Telescoping conduit for pressurized air
AssigneeMcCormick-Morgan, Inc.
InventorDavid W. Krzak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A telescoping conduit for directing air at moderate pressures to a waiting aircraft along a telescoping bridge is disclosed. One telescoping tube is suspended from each segment of the telescoping bridge. The tubes are coaxially supported from the bridge by adjustable brackets. A tube at one end of the bridge is suspended from its bridge segment at both ends of the tube, while the remainder of the tubes are suspended from a single end. This allows the tubes to fully telescopically extend and retract while providing support for the tubes at each end. A sealing portion at one end of the tubes is somewhat flexible to accommodate slight misalignment of the tubes. Also disclosed is a roller cage for centering the nesting tubes so that a wiper seal between the nesting tubes is not damaged.
Claims14
Apparatus for supplying pressurized air to waiting aircraft along a telescoping walkway having a predetermined number of telescoping walkway segments, comprising:
- a plurality of telescoping tubes having first and second ends;
- means for mounting one said tube along the length of each of said telescoping segments, said mounting means adapted to mount said tubes for telescoping, coaxial engagement with one another, the first end of one tube engaging and surrounding the second end of the adjacent tube, so that as as said walkway segments are telescoped and retracted, said tubes are telescoped and retracted therewith;
- and
- means for continuously fluidly sealing said mounted telescoping tubes irrespective of the relative telescopic positions thereof so that the pressurized air can be passed through said telescoping coaxially engaged tubes to provide the pressurized air at a desired pressure and at a desired rate of flow to the aircraft thereby providing an auxiliary source of air power for the aircraft.
In combination with a telescoping bridge having a number of telescoping bridge segments, apparatus for supplying pressurized air to a waiting aircraft via said bridge comprising:
- a plurality of tubes each having first and second ends;
- means for mounting a tube to each bridge segment in coaxial, telescoping engagement with the first end of one tube engaging and surrounding the second end of the adjacent tube;
- said mounting means coupling the first ends of each of said tubes to its respective bridge segment and coupling the second end of a tube at one end of said bridge to its respective bridge segment;
- means attached to said first end of a tube for centering the adjacent tube therein;
- and
- means for fluidly sealing said telescopically engaged tubes to that pressurized air can be passed through said tubes to the waiting aircraft, said sealing means including a flexible extension member extending from said second end of at least one of said tubes to accommodate axial misalignment of said tubes while not sacrificing sealing effectiveness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.