Manually insertable key extender
AssigneeGovernment of the United States as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsMichael Williamson, Tabitha Au
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tool for aligning the nose landing gear tire of an F-35 aircraft. The F-35 landing gear has a fixed forward notch which is used to align the landing gear and tire with the centerline of the airframe. The tool has a key which can be inserted into and retracted from the notch. Torque may then be applied to key to adjust the azimuthal angle of the landing gear. The key is joined to an extender, which, in turn is joined to a yoke. The yoke may be removably joined to the landing gear to index the key to the notch.
Claims20
A tool for aligning a nose landing gear of a F-35 aircraft, the tool defining a longitudinal axis and comprising:
- a generally planar yoke having two opposed arms extending outwardly from a common yoke proximal end to two yoke distal ends remote therefrom and defining a transverse space therebetween;
- an extender projecting outwardly from an extender proximal end joined to the generally planar yoke to an extender distal end remote therefrom;
- and
- a key juxtaposed with the extender distal end and being complementary a notch of the F-35 aircraft landing gear, the key being insertable into the notch to effect azimuthal alignment of the landing gear and retractable from the notch.
A tool for aligning a nose landing gear of a F-35 aircraft, the tool defining a longitudinal axis and comprising:
- a generally planar yoke having two opposed arms extending outwardly from a common yoke proximal end to two yoke distal ends remote therefrom and defining a transverse space therebetween;
- an articulable extender projecting outwardly from an extender proximal end joined to the generally planar yoke to an extender distal end remote therefrom;
- and
- a key juxtaposed with the extender distal end and being complementary a notch of the F-35 aircraft landing gear, upon forward articulation the key being insertable into the notch to effect azimuthal alignment of the landing gear and being retractable from the notch.
A tool for aligning a nose landing gear of a F-35 aircraft, the tool defining a longitudinal axis and comprising:
- a generally planar yoke having two opposed arms extending outwardly from a common yoke proximal end to two yoke distal ends remote therefrom and defining a transverse space therebetween;
- an extender projecting outwardly from an extender proximal end joined to the generally planar yoke to an extender distal end remote therefrom;
- and
- a key juxtaposed with the extender distal end and being complementary a notch of the F-35 aircraft landing gear, upon vertical translation the key being insertable into the notch to effect azimuthal alignment of the landing gear and being vertically retractable from the notch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.