Overcenter latch mechanism for a tilting truck cab

Claim 2

In a truck type vehicle including a chassis and a movable occupant cab mounted on the forward end of the chassis for tilting movement transversely of the vehicle so as to move the cab between a lower use position and a forwardly tilted raised position, an overcenter latch mechanism for selectively holding the cab in the lower use position and comprising, a keeper mounted on the vehicle chassis generally adjacent the rear end of the cab when the cab is in the lower use position, an integral bolt including a lower hooked portion and an upper bighted portion, the hooked portion opening to one side of the bolt to receive the keeper and the bighted portion opening to the opposite side of the bolt as the hooked portion, a bolt support member with one portion pivoted to the upper end of the bighted portion of the bolt about a movable first axis, pintle support means mounted on the cab and pivotally supporting another portion of the bolt support member so that this member is movable between first and second positions about a second axis that is parallel to the first axis, the bolt being moved to latched or unlatched positions with respect to the keeper as the support member is respectively moved to either the first or second position, stop means mounted by the pintle means so as to be received by the open side of the bighted portion of the bolt during movement thereof to latched position and to engage the bolt in an overcenter relationship with respect to the keeper and the first axis to thereby maintain the latch mechanism in a self-straining latched condition and the cab in the lower use position, and selectively operable means for moving the bolt support member between the first and second positions to move the stop means into and out of the overcenter relationship such that unlatching of the latch mechanism and tilting of the cab to the raised position is possible.

Claim 3

In a truck type vehicle including a chassis and a movable occupant cab mounted on the forward end of the chassis for tilting movement transversely of the vehicle so as to move the cab between a lower use position and a forwardly tilted raised position, an overcenter latch mechanism for selectively holding the cab in the lower use position and comprising, a keeper resiliently mounted on the vehicle chassis generally adjacent the rear end of the cab when the cab is in the lower use position, an integral bolt including a lower hooked portion and an upper bighted portion, the hooked portion opening to one side of the bolt to receive the keeper and the bighted portion opening to the opposite side of the bolt as the hooked portion, a bolt support link with one end thereof pivoted to the upper end of the bighted portion of the bolt about a movable first axis, a pintle member mounted on the cab and pivotally supporting the other end of the bolt support link so that this link is movable between first and second positions about a second axis that is parallel to the first axis, engageable portions mounted by the support link and the bolt for moving the bolt against gravity to an inclined unlatched position during movement of the support link to the second position, the bolt slidably engaging the keeper under the bias of gravity and moving to a latched position with respect to the keeper as the support link is moved to the first position from the second position, the pintle member Being received by the open side of the bighted portion of the bolt during movement thereof to latched position and engaging the bolt in an overcenter relationship with respect to the keeper and the movable first axis to thereby maintain the latch mechanism in a self-straining latched condition and the cab in the lower use position, and manually operable means for selectively moving the bolt support link between the first and second positions to move the pintle member into and out of the overcenter relationship such that unlatching of the latch mechanism and tilting of the cab to the raised position is possible.

Claim 4

In a truck type vehicle including a chassis and a movable occupant cab mounted on the forward end of the chassis for tilting movement transversely of the vehicle so as to move the cab between a lower use position and a forwardly tilted raised position, an overcenter latch mechanism for selectively holding the cab in the lower use position and comprising, a keeper resiliently mounted on the vehicle chassis generally adjacent the rear end of the cab when the cab is in the lower use position, an integral bolt including a lower hooked portion and an upper bighted portion, the hooked portion opening to one side of the bolt to receive the keeper and the bighted portion opening to the opposite side of the bolt as the hooked portion, a bolt support link with one end thereof pivoted to the upper end of the bighted portion of the bolt about a movable first axis, a pintle member mounted on the cab and pivotally supporting the other end of the bolt support link so that this link is movable between first and second positions about a second axis that is parallel to the first axis, engageable portions mounted by the support link and the bolt for moving the bolt against gravity to an inclined unlatched position during movement of the support link to the second position, the bolt slidably engaging the keeper under the bias of gravity and moving to a latched position with respect to the keeper as the support link is moved to the first position from the second position, the pintle member Being received by the open side of the bighted portion of the bolt during movement thereof to latched position and engaging the bolt in an overcenter relationship with respect to the keeper and the movable first axis to thereby maintain the latch mechanism in a self-straining latched condition and the cab in the lower use position, and manually operable means for selectively moving the bolt support link between the first and second positions to move the pintle member into and out of the overcenter relationship such that unlatching of the latch mechanism and tilting of the cab to the raised position is possible.

