GB2141391A

GB2141391A - Increasing tractor driver's field of vision

Info

Publication number: GB2141391A
Application number: GB8406394A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Osamu Yamasaki
Original assignee: Kubota Corp
Current assignee: Kubota Corp
Priority date: 1983-06-14
Filing date: 1984-03-12
Publication date: 1984-12-19
Also published as: GB8406394D0; AU547367B2; JPS59195070U; CA1215733A; GB2141391B; DE3408962A1; NZ207375A; AU2531384A

Abstract

A tractor has a combustion-air intake conduit (12) and an exhaust pipe (11) which are extended upwardly from a front bonnet (5) of the tractor. The conduit (12) and pipe (11) are arranged to be aligned in the line of sight (X) of the driver when viewed from the driving seat. In this way, the restriction of the driver's field of vision caused by the conduit (12) and pipe (11) is minimised. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tractor The present invention relates to a tractor which is so constructed that a wide range of sight may be given to a driver on the tractor.

Since a tractor is commonly used for cultivating, mowing or the like, an outlet of an exhaust pipe connected to a muffler of an engine, is likely to be stuffed or blocked with mud and weeds when the outlet of the exhaust pipe is disposed on the lower portion of the tractor. Therefore,the exhaust pipe connected to the muffler is normally arranged to extend upwardly to discharge above the tractor body. Likewise, the outlet of an air conduit connected to an air-cleaner is also arranged to extend upwardly to open above the tractor body. Further, the muffler and the air-cleaner extend from a front bonnet of the tractor which is disposed forwardly of a driver's seat and normally they are arranged to be separated on opposite sides of the engine so that raising of a temperature of an air drawn into the air-cleaner may be controlled.

Accordingly, tractors have been provided with an exhaust pipe and an air conduit which project and extend upwardly from the right and left portions of the front bonnet disposed in front of the driver's seat. As a result, the pipe and conduit interrupt the driver's sight and restrict the field of vision. This may inhibit proper driving of the tractor.

An object of the present invention is to improve the driver's field of vision whilst driving the tractor.

To achieve the object, the tractor according to the present invention comprises a muffler and an aircleaner for an engine, both being housed in a front bonnet of a tractor body disposed forwardly of a driver's seat, and an exhaust pipe connected to the muffler and an air conduit conected to the aircleaner, both being extended upwardly from the bonnet, characterised in that the exhaust pipe and the air conduit are disposed on the same side of the tractor body and are arranged one forwardly of the other and that one closer to the driver's seat is positioned closer to a center line of the tractor body so that the air conduit and exhaust pipe are substantially aligned in the line of sight of the driver when viewed from the driver's seat.

The stuffing or blockage of the outlets of an air conduit and exhaust pipe as well as a filter of the air-cleaner with mud and weeds is obviated by extending the conduit and pipe upwardly from the tractor body and further a driver's forward sight is largely clear by disposing the conduit and pipe at one side of the tractor. Particularly, restriction of the driver's sight is minimised by arranging the air conduit and exhaust pipe in a line of sight so that the driver's sight is restricted solely by an apparent single pipe or conduit as seen by the driver.

Accordingly, the driver on the-tractor may carry out any work more safely.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying partly diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tractor according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a plan view thereof, Figure 3 is a side elevation of a tractor partly improved, and Figure 4 is a plan view of the tractor as shown in Figure 3.

