Patent ID: 7155847

Claim:
A snow removing machine comprising: a travel frame having travel wheels; an auger housing having an auger and mounted on the travel frame for undergoing vertical movement; a lifting-lowering mechanism for vertically lifting and lowering the auger housing, the lifting-lowering mechanism comprising an electrohydraulic cylinder having a piston rod telescopically movable by an electric motor; a vertical-movement control member operable to output a control signal for a lifting or lowering operation of the auger housing; and a control unit for controlling the electric motor of the lifting-lowering mechanism in accordance with a control signal from the vertical-movement control member to thereby telescopically move the piston rod of the lifting-lowering mechanism, the control unit comprising constant setting means for presetting, as constants, per-unit-time distances of vertical movement of the auger housing, the per-unit-time distances being determined in accordance with a movable range in which the auger housing is allowed to move vertically between a lowest position and a highest position, and a full lifting or lowering time required for the auger housing to move vertically the full movable range; first time measurement starting point setting means for setting the lowest position as a lifting time measurement starting point upon lifting of the auger housing; second time measurement starting point setting means for setting the highest position as a lowering time measurement starting point upon lowering of the auger housing; timing means for measuring, in accordance with a control signal from the vertical-movement control member for a lifting or lowering operation, a lifting or lowering time from the corresponding time measurement starting point; and vertical movement position estimating means for estimating a current vertical movement position by multiplying the lifting or lowering time measured by the timing means by a corresponding one of the constants preset by the constant setting means.