Construction vehicle

A construction vehicle of an all-round traverse type is configured such that when working by using one working machine of an excavating machine and a loading machine mounted on front and rear sides of a cabin, the working machine in use can perform operation without influence from the other working machine in an unused state, as the excavating machine and the loading machine are configured to be folded and retracted under an unused state into an orientation of substantially fitting along respective surfaces of the front side and the rear side of the cabin. A cabin 3 is mounted on a turn frame 2 that makes an all-round traverse and is mounted on a vehicle body 1, and a mounting bracket 40 is provided on one end of the front end and the rear end of the turn frame 2. An excavator 4 is mounted in front of the cabin 3 by mounting and connecting the excavator 4 to the mounting bracket 40. Boom stands 50 on which a loading machine is to be mounted is provided on both right and left sides of the turn frame 2, and root ends of right and left booms 5a and 5a of a bucket loader 5 are mounted and connected to the boom stands 50. Accordingly, the bucket loader 5 is mounted on the vehicle body 1 such that a bucket 5b supported on tip ends of the booms 5a rises and falls along the rear surface of the cabin 3.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an improvement in a construction machine (construction vehicle) that includes two working machines, namely, an excavating machine that performs excavating works, such as an excavator, and a loading machine that performs loading works, such as a bucket loader, both of which are mounted on a vehicle body configured to run with travel devices including crawlers or wheels.

2. Description of Related Art

Conventionally, there has been known a construction vehicle equipped with, for example, a bucket loader as a loading machine to perform loading works mounted on a vehicle body configured to run with crawlers or wheels, and additionally equipped with an excavator mounted on the vehicle body as a working machine to perform excavating works.

The conventional construction vehicle equipped with the two working machines includes a cabin on the upper side of the vehicle body configured to run with the crawlers or the wheels, and an excavator that performs excavating works mounted on the front end of the vehicle body in front of the cabin, and configured to swivel and to rotate rightward and leftward, and additionally a working machine for loading, such as a bucket loader, is installed on the rear end of the vehicle body for an excavation operator to perform loading and carrying works as an option during an excavating work. The conventional construction vehicle is not an all-round traverse type. Conventionally, among construction vehicles configured such that a turn frame is mounted on the upper side of the vehicle body of the construction vehicle in a 360-degree rotatable manner via a turn bearing that turns around a vertical axis, and a cabin and a working machine are mounted on the turn frame, and the working machine is configured to work by shifting a working position around the vehicle body by turning the turn frame, there has been known no construction vehicle of an all-round traverse type that includes two working machines of an excavating machine and a loading machine.

The reason for this is because the loading machine is built and supported on the vehicle body of the construction vehicle in a working-position fixed manner, because a loading work performed by the loading machine, such as a bucket loader, can be performed by moving a bucket of the working machine forward and backward, hoisting and lowering it upward and downward, and making a dumping-turn of it.

Furthermore, if the loading machine is mounted on the rear side of the vehicle body of the construction vehicle of the all-round traverse type in a working-position fixed manner; when turning the turn frame equipped with the excavating machine, interference with the loading machine mounted on the rear side of the vehicle body occurs, and turning operation of the turn frame cannot be performed. Even if the turn frame can be turned; when the turn frame is turned 180 degrees, and the working position of the excavating machine is located in a rearward position of the construction machine, the excavating machine overlaps with the loading machine provided on the rear side of the vehicle body of the construction vehicle, so that the excavating machine cannot work.

The above problem arising when a vehicle body of a construction vehicle of an all-round traverse type includes two working machines, namely, an excavating machine and a loading machine, can be solved as a cabin is mounted on the upper side of a turn frame mounted in a 360-degree rotatable manner via a turn bearing on the upper side of the vehicle body, a driver seat and a controlling device are installed inside the cabin, the excavating machine is mounted on the front end of the turn frame in front of the cabin, and the loading machine is mounted on the rear end of the turn frame on the rear side of the cabin.

However, because a loading machine, particularly a bucket loader, which is the most universal equipment, is configured such that a bucket is supported on a turn end of a large boom that rises and falls and turns so as to make a bumping-turn of the bucket as required; if the loading machine is installed at the rear end of the turn frame on which the excavating machine is supported at the front end, operation of turning the turn frame when performing an excavating work by the excavating machine supported at the front end of the turn frame is largely influenced by the loading machine provided at the rear end of the turn frame, such as a bucket loader, which includes a long and large boom configured to rise and fall and turn and projects backward largely, consequently, a smooth turn operation cannot be obtained. Moreover, another problem arises such that the construction vehicle cannot be used in a narrow space and a location of use is limited, because the construction vehicle requires a large working space around the vehicle body due to the bucket loader that is configured to project backward largely from the turn frame when turning the turn frame.

