GB1568308A - Container handling installations - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CONTAINER HANDLING INSTALLATIONS (71) We, JURY NIKOLAEVICH IVANOV Oruzheiny reulok, 5-9, kv. 60, KON- STANTIN VASILIEVICH ARTEMOV, Nizhegorodskaya ulitsa, 21, kv. 29, and LEONID ISAAKOVICH SURIS, Smolnaya ulitsa, 31, kv. 85, all of Moscow, U.S.S.R., alt citizens of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the metood by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:: The present invention relates to installa tions for handling cargo containers and in particular, but not exclusively, to such installations incorporated in the cargo com paraments of aircraft.

According to one aspect of the resent invention, there is provided an installation for handling containers, comprising a floor across which containers are to he moved, parallel elongate guide members incorpor- ated in the floor, a flexible endless traction member interposed between the guide members, a carriage mounted by the guide members and connected to said flexible traction member for movement along the guide members, and a spring-loaded lever so mounted on the carriage as to be biased by its spring loading in one sense about a horizontal axis to normally extend vertic ally, the lever also being rotatable' about a vertical axis whereby to enable the sense of its spring bias to be effectively reversed restive to the Carriage.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a container-handling installation comprising a support structure upon which containers can be placed, elongate guide means carried by the support structure a carriage movable along the guide means, drive means for moving the carriage, and a depressable flight mounted on the carriage. biased to normally project above the support structure for engagement with a container to be moved, the flight being so arranged that engagement of the flight with a container during movement of the carriage along the guide means in one direction results in depression of the flight allowing the carriage to pass under the container whereas during subsequent movement of the carriage in the opposite direction said engagement results in the container being pushed by the flight in said opposite direction across the support structure, the orientation of the flight relative to the carriage being adjustable such that the carriage can pass under a container when moving in said opposite direction and can subsequently push that eontainer when moving in said one direction.

A container-handling installation embodying the invention will now be particularly described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a cargo com- partment incorporating the installation; Figure 2 is a section on line II-II in Figure 1 (turned through 90 ); Figure 3 is a view from the direction indicated by arrow B in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section on line IV-' IV in Figure 1 (turned through 90 ) showing a container being pushed along by a carriagemounted lever of the installation; Figure 5 is a section on line V-V in Figure 3; and Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 but illustrating the passage of the lever beneath the container.

The container-handiing installation to be described is incorporated in the floor of a cargo compartment of an aircraft.

As shown in Figure 1, the floor 2 which serves as a container-sup rting structure, incorporates roller tracks B and ball tracks 4 to facilitate the passage of containers 1 thereacross.

The installation comprises two elongate guide members 5 extending along the length of the cargo compartment and arranged symmetrically about the longitudinal axis of the floor 2. Drive means in the form of anendless flexible traction member 6 extends between the two guide members 5. The traction member 6 can be in the form of, for example, a plate chain conveyor, and is driven by suitable means (not shown) with mechanisms 7 for tensioning the traction member 6.

A carriage 8 is mounted and retained by the guide members 5 and is connected to the flexible traction member 6. The carriage 8 comprises a cast body 9 having a central aperture. Vertical axles 12 (Fig. 3) and horizontal axles 10 (Fig. 2) protrude through the side walls of the body 9 which supports these axles. Four rollers 11 are mounted on the producing ends of the axles 10 and four rollers 13 are mounted on the protruding ends of the axles 12. A rotatable base 14 is provided in the form of a cylindrical bushing having an end collar 15 which is supported on a circular seat provided centrally in the body 9 of the carriage 8 such that the rotatable base 14 is suspended in the central aperture of the body 9. Two lugs 16 (Fig. 3) are provided on the upper end face of the collar 15.A retaining element 17 is rigidly fixed to the body 9 and is arranged to prevent vertical displacement of the base 14 by abutting against the collar 15.

A horizontally extending axle 18 carrying a spring-loaded lever or flight 19 (Figs.

5 4) is inserted through the lugs 16 on the collar 15 of the base 14. The spring-loaded lever 19 is provided with a return spring 20 in the form of a torsion spring mounted on the same axle 18 as the lever 19. The spring 20 biases the lever 19 towards a vertical position This is due to the fact that one end of the return spring 20 bears against the rotatable base 14, whereas the other end of the spring bears against the lever 19, the lower portion of the lever 19 being so formed that the lever can pivot about the axle 18 to a vertical position under the urging of the spring 20 but further pivoting in the same sense is resisted by engagement of a flat bottom face of the lever 19 with the base 14.

Lugs 21 are articulated to the end faces of the body 9 of the carriage 8 and are aligned with the longitudinal axis of the carriage 8. The carriage 8 is moved by means of the endless flexible traction member 6 which is secured to the carriage 8 by means of the lugs 21. The carriage 8 travels along the cargo compartment within the guide members 5 incorporated in the floor 2.

Fixed to the end of the lever 19 remote from the rotatable base 14 is a roller 22 mounted for rotation on a horizontal axle 23. The roller 22 enables the lever 19 to pass beneath the bottom of a container 1 without- damage.

