Multiple, interconnected shielding portions (26,28,30) constitute a protection structure (22) which may be arranged relative to a console (10) in an obstructing position so as to shield instruments contained in the console (10) from damage. The multiple shielding portions (26,28,30) are relatively displaceable to permit common occupation of all the shielding portions (26,28,30) in an envelope formed by one of the shielding portions (26). Such common occupation or self-storing design permits the protection structure (22), when removed from the console (10), to be stored in a minimum of space. The protection structure (22) may be assembled in obstructing relationship with the console (10) by displacing the individual shielding portions (26,28,30) to predetermined positions prior to interconnecting the console (10) and one of the components (28) with tabs (38) connected to the component (28) into slots in the console (10). Such interconnection obtains from pivoting the shielding components (26,28,30) simultaneously with inserting the tabs (38) in the slots. At the end of such pivoting movement, a lock (36) disposed on a different shielding portion (26) is engageable with the console to prevent unauthorized pivoting and removal thereof.

DESCRIPTION 
1. Technical Field 
This invention relates generally to apparatus' instrument consoles and, 
more particularly, to a protection structure for shielding such instrument 
consoles. 
2. Background Art 
Off the road and other industrial vehicles are often parked in remote areas 
when they are not in use. Many of such vehicles do not provide operator 
compartments having lock mechanisms and are thus completely accessible. 
Such vehicles are often subjected to vandalism such as breaking of 
intruments, gauges, switches, etc. Repair of such instruments is costly, 
time consuming, and results in nonproductive vehicle downtime since the 
vehicles often cannot be safely operated without those instruments. 
Instrument console guards have been developed and are often effective in 
protecting the console when they are employed. Such guards or covers are 
usually effective in resisting destructive blows to the instrument 
console. The most commonly used protective guard constitutes one or more 
members which can be folded or otherwise inserted into or about the 
instrument console. Providing instrument consoles with such integral or 
attached protective guards enables ready access to the instrument console 
by the operator upon removal of a locking device for securing the 
protective guard in its protective, obstructing position relative to the 
instrument console. Examples of such integral or permanently attached 
protective guards are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,841,431, 4,112,718, 
3,452,835, 3,814,205, 3,557,897, and 3,913,701. The aforementioned patents 
respectively issued Oct. 15, 1974, Sept. 12, 1978, July 1, 1969, June 4, 
1974, Jan. 16, 1971, and Oct. 21, 1975. The protective guards which are 
the subject of the aforementioned U.S. patents may be concealed within or 
fastened adjacent the instrument consoles. While such protective guards 
admirably perform the protective service for which they were designed, a 
relatively more complex and expensive instrument console must be developed 
to accommodate them. Also, in cases where the protective guard sustains 
damage, removal of the damaged guard and installation of a replacement 
guard is time consuming and expensive since it results in downtime of the 
utilizing apparatus just as damage to the instrument console would. 
However, providing a portable instrument console protection guard which is 
amendable to removal and reinstallation on various vehicles presents a 
storage problem since such protection guards are typically of rather bulky 
size and, for convenience sake, must be stored within the relatively small 
confines of an operator compartment. 
The present invention is directed toward solving one or more of the prior 
art console guard's disadvantages. Namely, it was determined that a 
desirable instrument console protection guard would have the features of 
portability, compact design, convenient storage, and permit the use of an 
instrument console of relatively inexpensive design. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
In one aspect of the present invention, a portable instrument console 
protection structure is provided which includes at least two pivotally 
joined shielding portions which, when arranged in the desired relative 
positions in closely spaced relation with an instrument console, obstruct 
access and thus prevent damage to the instrument console. Due to their 
pivotal interconnection, at least one shielding portion may be relatively 
pivoted and configured within another shielding portion such that when the 
shielding portions are not in their functionally obstructing positions 
relative to the instrument console, they are self-storing in a compact 
envelope which is amenable to storage. The present invention also has 
provisions for interconnecting the individual shielding portions with the 
instrument console when the shielding portions are in closely spaced 
obstructing positions relative to the instrument console so as to prevent 
the unauthorized removal of the protection structure, as a whole, from the 
instrument console.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawings in detail, a subject instrument console 10 
which is supported by a support leg 11 has a central console face 2, a 
first console face 14, a second console face 16, and a third console face 
17. A steering wheel 18 is connected to a steering valve (not shown) 
through a steering shaft 20. While the present invention may be utilized 
with any mateable instrument console, the exemplary instrument console 10 
is arranged, by example, in a motor grader. The instrument console faces 
12,14, and 16 all have either gauges, switches, and/or other instruments 
which are susceptible to damage. In order to protect the faces of the 
instrument console 10 from vandalism during nonuse of the motor grader, a 
self-storing, portable instrument console protection structure 22 is 
provided. 
