expands inwardly to the left and right toward the rear end, and each side member and the rear member are joined at a position corresponding to the expanded portion in the vertical direction.

[0022] According to this aspect, the length of the upper wall of the side member in the left-right direction can be shortened in the portion other than the widened portion, thereby improving the degree of freedom in the layout of the working section.

[0023] In the above aspect, the side bar may have a lower end extending along the vertical wall of the corresponding bracket.

[0024] According to this aspect, the strength of the connection between the side bar and the bracket is increased in the front-to-rear direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] A work machine is provided that is equipped with a handle that has high rigidity in both the left and right directions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] Side view of the snow blower according to the first embodiment [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a snow blower according to a first embodiment, viewed from the left toward the front; [Figure 3] An enlarged side view of a main part of the snow blower according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of a snow blower according to a first embodiment, viewed from the rear to the left; [Figure 5] An enlarged side view of a main part of a snow blower according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiment, the present invention is applied to a snow blower 1. Hereinafter, terms indicating directions such as front / rear, left / right, and up / down are used based on the directions as seen by the operator operating the snow blower 1. In the drawings, an arrow indicated by "Fr" points forward.

[0028] 1 is a side view of a snow blower 1 according to the first embodiment. First, the overall configuration of the snow blower 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, snow blower 1 is a walk-behind snow blower in which an operator walks behind the machine to remove snow. Snow blower 1 has a body 3 that forms the framework of the machine, a pair of traveling devices 4 mounted on both the left and right sides of body 3, a handle device 5 mounted at the rear of body 3, a blower device 6 mounted at the front of body 3, and an auger device 7 mounted in front of blower device 6. Of the traveling devices 4, only the one mounted on the left side of body 3 is shown in Figure 1. Both traveling devices 4 are supported by a traveling frame 3a (Figure 2) mounted at the bottom of body 3.

[0030] The blower unit 6 and auger unit 7 constitute the working section of the snow blower 1 for performing snow removal work. The blower unit 6 and auger unit 7 are supported on a work frame 3b (Fig. 2) provided at the front and top of the machine body 3. The traveling frame 3a and work frame 3b are rotatably connected to each other at the front. The work frame 3b is provided with a height adjustment mechanism 8 that adjusts the height of the auger unit 7 by rotating the work frame 3b relative to the traveling frame 3a.

[0031] An internal combustion engine (hereinafter referred to as "engine 10") serving as a drive source is supported on the upper part of the vehicle body 3. The engine 10 has a crankshaft 11 (only the front end portion of which is shown in FIG. 1) that can rotate about an axis that extends in the front-to-rear direction. Note that in other embodiments, the crankshaft 11 may be rotatable about an axis that extends in the up-down direction.

[0032] A transmission shaft 12 that can rotate around an axis extending in the front-rear direction is provided at the lower front of the machine body 3. The transmission shaft 12 is positioned lower than the crankshaft 11 and is connected to the crankshaft 11 via a reduction mechanism 13. The reduction mechanism 13 has a small-diameter drive pulley 13a connected to the crankshaft 11, a large-diameter driven pulley 13b connected to the transmission shaft 12, a belt 13c wound around both pulleys, and a tensioner (not shown).

[0033] Each traveling device 4 is an endless track having a driving wheel 15, a driven wheel 16 provided behind the driving wheel 15, and a crawler belt 17 wound around the driving wheel 15 and the driven wheel 16. Note that in other embodiments, the driven wheel 16 may be provided in front of the driving wheel 15, and the traveling device 4 does not have to be an endless track. An axle 16a extending to the left and right is spanned between the driven wheels 16. The traveling devices 4 form a traveling section of the snow blower 1 that propels the machine body 3. The machine body 3 is located between the traveling devices 4. A traveling motor 18 is connected as a drive source to the driving wheel 15 of each traveling device 4 via a drive shaft 19 that transmits driving force. At least one traveling motor 18 is required, but in this embodiment, two traveling motors 18 are provided, arranged left and right (only the left traveling motor 18 is shown in FIG. 1).

