Hydraulic excavator provided with roller compacting device

Abstract

A hydraulic excavator comprises: a lower traveling body including two crawlers; an upper turning body turnably provided on the lower traveling body; an articulated work device provided on the upper turning body so as to be elevatable and including a boom, an arm, and a bucket; and an earth removal plate disposed in front of the lower traveling body so as to be capable of being lifted / lowered in a vertical direction. The hydraulic excavator is characterized in that: the earth removal plate is connected to another end of a right-left pair of earth removal plate support arms, in which one end is attached to a front side of a traveling body frame constituting a frame body of the lower traveling body, and to another end of an earth removal plate hydraulic cylinder in which one end is attached to the front side of the traveling body frame and which is for lifting / lowering the earth removal plate in the vertical direction; the earth removal plate is lifted / lowered in the vertical direction as the earth removal plate hydraulic cylinder extends and retracts; a roller compacting device is disposed behind the lower traveling body; the roller compacting device includes a compacting roller, a right-left pair of compacting roller support arms in which one end is attached to the rear side of the traveling body frame and which is for supporting the compacting roller via the other end thereof, a compacting roller hydraulic cylinder in which one end is attached to the rear side of the traveling body frame and which is for lifting / lowering the compacting roller in the vertical direction via the other end, and a roller holding part that is attached to the compacting roller support arm and that holds the compacting roller; the other end of the compacting roller hydraulic cylinder is attached to the roller holding part; and the compacting roller hydraulic cylinder extends and retracts to lift / lower the compacting roller in the vertical direction together with the roller holding part.

Description

Hydraulic excavator equipped with roller compaction device

[0001] This disclosure relates to a hydraulic excavator equipped with a roller compaction device. This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-117177, filed on July 19, 2023, and incorporates all of the disclosures of that Japanese application by reference.

[0002] Hydraulic excavators used for excavating and leveling earth and sand piles generally include a lower traveling body equipped with left and right endless track covers (crawlers), an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, a multi-joint attachment (working device) consisting of a boom, arm, and bucket mounted on the upper rotating body so that it can be raised and lowered, and a blade rotatably mounted on the front side of the lower traveling body (see Patent Document 1).Hydraulic excavators without a blade attached are also used for excavating and leveling work.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-49685

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, a hydraulic excavator according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a hydraulic excavator comprising: a lower traveling body having two crawlers; an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body; an articulated working device comprising a boom, an arm, and a bucket mounted on the upper rotating body so as to be able to be raised and lowered; and a blade arranged in front of the lower traveling body so as to be able to be raised and lowered in the vertical direction, wherein the blade is connected to one end of a pair of left and right blade support arms each having one end attached to a front side of a traveling body frame that constitutes a framework of the lower traveling body, and the other end of a blade hydraulic cylinder whose one end is attached to the front side of the traveling body frame and which raises and lowers the blade in the vertical direction, and wherein the blade hydraulic cylinder extends and retracts to raise and lower the blade in the vertical direction, A roller compaction device is arranged behind the lower running body, and the roller compaction device comprises a compaction roller, a pair of left and right compaction roller support arms, one end of which is attached to the rear side of the running body frame and the other end of which supports the compaction roller, a compaction roller hydraulic cylinder, one end of which is attached to the rear side of the running body frame and the other end of which raises and lowers the compaction roller in the vertical direction, and a roller holding part attached to the compaction roller support arm and holds the compaction roller, the other end of the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder is attached to the roller holding part, and the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder extends and retracts, thereby raising and lowering the compaction roller in the vertical direction together with the roller holding part.

[0005] Alternatively, a hydraulic excavator in one aspect of the present disclosure is a hydraulic excavator comprising a lower running body equipped with two crawlers, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower running body, and an articulated working device comprising a boom, an arm, and a bucket mounted on the upper rotating body so as to be able to be raised and lowered, wherein a roller compaction device is disposed behind the lower running body, and the roller compaction device comprises a compaction roller, a pair of left and right compaction roller support arms having one end attached to the rear side of the running body frame that constitutes the framework of the lower running body and supporting the compaction roller via the other end, a compaction roller hydraulic cylinder having one end attached to the rear side of the running body frame and for raising and lowering the compaction roller in the vertical direction via the other end, and a roller holding part attached to the roller support arm and holding the compaction roller, the other end of the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder being attached to the roller holding part, and the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder extending and contracting so as to raise and lower the compaction roller in the vertical direction together with the roller holding part.

