Material or article handling – Wheel and wheel-type article handler and transporter – Elevator-type engaging means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-29
2001-01-23
Keenan, James W. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Wheel and wheel-type article handler and transporter
Elevator-type engaging means
C180S904000, C244S116000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176671
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for gripping, raising, orienting and transporting helicopters, in particular on decks of ships, which comprises a cross-beam, movable parallel to the longitudinal axis (X-X) of the ship, and a carriage movable parallel to the cross-beam itself and having, hinged with it, an arm at the opposite ends of which the devices for gripping and raising the main wheels of the helicopter are mounted.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known in the art that the widespread use of helicopters on-board ships poses the need for performing transportation of a helicopter from a landing area, provided on the deck itself, to inside a hangar situated on the deck of the ship itself.
This operation, however, is particularly complicated on account of several factors which result in a high degree of unpredictability as regards both the landing position on the deck and the relative position of the helicopter, the deck itself and the hangar entrance; in addition, the manoeuvre must be able to be carried out in total safety, as regards both the helicopter and personnel involved, even in very precarious conditions caused for example by strong winds and/or rough seas, resulting in pitching and rolling of the ship and an unstable equilibrium of the helicopter.
There are also known in the art some solutions which involve the use of a carriage movable, on the deck, in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ship and to which the helicopter must be hitched up after landing so that the carriage itself is able, by means of suitable devices, to transport the helicopter to the hangar.
Although fulfilling their purpose, these known devices have some limitations particularly with regard to the large dimensions which characterize them and which represent an obstacle for the operations involving checking and maintenance of the helicopter wheels once the helicopter has been brought inside the hangar.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a simple and reliable apparatus designed to be hitched up with and raise a helicopter of the wheeled type in order to move it from any position inside a well-defined landing area on the deck of a ship into a position where it is correctly oriented and aligned relative to longitudinal guides provided on the deck of the ship itself, for subsequent transportation towards the hangar, whereby this operation can easily be repeated whatever the relative position of the helicopter within the landing area and the angle thereof with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ship.
Another object is to enable this operation to be carried out with automatic and/or manual control, and without requiring manual operations for fixing the apparatus to the helicopter.
A further object is to provide an apparatus which is very compact and has small dimensions and, once it has entered into the hangar, is able to be disengaged from the aircraft and moved backwards a certain amount so as not to create major obstacles for the movement of persons and objects around the aircraft so as to allow maintenance operations to be carried out both on the various parts of the aircraft and the apparatus itself under cover inside the hangar until the moment of its actual use for recovery of the helicopter or for transportation of the latter towards the take-off grid.
Moreover the apparatus must be able to be easily and rapidly adapted both for the recovery of a helicopter provided with a front directional wheel and for recovery of a helicopter with a rear directional wheel, without the need for substantial modifications thereto.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These objects are achieved according to the present invention by an apparatus for gripping, raising, orienting and transporting helicopters in particular on ship decks provided with longitudinal rails for guiding and constraining the apparatus itself, which comprises a cross-beam movable on the rails in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis (X-X) of the ship, said cross-beam having, mounted on it, a carriage movable parallel to the cross-beam itself and having, hinged with it, an arm at the opposite ends of which the devices for gripping and raising the main wheels of the helicopter are mounted.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3659813 (1972-05-01), Mesnet et al.
patent: 3790111 (1974-02-01), Mesnet et al.
patent: 3793959 (1974-02-01), Leuenberger
patent: 3830452 (1974-08-01), Seay
patent: 5098035 (1992-03-01), Bernard et al.
patent: 5102091 (1992-04-01), Craig
patent: 5248115 (1993-09-01), Aurelio
patent: 5664743 (1997-09-01), Ortelli
patent: 5701966 (1997-12-01), Amico
patent: 5806795 (1998-09-01), Ortelli
patent: 6019314 (2000-02-01), Craig
patent: 0 661 207 A1 (1995-07-01), None
patent: 21 30949 (1972-11-01), None
Calzoni S.P.A.
Dubno Herbert
Keenan James W.
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