Claim 5

In a truck type vehicle including a chassis and a movable occupant cab mounted on the forward end of the chassis for tilting movement transversely of the vehicle so as to move the cab between a lower use position and a forwardly tilted raised position, an overcenter latch mechanism for selectively holding the cab in the lower use position and comprising, a keeper resiliently mounted on the vehicle chassis generally adjacent the rear end of the cab when the cab is in the lower use position, an integral bolt including a lower hooked portion and an upper bighted portion, the hooked portion opening to one side of the bolt to receive the keeper and the bighted portion opening to the opposite side of the bolt as the bighted portion, a pair of bolt support links arranged in spaced generally parallel relationship with the upper end of the bighted portion of the bolt received between one pair of ends of the links and pivoted thereto for movement about a movable first axis, a pintle pin mounted on the cab and pivotally supporting the other pair of ends of the links so that the links are movable between first and second positions about a second axis that is parallel to the first axis, a control member extending between the links and engaging the bolt during movement of the links to the second position so as to move the bolt against gravity to an inclined unlatched position, the bolt slidably engaging the keeper under the bias of gravity and moving to a latched position with respect to the keeper as the support links move to the first position from the second position, the pintle pin being received by the open side of the bighted portion of the bolt during movement thereof to latched position and engaging the bolt in an overcenter relationship with respect to the keeper and first axis to thereby maintain the latch mechanism in a self-straining latched condition and the cab in the lower use position, and manually operable means for selectively moving the bolt support links between the first and second positions to move the pintle pin into and out of the overcenter relationship so as to selectively allow unlatching of the latch mechanism and tilting movement of the cab to the raised position.

Claim 6

In a truck type vehicle including a chassis and a movable occupant cab mounted on the forward end of the chassis for tilting movement transversely of the vehicle so as to move the cab between a lower use position and a forwardly tilted raised position, an overcenter latch mechanism for selectively holding the cab in the lower use position and comprising, a keeper resiliently mounted on the vehicle chassis generally adjacent the rear end of the cab when the cab is in the lower use position, an integral bolt including a lower hooked portion and an upper bighted portion, the hooked portion opening to one side of the bolt to receive the keeper and the bighted portion opening to the opposite side of the bolt as the bighted portion, a pair of bolt support links arranged in spaced generally parallel relationship with the upper end of the bighted portion of the bolt received between one pair of ends of the links and pivoted thereto for movement about a movable first axis, a pintle pin mounted on the cab and pivotally supporting the other pair of ends of the links so that the links are movable between first and second positions about a second axis that is parallel to the first axis, a control member extending between the links and engaging the bolt during movement of the links to the second position so as to move the bolt against gravity to an inclined unlatched position, the bolt slidably engaging the keeper under the bias of gravity and moving to a latched position with respect to the keeper as the support links move to the first position from the second position, the pintle pin being received by the open side of the bighted portion of the bolt during movement thereof to latched position and engaging the bolt in an overcenter relationship with respect to the keeper and first axis to thereby maintain the latch mechanism in a self-straining latched condition and the cab in the lower use position, and manually operable means for selectively moving the bolt support links between the first and second positions to move the pintle pin into and out of the overcenter relationship so as to selectively allow unlatching of the latch mechanism and tilting movement of the cab to the raised position.

