Firefighting vehicle

• US 20060037760A1
• Filed: 08/20/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pierce Manufacturing Incorporated (Oshkosh Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pierce Manufacturing Incorporated (Oshkosh Corporation)
• Inventors: Moore, Michael R., Schultz, Stanley W., Budiac, David N., Froland, Benjamin I., Sebo, Kenneth P., Stecker, Todd S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,234,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 169/24
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 27/00 Fire-fighting land vehicles

Abstract

A firefighting vehicle includes a frame, a fluid pump, and a body having a compartment. In one embodiment, a drive line of the pump passes through a transverse cross member of the frame. In another embodiment, the body includes opposite side sections sandwiching the pump therebetween. In another embodiment, the vehicle includes a pumphouse module in which the body is mounted so as to move in unison with the body relative to the frame. In another embodiment, the vehicle includes a control panel operably coupled to the pump and extending through an opening in the compartment. In another embodiment, the compartment includes a wall having a C-shaped bulkhead.

Claims

1. A firefighting vehicle comprising:

a frame;

a pumphouse module coupled to the frame as a single unit including a pump, plumbing and a pump control panel; and

a body including a compartment, wherein the body is mounted to the pumphouse module and is supported relative to the frame by the pumphouse module so as to move in unison with the module relative to the frame.

2. The firefighting vehicle of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a cross member and wherein the vehicle includes a drive line coupled to the pump and passing through the cross member.

3. The firefighting vehicle of claim 2, wherein the cross member has an upper side and includes an opening extending downwardly from the upper side.

4. The firefighting vehicle of claim 1, wherein the compartment includes a wall having a C-shaped bulkhead formed from one or more structures.

5. The firefighting vehicle of claim 4, wherein the bulkhead forms a cavity along a perimeter of an interior of at least one compartment and wherein the vehicle includes a component within the cavity.

6. The firefighting vehicle of claim 5, wherein the component is selected from a group of components including:

wire harnesses, breaker boxes, vents, shelving tracks, battery conditioners and generator controls.

7. The firefighting vehicle of claim 4 including a panel mounted to the bulkhead across the opening of the bulkhead.

8. The firefighting vehicle of claim 7, wherein the panel is fastened to the bulkhead by one or more fasteners.

9. The firefighting vehicle of claim 8, wherein the compartment has welded seams and wherein the panel conceals the seams.

10. The firefighting vehicle of claim 7, wherein the compartment has welded seams, wherein the panel is mounted to the bulkhead and wherein the panel conceals the seams.

11. The firefighting vehicle of claim 7 including a component within the cavity, wherein the panel conceals the component within the cavity.

12. The firefighting vehicle of claim 1, wherein the compartment has an opening through which the pump control panel extends.

13. The firefighting vehicle of claim 1, wherein the body includes a first side section and a second side section, the first section and the second section being joined to opposite sides of the pumphouse module.

14. The firefighting vehicle of claim 1 including elastomeric members between the frame and the pumphouse module.

15. A firefighting vehicle comprising:

a rotatably driven drive line;

a pump operably coupled to the drive line; and

a frame supporting the pump, the frame including a cross member, wherein the cross member wraps about the drive line.

16. The firefighting vehicle of claim 15, wherein the cross member has a perimeter and an opening extending from the perimeter.

17. The firefighting vehicle of claim 15, wherein the drive line extends in a recess formed in the cross member, the vehicle further including a cover across the recess.

18. The firefighting vehicle of claim 15 including:

a pumphouse module coupled to the frame and including the pump, plumbing and a pump control panel joined as a single unit; and

a body including a compartment, wherein the body is mounted to the pumphouse and is supported relative to the frame by the pumphouse module so as to move with the module relative to the frame.

19. The firefighting vehicle of claim 15, wherein the compartment includes a wall having a C-shaped bulkhead.

20. The firefighting vehicle of claim 15 including:

a first body section having a first compartment on a first transverse side of the pump; and

a second body section having a second compartment on a second opposite transverse side of the pump such that the pump is sandwiched between the first body section and the second body section.

