CA1095466A - Apparatus for storing aircraft - Google Patents
Apparatus for storing aircraftInfo
- Publication number
- CA1095466A CA1095466A CA308,391A CA308391A CA1095466A CA 1095466 A CA1095466 A CA 1095466A CA 308391 A CA308391 A CA 308391A CA 1095466 A CA1095466 A CA 1095466A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- aircraft
- chassis
- supporting means
- landing gear
- supporting
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
- 230000008093 supporting effect Effects 0.000 claims description 60
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 description 9
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000009740 moulding (composite fabrication) Methods 0.000 description 3
- 229920000136 polysorbate Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 230000000712 assembly Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000000429 assembly Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005086 pumping Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005096 rolling process Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64F—GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B64F1/00—Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations
- B64F1/22—Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations for handling aircraft
- B64F1/222—Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations for handling aircraft for storing aircraft, e.g. in hangars
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
- Warehouses Or Storage Devices (AREA)
- Handcart (AREA)
- Vehicle Cleaning, Maintenance, Repair, Refitting, And Outriggers (AREA)
- Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
- Arrangements For Transmission Of Measured Signals (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An apparatus for storing aircraft in a raised position so that the wings of the aircraft can overlap the wings of adjacent aircraft stored on a lower level. The apparatus has power operators for raising the aircraft and retainers for re-taining the aircraft on the apparatus. When the aircraft is in the raised position on the apparatus, it can be transported by moving the apparatus with the aircraft standing thereon.
An apparatus for storing aircraft in a raised position so that the wings of the aircraft can overlap the wings of adjacent aircraft stored on a lower level. The apparatus has power operators for raising the aircraft and retainers for re-taining the aircraft on the apparatus. When the aircraft is in the raised position on the apparatus, it can be transported by moving the apparatus with the aircraft standing thereon.
Description
i~9~ti6 This invention relates to an apparatus for storing aircraft in hangars or on hangar aprons.
The apparatus is of the type by which the aircraft is raised for storage on a level above the hangar floor or the apron, so that the wings of the aircraft can overlap the wings of adjacent aircraft stored on the floor or the apron.
Storing aircraft in hangars, hangar aprons and the like is very space-demanding when the aircraft are positioned on the floor of the hangar or on the hangar apron, because the distance between aircraft stored one beside the other is determined by the wingspan of the aircraft. Therefore, devices of various types have been proposed for raising every second aircraft in a row of air-craft to be stored one beside the other so that the raised aircraft can be stored at a higher level than the aircraft located at the sides thereof, with the wings extending over the wings of the adjacent aircraft. By this overlapping of the wings, a substantial saving of space is attained.
Amongst the aforesaid proposals are devices according to the British patent specification 1,186,689 and the German laid-open specifications 1,908,321 and 2,514,847. The devices accord-ing to theSepublications generally require heavy investment on the one hand and allow aircraft to be raised only at the specific location where the device is installed, on the other hand. There is no possibility of utilizing at reasonable cost these prior art devices in existing hangars or on existing hangar aprons in order to increase existing storir.g space, because the devices require extensive fixed installation at or below ground level.
A device which is not confined to stationary install-ations such as those mentioned above is disclosed and described in the British patent specification 1,366,578. The device referred ' 1~9~6~
to therein is of a simple kind and can be applied to the forks of a common fork-lift truck. With the storage device lowered, the aircraft is moved onto the apparatus and then it is lifted to the desired level by means of the fork-lift truck, - the truck lifting the apparatus with the aircraft therein. An arrangement such as that described in this sritish patent specification is well suited for relatively small and light sports aircraft but hardly for larger types of aircraft which are used in general aviation. It is completely unsuitable for big commercial aircraft, due to the risk of the lifting apparatus tilting with the aircraft standing thereon.
It is a primary object of the invention to provide a new and improved aircraft storing apparatus which is not confined to use in only one location and which does not involve a complex stationary installation.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a new and improved aircraft storing apparatus which can be used on any hangar floor or apron.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved aircraft storing apparatus which is of a simple construction including a minumum of operating elements.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus for storîng aircraft, which is well suited for storing aircraft of different sizes and which is a self-con-tained mobile unit.
Thus, according to the present inventionl there is provided apparatus for storing aircraft comprising a mobile chassis, supporting means on said chassis for receiving the landing gear of an aircraftl means for retaining the landing gear on said support-ing means, and means for displacing said supporting means betweena lowered position close to a surface supporting said chassis 5'~66i allowing the aircraft to be rolled onto the supporting means, and a raised position spaced above said surface, said chassis form-ing a mobile undercarriage for the aircraft supported in a raised position on said supporting means, for moving the aircraft on said surface.
The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the aircraft storing apparatus according to the invention in one embodiment thereof;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the storing apparatus of FIG. l;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end view of one end of the storing apparatus in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 illustrates diagrammatically the storing of aircraft by using the apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 3;
FIG. 5 is a side view of a second embodiment of the aircraft storing apparatus of the invention;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the apparatus in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a side view of the apparatus according to FIGS. 5 and 6 in the position in which the supporting plates are in the lowered position to receive an aircraft;
FIG. 8 is a side view of the apparatus according to FIGS.5 and 6 with an aircraft supported on the supporting plates in a raised position;
FIG. 9 is a side view of a third embodiment of the air-craft storing apparatus of the invention;
FIG. 10 is a plan view of the apparatus in FIG. 9.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferredembodiments of the invention, examples of which are iO9SL.lL66 illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
The aircraft storing apparatus disclosed in FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises a chassis including a front wheel unit assembly 10 having two wheels 11. Two rear wheel unit assemblies 12 are also provided, each having a wheel 13. Preferably, the wheels 11 of the front wheel unit are steerable. The wheel unit assem-blies 10 and 12 are interconnected by means of beams 14 diverging from each end of the assembly 10, such beams preferably being constructed so that they can be swung about vertical axes on the 10 assembly 10, the wheel units 12 being movable towards and away from one other so that the distance between them can be adjusted whilst maintaining the wheels 13 in parallel relationship. More-over, the length of the beams 14 preferably can be adjusted telescopically so that the distance between the wheel unit 10 and the wheel units 12 can be adjusted.
