Aircraft mounted cargo lifting crane and adapter for mounting the same
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsChristopher Handy, Jared Minter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft mounted cargo lifting crane and adapter for mounting the same. The adapter includes a plate portion and several upstanding webs extending from the plate portion. The upstanding webs include perimeter webs that protect the bolted connections to the aircraft floor, and interior webs that are configured to surround the base of a crane. The adapter further includes a plurality of foot pads that have a slotted hole passing through the same, and a plurality of retractable wheels. A crane system is provided which includes the adapter and a crane, such as a jib crane, that is joined to the adapter. The crane system can be movably joined to different attachment points on the floor of the cargo bay of an aircraft.
Claims11
An adapter for movably joining a crane which has a base to a floor of a cargo bay of an aircraft, which floor is comprised of wood overlaid on metal support structure and has a plurality of spaced apart metal cargo attachment points thereon, wherein said cargo attachment points are arranged in a pattern of rows and columns on said floor, said adapter having an upwardly-facing side and an opposed floor-facing side, said adapter comprising:
- a plate portion having a first surface facing the same direction as the upwardly-facing side of the adapter, a second surface facing the same direction as the floor-facing side of the adapter, a length, a width, a perimeter, and a thickness;
- a plurality of upstanding webs joined to the first surface of the plate portion, said upstanding webs comprising:
- perimeter webs disposed adjacent to the perimeter of the plate portion;
- and
- interior webs sized and configured to surround the base of the crane;
- a plurality of discrete foot pads joined to the second surface of the plate portion, said foot pads comprising protrusions extending outwardly from said second surface of said plate portion, wherein said foot pads are sized and configured to fit into said metal cargo attachment points, wherein each of said foot pads and said second surface of said plate portion to which said foot pads are joined have a slotted hole passing therethrough, wherein said adapter is configured to be joined at said foot pads to said metal cargo attachment points;
- and
- a plurality of wheels joined to at least one of said plate portion or said perimeter webs, wherein said wheels have a deployed position and a retracted position.
An adapter for movably joining a crane which has a base to a floor of a cargo bay of an aircraft, which floor is comprised of wood overlaid on metal support structure and has a plurality of spaced apart metal cargo attachment points thereon, wherein said cargo attachment points are arranged in a pattern of rows and columns on said floor, said adapter having an upwardly-facing side and an opposed floor-facing side, said adapter comprising:
- a plate portion comprising a flat rectangular piece of material having a first surface facing the same direction as the upwardly-facing side of the adapter, a second surface facing the same direction as the floor-facing side of the adapter, four corners, a length, a width, a perimeter, and a thickness;
- a plurality of upstanding webs joined to the first surface of the plate portion, said upstanding webs comprising:
- perimeter webs disposed adjacent to the perimeter of the plate portion;
- and
- interior webs sized and configured to surround the base of the crane;
- four discrete foot pads joined to the second surface of the plate portion, said foot pads comprising protrusions extending outwardly from said second surface of said plate portion, wherein a foot pad is located adjacent each corner of said plate portion, wherein said foot pads have a length and width that are each several times smaller than the length and width of the plate portion, and said foot pads are sized and configured to fit into said metal cargo attachment points, wherein said foot pads are configured to have a two-stage chamfer stand-off from the second surface of said plate portion, and wherein each of said foot pads and said second surface of said plate portion to which said foot pads are joined have a slotted hole passing therethrough, wherein said slotted holes define a racetrack-shaped opening having a length and a width that is sized and configured for receiving a bolt for attachment of cargo floor attachment points on the aircraft, wherein said slotted holes are oriented so that their lengths all extend in the same direction, and wherein said adapter is configured to be joined at said foot pads to said metal cargo attachment points;
- and
- a plurality of wheels joined to at least one of said plate portion or said perimeter webs, wherein said wheels have a deployed position and a retracted position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.