[0034] The handle device 5 has left and right side bars 20a extending vertically (only the left side bar 20a is shown in FIG. 1), a grip 20c extending rearward from the upper end of the side bar 20a for the operator to hold, and an input device 21 extending laterally between the upper ends of both side bars 20a. The input device 21 is fixed to the upper ends of both side bars 20a and connects both side bars 20a to each other. A battery box 64 (described below) extending laterally between both side bars 20a is fixed to the middle portion of both side bars 20a in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the input device 21 and the battery box 64 form a cross member of the handle device 5 extending laterally between both side bars 20a. The configuration of the handle device 5 will be described in detail later.

[0035] Input device 21 is a device that accepts input operations by the operator. Input device 21 includes, for example, a travel lever 22 that accepts operations to travel snow blower 1, a snow removal switch 23 that accepts operations to operate blower device 6 and auger device 7, a height adjustment switch 24 that accepts height adjustment operations for height adjustment mechanism 8 by the operator, and a deadman's clutch 25 located near grip 20c.

[0036] The blower device 6 has a blower housing 26 fixed to the front of the fuselage 3, a blower 27 housed in the blower housing 26, and a chute 28 extending upward from the upper end of the blower housing 26. The blower 27 is fixed to the rear of the transmission shaft 12.

[0037] The auger device 7 has an auger housing 31 fixed to the front of the blower housing 26, an auger shaft 33 rotatably supported on the auger housing 31 and connected to the transmission shaft 12 via a transmission 32, and an auger claw 34 fixed to the auger shaft 33.

[0038] Next, the traveling device 4 according to the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, the traveling device 4 is supported by a traveling frame 3a provided at the bottom of the machine body 3. The traveling frame 3a includes left and right side members 37 extending in the front-to-rear direction, and a rear member 38 extending in the left-to-right direction and connecting the rear portions of the side members 37. The side members 37 support the corresponding driving wheels 15 and driven wheels 16. The left and right side members 37 have substantially the same structure and are arranged in mirror symmetry with each other, so the following description will only focus on one of the side members 37 unless otherwise specified.

[0040] The side member 37 has an outer wall 37a extending in the vertical direction and an upper wall 37b extending inwardly to the left and right from the upper end of the outer wall 37a. A lower wall 37c extends inwardly to the left and right from the lower end of the outer wall 37a. The upper wall 37b has a widened portion 41 that widens inwardly to the left and right toward its rear end. Similarly, the lower wall 37c also has a widened portion 41 that widens inwardly to the left and right toward its rear end. The rear member 38 has a vertical wall 38a extending in the vertical direction, an upper wall 38b extending forward from the upper end of the vertical wall 38a, and a lower wall 38c extending forward from the lower end of the vertical wall 38a.

[0041] The rear edge of the side member 37 is disposed between the upper wall 38b and the lower wall 38c of the rear member 38 in the up-down direction. More specifically, the rear end of the widened portion 41 of the upper wall 37b of the side member 37 abuts against the lower surface of the upper wall 38b of the rear member 38, and the rear end of the widened portion 41 of the lower wall 37c of the side member 37 abuts against the upper surface of the lower wall 38c of the rear member 38.

[0042] Each side member 37 and rear member 38 is joined to the widened portion 41 at positions corresponding to each other in the vertical direction. In detail, as shown in FIG. 4 , the side members 37 and rear members 38 are fastened to each other by fastening bolts 54 inserted into fastening holes (not shown) that pass through each member in the vertical direction. The fastening bolts 54 detachably fasten the side members 37 and rear members 38 to each other. The fastening bolts 54 are arranged in pairs at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, four pairs of fastening bolts 54 are provided near the left and right ends of the upper wall 38b and the lower wall 38c of the rear member 38.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 3, an elongated hole 50 is provided in the outer wall 37a of the side member 37 and extends in the front-to-rear direction to receive the axle 16a of the driven wheel 16. The front end of the elongated hole 50 is located forward of the front end of the rear member 38 (upper wall 38b and lower wall 38c), and the rear end of the elongated hole 50 is located rearward of the front end of the rear member 38 (upper wall 38b and lower wall 38c). A bolt 52 that passes through the rear member 38 (vertical wall 38a) and extends rearward is connected to the axle 16a. As shown in Fig. 4, the bolt 52 is located between a corresponding pair of fastening bolts 54 in the left-to-right direction.