Each wheel unit assembly 12 comprises a substantially Z-shaped element 16 supported thereby, one flange 17 of said element forming a supporting plate and the other flange 18 there-of connected to a hydraulic or similar ram 19 located in the re-20 lated wheel unit 12. The flange 17 has a sloping edge portion 20 and a depression 21 and, when it is located in the position shown in the drawings, the portion 20 is close to the floor surface 22 on which the apparatus is supported by the wheels 11 and 13, so that an aircraft can easily be rolled onto the supporting plate until the aircraft wheel drops into the depression 21 in order to retain the aircraft on the apparatus. Each element 16 can then be displaced to a raised position 16' by means of its associated ram 19 as is shown in FIG. 3 in order to lift each supporting plate 17 and the aircraft located therein to a desired higher 30 level.
On wheel unit 10 there is provided a supporting plate 23 as part of a U-formed element 24, the web of which is formed 1(~95~6~
by the supporting plate 23 and the limbs of which extend from the web to terminate at their upper ends in two flanges 25 which are turned away from one other, said flanges being supported by hydraulic or similar rams in the wheel unit 10 in a manner anal-ogous to that shown in FIG. 3 for supporting the plate 17. The supporting plate 23 can accordingly be lifted from a position close to the surface 22 to a position at a desired higher level in precisely the same manner as the supporting plates 17.
The element 24 is provided with a hydraulic or similar ram 26 having a suitable tow hook 27 which can be displaced out-wardly by means of the hydraulic ram towards the end of the apparatus where the wheel units 12 are located. Coupled to the nose landing gear of an aircraft, the tow hook can pull the air-craft forward when the supporting plates 17 and 23 are in their lowered positions so that the aircraft can be moved with the main landing gear thereof onto the plates 17 while the nose land-ing gear is moved onto the plate 23 - provided, of course that the length and angle of the beams 14 have been properly adjusted to fit the aircraft in question. When the aircraft has been pulled onto the three supporting plates in this manner, these plates can be lifted by their associated hydraulic rams to the desired higher level, thus raising the aircraft. The aircraft can then be transported to a suitable storing place in the hangar or on the hangar apron by rolling the apparatus across the surface 22.
As shown in FIG. 4, the raised aircraft, indicated at 28, can then be located between two aircraft 29 standing directly on the surface 22 so that the wings thereof extend over the wings of the air-craft 29 in overlapping relationship therewith, which means a saving of space measuring twice the distance A indicated in FIG. 4.
The apparatus described can be arranged such that it can be connected to a suitable tractor through a flange 30, iO9S466 extending from assembly 10, but it is also possible to combine the apparatus with a suitable drive unit having a driver's place arranged thereon, from which the apparatus can be controlled. A
hydraulic system including a tank and a pump for hydraulic fluid can be included in the wheel unit 10 or in a separate drive unit, and this hydraulic system should, of course, be arranged so that the rams are driven synchronously in order to avoid tilting of the aircraft. From an investment viewpoint, it is most advant-ageous to arrange the drive unit such that it can temporarily be connected to any particular apparatus to be operated, so that the same drive unit can be used for individually operating several different lifting apparatuses according to the invention.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the embodiment illus-trated therein comprises a chassis including a rigid frame 110, a front wheel 111 and two rear wheels 112. The front wheel 111 is rotatably mounted in a fork 113 which is pivotally mounted in a pivot bearing 114 so that the wheel can turn about a vertical axis. The pivot bearing 114 is connected by a lazy tongs arrange-ment including two upper links 115 and two lower links 116 to a bracket 117 rigidly connected with and upstanding from the chassis 110 at the front end thereof. The lazy tongs arrangement formed by the links 115 and 116 positively guides the pivot bearing 114 in such a way that this bearing always is maintained in the position shown in FIG. 4, i.e. in a position in which the pivot axis of the wheel 111 is kept in a substantially vertical position.
The rear wheels 112 are each rotatably mounted in a fork 118 which is pivotally or fixedly mounted in a rear wheel mounting sleeve 119 rigidly connected to an arm 120. This arm is fixedly secured to a shaft 121 rotatably mounted in bearings on the chassis 110, one of which is shown at 122 and is mounted on a cross beam 123 projecting horizontally at right angles from the rear end of the chassis. A further bearing is provided for the shaft 121 on the chassis at the inner end of the cross beam 123. On the shaft 121 is also fixedly mounted an arm 124 which is connected by a link 125 extending in the longitudinal direction of the chassis to an arm 126 fixedly mounted on the shaft 127 upon which the links 116 are also mounted as may be seen in FIG.
5. From the arm 126 extends a bracing link 128 to the pivot bearing 114, such bracing link being connected thereto for pivotal movement about the same axis as the lower links 116.