An object of the present invention is to provide a construction vehicle of an all-round traverse type that when working by using one working machine of an excavating machine and a loading machine mounted on a front side and a rear side of a cabin, the working machine in use can perform operation without influence from the other working machine in an unused state, as the excavating machine and the loading machine are configured to be folded and retracted under an unused state into an attitude of substantially fitting along respective outer surfaces of the front side and the rear side of the cabin, to construct a construction vehicle of an all-round traverse type that an excavating machine and a loading machine are mounted on a front side and a rear side of a cabin mounted on a turn frame, by mounting onto the upper side of the turn frame the cabin inside which a driver seat, a control device, and the like are accommodated and placed, mounting the excavating machine on one end of the front end of the turn frame on the front side of the cabin and the rear end of the turn frame on the rear side of the cabin, and mounting the loading machine on the other end of the turn frame, on the construction vehicle of an all-round traverse type that includes the turn frame being mounted on a vehicle body in a 360-degree rotatable manner with respect to a vertical rotational axis via a turn bearing, the cabin and the working machines being mounted on the turn frame, and a driver seat, a control device, and the like being installed in the cabin,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, in one aspect thereof, there is provided a construction vehicle characterized in that a turn frame2that turns 360 degrees around a rotational axis in a vertical direction is mounted on a vehicle body1configured to run with a travel device10, a cabin3in which a driver seat and a control device are placed is mounted on an upper side of said turn frame2, a mounting bracket40on which an excavating machine is to be mounted is provided on one end of front and rear ends of said turn frame2, an excavator4is mounted on a front side of said cabin3by mounting and connecting a root end of a boom4aof said excavator4to said mounting bracket40, boom stands50on which a loading machine is to be mounted are provided on both right and left sides of said turn frame2, a bucket loader5is mounted on said boom stands50such that a bucket5bsupported on tip ends of right and left booms5aand5aof said bucket loader5rises and falls along a rear surface of said cabin3by mounting and connecting root ends of said right and left booms5aand5ato said boom stands50, and said excavator4and said bucket loader5both of which make an all-round traverse integrally with said turn frame2are installed on a front end and a rear end of said vehicle body1.

According to the present invention, in another aspect thereof, there is provided a construction vehicle characterized in that a turn frame2that turns 360 degrees around a rotational axis in a vertical direction is mounted on a vehicle body1configured to run with a travel device10, a cabin3in which a driver seat and a control device are placed is mounted on an upper side of said turn frame2, a mounting bracket40on which an excavating machine to be mounted on one side of a front side and a rear side of said vehicle body1is to be mounted is provided on one end of front and rear ends of said turn frame an excavator4is mounted on said mounting bracket40such that said excavator4can be transformed into a retracted orientation along a front surface of said cabin3, boom stands50and50on which a loading machine to be mounted on the other side of the front side and the rear side of said vehicle body1is to be mounted are provided on both right and left sides of said turn frame2, a bucket loader5is mounted on said boom stands50and50such that a bucket5bsupported on tip ends of right and left booms5aand5arises and falls along a rear surface of said cabin3by connecting and pivotally supporting root ends of said right and left booms5aand5aof said bucket loader5to said boom stands50and50, each of said right and left booms5aand5aof said bucket loader5is divided into a tip-end side5a-2that supports said bucket5band a root-end side5a-1that is connected to said boom stand50, said tip-end side5a-2is connected to said root-end side5a-1in a foldable and rotatable manner so as to be folded onto an upper side of said root-end side5a-1, and working machines that make an all-round traverse are mounted on both the front side and the rear side of said vehicle body1such that when using one of said working machines, the other working machine that is unused is kept in a state not causing any problem to said working machine in use.

According to the present invention, in still another aspect thereof, there is provided the construction vehicle, wherein said bucket loader5and said excavator4built and mounted on said turn frame2as arranged on one side and the other side of front and rear sides of said cabin3are each equipped with anyone of a manual locking mechanism and an automatic locking mechanism that keeps each of said bucket loader5and said excavator4in a folded and retracted state when being folded and retracted. According to the present invention, in still another aspect thereof, there is provided the construction vehicle, wherein said boom stands50provided on both right and left sides of said turn frame2for mounting a loading machine are arranged in a position shifted forward and placed to stand on said turn frame2so as to be positioned at a substantially center in a fore and aft direction of said cabin3mounted on said turn frame2in a side view, and said bucket loader5is mounted on said boom stands50as shifted forward with respect to said cabin3such that said root-end sides5a-1of said right and left booms5aoccupy a position shifted forward to overlap with said cabin3, and said tip-end sides5a-2of said booms5asupporting said bucket5boccupy a position to rise and fall on the rear side of said cabin3.

