US 12,710,026 B2 · Systems, methods, and vehicles for transporting large cargo onto and off a transport vehicle

Abstract

Systems, methods, and vehicles for loading and unloading cargo from a long-distance transport vehicle, such as an aircraft, are described. The systems and methods include operating a plurality of vehicles to unload large cargo from the aircraft and transporting the large cargo to an installation site. In some instances, the vehicles hold the payload the entire time, including while loading aircraft, during flight, unloading the aircraft, and moving the payload to the installation site. Alternatively, the vehicles can drive on the plane to load the payload to a designated area, and equivalent vehicles can drive on the plane after the payload has been flown to unload the payload and moving the payload to the installation site. Various vehicles and systems, and components thereof, along with methods of operating the same, are also provided.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for at least one of loading a payload onto a cargo aircraft or unloading a payload from a cargo aircraft, comprising:

a plurality of vehicles configured to move along a ground surface;
one or more support spans extending between at least two vehicles of the plurality of vehicles;
and
a plurality of payload-receiving fixtures coupled to at least one of:
(a) a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles;
or (b) a support span of the one or more support spans, the plurality of payload-receiving fixtures being configured to secure a location of a payload with respect to the one or more support spans while the plurality of vehicles are moved along a ground surface,
wherein at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles comprises one or more actuators coupled to a frame of the vehicle, the one or more actuators being configured to receive a payload-receiving fixture of the plurality of payload-receiving fixtures and adjust a position of the payload-receiving fixture relative to the frame, and
wherein the one or more actuators are configured to rotate the payload-receiving fixture about a rotation axis extending substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the payload received by the payload-receiving fixture.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems, methods, and vehicles for transporting large cargo onto and off a transport vehicle

Life of this patent

Systems, methods, and vehicles for transporting large cargo onto and off a transport vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20