Thus, it will be seen that the front and rear wheels 111 and 112 are operatively interconnected for simultaneous swing-ing movement vertically so that the front wheel 111 is swung forwardly and upwardly when the rear wheels 112 are swung back-wardly and upwardly and the front wheel is swung backwardly and downwardly when the rear wheels are swung forwardly and downwardly.
To the arm 124 is pivotally connected the piston rod 129 of a hydraulic ram, the cylinder 130 of which is pivotally connected to a bracket 131 on the chassis 110, as shown at 132. The hy-draulic ram is of the single-stroke type, the cylinder being filled with pressurized hydraulic fluid in order to extend the ram and thus swing the wheels downwardly in relation to the chassis, and fluid being removed from the cylinder in order to allow the wheels to move upwards.
The hydraulic ram 130 is operated by means of a pump 133 mounted on the pivot bearing 114 and provided with a lever 134 for operating the pump by a vertical reciprocating movement of the lever, such movement being performed by manual operation of the lever at the outer end thereof. The pump 133 may be combined with a reservoir for hydraulic fluid, or a separate reservoir for such fluid may be provided on the chassis and Connected by suitable piping with the cylinder 130 of the hydraulic ram in a 1~S~66 manner that is common practice in hydraulic jacks. By pumping fluid into the cylinder 130 it is thus possible to raise the chassis from a lower position, relative to a plane P, as indicated in FIG. 5 to a raised position relative to a supporting plane P', which may be a hangar floor,for example, the chassis falling under gravity to the lower position when hydraulic fluid is being withdrawn from the ram. A valve is arranged in the pump for opening a draining connection from the cylinder 130 of the hy-draulic ram to the reservoir and is operated by pressing down the lever 134 beyond a predetermined pressure point, such being common practice with hydraulic jacks.
The chassis 110 is provided with a deck 135 extending from the front end of the chassis to the rear end thereof and this deck has downwardly and inwardly sloping marginal side por-tions 136. The rear end of the flute forms a downwardly sloping ramp 137 the outer edge of which closely joins the surface sup-porting the apparatus when the chassis thereof is in the lowered position.
On each cross beam 123 there is rigidly connected a supporting plate 138 having vertical side walls 139, and at the rear end of each supporting plate there is pivotally mounted a V-shaped rocker 140 which can be tilted on a cross shaft 141 be-tween a first position in which the rear edge of the rocker abuts the supporting surface on which the apparatus is positioned when lowered, and a second position in which the forward end of the rocker abuts the supporting plate 138.
When the aircraft storing apparatus described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 is in the lowered position (see FIG. 7), an aircraft 142 can be rolled on the supporting surface, indicated at 143 in FIGS. 7 and 8 - such surface being a hangar floor or 1095L~66 apron, for example. The nose landing gear 144 of the aircraft enters the deck 135 vla the ramp 137. During the continued movement of the aircraft the nose landing gear 144 arrives at the front end of the chassis while the main landing gear 145 enters the supporting plates 138 over the associated rockers 140, the rockers forming ramps when tilted backwards against the surface 143. Then, when the main landing gear 144 has rolled onto the supporting plates 138, the rockers 140 tilt fowards and in this tilted position they serve as means for retaining the aircraft in position on the apparatus. Additionally, the plates 138 may form a depression extending transversely of the chassis and receiving the wheels of the main landing gear.
The apparatus is lifted to the position shown in FIG.
8 in the manner described above, and the apparatus can then be moved around on the surface 143 to transport the aircraft 142 to a suitable location for storage, in the manner described with reference to FIG. 4. The apparatus can be operated manually by means of a tow bar 146 (FIGS. 5 and 6) having a handle 147 and connected by hooks 148 to projecting trunions of the front wheel shaft in conventional manner.
It should be noted that aircraft of different sizes can be accomodated on the aircraft storing apparatus of FIGS.
5 and 6, because the deck 135 is extended longitudinally and the supporting surfaces 138 are extended transversely thus cover-ing a wide range of distances between the front wheel and the rear wheels and a wide range of spacings between the rear wheels, respectively.
Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, a third embodiment of the aircraft storing apparatus of the invention disclosed herein is intended for use in connection with rather big aircraft such as air-liners of a size,for example, of the same order as a 109~'~66 Douglas DC-9.
The storing apparatus of FIGS. 9 and 10 includes a sturdy chassis 200 formed by a longltudinal beam 201, a front cross beam 202 and a rear cross beam 203. Wheels 204 are rotat-ably mounted on the front beam 201 and wheels 205 are rotatably mounted on the rear beam 203. At least the front wheels are steerable. On a bracket 206 at the front end of the chassis there is mounted by means of a lazy tongs linkage, including upper links 207 and lower links 208, a bucket type supporting plate 209 which is guided by the lazy tongs linkage when displaced vertically between a lowered position as shown in solid lines and a raised position as shown in dot-and-dash lines to be maintained in a horizontal orientation. Hydraulic rams 210 are arranged between the bracket 206 and the supporting plate 209 for raising the supporting plate from its lowered position to its raised position.
