Patent ID: 6808142
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: B64C,B64D

Abstract:
A cargo aircraft provided with multi-level cargo cabins each being divided by at least one horizontal partition running along a length of a fuselage of said cargo aircraft, an upper most one of the multi-level cargo cabins being formed by one of the at least one horizontal partition and a ceiling of the fuselage, and a lower most one of the multi-level cargo cabins being formed by one of the at least one horizontal partition and a lower cabin floor of the fuselage, said cargo aircraft comprising:multi-level cargo cabins; at least one cargo hatchway operable to be opened and closed by a cargo door, said cargo door being provided on the fuselage at the lower most one of said multi-level cargo cabins; an elevator operable to convey a cargo item vertically between said multi-level cargo cabins through an opening of the at least one horizontal partition, wherein the cargo item can be conveyed into one of said multi-level cargo cabins via said at least one cargo hatchway which is opened and closed by said cargo door; and a horizontal conveyor provided on a floor of each of said multi-level cargo cabins and being operable to convey the cargo item in a horizontal direction, wherein said elevator faces said at least one cargo hatchway and is operable to convey the cargo item vertically to the floor of each of said multi-level cargo cabins, and wherein said horizontal conveyor is provided in a proximity of the opening for said elevator; wherein said elevator comprises: a cargo stage upon which the cargo item can be loaded and vertically conveyed, said cargo stage being operable to be folded down during a flight of said cargo aircraft so as to form a flat floor which is the same level as a cabin floor; cross links being connected to a bottom of said cargo stage, and being vertically expandable; a hydraulic cylinder connected with lower ends of said cross links and being operable to expand or contract said cross links so as to move said cargo stage vertically; and rollers provided on lower ends of said cross links and which are free to rotate, wherein said rollers are operable to run on rails oriented on a floor of the lower most one of said multi-level cargo cabins to enable said elevator to move length-wise.