[0006] The length of the blade and the roller in the vehicle width direction is equal to or less than the vehicle width of the hydraulic excavator including the two crawlers.

[0007] In this embodiment, when carrying out ground leveling and compaction work, unevenness in the soil surface caused by areas that have been compacted by the crawler under its own weight and areas that have not been compacted under its own weight is eliminated.

[0008] In a hydraulic excavator according to one aspect of the disclosure, one end of the blade support arm is removably and rotatably supported on the front side of the running body frame, the other end of the blade support arm is fixed to the back side of the blade, one end of the blade hydraulic cylinder is removably and rotatably supported on the front side of the running body frame, the other end of the blade hydraulic cylinder is removably and rotatably supported on the back side of the blade, one end of the compaction roller support arm is removably and rotatably supported on the rear side of the running body frame, the other end of the compaction roller support arm is fixed to a surface of the roller holding part facing the rear side of the running body frame, one end of the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder is removably and rotatably supported on the rear side of the running body frame, and the other end of the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder is removably and rotatably supported on the surface of the roller holding part facing the rear side of the running body frame.

[0009] With this configuration, the blade can be removed from the running body frame, and the blade hydraulic cylinder can be removed from the running body frame and the blade. This facilitates maintenance of the blade, and maintenance of the blade hydraulic cylinder and inspection for oil leaks, etc. Similarly, the roller holder can be removed from the running body frame, and the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder can be removed from the running body frame and the roller holder. This facilitates maintenance of the roller holder and maintenance of the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder and inspection for oil leaks, etc.

[0010] In a hydraulic excavator according to one aspect of the present disclosure, one end of the roller support arm is removably and rotatably supported on the rear side of the running body frame, the other end of the roller support arm is fixed to a surface of the roller holding part facing the rear side of the running body frame, one end of the roller hydraulic cylinder is removably and rotatably supported on the rear side of the running body frame, and the other end of the roller hydraulic cylinder is removably and rotatably supported on the surface of the roller holding part facing the rear side of the running body frame.

[0011] In this embodiment, the roller holder can be removed from the running body frame, and the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder can be removed from the running body frame and the roller holder, facilitating maintenance of the roller holder and the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder, as well as inspections for oil leaks and the like.

[0012] FIG. 1 is an external view showing a hydraulic excavator equipped with a roller compaction device and a blade. FIG. 2 is an external view showing a hydraulic excavator equipped with a roller compaction device. FIG. 3 is a partial plan view schematically showing the main structure of the front side of a lower running body of a hydraulic excavator equipped with a blade. FIG. 4 is a partial plan view schematically showing the main structure of the rear side of a lower running body to which a roller compaction device is attached. FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing a roller compaction device. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a state during daily inspection work of a conventional hydraulic excavator. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a state during daily inspection work of a hydraulic excavator having a blade according to the first embodiment.

[0013] [Problem to be Disclosed by the Present Disclosure] Conventionally, hydraulic excavators are used in land leveling work, such as removing unnecessary trees, buried objects, and sediments from unleveled land and cutting and piling up uneven ground to create a flat surface. Hydraulic excavators excavate soil and sand with a bucket, level the surface with the bucket, and then compact the soil under its own weight using crawlers (Caterpillar (registered trademark)) by moving the hydraulic excavator back and forth. Additionally, in the case of hydraulic excavators with a blade, the blade is used to erase the tracks made by the crawlers. Furthermore, in the case of hydraulic excavators without a blade, after leveling the surface of the soil and sand with the bucket, the hydraulic excavator is moved back and forth, and compaction is performed by sliding the bucket back and forth on the ground. However, there are areas that cannot be compacted simply by moving the hydraulic excavator back and forth and compacting the soil with the crawlers, blade, or bucket, resulting in unevenness in the leveled surface.