At the rear end of the chassis, two arms 211 - one at each side of the chassis - are mounted for pivotal movement about a traverse axis extending parallel to the rear cross beam 203 and ^`
adjacent thereto, such mounting being by means of lugs 212 pro-jecting forwardly from the rear cross beam. At the outer ends of each arm 211 there is provided a support having two mutually perpendicular supporting flanges 213 and 214. When the arms 211 are in a lowered position as shown in solid lines in FIG. 9, the flange 213 abuts the surface 215 supporting the aircraft storing apparatus, such flange having a bevelled forward edge 216. The flange 214, which extends vertically in the lowered position of the apparatus, is in a horizontal position when the arms 211 are swung upwardly through 90 to the vertical position shown in dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 9. In this position the flange 213 projects upwardly at the front edge of the flange 214. At the rear edge of the flange 214 there are arranged two upstanding abutments 217.
1(~9S~66 Hydraulic rams 218 are connected between brackets 219 on the arms 211 and a mounting 220 on the longitudinal beam 201 for raising the arms between the lowered horizontal position and the raised vertical position.
In front of the arms 211 there are provided two arms 221 which are pivoted to the beam 201 for swinging movement about vertical axes 222. Rollers 223 are rotatably mounted at the outer ends of the arms 221, and between brackets 224 on the arms 221 and brackets 225 on the longitudinal beam 201 there are mount-ed hydraulic rams 226 for positively displacing the arms 221 be-tween the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 10 and the position shown in dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 10.
On each of the arms 211 is mounted a hydraulic ram 227 having abutment plates 228 which can be pressed against the surface 215 when the arms 211 are in the lower position.
The several hydraulic rams included in this embodiment of the aircraft storing apparatus are preferably connected to a central power unit from which the supply of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic rams can be controlled as well as the drainage of fluid from such rams.
When an aircraft (fragmentarily indicated at 229~ is to be positioned on the apparatus, it is rolled backwards on the surface 215 towards the apparatus, the support 209 and the arms 211 being ;n the lowered position and the arms 221 being in the position shown in dot-and-dash lines. The main landing gear of the aircraft is rolled onto the flanges 213 and the nose landing gear is rolled onto the support 209. By the arms 221 being swung backwards against the main landing gear wheels, the aircraft can be positively moved into position. With the aircraft in position, the support 209 and the arms 211 are raised by means of their associated rams with an auxilliary force being applied initially 1~9~i466 for lifting the aircraft at the main landing gear b~ means of the rams 227 which press against the surface 215. When the aircraft has been raised it is securely maintained on the apparatus by means of the flanges 213 in their vertical orientation and the upstanding lugs 217.
The aircraft when lifted on the apparatus can be trans-ported and stored in the manner described above with reference to the embodiments previously described.
The apparatus is of the type by which the aircraft is raised for storage on a level above the hangar floor or the apron, so that the wings of the aircraft can overlap the wings of adjacent aircraft stored on the floor or the apron.
Storing aircraft in hangars, hangar aprons and the like is very space-demanding when the aircraft are positioned on the floor of the hangar or on the hangar apron, because the distance between aircraft stored one beside the other is determined by the wingspan of the aircraft. Therefore, devices of various types have been proposed for raising every second aircraft in a row of air-craft to be stored one beside the other so that the raised aircraft can be stored at a higher level than the aircraft located at the sides thereof, with the wings extending over the wings of the adjacent aircraft. By this overlapping of the wings, a substantial saving of space is attained.
Amongst the aforesaid proposals are devices according to the British patent specification 1,186,689 and the German laid-open specifications 1,908,321 and 2,514,847. The devices accord-ing to theSepublications generally require heavy investment on the one hand and allow aircraft to be raised only at the specific location where the device is installed, on the other hand. There is no possibility of utilizing at reasonable cost these prior art devices in existing hangars or on existing hangar aprons in order to increase existing storir.g space, because the devices require extensive fixed installation at or below ground level.
A device which is not confined to stationary install-ations such as those mentioned above is disclosed and described in the British patent specification 1,366,578. The device referred ' 1~9~6~
to therein is of a simple kind and can be applied to the forks of a common fork-lift truck. With the storage device lowered, the aircraft is moved onto the apparatus and then it is lifted to the desired level by means of the fork-lift truck, - the truck lifting the apparatus with the aircraft therein. An arrangement such as that described in this sritish patent specification is well suited for relatively small and light sports aircraft but hardly for larger types of aircraft which are used in general aviation. It is completely unsuitable for big commercial aircraft, due to the risk of the lifting apparatus tilting with the aircraft standing thereon.
It is a primary object of the invention to provide a new and improved aircraft storing apparatus which is not confined to use in only one location and which does not involve a complex stationary installation.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a new and improved aircraft storing apparatus which can be used on any hangar floor or apron.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved aircraft storing apparatus which is of a simple construction including a minumum of operating elements.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus for storîng aircraft, which is well suited for storing aircraft of different sizes and which is a self-con-tained mobile unit.
Thus, according to the present inventionl there is provided apparatus for storing aircraft comprising a mobile chassis, supporting means on said chassis for receiving the landing gear of an aircraftl means for retaining the landing gear on said support-ing means, and means for displacing said supporting means betweena lowered position close to a surface supporting said chassis 5'~66i allowing the aircraft to be rolled onto the supporting means, and a raised position spaced above said surface, said chassis form-ing a mobile undercarriage for the aircraft supported in a raised position on said supporting means, for moving the aircraft on said surface.
