Patent ID: 11970375
Assignee: CATERPILLAR INC.
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F | IPC B  F

Claim 15:
16. A pipelayer machine, comprising:
a machine chassis;
an operator cabin including:
a seat assembly, and
an opening;

a weight assembly coupled to the machine chassis;
an engine supported by the machine chassis; and
a boom coupled to the machine chassis; and
a winch tower associated with the boom,
wherein the pipelayer machine comprises a front portion and a rear portion,
wherein the weight assembly is provided in the front portion of the pipelayer machine,
wherein the weight assembly is interchangeable with a towing winch assembly that is entirely in front of the operator cabin,
wherein the winch tower is provided between the seat assembly and one of the towing winch assembly or the weight assembly,
wherein the boom is provided adjacent to a lateral surface that is on same side as the opening,
wherein the opening is adjacent to a rear side of the operator cabin,
wherein a section of the boom includes any portion of the boom that is above a bottom of the opening,
wherein an entirety of the section of the boom is entirely in front of an entirety of the opening, and
wherein the seat assembly is configured to face the front portion of the pipelayer machine.