Aircraft ground-handling vehicle

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a maneuvering vehicle for maneuvering aircraft on the ground according to the main definition of claim 1^to.

A known vehicle of this type is described in DE-OS 28 12 134. It is a traction machine that serves exclusively for the movement of large capacity aircraft. The same is planned in particular for the rapid drag of large-capacity empty airplanes over large distances. The bow wheels, after lifting on the ramp and tilting them upwards, are mobile phones in rotation on the rear platform of the vehicle by means of a fixed plate as well as two mobiles. This support and blocking of the bowwheels is expensive, and for certain types of aircraft it does not at all offer sufficient protection against the so-called outward movement of the bow forward movement mechanism, which can lead for example to a downward tilt of The stern. On the other hand, with a device of this type, it is not possible to block bow movement mechanisms with stone diverters at all, which are located in the lower area of ​​the bow wheels, because there is no corresponding space available for such diverters stones This space is effectively provided for a rear plate supported by tilting, which is attracted against the bow wheels by means of pressure cylinders.

The vehicle described above is not suitable for the many demands that are applied to maneuvering vehicles for maneuvering airplanes on the ground, and it is also anti-economic for small aircraft. For the rest, it is only suitable for bow wheels with a limited narrowing diameter range.

In US-A-4 036 384 a trailed vehicle is described, which is intended in particular for small aircraft and which can be operated and driven manually. To do this, the bow wheel is housed in the lower area on a platform between two plates joined together, for which purpose it is supported without support. Therefore, the bow wheel was not protected against an outward exit, and a bra is also especially missing. Due to the arrangement of the plates, bow wheels with stone diverters cannot be accommodated at all. For that matter, the device is only suitable for a given headwheel diaometer.

The purpose of the invention is to achieve a maneuvering vehicle for the safe transport of aircraft loaded at will on the ground, with a housing system for the bow transfer mechanism, which even for a large range of bow wheel diameters or aircraft types respectively prevent the outward movement of the bow upward mechanism or the downward sway of the stern respectively, and that it can accommodate bow transfer mechanisms provided with stone diverters.

This object is solved by the characteristics of claim 1^to.

By means of the arrangement following the invention of the cams, in the extreme position tilted upwards of the ramp these are pushed against the bow wheels so that they, together with the other fixed and movable elements of the locking device, prevent a deflection of the bow wheels in particular upwards and backwards, so that the bow wheels were embraced in the form of a pincer at several points.

The arrangement according to the invention makes it possible to accommodate bow transfer mechanisms with stone diverters in a large range of diameters, since sufficient space is available for stone diverters.

In an advantageous configuration of the invention, the cams were arranged autoimatically foldable outwardly and locked in function of the tilting movement of the ramp. For this, the cams are operated by a common tree, for which purpose at one or both ends of this tree a lever elliptically torsionally fastened with a roller to a sliding piece is guided by collars arranged externally on the frame. The guide groove of the colisas consists in each case of a part that extends vertically, a rectilinear oblique and a circular arc. To do this, by means of the vertically extending part of the guiding groove in connection with a pre-tensioning of the lever elliptically subjected to torsion, it is achieved that when the bow wheels are raised on the ramp the cams cannot swing out of these, On the contrary, a position free of tableting of the cams in the ramp is guaranteed during the lifting process.

In addition, through this provision it is possible to compensate for constructive tolerances, tire wear, etc. and deformations caused by the loading of the bow translation mechanism. The rectilinear and oblique part of the guiding groove causes the cams to swing outward, fast and in time, while tilting up the ramp, for which purpose the cams are fully folded out, that is, With the ramp tilted upwards, the two cranked cam levers are locked by a stable position that protrudes from the extended position. This position prevents a reduction in the cams and thus a loss of tightening in the case of external forces, directed from the bow movement mechanism vertically downwards. The circular arc-shaped part of the guide groove finally allows an adaptation without continuity solution of the cams to bow wheels of different sizes, in the range from the large wheel diameters to the smallest ones, to whose effect on the entire range of diameters from the large bow wheel size to my small one maintains the stable position of the cams, regardless of the tilt angle of the ramp.

In an advantageous configuration of the invention, the ramp is operated by a connecting rod of a piston-cylinder unit, through a system of angled ramp levers. This system of cranked levers was configured in such a way that in an extreme position tilted out of the ramp both cranked levers were in an extended position, and in a tilted extreme position.

