Aeronautics and astronautics – Landing field arrangement – Mooring devices
Patent
1988-12-19
1990-01-23
Barefoot, Galen L.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Landing field arrangement
Mooring devices
244 50, 180904, 414426, B64F 122
Patent
active
048953199
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a parking trolley for light aircraft of the kind as stated in the preamble of the following independent claim 1.
Light aircraft are commonly anchored by guys when they are parked on the ground to be secured in case of wind. The guys are, on one hand attached to the aircraft and, on the other hand secured to anchoring members, e.g. concrete blocks, provided on the ground. Such a manner of parking is time consuming and bulky, as well as requiring hard work. Additionally, the aircraft rudder must be secured when the aircraft is parked, because strong wind aft may damage the rudder.
In order to ensure safe parking, such a parked light aircraft should stand upwind. This means that the parked light aircraft should be turned when the wind direction changes. Such constant supervising of light aircraft implies considerable strain both to private aircraft owners and to aero clubs, as well as to the servicemen in control towers on serviced airfields who must warn in case of sudden changes of the weather or when the wind direction turns 180.degree. in case of strong wind.
It is previously known to provide light aircraft on a parking trolley as mentioned above in order to avoid the above mentioned problems in case of parked light aircraft when the wind is strong and variable, the aircraft being secured on the parking trolley which can turn freely about a turning point. The wind influencing the aircraft will, thus, turn the aircraft and, thus, the trolley upwind in the same manner as a wind vane.
A parking trolley of this kind is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,175, but has not obtained a footing in Norway.
Disadvantages of said known parking trolley are that it is permanently attached to be rotatable at a defined place on the ground, and that the frame or carrier arms supporting the parked light aircraft are, in turn, supported by small elongated steel rollers rolling on the ground, so that the carrying arms extend at a low level to permit the aircraft to be run onto, and off the trolley. Said steel rollers which have a small diameter and form the wheels of the trolley are highly demanding as regards a smooth basis to permit even support on the carrying arms of the parking trolley, and to achieve a minimum of rolling friction permitting the parked light aircraft with the trolley to turn with the wind.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a parking trolley for light aircraft which does not show the above mentioned drawbacks and disadvantages, and which permits the parking trolley to be used as a transport trolley for light aircraft as well, at least over minor distances on the airfield.
According to the invention this is achieved by the characterizing features appearing from the characterizing part of the following independent claim 1, as well as the following dependent claims.
Such a turnable parking trolley with a parked light aircraft, as mentioned above, works according to a "wind vane principle" since said trolley/aircraft will alwise turn when influenced by any wind stronger than fresh breeze, so that the nose of the aircraft will always face the wind. The aircraft is, naturally, attached to the parking trolley in a suitable manner, and the parking trolley is safely secured to the ground while retaining its turnability. Consequently, all work in connection with previously used securing of the light aircraft by the aid of guys, as mentioned above, is avoided.
When the light aircraft is to be placed on the parking trolley it is preferably pulled onto the parking trolley by the aid of a winch, which is preferably mounted on the trolley.
To get down from the parking trolley the light aircraft may either taxi under its own power or it may be pulled by the aid of the winch.
In the following the invention will be disclosed in more detail with reference to an embodiment diagrammatically shown in the drawing, in which
FIGS. 1 and 1a show a perspective view of a parking trolley carrying a parked light aircraft, and
FIGS. 2 and 2a show a plan view at a slightly larger scale of t
REFERENCES:
patent: 2415071 (1947-02-01), Brie
patent: 2463744 (1949-03-01), Clemens
patent: 2980270 (1961-04-01), Elliott et al.
patent: 3497167 (1970-02-01), Adams et al.
patent: 3567160 (1971-03-01), Adams et al.
patent: 3567161 (1971-03-01), Adams et al.
patent: 4360175 (1982-11-01), Mellblom et al.
Bardsen Paul K.
Haraldseide Endre
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