21. The fire fighting vehicle of claim 20 including a pump control panel operably coupled to the pump, wherein the pump control panel extends through an opening in the first compartment.

22. A firefighting vehicle comprising:

a frame;

a fluid pump supported by the frame; and

a body having a compartment, the compartment including a plurality of walls, at least one wall having a C-shaped bulkhead having a cavity and a mouth facing an interior of the compartment.

23. The firefighting vehicle of claim 22 including a component within the cavity.

24. The firefighting vehicle of claim 23, wherein the component is selected from a group of components including:

wire harnesses, breaker boxes, vents, shelving tracks, battery conditioners and generator controls.

25. The firefighting vehicle of claim 22 including a panel joined to the bulkhead across the mouth.

26. The firefighting vehicle of claim 25, wherein the panel is fastened to the bulkhead by one or more fasteners.

27. The firefighting vehicle of claim 26, wherein the compartment includes welded seams and wherein the panel conceals the seams.

28. The firefighting vehicle of claim 22, wherein the compartment has welded seams and wherein the panel is mounted to the bulkhead by fasteners so as to conceal the seams.

29. The firefighting vehicle of claim 22 including:

a component within the cavity; and

a panel coupled to the bulkhead so as to conceal the component.

30. The firefighting vehicle of claim 22, wherein the compartment has an opening and wherein the firefighting vehicle further includes a pump control panel extending through the opening.

31. The firefighting vehicle of claim 22 including a pump, wherein the body includes a first side section and a second side section, the first section and the second section being positioned on opposite sides of the pump.

43. The method of claim 25 including mounting the first body section directly to the pumphouse module such that the first body section moves in unison with the module relative to the frame.

44. The method of claim 43 including mounting the second body section directly to the pumphouse module such that the second body section moves in unison with the module relative to the frame.

32. A firefighting vehicle comprising:

a frame;

a pump control panel; and

a body including a compartment, the compartment having an opening through which the pump control panel extends.

33. The firefighting vehicle of claim 32 including a pumphouse module having a pump, plumbing and the pump control panel joined as a single unit, the pumphouse module being coupled to the frame, wherein the body is mounted to the pumphouse module and is supported relative to the frame by the pumphouse module so as to move in unison with the module relative to the frame.

34. The firefighting vehicle of claim 33 including elastomeric members coupled between the frame and the pumphouse module.

35. The firefighting vehicle of claim 32, wherein the compartment includes a side wall having a C-shaped bulkhead.

36. The firefighting vehicle of claim 32 including a pump operably coupled to the control panel, wherein the body includes a first section on a first side of the pump and a second section on a second opposite side of the pump.

37. A firefighting vehicle comprising:

a frame;

a tank configured to hold at least 500 gallons;

a fluid pump supported by the frame;

a first side body section having at least one compartment mounted relative to the pump on a first transverse side of the pump; and

a second body side section having a second compartment mounted relative to the pump on a second opposite transverse side of the pump.

38. The firefighting vehicle of claim 37, wherein the pump is rearward of the tank.

39. The firefighting vehicle of claim 37 including a rearward most axle, wherein the pump is rearward of the axle.

40. A method of constructing a firefighting vehicle, a method comprising:

preassembling a pumphouse module including a pump, plumbing and a pump control panel joined as a single unit;

mounting the module to a vehicle frame;

preassembling a first side body section and a second side body section;

mounting the first body section relative to the pumphouse module on a first side of the pumphouse module; and

mounting the second body section relative to the pumphouse module on a second side of the pumphouse module.

41. The method of claim 40 including passing the control panel through a horizontal opening in the first body section.

42. The method of claim 41 including mounting the first body section directly to the pumphouse module such that the first body section moves with the module relative to the frame.