According to the present invention, in still another aspect thereof, there is provided the construction vehicle, wherein each of said right and left booms5aof said bucket loader5of which root ends are connected and pivotally supported by said boom stands50provided on both sides of said turn frame2is divided in a middle in a longitudinal direction into said tip-end side5a-2that supports said bucket5bon a tip end, and said root-end side5a-1that is connected to and pivotally supported by said boom stand50via a boom pin51, and said tip-end side5a-2is connected to said root-end side5a-1such that said tip-end side5a-2can fold and turn upward and cannot fold and turn downward owing to a joint pivot60positioned on an upper side of said boom5a, and mating portions61and62that are provided so as to mate divided portions. According to the present invention, in still another aspect thereof, there is provided the construction vehicle, wherein said cabin3that includes a drive seat and a control device inside a room of said cabin3, and is mounted on the upper side of said turn frame2is mounted as shifted to one side of right and left sides on the upper side of said turn frame2, a power source6including an engine and a hydraulic power unit is mounted on the other side of the right and left sides on the upper side of said turn frame2in parallel with said cabin3, said mounting bracket40for mounting an excavating machine to be provided on the front end of said turn frame2is provided at a position that occupies a substantially center in a right and left width of said cabin3such that said mounting bracket40is shifted from a center line Y between right and left of said turn frame2to said cabin3arranged in parallel with said power source6in a front view, and said excavator4mounted on said mounting bracket40is configured to be retracted substantially within a right and left width of said turn frame2in a front view, when said excavator4is retracted into a sideways attitude by turning around a swing post pin41.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 5depict a construction vehicle of an all-round traverse type according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 1is a side view of the whole construction vehicle;FIG. 2is a front view of the construction vehicle;FIG. 3is a side view of the construction vehicle in a state where working machines are folded and retracted;FIG. 4is a side view of the construction vehicle in operation when performing an excavating work by an excavating machine, while a loading machine is folded and retracted; andFIG. 5is a side view of the construction vehicle in operation when performing a loading work by the loading machine, while the excavating machine is folded and retracted. The embodiment is an example where an excavator is used as an excavating machine, and a bucket loader is used as a loading machine, therefore, the excavating machine and the loading machine are explained as the excavator and the bucket loader, respectively.

According to the figures of the drawings, a reference numeral1denotes a vehicle body; a reference numeral2denotes a turn frame that is mounted on the upper side of the vehicle body1so as to turn 360 degrees via a turn bearing20that turns with respect to a vertical rotational axis; a reference numeral3denotes a cabin that is mounted on the upper side of the turn frame2in a manner of being shifted to one side of right and left sides of the turn frame2; a reference numeral4denotes an excavator that is mounted on the front end of the turn frame2as arranged in front of the cabin3; a reference numeral5denotes a bucket loader that is mounted on the turn frame2as arranged on the rear side of the cabin3; and a reference numeral6denotes a power source that includes an engine, a hydraulic power unit, and the like, which are mounted in parallel with the cabin3on the other side of the upper side of the turn frame2.

The vehicle body1is a usual vehicle configured to run by driving travel devices10that include crawlers with a hydraulic motor that operates with pressure oil brought from the power source6.

The turn frame2is mounted on the upper surface of the vehicle body1via the turn bearing20in a rotatable manner, and configured to carry out an all-round traverse of 360 degrees around a rotational center line X in the vertical direction, which is a rotational axis of the turn bearing20, by operating the turn bearing20by the hydraulic motor driven with pressure oil brought from the power source.

The cabin3is mounted on the upper surface of the turn frame2, a driver seat30to be placed and installed on the upper surface of the turn frame2is arranged inside a room of the cabin3, and moreover, an operation device31for controlling the engine of the power source6and a controller of a hydraulic circuit of the hydraulic power unit is placed around the driver seat30.

Among the driver seat30placed inside the cabin3and the operation device31arranged around the driver seat30, the driver seat30is provided in a rotatable manner to switch between a position facing forward as shown inFIG. 4and a position facing backward as shown inFIG. 5, while the operation device31is arranged each in front of the seat when a driver sits on the seat in an attitude of facing forward as shown inFIG. 4, and in front of the seat when the driver sits on the seat in an attitude of facing backward as shown inFIG. 5.

