US2444992A - Portable device for airplane landing wheels - Google Patents

Description

y 3, 1948. H. s. KlTTEL 2 4 PORTABLE DEVICE FOR AIRPLANE LANDING WHEELS Filed NOV. 20, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 13, 1948'. H. s. KITTEL PORTABLE DEVICE FOR AIRPLANE LANDING WHEELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fil ed Nov 20,- 1943 bi? T 177061? 07' 170100265 ffz272Z wAA///////////// Patented July 13, 1 948 Application'November 20, 1943;- Serial No. 51 1,027

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a .wheel -positioner; and is more particularly. described. as a portable lifting and handling device for. readily-mount.-

ing and dismoun-ting airplane landing wheels.

An important object of the invention is to provide-a .wheel and tireengaging apparatus .lfOI'xi raising, moving and tilting wheel'assemblies as nowused for large trucks, airplanes'and the like, to move the wheels to and from the storage posi' tion and to facilitate themounting of the wheels upon an aeroplane and to dismount them there from.

A further-o'bject'of the invention is to provide a portable carrier in which a large tireor wheel assembly is mounted for turning from a horizontal to an upright position with apparatus for cables'may be generally concealed andenclose'd thereby to provide a neat'assembly and to prevent the danger of contact of the cables with the hands or clothing of an operator.

a portable wheel positioner which is generally of newand improved construction and is char-f l acterized by simplicity of design as well a's ease or facility of assembly.

Other objects of the invention and various ad-f features which are hereinafter described and g} moreparticularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof. g g ,I In 'the drawings which accompany and 'f orm a part of this specification or disclosure, andin. which like letters and numerals. of reference.

denote corresponding parts throughout the several features; v 3

Figure 1 is a perspective of a portable devic'e for handling airplane landing wheels in accordance with this invention with the wheel holding structure in a horizontal position;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in Figure .l with a wheel holding structure including a wheel assemblyin vertical position g Figure 3 isa. sectional detail of the frame and lifting structure; I

Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating portions of the raising andlifting mechanism;

Figure S. is a sectional view illustrating portions of the lifting mechanism;

Figured is a detail sectional view of the lifting" 1 structure at the pivotal mounting; and

M Figure i is a perspective of the pivotal mounting,

Inxthe; developmentoflarge trucks and airplanes, the:sizes of their. landing'wheel assem:

5 blies arese large, the wheels in many cases'at-.

t'ainingsuch huge. dimensions and .such heavy weightsthat a troublesome problem is presented in the handling .thereof. Complications arise bothin the movement of the wheels to and from .10 storage-and in applying the wheels to and dismounting them from, their axles, struts, I and other supports. Thepresent invention provides an improved iormpf portable liftingdevice which is operative to effect theready movement of a -5 ,largewheel. assembly, and simplifies the task of mounting. and dismounting a tire or a wheel.

Incarrying .out, the invention, a tire gripping or holding assembly engages and. supports a tire or wheelandis pivotally mounted .in a movable 20 ,supporting :frame where it is mounted for raising and lowering movement 1 Referring now more particularly to thedrawe ings, a movablesupporting platform I 'comprises atubular member. H bent substantially Another object of the invention is to provide 25130 a u-shape'form of sizeto embrace or wheel towhich it is applied. Swivel casters I! are positioned .oneat the. outer ends of. each of the extremities and a third. upon :a projection 3 ;-tra;l p rtion .for supporting the frame.

Two tubular posts l4 and I are secured in uprightv position near the; outer ends of the tubular and are additionally supported by metal plates;

5 HIB welded orotherwise attachedto the lower ends of .theposts and the adjacent portion of the frame A. third uprighttubularpost I1 is mounted at the. top of the roundedportion of the frame member- I I, and communicates at the bottom with the interior thereof the post being supported byv three. short angular braces l8 extending to the sides of the.;frame member and rearwardly to.