[0044] A position adjustment nut 53 for adjusting the longitudinal position of the bolt 52 is threadedly engaged with the bolt 52. The position adjustment nut 53 is provided behind the vertical wall 38a of the rear member 38. The position adjustment nut 53 abuts against the rear surface of the vertical wall 38a, restricting the longitudinal movement of the position adjustment nut 53, thereby fixing the longitudinal position of the axle 16a.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 3 , crawler support portions 40 are provided on the outer left and right surfaces of the outer wall 37a of the side member 37. The crawler support portions 40 support the lower portion of the crawler belt 17, which is located between the drive wheels 15 and the driven wheels 16, from the inside. The crawler support portions 40 include a generally plate-shaped first portion 40a that extends longitudinally and vertically along the outer wall 37a of the side member 37, at the portion of the outer wall 37a between the drive wheels 15 and the driven wheels 16. A second portion 40b extends downward from the lower edge of the first portion 40a, outwardly to the left and right. A generally cylindrical third portion 40c extends longitudinally from the outer edge of the second portion 40b. The third portion 40c is sled-shaped and supports the crawler belt 17 from the inside.

[0046] A substantially L-shaped support bracket 39 for the height adjustment mechanism 8 is coupled to the rear and upper surfaces of the rear member 38. In this embodiment, the support bracket 39 is welded to the rear and upper surfaces of the rear member 38. The support bracket 39 has a substantially plate shape with its main surface facing left and right. Two support brackets 39 are arranged at approximately the center of the rear member 38 in the left-right direction, spaced a predetermined distance apart in the left-right direction.

[0047] Next, the handle device 5 according to the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 1, the left and right side bars 20a have left and right side bar lower parts 60 (only the left side bar lower part 60 is shown in FIG. 1) that extend substantially vertically above the rear member 38, and side bar upper parts 61 (only the left side bar upper part 61 is shown in FIG. 1) that extend upward from the corresponding side bar lower parts 60. The side bar lower parts 60 have a hollow cylindrical shape. Therefore, the second moment of area of ​​the side bar lower parts 60 is not small in a specific direction in the cross section, but is generally uniform in all directions. The left and right side bar lower parts 60 and side bar upper parts 61 have substantially the same structure and are arranged in mirror symmetry with each other, and therefore, unless otherwise specified, only one of the side bar lower parts 60 and side bar upper parts 61 will be described below.

[0049] 2, the side bar lower portion 60 has a first portion 60a that slopes upward toward the rear, a second portion 60b that is continuous with the upper end of the first portion 60a via a bent portion and slopes upward and outward to the left and right, and a third portion 60c that is continuous with the upper end of the second portion 60b via a bent portion and extends approximately parallel to the first portion 60a. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower end of the first portion 60a is positioned approximately in line with the vertical wall 38a of the rear member 38 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 2, the lower ends of the upper side bars 61 are provided on the left and right outer sides of the third section 60c. The lower ends of the upper side bars 61 have an arc-shaped cross section that follows the outer peripheral surface of the third section 60c. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 1, a battery box 64 fixed to the third section 60c is disposed on the left and right inner sides of the third section 60c. The battery box 64 houses a battery (not shown) that stores electric power generated by a generator (not shown) driven by the engine 10, and an ECU that controls the supply of electric power stored in the battery to electrical devices.

