GB2212115A - A service vehicle - Google Patents

Description

2212115 A A SERVICE VEHICLE 1 The invention relates to a service vehicle

such as a fire brigade vehicle or fire engine, comprising an equipment cab installed on a chassis frame for reception of appliances quenching agents and other equipment, as well as a driver's cab and equipment modules for reception of appliances and/or quenching agents, which are displaceable with respect to the equipment cab and/or driver's cab and/or the chassis frame, as is disclosed in our patent application GB 2158784A.

Service vehicles known at present comprise an equipment ca'D which is commonly constructed as a latticed framework or the like, into which recep--ion sur':aces for examle shelf panels, drawers and the like, for the different items of equipment, are,ncorporated at appropriate points. In this connect- ire-fighting ion, it is also known for units such as If -o be secured on pivotable push-in elements so pumps +1 1 - they ma, rapidly be brought into the region off that 27 the roadwav from a loading level of the service r equipment vehicle. Vehicles for different sets of commonly require a different or individual structure for the equipment cab and this increases the cost of each vehicle.

Service vehicles are already known which comprise standard commercial vehicles on which modulariv constructed ecu-;T)ment containers are loaded according -his nature are being to requirements. Vehicles of t built and sold by the applicants at present under the name "Universalfahrzeug Kobra".

1 We have disclosed in DE-A-25 10 685, that service vehicles or fire engines assembled in a conventional manner may be provided with a crane, a container with complete outfits for special applicat ions, for example the application of oil, foaming agent, forestry fires, earthquake and the like. The containers prepared to this end are loaded by means of the crane on to the assembling vehicle depending on the mode of application, and taken along to the point of use. In the case of use in off road locations, these containers may also be carried to the point of use by means of aircraft, particularly helicopters.

Whilst these known service vehicles have Droved to be generally satisfactory, a vehicle fulfilling particu lar requirements would not always be provided.

GB-A-2158784 has disclosed that use may be made Of equipment modules for reception of applicances and/or quenching agents, which are movable with respect to the service vehicle. It was discovered however that the connection between the equipment modules and the door systems could not cope with all cases of application required.

It is an object to provide a service vehicle which may be provided with a standard superstructure as regards the driver's cab and the equipment cab, and which may be fitted out with the items of equipment needed for the different service vehicles rapidly and economicallv.

This problem of the invention is resolved by the fact- that the equipment module is installed within an k, 1 1 1 1 -3 1 is equipment cab closed off by means of a door arrange- ment, is pivotally mounted by means of a pivot spindle coupled to a bearing system and with the latter extending perpendicularly to a wheel support plane, and preferentially comprises no more than a shelf base or carrying frame or the like. Thanks to a structure of this kind of the equipment modules, it is now possible that such elements as would otherwise be withdrawable from the inside of the fire engine with difficulty only, may be stowed in equipment cabs. The cost as well as the weight of the vehicle may thereb,. be lower under adaptation to the equipment required in each case. Thanks to the fact that the door systex, is now installed independently of the equipment modules, - modules may be arranged at will wit the equipment 1-hin the eauipment cab or the equipment cases.

Provision is made according to an embodiment of the invention for the pivot spindle of the bearing system to extend perpendicularly to the wheel support plane and to be installed in the area of one of the -he door two sidewalls or uprights which delimit -1. arrangement, and for different spindles to be positioned with mutual spacing in the direction of travel. Thanks to the structure of the pivoting system and the positioning of its pivot spindle in the area of the uprights of the door arrangement, it is now possible for the equipment module to be swivelled as far as 180' out of its stowed position within the vehicle. This also provides the possibility of extending the equipment module in such a manner that 1 it extends into areas situated beside the door opening -in the inwardly pivoted condition, these module areas being just as freely accessible after the outward pivoting action through approximately 180' as the equipment modules present in the area of the door opening.

Furthermore, several equipment modules may be pivotally installed about their own pivot spindle within an equipment cab, whereby the trajectory of each individual equipment module may in each case be established separately and the load on the separate pivot spindles may be kept within reasonable limits even if heavv objects are stowed on the equipment modules.

Suitably a locking mechanism is associated with each eauJiDmen- module so that required equipment modules onl-y may be displaced in each case, and the displaced module may be locked in displaced condition. - several equip- According to another embodiment ment modules are positioned one above another in the ecuiT)ment cab and are provided with mutually separate - an independent displace- locking mechanisms, so that ment- of each individual equipment module is obtained on a common pivot spindle.

