MXPA96004533A - Telescopic hall to load and download - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a passageway through which passengers can move for ascent and descent of aircraft, comprising a plurality of independent frame sections, with a front frame section and a rear frame section, arranged in extreme longitudinal series to the extreme, each section has means allowing movement in the ground, the frame sections are connected in an articulated manner to form an elongated flexible runner, each frame section is extensible independently in the longitudinal series from end to end, in the formation of the flexible runner elongated and foldable independently in the longitudinal direction, selectively to reduce elongation of the corridor, in order to selectively allow extended corridor deployment or aisle storage in collapsed or retracted condition, each of the sections is connected to its adjacent section in the longitudinal series, for pivotal interlocking mechanisms, allowing the aisle to flex laterally and acquire a arched position

Description

TELESCOPIC HALL FOR LOADING AND DOWNLOADING AIRCRAFTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus that allows the fast and safe loading of small aircraft and in particular to a platform for protective magneto of air passage to and of commuter aircrafts. Examples of movable aisles on wheels for large aircraft are illustrated in U.S. Patents. Nos. 3,683,440; 4,559,660 and 4,984,321. The conventional movable roller aisle is essentially a circumscribed, articulating, movable steel bridge or corridor, which when installed in an airplane provides a safe path for passenger traffic to and from the terminal. These jet bridges, as they are known, were designed and intended to be used only with large jet engine aircraft (ie Boeing 727, 737, 757, 767 and 747) with door rail height in the range of 1.83. at 4.88 meters (6 to 16 feet) above the floor. These jet bridges can not be used for switch-type aircraft, which are only a fraction of the height of jet aircraft and have a door rail far below 1.83 meters (6 feet). In addition, smaller commuting aircraft are loaded to the ground level and provided with their own stairway. Currently there are no bridge or corridor devices that can be installed with ground-level switching aircraft that have the ability to extend and retract while simultaneously swinging left and right to meet the aircraft when it is parked. Currently, some users have built platforms with short permanent awning that protect passengers only part of the way to the aircraft. Due to the nature of the switching aircraft operation, a permanent fixed structure can not be built to extend all the way out from the terminal to the parking position because it would interfere and prevent the aircraft from parking or eventually turning under its control. own impulse to leave. Therefore, passengers of commuting aircraft have always had to walk to the aircraft in a dangerous uncontrolled environment, crossing the parking area or landing floor of the aircraft. This exposes passengers to an endless amount of dangers, chaos, inclement environmental conditions and discomfort. An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for overcoming the inherent disadvantages in the current load of commuting aircraft and providing a safe and protective platform for passengers. An object of the present invention is to provide a passenger platform for application of height "0" and at the same time be capable of extending, retracting and projecting radially to the left and to the right.