[0051] The side bar upper parts 61, the third parts 60c, and the battery box 64 are detachably fastened to one another by fastening bolts 63 inserted into fastening holes 62 that pass through the respective parts laterally. Each of the side bar upper parts 61 has three fastening holes 62 spaced apart vertically, and each of the third parts 60c and the battery box 64 has three fastening holes 62 spaced apart vertically. In this embodiment, the side bar upper parts 61, the third parts 60c, and the battery box 64 are fastened to one another by two fastening bolts 63 on each side that pass through two fastening holes 62 located on the upper side of the side bar upper part 61. The height of the side bar upper part 61 relative to the side bar lower part 60 can be adjusted by changing the positions of the fastening holes 62 through which the fastening bolts 63 are inserted. The battery box 64 is fixed at a predetermined position on the side bar lower part 60, so the height of the battery box 64 does not change even when the height of the side bar upper part 61 is adjusted. Therefore, the position of the battery, which is a heavy object, does not change, and the change in the center of gravity of the body 3 due to the height adjustment of the side bar upper part 61 is small. Also, since the battery position does not change, there is no need to move the harness.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the side bar 20a and the rear member 38 are connected to each other via brackets 45, each of which includes left and right side walls 43 arranged on both sides of the side bar 20a and a vertical wall 44 connecting the front edges or rear edges of the side walls 43. More specifically, a first portion 60a of the side bar lower portion 60 and an upper wall 38b of the rear member 38 are connected to each other via the bracket 45. The upper edge of the bracket 45 is approximately aligned with the upper edge of the first portion 60a of the side bar lower portion 60. In other embodiments, the vertical wall 44 may connect the rear edges of the side walls 43 to each other. Fastening bolts 54 are arranged on the inner left and right sides and the outer left and right sides of the side walls 43.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 4, the vertical wall 44 has a generally U-shaped cross section with its center bulging forward. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper ends of the side wall 43 and the vertical wall 44 abut against the side bar lower part 60. The lower end of the vertical wall 44 is located forward of the side bar lower part 60. The rear edges of both side walls 43 are inclined downward and forward. The side bar lower part 60 and the bracket 45 are joined to each other by welding. In the first embodiment, the side bar lower part 60 and the bracket 45 are welded to each other near the upper ends of the side wall 43 and the vertical wall 44 and near the center of the side wall 43 in the up-down direction. The lower end of the side bar lower part 60 is located at a position spaced upward from the upper wall 38b of the rear member 38.

[0054] The bracket 45 further has a main body portion that is joined to the upper surface of the upper wall 38b of the rear member 38, and an extension portion 48 that extends downward from the main body portion and is joined to the rear surface of the vertical wall 38a of the rear member 38. In this embodiment, the both side walls 43 and the vertical wall 44 form the main body portion. The extension portion 48 is provided only on one of the left and right side walls 43 that is located on the outer left or right side. In other embodiments, the extension portion 48 may be provided on both the left and right side walls 43. Note that in an embodiment in which the vertical wall 44 connects the rear edges of the both side walls 43 to each other, the extension portion 48 may be provided on the vertical wall 44.

[0055] The extension 48 extends downward from the lower end of the side wall 43 along the rear surface of the vertical wall 38a of the rear member 38. The rear edge of the extension 48 is inclined downward toward the front. The rear edge of the side wall 43 and the rear edge of the extension 48 are smoothly connected to each other. The extension 48 has the same thickness as the corresponding side wall 43. The left-right position of the extension 48 is positioned outward to the left and right of the position adjustment nut 53. The lower end of the extension 48 is located below the position adjustment nut 53.