The console protection structure 22 preferably includes a central shielding 
portion 26, a first extensible shielding portion 28 which is pivotally 
connected at a hinge 29 to the central shielding portion 26, a second 
extensible shielding portion 30 which is pivotally connected at a hinge 29 
to the central shielding portion 26, and means 32 which include a lock 36 
and a pair of bent tabs 38 for engaging with the central and third console 
faces 12 and 17 respectively. The tabs 38 are connected to a swingable end 
28a of the first extensible shielding portion and are insertable in slots 
(not shown) in the third console face 17. The lock 36 is joined to the 
central shielding portion 26 and is activatable with a key or other 
security device. A locking lever 40 which is connected to the lock 36 is 
rotatable into engagement with a locking bracket 42 which is joined to and 
constitutes a part of instrument console 10. The second extensible 
shielding portion 30 is arranged in FIG. 1 in obstructing relation with 
the second console face 16. Each of the hinges 29 preferably constitutes a 
rivet or threaded fastener. 
An alternate console protection structure 22' is illustrated in FIG. 2 and 
includes a central shielding portion 26, a first extensible shielding 
portion 28 which is pivotally connected to the central shielding portion 
26 by a pair of hinges 29, a pair of bent tabs 38 which are connected to 
the first extensible shielding portion 28 and are insertible in slots 
disposed in an instrument console 10', and a lock 36 having a rotatable 
locking lever 40 which enages a slot (not shown) in the instrument console 
10'. The console protection structure 22 illustrated in FIG. 1 has one 
additional extensible shielding portion 30 which serves to cover the 
second console face portion 16. Presently, instruments, gauges, switches, 
etc. are disposed on the three console faces 12, 14, and 16 and thus 
require protection during hours when the utilizing vehicle is unattended. 
However, if and when the instrument console 10 of FIG. 1 is altered to 
that of 10' where all instruments, gauges, switches, etc. are eliminated 
from the second console face 16, the alternate console protection 
structure 22' could be utilized while still obtaining all the advantages 
of the console protection structure 22. 
The protection structure illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 constitute the 
protection structure 22, but it is to be understood that the alternate 
console protection structure 22' would appear the same as those of FIGS. 3 
and 4 except that the second extensible shielding portion 30 would be 
deleted. FIG. 4 illustrates the console protection structure 22 disposed 
in its operating, obstructing configuration (in full lines) and its 
retracted, storage configuration (in phantom lines). An inward protrusion 
46 of the central shielding portion 26 extends inwardly toward the central 
console face 12 when the console protection structure 22 is arranged in 
its obstructing configuration. The swingable end 28a of the first 
extensible shielding portion 28 is, when moved to its retracted position, 
frictionally engageable with the inward protrusion 46 so as to secure the 
first extensible shielding portion 28 in its retracted position. A first 
and a second pair of retention surfaces 48 and 50 are respectively 
disposed on the central shielding portion 26 and the second extensible 
shielding portion 30. Such retention surfaces 48 and 50 are best 
illustrated in FIG. 3. When the second extensible shielding portion 30 is 
retracted to its nonobstructing, storage position as illustrated in 
phantom in FIG. 4, the retention surfaces 50 mounted thereon frictionally 
engage the retention surfaces 48 mounted on the central shielding portion 
26 so as to secure the second extensible shielding portion 30 in its 
retracted position. When the first and second extensible shielding 
portions 28 and 30 are disposed in their retracted positions, the second 
extensible shielding portion 30 overlaps the first extensible shielding 
portion 28 so as to obstruct pivotal movement thereof and provide 
additional force for retaining shielding portion 28 in its retracted 
position. 
