Title: Truck operator's cab with equipment control station

What is claimed is:

1. In an over the road motor vehicle including a chassis having a main propulsion engine mounted thereon, an operator's cab forming an enclosure defining a driver's compartment for driving said vehicle, said driver's compartment including steering means for said vehicle and an instrument panel for monitoring instruments for said main engine, said cab including a front wall including a windshield formed therein, spaced apart sidewalls, a roof, a rear wall, at least one access door to said driver's compartment, and access doors in each of said sidewalls separate from said one access door to said driver's compartment and opening to a separate control station formed within said enclosure and generally rearward of said driver's compartment, a control panel disposed at sid control station and including means for controlling and monitoring equipment disposed on said vehicle and generally rearward of said cab, a floor forming a part of said enclosure at said control station, and a stepped portion of said roof above said floor providing substantially standing headroom for an operator at said control panel.

2. In an over the road motor vehicle including a chassis having a main propulsion engine mounted thereon, an operator's cab mounted on said chassis generally over said main engine for pivotal movement from a normal operating position to a tilted position to provide access to said main engine, said cab forming an enclosure defining a driver's compartment for driving said vehicle, said driver's compartment including steering means for said vehicle and an instrument panel for monitoring instruments for said main engine, said cab including a front wall including a windshield formed therein, spaced apart sidewalls, a rear wall, and a roof forming said enclosure, a separate control station formed within said enclosure and generally rearward of said driver's compartment, a control panel mounted on said chassis and disposed at said control station, said control panel including means for controlling and monitoring equipment disposed on said vehicle and generally rearward of said cab, a window in said rear wall for viewing said equipment, said window being disposed above said control panel, and said cab includes means forming a recess whereby said cab encloses said control panel in said operating position of said cab.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2 wherein:

said cab includes means defining a sleeping compartment within said enclosure and between said driver's compartment and said control panel.

4. The invention set forth in claim 2 wherein:

said cab includes means forming a bunk disposed transversely within the interior of said cab between said driver's compartment and said control station for supporting a person in a reclining position, and partition means extendable across said enclosure between said control panel and said driver's compartment for forming a sleeping compartment in said cab and defined in part by said bunk.

5. In an over the road motor vehicle including a chassis having a main propulsion engine mounted thereon, an operator's cab forming an enclosure defining a driver's compartment for driving said vehicle, said cab including a windshield formed in a front wall of said enclosure, said driver's compartment including steering means for said vehicle and in instrument panel for monitoring instruments for said main engine, a separate control station formed within said enclosure and generally rearward of said driver's compartment, a control panel disposed at said control station and including means for controlling and monitoring equipment disposed on said vehicle and generally rearward of said cab, means forming a bunk disposed transversely across the interior of said cab between said driver's compartment and said control station for supporting a person in a reclining position, and partition means extendable across said enclosure between said driver's compartment and said control panel for forming a sleeping compartment in said cab and defined in part by said bunk.

6. The invention set forth in claim 5 wherein:

said cab includes a frame portion supporting said bunk at a level with respect to said control panel so that said bunk also forms a seat for an operator facing said control panel.

7. In an over the road motor vehicle including a chassis having a main propulsion engine mounted thereon, an operator's cab forming an enclosure defining a driver's compartment for driving said vehicle, said cab including a windshield formed in a front wall of said enclosure, said driver's compartment including steering means for said vehicle and an instrument panel for monitoring instruments for said main engine, a separate control station formed within said enclosure and generally rearward of said driver's compartment, a control panel disposed at said control station and including means for controlling and monitoring equipment disposed on said vehicle and generally rearward of said cab, means defining a sleeping compartment within said enclosure and between said driver's compartment and said control panel, said means including a bunk within said enclosure and adapted to support a person in a reclining position and in a seated position facing said control panel, and foldable partition means disposed within said enclosure and movable between open and closed positions to substantially close off said sleeping compartment from said driver's compartment and said control station.

8. The invention set forth in claim 7 wherein:

said foldable partition means comprises flexible curtains supported on spaced apart rails mounted in said enclosure generally along opposite longitudinal sides of said bunk.

9. An over the road motor vehicle including a chassis having a main propulsion engine mounted thereon, an operator's cab mounted on said chassis generally over said main engine for pivotal movement between a normal operating position and a tilted position to provide access to said main engine, said cab forming an enclosure defining a driver's compartment for driving said vehicle, said driver's compartment including steering means for said vehicle and an instrument panel for monitoring instruments for said main engine, said cab including a front wall including a windshield formed therein, spaced apart sidewalls, a roof, a rear wall, at least one access door to said driver's compartment, and at least one access door in one of said sidewalls separate from said one access door to said driver's compartment and opening to a separate control station formed within said enclosure and generally rearward of said driver's compartment, a control panel disposed at said control station and including means for controlling and monitoring equipment disposed on said vehicle and generally rearward of said cab, a floor forming a part of said enclosure at said control station, a portion of said roof extending across said enclosure above said floor to provide substantially standing headroom for an operator at said control panel, and means forming a bunk extending across said enclosure between said driver's compartment and said control panel for supporting a person in a reclining position and in a seated position for operating said control panel.

10. The invention set forth in claim 9 including: a window in said rear wall and disposed above said control panel for viewing said equipment from said control station.

11. A roadable motor vehicle including a chassis having a main propulsion engine operable to be selectively drivingly connected to a powered axle, and to machinery mounted on said chassis, and an operator's cab mounted on said chassis and forming an enclosure defining a driver's compartment, said driver's compartment including steering means for said vehicle, and an instrument panel for said engine, a control station formed within said enclosure and including a control panel for said machinery, said control station being arranged within said enclosure whereby an operator for said machinery may observe said control panel and said instrument panel without leaving said control station, means forming a bunk disposed in said enclosure between said driver's compartment and said control panel, said bunk being operable to support a person in a reclining position, and said bunk forming a seat for an operator facing said control panel, and partition means movable between an open position and a closed position extending across said enclosure between said driver's compartment and said control panel for converting at least part of said enclosure into a sleeping compartment, said sleeping compartment including said bunk.


Other info:


Inventors: Elliston, Thomas L. (Fort Worth, TX)

Application Number: 06/359802
Filing Date: 1982-03-19
Publication_date: 1984-03-13
Assignee: HYDRA RIG INC (US)

Primary Class(es): 180/324 180/89.140, 296/190.020, 296/190.050
Other Classes: B62D33/06; B62D33/06
US Patent Ref:

2198407	April, 1940	De Brun	180/324	Snow plow device or the like
4121684	October, 1978	Stephens et al.	180/89.14	Truck with tilting cab and non-tilting separated sleeping compartment

Other Refs: AU137756DE1634713

June, 1950	180/321
July, 1970	180/324

Primary Examiner: Pekar, John A.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Hubbard, Thurman, Turner & Tucker