A further object of the present invention is to make the apparatus fully self-contained and mobile so as to be employed at any gate location of the user terminal facilities throughout the entire terminal network, in other words, completely independent of any permanent installation. A particular object of the present invention is to form the passage with generic interchangeable sections, in such a way that the user can easily accommodate the continually changing criteria of aircraft operations without a high engineering cost. These objectives and others together with their advantages and uses will be apparent from the following description of the present invention. Brief Statement of the Invention According to the present invention, a water-impermeable passage is provided, comprising a series of expandable frame sections, those sections are supported in wheel assemblies, in order to move easily through an area of paved parking or with concrete. The frame sections are joined in an articulated manner, such that the plurality of frame sections are deployed over a large distance and are flexible to oscillate in position by properly installing the aircraft door. On the upper part of each frame section there is a waterproof cloth cover. Interior fabric panels are suspended inside the walls to hang vertically on both sides to circumscribe the frame section. The interior panel and cover are separated to provide a cavity for continuous wind relief between them, thereby reducing the possibility of the extended passage overturning or turning in severe environmental conditions. Preferably, each of the frame sections are identical and are joined together facing back with a simple mechanism or fastener. The fabric cover and interior panels are preferably held by VELCRO fasteners both to the frame sections and to each other. The walls of the frame sections are formed using a scissor-type rod assembly, to allow easy extension and folding as well as a flexible path. Although the design is such that the passage can be manually deployed, it is preferred to deploy and store the unit by a uniquely constructed electro-mechanical energizing unit. Full details of the present invention are set forth in the following description and accompanying illustration of the preferred method and product. Brief Description of the Drawings In the drawings: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view and a multi-section telescopic passage embodying the present illustrated invention installed with a switching aircraft; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a section of the telescopic passage illustrated in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of various sections of the telescopic runner and drive unit. Description of the Invention The telescopic runner of the invention generally illustrated by the numeral 10, is shown schematically in Figure 1. In use the telescopic runner 10 is fastened at its outer end to the wall of the parking area of the terminal 12, in order to cover the exit door 14 and extend outward from there, in such a way that its front end is installed with the switching aircraft 16 in order to cover the entrance 18 to the aircraft. The telescopic passage 10 is formed of a plurality of collapsible frame sections 20, each wheel being mounted on rollers or slides to be easily movable on the paved parking area or concrete landing strip. each of the sections 20 are joined together in a series manner such that the telescopic passage can be deployed in an extended condition, in a shape to provide flexibility over its length and in such a way that it can be oscillated or project radially towards an arch. . In this way, the aircraft 16 can even be parked with its entrance perpendicular and displaced from the terminal door 14. The telescopic passageway is likewise folded for storage. While the telescopic passage can be manually deployed and stored, it is preferred to provide an electro / mechanical drive unit 22, which is easily connected to the front section to facilitate movement particularly during high peak times. the drive unit 22 will also allow a folded passage to be transported from one door to another in such a way that a single telescopic passage can serve several doors. The construction of each frame section 20 is illustrated in detail in Figure 2. Each frame section 20 comprises a pair of side walls, opposite laterally spaced apart 24, each wall comprising a front pillar 26 and a rear pillar 28, joined by a Scissors-type shank assembly 30. The elements of the shank section are preferably formed of a metallic bar material or hollow pipe. Aluminum members can also be used. Each upright 26 and 28 is welded at its lower end to a mounting bracket 32 of the wheel assembly 34. The laterally opposed uprights 26, 28 on the front and back of each of the side walls in pairs are joined together. respectively by a U-shaped clamp forming a beam with roof arch 36 and having legs 38 extending over the entire length of the uprights 26 and 28. The legs 38 are also welded together at their lower ends to the wheel mounting bracket 32. The wheel assemblies are preferably in the form of slides or rollers that oscillate about a vertical axis, thus allowing the frame to move easily. In addition, spacers 40 are provided at intervals between the legs 38 of the U-shaped clamp, and the adjacent uprights 26, 28 are also welded together. In this way, by joining in a fixed manner each of the front uprights in par 26 and the rear uprights in par 28, respectively with a continuous U-shaped clamp 36, each frame section 20 takes on the attribute of being constructed integrally as a complete unit while maintaining the relative movement of the front and rear uprights to each other. The scissors-like rod assembly 30 comprises a pair of pivoted bars 42 that cross each other fixed pivotally at one end 44 to the upper ends of the respective uprights.28. The lower ends 46 of the rods 42 are slidably held in a grooved guide 48, integrally formed on the inner side of the opposite upright 26, 28. The grooved guide 48 is mounted on the lower ends of the uprights 26, 28 and it has a length of about 25.4 to 30.48 cm (10 to 12"). The crossbars overlap each other and can be provided mutually with cuts 50 allowing the bars 42 to pivot with each other in a manner very similar to the action They can also be connected with a pivot pin 52 at their crossing point to implement the stiffness of the wall The lower ends of each bar 42 can be provided with laterally extending flanges or pins to be able to traverse the grooved guide without Disengage from there, during movement Hanging over the frame section and leaning against the upper part of the roof arch 38 is a waterproof fabric cover (and if to flame retardant) 54, which is preferably held in place by providing the cover 54 and the outer surface of the ceiling arch with VELCRO mating strips 56. Similarly, the front and rear edges of the cover 54 may also be provided with strips VELCRO 58 on its upper and lower surfaces, such that the cover 54 of a section can be attached to that of its adjacent sections. If desired, means of fastening or rope lashing may be employed. The lower edge sits of the outer covers 54, can be made below the arc of the roof arch, but preferably does not extend completely down the side wall. The waterproof fabric material used as the outer cover 54 can be of any type, although preferably the material sold under the trademark (BridgeTech Inc., Brent ood, NY) which is employed in the most common fixed load bridges, can be used here.

