Material or article handling – Opposed shelf-type elevator and transporter
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-30
2001-03-20
Werner, Frank E. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Opposed shelf-type elevator and transporter
C244S050000, C414S495000, C254S00200C, C280S043230, C180S904000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203263
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a transport cradle for a skid-supported helicopter i.e. a helicopter having a pair of laterally spaced and generally parallel support skids.
In the design and manufacture of helicopters, reduction of weight is of paramount importance, given that the major part of the engine power is utilised to generate a sufficient lifting force by the rotor blades, and therefore any avoidable increase in “dead weight” of the helicopter represents a reduction in potential payload. This is particularly important in military and police applications, where on-board equipment e.g. weaponry and/or surveillance equipment are typical add-on pay loads.
It is therefore common practice to provide many types of helicopters with simple support skids, since this represents a substantial weight saving compared to a wheel-supported undercarriage to support the load of the helicopter on the ground.
However, while a helicopter is of course highly manoeuvrable in the air, it is a particularly awkward craft to handle and manoeuvre on the ground when it is supported by simple skids. Frequently, small helicopters have to be physically man-handled, when they are required to be moved from the place where they have landed e.g. to move the craft into a hanger. This is arduous work, and often is the cause of personal injury.
The invention therefore seeks to provide a transport cradle for a skid-supported helicopter and which is capable of engaging a set of helicopter skids on the ground, and then raising the skids off the ground so that the entire helicopter can be manoeuvred easily over the ground.
According to the invention there is provided a transport cradle for a skid-supported helicopter having a pair of laterally spaced and generally parallel support skids, said cradle comprising:
a main frame supported by transport wheels;
a pair of laterally spaced elongate supports extending generally parallel to each other and forming part of said frame, said supports each being intended to engage and to lift a respective helicopter skid after the cradle has been presented to a helicopter supported on the ground by its skids;
means for adjusting the spacing apart of the supports to correspond with the spacing apart of the helicopter skids; and
clamping means provided on each support and operative to engage and to clamp the respective skid to the support.
Therefore, a transport cradle according to the invention can readily be moved over the ground to a standing helicopter via its transport wheels, and can then be manoeuvred so as to line up the supports alongside the respective skids. The clamping means are then operated to engage and to clamp the skids to the supports, and the cradle can then be moved over the ground via its transport wheels to move the helicopter to a required new position e.g. inside a hanger.
Preferably, the transport wheels are retractable between a ground engaging position and a raised position, so that when in the raised position any necessary lateral adjustment of the supports can take place to move the supports into close relationship to the respective skids. After completion of the clamping operation, the wheels can be lowered again (thereby lifting the helicopter via its skids), and allowing transport of the helicopter.
To facilitate lateral adjustment of the supports, preferably rotary support elements e.g. rollers may be mounted on the supports, and which are out of contact with the ground when the transport wheels are lowered, but which engage the ground when the transport wheels are raised.
The clamping means comprise suitable clamping elements which are preferably adjustably mounted on the supports so as to be movable into clamping engagement with the skids. It is often the case that helicopter skids are not exactly parallel to each other, but “toe-in” to a small extent, and the facility for the clamping elements to be adjusted relative to the support allows any necessary lateral clearance to be taken up as the clamping elements move into clamping engagement with the skids.
The main frame of the cradle (of which the elongate supports form a part) is preferably generally U-shaped as seen in plan, having a cross-member interconnecting facing ends of the supports, and preferably lowerable transport wheels are mounted on the opposite ends of the supports to the cross-member.
The cross-member preferably has a transport wheel arrangement which supports the cross-member at a required height above the ground, and the cross-member may be adjustable in height relative to the transport wheel arrangement, to correspond with any adjustment in height of the elongate supports via adjustment of their transport wheels.
Thus, for movement of the cradle over the ground, the transport wheels of the elongate supports will be lowered, and the cross-member also will be adjusted to corresponding height above the ground, so that the cradle can be presented to the helicopter skids. Lowering of the supports (by raising of the transport wheels), and corresponding lowering of the cross-member, then allows any necessary lateral adjustment of the supports via ground contact with their rollers. The axes of rotation of the rollers is generally parallel to the longitudinal axes of the supports, to permit necessary lateral adjustment of the supports.
One preferred means of lateral adjustment of the elongate supports comprises a telescopic adjustment incorporated into the cross-member.
In order to provide a powered cradle, i.e. a self propelled cradle, preferably the transport wheel arrangement of the cross-member comprises a power module driving a trolley wheel, which may be a battery operated arrangement. The wheel may also be steerable, so that the entire maneuvering of the cradle can be controlled via the trolley wheel.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3009711 (1961-11-01), White
patent: 3529736 (1970-09-01), Lebre
patent: 4049143 (1977-09-01), Hatakka et al.
patent: 5135346 (1992-08-01), Roach
patent: 5655733 (1997-08-01), Roach
patent: 5678977 (1997-10-01), Nordlund
patent: 6019565 (2000-02-01), Gesuale
Madson & Metcalf
Werner Frank E.
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