US 10,589,969 B2 · System, method and apparatus for widespread commercialization of hydrogen as a carbon-free alternative fuel source

Abstract

A loading system for a lighter-than-air craft hull that includes a vehicle that transports cargo containers into a hull loading area. This vehicle engages one of a set of longitudinal rails located inside the hull running fore and aft, where each rail has a unique vertical position and a unique horizontal position inside the hull. There is a crane to raise a particular container transported by the vehicle to the unique vertical position of one of the rails and to move it horizontally to the unique horizontal position of the rail. The crane attaches a rail wheel to the container and suspends the container from the rail. There is a rail tug that pushes or pulls the container along the rail forward into the hull to a final shipping location for that container.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A loading system for a lighter-than-air craft hull comprising, in combination:

a vehicle constructed to transport cargo containers into a hull loading area;
a plurality of longitudinal rails located inside the lighter-than-air craft hull running fore and aft, each rail having a unique vertical position and a unique horizontal position inside the hull;
a crane constructed to raise a particular container transported by said vehicle to the unique vertical position of one of the plurality of rails and to move the particular container horizontally to the unique horizontal position of said one of the plurality of rails;
wherein the crane is also constructed to attach a rail wheel to the particular container and suspend the particular container from said one of the plurality of rails;
a rail tug constructed to push or pull the particular container along said one of the plurality of rails forward into the hull to a final shipping location for the particular container.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System, method and apparatus for widespread commercialization of hydrogen as a carbon-free alternative fuel source

Life of this patent

System, method and apparatus for widespread commercialization of hydrogen as a carbon-free alternative fuel source

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17