GB2194764A

GB2194764A - Vehicle cab guard

Info

Publication number: GB2194764A
Application number: GB08721087A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Michael Canning; John Shields
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-09-09
Filing date: 1987-09-08
Publication date: 1988-03-16
Also published as: GB8621661D0; GB8721087D0; GB2194764B

Abstract

The cab guard 10 is arranged on the cab roof so as to be movable between a folded transport position on the roof and an unfolded position in which the guard is suspended from the roof and overlies at least one window of the cab so as to shield the latter from attack by vandals. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vehicle cab guard This invention relates to a guard for use with a vehicle cab having at least one window, the guard being Positionable in a protective position with respect to the window when the vehicle is out of use.

The invention has been developed primarily, though not exclusively, with a view to provide a guard which can protect the windows of a cab of a heavy duty vehicle of the type used in the construction industry, such as earthmoving vehicles or mechanical diggers, when the latter are inoperative. Heavy duty earthmoving vehicles and the like are often left on site unattended at the end of a working shift, and are therefore liable to damage by vandalism.

With a view to preventing malicious damage to the windows of such vehicles, it is known to provide separate guards which have to be mounted in position on the cab at the end of a working shift, but this is a time consuming and laborious exercise which operatives are often reluctant to carry out at all at the end of a working shift, or else are liable not to carry out the mounting operation properly.

In addition, it is necessary with the known guard constructions to store the guards, when not in use which is an evident inconvenience in having to retrieve the guards from storage each time they are required, and then to return the guards to storage upon removal from the vehicle cab at the beginning of a working shift.

It is therefore a primary objective of the invention to provide a vehicle cab guard which can be mounted in a Protective position on the cab more readily than hitherto, and which does not require to be stored separately from the vehicle when the latter is carrying out its normal operative function.

According to the invention there is provided a vehicle cab guard which comprises: a vehicle cab body having a roof, sides and at least one window in at least one of the sides; and a cab guard mounted on the cab roof and arranged so as to be movable between a folded transport position on the roof and an unfolded position, in which the guard is suspended from the roof, and overlies at least said window so as to shield the latter from attack by vandals.

In the case of a vehicle cab of the type provided on heavy duty earth-moving plant, it is often the case that the cab is surrounded on all sides by windows, so that the operator can have all-round visibility, which is of importance for efficient operation of the plant.

Therefore, when the cab guard of the invention is applied to such vehicle cabs, the guard preferably has individual guard portions corresponding to each side of the cab, such guard portions overlying the respective sides when in the unfolded, shielding position.

To provide a compact storing position on the -roof of the cab, it is preferred that each of the individual guard portions is foldable to form a stack of two or more superposed layers, and that the stacks can fit together so as substantially to cover the cab roof.

In one preferred arrangement, the front and rear guard portions associated with the fore and aft ends of the cab may be folded into stacks which adjoin each other along a line perpendicular to the fore and aft axis. Also, each side of the cab has a respective guard side portion associated therewith, and the side portions are foldable into respective further stacks which adjoin each other along a line generally parallel to the fore and aft axis of the cab/vehicle, and which overlie the stacks formed by the front and rear guard portions.

The mounting of the guard on the cab roof is preferably carried out by means of a rectangular support frame, and this may have upstanding flanges along its sides parallel to the fore and aft axis, and arranged so that the side portions of the guard can be inwardly folded to the storage position and within the confines of the flanges.

For safety and stability of the guard portions, it is preferred that the free edge of each portion is folded-over on itself.

Preferably, some suitable form of latching or locking mechanism may be provided in order to retain the guard in the storage position. In addition, preferably a locking mechanism will be provided, which may take the form of a simple padlock arrangement or the like, in order to lock the guard portions in a shielding position with respect to the window(s) of the cab.

The necessary manipulation of the guard portions may readily be carried out by an operative standing on the roof of the cab, and chains or other suitable tensile elements may be attached to each guard portion, to enable the latter to be unfolded from the storage position to the shielding position at the end of a working shift, and then to be returned to the storage position, by upward folding movement, before a working shift commences.

An embodiment of vehicle cab guard according to the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded detail view of the vehicle cab guard according to the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of the cab guard according to the invention after unfolding to a shielding position around the glazed portions of a vehicle cab; and Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of the cab guard in a storage position on the roof of the vehicle cab.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, a first embodiment of a vehicle cab guard according to the invention is designated generally by reference 10 and is adapted to be mounted on a vehicle cab (not shown), by being mounted as a permanent installation on the cab roof.

A typical vehicle cab body with which the cab guard according to the invention may be used comprises a cabof the type used with heavy duty equipment used in the construction industry, such as earth-moving plant or mechanical diggers. A cab body of such a type has a roof, sides, and usually at least one window in each side of the cab body.

The cab guard 10 is, as mentioned above, mounted on the cab roof, and is arranged so as to be movable between a folded transport position (not shown) on the cab roof and an unfolded position in which the guard is suspended from the roof, and is operative to shield the cab windows from attack by vandals e.g against damage from stones thrown against the windows.

The cab guard 10 comprises a rectangular support frame 11 which is hollow, and which has upstanding flanges 12 along its sides which extend generally parallel to the fore and aft axis of the cab/vehicle. As will be described in more detail below, upon inward folding of the portions of the guard to a storage position on the roof, the guard portions are located within the confines of the flanges 12 i.e. they are located at or below the level of the upper edges of the flanges 12.