The excavator4is a usual excavating machine, and includes a boom4a, an arm4b, and a bucket4c. The boom4ais connected and pivotally supported on one end via a boom pin43to and by a fitting42assembled via a mounting pin41onto a mounting bracket40provided at the front end of the turn frame2in a manner such that the boom4acan rise and fall or turn as required. A boom cylinder46that is arranged between the fitting42and the boom4aso as to bridge therebetween is telescopically moved in accordance with control of the hydraulic circuit, thereby moving up and down and turning the boom4aaround the boom pin43. The boom4ais pivotally connected at the other to the root end of the arm4bvia a pin44. The tip end of the arm4bis pivotally connected to the bucket4cvia a pin45. An arm cylinder47that bridges between the middle part of the boom4aand the root end of the arm4bis telescopically moved with supplied pressure oil, thereby turning the arm4bto a desired angle with respect to the boom4a. A dump link48that bridges between the tip end of the arm4band the bucket4cis telescopically moved with a oil pressure of a bucket cylinder49that is arranged between the dump link48and the root end of the arm4bto bridge therebetween, thereby making a dumping-turn15of the bucket4cto a desired angle with respect to the arm4b. In this way, the excavator4performs an excavating work.

According to the excavator4of the excavating machine, the fitting42that assembles the root end of the boom4aonto the mounting bracket40is formed as a swing post that makes a swing leftward and rightward with respect to the mounting bracket40with the mounting pin41that is a post pin in the vertical direction. The excavator4is configured to turn leftward and rightward to a desired angle by a telescopic movement with oil pressure of a swing cylinder42athat is arranged between the fitting42as the swing post and the turn frame2to bridge therebetween.

As shown inFIGS. 2 and 6, the mounting bracket40onto which the fitting42is assembled is provided on the front surface of the turn frame2as arranged so as to occupy a substantially center position between the right and the left of the front side of the cabin3that is mounted on the turn frame2in a manner of being shifted to one side of the right and left sides with respect to a center line Y between the right and the left of the vehicle body1.

Accordingly, as the cabin3is mounted on the turn frame2in parallel with the power source6, the excavator4provided at the front end of the turn frame2is positioned at the substantially center between the right and the left of the front side of the cabin3provided on the turn frame2as shifted to one side of the right and left sides. Moreover, the excavator4is configured to be retracted under an unused state into a sideways attitude along the front surface of the cabin3as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3by folding the arm4b, holding the bucket4cin the inside space, standing the boom4a, and turning the fitting42by a substantially right angle with respect to the mounting bracket40. The unused and retracted state is kept by providing and operating a locking mechanism70in manual operation or automatic operation, such as a hydraulic locking device to be provided in a hydraulic circuit, a mechanical locking device, or an electronic locking device. The bucket loader5of the loading machine mounted on the machine body of the construction vehicle A is arranged on the rear side of the cabin3and includes booms5a,5a, bucket5b, boom cylinders53, and bucket cylinders54. The booms5aare long fore and 15 aft, each connected via a boom pin51that is a connecting pin to each of boom stands50of which root end is provided on the machine body of the construction vehicle, and supported on the machine body such that the tip ends of the booms5acan rise and fall and turn. The bucket5bis connected to the tip ends of the booms5avia bucket pins52so as to take a dumping-turn. The boom cylinders53that are hydraulically operated are each20provided between the machine body and the middle part in the longitudinal direction of each of the booms5ato bridge therebetween, and configured to move up and down and to turn the booms5aaround the boom pins51at the root ends of the booms5a. The bucket cylinders54that are hydraulically operated are each provided between the tip ends of the booms5aand the bucket5bto bridge therebetween, and configured to turn the bucket5b25around the bucket pins52. The booms5aare configured such that two booms formed in the same shape are arranged in parallel to make a pair opposing to each other on the right and the left, and the booms are moved up and down and turned by the boom cylinders53. The bucket5bis formed in a semicylindrical shape that is long between the right side and the left side, and supported between the tip ends of the pair of the booms5aand5aarranged in parallel to bridge therebetween. The right and left ends of the bottom of the bucket5bare connected to the respective tip ends of the booms5aand5aarranged on right and left sides in parallel via the bucket pins52that are connecting pins in the traverse direction in a rotatable manner, so as to make a bumping-turn with the bucket5cylinders54. The basic configuration of the bucket loader5is not different from a usual bucket loader.