[0014] Methods of compacting the ground using construction machinery other than hydraulic excavators include methods using road rollers, tire rollers, or rammers. Compacting using a road roller, tire roller, or rammer required a separate process of moving the hydraulic excavator from the operation site and compacting the ground with the road roller, tire roller, or rammer. Therefore, the leveling and compacting work required new construction machinery such as a road roller in addition to the hydraulic excavator, which required manpower, cost, and time to operate multiple construction machinery, resulting in inefficiency.

[0015] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a multifunctional hydraulic excavator that improves ground leveling work by attaching a roller compaction device to the lower running body of the hydraulic excavator.

[0016] Effect of the Present Disclosure According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, a multifunctional hydraulic excavator with improved workability can be realized because excavation, leveling, and compaction can be performed using only the hydraulic excavator.

[0017] The roller compaction device described in the embodiment of the present disclosure performs the same function as a blade or outrigger during excavation by extending the hydraulic cylinder of the roller, moving the roller downward and contacting the ground with pressure to apply pressure to the contact surface. Outriggers on construction machinery are devices that stabilize the vehicle body by extending out to the side of the vehicle body and contacting the ground when extending the arm or lifting an object on a crane, aerial work vehicle, concrete pump truck, etc. Therefore, when a roller compaction device is used, the tipping fulcrum of the hydraulic excavator moves to the contact point of the roller with the ground, so that the excavation force of both hydraulic excavators with and without blades can be increased by incorporating a roller compaction device.

[0018] In other words, since the roller compaction device described in the embodiment of the present disclosure can be used as an outrigger, work can be performed stably both at the front and rear of the hydraulic excavator without tipping over.

[0019] In the case of a hydraulic excavator having a blade described in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the blade and roller compaction device can be used simultaneously as outriggers, allowing the bottom of the hydraulic excavator body to be lifted, making it easy to inspect the lower running body.

[0020] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, arrows indicate up / down, front / rear, left / right directions.

[0021] The present disclosure can be applied to hydraulic excavators of various sizes, from mini hydraulic excavators to large hydraulic excavators.

[0022] 1 is an external view showing a hydraulic excavator 1 equipped with a roller compaction device and a blade according to embodiment 1. The hydraulic excavator 1 includes a travellable lower traveling body 2, a rotating body 3 rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body 2, an articulated working device 5 including a boom 6 mounted on the front side of the rotating body 3 so as to be able to be raised and lowered, an arm 7, and a bucket 8, a blade 13, and a roller compaction device 14. The upper rotating body 3 is rotatably attached via a rotating cylinder 4 mounted on the lower traveling body 2.

[0023] In the first embodiment, the work device 5 includes a boom 6 connected to the front side of the upper rotating body 3 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, an arm 7 connected to the tip of the boom 6 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, and a bucket 8 connected to the tip of the arm 7 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The boom 6, the arm 7, and the bucket 8 are rotated by the drive of a boom cylinder 9, an arm cylinder 10, and a bucket cylinder 11, respectively.

[0024] The lower traveling body 2 has a traveling body frame and traveling mechanisms 2a. The traveling mechanisms 2a are provided on both the left and right sides of the traveling body frame, and each of the left and right traveling mechanisms 2a has a pair of crawlers 12, 12. As shown in FIG. 1 , the traveling mechanism 2a further has an idler 2b, a drive wheel 2c, and a traveling motor 2d. The idler 2b is disposed in front of the traveling mechanism 2a, and the drive wheel 2c is disposed in the rear of the traveling mechanism 2a. The traveling motor 2d drives the drive wheel 2c to rotate the left and right crawlers 12, 12 in the circumferential direction, causing the lower traveling body 2 to travel.

[0025] A blade 13 is disposed in front of the lower traveling body 2, and the length of the blade 13 in the vehicle body width direction is equal to or less than the width of the vehicle body of the hydraulic excavator including the left and right crawlers 12, 12. The blade 13 moves up and down.

