Safety device for gripping type hole-digging and pole-erecting vehicle

Abstract

To provide a safety device for a holding-type hole-digging pole construction car that enables checking whether an object has been completely cut.SOLUTION: A safety device for a holding-type hole-digging pole construction car includes a controller 40, a notification device 150 connected to the controller 40, a cutter cylinder 131 that makes a cutter member reciprocate between a cutting position where the cutter member cuts an object held by a holding part and a retreat position away from the cutting position, and a cutting position detector 142 that detects the cutter member has reached the cutting position. The controller 40 includes a notification control part 44 that activates the notification device 150 when the cutting position detector 142 detects the cutter member has reached the cutting position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a safety device for a gripping type hole-drilling pole-installing vehicle having a gripping part for gripping a columnar object such as a pole, for example.

Background Art

[0002] As a hole-drilling pole-installing vehicle which is one of work vehicles, there is known a gripping type hole-drilling pole-installing vehicle provided with a turntable rotatably provided on a vehicle body, a boom provided on the turntable so as to be capable of pitching and telescoping, an auger device attached to the boom for excavating a pole-installing hole for driving a utility pole, and a gripping device provided at the tip of the boom for gripping a columnar object such as a utility pole (see, for example, Patent Document 1). When excavating a pole-installing hole on the ground using this gripping type hole-drilling pole-installing vehicle, the boom is appropriately operated with the auger device suspended from the tip of the boom, and the auger device is rotationally operated at a predetermined excavation position, whereby a pole-installing hole having a predetermined depth can be formed. After the excavation of this pole-installing hole is completed, the auger device is pulled up and stored on the side of the boom, and the utility pole is gripped by the gripping device provided at the tip of the boom, and the boom is appropriately operated while gripping this utility pole so that the utility pole can be directly driven into the excavated pole-installing hole. In such a gripping type hole-drilling pole-installing vehicle, a series of pole-installing operations can be efficiently performed as compared with the case where the utility pole is suspended and work is performed using a winch or a crane, etc.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, however, there has been a growing demand to expand the applications of gripping-type hole-digging and pole-erecting vehicles beyond their original uses of excavation and pole-erecting work to include other uses such as disaster recovery work. Therefore, it has been proposed to attach a felling device near the gripping device to use in disaster recovery work, such as felling fallen trees that have leaned on buildings, or systematically felling trees near power lines to prevent contact with them. However, when felling trees gripped by the gripping device using the felling device, it can be difficult to visually confirm whether the tree has been felled. If the boom or other components are activated before the tree is released, there is a risk of damage to these components, as well as an increase in the overturning moment acting on the vehicle, leading to instability.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a safety device for a gripping-type hole-digging and pole-erecting vehicle that can confirm that the cutting of the object has been completed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the gripping-type hole-digging and pole-erecting vehicle according to the present invention is a gripping-type hole-digging and pole-erecting vehicle comprising: a boom provided on the vehicle body so as to be at least movable up and down; a gripping part capable of gripping an object; a support mechanism provided between the tip of the boom and the gripping part to change the posture of the gripping part relative to the tip of the boom; a cutting device attached to the gripping part; a control device for controlling the operation of the boom, the gripping part, the support mechanism and the cutting device; and a notification device connected to the control device, wherein the cutting device comprises: a cutting member capable of cutting an object gripped by the gripping part; a drive device for reciprocating the cutting member between a cutting position for cutting the object gripped by the gripping part and a retracted position away from the cutting position; and a cutting position detector for detecting when the cutting member has reached the cutting position, and the control device activates the notification device when the cutting position detector detects that the cutting member has reached the cutting position. ru.

[0007] Furthermore, Safety device for gripping type hole-digging and pole-erecting vehicle with the above configuration teeth, The device includes a gripping detector that detects when the gripping part grips an object, and the control device allows the operation of the boom and the support mechanism when the gripping detector detects that the gripping part grips an object and the cutting position detector detects that the cutting member has reached the cutting position, while restricting the operation of the boom and the support mechanism when the gripping detector detects that the gripping part grips an object and the cutting position detector does not detect that the cutting member has reached the cutting position. ru. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the safety device for the gripping-type hole-digging pole-erecting vehicle of the present invention, when the cutting position detector detects that the cutting member has reached the cutting position, the notification device is activated to notify that the cutting member has reached the cutting position. This makes it easy for the operator to recognize whether or not the cutting of the object has been completed, thereby preventing situations in which the boom and support mechanism are operated when the cutting of the object is not completed (when the object has not been separated), and improving the safety of the work.