It is also advantageous if the pivot spindles of equipment modules arranged one above another are positioned alternately adjacent opposite sidewalls of the equipment cab and for them to be spaced apart tranversely of the direction of travel, so that accessibility to the separate equipment modules is 1!, 1 facilitated inasmuch as alternate equipment modules may be pivoted towards a different side of the door opening and each equipment module is more readily accessible without obstruction by the other equipment module.

It is also possible for several equipment containers to be installed one behind another in the longitudinal direction of the chassis frame, within an equipment cab each with its own door arrangement. The -herebv subdivided into several service vehicle is -1.

smaller reception units for the equipment, and it is possible to cope by means of door arrangements of simpler form and lesser cost.

this connection, it is also possible for In tt several equipment modules to be arranged one above another in each equipment container and to be independently pivotally displaceably mounted on the the bearing device.

pivot spindle ol Provision is made according to another embodi- ment for the bearing system for the equipment modules to be coupled, with a vertical displacement device, whereby accessibility is facilitated inasmuch as the equipment module may be displaced to a suitable level for access as required in each case.

To this end, it is advantageous if the pivot spindles of several equipment modules arranged one Eset with above another are installed with a lateral of. respect to each other, so that the pivot spindles may also be co-opted for the vertical displacement of the individual equipment modules.

1 is It is advantageous in this connection if a stroke height of the vertical displacement device corresponds approximately to a distance between the wheel support -plane and the stowed position of the equipment module, since objectsplaced on the equipment modules may thereby be lowered to the wheel supporting surface. For example, items of equipment which are provided with wheels or rollers may be lowered to the wheel support plane and moved freely on the ground.

Provision is made according to one embodiment for the vertical displacement device to have a substantiallv vertical guiding track in which is o a guided the bearing system which is coupled t displacement device and bears the pivot vert L_ spindle, whe--ebv it is Qossible to obtain a riqidlv free guiding system for an equipment secured playmodule which houses heavy objects whilst nevertheless retaining the pivotability of the equipment modules.

Provision is made according to another embodi ment for several equipment modules to be situated within an equipment container and for a vertical disDlacement device to be allocated to the equipment container, whereby it is possible to reduce the cost of the vertical displacement of the equipment modules inasmuch as several equipment modules may be placed at an advantageous extraction height at the same time by means of one vertical displacement device.

It is also possible for the vertical displacement device to incorporate pivot levers of a paralleloqram lever svstem arranged in a plane extending 41 11 i 1 approximately at right angles to the wheel support plane, whereby it is possible to reduce the loading in the area of the pivot spindles of the equipment modules and to obtain an approximately rectilinear displacement of the equipment module.

It is advantageous if the bearing device of the equipment modules is formed by a parallelogram lever system situated in a plane extending parallel to the wheel support plane, since the equipment module may thereby be held horizontally throughout the pivoting ranqe.

The invention will now be described, by way off example, with reference to the accompanving pa=ly diagrammatic drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a side elevation o.E a service vehicle comprising an equipment cab wherein equipment modules are situated; Figure 2 is a side elevation of an equipment container of the equipment cab; Figure 3 is a section taken on line III-III of Figure 2 with the out%7ardl-,,, pivoted equipment module in end view; Figure 4 is a side elevation of a modified embodiment of equipment cab with several equipment modules arranged therein; Figure 5 is a sectional plan view of the equipment cab of Figure 4 taken along the line V-V in Figure 4; Figure 6 is an end view of the equipment cab of Figures 4 and 5 and diagrammatically indicating different vertical positions with respect to the wheel support plane; 1 Figure 7 is a fragmentary section to an enlarged scale, taken along lines VII-VII of Figpre 3 of a locking mechanism of the equipment module, and Figure 8 is a fragmentary end view of an equipment cab with several appliance containers" vertically displaceable with respect to the cab.