A locking member 24 (Fig. 5) is accommodated in the body of the rotatable base 14. This locking member 24 comprises two stops 25 with a spring 26 interposed therebetween. The stops 25 are cylindrical bodies with tapered tips facing radially outwards of the rotatable base 14. At specific orientations of the rotatable base 14 relative to the body 9, the tapered tips of the stops 25 are arranged to engage in holes provided in the side surface of the central aperture of the body 9; in this manner, the base 14 can be held in two working positions 1800 apart in which the lever 19 can push in respective directions against a container to be moved with the resultant reaction forces acting in the same sense as the spring 20 and being countered by the engagement of the bottom of the lever 19 with the base 14.

Operation of the installation will now be described.

During displacement of the traction member 6 (Fig. 3) the rollers 11 and 13 of the carriage 8 e.ngage and are guided by the guide members 5. The lever 19 which under its spring loading is normally upright, moves with the carriage 8. If movement of the carriage 8 is in such a direction that upon the lever 19 engaging a container 1 the resultant reaction force on the lever 19 aids the spring loading then the lever 19 will remain upright and push a container 1; however, if the carriage 8 moves in a direction such that on the lever 19 engaging a container 1 the reaction force opposes the spring loading, the lever 19 will be depressed and the carriage will pass beneath the container.

When the container 1 is being loaded into the cargo compartment (Fig. 1) the carriage 8 is in a position A relative to the container ] such that the lever 19 bears against the container 1 to displace it further into the compartment.

During unloading of the container 1 from the cargo compartment, the carriage 8 is in a position D relative to the container 1.

The traction member 6 is driven in the opposite direction so that the lever 19 bears against the other side of the container 1 to displace it towards an unloading hatch 27.

The reversal of the direction of movement of the container 1 will now be described in greater detail.

After the containers 1 have been loaded, the carriage 8 is in the position A. In order to unload the containers 1, the carriage must be shifted to the position D. This is done by first rotating the lever 19 and the rotatable base 14 through 1800 about a vertical axis (the axis of rotation of the base 14), to move the base 14 from one working position to the other and effectively reverse the spring loading of the lever 19 relative to the carriage 8. The stops 25 of the locking member 24 re-engage in the holes in the side surface of the central aperture to hold the base 14 in the new working position.

The drive means is then actuated so that the carriage 8 is driven along inside thc cargo compartment towards the position D.

The lever 19 (Fig. 6) abuts against the bottom of the container 1 as the carriage 8 moves, and is pivoted about the horizontal axle 18, compressing the spring 20. The roller 22 rolls over the bottom of the con tainer 1 until it passes under the opposite edge of the container 1 and the carriage 8 reaches the position D. The spring 20 then returns the lever 19 back to the vertical position.

The drive means is then stopped and restarted in the reverse direction to transport the carriage 8 towards the unloading hatch 27.

The lever 19 (Fig. 4) now bears against the rotatable base 14 as it pushes the container 1 towards the unloading hatch 27.

In order to transport the container 1 in the opposite direction, the lever 19 together with the rotatable base 14 is again rotated through 1800, and the above-described operations are repeated.

The described installation can be most advantageously used for moving containers in cargo compartments of aircraft but can also be used in ground handling equipment.

The provision of only a single movable carriage for loading and unloading is ad vantageous in that it makes the installation convenient and simple to operate. Further the installation requires only a low power eiectric motor since the carriage is only used for moving one container at a time, rather than all of the containers accommodated within a cargo compartment. It is a further advantage of the described instal lation that the unloading hatch can be located in any convenient place within the cargo compartment. This is particularly useful in aircraft where, due to their design, it is generally not possible to have the un loading hatch in an end wall.

As the installation is incorporated in the floor of a cargo compartment and has only one drive means, it does not take up a lot of valuable space. There are no electric supply cables which would get "pinched" between the containers and the walls of the cargo compartment and therefore damaged Since the number of elements required for the described installation is small, (for example there is no lifting gear), the installation is light in weight, which is a further advantage particularly in relation to use in aircraft cargo compartment. Furthermore, the containers themselves do not have to be provided with lifting apparatus so they also can be relatively light in weight.

The time required for loading and unloading containers using the described installation is short since no time is wasted in lifting and lowering containers.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. An installation for handling con tahlerss, comprising a floor across which containers are to be moved, parallel elongate guide members incorporated in the floor, a flexible endless traction member interposed between the guide members, a carriage mounted by the guide members and connected to said flexible traction member for movement along the guide members, and a spring-loaded lever so mounted on the carriage as to be biased by its spring loading in one sense about a horizontal axis to normally extend vertically, the lever also being rotatable about a vertical axis whereby to enable the sense of its spring bias to be effectively reversed relative to the carriage.

2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the lever is mounted on a horizontal pivot axle whereby the lever can be rotated about said horizontal axis, the pivot axle being supported on a base which is rotatable relative to the carriage body about a vertical axis.

3. An installation according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein locking means are provided whereby the lever can be fixed against rotation about said vertical axis.

