Aircraft hanger

An aircraft hanger structure utilizes a flexible membrane fabric as the aircraft cover and a pylon and boom arrangement which connects to and supports the fabric in a double curvature configuration. The structure adapts to contiguous parking areas of different aircraft or for closely parking aircraft of the same or different configuration.

DESCRIPTION 
1. Technical Field 
The invention relates broadly to shelter structures but more specifically 
to aircraft hanger structures adapted for suspending a fabric membrane as 
an aircraft cover. 
2. Background Art 
Structure for suspending a fabric as a cover over free ground space on 
which an aircraft is parked is known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,730 illustrates 
one such structure in which a cable and post-supported frame supports 
fabric as an aircraft cover. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,511,974 and 2,880,741 
represent other types of post-cable supported fabric covers for aircraft 
hangers. Numerous other prior art patents could be cited as teaching 
various types of frames and post arrangements for supporting fabric as an 
aircraft shelter. However, those patents specifically cited and described 
are believed to be representative of the prior art sufficient to 
understand the present invention in the context of the prior art. 
With consideration for the aforementioned prior art practices, the prior 
art has not provided a free standing-type of post-frame fabric membrane 
support structure adapted to a multiplicity of types of aircrafts, e.g., 
low wing, high wing, single engine, multi-engine and reciprocating or 
jet-type aircraft as well as small and large aircraft. More specifically, 
the prior art aircraft hanger structures do not adapt to selective 
individual or multiple use within restricted areas so as to make airport 
parking space utilization efficient as with the present invention. 
The present invention thus has as its primary object that of providing an 
improved post-frame fabric membrane support structure which is adaptable 
to a variety of types and sizes of aircraft, is specifically adapted to a 
variety of weather conditions, sun, wind and the like and adapts to 
individual or multiple use within defined minimum parking areas and 
utilizes a system of double curvature for structural integrity. These and 
other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds. 
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
The aircraft cover structure of the invention comprises a plurality of 
vertical supporting pylons which are secured in the ground area and extend 
upwardly and outwardly from the parking area in which the aircraft is to 
be parked. One of the pylons terminates in a substantially horizontal 
elevated end portion overlying the parking area. Two of the pylons support 
a tether which in turn supports one end of an elongated boom. An 
intermediate portion of the boom is supported by the overlying pylon and a 
cantilevered end of the boom points in the opposite direction of the 
tethered end. A fabric membrane cover is supported by all of the pylons 
and the boom in a manner in which certain of the pylons are treated as 
anchor pylons and are adapted to hold the fabric down and an overlying 
pylon and boom are adapted to hold the fabric up and outward to place the 
synthetic fabric membrane in tension and to create a structural double 
curvature of the fabric surface.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
As will become apparent from the description to follow, the invention 
hanger utilizes a system of basic components which accommodate in 
different arrangements to provide a useful and unique cover for a wide 
variety of aircraft as exemplified in the drawings. The basic components 
included in such system include an overlying pylon 30, detailed in FIG. 9; 
an anchor pylon 40, detailed in FIG. 10; a boom 50, detailed in FIG. 11; 
and with boom extensions 55, detailed in FIG. 12; tether elements 70, 
detailed in FIG. 13; and former elements 80, detailed in FIG. 14. Thus, by 
using any of the mentioned elements in suitable configurations, the 
invention hanger generally designated 20 in FIGS. 1-8 for reference adapts 
to a wide variety of aircraft including those shown as well as other types 
such as the canard-type aircraft, not shown, which typically has a small 
wing in front and a large wing towards the rear of the aircraft. 
The overlying pylon 30 is firmly secured at the parking surface by means of 
concrete 32 (see FIG. 9), or the like, and having at its outer extremity a 
cable eye and bolt 33, or the like, for supporting the boom 50 by means of 
a hook/sleeve 51 located substantially midway of the length of boom 50. 
The overlying pylon is located relative to the aircrafts planar geometry 
so as to provide clearance for its access/egress as shown, for example, in 
FIGS. 1 and 2. 
In operative association with the single overlying pylon element 30 
employed in the invention there are a plurality of anchor pylon elements 
40 which are firmly secured by concrete 42, or the like, as best seen in 
FIG. 10. FIG. 10 illustrates a closed end aluminum tube 40 with one end 
imbedded in sufficient concrete 42 and the other free end bolted to an 
aluminum assembly 45 composed of a plate cap end and an upstanding 
threaded stud 43 connected to element 40; an aluminum washer 44; an 
aluminum flat plate connector 46; which in turn allows connection to the 
metal turnbuckle plus pin connection assembly 35. As part of the mentioned 
assembly 45; an aluminum washer 47 and a metal lock washer 48 plus a metal 
threaded nut 49 are connected to the upstanding threaded stud 43. Item 72 
is composed of a plate cap end and an upstanding threaded stud (similar to 
item 43 above) in turn connected to the metal turnbuckle of assembly 35; 
which is attached at each end of element 70. Element 70 is a closed end 
aluminum tube. 