A fire engine or fire brigade vehicle 1 is illustrated in Figure 1, and comprises a chassis frame 2 carried via wheels 3 on a wheel support plane 4. The chassis frame 2 bears a driver's cab 5 beneath which is situated an engine 6, and an equipment cab 7. A crane 8 is installed on the extremity of the chassis -e f frame 2 remot -rom the driver's cab 5. The equipment cab 7 incorporates several equipment containers 9, 10 and 11. The equipment containers 9 to 11 are each provided with a door system 12, for example with a roller blind 13 as shown on the equipment container 10, whereby it is 1Dossible to close off the door openings 14 which are delimited by uprights 15, 16.

Items of equipment such as foaming agent canisters 17, a foam pipe 18, a cable drum or other appliances 20, are disposed inside the equipment containers 9 to 11.

An electrical generator 21 and an apparatus 22 comprising a hydraulic drive for spreaders and shears, are housed within the equipment containers 9, 11 and are stowed on equipment- modules 23, 24.

The equipment container 25 in which the generator 21 is arranged on the equipment module 23 is shown in Figures 2 and 3. The equipment module 23 comprises a shelf base or panel 26 which is movably 1 coupled with a bearing device 27 and is pivotally arranged around a pivot spindle 28. Bearing pins or pivots 31 are installed in a carrier plate 29 and a carrier arm 30 for this purpose. The bearing device 27 has a bore 32 which has an inner diameter which substantially corresponds to the outer diameter of the bearing pins 31. A locking mechanism 34 is arranged in a strut 33 of the shelf base 26 and comprises an actuating lever 35 and a locking pin 36. The operation of this locking mechanism is described below with reference to Figure 7.

The carrier plate 29 is secured within the equipment container 25, within the equipment cab 7, as also is the carrier arm 30. The carrier plate 201 is provided with angled plate elements 37,38 which form a stop for the strut 33, and for the locking pin 36.

As is more clearly apparent from the illustration in Figure 3, the shelf base 26 may be pivoted from the position shown pecked by pivotal displacement around the pivot spindle 28 into the position shown by the solid lines and situated outside a sidewall 39 o. vehicle. This occurs by retracting the locking pin 36 by means of the actuating lever 35 - Figure 2 - in the direction towards the pivot spindle 28 to the extent that it is withdrawn behind the plate element 38, whereuiDon the shelf base 26 may be pivoted into the position shown by solid lines, whereupon the strut 33 bears against a plate element 40 and may be locked with respect to a plate element 41 in the outwardly pivoted position by means of the locking pin 36. The 1 generator 21, which is normally heavy, is thereby displaced with the equipment module 23 into an advant ageous position for withdrawal, so that it may be grasped at both sides by service personnel unloaded onto the vehicle support surface.

Another embodiment of equipment modules 42 to 44 is shown in Figures 4 to 6, the modules being install ed in an equipment container 45 of an equipment cab 7 of a fire engine 1. Each of the equipment modules 42 to 44 comprises a shelf base 26. The equipment mdoule 44 is mounted in the equipment container 45 via its own bearing device 27. The equipment modules 42,43 are Joined to the equipment container 45 via their own bearing de:ices 27. As most clearly apparent from Figures 5 and 6, pivot spindles 46 to 48 of the equip ment modules 42 to 44 are arranged with mutual offset both transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle as well as parallel thereto. The pivot spindles 47,48 are thus situated adjacent a sidewall 49 of the equipment container 45, whereas the pivot spindle 46 is situated in the opposite sidewall 50.

Furthermore, the pivot spindles 46,47 are arranged with transverse stagger with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle so that the available internal volume of the equipment container may be utilised completely for stowage of the applLances 20 to 22. By contrast, the displacement of the pivot spindle 48 closer to an inner wall 52 of the equipment container 45 has the effect that the appliances 22 on the shelf base 26 of the equipment module 42 may be of greater structural height and that for example a chain saw 53 and plastics container 54 mav be arranaed on the shelf base 26 of the central A, equipment module 43 below the upper module 44. Water fittings 55 are arranged on the shelf base 26 of the highest equipment module 44.

is As most clearly apparent from Figure 5, the individual equipment modules 42 to 44 may be brought into a position without mutual obstruction by means of the staggered pattern of the pivot spindles 46 to 48 in which an extraction of objects is possible from all of the shelf bases 26 of the different equipment modules 42 to 44. As apparent, the procedure used to this end is that items of equipment or appliances 20 to 22 of great weight are normally placed on the equipment module lying closest to the wheel support plane, and that those of lesser weight are placed in the higher equipment modules.