In Figures 1 and 2, a tractor 1 is so constructed as to drive front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3 by means of an engine A which is mounted on the front portion of a tractor body 4. The engine A, a radiator and so forth are housed in a front bonnet 5. A panel board 6 and a steering handle post 7 are disposed rearwardly of the front bonnet 5, respectively. A pair of right and left rear wheels 3 are covered with fenders 8 and a driver's seat 10 is disposed on a floor 9 which is mounted between the fenders 8. In the bonnet 5, the engine A is arranged along a center line Yofthe tractor body 4 and on the right side of the engineA there is arranged an air-cleaner 16 connected to a carburettor for the engine A and on the left side thereof is disposed a muffler 17 connected to a manifold ofthe engine A.An air conduit 12 is connected to the air-cleaner 16 and this conduit 12 extends to the left side of the tractor body 4 in the front bonnet 5 and penetrates a side pannel 14 of the front upper portion of the bonnet 5 outwardly and is then bent to extend upwardly. An upper opening or outlet of the air conduit 12 is provided with a pre-cleaner 13. The pre-cleaner 13 may be utilized when the tractor 1 works under dusty field conditions. Connected to the muffler 17 is an exhaust pipe 11 which also penetrates the side pannel 14 of the upper portion of the bonnet 5 outwardly. The position of penetration of the exhaust pipe 11 is closer to the driver's seat 10 than that of the air conduit 12.Further, the exhaust pipe 11 is disposed close to the side of the center line Yof the tractor body 4 and is so arranged that the air conduit 12 and the exhaust pipe 11 are positioned on substantially a straight line Xwhen a driver sitting on the driver's seat 10 looks at the conduit and pipe 12 and 11.

Thus, the air conduit 12 and the exhaust pipe 11 are arranged to locate on one side, i.e. left side of the tractor and to be front and rear to each other, aligned in a line of sight from the driving seat.

Accordingly, when the driver on the seat 10 looks to his front, the conduit and pipe 12 and 11 seem to be a single pole, as will be seen in Figure 2, although the pipe and conduit are actually projecting and extending from the bonnet 5 at different positions.

The driver's sight is then extremely clear and largely unrestricted.

Figures 3 and 4 show a tractor having an air conduit 12 and an exhaust pipe 11 which penetrate an upper pannel of the front bonnet 5 and extend directly upwards, whereas in the tractor as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the air conduit 12 and exhaust pipe 11 penetrate the side pannel of the bonnet 5 laterally and then turn upwards.

The tractor of Figures 3 and 4 is advantageous in that there is reduced risk of touching the heated exhaust pipe compared with the tractor of the first embodiment.

When a pipe of a boom-sprayer or the like is provided to extend from the front bonnet 5, it is preferable, of course, to position the pipe on the said straight line X in order to maintain the driver's sight clear.

Claims

1. Atractorcomprising a muffler (17) and an air-conduit (16) for an engine (A), both being housed in a front bonnet (5) of a tractor body (4) disposed forwardly of a driver's seat (10), and an exhaust pipe (11) connected to the muffler (17) and an air conduit (12) connected to the air-cleaner (16), both being extended upwardly from the bonnet (5), characterized in that the exhaust pipe (11) and the air conduit (12) are disposed on the same side of the tractor body (4) and are arranged one forwardly of the other and that one closer to the driver's seat (10) is positoned closerto a centerline (v) of the tractor body (4) so that the air conduit and exhaust pipe (12), (11) are substantially aligned in the line of sight (X) of the driver when viewed from the driver's seat (10).

2. The tractor claimed in claim 1, wherein the air conduit (12) is disposed forwardly of the exhaust pipe (11).

3. The tractor claimed in claim 2, wherein the air-cleaner (16) is disposed on the right side of the engine (A) which is arranged along the center line (y) of the tractor body (4) and the muffler (17) is mounted on the left side of the engine (A).

4. A tractor as claimed in claim 1, and substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 21 June1984 Superseded claims claims 1 to 4 New or amended claims: CLAIMS

1. Atractorcomprising a muffler and an air- conduit for an engine both being housed in a front bonnet of a tractor body disposed forwardly of a driver's seat and an exhaust pipe connected to the muffler and an air-conduit connected to the aircleaner, both being extended upwardly from the bonnet characterized in that the exhaust pipe and the air-conduit are disposed on the same side of the tractor body and are arranged one forwardly of the other and that one closer to the driver's seat is positioned closer to a center line of the tractor body so that the air-conduit and exhaust pipe are substantially aligned in the line of sight of the driver when viewed from the driver's seat.

2. The tractor claimed in claim 1, wherein the air-conduit is disposed forwardly of the exhaust pipe.

3. The tractor claimed in claim 2, wherein the air-cleaner is disposed on the right side of the engine which is arranged along the center line of the tractor body and the muffler is mounted on the left side of the engine.