Claim 7

In a truck type vehicle including a chassis and a movable occupant cab mounted on the forward end of the chassis for tilting movement transversely of the vehicle so as to move the cab between a lower use position and a forwardly tilted raised position, an overcenter latch mechanism for selectively holding the cab in the lower use position and comprising, a first pair of spaced support members mounted on the cab adjacent the rear end of the cab, a second pair of spaced support members mounted on the chassis so as to be cooperable with the first pair to position the rear end of the cab in the lower use position, a keeper arrangement located between the second pair of support members on the chassis and including a keeper resiliently supported for limited movement on the chassis by way of a helical spring, an integral bolt including a lower hooked portion and an upper bighted portion, the hooked portion opening to one side of the bolt to receive the keeper and the bighted portion opening to the opposite side of the bolt as the hooked portion, a pair of bolt support links arranged in spaced generally parallel relationship with the upper end of the bighted portion of the bolt receIved between one pair of ends of the links and pivoted thereto for movement about a movable first axis, a pintle pin extending between the first pair of support members on the cab and pivotally supporting the other pair of ends of the links so that these links are movable between first and second positions about a second axis that is parallel to the first axis, a control member extending between the links and having a control surface that engages the bolt during movement of the links to the second position so as to move the bolt against gravity to an inclined unlatched position, the bolt slidably engaging the keeper under the bias of gravity and moving to a latched position with respect to the keeper as the support links move to the first position from the second position, the pintle pin being received by the open side of the bighted portion of the bolt during movement thereof to latched position and engaging the bolt in an overcenter relationship with respect to the keeper and the first axis to thereby maintain the latch mechanism in a self-straining latched condition and the cab in the lower use position, and a manually operable means connected to the bolt support links to move these links between the first and second positions and to thereby move the pintle pin into and out of the overcenter relationship so as to selectively allow unlatching of the latch mechanism and tilting movement of the cab to the raised position.

Claim 8

In a truck type vehicle including a chassis and a movable occupant cab mounted on the forward end of the chassis for tilting movement transversely of the vehicle so as to move the cab between a lower use position and a forwardly tilted raised position, an overcenter latch mechanism for selectively holding the cab in the lower use position and comprising, a first pair of spaced support members mounted on the cab adjacent the rear end of the cab, a second pair of spaced support members mounted on the chassis so as to be cooperable with the first pair to position the rear end of the cab in the lower use position, a keeper arrangement located between the second pair of support members on the chassis and including a keeper resiliently supported for limited movement on the chassis by way of a helical spring, an integral bolt including a lower hooked portion and an upper bighted portion, the hooked portion opening to one side of the bolt to receive the keeper and the bighted portion opening to the opposite side of the bolt as the hooked portion, a pair of bolt support links arranged in spaced generally parallel relationship with the upper end of the bighted portion of the bolt receIved between one pair of ends of the links and pivoted thereto for movement about a movable first axis, a pintle pin extending between the first pair of support members on the cab and pivotally supporting the other pair of ends of the links so that these links are movable between first and second positions about a second axis that is parallel to the first axis, a control member extending between the links and having a control surface that engages the bolt during movement of the links to the second position so as to move the bolt against gravity to an inclined unlatched position, the bolt slidably engaging the keeper under the bias of gravity and moving to a latched position with respect to the keeper as the support links move to the first position from the second position, the pintle pin being received by the open side of the bighted portion of the bolt during movement thereof to latched position and engaging the bolt in an overcenter relationship with respect to the keeper and the first axis to thereby maintain the latch mechanism in a self-straining latched condition and the cab in the lower use position, and a manually operable means connected to the bolt support links to move these links between the first and second positions and to thereby move the pintle pin into and out of the overcenter relationship so as to selectively allow unlatching of the latch mechanism and tilting movement of the cab to the raised position.