[0026] A roller compaction device 14 that can rotate in the vertical direction is disposed behind the lower traveling body 2. The length of the compaction roller 15 of the roller compaction device 14 in the vehicle body width direction is equal to or less than the width of the vehicle body of the hydraulic excavator including the crawlers 12, 12. The compaction roller 15 is moved up and down to compact the ground surface and perform ground leveling work.

[0027] In this embodiment, the side of the lower track body 2 where the idler 2b is arranged is the front side, and the side where the drive wheels 2c are arranged is the rear side, but the front and rear sides may be reversed. In this case, the blade 13 is arranged in front of the lower track body 2 where the drive wheels 2c are arranged, and the roller rolling device 14 is arranged behind the lower track body 2 where the idler 2b is arranged.

[0028] 2 is an external view showing the structure of a hydraulic excavator 1' equipped with a roller compaction device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. The hydraulic excavator 1' according to the second embodiment is not equipped with a blade 13. The same parts as those in the hydraulic excavator 1 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0029] In the second embodiment of the present disclosure, the front and rear sides of the lower running body 2 may be reversed, as in the first embodiment. In this case, the roller rolling device 14 is disposed behind the lower running body 2 where the idler 2b is disposed. Although the roller rolling device 14 is disposed behind the lower running body 2, it may also be disposed in front of the lower running body 2.

[0030] Figure 3 is a partial plan view schematically showing the main structure of the front side of the undercarriage of a hydraulic excavator equipped with a blade 13. As shown in Figure 3, the undercarriage 2 has a machine base 16 of the undercarriage 2 and a pair of crawlers 12, 12 attached to both the left and right sides of the machine base 16. A pair of left and right blade support arms 17, 17 and a blade hydraulic cylinder 18 arranged midway between these two blade support arms 17, 17 are provided on the front side of the machine base 16. A plurality of blade hydraulic cylinders 18 may be provided instead of one.

[0031] One end of the blade support arms 17, 17 is rotatably supported by pins 20 on a pair of fixed support brackets 19 that protrude forward from the front surface of the machine base 16 with a gap between them. The other front ends of the blade support arms 17, 17 are fixed by welding to the back surface of the blade 13, i.e., the surface facing the front side of the machine base 16. Alternatively, the blade support arms 17, 17 may be integrally formed with the blade 13 by casting. Holes are formed in the other ends of the fixed support brackets 19 and the blade support arms 17, 17, and the other ends are rotatably supported by pins 20.

[0032] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, pins are used as members for supporting the blade support arms 17, 17 and the blade hydraulic cylinder 18, but this is not limited to pins, and bolts or the like can also be used instead of pins.

[0033] One end of the blade hydraulic cylinder 18 is rotatably supported by a pin 24 on a blade hydraulic cylinder mounting bracket 23 disposed on the machine base 16 in front of the lower traveling body 2. The tip of the blade hydraulic cylinder 18 is attached by a pin 22 to a blade mounting bracket 21 provided on the back surface of the blade 13 (rear of the blade 13) in the center of the surface of the blade 13 facing the front side of the machine base 16.

[0034] By disposing the blade 13 in front of the lower traveling body 2, the blade support arms 17, 17 rotate up and down as the blade hydraulic cylinder 18 extends and retracts, and the blade 13 moves up and down. In other words, by extending and retracting the blade hydraulic cylinder 18, the blade 13 moves up and down between an upper limit rotation position and a lower limit rotation position, which are the rotation limits of the blade support arms 17, 17, thereby bringing the blade 13 into contact with the ground and enabling the blade 13 to apply pressure to the contact surface.

[0035] Figure 4 is a partial plan view showing the main structure of the rear side of the undercarriage to which the roller compaction device is attached. As shown in Figure 4, the undercarriage 2 has a machine base 16 and a pair of crawlers 12, 12 attached to both the left and right sides of the machine base 16. A pair of left and right compaction roller support arms 25, 25 are provided on the rear side of the machine base 16, and a compaction roller hydraulic cylinder 26 is disposed in the center of these two compaction roller support arms 25, 25. A plurality of compaction roller hydraulic cylinders 26 may be provided, rather than just one.

