GB2034642A - Improvements relating to vehicle cabs - Google Patents

Abstract

Secured to the body of a vehicle cab generally parallel to one side of the windscreen is a rail 9 which provides a firm handhold which a person standing on a lower part of the cab can hold with one hand whilst cleaning the windscreen with the other hand. The rail is spaced from the surface of the body to enable it to be gripped readily by a gloved hand, and its cross-section for at least part of its length is shaped so as to reduce the level of noise which the rail causes when the vehicle to which the cab is fitted is in motion. An extension 19 may be provided at the top of the rail which extends above a door of the cab and provides a further handhold. In addition there may be one or more transverse rails 20 extending between the extension 19 and the extension of a similar rail at the opposite side of the windscreen. The extensions and transverse rail or rails may form at least part of a luggage rack over the roof of the cab. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to vehicle cabs This invention relates to vehicle cabs.

The continually increasing amount of road traffic over recent years, during which growing quantities of goods are transported over large distances both within and beyond national boundaries, has led to increased deposits of oil and rubber on motorways and other roads. This is compounded with spray flung up by vehicles so that good visibility of drivers through their windscreens is increasingly difficult to maintain in damp and wet weather conditions.

Correspondingly, the importance of good visibility is enhanced because of the accident risks due to the increased congestion of the roads and the high speeds of traffic.

This is particularly so for the drivers of goods vehicles, especially heavy goods vehicles, who are in control of vehicles having gross weights up to 44 tonnes and in many cases travelling at speeds of the order of 70 miles per hour.

The conventional windscreen washing and wiping equipment fitted to vehicle cabs is only capable of clearing a limited area ofthewindscreen and even this equipment is unable to cope satisfactorily with oil and rubber smears deposited in spray from other vehicles. In consequence it is necessary from time to time for the driver of a goods vehicle to pull off the road to clean his windscreen manually in order to make it safe for him to continue on his journey.

However, such cleaning of a windscreen is not a simple and straightforward matter because the cab is at some height from the road surface and it is necessary for the driver to climb on to the front of the cab, usually on to the bumper, in order to be able to reach the windscreen. The bumper is generally fairly narrow and does not provide a secure foothold, consequently it is necessary for the driver to find a handhold so that he can hold on safely with one hand whilst he uses the other hand for cleaning the windscreeen. The handhold is required not only for safety reasons but also to enable the driver to exert sufficient pressure on the windscreen to clean it.

Handholds are provided on some cabs at or across the front of the cab. These are at about waist height when the driver is in position to clean the windscreen. This is unsatisfactory because their use necessitates the driver's leaning away from the cab, whereas he needs to be able to pull himself towards the cab to enable him to exert the necessary pressure on the windscreen to clean it of adherent films of oil and rubber.

According to the present invention a vehicle cab is provided which has on at least one side of the windscreen a rail arranged generally parallel to and spaced from the adjacent edge of the windscreen and firmly secured to the body of the cab such as to present a secure handhold for a person standing on a lower part of the cab, whereby he is enabled to hold on to the rail with one hand whilst cleaning the windscreen with the other hand.

The rail may be secured to or adjacent a front pillar of the cab which provides part of the frame holding the windscreen and an adjacent side window of the cab or a mounting for a door.

Desirably the position on and projection of the rail from the cab is such that it does not detract from the driver's field of vision through the windscreen. It is similarly desirable that the rail does not detract from the driver's field of vision through an adjacent side window of the cab.

Preferably the rail is shaped over its length for ease of holding by hand and also so as to minimise wind noise level arising from its presence on the cab when a vehicle to which the cab is fitted is in motion.

Desirably the shape also blends in with the lines of the cab.

The rail may additionally provide a mounting for a rear view mirror. The mirror may be carried by pivotal links connected to a door of the cab and the rail so that it is carried clear of the door when opened and restored to its original position when the door is closed. Adjustment of the mirror may be by remote control from inside the cab.

The section of the rail may vary over its length so as to provide desired characteristics relative to reduction of wind noise over part of its length and have another part or parts of a different section to provide an improved handhold.

The rail may have an extension at the top to form an upper rail which provides a handhold for the driver above a door to the cab. The extension may be above, in line with or below the roof line of the cab.

The extension may be made integral with the rail or it may be made in one or more sections which are connected to the top of the rail and to the cab.

Where such an extension is provided on one side of the cab and projecting above the level of the roof of the cab it may be provided with means, such as bolt holes or other fastening means, whereby accessories or fittings may be mounted on it. A corresponding upper rail may be fitted to the other side of the roof so that the two upper rails may form a luggage rack, or part thereof, or provision for the fitting of a luggage rack, on the roof of the vehicle cab. The two upper rails may be supplemented by additional transverse rails for the formation of a luggage rack.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle cab and the front end of a vehicle, Figure 2 is an enlarged section through a part of the cab showing the windscreen and a rail and their relative positions, and Figure 3 is an enlarged section through an upper rail.

Referring to Figure 1, a vehicle cab 1 has a windscreen 2 which is held by a windscreen glazing rubber 3 in a frame 4 provided by the cab. A side pillar 5 of the cab forms one side of the frame 4 for the windscreen and a mounting for the door 6. A bumper 7 is fitted to the chassis of the vehicle. Steps 8 are provided for access of the driver into the cab. A rail 9 is secured at its upper and lower ends to the pillar 5 and is arranged generally parallel to and spaced from the adjacent side edge of the wind screen 2.