Mounted inside each wall 24 is the vertical panel 62 which can have at least its upper half 64 of transparent material. The inner panel 62 is connected to the wall, using a mounting bar 66 fixed to the uprights 26 and 28 to which VELCRO strips 68 can be attached. The front and rear edges of the panel 62 are also provided with VELCRO strips for fastening the panel. On the other hand, if desired, small hooks 70 spaced over the length of the bar can be used with the front and rear edge of the panel 62 provided with corresponding spaced eyelets 72, which couple the hooks 70. The inner panel 62 can be made from the same. waterproof and fire-retardant material than the outer cover 54, although this is not critical since the panel 62 is somewhat covered against the environment. In this way, if desired, the combs 62 may be made of vinyl material, canvas or other durable fabric. As seen in Figure 2, because the edges of the roof cover intentionally do not extend below the arch and the upper edges of the interior panels 64 do not extend over the arch, a space is left through which the wind can circulate as indicated by arrow A. This space relieves the effect of any wind gust in the telescopic corridor, so that the telescopic corridor neither moves nor tilts when it fully extends under rough environmental conditions.

In this way it will be understood that each frame section 20 itself is collapsible and extended. Depending on the exact geometric length of the studs and connecting scissor rod assembly, the frame section can be extended as much as 122 cm (48") and folded to approximately 15.24 cm (6"). Of course, varying the geometry can vary the length. In practice, it has been found that a commuting aircraft in general is stationed between 15.3 and 30.5 meters (50 and 100 feet) from the terminal. Therefore a train of approximately 20 frame sections should be long enough when deployed. If necessary, more or less sections can be used. As seen in Figure 3, a train or series of sections is formed by providing the front uprights and the rear uprights with attachment means or connectors when articulated adjacent frame sections are connected, for example, the uprights 26 may provided with ring bolts 74 or other forms of staples, while the rear uprights are provided with pivot fasteners. Other standard fastening means can be used. In addition, it may be convenient to provide a resilient branch strip that assembles the successive frame sections. For this purpose, a resilient elastic strip 38 can be stretched between the front frame station and the last frame section on each side. The outer faces of the uprights 26, 28 are provided with U-shaped handles 80 through which the strip 78 passes. In general, the front frame section will be installed in confinement with the aircraft, astride the stairway 82 that allows to get off the aircraft and can be attached to the stairs. If this can not be done then the stairs can be circumscribed by an extended band 84 and portable struts 86. Preferably, the front frame section differs from the other frame sections in small details. First, the roof 88 of the front frame section extends forward and upward, following the stair line of the aircraft 82, such that it terminates above the entrance of the aircraft 18. In addition the edge of the roof 88 is cushioned as in 90 to gently confine against the aircraft. Lamps operated by solar batteries 92 for general lighting. The front frame section can also be provided with forward directed installation lamps 94. The wheel mounting support bracket 32 can be slightly enlarged to allow the portable pillar 86 to be placed on it during deployment or storage of the passage. A significant modification of the front frame section can be described because a scissor-type rod assembly 42 is arranged to not be collapsible. Cross-linking rods can be bolted together by convenient bolting means, in view of the pivoting pin 52. By preventing the front frame section from collapsing, the train or the entire telescopic runner can be pulled or pushed more easily to take off. The front frame section is of course attached to the impulse unit for detachment by suitable fastening means. the pulse unit 22 comprises a small wheeled truck 94 which accommodates an operator and is provided with an electric ratio motor 96 having a battery and charge system, control mechanisms such as forward / reverse 98, left / right 100 and brake Hydraulic 102. The drive unit and front pillar of the front frame section are provided with cooperating hook and bolt members 106 allowing the pulse unit to be removably connected to the telescopic runway where the telescopic runner can be moved and maneuvered in a deployment or storage position. It will be noted that a significant advantage of the present invention lies in the absence of a floor for the frame sections. The frame sections in this way are light in weight and materially cheaper to build. Each frame section rolls easily on the floor. Small accumulation of snow or debris on the floor will not interfere with movement. Larger accumulations will not normally come out, quickly discovered by airport staff. In this way it is seen from the foregoing that a corridor for easily constructed protection is provided, simple for the rapid movement of passengers. The telescopic corridor is easily used and moved in position with respect to the aircraft, regardless of the parked position of the aircraft. Since the frame sections are identical, they can be easily removed from or added to the telescopic runner in such a way that the length of the fully extended telescopic runner can even be varied. The telescopic corridor as such is designed to be independent of any permanent installation and can be passed from terminal to terminal door, when necessary. To facilitate storage, as well as movement of the telescopic passage, the wheel support brackets 32 can be moved vertically so as not to interfere with each other when the telescopic passage is folded. Various modifications and changes have been described and others will be apparent to those with skill in the art. Therefore, it will be understood that the present disclosure is by way of illustration and not limitation of the present invention.

