Conveyors – chutes – skids – guides – and ways – Rollerways – Submerging and rising
Patent
1999-06-23
2000-10-03
Bidwell, James R.
Conveyors, chutes, skids, guides, and ways
Rollerways
Submerging and rising
B65G 1300
Patent
active
061259845
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a ball mat for the loading deck of an aircraft, to support cargo and assist the movement thereof.
Known ball mats comprise a cover plate and a floor plate that is disposed substantially parallel to the cover plate. In addition holders are provided into which balls or ball elements can be inserted, by way of apertures in the cover plate, and between the cover and floor plates an interior space is defined, within which the holders are disposed.
The balls, a segment of which extends above the cover plate, at their uppermost points define a plane on which cargo can be shifted with very slight frictional losses.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to make the ball mat more resistant for its use in aircraft while nevertheless keeping its unladen weight low.
One advantage in each of the three proposed improvements is that the ball mat is stiffened without appreciably increasing its unladen weight.
A further advantage is that as a result of the proposed improvements the ball mat can be made splashproof or water-repellent in a simple manner.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, the interior of the ball mat, in the space remaining between cover plate, floor plate and holders, is filled with foam or with a body that has a foamy consistency. Because of the insertion of foam and presence of the foamed body thus formed, vertical loads imposed on the cover plate can be distributed. When the ball mat is filled with foam, the thickness of the material of which the cover plate is made can in some circumstances be reduced.
Furthermore, when the interior is so filled, an entrance or spreading of moisture is counteracted.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the holders to contain the balls or ball elements, inserted into apertures in the cover plate, stand directly on the floor plate of the ball mat, so that these holders connect the cover and floor plates to one another arid act as spacing and stiffening elements for the ball mat. As a result of this measure, loads imposed on the ball elements are borne simultaneously by the cover plate and the floor plate, so that the imposed loads are uniformly distributed.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the side profiles disposed at the lateral edges of the ball mat are inserted between the cover plate and the floor plate, to serve as spacing and stiffening elements. Each of these side profiles comprises two bearing surfaces, on opposite sides of the profile and extending in its long direction. These two surfaces come into contact over their entire areas with the insides of the cover and floor plates, i.e. the surfaces of the latter that face the interior, in such a way that (in addition to the stiffening action) a substantially splashproof seal is formed between side profile and cover plate as well as between side profile and floor plate.
Joining the parts to one another by adhesive further increases the stiffness/stability and additionally counteracts an entry of liquid. Adhesive connections are particularly useful when the measure of filling the cavity with foam is omitted.
It is self-evident that the three independently claimed different measures to increase the resistance of the ball mat can also be combined with one another, in pairs or all together. For example, it appears that an especially advantageous ball mat is one in which the interior is filled with foam as described, while at the same time its side profiles have extensive bearing surfaces in contact with the insides of the cover and floor plates.
In an advantageous further development of the third aspect, the upper and/or lower surfaces of the side profiles are flush with the outsides of the cover plate and floor plate, respectively. As a result, on the outer surfaces there is a smooth transition between cover plate, side profiles and floor plate. The ball mat thus has a particularly smooth and compact form. No surface is vulnerable to mechanical forces that might damage the splashpr
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Modular Microprocessor Controlled pp. 38-40.
Internation Search Report, dated Jul. 14, 1998.
Durrwaechter Martin
Huber Thomas
Patzlsperger Andreas
Bidwell James R.
Telair International GmbH
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