[0056] Next, the height adjustment mechanism 8 of the snow blower 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The height adjustment mechanism 8 is a mechanism for changing the height of the auger device 7 relative to the traveling device 4.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 1 , the height adjustment mechanism 8 includes an electric motor 70, a transmission shaft 71 driven by the electric motor 70, and a link mechanism 72 provided between the traveling frame 3a or the handle device 5 and the working frame 3b and driven by the transmission shaft 71. In this embodiment, the height adjustment mechanism 8 further includes a worm (not shown) attached to the output shaft of the electric motor 70, a worm wheel (not shown) meshing with the worm, and a sector gear (not shown) connected to the worm wheel via a reduction mechanism. The transmission shaft 71 is provided integrally with the sector gear. The transmission shaft 71 extends rightward from the center of the sector gear.

[0058] The link mechanism 72 of the height adjustment mechanism 8 includes a drive arm 74 connected to the transmission shaft 71, and a drive link 75 having a free end of the drive arm 74 and an end pivotally supported on the support bracket 39.

[0059] As a result, when the operator inputs an operation to adjust the height in an upward or downward direction using the height adjustment switch 24 of the input device 21, the electric motor 70 of the height adjustment mechanism 8 rotates in the input direction. The rotation of the electric motor 70 is transmitted from the worm through the worm wheel and reduction mechanism to the sector gear, causing the sector gear and transmission shaft 71 to rotate integrally. When the link mechanism 72 connected to the transmission shaft 71 is driven, the working frame 3b is driven to rotate relative to the traveling frame 3a around the drive shaft 19 as the center of rotation.

[0060] The snow blower 1 is configured as described above. Next, the effects of the snow blower 1 according to the present invention will be described. With the configuration according to the present invention, the side walls 43 of the bracket 45 are disposed on both sides of the side bar 20a (first portion 60a of the side bar lower portion 60), thereby providing a snow blower 1 equipped with a handle device 5 that has high rigidity in both the left and right directions.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 4, the handle device 5 has a hollow cylindrical shape and is welded to the bracket 45. Specifically, the first portion 60a of the side bar lower portion 60 is welded to the side wall 43 and the vertical wall 44 of the bracket 45. With this configuration, the bending rigidity of the side bar lower portion 60 (first portion 60a) is not weakened in a specific direction in its cross section (the moment of inertia is not reduced). This increases the rigidity of the handle device 5 in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0062] 4, the bracket 45 has a main body portion that is joined to the upper surface of the upper wall 38b of the rear member 38, and an extension portion 48 that extends downward from the main body portion and is joined to the rear surface of the vertical wall 38a of the rear member 38. With this configuration, the joining length of the bracket 45 to the rear member 38 can be increased, thereby improving the joining strength of the bracket 45. Furthermore, because the bracket 45 is joined to the upper and rear surfaces of the rear member 38 that intersect with each other, the joining strength of the bracket 45 against upward and forward forces is increased.

[0063] 4, the side members 37 and the rear member 38 are fastened together by a plurality of fastening bolts 54 arranged on the left and right inner and left and right outer sides of both side walls 43. According to this configuration, the bracket 45 is joined to a portion of the vehicle body 3 that has high rigidity due to the side members 37 and the rear member 38 being fastened together, thereby increasing the rigidity of the handle device 5.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 4, the extension 48 of the bracket 45 is provided on only one of the side walls 43 of the bracket 45, which is located on the outer left or right side. This makes it less likely that the extension 48 will obstruct the walking of an operator positioned behind the machine body 3. Furthermore, the extension 48 has the same thickness as the corresponding side wall 43. This makes it less likely that the extension 48 will obstruct the walking of an operator positioned behind the machine body 3, compared to when the extension 48 is thicker than the side wall 43.

[0065] 3 and 4, the extension 48 is provided on only one of the side walls 43 of the bracket 45, and the lower end of the extension 48 is located below the position adjustment nut 53. This makes it easy to adjust the longitudinal position of the driven wheel 16 via the position adjustment nut 53, even when the extension 48 is provided.

