Swivel nose caster for aircraft floats

A float assembly mountable to an aircraft, the float assembly comprising:

• a float extending lengthwise between a bow of the float and a stern of the float;
• a front mounting structure connected to the bow of the float;
• a sleeve engaging the front mounting structure;
• an upper bearing in the sleeve and a lower bearing in the sleeve, wherein the upper and lower bearings define a swivel axis;
• a shaft extending lengthwise along the swivel axis into the sleeve and being supported by the upper and lower bearings such that the shaft is rotatable about the swivel axis within the sleeve;
• a knee member affixed to the shaft such that the knee member and the shaft are rotatable as a unit relative to the sleeve;
• a wheel support arm having a first end, a second end, and a intermediate point between the first and second ends;
• the first end of the wheel support arm being pivotally connected to the knee member;
• a nose wheel supported at the second end of the wheel support arm, the nose wheel being rotatable about a wheel axis, the nose wheel being further rotatable about the swivel axis, the wheel axis and the swivel axis being spaced apart and nonintersecting;
• and
• a bifluidic strut having selectively a compressed state and an extended state, the bifluidic strut being longer in the extended state than in the compressed state, the bifluidic strut having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being pivotally connected to the shaft such that the bifluidic strut is pivotal about a first axis that is substantially perpendicular to the swivel axis and substantially parallel to the wheel axis, the distal end being pivotally connected to the intermediate point of the wheel support arm, the bifluidic strut defining a liquid chamber containing a liquid, the bifluidic strut defining a gas chamber containing a gas, the bifluidic strut defining an aperture through which the liquid flows in response to the bifluidic strut moving between the compressed state and the relaxed state, the gas in the gas chamber decreasing in volume in response to the bifluidic strut moving from the extended state to the compressed state, the gas increasing in pressure in response to the bifluidic strut moving from the extended state to the compressed state, the liquid increasing in pressure in response to the bifluidic strut moving from the extended state to the compressed state.

A float assembly mountable to an aircraft, the float assembly comprising:

• a float extending lengthwise between a bow of the float and a stern of the float;
• a front mounting structure connected to the bow of the float;
• a sleeve engaging the front mounting structure;
• an upper bearing in the sleeve and a lower bearing in the sleeve, wherein the upper and lower bearings define a swivel axis;
• a shaft extending lengthwise along the swivel axis into the sleeve and being supported by the upper and lower bearings such that the shaft is rotatable about the swivel axis within the sleeve;
• a knee member affixed to the shaft such that the knee member and the shaft are rotatable as a unit relative to the sleeve;
• a wheel support arm having a first end, a second end, and a intermediate point between the first and second ends;
• the first end of the wheel support arm being pivotally connected to the knee member;
• a nose wheel supported at the second end of the wheel support arm, the nose wheel being rotatable about a wheel axis, the nose wheel being further rotatable about the swivel axis;
• a bifluidic strut comprising an outer cylinder and a plunger extending into the outer cylinder, the bifluidic strut having selectively a compressed state and a relaxed state, the bifluidic strut being longer in the extended state than in the compressed state, the bifluidic strut having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being pivotally connected to the shaft such that the bifluidic strut is pivotal about a first axis that is substantially perpendicular to the swivel axis and substantially parallel to the wheel axis, the distal end being pivotally connected to the intermediate point of the wheel support arm, the bifluidic strut having a strut longitudinal centerline, the strut longitudinal centerline being at a first angle to the swivel axis when the bifluidic strut is in the compressed state, the strut longitudinal centerline being at a second angle to the swivel axis when the bifluidic strut is in the relaxed state, and the first angle being different than the second angle;
• the bifluidic strut pivots about the first axis relative to the shaft when the bifluidic strut moves between the compressed state and the extended state;
• the bifluidic strut pivots relative to the wheel support arm about a second axis at the intermediate point of the wheel support arm when the bifluidic strut moves between the compressed state and the extended state, the second axis being substantially parallel to the wheel axis, substantially parallel to the first axis, and substantially perpendicular to the swivel axis;
• a liquid chamber being at least partially defined by the outer cylinder and the plunger, the liquid chamber containing a liquid;
• a gas chamber being at least partially contained inside the plunger, the gas chamber containing a gas,
• the bifluidic strut defining an aperture through which the liquid flows in response to the bifluidic strut moving between the compressed state and the extended state, the gas in the gas chamber decreasing in volume in response to the bifluidic strut moving from the extended state to the compressed state, the gas increasing in pressure in response to the bifluidic strut moving from the extended state to the compressed state, the liquid increasing in pressure in response to the bifluidic strut moving from the extended state to the compressed state;
• the wheel support arm being pivotally coupled to the shaft via the knee member such that the wheel support arm pivots about a third axis relative to the shaft when the bifluidic strut moves between the compressed state and the relaxed state, the third axis and the first axis being in fixed spaced-apart relationship with each other, the third axis and the second axis being in fixed spaced-apart relationship with each other, and the first axis and the second axis being in variable spaced-apart relationship with each other;
• the nose wheel having an outermost radius and being movable selectively to a landing position and a stowed position relative to the float, the nose wheel being higher in the stowed position than in the landing position when the float is mounted to the aircraft, the bifluidic strut is in the relaxed state, and the aircraft is flying level, the nose wheel being closer to the gas chamber than to the liquid chamber;
• the wheel axis being at a trailing offset distance from the swivel axis when the nose wheel is in the landing position with the float mounted to the aircraft and with the aircraft flying level;
• the trailing offset distance being greater when the bifluidic strut is in the compressed state than when the bifluidic strut is in the extended state, the trailing offset distance being greater than 0.25 times the outermost radius when the bifluidic strut is in the extended state, the trailing offset distance being greater than the outermost radius when the bifluidic strut is in the compressed state;
• and
• a container attached to the bow of the float, the bifluidic strut extending into the container while the nose wheel is outside the container when the nose wheel is in the stowed position, both the bifluidic strut and the nose wheel being outside the container when the nose wheel is in the landing position.