Arrangement for transportation of containers within cargo compartments of aircraft

An arrangement for transportation of containers within cargo compartment of aircraft has, according to the invention, guide members extending along the cargo compartment and a closed flexible traction member having a drive interposed between the guide members. Accommodated in the guide members is a carriage connected to the flexible traction member. A spring-loaded lever is articulated with one end thereof to the carriage at right angle to the carriage plane, the lever is rotatable both about its axis and in a vertical plane extending along the axis of the carriage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to the field of cargo transportation in 
aircraft, and more particularly to arrangements for transportation of 
containers within cargo compartments of aircraft. 
The present invention may be most advantageously used for cargo 
transportation in cargo compartments of airplanes using containers. 
The invention may be also used in ground handling equipment for carrying 
containers. 
Several types of transport apparatus are known for transportation of 
luggage or containers within cargo compartments of aircraft. One type of 
transport apparatus makes use of overhead jib cranes travelling on a 
monorail and remotely controlled. The cables in this type of apparatus 
form depending loops that can result in pinching and damage to the cables 
by the containers being transported. Another type of known transport 
apparatus makes use of tracks overhead of the cargo compartment on which a 
trolley travels. The trolley is provided with L-shaped grippers activated 
to grip and lift containers and lower them. The apparatus of this type use 
a considerable amount of the cargo compartment and are bulky. 
It is also known to use rubber-lined rollers on the floor of a cargo 
compartment. The rollers are driven by several drives and accordingly 
transport of this type are heavy and costly. 
Cargo transport apparatus for aircraft also make use of driven chain 
conveyors on which are located spaced upstanding plates between which 
luggage or containers are transported. The conveyors are provided with 
guides between which are mounted the upstanding plates. Apparatus of this 
type are quite inadequate for aircraft use. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the invention to eliminate the above-mentioned 
disadvantages of prior art systems for transportation of containers in 
cargo compartments of aircraft. 
It is also an object of the invention to simplify operation and make it 
more convenient. 
Still another object of the invention is to reduce the time required for 
handling operations in the containerized cargo transports. 
Another object of the invention is to lower the input of a drive motor so 
as to reduce weight. 
Broadly speaking, it is an object of the invention to provide an 
arrangement for transportation of containers within cargo compartments of 
aircraft which provides for consecutive loading and unloading of 
containers into and from cargo compartments while being lightweight and 
having a low-input motor. 
The above objects are accomplished by an arrangement for transportation of 
containers within cargo compartments of aircraft comprising an endless 
traction member having a drive interposed between guide members extending 
along the cargo compartment, in the floor thereof. According to the 
invention, there is provided a carriage mounted within the guide members 
and connected to the flexible traction member, and a spring-loaded lever 
is articulated with one end thereof to the carriage at right angle to the 
carriage plane. The lever is rotatable both about its axis and in a 
vertical plane along the carriage axis. 
The provision of a single movable carriage makes the arrangement more 
convenient and simple in operation, enables the installation of a 
low-input electric motor since the carriage is only used for 
transportation of one container at a time, rather than of all containers 
accommodated within the cargo compartment. The movable carriage ensures 
transportation of containers with the unloading hatch located in any 
convenient place within the cargo compartment. 
In the arrangement for transportation of containers within cargo 
compartments of aircraft, the lever is preferably mounted by means of a 
horizontal pivot axle which is supported by a base rotatable relative to 
the carriage body. 
The provision of the pivot axle of the lever ensures reliable operation of 
the carriage upon reversing the direction of transportation of containers. 
The arrangement for transportation of containers within cargo compartments 
of aircraft is preferably provided with a locking member to hold the lever 
in the operative positions against rotation about its axis. 
The locking members are made in the form of spring-loaded stops 
accommodated in the body of the rotatable base so that their ends protrude 
over the side surface of the base. 
The locking member is used to hold the lever in the operative positions 
against rotation about its axis. 
At is advisable that in the arrangement for transportation of containers 
within cargo compartments of aircraft, a roller be fixed to the distal end 
of the lever, the roller axis extending at right angle to the carriage 
axis. 
The provision of the roller protects the container bottom against damages 
which might otherwise occur when the carriage passes beneath the container 
.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
An arrangement for transportation of containers 1 (FIG. 1) is incorporated 
in the floor 2 of a cargo compartment of an aircraft where the containers 
1 are usually mounted on roller tracks 3 and ball tracks 4. 
The arrangement for transportation of containers 1 comprises two guide 
members 5 extending along the cargo compartment symmetrically about its 
axis in the floor 2. 
An endless flexible traction member 6 extends within the guide members 5. 
The traction member 6 can be made in the form of e.g. a plate chain 
conveyor with a drive (not shown) and with mechanisms 7 for chain 
tensioning. 