[0009] Furthermore, in the safety device for the gripping-type hole-digging pole-erecting vehicle according to the present invention, when the gripping detector detects that an object is being gripped by the gripping part, and the cutting position detector does not detect that the cutting position of the cutting member has been reached, an interlock is activated to restrict the operation of the boom and support mechanism. This reliably prevents situations in which an operator may operate the boom and support mechanism before the cutting of the object is complete (i.e., before the object is detached) due to erroneous operation, thereby further improving work safety. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a side view of the grip-type hole-digging and column-building vehicle according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of the grip-type hole-digging and column-building vehicle. [Figure 3] This is a side view showing the usage state of the grip-type hole-digging and column-building vehicle. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the gripping device provided on the grip-type hole-digging and column-building vehicle. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the main part of the gripping device seen from the right side. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the main part of the gripping device seen from the left side. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view of the gripping device. [Figure 8] This is a longitudinal sectional view of the gripping device. [Figure 9] This is a functional block diagram of the grip-type hole-digging and column-building vehicle. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view showing the state where a felling device is attached to the gripping device. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing an enlarged main part of FIG. 10. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view of the gripping device and the felling device seen from the left side. [Figure 13] This is a perspective view of the upper side of the felling device. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view of the lower side of the felling device. [Figure 15] This is a cross-sectional view showing the state where the cutter member of the felling device is in the closed position (cutting position). [Figure 16] This is a cross-sectional view showing the state where the cutter member of the felling device is in the open position (retracted position).

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the overall configuration of the grip-type hole-digging and column-building vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, the handheld hole-digging and column-building vehicle 1 is configured based on a truck vehicle having a cab 7 at the front of the vehicle body 2 and capable of traveling by a pair of left and right tire wheels 5 arranged at the front and rear of the vehicle body 2. Jacks 9 for lifting and supporting the vehicle body 2 are arranged at four locations on the front, rear, left, and right of the vehicle body 2. Each jack 9 lifts and supports the vehicle body 2 by driving a jack cylinder (not shown) provided inside it to extend downward, thereby making the entire vehicle body 2 in a stable state. The operation of the jack 9 is performed by operating a jack operating device (not shown) provided at the rear of the vehicle body 2.

[0013] In the mounting area behind the cab 7 in the vehicle body 2, a turntable 12 driven by a swivel motor 14 (see Fig. 9) and configured to be horizontally swiveling about a vertical axis is provided. The base end of the boom 13 is attached to the turntable 12 so as to be swingable (up and down) in the vertical direction.

[0014] The boom 13 has a configuration in which a base boom 13a, an intermediate boom 13b, and a tip boom 13c are nested and combined in order from the turntable 12 side. By the telescopic drive of a telescopic cylinder 15 (see Fig. 9) provided inside it, the boom 13 can be telescopically moved in the axial direction (longitudinal direction). Further, a lifting cylinder 16 is straddled between the base boom 13a and the turntable 12. By telescopic driving of this lifting cylinder 16, the entire boom 13 can be lifted and lowered within the upper and lower surfaces (vertical plane).

[0015] An auger device 20 for excavating holes for erecting pillars is attached to the boom 13 via an auger support 17 that can be selectively connected to the base boom 13a and the tip boom 13c. The auger device 20 consists of an auger motor 21 with a reduction gear and an earth auger 22 that rotates around an axis by rotationally driving the auger motor 21. An auger storage device 18 is also provided on the side of the base boom 13a to hold the auger device 20 in a stored state. The auger device 20 is mounted on the auger support 17 so as to be able to swing up and down in a vertical plane, and can swing between a stored position where the auger device 20 is stored along the side of the base boom 13a by the auger storage device 18 and a working position where the auger device 20 is detached from the auger storage device 18 and the earth auger 22 is in a position approximately vertical to the ground.

[0016] When using the auger device 20, as shown in Figure 3I, the auger support 17 is connected to the tip boom 13c, and the auger device 20, which has been detached from the auger storage device 18, is swung to the working position (with the earth auger 22 in a nearly vertical position relative to the ground). By rotating the earth auger 22 and coordinating the tilting and retracting movements of the boom 13, the auger device 20 is moved linearly downward, enabling the excavation of pole holes. On the other hand, when the auger device 20 is not in use, as shown in Figure 3II, the auger support 17 is connected to the base boom 13a, and the auger device 20 is stored and held in a storage position along the side of the base boom 13a by the auger storage device 18. When the auger device 20 is in the storage position, various operations such as pole erection and removal of utility poles (indicated by the symbol P in Figure 3) can be performed using the gripping device 50 described later, as well as tree felling and obstacle relocation.

[0017] An arm bracket 19 is fixed to the tip of the tip boom 13c. A gripping device 50 for gripping objects (objects to be gripped), such as utility poles or trees, is attached to this arm bracket 19. The configuration of this gripping device 50 will be explained with additional reference to Figures 4 to 8. Note that in Figures 7 to 8, the hatching indicating the cross-section has been omitted for clarity. Also, for the sake of explanation below, the orientation of the gripping device 50 shown in Figure 4 will be used as a reference, and the directions of the arrows indicating front / back, left / right, and up / down will be referred to as the front / back direction, left / right direction, and up / down direction. I will reveal it.

[0018] The gripping device 50 comprises an arm 51 mounted on an arm bracket 19 so as to be able to swing (flex and extend) in the vertical direction, a first joint member 60 mounted on the tip of the arm 51 so as to be able to swing (vertical pivot) in the vertical direction, a second joint member 70 mounted on the first joint member 60 so as to be able to swing (lateral pivot) in the left-right direction, and a gripper 80 mounted on the second joint member 70 so as to be able to rotate. In this embodiment, the arm 51, the first joint member 60, the second joint member 70, the vertical pivot cylinder 62, the horizontal pivot cylinder 71, the gripper motor 79, etc., constitute a support mechanism that changes the posture of the gripping portion 81 of the gripper 80.

