CELEX: 51973PC2091
Language: en
Date: 1973-12-18
Title: Amending of the proposal for a Directive on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to certain components and characteristics of wheeled agricultural tractors (Amendment presented by the Commission to the Council pursuant to Article 149, second paragraph, of the EEC Treaty)

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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (73) 2091
Vol. 1973/0376
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                             COM(73)2091 final
                                                             Brus sel s . 18 December 1973
      Amending of the proposal for a Directive on the approximation of the
        -   laws of the Member States relating to certain components and
                  characteristics of wheeled agricultural tractors
                     ■■   ■   I   I II I     I »■ I !... -         ■ ■        ) ■ ■
            (Amendment presented by the Commission to the Council
             pursuant to Article 149 t second paragraph , of the EEC
             Treaty)                       >                     .
                      • •                -                 >
  C0II(72 ) 2091 final
 ---pagebreak---                          Explanatory memorandum
1 . GENERAL
Into the framework formed "by the Community-wide type–approval
procedure which was the subject of the Directive approved by
the Council on 19 December 1972 , is to "be fitted a whole series
of specific directives concerning technical requirements and
methods of checking to which wheeled agricultural tractors are
to "be subject when EKC type-approval is applied for .
As part of that procedure , the Commission forwarded to the Council
on 23 July 1968 a proposal for a Directive on the approximation
of the laws of the Member States relating to certain components
and characteristics of wheeled agricultural tractors'' .
As regards the requirements relating to the field of vision
which are the subject of Title XII of the Annex to the above-
mentioned proposal for a Directive , the Commission, in view of
the fact that , it has not yet been possible to formulate the
general requirements relating to the field of vision of motor
vehicles to which it was proposed to make reference , and the
fact that a technical solution was established for the field of
vision of agricultural tractors , thought it appropriate to amend
its original proposal ty submitting technical requirements
intended to providing a Community solution for this characteristic .
  OJ No C 125, 28 November 1 968 , page 37
 ---pagebreak---                                    -2-
II . COMiDM1 OF THE PROPOSAL TOR A DIK5CTIVE
     The new Title XII provides -that all tractors must "be so constractcd
     and ecfuippcd as to ensure that the driver has an adequate field
     of vision in all the usual conditions of road traffic or work in
     the fields .  Detailed requirements lay down the conditions to be
     fulfilled for the field of vision to "be considered adequate .
     In particular , a procedure is prescribed for delimiting masked
     zones as are an alternative mathematical method , and requirements
     relating to the transparent area of the windscreen and to windscreen
     wipers if fitted .
     The text of Title XII of the original proposal is therefore
     replaced by the following:
 ---pagebreak---                                  TITLE        XII
                                 ÏTELD OF VISIOÎT
          EEFIITITIOrrS AED R5QUIRSITSNTS RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION
                                 AMD CHUCKING             '
1.    DEFINITIONS
l.l.Ficld of vision
      " Field of vision" means all forward and iidoward directions in
      which the driver of the tractor oan see .
1.2 . Référencé point
      "Reference point " means the conventionally fixed position of the
      tractor driver 's eyes , which are notionally located at a single
      point .   The reference point is situated in the plane parallel to
      the longitudinal median plane of the tractor and passing through
      the centre of the seat , 700 mm vertically above the line of
      intersection of that plane and the surface of the seat and 270 mm
      in the direction of the pelvic support from the vertical plane
      tangent to the front edge of the surface of the seat and
      perpendicular to the longitudinal median plane of the tractor
      (Figure l ).
1.3 • Hémicycle of vision
      "Heinicycle of vision" means the semicircle described "by the
      radius of 12 m about a point situated in the horizontal plane
      of the road vertically "below the reference point in such a way
      that the arc of the semicircle , as viewed in the direction of
      motion, lies in front of the tractor , and that the diameter
      delimiting the heinicycle is at right angles to the longitudinal
      axis of the tractor (Figure 2).
1.4 .Masked zones
      "Masked zones" means the horizontal, surfaces in the plane of
      the heaioycle of vision which cannot/ "be seen from the reference
      point owing to structures forming an inherent part of the tractor .
 ---pagebreak---  1.5 . Masking effect
         "Masking effect " neans the chords of the sectors of the ho mi cycle
         of vision which cannot he seen owing to structural components ,
         e.g. , roof pillars .
1.6 . Sector of vision
         " Sector of vision" means the portion of the field of vision
         delimited :
1.6.1 . upwards
             by a horizontal plane passing through the reference point ;
1.6.2 . in the plane of the road ,
             "by the zone lying outside the hemicycle of vision, and
             forming the continuation of the seotor of the hemicycle
             of vision, whose 9»5 a chord is perpendicular to the plane
            parallel to the longitudinal median plane of the tractor
            passing through the centre of the driver's seat , and i3
            "bisected "by that plane .
1.7 .       Field covered "by the windscreen wipers
            "Field oovered "by the windscreen wipers" means the area of
            the outer surface of the windscreen swept "by the windsoreen
            wipers .
