Adjustable control console for vehicles

Abstract

The steering wheel together with other controls of an earth moving vehicle such as a motor grader are mounted on a pedestal which may be selectively tilted for optimum positioning for different operators and to enable a particular operator to sit or stand at his convenience. The pedestal is defined by links pivoted together in a configuration which maintains the steering wheel at a substantially constant inclination and which maintains the other controls at preferred positions relative to the steering wheel and is provided with latch means for locking and releasing the pedestal at a selected inclination with a minimum of effort and diversion of attention. The pedestal and controls are arranged to increase safety by obstructing forward pitching of the operator in the event of abrupt vehicle stoppage while providing for rapid escape from the operator's station at either side of the vehicle. .Iadd.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. .[.An.]. .Iadd.In an .Iaddend.adjustable control console for a vehicle .[.comprising.]. .Iadd.having.Iaddend.: a console support bracket means having means for fixed attachment to said vehicle adjacent the operator's station thereof,   a pivotable pedestal having a lower end attached to said bracket means and extending substantially upward therefrom, said pedestal having first and second upwardly extending link members each having a lower end pivoted to said bracket means for oscillation about spaced apart parallel axes, said pedestal further having a third platform link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.extending between the upper ends of said first and second .[.links.]. .Iadd.link members .Iaddend.and being pivoted to each thereof to maintain said third link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.in a substantially fixed orientation relative to said bracket means as said pedestal is pivoted relative thereto,   a first manually manipulatable control element for said vehicle situated adjacent said platform link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.and supported thereby for movement therewith, .[.and.].   latching means for locking said .Iadd.pivotable .Iaddend.pedestal against pivoting movement relative to said bracket means at any of a plurality of inclinations relative thereto.Iadd., .Iaddend.said latching means having a manually operable element for selectively releasing said latching means to enable pivoting of said .Iadd.pivotable .Iaddend.pedestal relative to said bracket means.Iadd., and   a plurality of control valves positioned adjacent the bracket means, each of said control valves having an actuator arm connected thereto, the improvement comprising:   a steering wheel support attached to said platform link member, said manipulatable control element being a steering wheel rotatably attached to the steering wheel support;   a shaft secured to one of said link members of said pivotable pedestal at an upper end of the pivotable pedestal and extending outwardly therefrom ;   a plurality of additional controls for said vehicle, said additional controls being angled levers pivotally mounted on said shaft and having first arms adapted for manual manipulation by the operator and second arms extending radially from the shaft; and   a plurality of links each having one end pivotally connected to one of the second arms of the levers and the other end connected to one of the actuator arms.Iaddend.. .[.   
     
     
       2.  An adjustable control console as defined in claim 1 wherein said first manually manipulatable control element for said vehicle is the steering wheel thereof..]. 
     
     
       3. An adjustable control console for vehicle as defined in claim .[.2 further comprising a steering wheel support having said steering wheel rotatably attached thereto, .]. .Iadd.1 wherein .Iaddend.said steering wheel support .[.being.]. .Iadd.is .Iaddend.pivoted to said platform link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.whereby the orientation of said steering wheel relative to said platform link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.may be selectively changed by pivoting of said steering wheel support thereon, and clamp means for locking said steering wheel support at a selected orientation relative to said platform link .Iadd.member.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       4. An adjustable control console for a vehicle as defined in claim 1 .[.further comprising a plurality of additional controls for said vehicle mounted on said pedestal at the upper end thereof,.]. .Iadd.wherein .Iaddend.said additional controls .[.including.]. .Iadd.includes another shaft extending outwardly from the opposite side of the pivotable pedestal colinear with the shaft, .Iaddend.a first series of .[.additional controls.]. .Iadd.said angled levers .Iaddend.situated at a first side of said .Iadd.pivotable .Iaddend.pedestal .[.in a column extending outward therefrom parallel to the pivot axes of said links.]. .Iadd.and pivoted on the shaft .Iaddend.and a second series of .[.additional controls.]. .Iadd.said angled levers .Iaddend.disposed at the other side of said .Iadd.pivotable .Iaddend.pedestal and .[.extending outward therefrom in a column colinear with said first series of controls.]. .Iadd.pivoted on said another shaft.Iaddend.. .[. 
     
     
       5.  An adjustable control console for a vehicle as defined in claim 4 wherein said vehicle has control valves with actuator arms, wherein said additional controls are pivotable angled levers having first arms adapted for manual manipulation by the operator and having second arms extending radially from the axis of said columns of control elements and further comprising a plurality of link means each extending from an individual one of said second arms of said control elements towards said support base for operating said actuator arms of said control valves..]. 
     
     
       6. An adjustable control console for a vehicle as defined in claim .[.5.]. .Iadd.4 .Iaddend.wherein said first arms of alternate ones of said .[.additional control.]. levers extend from the axis of the .[.column.]. .Iadd.respective shaft .Iaddend.thereof at a different angular orientation than said first arms of the intervening ones of said .[.additional control.]. levers whereby said first arms of said .[.additional control.]. levers are separated into two distinct spaced apart rows thereof. .[.7. An adjustable control console for vehicle as defined in claim 4 wherein said 
     
     
        additional controls are electrical switches..]. 8. An adjustable control console for a vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for latching said .Iadd.pivotable .Iaddend.pedestal against pivoting movement relative to said bracket means comprises an arm pivoted to one of said .[.links.]. .Iadd.link members .Iaddend.and having means for engaging another of said .[.links.]. .Iadd.link members .Iaddend.at any of a plurality of relative angular orientations of said .[.links.]. .Iadd.link members.Iaddend., and wherein said manually operable element extends upward from said arm and is coupled thereto whereby motion of said element away from said operator's station disenagages said arm and pivots said 
     
