Aircraft dolly
AssigneeWest Metro Aviation, LLC
InventorMichael Wiskus
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dolly for placement beneath a landing gear of an aircraft that enables transport of the aircraft without rolling the tire of the aircraft. The dolly includes a platform for a tire to rest on and a channel for positioning the tire. The dolly includes a winch for translating the dolly and aircraft tire relative to each other such that the landing gear is brought to rest on the platform, and one or more stops for securing the aircraft landing gear with respect to the dolly. Once positioned, the dolly can be used while transporting the aircraft, either by hand pushing, a hand towbar, a motorized tug with a towbar, or other mode. The dolly is useful for moving aircraft in tight spaces and is also useful for transporting aircraft with damaged landing gear or flat tires.
Claims19
A dolly for positioning under a landing gear of an aircraft for moving the aircraft, the dolly having a forward end and a rearward end, the dolly comprising:
- a steel frame including a pair of beams, each extending forwardly and rearwardly, that are substantially parallel to each other and an aircraft wheel receiving platform extending between the pair of beams, each of said pair of beams comprising a plurality of unitary elongate wall portions comprising an innermost vertical wall portion with respect to the aircraft wheel receiving platform, an outermost vertical wall portion with respect to the aircraft wheel receiving platform, and a horizontal wall portion extending between the innermost vertical wall portion and the outermost vertical wall portion, each unitary elongate wall portion extending forwardly and rearwardly a length of the respective beam, each beam further including a plurality of gusset plates positioned perpendicularly to the respective plurality of unitary elongate wall portions with each of the gusset plates connecting to each of the plurality of unitary elongate wall portions and also connecting to the aircraft wheel receiving platform extending between the pair of beams, the frame further comprising a winch platform bridging between forward portions of the beams, said aircraft wheel receiving platform and the pair of beams defining a channel for movement of an aircraft tire into the channel and onto the aircraft wheel receiving platform;
- four castors attached to each of said pair of beams;
- and
- a winch attached to said winch platform, said winch including a strap, said strap being attachable to an aircraft for movement of an aircraft wheel into the channel and onto the aircraft wheel receiving platform by actuation of said winch, such that the aircraft then can be moved by the dolly without rolling the aircraft wheel.
A dolly for positioning under a landing gear of an aircraft for moving the aircraft, the dolly having a forward end and a rearward end, the dolly comprising:
- a welded steel frame including a pair of beams extending forwardly and rearwardly that are substantially parallel to each other and an aircraft wheel receiving platform extending between the pair of beams, each of said pair of beams comprising a plurality of unitary elongate planar wall portions comprising an innermost vertical wall portion, innermost with respect to the aircraft wheel receiving platform and an outermost wall portion, outermost with respect to the aircraft wheel receiving platform, the plurality of unitary elongate planar wall portions defining a C-shape in cross section, each unitary elongate wall portion extending forwardly and rearwardly a length of the respective beam, each beam further including a plurality of gusset plates positioned perpendicularly to the respective plurality of unitary elongate wall portions and having a conforming shape with the inside of the C-shape, and with each of the gusset plates connecting to each of the plurality of unitary elongate wall portions, the frame further comprising a winch platform bridging between forward portions of the beams, said aircraft wheel receiving platform and the pair of beams defining a channel for movement of an aircraft tire into the channel and onto the aircraft wheel receiving platform;
- a plurality of castors attached to each of said pair of beams;
- and
- a winch attached to said winch platform, said winch including a strap, said strap being attachable to an aircraft for movement of an aircraft wheel into the channel and onto the aircraft wheel receiving platform by actuation of said winch, such that the aircraft then can be moved by the dolly without rolling the aircraft wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.