Motor vehicles – With means for controlling operation responsive to...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-31
2001-10-23
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Motor vehicles
With means for controlling operation responsive to...
C180S904000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305484
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of ground movement of an aircraft. More specifically, the present invention relates to the towing of an aircraft by a towing tractor to a desired location without the use of the aircraft jet engines for taxiing the aircraft.
BACKGROUND Of THE INVENTION
The field encompassing ground movement of aircraft is well-known in the prior art. In the industry, the engines of the aircraft are almost exclusively used to move the aircraft around an airport, typically when taxiing to or from a runway. These engines are generally speaking very loud and, when operating for the purpose of ground movement, they burn large quantities of fuel. Safety reports posted on a NASA government website have remarked on several incidents where people have been knocked off a lowered stairway of a second aircraft by the jet blast from a nearby first aircraft taxiing to or from a runway. The same report,
Aviation Safety Reporting, System (ASRS) Directilne,
Issue Number 6 for August, 1993—available at http://olias.arc.nasa.gov/asr/d16_blast.htm—also discusses damage to other aircraft due to the ground jet blast hazard of nearby taxiing aircraft. These jet engines may cause violent air disturbances in the near vicinity of the aircraft, and also contribute to noise and air pollution.
In addition, the costs associated with the period of time an aircraft idles on the taxiway, as well the length of time for taxiing to a runway, are very large. The chart below details a cost summary for certain major airlines, on the basis of a total idling time of 20 minutes or 1 hour per day per aircraft per airline, using typical fuel consumption figures and an average cost of fuel per gallon. The “idle” time being considered is that time spent by the aircraft from the moment the engines are started until the aircraft reaches the end of the runway for takeoff, minus a typical warmup time of three minutes per engine. The idling time therefore includes all time after pushback, such as taxiing time, and standing in a queue of waiting aircraft on a taxiway. It is believed that such idling time is not less than 20 minutes per aircraft per day, and may be much more.
Cost for 1
Year to:
Airline
Cost for 1 Year to:
Idle 20
(37.5% of Fleet)
Idle 1 hr./ Day
Min./Day
Canadian Airline No. 1
$14,842,915
$4,947,638
US Airline No. 1
$26,699,809
$9,899,936
British Airline No. 1
$26,965,859
$8,988,620
US Airline No. 2
$16,638,040
$5,546,013
US Airline No. 3
$33,596,174
$11,198,725
Courier No. 1
$20,515,312
$6,838,437
US Airline No. 4
$26,892,175
$8,964,058
US Airline No. 5
$42,785,894
$14,261,965
US Airline No. 6
$17,233,063
$5,744,354
Assume: Fuel Consumption:
3200 lbs/hr/aircraft
6 lbs/US gallon
Fuel Cost: $0.95/US
gallon
The above chart outlines the saving that could be obtained by the airlines by either eliminating or reducing the idle rime of the aircraft in their fleet. This leads to the field of ground movement of aircraft as it relates to the use of an external vehicle to facilitate that around movement. Tractors, dollies, or tugs, as they are sometimes called, exist in the present day in a number of different embodiments. Typically, the operator manned vehicles provide a means of coupling the vehicle to the aircraft at which point the aircraft is pushed or towed. The means for coupling is commonly a tow bar system which cradles the nosewheel of the aircraft and further provides an attachment point to the aircraft such that, when in place, the aircraft may be to the pushed or towed. In the alternative, a dolly may also be designed to receive the wheels of an aircraft and, when the wheels are in place on the dolly, the aircraft again may be pushed or towed. The means for coupling may be manual or operator controlled. The most typical use for aircraft tractor vehicles is for pushback from the terminal gate after the aircraft is loaded for its next flight; and sometimes for towing an aircraft to a hangar for maintenance operations.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,664 issued to KELLY et al teaches a self-contained aircraft taxiing system. This systems comprises a means for ground movement of an aircraft without the use of an external power source. A primary energy source to facilitate the movement of the aircraft is contained within or on the aircraft, and supplies power to a means for driving the wheels of the aircraft. Thus, the engines of the aircraft must have been started.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,210 issued to PURVIANCE teaches a self-propelled airplane dolly. The dolly has a vertically power adjustable ramp having a mobile frame that is designed to receive and elevate the nosewheel of an aircraft such that the aircraft may be moved to another location. The dolly is manually controlled by an operator through the use of the controls on the dolly to engage the nosewheel of the aircraft onto the ramp, and then steer the aircraft to the desired location.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,033 issued to POLLNEW et al teaches a tractor for aircraft. The tractor provides a means to tow an aircraft and comprises means for coupling the tractor to the nosewheel undercarriage of the aircraft, an internal combustion engine, and a driving means. The engine output is controllable by means of an accelerator. The invention is intended to limit the abrupt acceleration process which can place undue stress on the nosewheel of the aircraft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,778 issued to ZACHOCHE teaches a universal aircraft tug assembly. The assembly includes a self-propelled chassis that responds to operator control. There is provided an adjustable cradle assembly that receives a nosewheel. The receiving apparatus has two adjustable arms that facilitate the receiving of varying sized aircraft nosewheels. Hydraulic actuators lift the nosewheel assembly onto the tug such that the aircraft may be moved without starting of the aircraft engines.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,926 issued to ILES teaches a self-propelled dolly for the movement of an aircraft. The dolly includes a first pair of laterally spaced apart ground engaging wheels, and a second pair of ground engaging wheels each being connected to a bifurcated chassis. The second pair of wheels provide steering ability to the dolly. The first pair of wheels are mounted about a portion of a first axle which is mounted in respective parallel members which define a space therebetween so as to receive an aircraft wheel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automated aircraft towing tractor vehicle system for use with aircraft, and primarily for use with large multi-engine aircraft. When coupled to the aircraft, the automated towing tractor vehicle facilitates movement of the aircraft without the requirement for use of the aircraft's jet engines. This coupling in turn is the source of great cost savings due to a decreased idling time per aircraft, especially when taxiing to the runway. The length in idling is directly related to the cost of fuel; the longer the aircraft idles, the more fuel it burns. As the amount of fuel burned increases, so does the cost to operate the aircraft. Using a towing tractor vehicle to move an aircraft from the gate to the runway substantially decreases the idling time of the aircraft and in tun, results in a reduced operating cost of the aircraft.
The remote controlled aircraft towing vehicle system of the present invention is intended for use with large multi-engine aircraft, and comprises a towing tractor vehicle for aircraft, a remote steering control means for the towing tractor vehicle, and a remote acceleration and braking control means for the towing tractor vehicle. The towing tractor vehicle is steerable by the remote steering control means, and is capable of being, started, accelerated, decelerated, and stopped by the remote acceleration and braking control means. A remote system controller is located in the aircraft being towed; typically, the remote system controller at least includes a first remote acceleration and braking control means so
(Marks & Clerk)
Johnson Brian L.
Yeagley Daniel
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