GB2166092A

GB2166092A - Road vehicle having tilting cab

Info

Publication number: GB2166092A
Application number: GB08427521A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael John Gregory; Ivor Shaune Munday; Michael Highnett
Original assignee: LAMBOURN COACHBUILDERS Ltd
Current assignee: LAMBOURN COACHBUILDERS Ltd
Priority date: 1984-10-31
Filing date: 1984-10-31
Publication date: 1986-04-30
Also published as: GB8427521D0

Abstract

A commercial vehicle has a cab (4) which pivots at 6 to allow access to the engine (8). The vehicle body (10) has an aperture (14) cut in its front in a position corresponding to an aperture (16) in the rear wall of the cab. A door is provided in the aperture so that there is access between the cab and the body. An inflatable tube (12) fixed to the body around the aperture forms a weatherproof seal. An standard vehicle chassis with tilting cab can be modified by cutting an aperture in the rear of the cab and providing the body with a corresponding aperture and a door in the cab or body. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Road vehicle having tilting cab This invention relates to commercial road vehicles incorporating a driver's cab of the type having a tilting body.

It is well known for commercial vehicles to be supplied with a chassis on which a body of a desired type can be constructed by a coach builder, and with a drivers cab already provided on the chassis. To allow easy access to the engine beneath the cab, it has in recent years been customary for the cabs to be constructed so that they pivot at the forward end of the chassis, whereby easy access to the engie can be provided for overhaul of the engine when necessary, without the need for removing the engine.

This arrangement is satisfactory, except for those cases when access from the cab to the body of the vehicle is required, for example when the vehicle is constructed for the carrying of animals, and a member of the vehicle crew should be able to attend to the needs of the animals during travel of the vehicle; to enable this, a door has to be cut through the rear of the cab into the front of the vehicle body.

To allow such a vehicle to be contructed based on a tilting cab chassis, it has hitherto been necessary to modify the cab so that it is no longer tilting by bolting it firmly down to the chassis; a door is then cut through the rear of the chassis into an integral body mounted behind it. In this case it is necessary to remove the engine in order to overhaul it or replace parts thereof.

We have now devised a construction which avoids the latter disadvantage.

According to the invention we provide a commercial vehicle comprising a tilting cab mounted at the front of the chassis above the vehicle engine, and having an aperture at the rear of the cab, a vehicle body mounted on the rear of the chassis and having an aperture at its front in a position corresponding to the aperture in the rear of the cab, an openable door being fitted in the aperture whereby access is obtainable directly from the cab to the body of the vehicle, and a weatherproof seal being provided around said aperture.

Locking means are preferably provided to latch the rear of the cab firmly to the front of the body of the vehicle.

The door provided in the aperture can be fixed either to the cab or to the body; it should not usually be necessary to provide a door on both the cab and the body.

The seal provided between the cab and the body may be of any suitable waterproof and resilient material, such as a strip of synthetic rubber.

The apertures in cab and body may be of the full width and height of the cab.

Preferably the seal is a resilient tube which is inflated by air so as to form a collar round the aperture; this maintains a good seal even when the mountings of the cab become worn and the gap between cab and body increases in size.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a side view of the cab and front of the body of a vehicle of the invention.

The cab 2 with a "luton" 4 at its top to bring it to the same height as the body, is pivotted at 6 to allow access to the engine 8.

The body 10 has an inflatable tube 12 fixed around an aperture 14 cut in the front of the body and corresponding to an aperture 16 in the rear of the cab. An air line 18 leads to tube 12 from an air tank 20 beneath the chassis and is supplied from a suitable source of pressurized air.

Fig. 2 of the drawing shows part of the front elevation of the cab; this is of conventional appearance.

A conventional door 22 is shown in the side of the vehicle body; this forms no part of the invention. Other doors may be fitted to the body as required.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of making a commercial vehicle having access from the cab to the body, which comprises taking a standard vehicle manufacturers chassis with a tilting cab mounted at the front end thereof, and modifying the cab by cutting an aperture in the rear wall thereof, and providing a vehicle body behind the cab, with an aperture in the front wall of the body in a position corresponding to the aperture in the rear of the cab, providing a door in the resultant aperture between the cab and the body and a weatherproof seal around said aperture, so as to prevent entry of rain into the vehicle through the gap between the cab and the body.

The provision of the aperture in the body can be effected by constructing the body without a front wall, or with only a narrow rim around an aperture.