The cab guard 10 has a pair of opposed side guard portions 13 which are hingedly connected to the frame 11 adjacent to the flanges 12, and each side portion 13 is suspended from the cab roof, when it is unfolded to the shielding position in which it overlies the respective cab side (window) with which it is associated. In Figure 1, the side portions 13 are shown schematically and occupying positions taken up as they are near to the fully suspended and shielding position.

The guard 10 alsq includes a pair of opposed fore and aft guard portions 14 and 15 respectively, and these are pivotally connected to respective forward and rear edges 16 and 17 of the rectangular frame 11. As will be seen from Figure 1, each of the guard portions is made up of two or more separate panels, and the panels are hingedly connected together by respective long hinges of the type used with piano lids.

The folded and storage positions of the guard portions can be seen more clearly from Figures 2 and 3. It should be understood, however, that each of the guard portions 13 to 15 of Figure 1 can be folded inwardly with respect to its adjacent edge of the support frame 11, and which can be folded into a stack formed by two or more superposed layers. The stacks formed by the front and rear guard portions 14 and 15 can be folded inwardly about the respective ends 16 and 17 of the frame 11 so as to for stacks, which adjoin along a junction line extending perpendicular to the fore and aft axis. The stacks formed by the side portions 13 will adjoin along a line extending parallel to the fore and aft axis and centrally through the front and rear ends 16 and 17, and so as to overlie the stacks formed by the front and rear guard portions 14 and 15.Suitable latching/locking mechanisms may be provided in order to retain the guard portions in the folded, storage position, when the vehicle will be operating in its normal function. Additionally, suitable latching/locking mechanisms, and preferably a locking mechanism, will be provided in order to retain the guard portions in the suspended shielding positions, with respect to the corresponding cab sides, and the windows therein.

The free edge of each of the guard portions is folded-over on itself, for safety and stability of the guard portion, so as to take the form of a "Pittsburg" lock.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, this shows the cab guard 10 applied to a vehicle cab 18 having side and end windows 19 and 20 respectively. The cab 18 is shown only schematically, and will be mounted on a suitable supporting frame (not shown). Figure 3 shows the guard 10 in a storage position on the roof 21 of the cab, and it should be appreciated that, although not shown in detail, the side portions 13 will first be stacked in concertina layers, and then the end portions 14, 15 will be stacked thereon in further superposed concertina layers, all of which will be retained within the general confines of the frame flanges 12.

Conveniently, chains or other tensile elements 22 are coupled with each of the guard portions, to enable the guard portion to be manipulated between its storage position and its operative position, by an operative (not shown) standing on the roof of the cab.

Accordingly, the invention provides a vehicle cab guard which can be readily manipulated between a storage position and an operative (shielding) position, and which does not require separate storage of the guard portions when the vehicle is in normal use, since the guard portions are readily stored in a secure manner on the cab roof.

Claims

1. A vehicle cab guard which comprises: a vehicle cab body having a roof, sides and at least one window in at least one of the sides; and a cab guard mounted on the cab roof and arranged so as to be movable between a folded transport position on the roof and an unfolded position, in which the guard is suspended from the roof, and overlies at least said window so as to shield the latter from attack by vandals.

2. A vehicle cab guard according to Claim 1, in which the guard has at least one guard portion corresponding to a respective side of the cab, such guard portion overlying the respective side when in the unfolded, shielding position.

3. A vehicle cab guard according to Claim 2, in which the cab is surrounded on all sides by windows, and the guard has a plurality of guard portions corresponding one to each side of the cab, so as to overlie the respective side when in the unfolded shielding position.

4. A vehicle cab guard according to Claims 2 or 3, in which the or each guard portion is foldable to form a stack of two or more superposed layers.

5. A vehicle cab guard according to Claim 4, in which the guard portions are foldable to form a plurality of separate stacks which can fit together so as substantially to cover the cab roof.

6. A vehicle cab guard according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the guard includes front and rear guard portions associated with the fore and aft ends of the cab and arranged to be foldabie into stacks which adjoin each other along a line perpendicular to the fore and aft axis.

7. A vehicle cab guard according to Claim 6, in which each side of the cab has a respective guard side portion associated therewith, the side portions being foldable into respective further stacks which adjoin each other along a line generally parallel to the fore and aft axis of the cab, and which overlie the stacks formed by the front and rear guard portions.

8. A vehicle cab guard according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the guard is mounted on the cab roof by means of a rectangular support frame having upstanding flanges along its sides, parallel to the fore and aft axis, and arranged so that the side portions of the guard can be inwardly folded to the storage position and within the confines of the flanges.

9. A vehicle cab guard according to any one of the preceding claims, including a latching or locking mechanism arranged to retain the guard in the storage position.

10. A vehicle cab guard according to any one of the preceding claims, including a locking mechanism arranged to lock guard portions of the guard in a shielding position with respect to the window(s) of the cab.

11. A vehicle cab guard according to any one of the preceding claims, including chains or other tensile elements attached to each individual guard portion, to enable the latter to be unfolded from the storage position to the shielding position.

12. A vehicle cab guard according to Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.