The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the aircraft storing apparatus according to the invention in one embodiment thereof;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the storing apparatus of FIG. l;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end view of one end of the storing apparatus in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 illustrates diagrammatically the storing of aircraft by using the apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 3;
FIG. 5 is a side view of a second embodiment of the aircraft storing apparatus of the invention;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the apparatus in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a side view of the apparatus according to FIGS. 5 and 6 in the position in which the supporting plates are in the lowered position to receive an aircraft;
FIG. 8 is a side view of the apparatus according to FIGS.5 and 6 with an aircraft supported on the supporting plates in a raised position;
FIG. 9 is a side view of a third embodiment of the air-craft storing apparatus of the invention;
FIG. 10 is a plan view of the apparatus in FIG. 9.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferredembodiments of the invention, examples of which are iO9SL.lL66 illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
The aircraft storing apparatus disclosed in FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises a chassis including a front wheel unit assembly 10 having two wheels 11. Two rear wheel unit assemblies 12 are also provided, each having a wheel 13. Preferably, the wheels 11 of the front wheel unit are steerable. The wheel unit assem-blies 10 and 12 are interconnected by means of beams 14 diverging from each end of the assembly 10, such beams preferably being constructed so that they can be swung about vertical axes on the 10 assembly 10, the wheel units 12 being movable towards and away from one other so that the distance between them can be adjusted whilst maintaining the wheels 13 in parallel relationship. More-over, the length of the beams 14 preferably can be adjusted telescopically so that the distance between the wheel unit 10 and the wheel units 12 can be adjusted.
Each wheel unit assembly 12 comprises a substantially Z-shaped element 16 supported thereby, one flange 17 of said element forming a supporting plate and the other flange 18 there-of connected to a hydraulic or similar ram 19 located in the re-20 lated wheel unit 12. The flange 17 has a sloping edge portion 20 and a depression 21 and, when it is located in the position shown in the drawings, the portion 20 is close to the floor surface 22 on which the apparatus is supported by the wheels 11 and 13, so that an aircraft can easily be rolled onto the supporting plate until the aircraft wheel drops into the depression 21 in order to retain the aircraft on the apparatus. Each element 16 can then be displaced to a raised position 16' by means of its associated ram 19 as is shown in FIG. 3 in order to lift each supporting plate 17 and the aircraft located therein to a desired higher 30 level.
On wheel unit 10 there is provided a supporting plate 23 as part of a U-formed element 24, the web of which is formed 1(~95~6~
by the supporting plate 23 and the limbs of which extend from the web to terminate at their upper ends in two flanges 25 which are turned away from one other, said flanges being supported by hydraulic or similar rams in the wheel unit 10 in a manner anal-ogous to that shown in FIG. 3 for supporting the plate 17. The supporting plate 23 can accordingly be lifted from a position close to the surface 22 to a position at a desired higher level in precisely the same manner as the supporting plates 17.
The element 24 is provided with a hydraulic or similar ram 26 having a suitable tow hook 27 which can be displaced out-wardly by means of the hydraulic ram towards the end of the apparatus where the wheel units 12 are located. Coupled to the nose landing gear of an aircraft, the tow hook can pull the air-craft forward when the supporting plates 17 and 23 are in their lowered positions so that the aircraft can be moved with the main landing gear thereof onto the plates 17 while the nose land-ing gear is moved onto the plate 23 - provided, of course that the length and angle of the beams 14 have been properly adjusted to fit the aircraft in question. When the aircraft has been pulled onto the three supporting plates in this manner, these plates can be lifted by their associated hydraulic rams to the desired higher level, thus raising the aircraft. The aircraft can then be transported to a suitable storing place in the hangar or on the hangar apron by rolling the apparatus across the surface 22.
As shown in FIG. 4, the raised aircraft, indicated at 28, can then be located between two aircraft 29 standing directly on the surface 22 so that the wings thereof extend over the wings of the air-craft 29 in overlapping relationship therewith, which means a saving of space measuring twice the distance A indicated in FIG. 4.
The apparatus described can be arranged such that it can be connected to a suitable tractor through a flange 30, iO9S466 extending from assembly 10, but it is also possible to combine the apparatus with a suitable drive unit having a driver's place arranged thereon, from which the apparatus can be controlled. A
hydraulic system including a tank and a pump for hydraulic fluid can be included in the wheel unit 10 or in a separate drive unit, and this hydraulic system should, of course, be arranged so that the rams are driven synchronously in order to avoid tilting of the aircraft. From an investment viewpoint, it is most advant-ageous to arrange the drive unit such that it can temporarily be connected to any particular apparatus to be operated, so that the same drive unit can be used for individually operating several different lifting apparatuses according to the invention.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the embodiment illus-trated therein comprises a chassis including a rigid frame 110, a front wheel 111 and two rear wheels 112. The front wheel 111 is rotatably mounted in a fork 113 which is pivotally mounted in a pivot bearing 114 so that the wheel can turn about a vertical axis. The pivot bearing 114 is connected by a lazy tongs arrange-ment including two upper links 115 and two lower links 116 to a bracket 117 rigidly connected with and upstanding from the chassis 110 at the front end thereof. The lazy tongs arrangement formed by the links 115 and 116 positively guides the pivot bearing 114 in such a way that this bearing always is maintained in the position shown in FIG. 4, i.e. in a position in which the pivot axis of the wheel 111 is kept in a substantially vertical position.
The rear wheels 112 are each rotatably mounted in a fork 118 which is pivotally or fixedly mounted in a rear wheel mounting sleeve 119 rigidly connected to an arm 120. This arm is fixedly secured to a shaft 121 rotatably mounted in bearings on the chassis 110, one of which is shown at 122 and is mounted on a cross beam 123 projecting horizontally at right angles from the rear end of the chassis. A further bearing is provided for the shaft 121 on the chassis at the inner end of the cross beam 123. On the shaft 121 is also fixedly mounted an arm 124 which is connected by a link 125 extending in the longitudinal direction of the chassis to an arm 126 fixedly mounted on the shaft 127 upon which the links 116 are also mounted as may be seen in FIG.
