Patent ID: 8690103
Filing Date: 2014-04-08
Classification: B64C,B64D

Abstract:
1. A method of loading and unloading military and civilian pallets from an aircraft having a floor with a roller deck mounted to the floor, the roller deck having a predetermined deck height above the floor, the method comprising: providing a pallet guide attached to the floor of the aircraft, the pallet guide comprising a first guide member, the first guide member comprising a structural channel member having a substantially L-shaped cross-section comprising a web portion and a flange portion, the pallet guide further comprising a second guide member, the second guide member also comprising a structural channel member having a substantially L-shaped cross-section comprising a web portion and a flange portion, the first and second guide members being movable from a refracted position in which the first and second guide members are below the predetermined deck height of the roller deck to a deployed position in which the first and second guide members cooperate to form an elongate guide member having a T-shaped cross-section extending above the roller deck when viewed along an axis of the pallet guide; the pallet guide further comprising a third guide member, the third guide member comprising a body having a substantially T-shaped cross section and a thickness dimension measured with respect to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, the thickness dimension of the third guide member being less than a distance measured from the floor of the aircraft to the predetermined deck height, the third guide member being movable from a retracted position in which the third guide member is below the predetermined deck height of the roller deck, to a deployed position in which the third guide member extends above the roller deck, wherein the step of loading a plurality of pallets of the second configuration onto the aircraft comprises moving the plurality of pallets of the second configuration so that a lower edge of at least one of the plurality of pallets of the second configuration abuts the third guide member; providing a plurality of pallets of a first configuration, the pallets of the first configuration each having a lower edge with a castellated perimeter; loading the plurality of pallets of the first configuration onto the aircraft so that the lower edge of at least one of the pallets of the first configuration abuts at least one of the guide members; unloading the plurality of pallets of the first configuration from the aircraft; moving the first and second guide members from the deployed position to the retracted position; providing a plurality of pallets of a second configuration, the pallets of the second configuration each having a substantially straight lower edge; and loading a plurality of pallets of the second configuration onto the aircraft.