Material or article handling – Wheel and wheel-type article handler and transporter – Elevator-type engaging means
Patent
1992-01-21
1994-05-24
Bucci, David A.
Material or article handling
Wheel and wheel-type article handler and transporter
Elevator-type engaging means
180904, 244 50, 414428, 414430, 414786, B64F 122
Patent
active
053142870
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a process for attaching an aircraft nose landing gear having at least one nose wheel to an aircraft tractor, whereby the aircraft tractor and the nose wheel are moved towards each other on an apron until they make contact. A shovel of the aircraft tractor which receives the nose wheel is lowered until it touches or almost touches the apron and, after receiving the nose wheel, it is raised together with the nose wheel. The invention also relates to an aircraft tractor with a chassis showing a fork-shaped recess, as well as with a raisable and lowerable shovel arranged in the area of the recess for receiving an aircraft nose landing gear having at least one nose wheel. The aircraft nose landing gear is moved on the apron toward the aircraft tractor until it is in a limit-stop position.
In the case of a known aircraft tractor of this type (German Published Patent Application 3801855), when it is lifted up, the nose wheel of an aircraft is gripped from behind by the gripping arms of a gripping and pull-in device and pulled on to the lowered shovel of a stationary aircraft tractor. Since the aircraft must be moved for the nose wheel to be picked up, the aircraft nose wheel can only be pulled on to the shovel when all the passengers are seated and the passenger bridges have been retracted. This can lead to delays in clearing the aircraft which is ready for take-off. Moreover, the known aircraft tractors must have a very heavy construction, so that when the nose wheel is pulled nearer, the static friction force of the braked aircraft tractor is always greater than the breakaway resistance of the much heavier aircraft. In addition, the supporting rollers which act upon the flexible bearing surfaces of the nose wheel do not produce a continuous forward movement of the aircraft, but rather a jerky forward movement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of the invention is to develop a process for attaching an aircraft nose landing gear to an aircraft tractor, in which the aircraft does not have to be moved, and to improve the known aircraft tractor to the effect that it can pick up the aircraft nose landing gear of a stationary aircraft.
Further advantageous refinements and developments of the invention are revealed in the dependent claims.
The idea behind the invention is to avoid shifting movements between the aircraft and the aircraft tractor on the apron when the aircraft nose landing gear is attached to the aircraft tractor. To achieve this, the invention proposes that after approaching each other, the aircraft tractor and the nose wheel are coupled to each other on the apron, so that they are stationary and immovable, and that subsequently the lowered shovel is shifted relative to the aircraft tractor and is thereby slid completely under the nose wheel.
The shovel is slid effectively under the nose wheel at right angles to its axis of rotation, whereby the unbraked nose wheel is set into a rotary motion.
Before the coupling operation, the aircraft tractor can be driven up to the nose wheel until making contact, or the nose wheel can be gripped from behind by the aircraft tractor and the aircraft tractor can be pulled nearer to the nose wheel until contact is made. For the coupling operation, the nose wheel which abuts against a limit stop of the aircraft tractor is effectively gripped from behind by the aircraft tractor and pressed against the limit stop.
The nose wheel, which is coupled to the aircraft tractor, can be lifted, preferably lifted up from the apron, by the aircraft tractor before the shovel is slid under it, and after the shovel is slid under it, it can be set down on the shovel.
After the shovel is slid under the nose wheel, the nose wheel is advantageously immovably secured with respect to the shovel, preferably by pressing the nose wheel on to the shovel. During the towing operation, the shovel which is lifted together with the nose wheel can be locked with respect to the aircraft tractor. When the aircraft tractor is uncoupled
REFERENCES:
patent: 4375244 (1983-03-01), Morin
patent: 4632625 (1986-12-01), Schuller et al.
patent: 4658924 (1987-04-01), Dobbie
patent: 4810157 (1989-03-01), Schopf
patent: 4917563 (1990-04-01), Pollner et al.
patent: 4917564 (1990-04-01), Pollner et al.
patent: 4950121 (1990-08-01), Meyer et al.
patent: 4997331 (1991-03-01), Grinsted et al.
Bucci David A.
Schopf Maschinenbau GmbH
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