5. From the arm 126 extends a bracing link 128 to the pivot bearing 114, such bracing link being connected thereto for pivotal movement about the same axis as the lower links 116.
Thus, it will be seen that the front and rear wheels 111 and 112 are operatively interconnected for simultaneous swing-ing movement vertically so that the front wheel 111 is swung forwardly and upwardly when the rear wheels 112 are swung back-wardly and upwardly and the front wheel is swung backwardly and downwardly when the rear wheels are swung forwardly and downwardly.
To the arm 124 is pivotally connected the piston rod 129 of a hydraulic ram, the cylinder 130 of which is pivotally connected to a bracket 131 on the chassis 110, as shown at 132. The hy-draulic ram is of the single-stroke type, the cylinder being filled with pressurized hydraulic fluid in order to extend the ram and thus swing the wheels downwardly in relation to the chassis, and fluid being removed from the cylinder in order to allow the wheels to move upwards.
The hydraulic ram 130 is operated by means of a pump 133 mounted on the pivot bearing 114 and provided with a lever 134 for operating the pump by a vertical reciprocating movement of the lever, such movement being performed by manual operation of the lever at the outer end thereof. The pump 133 may be combined with a reservoir for hydraulic fluid, or a separate reservoir for such fluid may be provided on the chassis and Connected by suitable piping with the cylinder 130 of the hydraulic ram in a 1~S~66 manner that is common practice in hydraulic jacks. By pumping fluid into the cylinder 130 it is thus possible to raise the chassis from a lower position, relative to a plane P, as indicated in FIG. 5 to a raised position relative to a supporting plane P', which may be a hangar floor,for example, the chassis falling under gravity to the lower position when hydraulic fluid is being withdrawn from the ram. A valve is arranged in the pump for opening a draining connection from the cylinder 130 of the hy-draulic ram to the reservoir and is operated by pressing down the lever 134 beyond a predetermined pressure point, such being common practice with hydraulic jacks.
The chassis 110 is provided with a deck 135 extending from the front end of the chassis to the rear end thereof and this deck has downwardly and inwardly sloping marginal side por-tions 136. The rear end of the flute forms a downwardly sloping ramp 137 the outer edge of which closely joins the surface sup-porting the apparatus when the chassis thereof is in the lowered position.
On each cross beam 123 there is rigidly connected a supporting plate 138 having vertical side walls 139, and at the rear end of each supporting plate there is pivotally mounted a V-shaped rocker 140 which can be tilted on a cross shaft 141 be-tween a first position in which the rear edge of the rocker abuts the supporting surface on which the apparatus is positioned when lowered, and a second position in which the forward end of the rocker abuts the supporting plate 138.
When the aircraft storing apparatus described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 is in the lowered position (see FIG. 7), an aircraft 142 can be rolled on the supporting surface, indicated at 143 in FIGS. 7 and 8 - such surface being a hangar floor or 1095L~66 apron, for example. The nose landing gear 144 of the aircraft enters the deck 135 vla the ramp 137. During the continued movement of the aircraft the nose landing gear 144 arrives at the front end of the chassis while the main landing gear 145 enters the supporting plates 138 over the associated rockers 140, the rockers forming ramps when tilted backwards against the surface 143. Then, when the main landing gear 144 has rolled onto the supporting plates 138, the rockers 140 tilt fowards and in this tilted position they serve as means for retaining the aircraft in position on the apparatus. Additionally, the plates 138 may form a depression extending transversely of the chassis and receiving the wheels of the main landing gear.
The apparatus is lifted to the position shown in FIG.
8 in the manner described above, and the apparatus can then be moved around on the surface 143 to transport the aircraft 142 to a suitable location for storage, in the manner described with reference to FIG. 4. The apparatus can be operated manually by means of a tow bar 146 (FIGS. 5 and 6) having a handle 147 and connected by hooks 148 to projecting trunions of the front wheel shaft in conventional manner.
It should be noted that aircraft of different sizes can be accomodated on the aircraft storing apparatus of FIGS.
5 and 6, because the deck 135 is extended longitudinally and the supporting surfaces 138 are extended transversely thus cover-ing a wide range of distances between the front wheel and the rear wheels and a wide range of spacings between the rear wheels, respectively.
Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, a third embodiment of the aircraft storing apparatus of the invention disclosed herein is intended for use in connection with rather big aircraft such as air-liners of a size,for example, of the same order as a 109~'~66 Douglas DC-9.
The storing apparatus of FIGS. 9 and 10 includes a sturdy chassis 200 formed by a longltudinal beam 201, a front cross beam 202 and a rear cross beam 203. Wheels 204 are rotat-ably mounted on the front beam 201 and wheels 205 are rotatably mounted on the rear beam 203. At least the front wheels are steerable. On a bracket 206 at the front end of the chassis there is mounted by means of a lazy tongs linkage, including upper links 207 and lower links 208, a bucket type supporting plate 209 which is guided by the lazy tongs linkage when displaced vertically between a lowered position as shown in solid lines and a raised position as shown in dot-and-dash lines to be maintained in a horizontal orientation. Hydraulic rams 210 are arranged between the bracket 206 and the supporting plate 209 for raising the supporting plate from its lowered position to its raised position.