Referring now to Figure 2, the relative positions of the windscreen 2 glazing rubber 3 pillar 5 and rail 9 can be seen. The rail 9 comprises a portion 12 which extends substantially in alignment with the windscreen and side portions 13 at or adjacent each end having feet 14to enable the rail to be secured to the pillar 5. The pillar 5 is reinforced by a plate 15.

Screws 16 passed through the feet 14, pillar and reinforcement plate 15 are secured with nuts 17 at each end to secure the rail to the pillar. Rubber gaskets may be interposed between the feet and the pillar.

The cross-section of the portion 12 of the rail is arranged so as to provide a convenient handhold. Its spacing from the cab provides adequate clearance for a gloved hand, and also the spacing and the cross-sectional shape are arranged to minimise noise level arising from the presence of the rail on the cab when the vehicle is in motion. Another consideration in determining the cross-section shape of the rail is desirability of blending with the styling of the cab.

When the driver of the vehicle wishes to clean his windscreen he can mount the lower step 8 and place his feet on the bumper 7, and then holding the rail 9 with one hand he is able to clean the windscreen using his other hand. Rails may be provided at both sides of the windscreen if desired.

Referring again to Figure 1, it will be seen that a connecting piece 18 extends from the top of the rail 9. As shown, the connecting piece has three arms, connected respectively to the rail 9, a rearwardly extending upper rail 19 and a transversely extending upper rail 20. The upper rails 19,20 are made as a casting or castings having, as shown in Figure 3, integral stems 21 with feet 22. Screws 23 are passed through holes 24 in the feet, through the cab roof, as indicated at 25, and a reinforcement plate or plates 26 at the underside of the roof, and are fitted with nuts 27 to secure the rails rigidly on the roof.

Afurther rearwardly extending upper rail may be fitted to the other side of the roof of the cab if desired, and also an additional transverse rail or rails.

The connecting piece 18 may have just two arms to connect the rail 9 to the adjacent rearwardly extending upper rail 19, or to the, or the foremost, transverse upper rail 20.

The or each upper rail 19 may serve as a handhold for the driver to assist access to the cab, and to assist access on to the roof for fitting and lashing of covers over his lorry load.

The upper rails have holes 28 which may be used for mounting fittings or accessories such as lights and horns.

A plurality of upper rails may be provided to form a luggage rack on the roof of the cab, or a mounting for the fitting of a luggage rack.

The mirror shown at 29 mounted on a bracket 30 carried by the door 6 may be replaced by a mirror mounted on pivotal links conneced between the door 6 and the adjacent rail 9.

Claims (16)

1. A vehicle cab having on at least one side of the windscreen a rail arranged generally parallel to and spaced from the adjacent edge of the windscreen and firmly secured to the body of the cab such as to present a secure handhold for a person standing on a lower part of the cab, whereby he is enabled to hold on to the rail with one hand whilst cleaning the windscreen with the other hand.

2. A vehicle cab according to Claim 1 wherein the rail is secured to a front pillar of the body which provides part of a frame holding the windscreen.

3. A vehicle cab according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the rail has over its length a cross-sectional shape which provides a handhold and which reduces wind noise level arising from the presence of the rail on the cab when a vehicle to which the cab is fitted in use is in motion.

4. A vehicle cab according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the rail has part of its length of a crosssection shaped to reduce wind noise level arising from the presence of the rail on the cab when a vehicle to which the cab is fitted in use is in motion, and at least one other part of a different crosssection shaped to provide a handhold.

5. A vehicle cab according to any preceding claim wherein the rail has fixings at spaced positions along its length by which it is secured to the body in spaced relationship to the adjacent surface of the body.

6. A vehicle cab according to Claim 5 wherein the spacing of the rail from the adjacent surface of the body provides clearance for a gloved hand holding the rail.

7. A vehicle cab according to any preceding claim wherein a rear view mirror is at least partly supported by the rail.

8. A vehicle cab according to Claim 7 wherein the mirror is carried by pivoted links which are connected to the rail and an adjacent door of the cab and which move the mirror clear of the door when the door is opened and return the mirror to its original position when the door is closed.

9. A vehicle cab according to any preceding claim wherein the rail has an extension at the top which provides a handhold above an adjacent door of the cab.

10. A vehicle cab according to Claim 9 wherein the extension projects above the level of the roof of the cab.

11. A vehicle cab according to any preceding claim wherein two of said rails are secured to the body, one at each side of the windscreen, and at least one transverse rail extends across the roof of the cab and is connected to the rails.

12. A vehicle cab according to Claim 11 as dependent from Claim 10 wherein the extensions and the transverse rail or rails form at last part of a luggage rack over the roof of the cab.

13. A vehicle cab according to Claim 11 as dependent from Claim 9 or Claim 10, or according to Claim 12, wherein a connecting piece extends from the top of each said rail having three arms connected respectively to the rail, the extension, and to one end of the transverse rail or of one of the transverse rails.

14. A vehicle cab according to any of Claims 9, 10, 12 and 13 wherein the extension of the rail, or of at least one of the rails, has means whereby accessories or fittings may be mounted on the extension.

15. A vehicle cab according to any of Clains 11 to 13 wherein the transverse rail, or at least one of the transverse rails, has means whereby accessories or fittings may be mounted thereon.

16. A vehicle cab substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.