1. A commercial vehicle comprising a tilting cab mounted at the front of the chassis above the vehicle engine and having an aperture at the rear of the cab, a vehicle body mounted on the rear of the chassis and having an aperture in its front wall in a position corresponding to the aperture in the rear of the cab, a door being fitted in the aperture whereby access is obtainable directly from the cab to the body of the vehicle, and a weatherproof seal being provided around said aperture.

2. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 1, wherein locking means are provided to latch the rear of the cab firmly to the front of the body of the vehicle.

3. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 1 or 2,

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Road vehicle having tilting cab This invention relates to commercial road vehicles incorporating a driver's cab of the type having a tilting body. It is well known for commercial vehicles to be supplied with a chassis on which a body of a desired type can be constructed by a coach builder, and with a drivers cab already provided on the chassis. To allow easy access to the engine beneath the cab, it has in recent years been customary for the cabs to be constructed so that they pivot at the forward end of the chassis, whereby easy access to the engie can be provided for overhaul of the engine when necessary, without the need for removing the engine. This arrangement is satisfactory, except for those cases when access from the cab to the body of the vehicle is required, for example when the vehicle is constructed for the carrying of animals, and a member of the vehicle crew should be able to attend to the needs of the animals during travel of the vehicle; to enable this, a door has to be cut through the rear of the cab into the front of the vehicle body. To allow such a vehicle to be contructed based on a tilting cab chassis, it has hitherto been necessary to modify the cab so that it is no longer tilting by bolting it firmly down to the chassis; a door is then cut through the rear of the chassis into an integral body mounted behind it. In this case it is necessary to remove the engine in order to overhaul it or replace parts thereof. We have now devised a construction which avoids the latter disadvantage. According to the invention we provide a commercial vehicle comprising a tilting cab mounted at the front of the chassis above the vehicle engine, and having an aperture at the rear of the cab, a vehicle body mounted on the rear of the chassis and having an aperture at its front in a position corresponding to the aperture in the rear of the cab, an openable door being fitted in the aperture whereby access is obtainable directly from the cab to the body of the vehicle, and a weatherproof seal being provided around said aperture. Locking means are preferably provided to latch the rear of the cab firmly to the front of the body of the vehicle. The door provided in the aperture can be fixed either to the cab or to the body; it should not usually be necessary to provide a door on both the cab and the body. The seal provided between the cab and the body may be of any suitable waterproof and resilient material, such as a strip of synthetic rubber. The apertures in cab and body may be of the full width and height of the cab. Preferably the seal is a resilient tube which is inflated by air so as to form a collar round the aperture; this maintains a good seal even when the mountings of the cab become worn and the gap between cab and body increases in size. In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a side view of the cab and front of the body of a vehicle of the invention. The cab 2 with a "luton" 4 at its top to bring it to the same height as the body, is pivotted at 6 to allow access to the engine 8. The body 10 has an inflatable tube 12 fixed around an aperture 14 cut in the front of the body and corresponding to an aperture 16 in the rear of the cab. An air line 18 leads to tube 12 from an air tank 20 beneath the chassis and is supplied from a suitable source of pressurized air. Fig. 2 of the drawing shows part of the front elevation of the cab; this is of conventional appearance. A conventional door 22 is shown in the side of the vehicle body; this forms no part of the invention. Other doors may be fitted to the body as required. In another aspect, the invention provides a method of making a commercial vehicle having access from the cab to the body, which comprises taking a standard vehicle manufacturers chassis with a tilting cab mounted at the front end thereof, and modifying the cab by cutting an aperture in the rear wall thereof, and providing a vehicle body behind the cab, with an aperture in the front wall of the body in a position corresponding to the aperture in the rear of the cab, providing a door in the resultant aperture between the cab and the body and a weatherproof seal around said aperture, so as to prevent entry of rain into the vehicle through the gap between the cab and the body. The provision of the aperture in the body can be effected by constructing the body without a front wall, or with only a narrow rim around an aperture. CLAIMS

3. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein said seal is an inflatable tube.

4. A method of making a commercial vehicle having access from the cab to the body, which comprises taking a vehicle chassis with a tilting cab mounted at the front end thereof, and modifying the cab by cutting an aperture in the rear wall thereof, providing a vehicle body behind the cab, with an aperture in the front of the body in a position corresponding to the aperture in the rear of the cab, providing a door in the resultant aperture between the cab and the body and a weatherproof seal around said aperture.