Aeronautics and astronautics – Aircraft structure – Passenger or cargo loading or discharging
Patent
1989-06-05
1991-04-02
Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Aircraft structure
Passenger or cargo loading or discharging
244137001, 14 71005, 14 71003, B64D 900
Patent
active
050041886
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to aircraft loading bridges, commonly called airbridges, which provide a covered passageway for facilitating the transfer of passengers between an aircraft standing in a parked position at an airport and an airport terminal building, such airbridges consisting of a number of telescoping sections which are parked in a retracted state but which can be extended to reach and dock with an aircraft when the aircraft is appropriately parked for loading and unloading, the airbridge terminating in a cabin assembly having a door engageable with a door opening of the aircraft, to provide an access between the bridge and the aircraft.
2. Description of Related Art
It will be appreciated that an airbridge has to be capable of co-operating with different aircraft types in which the aircraft doors are at varying heights from the ground, as well as being extendable to engage the aircraft and being angularly movable to a limited extent, and for this purpose the airbridges are usually mounted on wheeled support structures incorporating elevating means for raising and lowering the airbridge.
Usually in such support structures the elevating means comprises a pair of elevating legs supporting the end section of the telescopic passageway, and positioned approximately midway along the section. Such an arrangement suffers from the disadvantage that as the structure is spaced some distance from the cabin assembly, any movement of the elevating legs becomes multiplied at the cabin end which complicates the control system, especially as the amount of correction that needs to be applied depends upon the length to which the airbridge has been extended in each particular case.
In addition, as the elevating legs are adjusted to raise or lower the airbridge, the resultant angular variation of the airbridge with respect to the ground will cause the legs to be tilted to a lesser or greater extent from the vertical, which imposes undesirable stresses on them.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the invention is to provide a form of airbridge in which these disadvantages are substantially avoided.
Accordingly in an airbridge according to the present invention the elevating support structure is coupled to the cabin assembly, and means are provided for maintaining the floor of the cabin assembly and the axis of the elevating means substantially horizontal and substantially vertical respectively through varying angles of inclination of the passageway.
It will be seen that by locating the support structure at the cabin assembly position, instead of some appreciable distance from it, the control system for raising and lowering the airbridge is considerably simplified, as movement of the cabin assembly corresponds precisely with that of the elevating means.
In a preferred form of the invention the elevating means comprises a single elevator leg disposed with its axis passing through the cabin assembly substantially on the longitudinal axis of the passageway section, and the cabin is offset partially to one side of the passageway.
The use of a single elevated leg has the advantage that the need for synchronisation, which is essential where two elevating legs are employed, is avoided, and the offsetting of the cabin provides adequate room for passengers to pass through the cabin without hindrance. Thus the distance between the elevator leg and the wall of the cabin assembly across the path of the passengers, is preferably not less than the minimum width through which the passengers have to pass along other parts of the airbridge.
Preferably the elevating leg is pivotably coupled to beams projecting forwardly from the passageway section of the airbridge adjacent to the cabin assembly, such that the elevating leg serves to support that passageway section directly as well as the cabin, so avoiding undue stresses being placed on the hinges connecting the cabin assembly to the passageway section.
Preferably the cabin assembly carries a level detector switch which is actua
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patent: 3537745 (1970-11-01), Herring, Jr.
patent: 3808626 (1974-05-01), Magill
patent: 3839760 (1974-10-01), Nagy
patent: 3843987 (1974-10-01), Lodjic
patent: 4110859 (1978-09-01), Lichti
patent: 4559660 (1985-12-01), Lichti
patent: 4852197 (1989-08-01), Thomas, Jr.
Donneky Peter
Gacs Peter T.
Ellis Christopher P.
GEC Mechanical Handling Limited
Peters Jr. Joseph F.
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