Patent ID: 7559271

Claim:
A working machine comprising: actuators including a hydraulic actuator and an electric actuator; and a control apparatus that controls operation of the actuators, wherein the control apparatus comprises: an operating device that outputs hydraulic signals according to operation of an operating member; a hydraulic control means that receives one of the hydraulic signals output from the operating device and controls operation of the hydraulic actuator; a plurality of signal converting means that convert the other hydraulic signals output from the operating device into electric signals corresponding to their respective hydraulic pressures; and an electric control means that receives the electric signals from the signal converting means and controls operation of the electric actuator, and wherein the plurality of signal converting means include a first signal converting means and a second signal converting means, the operating device includes a first signal output valve and a second signal output valve that are respectively connected to the first signal converting means and the second signal converting means via hydraulic fluid flow paths and that are alternatively selected by operation of the operating member, one of the first signal output valve and the second signal output valve selected by operation of the operating member sends out hydraulic fluid at a fluid pressure corresponding to the operation amount of the operating member to the signal converting means to which the signal output valve is connected, and the other signal output valve communicates the hydraulic fluid flow path connected to the signal output valve to a tank, and the hydraulic fluid flow paths are connected to each other via a throttle, wherein the control apparatus further comprises a signal transmission switching valve provided between the signal output valves and the hydraulic control means and electric control means, wherein the signal transmission switching valve includes a plurality of input portions that are connected to the signal output valves and into which hydraulic fluid flows and a plurality of output portions from which the hydraulic fluid flows out, one of the output portions is connected to the hydraulic control means, another of the output portions is connected to the signal converting means including the first signal converting means and the second signal converting means, wherein the signal transmission switching valve is adapted to switch between positions corresponding to a plurality of combinations of the input portions and the output portions communicated to the input portions, whereby a signal from either of the first and second signal output valves may be converted into electric signals by the signal converting means depending on the position of the signal transmission switching valve.