015 973 towards ariba they are forming acute angle to each other. By the arrangement of levers according to the invention, cinematically favorable, the traction force of the cylinder can be kept small, on the one hand, in the starting position, that is to say when the entire load of the bow wheel is on the ramp. On the other hand, it allows, for a small stroke of the cylinder, a rapid movement of tilting the ramp until the cams stop at the bow wheels, for which purpose the cams, as clamping jaws, tighten and hold fixed Bow wheels with defined force.

The wall of the rollers is advantageously provided with one or more contact strips or limit switches. These signal the driver the end of the entrance rolling process, after which the entry ends and the mooring process begins.

In an advantageous configuration of the invention, the ramp is provided with one or more separation sensors, preferably levers with touch rollers. Thus, in conjunction with a regulation system, it is achieved that in all imaginable loading states in the housing process and placing the ramp always maintain a constant separation from the ground, or do not exceed a specific threshold value of soil separation respectively. In addition, the necessary regulation path is contained in the part that extends vertically from the guide groove of the colisa guide. By means of the elastic torsional fastening of the levers guided in the colisa to the tree, within the regulation path the cams are supported on the board-free ramp, and in this area they cannot be folded out of the ramp either; that is, regardless of separation corrections, the upper side of the cams is during the entire lifting process in the same plane with the upper side of the ramp.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings.

They show:

Fig. 1, a maneuvering vehicle with a lifting device in an extreme position tilted out of the ramp, in plan view,

Fig. 2, the maneuvering vehicle will follow Fig. 1 in a side elevation view, for which purpose additional parts of the locking device with indicated position of the bow wheel have been presented,

Fig. 3, a schematic representation, on an enlarged scale, of a cam in a downward position in the ramp, with a system of levers for automatic folding out and locking, and

Fig. 4, the maneuvering vehicle will follow Fig. 2, but in extreme position tilted up the ramp and locked bow wheel.

The maneuvering vehicle consists essentially of an open frame 1, which is joined until shortly before the rear axle by means of a bottom plate 2, with two front wheels 3 and two rear wheels 4, as well as a driver's cab 5 connected to the frame 1. The four wheels are driven by a hydrostatic drive through hydraulic motors 6. The hydraulic motors 6 work in turn, by means of a ring conduction not shown, with its supply under pressure.

To the bottom plate 2, a ramp 7 is articulated on both sides, by means of pins 8, the ramp 7 is articulated on both sides, in each case by a lever 10 supported on a pin 9, through rotating joints 11, to a respective connecting rod 12 of a piston-cylinder unit. The piston-cylinder units 13 can swing on the frame 1. In each of the joints 11 another lever 14 is articulated to the respective connecting rod 12. At its other end, the levers 14 will be supported in rotational movable in each case on pins arranged fixed in the space in the frame 1. The levers 10 and thus act as levers lent on the ramp 7, and can be actuated by the units 13 of pistoán-cylinder.

At the free end of the ramp 7, three rollers 16 are supported in rotational motion in each case, for which purpose the outer rollers have a smaller diameter than the inner two, in order to keep the longitudinal loads on the bow transfer mechanisms small. On the ramp 7, a lever 17 with a touch roller is also installed.

Finally, on the ramp 7, two cams 18 are supported, tilting around an axis of rotation 19, as can be seen in particular in Fig. 3, on the ramp 7 a tree 20 is supported, on each of whose two ends is held elastically torsible with a lever 21 which carries at its free end a respective roller 22 which is guided in a corresponding collar 23 arranged in the frame 1. Each of the colisas 23 has a guide groove 24 with a vertical part (24a), an oblique rectiltaneous part (24b) and a circular arc-shaped part (24c). A bent lever 25 is attached in each case to the shaft 20. It is connected at its free end, in each case by means of an articulation, with another bent lever 27 which is articulated by pins 28 on a corresponding cam 18. The cams 18 will be provided with recesses 18a, in order to have sufficient free space for the tree 29 and so that the latter cannot therefore prevent the folding into the cams 18 on the ramp 7.