At the rear end of the chassis, two arms 211 - one at each side of the chassis - are mounted for pivotal movement about a traverse axis extending parallel to the rear cross beam 203 and ^`
adjacent thereto, such mounting being by means of lugs 212 pro-jecting forwardly from the rear cross beam. At the outer ends of each arm 211 there is provided a support having two mutually perpendicular supporting flanges 213 and 214. When the arms 211 are in a lowered position as shown in solid lines in FIG. 9, the flange 213 abuts the surface 215 supporting the aircraft storing apparatus, such flange having a bevelled forward edge 216. The flange 214, which extends vertically in the lowered position of the apparatus, is in a horizontal position when the arms 211 are swung upwardly through 90 to the vertical position shown in dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 9. In this position the flange 213 projects upwardly at the front edge of the flange 214. At the rear edge of the flange 214 there are arranged two upstanding abutments 217.
1(~9S~66 Hydraulic rams 218 are connected between brackets 219 on the arms 211 and a mounting 220 on the longitudinal beam 201 for raising the arms between the lowered horizontal position and the raised vertical position.
In front of the arms 211 there are provided two arms 221 which are pivoted to the beam 201 for swinging movement about vertical axes 222. Rollers 223 are rotatably mounted at the outer ends of the arms 221, and between brackets 224 on the arms 221 and brackets 225 on the longitudinal beam 201 there are mount-ed hydraulic rams 226 for positively displacing the arms 221 be-tween the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 10 and the position shown in dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 10.
On each of the arms 211 is mounted a hydraulic ram 227 having abutment plates 228 which can be pressed against the surface 215 when the arms 211 are in the lower position.
The several hydraulic rams included in this embodiment of the aircraft storing apparatus are preferably connected to a central power unit from which the supply of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic rams can be controlled as well as the drainage of fluid from such rams.
When an aircraft (fragmentarily indicated at 229~ is to be positioned on the apparatus, it is rolled backwards on the surface 215 towards the apparatus, the support 209 and the arms 211 being ;n the lowered position and the arms 221 being in the position shown in dot-and-dash lines. The main landing gear of the aircraft is rolled onto the flanges 213 and the nose landing gear is rolled onto the support 209. By the arms 221 being swung backwards against the main landing gear wheels, the aircraft can be positively moved into position. With the aircraft in position, the support 209 and the arms 211 are raised by means of their associated rams with an auxilliary force being applied initially 1~9~i466 for lifting the aircraft at the main landing gear b~ means of the rams 227 which press against the surface 215. When the aircraft has been raised it is securely maintained on the apparatus by means of the flanges 213 in their vertical orientation and the upstanding lugs 217.
The aircraft when lifted on the apparatus can be trans-ported and stored in the manner described above with reference to the embodiments previously described.
Claims (8)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. Mobile apparatus for storing and transporting aircraft having wings and landing gear, the apparatus comprising:
a mobile chassis, supporting means on the chassis for receiving the landing gear, means integral with the supporting means for retaining said landing gear on the supporting means and means for displacing said supporting means between a lower position sufficiently close to a surface sup-porting said chassis to allow the aircraft to be rolled onto the supporting means from the surface, and a raised position spaced above said surface so that each wing of an aircraft on the supporting means is sufficiently elevated to overhang, with clearance, a major portion of a wing of an adjacent similar aircraft supported by the surface;
said chassis forming a mobile undercarriage for the aircraft, supported in a raised position on said supporting means, for moving the aircraft on said surface.
a mobile chassis, supporting means on the chassis for receiving the landing gear, means integral with the supporting means for retaining said landing gear on the supporting means and means for displacing said supporting means between a lower position sufficiently close to a surface sup-porting said chassis to allow the aircraft to be rolled onto the supporting means from the surface, and a raised position spaced above said surface so that each wing of an aircraft on the supporting means is sufficiently elevated to overhang, with clearance, a major portion of a wing of an adjacent similar aircraft supported by the surface;
said chassis forming a mobile undercarriage for the aircraft, supported in a raised position on said supporting means, for moving the aircraft on said surface.
2. Mobile apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the landing gear comprises main landing gear and nose landing gear and wherein said supporting means comprises two supporting plates spaced one beside the other, at one end of the chassis, for supporting the main landing gear of the aircraft, and a supporting plate arranged centrally at the other end of the chassis for su-pporting the nose landing gear of the aircraft.
3. Mobile apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said centrally located nose landing gear supporting plate extends along the chassis from said other end thereof towards said one end thereof.
4. Mobile apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said chassis comprises a frame and running wheels supporting said frame and wherein said supporting means forms part of said frame, and said means for displacing the supporting means comprises means for raising the frame relative to the running wheels of the chassis.
5. Mobile apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further com-prising means for engaging the landing gear of the aircraft to positively move the aircraft onto said supporting means.
6. Mobile apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said chassis comprises a frame and front and rear running wheels which support the frame when the supporting means is in a raised position the means for displacing the supporting means between a lower position and a raised position comprising hydraulic means concurrently and operatively mechanically linked to front and rear running wheels so that such wheels are simultaneously raised and lowered with respect to said frame.
7. Mobile apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said chassis comprises a frame and front and rear wheels which support the frame and are at a fixed elevation with respect to said frame.