[0019] The arm 51 is pivotally connected to the arm bracket 19 at one end in the axial direction (longitudinal direction) via a connecting pin 52, and its other end in the axial direction (longitudinal direction) is pivotally connected to the first joint member 60 via a connecting pin 53. Arm 51 An arm cylinder 55 is mounted between them. The rod-side end of the arm cylinder 55 is pivotally connected to the arm bracket 19 via a connecting pin 56. The bottom-side end of the arm cylinder 55 is Tip side of arm 51 It is pivotally connected to the arm cylinder 55 via a connecting pin 57. By extending and retracting this arm cylinder 55, the arm 51 is configured to swing freely (flex and extend freely) in the vertical direction around the connecting pin 52 relative to the arm bracket 19.

[0020] The first joint member 60 is formed in a bifurcated shape with an open tip, and the second joint member 70 is pivotally connected to both ends of this bifurcated shape via a pair of upper and lower connecting pins 61. A vertical swivel cylinder 62 is provided between the first joint member 60 and the arm 51. The bottom end of the vertical swivel cylinder 62 is pivotally connected to the base end of the arm 51 via a connecting pin 63. The rod end of the vertical swivel cylinder 62 is pivotally connected to the upper end of the first joint member 60 via a connecting pin 64. By extending and retracting this vertical swivel cylinder 62, the first joint member 60 is configured to swing freely in the vertical direction (vertical swivel) relative to the arm 51 around the connecting pin 53.

[0021] The second joint member 70 is supported by the first joint member 60, sandwiched between it from above and below. A lateral swivel cylinder 71 is provided at the upper end of the first joint member 60. The bottom end of the lateral swivel cylinder 71 is pivotally connected to the tip of the first joint member 60, and the rod end is pivotally connected to the rear end of the second joint member 70. By extending and retracting this lateral swivel cylinder 71, the second joint member 70 is configured to swing freely (swivel freely) in the left-right direction around the connecting pin 61 relative to the first joint member 60.

[0022] The gripper 80 comprises a gripping portion 81 for gripping an object, a gripper housing 86 that supports the gripping portion 81 and is rotatably mounted on the second joint member 70, and an opening / closing mechanism 93 for opening and closing the gripping portion 81.

[0023] The gripping section 81 comprises a pair of gripping claws 82 and a pair of upper and lower support plates 83 that support the pair of gripping claws 82 in an openable and closable manner. The gripping claws 82 are configured to grip various objects (columnar objects) such as utility poles and trees. The base ends of the gripping claws 82 are pivotally connected to the upper and lower support plates 83 via connecting pins 84. The tips of the gripping claws 82 have alternating notches 82a and 82b, and these tips are configured to intersect (overlap) with each other. The support plates 83 are provided with a flat upper bracket 85 for detachably attaching the felling device (attachment) 100, which will be described later. Details of this upper bracket 85 will be described later.

[0024] The gripper housing 86 includes a support cylinder portion 87 connected to the upper and lower support plate portions 83 and rotatably supported by the second joint member 70, and a cylinder bracket portion 92 fixed to the base end side of the support cylinder portion 87 and disposed between the first joint member 60 and the second joint member 70.

[0025] The support cylinder portion 87 has a double structure, comprising an inner cylinder portion 88 formed in the shape of a hollow rectangular tube, and an outer cylinder portion 89 formed in the shape of a hollow cylindrical tube and provided on the outer circumference of the inner cylinder portion 88. A sliding member 95 of the opening / closing mechanism 93, described later, is mounted on the inner circumference of the inner cylinder portion 88 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. A worm wheel 90 is mounted on the outer circumference of the outer cylinder portion 89 concentrically with the outer cylinder portion 89. This worm wheel 90 meshes with a worm pinion 91 that is rotatably supported inside the second joint member 70. A gripper motor 79 is mounted on the upper end of the second joint member 70, and the worm pinion 91 is connected to the output shaft of this gripper motor 79 via a reduction gear. When this gripper motor 79 is rotated in the forward direction, the entire gripper 80 rotates in a predetermined direction around axis X (see Figure 7) via the worm pinion 91 and worm wheel 90. On the other hand, when the gripper motor 79 is rotated in the reverse direction, the entire gripper 80 rotates in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction around axis X (see Figure 7) via the worm pinion 91 and worm wheel 90. In the orientation of the gripping device 50 shown in Figure 5, the rotation axis X direction of the gripper 80 (gripping part 81) corresponds to the front-rear direction, and the opening and closing direction (gripping direction) of the gripping part 81 corresponds to the left-right direction.