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
The instrument console protection structures 22 and 22' may be respectively 
mounted on the instrument consoles 10 and 10' in an obstructing 
configuration (as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2) or, the shielding portions 
28 and 30 thereof may be pivotally retracted so as to permit the shielding 
portion 26 to house the shielding portions 28 and 30 in the case of 
protection structure 22 and to house the shielding portion 28 in the case 
of protection structure 22'. Such retractive, self-storing structure 
provides a compact envelope which is conveniently stored in an operator 
compartment within which the instrument console 10 or 10' is arranged. 
Typical stored positions for such protection structures 22 and 22' are 
illustrated in phantom in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, along the support 
leg 11a of the instrument consoles 10 and 10' respectively. The protection 
structures 22 and 22', when arranged in the retracted, self-storing 
configurations along the support leg 11a of the instrument consoles 10 and 
10' respectively, are illustrated in phantom lines to indicate that such 
protection structures 22 and 22' are only stored in those positions when 
they are not arranged in the illustrated obstructing configurations. 
When it is desired to arrange the console protection structure 22 or 22' in 
its obstructing configuration, the first extensible shielding portion 28 
is pivoted relative to the central shielding portion 26 until the desired 
angle therebetween is attained. In the case of the console protection 
structure 22, the second extensible shielding portion 30 is likewise 
pivoted relative to the central shielding portion 26 until the appropriate 
angle therebetween is attained. Thereafter the bent tabs 38 are first 
inserted in the slots in the console 10 or 10', as appropriate, and the 
entire instrument console protection structure 22 or 22' is pivoted 
relative to the console 10 or 10' until the central shielding portion 26 
achieves an obstructing position in closely spaced relation with the 
console's central face portion 12. In the case of pivotal movement of the 
protection structure 22, the second extensible shielding portion 30 is 
arranged in an obstructing position with the second face 16 of the console 
10. Lock 36 is then rotated to engage the locking lever 40 with the 
console bracket 42. 
The pivoting motion for disposing the console protection structures 22 and 
22' in their obstructing configuration is generally in a counterclockwise 
direction as indicated by the reference direction character A. The bent 
tabs 38 resist movement of the protection structure 22 and 22' in the 
direction generally indicated as B. The second extensible shielding 
portion 30 resists movement of the protection structure 22 in the 
direction generally indicated as C by abuttable engagement of the 
shielding portion 30 with the locking bracket 42 of the instrument console 
10. The locking lever 40, when rotated into engagement with the bracket 
42, prevents pivoting of the protection structure 22 in the direction 
generally indicated as E which is opposite that of A. The lock 36 for the 
alternate console protection structure 22' is disposed in a different 
location so as to simultaneously resist movement of the protection 
structure 22' in the C direction as well as prevent pivoting thereof in 
the E or clockwise direction. 
It is to be again emphasized that while the console protection structure 22 
is preferable since three faces of the console 10 presently require 
protection, protection structure 22' is considered within the purview of 
the present invention even though it has one less extensible shielding 
portion 30. As can be better seen in FIG. 4, the first and second 
extensible shielding portions 28 and 30 will not pivot appreciably beyond 
their desired obstructing positions relative to the central shielding 
portion 26 since further rotation thereof in the A and E directions, 
respectively, will result in interference with the central shielding 
portion 26. The first and second extensible shielding portions 28 and 30 
are engageable in an overlapping relation when they are disposed in their 
retracted positions. The first extensible shielding portion 28 is 
preferably retracted prior to the second extensible shielding portion 30 
which frictionally engages the retention surfaces 48 when retracted and 
obstructs movement of the shielding portion 28 from its retracted position 
in which it is engaged with the inward protrusion 46. 
It should now be apparent that an improved instrument console protection 
structure 22 and 22' has been provided in which effective protection of 
multiple instrument console faces is attained through a relatively simple 
engagement procedure and a self-storing, portable envelope results from 
retracting the extensible shielding portions 28 and 30 into the outline 
formed by the central shielding portion 26. Such collapsible, self-storing 
feature of the protection structure 22 and 22' facilitate storage thereof 
near the instrument console to be protected. Moreover, the construction of 
the protection structures 22 and 22' provides means for releasably 
maintaining its shielding portions in the retracted configuration which 
enables easy handling and storage by the operator of the utilizing 
apparatus.