8. A combination of at least two adjacent single winged air-craft having landing gear and supported by a surface so that they are substantially parallel to each other and to the surface, one of the two aircraft being elevated on mobile apparatus so that a significant part of one of its wings overhangs a wing of the adjacent aircraft, said mobile apparatus comprising a mobile chassis, supporting means on the chassis for receiving the landing gear, means integral with said supporting means for retaining said landing gear on the supporting means and means for displacing said supporting means between a lower position sufficiently close to a surface sup-porting said chassis to allow the aircraft to be rolled onto the supporting means from the surface, and a raised position spaced above said surface so that each wing of an aircraft on the supporting means is sufficiently ele-vated to overhang, with clearance, a major portion of a wing of an adjacent similar aircraft supported by the surface;
said chassis forming a mobile undercarriage for the aircraft, supported in a raised position on said supporting means, for moving the aircraft on said surface.
said chassis forming a mobile undercarriage for the aircraft, supported in a raised position on said supporting means, for moving the aircraft on said surface.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| SE7708647A SE7708647L (en) | 1977-07-28 | 1977-07-28 | DEVICE FOR CREATING AIRCRAFT |
| SE7708647-8 | 1978-07-28 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1095466A true CA1095466A (en) | 1981-02-10 |
Family
ID=20331920
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA308,391A Expired CA1095466A (en) | 1977-07-28 | 1978-07-28 | Apparatus for storing aircraft |
Country Status (19)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPS5453495A (en) |
| AR (1) | AR219539A1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU3804378A (en) |
| BE (1) | BE869265A (en) |
| BR (1) | BR7804846A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1095466A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE2831663A1 (en) |
| DK (1) | DK336778A (en) |
| ES (1) | ES472140A1 (en) |
| FI (1) | FI782346A (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2398665A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2001588B (en) |
| IT (1) | IT1097979B (en) |
| NL (1) | NL7807619A (en) |
| NO (1) | NO782581L (en) |
| PL (1) | PL117527B1 (en) |
| PT (1) | PT68346A (en) |
| SE (1) | SE7708647L (en) |
| ZA (1) | ZA784041B (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE8408767U1 (en) * | 1984-03-22 | 1984-06-14 | Zippo Gesellschaft für Hebetechnik mbH, 7600 Offenburg | LIFTING AND PARKING DEVICE FOR AIRCRAFT |
| GB2203115A (en) * | 1987-04-03 | 1988-10-12 | Raymond Percy Haddock | Load moving trolley |
| EP3248886B1 (en) * | 2016-05-24 | 2020-04-08 | TOKX GmbH & Co. KG | Transport vehicle for aircraft |
Family Cites Families (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR1127892A (en) * | 1955-04-06 | 1956-12-26 | Steinbock Gmbh | Transport vehicle with lifting device, intended in particular for transporting airplanes |
| DE1082136B (en) * | 1958-10-16 | 1960-05-19 | Hein Lehmann Ag | Vehicle for transporting aircraft |
| US3119502A (en) * | 1961-01-16 | 1964-01-28 | Steinbock Gmbh | Transport vehicle for aircraft |
-
1977
- 1977-07-28 SE SE7708647A patent/SE7708647L/en not_active Application Discontinuation
-
1978
- 1978-07-14 AU AU38043/78A patent/AU3804378A/en active Pending
- 1978-07-17 NL NL7807619A patent/NL7807619A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1978-07-17 ZA ZA00784041A patent/ZA784041B/en unknown
- 1978-07-19 DE DE19782831663 patent/DE2831663A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1978-07-25 PT PT68346A patent/PT68346A/en unknown
- 1978-07-26 BE BE2057167A patent/BE869265A/en unknown
- 1978-07-26 PL PL1978208642A patent/PL117527B1/en unknown
- 1978-07-27 GB GB787831299A patent/GB2001588B/en not_active Expired
- 1978-07-27 FR FR7822322A patent/FR2398665A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1978-07-27 NO NO782581A patent/NO782581L/en unknown
- 1978-07-27 AR AR273103A patent/AR219539A1/en active
- 1978-07-27 JP JP9100478A patent/JPS5453495A/en active Pending
- 1978-07-27 BR BR7804846A patent/BR7804846A/en unknown
- 1978-07-28 CA CA308,391A patent/CA1095466A/en not_active Expired
- 1978-07-28 ES ES472140A patent/ES472140A1/en not_active Expired
- 1978-07-28 DK DK336778A patent/DK336778A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1978-07-28 IT IT26297/78A patent/IT1097979B/en active
- 1978-07-28 FI FI782346A patent/FI782346A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| PT68346A (en) | 1978-08-01 |
| PL208642A1 (en) | 1979-05-07 |
| ES472140A1 (en) | 1979-03-16 |
| JPS5453495A (en) | 1979-04-26 |
| AR219539A1 (en) | 1980-08-29 |
| BR7804846A (en) | 1979-03-06 |
| IT1097979B (en) | 1985-08-31 |
| IT7826297A0 (en) | 1978-07-28 |
| SE7708647L (en) | 1979-01-29 |
| NO782581L (en) | 1979-01-30 |
| NL7807619A (en) | 1979-01-30 |
| PL117527B1 (en) | 1981-08-31 |
| GB2001588B (en) | 1982-02-03 |
| FI782346A (en) | 1979-01-29 |
| GB2001588A (en) | 1979-02-07 |
| DE2831663A1 (en) | 1979-02-08 |
| AU3804378A (en) | 1980-01-17 |
| ZA784041B (en) | 1979-07-25 |
| BE869265A (en) | 1978-11-16 |
| FR2398665A1 (en) | 1979-02-23 |
| DK336778A (en) | 1979-01-29 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |