Operation lever turn-stop and unlocking mechanisms in lever device

0001The present invention relates to a lever device for controlling the operation of an agricultural machine, or the like, and particularly relates to a turn-stop mechanism for preventing an operation lever of the lever device mounted on an operation handle shaft from turning around the handle shaft in operation and an unlocking mechanism for locking the operation lever in an operation state and unlocking the locked state quickly.

0002Generally, an operation lever for controlling an operation mechanism such as a clutch mechanism, a braking mechanism, an engine mechanism, or the like, is mounted on a handle shaft of an agricultural machine such as a cultivator, a binder, a rice-planter, a rice-harvester, a mowing machine, or the like. The operation lever and the aforementioned mechanism are connected by means of a control wire so that the operation of the mechanism is controlled by pulling the operation lever upward by fingers while gripping a handle shaft. Further, a locking mechanism is known in which a lock lever locks the operation lever when the operation lever is required to be kept in the pulled state.

0003Hereupon, when such an operation lever is pulled with strong force, the lever may be turned around the handle shaft. There arises a disadvantage in that the lever may become poor in operating property.

0004To avoid such a disadvantage, a mount stay for supporting each lever may be tightened on the handle shaft. The mount stay is, however, often broken when tightening force is so strong, because the mount stay is recently formed from synthetic resin, aluminum, or the like. There is therefore a disadvantage that it is impossible to set the tightening force so strong.

0005As for the conventional operation lever locking mechanism, the lock lever auxiliarily mounted under the operation lever is pulled up in the same manner as the operation lever to thereby lock the operation lever. Further, unlocking is made by pulling up the lock lever again or by forcedly pushing down the operation lever.

0006Because the lock lever and the operation lever are disposed below the handle shaft and because there is little space between an operation handle and the handle shaft, however, an operation of pushing down the operation handle while gripping the operation handle by fingers or an operation of pushing down the operation handle by using the outside of fingers is required in order to push down the operation handle. Such an operation is however hardly carried out quickly. Accordingly, the conventional lever device has a disadvantage that a rapid countermeasure is hardly taken in case of emergency.

0007It is therefore an object of the present invention to eliminate the aforementioned disadvantages and to provide an operation lever turn-stop mechanism in which turn-stop of the operation lever can be performed effectively without specially strong force for tightening the mount stay.

0008It is another object of the present invention to provide an unlocking mechanism good in operation property and capable of taking a rapid countermeasure in case of emergency, or the like, to thereby eliminate the aforementioned disadvantage.

0009In order to achieve the foregoing object, in a lever device in which a band disposed on one side of a handle shaft portion for operating an agricultural machine and a lever supporting mount stay disposed on the other side of the handle shaft are clamped and fixed through clamp bolts, the operation lever turn-stop mechanism in the lever device according to the present invention is characterized in that a concave portion is formed in an inner surface of either one of the band and the mount stay contacting with a surface of the handle shaft, and a turn-stop member having a protruding portion capable of biting into the surface of the handle shaft is fitted in the concave portion.

0010According to such a configuration of the present invention, the protruding portion at an end of the turn-stop member bites into the surface of the handle shaft when the mount stay is tightened and fixed to the band even with not so strong tightening force. Accordingly, when force of rotation around the handle shaft is exerted on the mount stay at the time of operating the lever, the biting of the turn-stop member effectively prevents the mount stay from turning. Accordingly, even in the case of a mount stay formed from synthetic resin, aluminum, or the like, the mount stay is securely prevented from turning, so that a smooth lever operation can be carried out.

0011In order to achieve the foregoing other object, in a lever device in which a mount stay is fixed on a handle shaft of an agricultural machine, an operation lever of an operative mechanism is pivotally mounted on said mount stay so as to be operated up/down turnably, and a drum of a control wire for controlling the operative mechanism is mounted on a lower portion of the operation lever, the unlocking mechanism in the lever device according to the present invention is characterized in that a lock lever for holding the operation lever in an upward turned state is mounted on the operation lever so as to be operated up/down turnably around the drum; that a front portion of the lock lever is urged to turn upward by means of a spring so that the front portion of the lock lever engages with an engagement portion formed in the mount stay when the operation lever is turned upward; and that a finger placing portion is formed at a rear portion of the lock lever so that the finger placing portion projects toward a side of the handle shaft when the lock lever engages with the engagement portion, the front portion of the lock lever being disengaged from the engagement portion of the mount stay when the finger placing portion is pressed against the spring force so that the lock lever is turned downward.

0012Preferably, the finger placing portion is located above the operation lever when the front portion of the lock lever engages with the engagement portion.

