Aircraft lock for radios, power controls, and flight controls and method

Abstract

The use of a center lock bar which telescopingly receives two telescoping arms, each of which has a control column or shaft grip on its remote end is disclosed. The arms are secured to the parallel control columns by at least one gust lock pin. Provision is made for a throttle mixture lock plate to be secured to the lower portion of the radio lock pan which, in turn, has essentially parallel sidewalls with opposed openings through which the center lock bar passes. Optionally folding extension radio lock pans may be employed for a double stack installation. Finally, means are provided in the form of a lock, whether padlock or internally mounted, to lockingly secure the center lock bar to the two telescoping arms. The method of the invention looks to providing a lock for radios, throttles, and gust locks in a dual control aircraft by stabilizing the two control columns by means of a telescoping member which can accommodate differences in the distance between the parallel control columns of the aircraft. The step in addition to the foregoing of locking is done by securing at least one pin to one of the parallel control columns, and thereafter mounting a central radio stack and throttle control centrally of the central portion of the lock. Once these steps have been followed, a lock removably secures the center lock bar against movement relative to the radio lock pan and the flight controls as well as engine controls.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.