[0066] The side members 37 have outer walls 37a extending in the vertical direction and upper walls 37b extending inwardly to the left and right from the upper ends of the outer walls 37a. The upper walls 37b have widened portions 41 that widen inwardly to the left and right toward their rear ends, and each side member 37 and rear member 38 are joined at positions that correspond vertically to the widened portions 41. This allows the left-right length of the upper walls 37b of the side members 37 to be shortened in areas other than the widened portions 41, thereby improving the flexibility of the layout of the working area.

[0067] Next, a snow blower 100 according to a second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figure 5. The snow blower 100 differs from the snow blower 1 according to the first embodiment only in the bracket 45, and therefore a description of the other parts will be omitted.

[0068] 5, the side bar 20a and rear member 38 of the snow blower 100 are connected to each other via a bracket 104 that includes left and right side walls 102 arranged on both sides of the side bar 20a and a vertical wall 103 connecting the front edges of the side walls 102. The bracket 104 further has a main body portion that is connected to the upper surface of the top wall 38b of the rear member 38, and an extension portion 105 that extends downward from the main body portion and is connected to the rear surface of the vertical wall 38a of the rear member 38. In the second embodiment, the side walls 102 and the vertical wall 103 also form the main body portion.

[0069] The side bar 20a has a lower end that extends along the vertical wall 103 of the corresponding bracket 104. In other words, the front edge of the vertical wall 103 extends approximately parallel to the first portion 60a of the side bar lower portion 60. The lower edge of the first portion 60a of the side bar lower portion 60 is located forward of the vertical wall 38a of the rear member 38.

[0070] In the second embodiment, the side bar lower portion 60 and the bracket 104 are welded to each other near the upper ends of the side wall 102 and the vertical wall 103 and near the center in the up-down direction. The rear edge of the side wall 102 and the rear edge of the extension portion 105 are smoothly connected to each other. The rear edge of the side wall 43 and the rear edge of the extension portion 48 are approximately parallel to the vertical wall 38a of the rear member 38.

[0071] The side bar 20a has a lower end that extends along the vertical wall 103 of the corresponding bracket 104. Specifically, the first portion 60a of the side bar lower portion 60 extends along the vertical wall 103 of the corresponding bracket 104. This increases the bonding strength of the side bar 20a to the bracket 104 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0072] Although the description of the specific embodiment has been completed above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be widely modified and implemented. For example, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to snow blower 1, but the present invention may also be applied to implements other than snow blowers, such as cultivators, lawn mowers, and brush cutters. Furthermore, although drive wheels 15 are disposed in the front of traveling devices 4 in the above embodiment, they may also be disposed in the rear of traveling devices 4. In the above embodiment, the rear edges of side members 37 are disposed between upper wall 38b and lower wall 38c of rear member 38 in the up-down direction, but both side edges of rear member 38 may also be disposed between upper wall 37b and lower wall 37c of side member 37 in the up-down direction.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the input device 21 and the battery box 64 constitute the cross member of the handle device 5, but in another embodiment, only one of the input device 21 and the battery box 64 may constitute the cross member of the handle device 5. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the cross member is a box-shaped body, but in another embodiment, the cross member may be a rod-shaped body or a cylindrical body having a hollow cylindrical shape, or may be a plate-shaped (i.e., flat bar) or a channel-shaped body.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the height adjustment mechanism 8 is equipped with the electric motor 70, but the height adjustment mechanism 8 may be a manual type that does not include the electric motor 70. In the first embodiment, the link mechanism 72 is connected to the traveling frame 3a, but it may also be connected to the handle device 5. The crawler support part 40 provided in the middle of the traveling device 4 in the fore-and-aft direction does not need to be a fixed object, and may resiliently support the crawler belt 17 from the inside, or may support the crawler belt 17 via a rotating body (intermediate wheel). In addition, the specific configuration, arrangement, quantity, angle, etc. of the members and parts can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Meanwhile, not all of the components shown in the above embodiment are necessarily required, and can be selected as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1: Snow blower 3: Aircraft 3a: Running frame 3b: Working frame 4: Running gear 5: Handle device 8: Height adjustment mechanism 15: Drive wheel 16: Driven wheel 16a: Axle 19: Drive shaft 20a: Sidebar 21: Input device 23: Snow removal switch 24: Height adjustment switch 37: Side member 37a: Exterior wall 37b: Upper wall 37c: Lower wall 38: Rear member 38a: Vertical wall 38b: Upper wall 38c: Lower wall 41: Widened section 43: Side wall 44: Vertical wall 45: Bracket 48 :Extension part 50: Long hole 52: Bolt 53: Position adjustment nut 64: Battery box 100: Snowblower 102: Side wall 103: Vertical wall 104: Bracket 105: Extension part

