Modular system for quick conversion of aircraft passenger compartments to cargo baggage/compartments
AssigneeWestern Gear Corporation
InventorDavid J. Davies
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The modular system for quickly converting aircraft passenger compartments into cargo compartments and vice versa comprises floor forming panels, each panel being a complete module of the system. The individual panels are lightweight, having quick connect and disconnect fittings for securing to the aircraft, whereby the panels form a cargo supporting floor. Each panel has conveyor elements to move the cargo, to guide the cargo on the panels, and to hold the cargo in place in the aircraft on the panels.
Claims27
A panel for use in a quickly convertible modularized system for securing cargo in passenger compartments of aircraft, said panel comprising:
- an elongated flat floor member having an upper side providing a floor surface and a lower side to face an aircraft floor,
- quick connect and disconnect fittings in said floor member for engagement with aircraft fittings to secure said floor member to said aircraft,
- cargo container stops in said floor member to hold cargo containers in place,
- conveying means on said floor member for providing easy movement of cargo containers thereon,
- guide means on said floor member for guiding cargo containers into place and for holding said containers in place, and
- said quick fittings depend from frames supporting said stops, and include shear plungers for engaging said aircraft fittings and supporting said floor member in shear with respect to said aircraft.
A panel for use in a quickly convertible modularized system for securing cargo in passenger compartments of aircraft, said panel comprising;
- an elongated flat floor member having an upper side providing a floor surface and a lower side to face an aircraft floor,
- quick connect and disconnect fittings in said floor member for engagement with aircraft fittings to secure said floor member to said aircraft,
- cargo container stops in said floor member to hold cargo containers in place,
- conveying means on said floor member for providing easy movement of cargo containers thereon, and
- said aircraft fittings are seat rails,
- said quick fittings have a handle extending upwardly of the upper side of the floor member,
- a stud extending downwardly from the handle and having a key at its lower end adapted to fit into one of said seat rails in an unlocked position,
- said handle being biased upwardly and being adapted to be rotated when forced against the bias downwardly to lock said key in said one rail.
A panel for use in a quickly convertible modularized system for securing cargo in passenger compartments of aircraft, said panel comprising:
- an elongated flat floor member having an upper side providing a floor surface and a lower side to face an aircraft floor,
- quick connect and disconnect fittings in said floor member for engagement with aircraft fittings to secure said floor member to said aircraft,
- cargo container stops in said floor member to hold cargo containers in place,
- conveying means on said floor member for providing easy movement of cargo containers thereon, and
- said quick fittings are pins secured to said floor member and are adapted to extend beyond edges of said floor member to engage said aircraft fittings,
- means on said floor member to extend said pins beyond said edges and to retract said pins within said edges.
- said last mentioned means including linkage lock means for locking said pins in the extending positions.
A modular system for quickly converting aircraft passenger compartments into cargo compartments, said system comprising:
- a plurality of aircraft floor forming panels, each panel having an upper face providing a floor surface and a lower face to be adjacent an aircraft floor,
- quick connect and disconnect fittings in said panels for engagement with aircraft fittings to secure said panels to said aircraft, said panels being securable in adjacent edge-to-edge relationship,
- cargo container stops on said panels to hold cargo containers on said panels against fore and aft movement.
- conveying means in said panels for providing easy movement of cargo containers thereon from panel to panel, and
- said quick fittings depend from frames supporting said stops, and include shear plungers for engaging said aircraft fittings and for supporting said panels in shear with respect to said aircraft.
A modular system for quickly converting aircraft passenger compartments into cargo compartments, said system comprising:
- a plurality of aircraft floor forming panels, each panel having an upper face providing a floor surface and a lower face to be adjacent an aircraft floor,
- quick connect and disconnect fittings in said panels for engagement with aircraft fittings to secure said panels to said aircraft, said panels being securable in adjacent edge-to-edge relationship,
- cargo container stops on said panels to hold cargo containers on said panels against fore and aft movement,
- conveying means in said panels for providing easy movement of cargo containers thereon from panel to panel, and
- said aircraft fittings are seat rails,
- said quick fittings have handles extending upwardly of the upper faces of the panels,
- a stud extending downwardly from each handle and having a key at its lower end adapted to fit into one of said seat rails in an unlocked position,
- each handle being biased upwardly and being adapted to be rotated when forced against the bias downwardly to lock said key in said one rail.
A modular system for quickly converting aircraft passenger compartments into cargo compartments, said system comprising:
- a plurality of aircraft floor forming panels, each panel having an upper face providing a floor surface and a lower face to be adjacent an aircraft floor,
- quick connect and disconnect fittings in said panels for engagement with aircraft fittings to secure said panels to said aircraft, said panels being securable in adjacent edge-to-edge relationship,
- cargo container stops on said panels to hold cargo containers on said panels against fore and aft movement,
- conveying means in said panels for providing easy movement of cargo containers thereon from panel to panel, and
- said quick fittings are pins secured to said panels and are adapted to extend beyond edges of said panels to engage said aircraft fittings,
- means on said panels to extend said pins beyond said edges and to retract said pins within said edges,
- said last-mentioned means including linkage locking means for locking said pins in the extending positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.