US2382789A - Portable landing apron and runway - Google Patents

Description

Au@ 14 1945-' Es. GulGNoN, JR

PORTABLE APRON AND RUNWAY Filed April 15, 1943J 2 sheets-sheet 1 ug. 14, 1945. as. GulGNoN, JR

PORTABLE LANDING APRON AND RUNWAY ziiled April 15, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q wn w: 5%

Patented Aug. 14, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE LANDING APRON AND RUNWAY Emile-S. Guignon, Jr., Kansas City, Mo.

Application April 15, 1943, Serial No. 483,169

(ci. :a4-1s) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to landing aprons and runways, and particularly to portable apparatus of this character, whereby semi-permanent or emergency runways for airplanes may be quickly provided.

Under present war conditions it is often necessary to rapidly transform soft and marshy elds into runways for planes. Various types of landing aprons have been devised for this purpose, but as far as I am aware, all of these are constructed from critical materials. Sheet steel, the material most commonly used, is comparatively heavy and diiicult to handle in addition to being relatively expensive.

The vprincipal object of this invention is to provide a landing apron or the like, constructed of non-critical materials that are relatively -light in weight, yet embody sufficient strength to meet the necessary requirements for supporting planes of various types. Y

It is a further aim of the invention to provide a portable runway of parts so inter-related and connected that the surface area of the apron may be readily increased in either length or width as desired, by adding duplicate parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide a landing apron embodying a limited amount of resiliency for automatically adjusting itself to minor irregularities in the surface over which it is laid.

A yet further aim of the instant invention is the provision of a runway that may be doubled or tripled in thickness, yet connected with the same locking bars used for maintaining a runway of single thickness in assembled condition.

These and other objects of the invention have been accomplished with structure shown. in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of sections of a runway or apron constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, condensed plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 1, portions being broken away to better disclose the construction of the runway.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, longitudinal vertical secity of superposed aprons together with standard locking bars. Y

The landing apron or runway is built up of sections, generally designated by the numeral III, each of which comprises end rails I2, side rails or locking bars I4, and intermediate rails or bars I6. All of these rails are preferably formed of a good grade of seasoned hardwood, such as oak, and end rails I2 are each provided with a dovetailed rib I8 corresponding with dovetailed ends 20 formed on bars I6.

A pair of locking strips 22 are provided for interconnecting each end rail I2 and bars I6, tapered edge anges 24 of the strips being adapted to engage opposite edges of rib I8 and of rail ends 20. Connecting elements 26 of any suitable character may be employed to rmly draw the locking strips 22 toward each other for clamping the dovetailed portions of rail I2 and `bars I6 therebetween. Bridging, in the form of dowel rods 28, extended through aligned transverse openings 3l) in rails I6, tends to equalize strains imposed upon the runway when a heavy load passes thereover. y

Certain of the dowel rods may further be employed as connecting members when therunway sections are of such extensive length that it is impractical to use rails I6 which are sulnciently long to reach from one end rail I2 to another. Under these conditions, it is preferable to interlace the ends of adjoining lengths or sets of rails I6 which can be accomplished by reason of the fact that the spacing between a pair of rails is equivalent to the width of each rail. One set of rails I6 is provided adjacent yone end with inclined notches 32 adapted to receive a dowel rod 28 of another set. The dotted and dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings, clearly illustrate the procedure of engaging and interlocking one set of rails I6 with another set.

The rails I 6 nearest the side edges of each apron section are provided with dovetail ribs 34, which are clamped between cooperating pairs of locking bars I4 suitably grooved as at 40 to each receive substantially one-half of a rib 34. Fastening devices 42 are employed to clamp each pair of bars I4 together.

The locking bar I4 along one side of an apron section is preferably provided with a series of spaced apart screw eyes 44, while the opposite side bar I4 carries a correspondingly spaced series of hooks 46. A runway of any desired width may thus be readily constructed by engaging the hooks of one section with the eyes of an adjacent section.

In order to afford adequate traction for vehicles moving over the runway, the upper surfaces of bars I6 are covered with a coating 48 of any suitable non-skid material, such as a layer of rubber or asphalt and gravel bonded to the surface of the rails.

The apron sections may be laid directly on the surface of the ground or on cross sills 50 depending on the condition and character of the surface. Where cross sills are used, they should be so arrangedthat the interlaced portion of adjoining sets of rails I6 `rests on a cross sill, thereby compensating for the weakening of those rails I6 wherein the inclined notches 32 are formed.

In some instances, it may be found desirablel '15 to provide the notches 32 adjacentL each endo' rail I6 as shown in Fig. 5. This makes possible the interchanging of rails and contributes to 'eX-'- pediting the procedure of assembling a runway. t,

Where a single layer of apron sections doesl not embody suicient strength to carry the load imposed thereon, additionat layers can be added as illustrated in ig- 6. The superpc s ed layers areclarnped together byl means of a pair of locking bars I4 and bolts` 5 ,2I of suitable lengthfor drawing the bars together.i

The latter arrangement alsoservesexcellently as a, raft. By adding one layer upon another, it is possible to obtainwhatever buoyancy may be required to support a load carried by the raft above the surfaceofnthe water.

It will be clear from the foregoing that a,run way constructed as described, is relatively flexible. The hook and eye connection betweenv side bars of; adjacent sections and :the spaced and interlacedarrangement ofthe intermediate rails allows the apron to adjust 1 itself to irregularities that may exist in the surface over which itis laid.

Theu parts of the apronsections may. bereadily assembled or. disassembled andl sections may. be easilyconnected one toanother to produce a runway of any desired-width or length.

Itis conceivable that modifications might be made without departing from the spirit of this. invention and it isdesiredtherefore, to be limited only by4 the scope oftheappended claims.

t Havingvv thus described-the invention, what is` claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. In apparatus of the character described, a. runway section comprising side bars; and rails having dovetail ribs; intermediate rails having dovetailed ends; key strips for engaging opposite edges of said rib and dovetailed ends; and fastening members for drawing the key strips together.

2. I nnapparatus of the character described, a. runwaysection' comprising side bars; end rails having dovetail ribs; a series ofintermediate rails having dovetailed ends; key strips for engaging 45 rib.'

opposite edges of said rib and dovetailed ends;

fastening` rnemliersv for drawing the key strips together; and dowel rods extended transversely through saidseries of intermediate rails.

3i apparatus of the character described, a runway section comprising side bars; end rails; a set of. intermediate rails of uniformI width spaced `from each other a distance equivalent to the'4 width1 of, one' rail;y a, pair` of, locking` stripsV for vclamping `oi1`e`, ,e'nd,of saidset of rails and an; end rail therebetween; af rod` extended` transverselyy through said set of rails adjacent the otherend4 thereof; a` second setofintermediate rails interlaced wtli saidlirstnamedfset,having downward and'rearwardlyv inclined; notches adjacent, one end for engagngsadllod; means4 for connecting the `opposite end of` saidjsecond set with the other end rail j, and means4 on said sidebarsfor detachably connecting, one,` section to an adjoinf ingjsection, saidside bars liavingtheir. endSenf gaged between thelocking strips at the endsof the section whereby the side bars are secured. to the end rails and the interlaced intermediate railsare held in a common plane.

4; In apparatus ofthe characterdescribed, a runway section comprising end rails having doveitail ribs; intermediatev rails having dovetaled ends; locking strips for connectingA said dovetail ribs and 'dovetailedends together; side rails each having( a' dovetail rib fand, apair of, locking V bars for engaging opposite edges [of said last named f vEMILE s. GUIGNQN, JR.

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