A vertical wall 29 is fixedly connected with the front part of the bottom plate 2 and acts as a stirrup for the bow wheels 30. The wall 29 is provided with rollers 31, as well as contact strips or limit switches not shown. On the bottom plate 2 there is also a clamping cylinder 32 in each case, which is articulated to a corresponding lever 33. Each of the levers 33 is provided with a rolling vane 34 for a more easy ascension, in particular for large diameter bow wheels, and for the preservation of the tires of the bow wheels by eliminating the compression of the edges . At the other end of the levers 33, another lever 35 is articulated in each case, which is pivoted on pins 36 fixed on the frame 1.

A cable winch 37 is arranged on the front of the bottom plate 2.

The operation of the provision above des3

015 973 crita is performed as follows.

The driver approaches the maneuvering vehicle to the forward movement mechanism, with the stern forward, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. For this, the ramp 7 is in an extreme position tilted outwards or in a downward position respectively (see Fig. 2). With this, the cams 18 are flush with the lifting surface of the ramp 7. The ramp 7 with the rollers 16 is now pushed, with a small speed, under the bow wheels 30, to which effect these ascends automatically on the ramp from a certain longitudinal force. By means of the lever 17, with a touch probe in connection with a regulation system not shown, it is guaranteed that the ramp 7 maintains a constant separation of the ground. The necessary regulation path is contained in the part 24a that extends vertically in the colisa 23. When the entrance continues, the bow wheels 30 can by the oblique plane of the ramp 7 towards the bottom plate 2, inside the frame 1 , until they meet the contact strips or limit switches on the vertical wall 29. The levers 33 provided with a pre-defined tension with the rolling vanes 34 are passively applied, when approaching the bow wheels 30, to the pneumatic tires of the bow wheels and ascending to the corresponding height, depending on the diameter of the pneumaotics. The contact strips or limit switches respectively signal the end of the entry rolling process to the driver, after which the entry ends and the mooring process begins. The mooring of the bow wheels 30 was carried out essentially with four elements, which in the extreme position of the bow wheels embrace in the form of a pincer in four points. The bottom plate 2 and the vertical wall 29 with the rollers 31 passively take part in the embrace, while on the contrary the levers 33 actively actuated with the rolling vanes 34, as well as the cams 18 folding outwards. The mooring is initiated by actuating the piston-cylinder units 13, whereby the connecting rod 12 and, by means of the rotating articulation 11, the levers 10 and 14 are attracted forward. With this, the ramp 7 with the cams 18 is tilted upwardly around an axis of rotation formed by the pins 8, whereby the cams 18 fold out automatically as follows from their starting position (see Fig. 3) on ramp 7.

By tilting up the ramp 7, the rollers 22 are guided outwardly to both sides from their starting position in the guide groove 24. Thus, by means of the lever 21 a turning moment is transmitted to the amber 20 This turning moment is transmitted by the lever 25 fixedly connected with the amber 20, which operates the levers articulated with it and articulated on the cams by means of pins 28. With this, the cams are swiveled around their axis of rotation 19. The colisa guide 24 is configured such that its vertical part 24a in connection with a previous tension of the lever 21 takes care of a free tableting seat of the cams 18 on ramp 7. The part 24b that extends obliquely upwards causes a rapid folding out of the cams to a stable position, protected against buckling, while the next part 24c in the form of a circular arc makes it possible to adapt the cams 18 to different diameters of bow wheels, namely from the largest to the smallest diameter, depending on the extent of the circular arc.

The defined clamping force of the cams 18 is obtained by means of the piston-cylinder units 13 in connection with the arrangement of bent levers of the levers 10 and 14. As can be seen in Fig. 4, when the cams 18 are applied to the bow wheels 30, the levers 25 and 27 are in a stable position that protrudes from the extended position and prevents a reduction in the cams 18 and therefore a loss of tightening in case of external forces that acted vertically downward from the forward movement mechanisms. The stable position of the cams 18 in the tightening position, as well as their free tableting position on the ramp 7 in the lifting position are obtained by directing the previous tension of the elóastica torsion grip of the lever 21 in union with the guide 24 of colisa.

Simultaneously with the application of the cams 18, the levers 33 with the rolling vanes 34 are pushed with definite force on the tires of the bow wheels by means of the tightening cylinders 32.

Next, the maneuvering vehicle was ready for dragging the plane. Once the dragging process was completed, the decoupling and rolling down of the bowwheels were carried out, in reverse sequence to the above-described rolling process.

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