5 .14 arid ,l5 is a short-sleeve section to which is attached a. projection: M having a pivot p'erforational in a downwardly extending portion and a perforated, bracket .23 extending upwardly therefrom. A trunnion pin 24 having a collar 25 is=inserted from theinner side of the pr0jec tion through thepivot openingZZ, a washer 26 is placedupon a projecting end and a-cotter pin 21 is insertedthrough the trunnion pin for-holding it in..place.

The trunnion pins.2:4 in opposite sides provide a suppbrtfor the. tire gripping-or holding assembly which includes a tubular member 28 through whichthe outer end of each trunnion pin extends and to which they are secured, the

13 extending; outwardly from the rounded cen-..

semi-circular form. Two opposite pick-up clips 29 are located at the ends of the tubular member .f 28 and an intermediate clip 30 is mounted at the inner end of the member and substantially 90 from each of the other two. The pick-up clip 30 is rigidly secured to the tubular membfir by welding or in any suitable manner, but theyclips i 29 are removably mounted at the ends'thereof,

Each clip 29 has opposite guide'ways 3i seems j thereto for engaging a key-block 32gsecured; 120 101 the extremity of the tubular member use that each of the clips 29 may be slipped inwardly: 8,1331

the end of the tubular member 28 at a location,

opposite the trunnion pin. ,24 for that end? To" limit the extent of application of each clip 29,

a stop plate-33 'is w'e'l'dedbrotherwise secured a the tubular member 28 at a distance from tile end thereof to engage-oneof the guideways 31; Each of the clips 29 is connected to itscorre- The wheel may then be raised slightly and me v edaway inhorizontal position from other 'wheela with which it is stored. Then, if neces- Sfl y, the wheel may be raised to bring the hold- Iingkanchgripping assembly to such a height that it may-be rotated 90f fto an upright vertical positionclear' o'f the ground as shown in Figure 2.

Theswheelassembly isthen moved to the locationoi the aircraft landing gear strut, and the 'level-of'the' gripping assembly is adjusted by the operation of the lifting mechanism to bring the centermf the wheel ort he hub of the wheel assembly-into alignmentwith the axle of a truck orj of the-landing strut if it is'applied to an aeroplane." The wheel positioner is then moved forsponding'slidable sleev'e ill'bymeans of -a -short go ward -unti'lflthe landing strut or axle projects chain section 34' attached at-one" end to the'cli'p and at the other end to the sleeve so'that when the clip is" dismounted or removed from its. -engagemen't with the tubular "membenit willnotthrough the hub of'the wheel, or through the-' centerof the other To free the wheel assembly fromfthelifting device, the gripping assembly is lowered by operating the lifting drum untilthe' become I lost or misplaced. Thus through the g5 pick-upclips 29 are free from contact withth'e trunnion pins, the gripping or-holding assembly is rotatably mounted upon "the'sleeves which are slidable upon 'end -posts -I4: and-l5; -One end of a cable 35{ is securedtothe bracket 23 of each mounting sleeve 20 and extends 'oyer the pulley cannot bemisplaced or lost As soon as the-clips as mounted at the top of itssuppo'rti'ng post and thence downwardly through the post over a pulley 31 at the bottom of the postand through a curved*portion of tubular member -H= over pul- 1eys-38-a'n'd 39 therein and around a pulley 4!; up as (a p n the m u in a e d-d posit n it inhorizontal position :or upon-= a stack of: other '1 such I wheels; the operation-describedabove" "issubstantially reversed. In moving 'a'tire'or wheel.