Claims

1. A work machine, The aircraft and a working unit provided at the front of the aircraft body for performing a predetermined task; a pair of running units provided on the left and right sides of the machine body for running the machine body; a handle provided at the rear of the aircraft body, The aircraft, a pair of side members extending in the front-rear direction and supporting the running portion; a rear member extending in the left-right direction and connecting rear portions of the side members to each other, The handle left and right side bars extending in the up-down direction above the rear member; a cross member extending in the left-right direction between the side bars, The side bars and the rear member are connected to each other via a pair of brackets each including left and right side walls arranged on both sides of each side bar and a vertical wall connecting the front edges or rear edges of the side walls to each other, Each of the runs is a driving wheel disposed on the front side and a driven wheel disposed on the rear side, the driving wheel being supported by the corresponding side member; The side member is a bolt connected to the axle of the driven wheel and extending rearward through the rear member; a position adjustment nut that is threaded onto the bolt and that adjusts the position of the bolt in the front-rear direction, the bracket includes a main body portion coupled to an upper surface of the rear member, and an extension portion extending downward from the main body portion and coupled to a rear surface of the rear member, A work machine in which the lower end of the extension portion is located below the position adjusting nut.

2. A work machine, The aircraft and a working unit provided at the front of the aircraft body for performing a predetermined task; a pair of running units provided on the left and right sides of the machine body for running the machine body; a handle provided at the rear of the aircraft body, The aircraft, a pair of side members extending in the front-rear direction and supporting the running portion; a rear member extending in the left-right direction and connecting rear portions of the side members to each other, The handle left and right side bars extending in the up-down direction above the rear member; a cross member extending in the left-right direction between the side bars, The side bars and the rear member are connected to each other via a pair of brackets each including left and right side walls arranged on both sides of each side bar and a vertical wall connecting the front edges or rear edges of the side walls to each other, the rear member has a web extending in the vertical direction, an upper flange extending forward from an upper end of the web, and a lower flange extending forward from a lower end of the web, The bracket has a main body portion connected to the upper surface of the rear member, and an extension portion extending downward from the main body portion to the lower end of the web and connected to the rear surface of the rear member.

3. 3. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the side bar has a hollow cylindrical shape and is welded to the bracket.

4. 4. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the extension is provided on only one of the two side walls of the bracket, the one disposed on the outer left or right side.

5. The side member is The wheel shaft further includes a slot that is elongated in the front-rear direction and receives the axle of the driven wheel.

2. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the extension is provided on only one of the side walls of the bracket.

6. The work machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the extension portion has the same thickness as the thickness of the corresponding side wall.

7. 7. A work machine according to claim 1, wherein each of the side members and the rear member is fastened by a plurality of fastening members arranged on the left and right inner sides and the left and right outer sides of the side walls.

8. the side member has an outer wall extending in a vertical direction and an upper wall extending inwardly to the left and right from an upper end of the outer wall, the upper wall having a widened portion that widens inwardly to the left and right toward a rear end, The work machine according to claim 7, wherein the side members and the rear member are joined to the widened portions at positions corresponding to each other above and below the widened portions.

9. The work machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the side bars have lower ends that extend along the vertical walls of the corresponding brackets.

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