Aircraft loader
AssigneeCochran Airport Systems
InventorsVictor H. Carder, Robert C. Wareham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft loader having bridge and main elevators is provided with pivotally mounted trays at the rearward end of the bridge elevator. The trays serve as transit means for the passage of load units between the two elevators both when the two elevators are level and when they are out of level to a degree. The trays function also as part of a level control system whereby the levels of the main elevator and trays tend to be adjusted to match the level of the bridge elevator.
Claims4
A cargo handling vehicle for aircraft comprising a wheeled chassis, a main elevator and a bridge elevator supported thereby, power means for raising and lowering said elevators, a transition tray pivotally attached to the rearward end of said bridge elevator and constituting an extension section thereof, actuator means carried at the forward end of said main elevator adapted to pivotally raise and lower the rearward free end of said tray as said main elevator is raised and lowered, and means to control the operation of said power means for said main elevator to maintain said main elevator and tray substantially level with each other and with the bridge elevator as the bridge elevator is raised and lowered, said actuator means comprising an actuator member for said tray adapted to centrally engage the underside of the rearward free end of the tray and provide substantially a point support therefor.
A cargo handling vehicle for aircraft comprising a wheeled chassis, a main elevator and a bridge elevator supported thereby, power means for raising and lowering said elevators, a plurality of laterally spaced transition trays pivotally attached to the rearward end of said bridge elevator and constituting extension sections thereof, cargo conveyor means carried by said elevators and trays, actuator means carried at the forward end of said main elevator adapted to pivotally raise and lower the rearward free ends of said trays as said main elevator is raised and lowered, and means to control the operation of said power means for said main elevator to maintain said main elevator and trays substantially level with each other and with the bridge elevator as the bridge elevator is raised and lowered, said actuator means comprising an actuator member for each tray adapted to centrally engage the underside of the rearward free end of the tray and provide substantially a point support therefor so as not to prevent twisting movement of said trays to compensate for roll differences beween said elevators.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.