Field of Invention:
The present invention relates to improved cabin visibility for pick and carry
type crane and more particularly improvements in the field of view of operator
while driving and working on a pick and carry crane by placing additional view
mirror inside the cabin of crane.
Background of the Invention:
In the known art of pick and carry type hydraulic mobile crane, operators are
trained to carefully and safely drive the crane while transporting and operations
during working on the crane. The operator sits inside the cabin of pick and carry
crane and controls the machine while transporting from one location to the other
location. and while working on the crane. This working on the crane involves
picking and carrying of load with crane boom from one location to another
location. The workloads are generally positioned at distances like 4 to 12 meters
and heights like 1 to 16 meters.
In the design of such pick and carry type of cranes, the operator sits on the right
side of the crane inside the cabin, for transporting and working of the crane and
while transporting the operator has to take care of crane's safe movements at the
work places and on the roads. Also the Indian driving conditions provide for a
right hand steering system and right offset driving seat for the operator on the
road for automobiles and equipment like cranes. In the design of such pick and
carry type cranes known in the art, multiple chassis are joined together to form a
crane which has boom projecting towards front wheels and past the front wheels
while cabin is situated behind the boom on another chassis.
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In such a crane construction the front wheels are mounted on a chassis called
main frame and this chassis also has provision to mount boom on an elevated
point from front wheels. This main frame chassis is connected to another chassis
called cradle and yoke. Further another chassis known as tractor chassis is
joined with cradle and yoke. The operator cab is mounted on the tractor chassis.
By virtue of such a design of crane the seating of operator towards the right side
of crane limits the field of view due to boom mounting of mainframe coming in
the field of view of left side of front tyres. While operator can easily see the
right side of front tyres and for viewing left side of front tyres the operator has
to bend side ways to have a view of left side of front tyres.
Disadvantage with such construction of cranes is that during working these
cranes are required to move from one place to other on roads amidst the traffic
conditions. The mobility of the cranes is however difficult in the traffic as the
view of the road in front of left side of front tyres to the driver is restricted by
the boom mounting in the front.
Another disadvantage of such construction of cranes is the operator fatigue due
to frequent bending to the left side and in taking complete view of the road and
work site in front side ofleft tyres.
Another disadvantage of such construction is lack of efficiency in working of
the crane and in safe transportation.
The above disadvantages of the known prior art are overcome by a proposed
improved construction of a cabin view wherein there are provided
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improvements in the field of view of operator while driving and working on a
pick and carry crane by placing additional view mirror insi4e the cabin of crane.
Object of the Invention:
The objective of the present invention to improve the front left side visibility by
placing view mirrors on left side of crane which enable the operator to view the
left front side with improved visibility without bending to the left side. To make
a crane construction more efficient and operator friendly there are many other
types of cranes in which the cabin is shifted nearer to the front left and right
tyres while the boom is mounted behind the cabin so that the .operator can have
a clear front side view required for efficient performance of cranes. The cost
and size of such type of cranes is much higher than the pick and carry crane
described with disadvantage of left front side visibility.
Inside the operator cabin of pick and carry type of crane known in the art, a
convex mirror is fitted to LH side inside of the cab to a suitable support. This
convex mirror is positioned in such a way that while operator sitting on right
side of the cab can see in this convex mirror and see the view of LH front side
and beyond the LH front side tyres in crane.
Summary of the Invention
According to the present invention there is provided improved cabin visibility
for pick and carry type crane with a layout wherein the cab is located behind the
boom mounting and front wheels, a mirror being placed inside the cabin on its
left side suitably mounted on the bracket mounting and facing the windscreen of
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the cab and at appropriate angle, so that the operator sitting on the right side of
the cab can have an improved view of the front left side of tyres and beyond the
front left side tyres.
A mirror being placed on the left side in such a way on a bracket with a hole so
that the mirror mounting can be adjusted and locked at a particular position that
gives the best view of front left side, the mirror frame being provided a rod with
ball joint arrangement so that the same can be further adjusted as needed.
The mirror being of convex in nature, so that a telescopic view of the road and
the traffic ahead can be obtained, the telescopic view being of help in more
distant visibility of the road to the operator.
Being mounted on a crane capable of pick and carry type of work but not
limited in its application to other types of cranes.
Due to the obstruction from bulky mounting of the boom in the pick and carry
cranes, there is poor visibility of the road conditions and traffic on the left side
of the road. This is shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. Thus as
shown in ~ figure 1 which shows the blind zone on road on the left side of the
driver, the red zone is the blind zone on the left side of the operator's seat which
operator cannot see unless he bends to the left side.
In order to increase the visibility of the road, the provision of a convex mirror
mounted on left side inside the cab on a suitable mounting is provided at an
angle to the driver. As a result of this mirror, the driver gains accessibility to the
visibility of road on the left side of the machine through its reflection in the
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mirror. With this field of view on the left side of crane of front left tyres and
beyond the left side tyres in available to operator to see while sitting at the right
side position inside the cab and without any need of bending towards left side.
This improves the driving conditions and provides for better drivability.
As shown in the Figure 2 which shows accessibility of blind zone and visibility
of the r~ad on the left side of the driver by capturing it on ,a convex mirror, the
blind zone is captured by the mirror which then sends back the reflection to the
driver. This improves the driving conditions and safety of vehicle operations.
This convex mirror is also adjustable and can be turned to adjust field of view as
per operator's need during working and during transportation of crane. Figure 3
(a-g) shows various views of the convex mirror provided to capture the blind
zone on the road on the left front of driver which are photographs and mirror
locations wherein Fig 3 (a) is the front view of the mirror (301), Fig 3 (b) is the
side view of the mirror (301), Fig 3 (c) is the view from left side of the machine
(302), Fig 3 (d) is the view from inside of the cabin (302), Fig 3 (e) is the mirror
capturing road on left side of driver originally in the blind zone (303), Fig 3 (t)
is the view from the drivers location (303) and Fig 3 (g) is-the zoomed view of
the mirror. The main features and advantages associated with the invention
concept are as follows: a cost effective solution which can be easily installed
and commissioned on new as well as existing machines; further the mirror can
be easily adjusted for various driving positions and hence has an in-built feature
of realignment as per the driver's requirements.

WE CLAIM:
I. Improved cabin visibility for pick and carry type crane with a layout
wherein the cab is located behind the boom mounting and front wheels, a mirror
being placed inside the cabin on its left side suitably mounted on the bracket
mounting and facing the windscreen of the cab and at appropriate angle, so that
the operator sitting on the right side of the cab can have an improved view of
the front left side of tyres and beyond the front left side tyres.
2. Improved cabin visibility for pick and carry type crane as claimed in
claim I, wherein a mirror being placed on the left side in such a way on a
bracket with a hole so that the mirror mounting can be adjusted and locked at a
particular position that gives the best view of front left side, the mirror frame
being provided a rod with ball joint arrangement so that the same can be further
adjusted as needed.
3. Improved cabin visibility for pick and carry type crane with a mirror
being placed inside on the left side as claimed in claim I, wherein the mirror
being of convex in nature, so that a telescopic view of the road and the traffic
ahead can be obtained, the telescopic view being of help in more distant
visibility of the road to the operator.

4. Improved cabin visibility for pick and carry type crane with a mirror
being placed inside on the left side as claimed in claim 1, being mounted on a
crane capable of pick and carry type of work but not limited in its application to
other types of cranes.