US 6,390,762 B1Granted

Apparatus for positioning a massive article under a second article for attachment thereto

AssigneeStrategic Technologies, Inc.

InventorsWalter J. Peery, Floyd L. Kittrell

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Abstract

An apparatus for supporting and accurately positioning a massive article, such as a commercial aircraft landing gear, under a second separately supported second article, such as a commercial aircraft, to facilitate attachment of the articles is disclosed. The apparatus includes a main frame having a rectangular floor assembly defined by an array of spaced apart, uniformly distributed ball transfer elements and a border formed by raised end rails and side rails. A rectangular interior frame having a length and width less than that of the floor assembly and having a flat floor plate with raised end rails and side rails thereon is movably supported on the ball transfer elements. A first pair of aligned, oppositely coacting fluid cylinders, each being connected between a different interior frame end rail and a corresponding main frame end rail, operates for selective longitudinal movement of the interior frame between main frame end rails. A second pair of aligned, oppositely coacting fluid cylinders, each being connected between a different interior frame side rail and a corresponding main frame side rail, operates for selective transverse movement of the interior frame rails between main frame side rails. The cylinder connections to each of the main frame rails is movable along that rail with parallel movement of the interior frame. Lifting cylinders attached to opposite sides of the main frame operate to lift both frames and an article supported on the interior frame.

Claims25

Dependent claims

An apparatus for accurately positioning a massive article disposed thereon under a separately supported second article for facilitating attachment or removal of said massive article to or from said second article, said apparatus comprising

a main frame having a pair of raised, longitudinally placed apart end rails and a pair of raised, transversely spaced apart side rails, said main frame also having a floor assembly connected to and extending between lower end portions of said main frame rails, said floor assembly including a plurality of spaced apart and uniformly distributed ball transfer elements;
an interior frame having a flat floor plate, a pair of raised, longitudinally spaced apart end rails mounted on opposite end portions of said floor plate and a pair of raised, transversely spaced apart side rails mounted on opposite side portions of said floor plate, said floor plate being sized to support a massive article thereon between said interior frame rails, said floor plate being movably supported on a portion of said ball transfer elements such that said interior frame can be moved longitudinally on said main frame floor up to a first maximum distance between main frame end rails and can be moved transversely on said main frame floor up to a second maximum distance between said main frame side rails;
a first pair of moving means wherein each of said first pair is connected between a different one of said interior frame end rails and a nearest one of said main frame end rails for cooperatively moving said interior frame longitudinally on said ball transfer elements up to said first maximum distance;
a second pair of moving means wherein each of said second pair is connected between a different one of said interior frame side rails and a nearest one of said main frame side rails for cooperatively moving said interior frame transversely on said ball transfer elements up to said second maximum distance;
and
means attached to said main frame for lifting the entire main frame up to a selected maximum vertical distance off of a main frame supporting surface in order to lift said interior frame and a massive article supported thereon.

3 more elements

An apparatus for accurately positioning a massive article disposed thereon under a separately supported second article to facilitate attachment of said massive article to said second article, said apparatus comprising

a main frame having a rectangularly shaped floor assembly defined by an array of spaced apart, uniformly distributed ball transfer elements, and a raised main frame railing attached on a lower edge portion thereof to said floor assembly to form a front rail, a rear rail and a pair of side rails;
a rectangularly shaped interior frame including a flat floor plate movably disposed on said ball transfer elements and including a raised interior frame railing attached over edge portions of a broad surface of said floor plate to form a front rail, a rear rail and a pair of side rails, said interior frame being movable on said ball transfer elements, longitudinally, up to a first maximum distance between the front and rear rails of said main frame and, transversely, up to a second maximum distance between the side rails of said main frame;
a first pair of coacting, fluid operated interior frame positioning cylinders aligned with each other along a longitudinal centerline and said interior frame, each of said first pair of interior frame positioning cylinders having a cylinder body fixedly connected to a different one of the front and the rear rails of said interior frame and having a piston rod projecting through an opening in a different one of the front and rear rails of said interior frame toward a nearest one of the front and rear rails of said main frame;
a second pair of coacting, fluid operated interior frame positioning cylinders aligned with one another along a transverse centerline of said interior frame, each of said second pair of interior frame positioning cylinders having a cylinder body fixedly connected to a different one of the sides rails of said interior frame and having a piston rod projecting through an opening in a different one of the side rails of said interior frame toward a nearest one of the side rails of said main frame;
a separate main frame rail guide assembly fixedly connected to an outer end portion of the piston rod of each of said interior frame positioning cylinders, each said main frame rail guide assembly being movably mounted on a central portion of a different one of the front, rear and side rails of said main frame for movement along said main frame rails with parallel movement of said interior frame;
and
means for lifting and lowering said main frame to lift and lower said interior frame and an article supported on said interior frame.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/563,722Filed 1 May 2000
Granted: 21 May 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B66F 7/20
By one or more hydraulic or pneumatic jacks: by several jacks with means for maintaining the platforms horizontal during movement
B64F 5/50
Designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided for; Handling, transporting, testing…
B66F 7/26
Lifting frames, e.g. for lifting vehicles; Platform lifts: for selective lifting of parts of vehicles
B66F 7/28
Lifting frames, e.g. for lifting vehicles; Platform lifts: constructional details, e.g. end stops, pivoting supporting members, sliding runners…