As shown in Figures 4 to 6 the whole equipment container 45 may be lowered by means of a vertical displacement device 56 from a stowed position present on the chassis frame 2 and shown in Figure 6, -Jnto the operating position shown by pecked lines, in the direction towards the wheel support plane 4. To this end, the vertical displacement device 56 comprises parallel pivot levers 57, 58 of which one extremity is pivotally mounted in a bearing point 59 on the chassis frame 2 and whereof the other extremity is mounted in a bearing point 60 on the equipment container 45. The pivot lever 57 is furthermore coupled in articulated manner with a pivot drive 61 which is supported in articulated manner on the chassis frame 2. By displacement of the pivot drive 61, it is possible by 1 means of the pivotal displacement of the pivot levers 57, 58 to move the equipment container 45 from the chassis frame 2 into the pecked position situated closer to the wheel support plane 4. The advantage is thereby obtained that apart from the facilitated accessibility of the appliances 20 to 22, they are presented at a more suitable level for unloading. Since the equipment containers 45 would normally be positioned a- a distance of approximately 1200 mms from the wheel t support plane 4 and the level for lifting heavy appliances preferably lies between 500 and 700 mms, is possible by means of this vertical displacement de.-ice 56 to bring at least the heavy appliances 20, 21 for current generation or hydraulic assemblies, to this preferred extraction level.

It is also possible for the bearing system for the equipment modules to comprise a parallelogram lever SVStem situated in a plane parallel to the ground plane whereby the modules ma\7 be displaced from the vehicle parallel to the ground plane.

The locking mechanism 34, illustrated to an enlarged scale in Figure 7, is installed within the strut 33. The locking pin or bolt 36 extends longitudinally of the strut 33 and is welded to a support plate 62 near its end facing towards the actuating lever 35. A spring 63 bears at one end on the support plate 62, and at its opposite end on a guiding tube 64 of the bearing system 27. The support plate 62 is motively coupled with a transmission linkage 65 which has a projection 66 engaging in a 11 1 -1 r 1 recess 67 of the actuating lever 35 pivotable around a spindle 68. The locking bolt 36 and the actuating lever 35 are normally held by the spring 63 in the position shown by solid lines. The locking bolt 36 secures the strut 33 in this position between the plate element 40 acting as a stop for the strut 33 and the plate element 41 acting as a stop for the locking bolt 36. For unbolting purposes, the actuating le.,er is pivoted out of the position shown by solid lines into the position shown by pecked lines, whereby the locking bolt 36 is withdrawn from the position shown bv solid lines into the position shown by pecked lines within the strut 33 and the displacement of the strut 33 and of the eQuipment module 42 is therebv Qermitted for pivotal displacement around the pivot spindle 28 in the direction of an arrow 69. The massive but nevertheless compact construction of the locking mechanism 34 thus also renders it possible to anchor eve,n objects of great weight in the equipment container 45 with appropriate safety.

In the embodiment of Figure 8, equipment modules 71, 72 are provided each comprising a shelf base 26 or carrying frame 73 and being motively coupled to a bearing system 74, 75. The bearing system 74 and 75 are displaceably mounted along a guiding track 76 formed by guiding posts. The bearing system 74 and 75 are each coupled to a respective vertical displacement device 77, 78. The bearing system 74 furthermore has a vertical pivot spindle 79 around which the shelf base 26 or the carrying frame 73 is pivotally 1 displaceable. By means of pivotal displacement around the pivot spindle 79, the carrying frames 73 may be outwardly pivoted from the inside of the equipment container 45 into the position shown by solid lines, whereupon they may be lowered by means of the vertical displacement devices.77, 78 from the positions shown by solid lines into the positions shown by dash-dotted lines in the direction towards the wheel support plane 4. The extraction of items of equipment from the 10 equipment container 45 is facilitated thereby.

Under appropriate construction of the equipment module 72 and the carrying frame 73, it is possible to ' the equip- lower no more than the carrying frame 73 of ment module 72 in which connection this carrving frame 73 may serve as a step or running-board to allow the items of equipment borne on the shelf base 26 of the outwardly pivoted equipment module 71 to be removed more easily.

