# US 11,113,977 B2 · Runway obstacle clearance device and method

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- Number: US 11,113,977 B2
- Document ID: US11113977B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/832,604
- Filed: 2020-03-27
- Published: 2020-10-01
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-29
- Applicants: Melvin C. Stanley
- Inventors: Melvin C. Stanley
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11113977B2

## CPC

- G08G 5/22: located on the ground
- B64F 1/36: Other airport installations (ground installations for de-icing aircraft B64F5/20)
- G08G 5/54: for approach or landing
- G08G 5/74: for monitoring terrain
- G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93})
- 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

## Abstract

The present invention is designed to instrumentation and methods for providing runway obstacle clearance for instrument and non-instrument landing of an aircraft. The device provides a simple method of determining if there are any obstacles within the FAA required path of landing of an aircraft. Typically, there are trees and other obstacles which have to be precisely located to determine if such trees and other obstacles are within the required clearance space for permitted landing of an aircraft. This is particularly important when visual verification of the landing of the aircraft is required.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A surveying instrument for determining a clear landing path for a runway approach and side clearances comprising:
a support base having top and bottom planar surfaces the upper surface of which can be positioned parallel to the ground;
a sighting support member having a bottom surface parallel to the top surface of the support base and a top surface being oriented at a selected non parallel angle in relationship to said planar surfaces of said support base;
a sighting mechanism mounted on said top surface of the sighting support member, the central axis of said sighting mechanism being parallel to the top planar surface of said sighting support member; and the sighting mechanism being rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the top surface of the sighting support member whereby the central axis of said sighting mechanism is maintained at a constant angle relative to the top planar surface of said support base so as to be used to determine a clear landing path and the side clearances, of the runway when rotated.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The surveying instrument of claim 1 in which the angle of said sighting support member is adjustable.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The surveying instrument of claim 1 in which the angle of the sighting support member is formed by the sighting support member having a slope of 7:1 or 10:1.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The surveying instrument of claim 1 in which the angle of the sighting support member is formed by the sighting support member having a slope of 20:1, 34:1 or 50:1.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The surveying instrument of claim 2 in which the slope of the sighting support member is formed by the sighting support member having a slope from 7:1 to 50:1.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The surveying instrument of claim 1 in which the sighting support member being rotatable around a vertical axis.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The surveying instrument of claim 1 in which said support base is mounted on a tripod.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The surveying instrument of claim 6 in which the legs of said tripod are adjustable.