2.      CONSTRUCTION AMD CHECKING HEOTIEEMSHTS
2.1 . General
        The tractor must "be constructed and equipped in such a way that
        in road traffic the driver has an adequate field of vision in all
        the usual road and atmospheric conditions .    The field of vision
        is considered adequate when the following requirements are
        fulfilled .
2 . 2 . Checking of the field of vision
2.2.1 .       Procedure for determining masked zones
2.2.1.1 The tractor must "be placed on a horizontal surface m a room,
            whioh can "be darkened , in accordance with Figure 2 .
            Place a point light source at the reference point in order
            to determine the extent of masked zones appearing in the plan «
            of tho hemicyolo of vision .
 ---pagebreak---                                         -3-
2.2.1.2 .    The masked sones as do fined in item 1.4 « must not overlap
             hemicycle of vision .
2.2.1.3 .    The masking effect referred to in item 1.5 . may not exceed
            the values given in Figure 3 "by the lowest separation curb
             illustrated in the graph in that Figure .
2.2.1.4 .   Ifesking effects due to adjacent structural components , over
            80 am in width must "be positioned in such a way that the
            line joining the centres of the ohords of the sectors of
            the hemicycle of vision which cannot he seen i3 not less
            than 2.50 m in length.
2.2.1.5 .   There may be no more than six masking effects in the hemicycle
            of vision and no more than two inside the sector of vision
            defined in item 1.5 .
2.2.1.6 .   lfe.sid.ng effects having values "between the upper and lower
            separation curbs in the graph in Figure 3 are permitted if
           the structural components causing them cannot be shaped or
           positioned otherwise . There may be not more than two masking
           effects of this kind , and they must not be within the
            sector of vision .
2.2.1.7 .   Obstacles to vision due to the presence of a rear-vxew mirror
            of an approved type are disregarded .
2.2.2 .    Mathematical determination of masking effects
2.2.2.1 .  As an alternative to the check referred to in item 2.2.1 .,
          tthe acceptability of masking effects may be verified
           mathematically. The requirements of items 2.2.1.4 . and
            2.2.1.5 . apply as regards the distribution of masking
           effeots according to their number .
2.2.2.2 .  For binocular vision and inter-ocular distance of 65 mm the
           masking effect is given by the formula
                                 –    =     2?- χ 12.000
                                      a
            in which :
           a is the distance in millimetres between the component
               obstructing vision . and the reference point measured
               along the visual radius joining the reference point ,
               the centre of the component and the perimeter of the
               hemicycle of vision.
           b is the width in millimetres of the component obstructing
               vision measured horizontally and perpendicular to the
               visual radius .
2.2.2.3 .  Tho masking effects determined by the procedure specified
            in item 2.2.2.2 . shall not exceed 60 mm.     Two 1200 mm
            masking effects are permitted , however , provided that
           they are outside the sector of vision and arc caused
           by components which cannot be shaped or arranged otherv/ise .
 ---pagebreak---                                    -4-
2.3 .   Transparent area of the windsoreen.
      r If the tractor is provided with a windscreen, the transparent
        area thereof must be such that the requirements of item 2
        are satisfied .
2.4.    Windscreen wipers .
2.4.1 . If the tractor is provided with a windsoreen it crust also be
        equipped with motor-driven windscreen wipers . The field
        covered by the windscreen wipers must ensure unobstructed
        forward vision corresponding to at least 8 m of the ohord
        of the sector of vision.
2.4.2 . The rate of operation of the windscreen wipers mist be at
        least 20 cycles per minute .
 ---pagebreak---                           - 5 -
      • y/ N                       S
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 ---pagebreak---                  6 –
              \               /            /
                     \    /     Sector of vision
I                        ^ \           Reference point
i
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          . •      .
                Tp-j   ?
                            ■        '
 ---pagebreak---                        MASKING EPfECT ON TIB HEMXCYCLE OF VISION
                        (EYES COINCIDE AT THE REFERENCE POINT)
Examples
Width                  Distance      Masking effect                  Comment
          100           1000                  1.2               Acceptable
           240          1600                  1.6               Unacceptable
 ... 160                1200                  1.6               Unacceptable in sector of
                                                                vision "but acceptable
                                                                outside it in certain cases .
                   Width of structural component obstructing vision, measure
                   along the visual radius .
     V'v
' "           1 iro
  '           \& "
                  i\\\v\\\V \°,M        C/>s.              Limit of masking effect
                   U \\\ VN VV"
    -!              •"                                                         – outèide the
      J                                                                        sector of vision
       j                                                                         inside the sector
                                1                                                of vision
        |                        5 «               ^
         i
                              ' 1 í; !t
         I                        »   »                    –     .. – "~ ~r~ m
         1              " ,r,w                 tiOU   tSOO   J               ^
 Distance between the structural component obstructing vision and
 the reference - point ( mm).
                                              Figure 3