0013In such a configuration, when the operation lever is pulled to turn upward, the lock lever is turned upward around the drum by spring force so that the front portion of the lock lever engages with the engagement portion of the mount stay. Accordingly, the operation lever is locked in an upward turned state so as to be kept in this state without turning downward even in the case where the hold of the operation lever is released.

0014When the finger placing portion of the lock lever projecting toward a side of the handle shaft is pushed down against the spring force of the aforementioned spring by the thumb of the fingers gripping the handle shaft, the front portion of the lock lever is disengaged from the aforementioned engagement portion and the aforementioned lock is forcedly unlocked so that the operation lever returns to its initial position.

0015These and other objects of the present invention will be seen by reference to the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>Fig. 1 is a side view of a lever device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 2 is a partly cutaway front view of the aforementioned lever device;</li><li>Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a lever turn-stop mechanism in the aforementioned lever device;</li><li>Fig. 4 is a perspective view of another example of the turn-stop member;</li><li>Fig. 5 is a sectional view of another example of the turn-stop mechanism;</li><li>Fig. 6 is an explanatory view at the time of locking an operation lever of a lever device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line X-X in Fig. 6; and</li><li>Fig. 8 is an explanatory view at the time of unlocking the aforementioned lever device.</li></ul>

0016First, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

0017In Figs. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 1 designates a shaft portion of a handle for operating an agricultural machine; and 2, a grip. A clutch lever 3 which is an operation lever is provided on the handle shaft 1.

0018The clutch lever 3 is provided on the mount stay 4 so as to be able to turn vertically around a shaft portion 5. The mount stay 4 is formed from synthetic resin, and an upper surface of the mount stay 4 is shaped to be concave so as to closely contact with the handle shaft 1. The mount stay 4 is disposed so as to contact with the lower side surface of the handle shaft 1. Further, a housing portion is formed in the mount stay 4 so as to turnably receive a base portion of the clutch lever 3 therein. The shaft portion 5 is formed integrally with the base portion of the clutch lever 3 and is received in the housing portion of the mount stay 4 so as to be supported turnably. Further, screw-receiving portions 9 each having a screwhole 6 and a groove 8 for receiving a nut 7 are formed on opposite sides of the mount stay 4 so as to project therefrom. The reference numeral 10 designates a lock lever; and 11, a control wire which is operated to move by pulling/releasing the lever.

0019Thus, the mount stay 4 of the aforementioned clutch lever 3 is, together with a band 12, fixed on the handle shaft 1. The band 12 is also formed from synthetic resin and disposed so as to contact with an upper side of the handle shaft 1. As shown in Fig. 3, substantially semicylindrical screw-receiving portions 15 respectively having screwholes 14 are formed so as to project from the opposite side portions of the band respectively.

0020Next, in order to fix the mount stay 4 to the band 12 on the handle shaft 1, bolts 16 passing through the screwholes 6 of the mount stay 4 are inserted into the screwholes 14 of the band 12, tightened and fixed in the condition in which the nuts 7 are thread-engaged with the bolts 16 respectively.

0021Hereupon, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a concave portion 17 is formed in the inner surface of the mount stay 4 contacting the surface of the aforementioned handle shaft 1. A turn-stop member 18 is fitted into the concave portion 17. The turn-stop member 18 is formed from a hard material such as a metal, or the like. A protruding portion 19 which is shaped like a triangle in section and which is sharp so as to be able to bite into the surface of the aforementioned handle shaft 1 is formed at a top end of the turn-stop member 18.

0022Therefore, according to the aforementioned configuration, the protruding portion 19 at the top end of the turn-stop member 18 bites into the surface of the handle shaft 1 when the mount stay 4 is tightened and fixed onto the band 12 even if the tightening force is not so strong. Accordingly, when force of rotation around the handle shaft 1 is exerted on the mount stay 4 at the time of operating the lever 3, or the like, the biting of the turn-stop member 18 effectively prevents the mount stay 4 from turning. Accordingly, even in the case of a mount stay 4 formed from synthetic resin, aluminum, or the like, the mount stay 4 is securely prevented from turning, so that a smooth lever operation can be carried out.

0023Incidentally, the turn-stop mechanism is not limited to the aforementioned embodiment. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the turn-stop member 18 may be made to have a shape of a combination of a cylinder and a cone.

0024Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 5, the turn-stop member 18 may be shaped like a plate member 18B having a rough surface.

0025Further, the turn-stop mechanism may be applied to any lever such as a brake lever, etc. other than the clutch lever and the turn-stop mechanism may be disposed not on the mount stay 4 but on the band 12. That is, the concave portion 17 may be formed in the inner surface of the band 12 so that the aforementioned turn-stop member 18 is fitted into the concave portion 17.

0026Next, the second invention of the present invention will be described below.