[0026] The opening / closing mechanism 93 comprises a pair of link members 94, a sliding member 95 linked to the pair of link members 94, and a gripper cylinder 99 that slides the sliding member 95 back and forth. One end of each link member 94 is pivotally connected to the middle part of the gripping claw 81 via a connecting pin 96. The other ends of the pair of link members 94 are also pivotally connected to the tip of the sliding member 95 via a connecting pin 97, with the other ends of each link member 94 overlapping vertically. The sliding member 95 is inserted into the hollow part of the inner cylindrical portion 88 and is mounted so as to be slidable (reciprocal) along the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion 88. A slider 98 made of synthetic resin is attached between the outer circumferential surface of the sliding member 95 and the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion 88 to guide the sliding (reciprocating) movement of the sliding member 95. The rod-side end of the gripper cylinder 99 is connected to the base end of the sliding member 95. The bottom end of the gripper cylinder 99 is connected to the cylinder bracket portion 92 of the gripper housing 86. When the gripper cylinder 99 is extended, the sliding member 95 slides in the extension direction, causing the link members 94 to swing away from each other. As a result, the gripping claws 82 swing in the opening direction with the connecting pin 84 as a pivot point (the gripping claws 82 open), releasing the grip on the object. On the other hand, when the gripper cylinder 99 is retracted, the sliding member 95 slides in the retraction direction, causing the link members 94 to swing towards each other. As a result, the gripping claws 82 swing in the closing direction with the connecting pin 84 as a pivot point (the gripping claws 82 close), gripping the object. The opening and closing mechanism 93 is configured symmetrically, so the pair of gripping claws 82 open and close symmetrically.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, an operator's seat 30 is provided on the side of the turntable 12 in the vehicle body 2 for operating each work device (turntable 12, boom 13, auger device 20, gripping device 50). In front of this operator's seat 30 is an operating device 31 that can be operated by an operator while seated. The operating device 31 is equipped with an operating lever for rotating the turntable 12, an operating lever for extending and retracting the boom 13, an operating lever for luffing the boom 13, an operating lever for rotating the earth auger 22, and operating levers for various operations of the gripping device 50 (swinging the arm 51, vertical swinging the gripping part 81, horizontal swinging the gripping part 81, rotation of the gripping part 81, opening and closing the gripping part 81). In addition, this operating device 31 is equipped with an optional hydraulic device. An operating lever is also provided for operating the attachment (the felling device 100, described later).

[0028] Here, the operating mechanisms of the turntable 12, boom 13, auger device 20, gripping device 50, felling device 100, etc., are configured as shown in Figure 9, with a controller 40 that receives operation signals from the operating device 31 and controls the turntable motor 14, telescopic cylinder 15, luffing cylinder 16, auger motor 21, arm cylinder 55, vertical swivel cylinder 62, horizontal swivel cylinder 71, gripper motor 79, gripper cylinder 99, and cutter cylinder 131 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "hydraulic actuators"), and a hydraulic unit 46 that supplies hydraulic fluid to drive these hydraulic actuators.

[0029] The operation signal output by the operation of the operating device 31 is input to the controller 40. The operation control unit 41 of the controller 40 outputs a command signal corresponding to the operation signal to the hydraulic unit 46 (control valve 48).

[0030] The hydraulic unit 46 comprises a hydraulic pump 47 that discharges hydraulic fluid and control valves 48 that control the direction and amount of hydraulic fluid supplied from the hydraulic pump 47 to each hydraulic actuator. The hydraulic pump 47 is driven by power taken from the vehicle's engine via a PTO mechanism (not shown). The control valves 48 include an electromagnetic proportional control valve V1 corresponding to the swing motor 14, an electromagnetic proportional control valve V2 corresponding to the telescopic cylinder 15, an electromagnetic proportional control valve V3 corresponding to the luffing cylinder 16, an electromagnetic proportional control valve V4 corresponding to the auger motor 21, an electromagnetic proportional control valve V5 corresponding to the arm cylinder 55, an electromagnetic proportional control valve V6 corresponding to the vertical swing cylinder 62, an electromagnetic proportional control valve V7 corresponding to the horizontal swing cylinder 71, an electromagnetic proportional control valve V8 corresponding to the gripper motor 79, an electromagnetic proportional control valve V9 corresponding to the gripper cylinder 99, and an electromagnetic proportional control valve V10 corresponding to the cutter cylinder 131. Based on command signals from the operation control unit 41 of the controller 40, the control valve 48 electromagnetically drives the spools of each electromagnetic proportional control valve V1 to V10 to control the supply direction and amount of hydraulic fluid supplied from the hydraulic pump 47 to each hydraulic actuator, thereby controlling the operating direction and operating speed of each hydraulic actuator (controlling the operating direction and operating speed of the turntable 12, boom 13, auger device 20, gripping device 50, and felling device 100).

[0031] Next, the tree felling device 100 of this embodiment will be described with additional reference to Figures 10 to 16. The tree felling device 100 of this embodiment is configured as an attachment that can be attached to and detached from the gripping device 50 described above. This tree felling device 100 is used when felling trees that have fallen onto buildings or other structures as part of disaster recovery work, or when systematically felling trees near power lines to prevent contact with power lines.

[0032] The felling device 100 comprises a horizontally elongated frame 110 attached to the lower end of the gripping portion 81, a cutter member 120 for cutting the object (tree: indicated by the symbol T in Figures 10, 11, and 16) gripped by the gripping device 50, and a swinging mechanism 130 for swinging the cutter member 120. Note that in Figures 10 and 11, the object (tree) indicated by the symbol T is shown transparently for easier viewing.

[0033] The frame 110 comprises a top plate portion 111, a bottom plate portion 112 facing the top plate portion 111, and a side plate portion 113 connecting the top plate portion 111 and the bottom plate portion 112. It is formed in a hollow box shape that is open to the front and surrounded by these plate portions 111, 112, and 113. Arc-shaped recesses 111a and 112a are formed on the front ends of the top plate portion 111 and the bottom plate portion 112 to receive an object (columnar object) gripped by the gripping device 50. The walls of these recesses 111a and 112a are capable of contacting the object gripped by the gripping device 50.