[0036] 4 and 5, the roller holding portion 27 attached to the roller support arms 25 and holding the compaction roller 15 includes a compaction roller frame 35 and a compaction roller cover 36. One end of the compaction roller support arms 25 is rotatably supported by pins 29 on a pair of fixed support brackets 28 that protrude rearward from the rear side of the machine base 16 with a gap between them. The other end of each of the compaction roller support arms 25 is fixed by welding to the surface of the compaction roller frame 35 that faces the rear side of the machine base 16. Alternatively, the compaction roller support arms 25 may be integrally formed with the compaction roller frame 35 by casting.

[0037] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the compaction roller frame 35 extends along the axial direction of the compaction roller 15, and the other end of a support arm 35a, one end of which is attached to the compaction roller frame 35, supports a support shaft 39 of the compaction roller 15. The compaction roller support arm 35a is a plate-like member formed in a substantially rectangular shape. However, the shape of the support arm 35a is not limited to a substantially rectangular shape, and may be a member of another shape, such as a triangular shape. As shown in Figure 5, the compaction roller cover 36 is fixed to the compaction roller frame 35 so as to cover the top of the compaction roller 15.

[0038] The length of the roller cover 36 perpendicular to the vehicle width direction is configured to be a length that does not contact the ground when the roller device 14 is operated to move downward and the roller 15 touches the ground and rolls the ground surface.

[0039] One end of the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder 26 is rotatably supported by a pin 34 on a compaction roller hydraulic cylinder mounting bracket 33 provided on the rear side of the machine base 16. The other end of the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder 26 is attached by a pin 32 to a compaction roller mounting bracket 31 provided in the center of the surface of the compaction roller frame 35 facing the rear side of the machine base 16.

[0040] In the hydraulic excavators 1 and 1' according to embodiments 1 and 2, pins are used as members for supporting the roller support arms 25, 25 and the roller hydraulic cylinder 26, but this is not limited to pins, and bolts or the like can also be used instead of pins.

[0041] In this way, the roller compaction device 14 is attached to the rear side of the lower running body 2 so that it can rotate freely in the vertical direction. By extending and contracting the roller hydraulic cylinder 26, the roller support arms 25, 25 move up and down between an upper limit rotation position and a lower limit rotation position, which are rotation limits, and this causes the roller 15 to move up and down together with the roller holding part 27, enabling the roller 15 to apply pressure to the ground surface.

[0042] Conventionally, road rollers, tire rollers, rammers, and the like have been used to compact the ground using construction machinery other than hydraulic excavators. In the case of road rollers and tire rollers, the ground is compacted and leveled by its own weight, while in the case of rammers, the impact on the ground is used by the impact. In other words, since the compaction work is carried out solely by the construction machinery's own weight or vibration impact, different construction machinery is used depending on the object and location to be compacted, and the construction machinery itself does not have the function to change and adjust the compaction pressure depending on the object and location.

[0043] According to embodiments 1 and 2 of the present disclosure, by adjusting the extension and retraction operation of the roller hydraulic cylinder 26 of the roller device 14, the up and down movement position of the roller 15 together with the roller holding part 27 can be adjusted, and therefore, the rolling pressure of the roller 15 can be adjusted as needed for the soil and sand surface being leveled.

[0044] In order to perform compaction on the ground using the roller compaction device 14, the hydraulic excavator 1 or 1' may be equipped with a pressure gauge that measures the pressure during compaction. The pressure gauge is necessary to respond to changes in the mechanical properties (compaction characteristics, soil strength, and rigidity) of the soil and sand used in the ground leveling work due to the density and moisture content.

[0045] Specifically, the roller compaction device 14 applies expansion and contraction pressure to the roller holder 27, which is interposed between the roller hydraulic cylinder 26 and the lower running body 2, causing the roller support arms 25, 25 to rotate vertically and the roller holder 27 to move up and down, thereby causing the roller 15 to move up and down. When the roller hydraulic cylinder 26 extends and pressure is applied to the roller holder 27 to move downward, the roller 15 presses against the ground. With pressure applied to the soil, the hydraulic excavator 1 or 1' is moved forward and backward. In this case, as the pressure applied to the soil by the roller 15 gradually changes, air is pushed out from within the soil, reducing gaps within the soil, bringing the soil particles into firm contact with each other and increasing adhesion within the soil, thereby compacting the ground.