wardly through the tubular-post IT-"andover' a pulley ll at "the top-thereofto an operating mechanism 42 secured adjacent the; top of the wheel: The; clipsfmay thenbe moved vertically away from their supporting stops 33 to disengage them from the key=blocks .32 since they are connected to their sleeves by chains, th'e'clips 29 are removed,the wheel positioning device may then be "withdrawn iromuthe: mounting axle or strut leaving the -wheel'in positionvtheron. In removings-ar-lf il' ef or wheel assembly from an post, Thi Operating e ha i o i from one horizontal position-to another; it is not drum 43 upon which the cables from both sides ary-t to swing i t v r p i i n :as it are wound. "The drum is'mounted; upon aljshaft will-{be-substantially: retaineddn theIliftin'g-"de 44 extendin to one side'and-havin'gaerank han vice in-t'hehorizontal position-and may b raised 9- dle '45'-m'ounted thereon'with a'ratchet gear 46* or r d t ifi e t ev tionsby-t-the iftin and a spring-pressed. locking 'pawl; 4l-f r en 7 mechanism in this position q s H gaging the gear and holding it" in any'adjust ed ms t e post sv I 4 and I5 are- -located within positioni h the swivel casters lz -at the ends 0f the frame;-,--

The lifting cables 35- are thus shielded within d-t e post. ,I in he te mounted-ton the tubular members of the frame except at "the Lfl m D J'QQU 3, thewf a e has --great;.-' extremities thereof which preventshthem from stability and does not tend to tip or overturnbein'g caught on projections during the moveme t I!) evenpunderheavyload, and regardlessofthe p0- of the device orfoulin'g' a workmansf clothing or Sition onmovement of a wheelcarriedq-by the.. other objectsiwhenthe lifting drum-is operated. pin /as l s nv nt -masi-be read 1 At the'u' p'e'r endcf'each of'the upright posts is i y adapt d t y typ or s of a i g ,yv s-w a cap 59 for closingftheyendand providing a neat by a change in the dimensions of tthe gripping appearing finished construction. eissemblyJ As shown Figure 2,a-tire orwheel assembly 48 is mounted in thegripping or holding-assembly in vertical or upright position within; the

framegf I n this posit-ion, the bottom of thetire strictedtto the details set. forth since .these. ms i'l be modified within the scope of th nappended claims wi thout. departing fromhthe spirit and rests upon the fixed holdingclip and the oppo e0 scope ofwthewinventiont,

site sides are engaged by the clips 29; The wheel or tire thus adapted-tobeapplied toanaxle heel in a position slightly raised fromth'e ground,

In'operation, assuming the devicetobej empty', l5 inf the cables 35 and the system of pulleysiabove de- Having, thus described .Lthe It claimas new and desire to seizure by. Letters Pate ent ism 1 semblyupon pivots movably mounted upon the scribed: "The weight or the gripping assemblyis- 7o postsfa'nd means carried'bythe frame'and insuflicient to lower it by gravity -and in the'l'owering operation, the pawl 4! is released s by handi- When thecenter line of the gripping assembly'isin the same plane as the center iineofthe wheelQj-j A r I V J ass'embly in'horizontalposition;the iifting de A w ee p on n dev ce sins-1n eluding flexible elementsextending through the posts and connected to the pivot mountingsto simultaneously move said pivot mountings V to. raise and lower theassembly in the frame.

portable whfil handling device compris heel grippingassembly adapted to em; I brace substantially one-half of the wheelga U shaped frame having upright tubular posts at the outrends thereoffmeans for mountingthe ascombination a wheel gripping assembly having a curved member to embrace substantially onehalf of the periphery of a wheel, a pair of holding clips for the ends of the member having a block and groove connection for slidably engaging each clip with the end of the member, means for him-- iting the insertion of the clip upon the member, and mounting means comprising pivots at the outsides of the member for raising, lowering, and turning the gripping assembly therein.

3. A wheel positioning device, comprising a wheel gripping assembly having a curved memher to embrace at least one-half of the periphery of a wheel, wheel holding clips carried by the member at the ends and intermediate the ends thereof, a pivot extending outwardly at each end of the member, a supporting frame having upright posts spaced apart to receive the gripping assembly therebetween, sleeves movable vertically upon the posts and each having a mounting for engaging the pivots of the gripping assembly, and means carried by the frame and including cables extending from the tops of the posts and connected to the sleeves for raising and lowering them and the gripping assembly carried thereby.