[0034] A lower bracket 115 is attached to the upper surface of the top plate portion 111 via vertical plate pieces 111b erected on the top plate portion 111. The lower bracket 115 is formed in the shape of a rectangular flat plate, with circular bolt holes 115a formed through its four corners. Positioning projections 115b are provided on the front end of the lower bracket 115 for positioning relative to the upper bracket 85 of the gripping device 50. The upper bracket 85 of the gripping device 50 is also formed in the shape of a rectangular flat plate of approximately the same size as the lower bracket 115, with bolt holes (not shown) formed through its four corners (positions corresponding to the bolt holes 115a of the lower bracket 115). Positioning projections 85b are provided on the left and right ends of the upper bracket 85 for positioning relative to the lower bracket 115. Therefore, by abutting the two brackets 85 and 115 against each other's positioning protrusions 85b and 115b and stacking the brackets 85 and 115 vertically, the position of the bolt hole (not shown) of the upper bracket 85 and the position of the bolt hole 115a of the lower bracket 115 are aligned, and the brackets 85 and 115 can be fastened together by inserting a fastening bolt through there and screwing it with a nut.

[0035] The oscillating mechanism 130 comprises a cutter cylinder 131 provided on the frame 110 and a pair of upper and lower link members 132 that interlock the cutter cylinder 131 and the cutter member 120. The bottom end of the cutter cylinder 131 is pivotally connected to the frame 110 via a connecting pin 133, and the rod end is pivotally connected to the base end of the link member 132 via a connecting pin 134. Each link member 132 is formed in the shape of a plate extending in a substantially tongue shape. The tip of each link member 132 is pivotally connected to the frame 110 via a connecting pin 135. The base end of the cutter member 120 is sandwiched between the upper and lower link members 132.

[0036] The cutter member 120 is formed in the shape of a gently curving plate. The cutter member 120 is made of a metal such as stainless steel. The cutter member 120 has a sharp cutting edge portion 121 that curves in an arc-convex shape on one end in the direction of oscillation, and is attached to the frame 110 with this cutting edge portion 121 facing inward. The cutter member 120 is coaxially pivoted to the pivot point between the frame 110 and the link member 132 by the same connecting pin 135. The base end of the cutter member 120 is fixed to the tip of the upper and lower link members 132, so the cutter member 120 and the upper and lower link members 132 are configured to swing together as a single unit.

[0037] In the logging device 100 with this configuration, when the cutter cylinder 131 retracts, the cutter member 120 swings in the opening direction (clockwise in Figures 15 and 16) around the connecting pin 135 via the link member 132. On the other hand, when the cutter cylinder 131 extends, the cutter member 120 swings in the closing direction (counterclockwise in Figures 15 and 16) around the connecting pin 135 via the link member 132. In other words, the cutter member 120 can swing and displace between a closed position (see Figure 15) in which the blade tip 121 is stored in the recesses 111a and 112a of the frame 110, and an open position (see Figure 16) in which the blade tip 121 swings approximately 90 degrees outward from the closed position and extends outward from the frame 110, in response to the extension and retraction of the cutter cylinder 131. The cutter member 120 cuts the target object during the process of moving from the open position to the closed position. Here, the open position is the position of the cutter member 120 when the cutter cylinder 131 reaches the stroke end on the retraction side, and is the position (retracted position) where the cutter member 120 is displaced in the opening direction to a distance where the object (tree) can be placed between the blade tip portion 121 and the recesses 111a, 112a. The closed position is the position of the cutter member 120 when the cutter cylinder 131 reaches the stroke end on the extension side, and is the position (cutting position) where the cutter member 120 is displaced in the closing direction to a distance where the object (tree) gripped by the gripping portion 81 is cut by the blade tip portion 121.

[0038] Next, the safety device provided in the hole-digging and pole-erecting vehicle 1 of this embodiment will be described. The safety device of this embodiment mainly consists of a gripper cylinder pressure detector 141, a cutting position detector 142, a controller 40, and a notification device 150.

[0039] The gripper cylinder pressure detector 141 is installed in the oil passage connecting the electromagnetic proportional control valve V9 and the rod-side oil chamber of the gripper cylinder 99, and detects the pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied to the rod-side oil chamber of the gripper cylinder 99 (pressure in the rod-side oil chamber). This gripper cylinder pressure detector 141 detects the pressure in the rod-side oil chamber of the gripper cylinder 99 and outputs a voltage signal (detection signal) corresponding to the detected pressure to the controller 40. The pressure detected by this gripper cylinder pressure detector 141 is proportional to the gripping force of the gripping part 81 (the force with which the gripping part 81 grips the object). Therefore, as will be described in detail later, the controller 40 determines whether or not the gripping part 81 is gripping the object (whether or not it is gripping with a predetermined gripping force) based on the pressure detected by this gripper cylinder pressure detector 141.

[0040] The cutting position detector 142 detects when the cutter member 120 is in the closed position, which is the position after cutting the object (cutting position). The cutting position detector 142 consists of a limit switch that has a movable contact formed in the shape of a roller and is capable of outputting an on / off signal. When the cutter member 120 is in the closed position (cutting position), the switch is turned on when the contact contacts and is pushed against the link member 132, and the cutter position detector 142 outputs an on signal to the controller 40 indicating that the cutter member 120 is in the closed position (cutting position). On the other hand, when the cutter member 120 is not in the closed position (cutting position), the switch is turned off when the contact contact is released from the pressure with the link member 132 and pushed out by the elastic force of the built-in spring, and the cutter position detector 142 outputs an off signal to the controller 40 indicating that the cutter member 120 is not in the closed position (cutting position).

[0041] In this embodiment, the closed position corresponding to the stroke end of the cutter cylinder 131 is detected as the cutting position (cutting completion position). However, if the position where the cutting of the object is completed is an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position, the cutting position may be set to any position between this intermediate position and the closed position, and this cutting position may be detected. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cutting position detector 142 is configured using a limit switch, but the system is not limited to this configuration. Other detectors (contact or non-contact type detectors) may be used, such as a stroke sensor that detects the stroke end on the extension side of the cutter cylinder 131, or a rotary sensor (angle sensor) provided on the pivot axis (connecting pin 135) of the cutter member 120 that linearly detects the operating position (pivot position) of the cutter member 120.

[0042] The controller 40 includes an operation control unit 41, a gripping determination unit 42, a cutting determination unit 43, a notification control unit 44, and an interlock control unit 45.

[0043] The operation control unit 41 controls the operation of each work device (boom 13, auger device 20, gripping device 50, felling device 100), etc., by electromagnetically driving the control valves 48 (electromagnetic proportional control valves V1 to V10) based on the operation signals from the operating device 31 to operate each hydraulic actuator.

[0044] The gripping determination unit 42 determines that the gripping unit 81 is gripping an object when the pressure detected by the gripper cylinder pressure detector 141 rises to or above a predetermined pressure. Alternatively, the gripping determination unit 42 may determine that the gripping unit 81 is gripping an object when the gripper cylinder pressure detector 141 detects a pressure change of a predetermined value or more. .

[0045] When the gripping determination unit 42 has determined that an object is being gripped by the gripping unit 81, the cutting determination unit 43 receives an ON signal from the cutting position detector 142 and determines that the object being gripped by the gripping unit 81 has been cut by the felling device 100.

[0046] The notification control unit 44 activates the notification device 150 when the cutting determination unit 43 determines that the object held by the gripping unit 81 has been cut by the felling device 100.

[0047] The notification device 150 is mounted on the control panel of the control device 31. This notification device 150 consists of, for example, an LED lamp, a display monitor, and an audio speaker, and operates in response to a command signal from the notification control unit 44 to notify the worker that the target object has been cut by the felling device 100 (that the felling of the tree has been completed). For example, if this notification device 150 is made up of an LED lamp, the LED lamp will light up or blink in response to a command signal from the notification control unit 44 (by switching the LED lamp from an off state to a lit state or a blinking state), thereby notifying the worker operating the control device 31 that the cutting of the target object has been completed.

[0048] When the gripping determination unit 42 determines that an object is being gripped by the gripping unit 81, the interlock control unit 45 restricts the operation of the boom 13 and the support mechanism of the gripping device 50 in response to the operation of the operating device 31 when an off signal is output from the cutting position detector 142 (when the cutter member 120 is not in the closed position), and allows the operation of the boom 13 and the support mechanism of the gripping device 50 in response to the operation of the operating device 31 when an on signal is output from the cutting position detector 142 (when the cutter member 120 is in the closed position). In other words, when the gripping unit 81 is gripping an object and the cutter member 120 is not in the closed position, the interlock control unit 45 determines that the cutting of the object is not yet complete and restricts the operation of the boom 13, etc., until the cutter member 120 reaches the closed position (cutting position). This is because if the boom 13, etc., is operated before the cutting of the object is complete (for example, before the tree is detached), the tipping moment acting on the vehicle will be excessive, which may cause the vehicle to become unstable. The interlock control unit 45 determines that the cutting of the object is complete when the gripping unit 81 is gripping the object and the cutter member 120 reaches the closed position, and permits the operation of the boom 13, etc. This allows the boom 13, etc., to be operated as appropriate to move the cut tree to another location.

[0049] Furthermore, if the gripping determination unit 42 does not determine that the gripping unit 81 is gripping an object, the interlock control unit 45 allows the operation of the boom 13 and the support mechanism of the gripping device 50 in accordance with the operation of the operating device 31, regardless of the operating position of the cutter member 120 (regardless of whether an ON signal is output from the cutting position detector 142). This makes it possible to operate the boom 13 and the like appropriately to swing the cutter member 120 from the closed position (storage state) to the open position (extended state) while approaching the object with the gripping unit 81, or to position the cutter member 120 in the open position beforehand and then approach the object with the gripping unit 81.

[0050] Next, the procedure for attaching the felling device (attachment) 100 to the gripping device 50 in the gripping type hole-digging pole-erecting vehicle 1 of this embodiment will be described. Note that when the felling device (attachment) 100 is not in use, for example, when the vehicle is in motion, during pole erection work, or during pole removal work, it is stored in a predetermined storage location on the vehicle body 2 (for example, the vehicle's cargo bed).

[0051] First, in order to attach the felling device 100 to the gripping device 50, the felling device 100 is placed on the vehicle body 2. The device is removed from a designated storage location. Next, the lower bracket 115 of the felling device 100 and the upper bracket 85 of the gripping device 50 are aligned by abutting their respective positioning protrusions 85b and 115b, so that the two brackets 85 and 115 are stacked vertically. Then, a bolt is inserted from below through the bolt hole 115a of the lower bracket 115 and the bolt hole (not shown) of the upper bracket 85, and a nut is screwed onto the threaded portion of the inserted bolt. In this way, the two brackets 85 and 115 are fastened together with the bolt and nut, and the felling device 100 as an attachment is attached to the gripping device 50. Then, by connecting the hydraulic hoses connected to each oil chamber (bottom-side oil chamber, rod-side oil chamber) of the cutter cylinder 131 to each port of the electromagnetic proportional control valve V10 provided on the gripping device 50 side using self-sealing couplings (one-touch fittings), it becomes possible to supply and discharge hydraulic fluid (pressurized oil) between the electromagnetic proportional control valve V10 and the cutter cylinder 131. In addition, to remove the felling device 100 from the gripping device 50 after the work using the felling device 100 is completed, basically the procedure described above (the installation procedure) should be reversed.

[0052] Next, the procedure for felling trees using the felling device (attachment) 100 of this embodiment will be described.

[0053] First, the gripper cylinder 99 of the gripping device 50 is extended to fully open both gripping claws 82. Next, while swinging the cutter member 120 from the closed position to the open position, the boom 13 and arm 51 are operated as appropriate to bring the gripping part closer to the tree to be felled. Subsequently, the arm 51 is bent and extended, and the gripping part 81 is swung vertically, horizontally, and rotated to adjust the position and orientation of the gripping part 81 relative to the tree to be felled, thereby aligning the gripping part 81 with the tree. This alignment with the tree positions the tree between one gripping claw 82 and the other gripping claw 82 in the fully open position (that is, between the cutting edge 121 of the cutter member 120 and the recesses 111a and 112a of the frame 110). Next, both gripping claws 82 are swung in the closing direction to grip the tree to be felled with the gripping part 81. When the gripping unit 81 grips a tree, an interlock is activated, restricting the operation of the boom 13, arm 51, etc., until the tree is cut or released. Next, the cutter member 120 is swung from the open position to the closed position, pressing the cutting edge 121 of the cutter member 120 against the tree gripped by the gripping unit 81 to cut it. When the cutter member 120 reaches the closed position, the tree gripped by the gripping unit 81 is completely cut (detached). At this time, the cutting position detector 142 detects that the cutter member 120 is in the closed position, and the cutting determination unit 43 of the controller 40 determines that the tree has been cut. As a result, the notification control unit 44 of the controller 40 outputs a command signal to the notification device 150, which activates the notification device 150 (for example, by turning on or flashing an LED lamp), thereby notifying the worker that the tree has been cut by the felling device 100. Furthermore, when the cutter member 120 reaches the closed position, the interlock is released, allowing the boom 13 and arm 51 to operate. Therefore, after cutting the tree, the boom 13 and arm 51 are operated as appropriate while the tree is still being gripped, and the tree is moved to the desired location. Then, the tree is gradually lowered at the desired location, and both gripping claws 82 are swung in the opening direction, releasing the grip on the tree from the gripping part 81, thereby allowing the tree to be placed at the desired location.

[0054] As described above, with the safety device of this embodiment, when the cutting position detector 142 detects that the cutter member 120 has reached the closed position (cutting position), the notification device 150 is activated to notify that the cutter member 120 has reached the closed position (cutting position). This makes it easy for the worker to recognize whether or not the cutting of the object has been completed, thereby preventing situations in which the support mechanism of the boom 13 or gripping device 50 is activated when the cutting of the object is not yet complete (the object has not been separated), and improving work safety.

[0055] Furthermore, according to the safety device of this embodiment, when the gripper cylinder pressure detector 141 detects that an object is being gripped by the gripping part 81, and the cutting position detector 142 does not detect that the cutter member 120 has reached the closed position (cutting position), an interlock is activated that restricts the operation of the support mechanism of the boom 13 and gripping device 50. This reliably prevents situations in which an operator accidentally operates the support mechanism of the boom 13 and gripping device 50 before the cutting of the object is complete (the object has not been detached), thereby further improving work safety. Moreover, in the safety device of this embodiment, when the gripper cylinder pressure detector 141 detects that an object is being gripped by the gripping part 81, and the cutting position detector 142 detects that the cutter member 120 has reached the closed position (cutting position), the interlock is released, allowing the operation of the support mechanism of the boom 13 and gripping device 50. After the cutting of the object is complete, the cut object can be moved to any location, thus achieving both safety and work efficiency.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as the cutter member 120 moves from the open position to the closed position, the object gripped by the gripping part 81 is cut while sandwiched between the frame 110 and the cutter member 120, making it possible to cut the object stably. Also, since the cutter member 120 is in the closed position (storage position) after the object has been cut, there is no need to return the cutter member 120 to the closed position (storage position) again at the end of the work (preventing forgetting to store the cutter member 120), improving ease of use and enhancing safety when attaching and detaching the felling device 100.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the cutter member 120 is stored, the cutting edge portion 121 of the cutter member 120 is covered and concealed by the frame 110. This prevents the worker from touching the cutting edge portion 121 when attaching, detaching, or carrying the felling device 100, thereby improving safety during operation.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the object gripped by the gripping portion 81 can be received into the recesses 111a and 112a of the frame 110, the distance required to cut the object can be increased by the amount of these recesses 111a and 112a, and the felling device (attachment) 100 can be made smaller by reducing the wasted space in the frame 110.

[0059] In addition, in this embodiment, a felling device 100 is attached to the lower end of the gripping portion 81, and the gripping device 50 and the felling device 100 change their posture integrally (bending and extending, vertical head movement, horizontal head movement, rotation) in accordance with the operation of each actuator, making it possible to reliably grip and cut trees in any posture.

[0060] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be appropriately improved without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0061] In the above embodiment, a cutter member 120 was used as an example of a cutting member, but the configuration is not limited to this, and for example, a chainsaw or a circular saw may be used as the cutting member.

[0062] Furthermore, although the above embodiment involved a single cutter member 120 that moved to cut the object, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which a pair of movable blades are opened and closed to cut the object, or a configuration in which a combination of a movable blade and a fixed blade is used to cut the object, is also possible.

[0063] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, only the closed position (cutting position) of the cutter member 120 was detected. However, the system is not limited to this configuration, and it may be configured to detect both the closed position (cutting position) and the open position (retracted position) of the cutter member 120. In that case, the system may be configured to allow the operation of the boom 13 and the support mechanism of the gripping device 50 when the cutter member 120 is in the closed position (cutting position) or the open position (retracted position), regardless of whether the gripping portion 81 is gripping an object.

[0064] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the gripping force of the gripping portion 81 (the force with which the gripping claws 82 grip the object) is indirectly detected based on the pressure in the rod-side oil chamber of the gripper cylinder 99. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and for example, the gripping force of the gripping portion 81 may be directly detected by providing a load cell or strain gauge inside the gripping claws 82.

[0065] Furthermore, although the operating device 31 is equipped with a notification device 150 in the above embodiment, the configuration is not limited to this, and the notification device 150 may be provided in other locations, such as near the operating seat 30 or at the rear of the vehicle.

[0066] Furthermore, although the operating device 31 is provided in the operating seat 30 on the vehicle body 2 in the above embodiment, the configuration is not limited to this, and for example, the operating device 31 may be configured as a wired or wireless remote control operating device (portable operating device).

[0067] Furthermore, while the above embodiment illustrates a PTO-driven hole-digging and pole-erecting vehicle that uses a PTO (power take-off) mechanism to extract engine power and drive a hydraulic pump, the configuration is not limited to this. An electric-driven (battery-driven) hole-digging and pole-erecting vehicle or a hybrid vehicle equipped with both, which selectively switches the power source, may also be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1 Gripping type hole digging pole erecting vehicle 2 car bodies 12 Turntables 13 Boom 20 Auger devices 31 Operating device 40 controllers 41 Operation Control Unit 42 Grip determination section 43 Cutting determination section 44. Notification Control Unit 45 Interlock control unit 50 Gripping device 51. Arm (support mechanism) 60. First joint member (support mechanism) 70. Second joint member (support mechanism) 62. Vertical swivel cylinder (support mechanism) 71. Lateral swivel cylinder (support mechanism) 79. Gripper motor (support mechanism) 80 Grippa 81 Gripping part 82 Gripping claw 100 Logging equipment (cutting equipment) 120 Cutter component (cutting component) 130. Oscillating mechanism (drive device) 131 Cutter cylinder (drive mechanism) 141 Gripper cylinder pressure detector (gripping detector) 142 Cutting position detector 150 Notification device

Claims

[Claim 1] A boom mounted on the vehicle body that is at least capable of being raised and lowered, A gripping part capable of gripping an object, A support mechanism is provided between the tip of the boom and the gripping portion to change the orientation of the gripping portion relative to the tip of the boom, A cutting device attached to the gripping portion, A control device for controlling the operation of the boom, the gripping part, the support mechanism, and the cutting device, A gripping type hole-digging pole-erecting vehicle comprising a notification device connected to the control device, The cutting device comprises a cutting member capable of cutting an object gripped by the gripping portion, a drive device for reciprocating the cutting member between a cutting position for cutting the object gripped by the gripping portion and a retracted position separated from the cutting position, and a cutting position detector for detecting when the cutting member has reached the cutting position. The control device activates the notification device when the cutting position detector detects that the cutting member has reached the cutting position. The gripping unit is equipped with a gripping detector that detects when it has gripped an object, The safety device for a gripping-type hole-digging pole-erecting vehicle is characterized in that the control device allows the operation of the boom and the support mechanism when the gripping detector detects that the gripping part is gripping an object and the cutting position detector detects that the cutting member has reached the cutting position, while restricting the operation of the boom and the support mechanism when the gripping detector detects that the gripping part is gripping an object and the cutting position detector does not detect that the cutting member has reached the cutting position.

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