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US 4,057,158 AGranted
Aircraft towing vehicle
OwnerIgor Lissyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft towing vehicle employing steering geometry which provides a common turning center. Laterally rigid hitch arms are attached to the vehicle for grasping the aircraft nose or tail wheel. Coordinated all-wheel vehicle steering causes the center of turn always to fall somewhere on the nose or tail wheel axis to avoid sideslip during turns.
Claims22
A towing vehicle for moving on a surface a towable vehicle having a pivotable wheel, comprising:
- a frame;
- a plurality of individually steerable wheels pivotally connected to said frame;
- hitch means extending from said frame and formed to engage the pivotable wheel for maintaining the axes of said pivotable wheel fixed relative to said frame;
- and
- steering means operatively connected to said towing vehicle wheels responsive to a steering command for separately positioning each towing vehicle wheel, the axes of all said towing vehicle wheels and the pivotable wheel intersecting at a common point.
2 more elements
A towing device for moving on a surface a first vehicle having a pivotable wheel, comprising:
- a self-propelled second vehicle;
- means having two parallel vertically and laterally adjustable members extending from said second vehicle and formed to engage the pivotable wheel at the tips of said members by lateral adjustment of said members for maintaining a predetermined distance between said first and second vehicles and for permitting the wheel to rotate on the surface;
- a first rigid bar pivotably engaging each of said members near the respective proximal end thereof within said second vehicle;
- first and second crankshafts, each of said crankshafts at one end thereof rotatably engaging the respective ends of said first rigid bar, and being rotatably engaged at the other end about a common axis;
- a cylinder with extendable piston;
- an arm engaging at one end thereof said piston and said first rigid bar, and being rotatably engaged at the other end about the common axis;
- and
- a second rigid bar slidably engaging each of said members intermediate the respective ends thereof
- whereby the said tips are maintained in a vertical plane regardless of the vertical position of said members.
6 more elements
A towing device for moving on a surface a first vehicle having a pivotable wheel, comprising:
- a self-propelled second vehicle;
- means having two parallel laterally and vertically adjustable members extending from said second vehicle and formed to engage the pivotable wheel for maintaining a predetermined distance between said first and second vehicles and for permitting the wheel to rotate on the surface;
- a first platform fixed within said second vehicle;
- and
- a second platform, slidably engaged with said first platform, for supporting said members;
- whereby said second platform can slide relative to the first during engagement of the wheel by said members.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.