However, according to the bucket loader5of the loading machine, the boom stands50are mount bases for assembling and supporting the bucket loader5onto the machine body by pivotally supporting the respective root ends of the pair of the booms5aright and left, arranged at the substantially center in the fore and aft direction of the turn frame2on respective lateral sides of the right and left of the turn frame2, and provided so as to stand from a bottom wall21that is a base of the turn frame2, so that each of the boom pins51for pivotally supporting the root end of each of the booms5aoccupies a high position elevated from the floor of the cabin3in the middle of its lateral side in the fore and aft direction in a side view as shown inFIG. 5. Accordingly, when the booms5aare mounted on the bucket loader5as the root ends of the booms5aare connected and pivotally supported to and by the boom pins51, the most part of the booms5aoverlaps with the lateral surfaces of the cabin3, and the booms5aare pulled into the lateral position of the cabin3; and the bucket5band tip-end sides5a-2that supports the bucket5bare mounted and pivotally supported such that when the booms5aare lowered outward of the rear side of the cabin3, and the bucket5bsupported on the tip ends of the booms5ais grounded as shown inFIG. 1, the bucket5band the tip-end sides5a-2are to be positioned outside of the rear side of the cabin3in a side view and a plan view.

As shown inFIG. 5, the booms5abuilt and supported on the boom stands50via the boom pins51are configured such that the booms5aare connected and pivotally supported to and by the boom stands50installed in the middle position in the fore and aft direction on the lateral sides of the turn frame2; when the tip ends of the booms5aare lowered and the bucket5bpivotally supported on the tip ends is grounded, each of the booms5ais divided into two parts, namely a root-end side5a-1and the tip-end side5a-2, at the center in the longitudinal direction of the boom5a, the root-end side5a-1overlapping with the cabin3in a side view, and the tip-end side5a-2projecting forward of the cabin3; and the tip-end side5a-2is connected to the root-end side5a-1such that the tip-end side5a-2folds and turns upward and does not told and turn downward owing to a joint pivot60positioned on the upper side of the boom5a, and mating portions61and62provided so as to mate divided portions by matching them, thereby connecting the tip-end side5a-2to the root-end side5a-1such that the tip-end side5a-2folds and turns upward and does not fold and turn downward. A tilt cylinder63that is hydraulically operated for turning the tip-end side5a-2toward the root-end side5a-1is provided on the upper side of the booms5abetween the root-end side5a-1and the tip-end side5a-2to bridge therebetween.

Consequently, according to the bucket loader5of the loading machine, when an operator inside the cabin3operates the bucket loader5by operating the operation device31, the bucket5bprovided on the tip ends of the booms5arises and falls while making a trail indicated by a virtual line w shown inFIG. 5and performs loading works. When the booms5ais in a lowered position as shown inFIG. 5, and the tip-end side5a-2is turned upward with the tilt cylinder63, the bucket loader5occupies a position in the vicinity of the cabin3along its front surface, so that the bucket loader5takes a retracted attitude along the front surface of the cabin3.

The attitude of the bucket loader5is kept by a manual locking device or an automatic locking device that is installed on the machine body.

Accordingly, when not performing loading work and not using the bucket loader5, the bucket loader5supported on one side of the front and rear sides of the cabin3can be folded and retracted into an attitude along a surface of front side or the rear side of the cabin3, thereby avoiding obstructing an excavating work when performing the excavating work while turning the turn frame2by using the excavator4supported on the other side of the front side and rear side of the cabin3.

A construction vehicle according to the present invention is configured such that an excavator of an excavating machine and a bucket loader of a loading machine are supported on a turn frame provided on the upper side of a vehicle body in an integrated form that the excavator of the excavating machine is positioned on the front side of the vehicle body and the bucket loader of the loading machine is positioned on the rear side of the vehicle body, which means the construction vehicle includes two different kinds of working machines, namely, the excavating machine and the loading machine, each of which is an all-round traverse type; and moreover, the construction vehicle can perform a work by turning a working machine without problem, because when working by using one of the working machines, the other working machine that is unused can be kept in a retracted state in a retracted attitude along a surface of the front side or the rear side of a cabin.

Moreover, a user can possess both a construction vehicle equipped with an excavating machine and a construction vehicle equipped with a loading machine by possessing one construction vehicle, so that costs to the user can be substantially reduced.

Although, in the foregoing, the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the specific mode of embodiments as shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments alone, but any changes and modifications may be made within the spirit and the scope of the present invention as recited in the appended claims.