Lift arrangements

Details Lift arrangements Lift arrangements

1999-09-17

2001-01-23

Avila, Stephen (Department: 3617)

Ships

Mother ship, floating landing platform, and harbor

Aircraft

C187S249000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06176194

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to lift arrangements and in particular, but not exclusively, to lift arrangement for conveying an aircraft from one deck to the other in an aircraft carrier.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
In most aircraft carriers, the aircraft are stored in a hangar deck and need to be conveyed to the flight deck by one or more lifts. Most aircraft carriers have at least 2 lifts, and some large American carriers have 3 or 4 lifts. Only that minimum number of lifts necessary to enable the carrier to function efficiently is included in each design of carrier because extra lifts entail extra cost and lost below-deck hangar space. In a conventional lift cycle an aircraft is towed into the correct position on the lift, lashed down and the towing device removed. The lift then transits to the flight deck whereupon a towing device is attached, the aircraft is unlashed and towed clear of the lift. The lift then transits back to the hangar deck and the process is repeated. The time taken to transfer aircraft between the flight deck and hangar is one of the critical factors which affects the potential flying rate from the aircraft carrier. In an emergency, minutes lost transferring aircraft from the hangar deck to the flight deck could significantly reduce the number of aircraft deployed within a short period, and have disastrous consequences.
Accordingly there is a need for a lift arrangement which increases the rate at which aircraft can be moved between the hangar deck and the flight deck via a single lift shaft.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, this invention provides a lift arrangement for conveying a load between two levels in a lift shaft, said lift arrangement comprising two platform means each mounted for movement within said lift shaft between one level and the other, each platform means being changeable between a load-carrying configuration in which it extends across a substantial extent of the lift shaft, and a bypass configuration in which it allows the other floor means to pass it when in a load carrying configuration.
In this arrangement, because the two platform means can pass each other in the lift shaft (one in load-carrying configuration, the other in bypass configuration), it is possible for the load on one level to be unloaded or manoeuvred as necessary off one of the platform means, whilst a different load is being loaded or manoeuvred on to the other platform means, thus considerably reducing the total cycle time to approximately half of that with a conventional system. The term “lift shaft” is used broadly to mean any space through which the load carrying platform may move and does not denote any particular form of structure.
Preferably, each platform means comprises two floor elements moveable between a generally co-planar load-carrying configuration and a bypass configuration in which they lie adjacent the periphery of the lift shaft.
Preferably, said floor elements are pivotally mounted on a support structure movable mounted within said lift shaft. The floor elements are preferably pivotally mounted for movement about generally horizontal pivotal axes adjacent the edge of the shaft.
Preferably, the arrangement includes control means for controlling and sequencing the configuration and movement of said platform means.
Preferably, the control means is operable to effect reciprocal movement of said platform means whereby one platform means moves from one level to the other in a load-carrying configuration as the other platform means moves from the other level to said one level when in said bypass configuration. The control means is preferably also operable to cause the respective floor means to move from said load carrying configuration to said bypass configuration as required to allow the platform means to pass each other in the lift shaft.
In a particular preferred arrangement, the control arrangement is operable in use to cause the platform means currently in the bypass configuration to begin to move to said load-carrying configuration once the platform means have passed each other in the lift shaft. This not only has advantages in terms of reducing the cycle time, but it also means that the period for which the lift shaft is open or exposed may be reduced and this may be particularly beneficial where the lift arrangement is used for conveying aircraft between the hangar deck and the flight deck of an aircraft carrier.
The invention also extends to an aircraft carrier incorporating a lift arrangement as described above.
Whilst the invention is being described above, it extends to any inventive combination of features set out above or in the following description.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2383559 (1945-08-01), Parker
patent: 4084660 (1978-04-01), Anderson
patent: 4195962 (1980-04-01), Laskowski et al.
patent: 5197570 (1993-03-01), Matsui
patent: 5758748 (1998-06-01), Barker et al.
patent: 2 375 411 (1977-11-01), None
patent: 2 170 475 (1986-08-01), None
patent: 2 271 757 (1994-04-01), None

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