Claims (15)

1. CLAIMS 1.- A telescopic passage through which passengers can move for the ascent and descent of aircraft is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of independent frame sections, each section has means that allow movement in the ground, the frames are connected in an articulated manner in an end-to-end longitudinal series to form an elongate flexible runner, each frame section is foldable in the longitudinal direction selectively allows an extended telescopic runway deployment or telescopic runner storage in the folded retracted condition.
2. 2. The telescopic corridor according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the frame sections comprises a pair of spaced apart side walls, each of the side walls has a front and rear upright fixedly positioned in roller means, and they are connected by a longitudinally folded rod assembly, the corresponding front and rear uprights of said pairs are fixedly attached to a roof beam.
3. 3. - The telescopic corridor according to claim 1, characterized in that the roof beams are U-shaped, with their legs projecting downwards adjacent to respective uprights, with their external fixedly fixed to the roller means, and stiles.
4. 4. - The telescopic corridor according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes a foldable cloth cover that extends over each frame section and attaches to the roof beam.
5. 5. - The telescopic corridor according to claim 4, characterized in that it includes a foldable cloth panel mounted within the frame in each of the walls in pairs.
6. 6. The telescopic corridor according to claim 5, characterized in that the lower end of the roof cover and the upper end of the wall panels are separated from each other to provide an opening for air flow through the frame.
7. 7. - The telescopic corridor according to claim 2, characterized in that the rod assembly comprises a pair of rod rods arranged to cross each other, the upper end of each of the rod rods is pivotally fixed to a respective one of the front and rear uprights, the lower ends of each steel bar are slidably connected to the other of the uprights.
8. 8. - The telescopic corridor according to claim 7, characterized in that each upright is provided with a grooved guide in which the lower end of the respective rod rod is slidably held.
9. 9. - The telescopic passageway according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame sections are connected to each other by a removable latch mechanism.
10. 10. The telescopic corridor according to claim 9, characterized in that it includes a resilient expandable band extending from the section of the front frame to the rear frame section, to normally direct the series of sections as a whole.
11. 11. The telescopic corridor according to claim 2, characterized in that the front frame section includes means for preventing the folding of the shed and frame assembly.
12. 12. The telescopic corridor according to claim 2, characterized in that the front frame section is provided with an enlarged awning in front section extending over and forward of the roof beam to provide a cover for the door of the aircraft
13. 13. - The telescopic corridor according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes motorized impulse assemblies, and means for connecting the impulse means to the front edge sections, whereby the frame sections can be pulled in extended condition or pushed to folded condition.
14. 14. - The telescopic corridor according to claim 2, characterized in that it includes motorized driving means, and means for connecting the driving means to the front frame section, whereby the frame sections can be pulled in an extended condition or pushed in a folded condition.
15. 15. The telescopic corridor according to claim 12, characterized in that it includes motorized driving means, and means for connecting the driving means to the front frame sections, whereby the frame sections can be pulled in extended condition or pushed to folded condition.