4. An installation according to claim 3 when dependent on claim 2, wherein the locking means comprises spring-loaded stops accommodated in the body of the rotatable base in such a manner that their ends protrude beyond the side surface of the base.

5. An installation according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a roller is fixed to the end of the lever remote from the carriage, the roller axis being horizontal.

6. An aircraft having a cargo compartment incorporating an installation in accordance with any one of the preceding claims.

7. A container-handling installation comprising a support structure upon which containers can be placed, elongate guide means carried by the support structure, a carriage movable along the guide means, drive means for moving the carriage, and a depressable flight mounted on the carriage and biased to normally project above the support structure for engagement with a container to be moved, the flight being so arranged that engagement of the flight with a container during movement of the carriage along the guide means in one direction results in depression of the flight allowing the carriage to pass under the container whereas during subsequent movement of the carriage in the opposite direction said engagement results in the container being pushed by the flight in said opposite direction across the support structure, the orientation of the

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (9)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. surface of the central aperture to hold the base 14 in the new working position. The drive means is then actuated so that the carriage 8 is driven along inside thc cargo compartment towards the position D. The lever 19 (Fig. 6) abuts against the bottom of the container 1 as the carriage 8 moves, and is pivoted about the horizontal axle 18, compressing the spring 20. The roller 22 rolls over the bottom of the con tainer 1 until it passes under the opposite edge of the container 1 and the carriage 8 reaches the position D. The spring 20 then returns the lever 19 back to the vertical position. The drive means is then stopped and restarted in the reverse direction to transport the carriage 8 towards the unloading hatch 27. The lever 19 (Fig. 4) now bears against the rotatable base 14 as it pushes the container 1 towards the unloading hatch 27. In order to transport the container 1 in the opposite direction, the lever 19 together with the rotatable base 14 is again rotated through 1800, and the above-described operations are repeated. The described installation can be most advantageously used for moving containers in cargo compartments of aircraft but can also be used in ground handling equipment. The provision of only a single movable carriage for loading and unloading is ad vantageous in that it makes the installation convenient and simple to operate. Further the installation requires only a low power eiectric motor since the carriage is only used for moving one container at a time, rather than all of the containers accommodated within a cargo compartment. It is a further advantage of the described instal lation that the unloading hatch can be located in any convenient place within the cargo compartment. This is particularly useful in aircraft where, due to their design, it is generally not possible to have the un loading hatch in an end wall. As the installation is incorporated in the floor of a cargo compartment and has only one drive means, it does not take up a lot of valuable space. There are no electric supply cables which would get "pinched" between the containers and the walls of the cargo compartment and therefore damaged Since the number of elements required for the described installation is small, (for example there is no lifting gear), the installation is light in weight, which is a further advantage particularly in relation to use in aircraft cargo compartment. Furthermore, the containers themselves do not have to be provided with lifting apparatus so they also can be relatively light in weight. The time required for loading and unloading containers using the described installation is short since no time is wasted in lifting and lowering containers. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. An installation for handling con tahlerss, comprising a floor across which containers are to be moved, parallel elongate guide members incorporated in the floor, a flexible endless traction member interposed between the guide members, a carriage mounted by the guide members and connected to said flexible traction member for movement along the guide members, and a spring-loaded lever so mounted on the carriage as to be biased by its spring loading in one sense about a horizontal axis to normally extend vertically, the lever also being rotatable about a vertical axis whereby to enable the sense of its spring bias to be effectively reversed relative to the carriage.

2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the lever is mounted on a horizontal pivot axle whereby the lever can be rotated about said horizontal axis, the pivot axle being supported on a base which is rotatable relative to the carriage body about a vertical axis.

3. An installation according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein locking means are provided whereby the lever can be fixed against rotation about said vertical axis.

4. An installation according to claim 3 when dependent on claim 2, wherein the locking means comprises spring-loaded stops accommodated in the body of the rotatable base in such a manner that their ends protrude beyond the side surface of the base.

5. An installation according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a roller is fixed to the end of the lever remote from the carriage, the roller axis being horizontal.

6. An aircraft having a cargo compartment incorporating an installation in accordance with any one of the preceding claims.

7. A container-handling installation comprising a support structure upon which containers can be placed, elongate guide means carried by the support structure, a carriage movable along the guide means, drive means for moving the carriage, and a depressable flight mounted on the carriage and biased to normally project above the support structure for engagement with a container to be moved, the flight being so arranged that engagement of the flight with a container during movement of the carriage along the guide means in one direction results in depression of the flight allowing the carriage to pass under the container whereas during subsequent movement of the carriage in the opposite direction said engagement results in the container being pushed by the flight in said opposite direction across the support structure, the orientation of the

flight relative to the carriage being adjustable such that the carriage can pass under a container when moving in said opposite direction and can subsequently push that container when moving in said one direction.

8. An installation according to claim 7, in which adjustable orientation of the flight relative to the carriage is provided for by mounting the flight on the carriage for rotation about a vertical axis.

9. An installation for handling containers, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.