[0046] Therefore, in a hydraulic excavator 1 having a blade 13, compaction work is performed by moving the hydraulic excavator 1 back and forth and using the crawlers 12, 12 to compact the soil and sand under their own weight and by compacting the soil and sand under the blade, while in a hydraulic excavator 1' not having a blade 13, compaction work is performed by moving the hydraulic excavator 1' back and forth and using the crawlers 12, 12 to compact the soil and sand under their own weight and by compacting the soil and sand under the bucket 8. By using the roller compaction device 14 of embodiments 1 and 2, the soil and sand surface can be easily compacted and a surface finish with high flatness can be obtained after compaction.

[0047] The roller compaction range can be widened by making the width of the compaction roller 15 in the vehicle body width direction equal to or less than the vehicle body width of the hydraulic excavator 1 or 1', that is, the width of the vehicle body including the left and right crawlers 12, 12. Whether the location where ground leveling work is to be performed is a narrow soil surface that is wide enough for only one hydraulic excavator 1 or 1' to pass through, or a very wide soil surface, the movement range of the hydraulic excavator 1 or 1' can be reduced, and work efficiency can be improved.

[0048] Conventionally, leveling and compaction work required construction machinery such as a road roller to perform the compaction work in addition to a hydraulic excavator. However, with the present disclosure, this work can be performed with a single hydraulic excavator 1 or 1' equipped with a roller compaction device 14, eliminating the need for construction machinery such as a road roller and improving work efficiency. In addition, the hydraulic excavator 1 or 1' can perform flattening work by controlling the compaction pressure according to the properties of the soil on which leveling and compaction work are to be performed, eliminating the need to use different construction machinery such as a road roller to perform the compaction work. Furthermore, this has the excellent effect of reducing the number of people, labor, and time required to operate multiple construction machines.

[0049] When a conventional hydraulic excavator equipped with a blade excavates, pressure is applied to the soil with the bucket, which can cause the crawler on the opposite side of the excavator to lift off the ground. Therefore, to extend the tipping fulcrum, excavation work is performed on the side where the blade is installed on the undercarriage, and downward pressure is applied by a hydraulic cylinder that raises and lowers the blade, using the blade as an outrigger. The work of lowering a load with the bucket is similar to excavation work, and work was only performed in the direction where the blade was installed to prevent tipping. Therefore, when performing excavation or lowering work in a direction where the blade was not installed, the hydraulic excavator had to be moved and turned around.

[0050] In the case of the hydraulic excavator 1 equipped with the roller compaction device 14 according to the first embodiment, the roller compaction device 14 plays the same role as the blade 13 during excavation, and therefore by extending the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder 26 of the roller compaction device 14 and operating the roller holding part 27 to move downward, the compaction roller 15 comes into contact with the ground, and pressure is applied to the contact surface, whereby the tipping fulcrum of the hydraulic excavator 1 shifts to the contact point of the compaction roller 15 of the roller compaction device 14, thereby increasing the excavation force. In the hydraulic excavator 1' not equipped with the blade 13 according to the second embodiment, the roller compaction device 14 is similarly operated and downward pressure is applied to the ground by the compaction roller 15, whereby the contact point of the compaction roller 15 with the ground becomes the tipping fulcrum, thereby increasing the excavation force. In addition, in the hydraulic excavator 1' that does not have a blade according to embodiment 2, the roller compaction device 14 is arranged behind the lower running body 2, but it is also possible to arrange the roller compaction device 14 in front of the lower running body 2. Therefore, even when the roller compaction device 14 is arranged in front of the lower running body 2, it performs the same function as the blade, thereby increasing the excavation force and enabling stable work.

[0051] The roller compaction device 14 of embodiments 1 and 2 can be used as an outrigger, just like the blade 13, so that during excavation work or lifting work, work can be performed from either the front or rear of the hydraulic excavator 1, and it is now possible to perform very stable work whether working in either the front or rear of the hydraulic excavator 1 or 1'.

[0052] In daily inspections of hydraulic excavators, it is necessary to check the crawler tension of the traveling mechanism and the traveling motor for oil leaks, etc. Although this is not particularly necessary for a visual inspection alone, it is difficult to inspect the idler, drive wheels, inside of the traveling motor, etc. if the crawler is in contact with the ground.

[0053] Fig. 6A is an explanatory diagram showing a state of a conventional hydraulic excavator during daily inspection work. During conventional daily inspection, as illustrated in Fig. 6A , the blade hydraulic cylinder 18 of the blade 13 is extended, the blade 13 is moved downward and pressed against the ground, and the bottoms of the crawlers 12, 12 on the blade 13 side are lifted. Next, the upper rotating body 3 is rotated 180° in the opposite direction relative to the blade 13 with respect to the lower running body 2, the bucket 8 is pressed against the ground, the boom cylinder 9 and the arm cylinder 10 are extended, and the lower running body 2 on the side without the blade 13 is lifted, thereby lifting the crawlers 12, 12. Therefore, the blade and the bucket support the hydraulic excavator 1 with the left and right crawlers 12, 12 raised above the ground.

[0054] This allows you to check the tension of the crawler (Caterpillar (trademark)), check for grease leaks near the grease nipple of the crawler adjuster, oil leaks near the travel motor, etc. Also, because the crawler is floating above the ground, it can be washed.

[0055] As shown in Figure 1, the drive wheel 2c (travel motor 2d) is arranged at one end (rear side) of the traveling body frame, a crawler adjuster (not shown) and an idler 2b are arranged in this order, and the crawler 12 is attached to the lower traveling body 2. By injecting grease through the nipple of the crawler adjuster, the cylinder part of the crawler adjuster protrudes, and by pushing out the idler 2b, the crawler 12 is pulled outward and protrudes. When inspecting the traveling mechanism 2a, the reverse procedure is performed, and the crawler 12 is removed from the lower traveling body 2 for inspection.

[0056] 6B is an explanatory diagram showing a state during daily inspection of a hydraulic excavator having a blade according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6B , the hydraulic excavator 1 having the blade 13 of the first embodiment uses a roller compactor 14 instead of a bucket conventionally used, to support the hydraulic excavator 1 in a state where it is raised above the ground. The roller compactor 14 is rotated downward relative to the ground in the same manner as the blade 13 by the roller hydraulic cylinder 26 of the roller compactor 14, and by applying downward pressure, the undercarriage 2 on the side where the blade 13 is not present, i.e., the roller compactor 14 side, can be lifted. Therefore, the blade 13 and the roller compactor 14 can support the hydraulic excavator 1 in a state where the left and right crawlers 12, 12 are raised above the ground, allowing stable and safe daily inspection of the travel-related functions.

[0057] Furthermore, in the case of a hydraulic excavator 1 having the blade 13 according to the first embodiment, the work device 5 consisting of the boom 6, arm 7, and bucket 8 provided on the upper rotating body 3, which was previously used during inspection work, is no longer necessary, and therefore it is possible to handle heavy objects, etc. with the bucket 8 during inspection or repair of the traveling body, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0058] In detail, the hydraulic excavator 1 having the blade 13 is lifted and supported off the ground by the blade 13 and the roller compaction device 14, thereby enabling the working device 5 to perform the following operations: (1) By holding down the idler 2b with the working device 5, grease in the crawler adjuster is released, the idler 2b contracts, and the crawler 12 loosens. This makes it easy to remove, attach, and replace the crawler 12. (2) When removing the crawler 12 from the traveling mechanism, the working device 5 can use the bucket 8 to pull the crawler 12 by using a wire or the like to attach it to the crawler 12. In a similar manner, the working device 5 can attach the crawler 12 to the idler 2b and drive wheel 2c (travel motor 2d). (3) The working device 5 can use the bucket 8 to lift and bring a heavy object such as a crawler to the vicinity of the work site.

[0059] Therefore, according to the first embodiment, the work efficiency is significantly improved even in the daily inspection work.

[0060] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the embodiments disclosed herein are merely illustrative in nature and should not be considered to be limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0061] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Hydraulic excavator 2 Lower traveling body 2a Traveling mechanism 2b Idler 2c Drive wheel 2d Travel motor 3 Upper rotating body 4 Rotating round body 5 Work device 6 Boom 7 Arm 8 Bucket 12 Crawler 13 Blade 14 Roller compaction device 15 Compaction roller 17 Blade support arm 18 Blade hydraulic cylinder 25 Compaction roller support arm 26 Compaction roller hydraulic cylinder 27 Roller holding section

Claims

1. A hydraulic excavator comprising a lower traveling body equipped with two crawlers, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, a multi-jointed working device consisting of a boom, an arm and a bucket mounted on the upper rotating body so as to be able to be raised and lowered, and a blade arranged in front of the lower traveling body so as to be able to be raised and lowered in the vertical direction, wherein the blade is connected to one end of a pair of left and right blade support arms, the other end of which is attached to the front side of the traveling body frame constituting the framework of the lower traveling body, and the other end of a blade hydraulic cylinder, the one end of which is attached to the front side of the traveling body frame for raising and lowering the blade in the vertical direction, and the blade hydraulic cylinder is adapted to raise and lower the blade in the vertical direction by extending and retracting, and a roller rolling device is arranged behind the lower traveling body, The roller compaction device comprises a compaction roller, a pair of left and right compaction roller support arms, one end of which is attached to the rear side of the running body frame and which support the compaction roller via the other end, a compaction roller hydraulic cylinder, one end of which is attached to the rear side of the running body frame and which raises and lowers the compaction roller in the vertical direction via the other end, and a roller holding part attached to the compaction roller support arm and holds the compaction roller, the other end of the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder is attached to the roller holding part, and the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder extends and retracts to raise and lower the compaction roller in the vertical direction together with the roller holding part.A hydraulic excavator equipped with a roller compaction device.

2. A hydraulic excavator comprising a lower running body equipped with two crawlers, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower running body, and an articulated working device consisting of a boom, arm and bucket mounted on the upper rotating body so as to be able to be raised and lowered, wherein a roller compaction device is disposed behind the lower running body, and the roller compaction device comprises a compaction roller, a pair of left and right compaction roller support arms having one end attached to the rear side of the running body frame that constitutes the framework of the lower running body and supporting the compaction roller via the other end, a compaction roller hydraulic cylinder having one end attached to the rear side of the running body frame and raising and lowering the compaction roller in the vertical direction via the other end, and a roller holding part attached to the roller support arm and holding the compaction roller, the other end of the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder being attached to the roller holding part, and the compaction roller hydraulic cylinder extending and contracting so that the compaction roller is raised and lowered in the vertical direction together with the roller holding part.

3. A hydraulic excavator as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the length of the compaction roller in the vehicle width direction is equal to or less than the vehicle width of the hydraulic excavator including the two crawlers.

4. A hydraulic excavator as set forth in claim 1 or claim 3 when dependent on claim 1, wherein one end of the blade support arm is removably and rotatably supported on the front side of the running body frame, and the other end of the blade support arm is fixed to the rear surface of the blade, one end of the blade hydraulic cylinder is removably and rotatably supported on the front side of the running body frame, and the other end of the blade hydraulic cylinder is removably and rotatably supported on the rear surface of the blade, one end of the roller support arm is removably and rotatably supported on the rear side of the running body frame, and the other end of the roller support arm is fixed to a surface of the roller holding part facing the rear side of the running body frame, one end of the roller hydraulic cylinder is removably and rotatably supported on the rear side of the running body frame, and the other end of the roller hydraulic cylinder is removably and rotatably supported on the surface of the roller holding part facing the rear side of the running body frame.

5. A hydraulic excavator as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein one end of the roller support arm is removably and rotatably supported on the rear side of the running body frame, and the other end of the roller support arm is fixed to a surface of the roller holding part facing the rear side of the running body frame, one end of the roller hydraulic cylinder is removably and rotatably supported on the rear side of the running body frame, and the other end of the roller hydraulic cylinder is removably and rotatably supported on the surface of the roller holding part facing the rear side of the running body frame.

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