     
        .Iadd.pivotable .Iaddend.pedestal away from said operator's station. 9. An adjustable control console for vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said first link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.is closer to said operator's station than said second link .Iadd.member.Iaddend., and wherein said means for latching said .Iadd.pivotable .Iaddend.pedestal against pivoting movement relative to said bracket means comprises: a first arm pivoted to said first link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.and extending towards said second link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.and having a plurality of spaced apart notches and having a slot extending therealong,   a member disposed adjacent said first arm and having a slot oriented substantially at right angles to said slot of said first arm,   a first rod extending transversely from said member into said slot of said first arm,   a second rod extending transversely from said first arm to overlap said member,   a third rod extending from said second link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.adjacent said notches of said first arm and through said slot of said member and proportioned to be received in a selected one of said notches of said first arm, and   said manually operable element being latch operating means extending from said member and positioned to be grasped by the operator of said vehicle,   whereby both pulling and pushing motion on said latch operating means by said operator acts to disengage said third rod from a notch of said first arm and said .Iadd.pivotable .Iaddend.pedestal may be pivoted away from said operator's station or towards said operator's station by the same   
     
     
        motion which disengages said third rod from said first arm. 10. An adjustable control console for a vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second .[.links.]. .Iadd.link members .Iaddend.are channel members and further comprising a pair of overlapping side plates disposed at each side of said .Iadd.pivotable .Iaddend.pedestal one of said pair of side plates at each side of said .Iadd.pivotable .Iaddend.pedestal being secured to said first link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.and the other being secured to the second link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.whereby the region between said .[.links.]. .Iadd.link members .Iaddend.is substantially 
     
     
        enclosed. 11. An adjustable control console for a vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said first link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.is closest to said operator's station and is of greater length than said second link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.with the lower end of said first link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.being pivoted to said bracket means at a level below the pivotable attachment of the lower end of said second link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.thereto and wherein the pivot attachments of said platform link .Iadd.member .Iaddend.to the top end of said first and second .[.links.]. .Iadd.link members .Iaddend.are more closely spaced than the pivot attachments of the lower end of said .[.links.]. .Iadd.link members .Iaddend.to said bracket means. .Iadd. 12. An adjustable control console for a vehicle having control valves with actuator arms connected thereto comprising: a console support bracket means having means for fixed attachment to said vehicle adjacent the operator's station thereof,   a pivotable pedestal having a lower end attached to said bracket means and extending substantially upward therefrom, said pedestal having first and second upwardly extending link members each having a lower end pivoted to said bracket means for oscillation about spaced apart parallel axes, said pedestal further having a third platform link member extending between the upper ends of said first and second link members and being pivoted to each thereof to maintain said third link member in a substantially fixed orientation relative to said bracket means as said pedestal is pivoted relative thereto,   steering wheel for said vehicle situated adjacent said platform link member and supported thereby for movement therewith,   latching means for locking said pedestal against pivoting movement relative to said bracket means at any of a plurality of inclinations relative thereto said latching means having a manually operable element for selectively releasing said latching means to enable pivoting of said pedestal relative to said bracket means, and   a plurality of additional controls for said vehicle pivotably mounted on said pedestal at the upper end thereof, said control levers including a first series of control levers situated at a first side of said pedestal in a column extending outward therefrom, a second series of control levers disposed at the other side of said pedestal and extending outward therefrom in a column colinear with said first series of control levers, and a plurality of links each having one end pivotally connected to one of the control levers and the other end pivotally connected to one of the actuator arms. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 13. An adjustable control console for a vehicle as defined in claim 12 wherein said control levers have first arms adapted for manual manipulation by the operator and second arms extending radially from the axis of said columns of control levers, said links being pivotally connected to the second arms. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 14. An adjustable control console for a vehicle having control valves with actuator arms connected thereto comprising:   a console support bracket means having means for fixed attachment to said vehicle adjacent the operator's station thereof,   a pivotable pedestal having a lower end attached to said bracket means and extending substantially upward therefrom, said pedestal having first and second upwardly extending link members each having a lower end pivoted to said bracket means for oscillation about spaced apart parallel axes, said pedestal further having a third platform link member extending between the upper ends of said first and second link members and being pivoted to each thereof to maintain said third link member in a substantially fixed orientation relative to said bracket means as said pedestal is pivoted relative thereto,   a first manually manipulatable control element for said vehicle situated adjacent said platform link member and supported thereby for movement therewith,   latching means for locking said pedestal against pivoting movement relative to said bracket means at any of a plurality of inclinations relative thereto, said latching means having a manually operable element for selectively releasing said latching means to enable pivoting of said pedestal relative to said bracket means,   a plurality of additional controls for said vehicle pivotably mounted on said pedestal at the upper end thereof, said additional controls including a first series of additional controls situated at a first side of said pedestal in a column extending outwardly therefrom parallel to the pivot axes of said link members,   a second series of additional controls disposed at the other side of said pedestal and extending outwardly therefrom in a column colinear with said first series of controls,   said additional controls being pivotable angled levers having first arms adapted for manual manipulation by the operator and having second arms extending radially from the axis of said columns of said additional controls, and   a plurality of link means each extending from an individual one of said second arms of said control elements towards said bracket means for   
     
     
        operating said actuator arms of said control valves. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. An adjustable control console for a vehicle as defined in claim 14 wherein said manually maniputable control element is a steering wheel, and further comprising a steering wheel support having said steering wheel rotatable attached thereto, said steering wheel support being pivoted to said platform link member whereby the orientation of said steering wheel relative to said platform link member may be selectively changed by pivoting of said steering wheel support thereon, and clamp means for locking said steering wheel support at a selected orientation relative to said platform link member. .Iaddend.