Mounted within the guide members 5 and connected to the flexible traction 
member is a carriage 8. The carriage 8 has a cast body 9 with four 
vertical rollers 11 mounted on axles 10 and four horizontal rollers 13 
mounted on axles 12 to the side walls of the body (FIGS. 2,3). A rotatable 
base 14 made in the form of a cylindrical bushing having an end collar 15 
is journalled in a circular seat centrally of the body 9 of the carriage 
8. Two lugs 16 (FIG. 3) are made in the end face of the bushing at the 
collar 15. The rotatable base 14 is mounted in the seat in such a manner 
that the collar 15 is in the top portion of the rotatable base 14 to hold 
the latter in the seat. A shaped latch 17 rigidly fixed to the body 9 of 
the carriage 8 holds the rotatable base 14 at the collar 15 against 
vertical dispacements. 
A horizontally extending axle 18 is inserted in the lugs 16 of the 
rotatable base 14, carrying a spring-loaded lever 19 (FIGS. 2, 4) provided 
with a return spring 20. 
The return spring 20 is essentially a torsion spring which is mounted on 
the same axle 18 with the lever 19 to bias the lever 19 to a vertical 
position due to the fact that one end of the return spring 20 bears 
against the rotatable base 14, whereas the other end of the spring is held 
against the lever 19. 
In the lower portion of the lever 19, one side of the lever is supported by 
the rotatable base 14, while the other side of the lever 19 is rounded so 
that the lever 19 can pivot about the horizontal axle 18. 
Lugs 21 are articulated to the end faces of the body 9 of the carriage 8 
which are aligned with the axis of the carriage 8 (FIGS. 2,3). The 
carriage 8 is moved by means of the endless flexible traction member 6 
(such as a chain or rope) which is secured to the carriage 8 at the lugs 
21. The traction member 6 is tensioned by means of the chain tensioning 
mechanism 7 (FIG. 1). The carriage 8 travels along the cargo compartment 
with in the guide members 5 incorporated in the floor 2 axially of the 
compartment. 
Fixed to the distal end of the lever 19 is a roller 22 (FIGS. 2, 4) whose 
axle 23 is at right angle to the longitudinal axis of the carriage 8. The 
roller 22 enables the lever 19 to pass beneath the bottom of the container 
1 without damaging when the container and lever contact or abut. 
A locking member 24 (FIG. 5) is accommodated in the body of the rotatable 
base 14, this locking member consisting of two stops 25 and a spring 26 
mounted therebetween. The stops 25 are made as cylindrical bodies with 
tapered tips facing the outer surface of the rotatable base 14. When the 
rotatable base 14 is in the working position the tapered tips of the stops 
25 are received in holes provided in the side surface of the seat in the 
body 9 of the carriage 8. 
The locking member 24 is adapted for holding the lever 19 in the working 
positions against rotation about its axis. When a force in a 
circumferential direction is applied to the gear 14 the stops are moved 
out of the holes and compress the spring 26 which allows rotation of the 
gear 14. 
During displacement of the traction member 6 (FIG. 3) the rollers 11 and 13 
of the carriage 8 travel over the guide members 5, and the lever 19 abuts 
with one side thereof against the rotatable base 14 and with the other 
side against the pallet of the container 1 to transfer the container 1 
along the cargo compartment. 
During transportation of the container 1 (FIG. 1), upon loading it into the 
cargo compartment, the carriage 8 is in a position A in which the lever 19 
bears against the container 1 to displace it inside the cargo compartment. 
During unloading of the container 1 from the cargo compartment, the 
carriage 8 is in a position D in which the lever 19 bears against the 
container 1 to displace it towards an unloading hatch 27. 
The movement of the container 1 is reversed by turning the lever 19 and the 
rotatable base 14 through 180.degree.. The locking member 24 (FIG. 5) 
holds the lever 19 in the working positions against accidental rotation 
about its axis. 
The reference is now made in greater details to the reversal of 
transportation of the container 1. 
Assuming the carriage 8 is in the position A after loading the containers 1 
(FIG. 1), the carriage 8 is to be shifted to the position D for unloading 
of the containers 1. 
For that purpose it is necessary: 
(a) to rotate the lever 19 and the rotatable base 14 through 180.degree.; 
(b) energize the drive motor so that the carriage can be moved inside the 
cargo compartment. The lever 19 (FIG. 6) abutting against the bottom of 
the container 1 is pivoted about the horizontal axle 18 thus compressing 
the spring 20. The roller 22 rolls under the bottom of the container 1. 
After the roller 22 is released from the bottom of the container 1, the 
spring 20 returns the lever 19 back to the vertical position, whereby the 
carriage 8 occupies the position D (FIG. 1); 
(c) deenergize the drive motor and reenergize again to make the carriage 8 
move towards the unloading hatch 27; 
(d) the lever 19 (FIG. 4) now bears against the rotatable base 14 to 
transfer the container 1 (FIG. 1) towards the unloading hatch 27. 
Now, to transport the container 1 in the opposite direction, the lever 19 
should again be rotated, together with the rotatable base 14, through 
180.degree., and the above-described operations are repeated. 
As follows from the description of operation of the arrangement for 
transportation of containers 1, the carriage 8 effects loading and 
unloading of each container 1 within the cargo compartment. This enables 
the employment of a comparatively low-input electric motor, while 
providing for convenient and simple operation.