0027Figs. 6 and 7 show a lever device according to the present invention. In this second embodiment shown in Figs. 6 and 7, parts corresponding to those in the first embodiment are correspondingly referenced. That is, in the Figs. 6 and 7, the reference numeral 1 designates a handle shaft which is provided in a tiller (not shown) of an agricultural machine such as a cultivator, a binder, a rice-planter, a rice-harvester, a mowing machine, or the like, and the reference numeral 2 designates a grip. A mount stay 4 is fixed to the handle shaft 1, and an operation lever 3 is pivotally mounted on the mount stay 4 so as to be operated up/down turnably in the drawings. Incidentally, each of the mount stay 4 and the operation lever 3 is made from synthetic resin.

0028The mount stay 4 is fixed to a lower portion of the handle shaft 1 by a fixing band not shown (similar one to the band 12 of Fig. 1). A housing portion 21 for receiving the operation lever 3 is formed between opposite side walls 20 of the mount stay 4 so that the housing portion 21 is opened both in the front and in the rear. Rotation shafts 5A are respectively provided on opposite side walls of the housing portion 21 at its upper portion. An engagement groove 22 for an outer wire 11a of a control wire 11 is formed in the front portion of the housing portion 21, and a hook-like engagement portion 23 is formed in the upper portion of the housing portion 21.

0029The operation lever 3 is a clutch lever for transmitting the motive power of the tiller to an operating mechanism of a work machine or disconnecting the motive power therefrom. Front upper portions 3a of the operation lever 3 are pivotally mounted on the respective rotation shafts 5A of the housing portion 21 of the mount stay 4. Further, a portion 24 for receiving a drum 11c formed at an end portion of an inner wire 11b of the aforementioned control wire 11 is formed in a front lower portion 3b of the operation lever 3. The other end portion of the control wire 11 is connected to a clutch mechanism. Accordingly, the inner wire llb of the control wire 11 is pulled out when the operation lever 3 is pulled to turn upward, so that the aforementioned associated operating mechanism operates correspondingly. The control wire 11 is returned to the initial position when the hand is released from the operation lever 3, so that the operation of the operating mechanism stops.

0030Next, a lock lever 10 of synthetic resin is attached to a side portion of the aforementioned operation lever 3. This lock lever 10 serves to hold the aforementioned operation lever 3 in an upward turned state. The lock lever 10 is attached so as to be able to turn up/down around the aforementioned drum 11c. A front portion 10a of the aforementioned lock lever 10 is extended to the front, and an engagement groove 10b is formed at the front end thereof. On the other hand, a finger placing portion 25 is formed in the rear portion of the lock lever 10. This finger placing portion 25 is shaped like a flat plate at the upper end of an erection portion 26 extending upward.

0031A spring 27 is disposed between the erection portion 26 and the operation lever 3, so that the lock lever 10 is always urged to turn upward relative to the operation lever 3 by the spring force of the spring 27.

0032According to the aforementioned configuration, the operation lever 3 is normally located in a lower position as shown in Fig. 8. When the operation lever 3 is pulled to turn upward as shown in Fig. 6, the lock lever 10 is turned clockwise around the drum 11c by the force of the spring 27, so that the engagement groove 10b at the front end thereof automatically engages with the engagement portion 23 of the mount stay 4. Consequently, the operation lever 3 is locked in an upward turned state so as to be kept in this state without turning downward even in the case where the hand is released from the operation lever 3. In this occasion, the lock lever 10 projects toward a side of the handle shaft 1.

0033When the aforementioned finger placing portion 25 is pushed down against the spring force of the aforementioned spring 27 as shown in Fig. 8 by the thumb of the fingers gripping the handle shaft 1, the lock lever 10 turns counterclockwise. Accordingly, the aforementioned engagement groove 10b is disengaged from the engagement portion 23 so that the aforementioned lock is forcedly unlocked and the operation lever 3 turns downward to go back to its initial position. In this occasion, the lock lever 10 never turn clockwise because the midsection of the front portion 10a of the lock lever 10 comes into contact with the engagement portion 23 though the spring force acts on the lock lever 10.

0034Incidentally, it is a matter of course that the operation lever is not limited to such a clutch lever. The operation lever may be a brake lever, a throttle lever, or the like.

0035According to the present invention, the operation lever can be unlocked in case of emergency, and this unlocking operation can be achieved by placing the thumb of the fingers gripping the handle shaft on the finger placing portion and pushing it down. Because the finger placing portion projects to a side of the handle shaft, the thumb can be placed on the finger placing portion rapidly to thereby make a quick operation possible. Accordingly, it is possible to rapidly cope with the case of emergency, or the like, to unlock the operation lever.