4. A wheel positioning device, comprising a wheel gripping assembly adapted to embrace substantially one-half of a wheel from the periphery thereof and comprising pivots at the diametrically opposite extremities, a mounting frame having upright posts spaced apart to receive the gripping assembly therebetween, sleeves slidable upon the posts having bearings for engaging the pivots, the posts and frames being hollow with pulleys mounted therein to receive cables traversing each post and extending in the frame to a common position on the frame intermediate the posts, the ends of the cables being connected to the pivot mounting sleeves, and a winding drum carried by the frame to which the other ends of the cables are attached for raising and lowering the sleeves and the gripping assembly.

5. A wheel positioning device, comprising in combination a wheel gripping assembly having a curved member and removable holding clips adjacent the ends of the member to embrace substantially one-half of the wheel from the peripher thereof, a portable frame comprising a hollow curved member with upright hollow posts near the ends communicating with the interior of the frame member, mounting means movable on the posts for engaging the pivots of the gripping assembly therebetween, the extremities of the frame extending beyond the posts and having wheel casters at the ends and at a point between the ends of the frame for supporting the gripping assembly and a wheel therein at all times without overturning, an upright hollow post intermediate the ends of the frame, cables extending through the posts and the frame each connected at one end to one of the sleeves and extending from the intermediate post adjacent the top thereof, and winding means comprising a drum carried by the intermediate post and a pawl engaged crank for operating the drum to raise and lower the wheel assembly in the frame.

6. In a wheel positioning device, a hollow tubular substantially semi-circular base member, a pair of hollow vertical posts connected near the ends and communicating at the bottom with the base member, swivel casters mounted at the ends of the base member and upon a rearward extension of the base member between the ends thereof, an intermediate upright hollow post mounted upon the base member intermediate the ends thereof and communicating with the inside of the base member, a wheel gripping assembly, and sleeves upon which it is pivoted mounted upon the two opposite posts for raising, lowering and turning movement of the wheel, a winding drum assembly mounted upon the intermediate post near the top thereof, and including a crank arm and a locking pawl and ratchet therefor, cables connected to the winding drum and each extending through the intermediate post and through the hollow base member to one of the two opposite posts and outwardly at the end of the post to engage the corresponding mounting sleeve, the posts all being mounted inwardly with respect to the swivel casters so that a wheel carried by the gripping assembly may be raised, lowered and turned from horizontal to vertical position between the posts without tipping or overturning it.

'7. A wheel positioning device, comprising a wheel or tire gripping assembly adapted to engage substantially one-half of a wheel, a frame comprising a tubular curved base member and tubular vertical posts carried thereby, a winding drum assembly carried by one of the posts, slidable pivot engaging sleeves carried by two opposite posts for pivotally mounting the gripping assembly therein and raising and lowering the cables extending from the winding drum through its mounting post and through the frame and the other mounting posts to engage the sleeves slidable upon the posts.

8. A portable wheel positioning device comprising, a wheeled carrier frame open at one side, upright posts at the ends of the frame at the open side and an intermediate post, an assembly including a frame having an open side and wheel or tire gripping devices at the ends of the frame at said open side, supports for said frame slidably mounted on side posts, and means including an actuating device mounted on the intermediate post and a connection between the actuating device and said supports, for raising and lowering the assembly.

9. A portable wheel positioning device comprising, a wheeled carrier frame open at one side, upright posts at the ends of the frame at the open side and an intermediate post, an assembly including a. frame having an open side and wheel or tire gripping devices at the ends of the frame at the open side, pivots for the ends of the assembly frame at its open side, supports for said pivots slidably mounted on side posts, and means including a Windlass on the intermediate post of the carrier frame-and a cable connected to the slidable supports for simultaneously raising and lowering the assembly. I

HOWARD S. KITTEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 464,487 Allen Dec. 8, 1891 1,338,630 Horrocks Apr. 27, 1920 1,343,964 Dunstan June 22, 1920 1,349,633 Staley Aug. 17, 1920 1,484,356 Montgomery Feb. 19, 1924 1,519,894 Adams Dec. 16, 1924 1,797,645 Fournet Mar. 24, 1931

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