It is possible within the scope oi- t.he invention that the door systems 12 arranged before the different equipment modules 23,24; 42-44; 71,72 may be formed by roller blinds as shown in Figure 1 or by hinged doors 80 as shown in Figure 8 or for example by sliding doors, flap or swing doors or the like. - It is also possible for several equipment modules arranged at different levels and provided with pivot spindles arranged with different spacings transversely to the longitudinal axis of the chassis frame to be installed within an equipment cab without partitions extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the chassis frame.

1 -1 1 A _k 1 To this end, shown by Figure 5 44, that the same may be pivotally displaced through an angle of 135'. Under utilisation of cranked carrying arms, and it is also possible under particular circumstances, to enlarge the pivoting angle to almost 1800. The stopping action at this supplemental pivotal setting of the equipment module 44 may occur by means of the diagrammatically indicated plate elements 40, 41 and of the locking bolt 36 insertible between them. Plate elements 81 between which the locking bolt 36 engages equally serve the purpose of positioning the equipment module 44 at the 90' pivotal setting - shown by solid lines. The equipment module 44 may consequently be arrested in its position in at least 3 settings, so that an extraction of appliances or items of equipment is possible in a secured position of the equipment modules.

it is also possible, for example as in respect of the equipment module

Claims (17)

1. A service vehicle, comprising an equipment cab and a driver's cab installed on a chassis frame and equipment modules for reception equipment which are movable with respect to the vehicle, in which the equipment modules is k are installed within the equipment cab closed off by means of a-door arrangement, an equipment module being pivotally mounted by means of a pivot spindle and a bearing system, the pivot spindle extending normal to a wheel support plane of the vehicle.

2. A service vehicle according to claim 1, in which the pivot spindles of the modules are installed adjacent one or other of two sidewalls or uprights which delimit a door opening of the door arrangement.

3. A service vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, in which severa'. equipment modules are pivotally mounted on repective pivot spindles within the equipmentcab.

4. A service vehicle according to any one of the claims 1 to 3, in which each equipment module is provided with a locking device for locking it in position.

5. A service vehicle according to any preceding claim, in which several equipment modules are arranged one above another within the equipment cab and are provided with mutually independent locking devices.

6. A service vehicle according to claim 5, in which the pivot spindles of equipment modules arranged one above the other are alternately installed in the area of one of the two sidewalls of an equipment container which are mutually spaced apart in the direction of travel.

7. A service vehicle according to any preceding claim, in which several equipment containers are arranged one behind another in the longitudinal direction of the chassis frame within the equipment cab, each container having its own door arrangement and containing at least one equipment module.

c is

8. A service vehicle according to claim 7, in which a plurality of equipment modules are pivotally mounted independently of each other and one above another on a pivot spindle in an equipment container.

9. A service vehicle according to any preceding claim, in which the bearing system for an equipment module is coupled to a vertical adjustment device.

10. A service vehicle according to any preceding claim, in which the pivot spindles of several equipment modules arranged one above another are installed in positions laterally staggered with respect to each other.

11. A service vehicle according to claim 9, in which a stroke height of the vertical adjustment device corresponds approximately to a distance between the wheel support plane and the equipment module when in a stowed position.

12. A service vehicle according to claim 10, in which the vertical adjustment device has a substantially vertical guiding track in which the bearing system is guided, the device being coupled to a vertical displacment device.

13. A service vehicle according to claim 7, in which several equipment modules are installed within an equipment container and that a vertical displacement device is coupled to the equipment container.

14. A service vehicle according to claim 13, in which the vertical displacement device incorporates pivot levers of a parallelogram lever system, which are situated in a plane extending, approximately at right angles to the wheel support plane.

15. A service vehicle according to claim 14, in which the bearing point of the pivot levers is situated approximately at the longitudinal centre of an equipment module situated in the stowed position.

16. A service vehicle according to one of the claims 1 to 15, characterised in that the bearing system of the equipment modules is formed by a parallelogram lever system situated in a plane extending parallel to the wheel support plane.

17. A service vehicle substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Published 1989 at The Patent Office. S eHoise.66711L-g't - Fol-,-c:rr.. Lond=%',CIR 4TIF ll=thecctliesr.,ia:;beobtained from ThePaten- Offce Sales Branch, St MalY CraY- OrPingtor- Kenz BR, 331,L - prir ted by M-jizipicx 1,_. S.

M,-, Cay. Rent. CC)n_ 1.87 d 1.