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US 9,428,283 B2Granted
Aircraft handler
AssigneeCurtiss-Wright Flow Control (UK) Limited
InventorDaniel William Hyatt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lifting tool 100 form part of a lifting apparatus associated with an aircraft handler 10 for applying a lifting load to an undercarriage of an aircraft. The lifting apparatus comprise a pair of opposed lifting tools 100 which engage end portions of an undercarriage wheel axle 300 for lifting. Each lifting tool 100 has a body 101 with a cavity 103 therein filled with a plurality of axially displaceable closely packed pins 105 which permit insertion of a portion of the axle or adaptor means into the cavity, and other pins, in use, surrounding said portion provide support and transfer the lift load to the surrounding body 101.
Claims18
An aircraft handler for applying a lifting load to an undercarriage of an aircraft, the handler comprising:
- a moveable ground standing body;
- first and second opposed pairs of lifting arms which are movable up and down and towards and away from each other, each arm pair pivotably mounted to the body to rotate about a substantially horizontal pivot axis to thereby lower or raise the distal ends of the arms with respect to the Earth, the first and second pairs of lifting arms each having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of the first pair of lifting arms pivotably connected to the ground standing body to pivot about a first pivot axis, the proximal end of the second pair of lifting arms having a proximal end pivotably connected to the ground standing body to pivot about a second pivot axis, the first and second pivot axes oriented at a right angle with respect to the horizontal pivot axis, the first and second pairs of opposed lifting arms pivotable about their respective first and second pivot axis to thereby cause the distal ends of the arms to move closer or further from each other to thereby contact or move away from the undercarriage of the aircraft, the first and second opposed lifting arms rotatable about the horizontal pivot axis to thereby lift or lower the undercarriage of the aircraft when the undercarriage is contacted by the distal ends of the first and second opposed lifting arms;
- a lifting tool mounted at the distal end of each pair of lifting arms, the first and second pairs of lifting arms cooperative to maintain respective lifting tools parallel with respect to each other as the first and second pairs of lifting arms are pivoted about their respective first and second axes, each of said lifting tools having
- a body with a cavity;
- a plurality of closely packed pins moveably retained within said cavity, the pins biased outwardly of said body and individually axially displaceable within the cavity, said pins pressable against portions of the aircraft by rotation of the lifting arms about their respective first and second pivot axes, the pins movable axially to assume a complementary shape to receive portions of the aircraft undercarriage, and to thereby transmit a lifting load to raise said portions as the lifting arms are pivoted about said horizontal pivot axis.
2 more elements
An aircraft handler for applying a lifting load to an undercarriage of an aircraft, the handler comprising:
- a moveable ground standing body;
- a pair of lifting arms, a proximal end of each arm pivotably mounted to the moveable ground standing body to rotate about a substantially horizontal first pivot axis to thereby lower or raise the distal ends of the arms with respect to the Earth;
- the proximal end of each lifting arm also pivotable about a second pivot axis which is at right angles to the horizontal first pivot axis to thereby cause the distal ends of the arms to move closer or further from each other to thereby contact or move away from the undercarriage of the aircraft, the lifting arms rotatable about the horizontal first pivot axis to thereby lift or lower the undercarriage of the aircraft when the undercarriage is contacted by the distal ends of the first and second opposed lifting arms being moved towards each other;
- a lifting tool mounted at the distal end of each lifting arm, each said lifting tool having:
- a body with a cavity;
- a plurality of closely packed pins moveably retained within said cavity, the pins biased outwardly of said body and individually axially displaceable within the cavity, said pins pressable against portions of the undercarriage by rotation of the lifting arms about the second axis, the pins movable axially to assume a complementary shape to receive said portions, and to thereby transmit a lifting load to raise said portions as the lifting arms are pivoted about said first axis.
3 more elements
An aircraft handler which is maneuverable by an operator using a remote hand set and for applying a lifting load to an undercarriage of an aircraft, the handler comprising:
- a moveable ground standing body having at least one drive wheel and a steerable wheel;
- a pair of lifting arms, a proximal end of each arm pivotably mounted to the moveable ground standing body to rotate about a substantially horizontal first pivot axis to thereby lower or raise the distal ends of the arms with respect to the Earth,
- the proximal end of each lifting arm also pivotable about a second pivot axis which is at right angles to the horizontal first pivot axis to thereby cause the distal ends of the arms to move closer or further from each other to thereby contact or move away from the undercarriage of the aircraft, the lifting arms rotatable about the horizontal first pivot axis to thereby lift or lower the undercarriage of the aircraft when the undercarriage is contacted by the distal ends of the first and second opposed lifting arms being moved towards each other;
- a lifting tool mounted at the distal end of each lifting arm, each said lifting tool having:
- a body with a cavity;
- a plurality of closely packed pins moveably retained within said cavity, the pins biased outwardly of said body and individually axially displaceable within the cavity, said pins pressable against portions of the undercarriage by rotation of the lifting arms about the second axis, the pins movable axially to assume a complementary shape to receive said portions, and to thereby transmit a lifting load to raise said portions as the lifting arms are pivoted about said first axis;
- microprocessors which control a speed of the wheels, angle of the steerable wheel, and operation of the lifting arms;
- and
- a remote hand set which is usable by an operator to maneuver the handler around the undercarriage and to operate the lifting arms to close and lift the undercarriage via the lifting tools.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.