Since a turnbuckle-type connection such as seen in FIG. 10 and designated 
35 is used in many places in the invention construction, the numeral 35 is 
used throughout the drawings to designate this type connection. Also, 
since a cable, cable eye and bolt-type connection such as seen in FIG. 14 
is also used in many places in the invention construction, the numeral 34 
is used to generally designate this type connection. 
In FIG. 1, for example, four anchor pylons 40 are employed for the aircraft 
hanger 20 of the invention when used to cover the illustrated small-type 
aircraft 90 shown in dashed lines. The anchor pylons 40 are also located 
relative to the aircraft's geometry to provide clearance for its access 
and egress as further illustrated, for example, in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
The boom element 50 extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis 
of the aircraft in an elevated position over the aircraft and essentially 
parallel to the path of egress of the aircraft. As previously mentioned, 
the boom element 50 is supported by the overlying pylon element 30 at 
approximately the midpoint with some variation depending on the aircraft. 
In FIG. 9, the overlying pylon (a closed end aluminum tube) element 30 
free end connects by a cable and cable eye and bolt 34 to a sleeve element 
51. The sleeve element 51, seen in FIG. 17, fits loosely on boom 50 and 
allows movement and adaptability of the boom 50 support to varying wind 
conditions as well as location of element 51 along the boom 50 for varying 
centers of gravity derived from different aircraft configurations. The 
ability of the system to easily adjust to varying centers of gravity is 
important because all of the upward force generated by the sleeve 51 and 
the boom 50 when acted upon by wind and the like are in turn resisted by 
the anchor elements 40. Such resistive forces are generally equal at the 
anchor elements if the upward force is generated through the system's 
general centroid. The overlying pylon element 30 allows adjustment to the 
point of support at the boom 50; and the sleeve 51 allows support 
adjustment along the boom 50 all of which are required to provide support 
at the centroid of various cover configurations of different aircraft and 
consequently different wind loadings. The sleeve 51 allows a means of 
adjustment along the boom element 50 to provide for aircraft of varying 
lengths and wing span configurations and which in turn require different 
fabric membrane element 60. The described invention configuration is such 
that when acted upon under various wind conditions unnecessary 
concentration of stress at any one of the anchor pylon elements 40 is 
avoided. The overlying pylon element 30 supports boom element 50 which 
comprises a closed end aluminum hollow tube capped at each end. Each end 
of boom element 50 mounts a turnbuckle connection 35 and a cable, cable 
eye, bolt connect 34 for connecting to openings in an assembly like 
element 45 and in turn connects to openings in the fabric membrane element 
60 and former element 80 which in turn support and stretch, i.e., post 
tension, the fabric membrane element 60 along its longitudinal axis which 
is parallel to the aircraft's path of egress. 
Supporting and post tensioning the fabric element 60 in the manner 
indicated causes a curve in the shape and general area of the fabric which 
falls between the two ends of the boom element 50. The two high points of 
the curve naturally are near the boom 50 ends where the fabric 60 is 
immediately supported. The low point of the fabric 60 curve will generally 
be toward the middle since the fabric 60 is unsupported in the middle. An 
examination of the fabric 60 on a line drawn between anchor pylons 40 on 
opposites sides of the aircraft will indicate a curved line similar to the 
above curved line but opposite in the following manner: the ends of the 
fabric membrane element 60 attached at the anchor pylons 40 will be the 
low point of the curve since the fabric 60 is being held down at this 
point while the high point of the curve will tend to be in the middle of 
the fabric membrane element 60, since it is generally unrestrained at this 
point. Thus, with a common surface as we have above the fabric element 60 
being supported at its extremities with some upward force and at other 
points by equal and downward forces in turn generates a surface of double 
curvature. The structural integrity and advantages of double curved 
surfaces is well known to those skilled in the art. 
The fabric membrane element 60 should preferably be highly flexible, 
resistant to weather conditions, substantially strong and adapted to ease 
of fabrication. Various reinforced, synthetic fabrics are currently found 
to be ideally suited for this purpose and the availability of such fabrics 
is well known to those skilled in the art. 
The tether element 70 comprises a rigid, tubular member and may be used in 
one of either of two configurations. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the tether 
element 70 extends between boom 50 and anchor pylons 40", 40". In an 
alternative configuration, seen in FIG. 2, the tether elements 70 connect 
to boom extension elements 55 which act to support and place a portion of 
the fabric membrane element 60 in tension. Boom extensions 55, like tether 
elements 70, are formed of rigid metal tubing. The boom elements 55 are 
weld connected to the boom member 50 at one end and have an adjustable 
type of fixed connection such as a turnbuckle and bolt arrangement 35 at 
the free end. The drawings show the detail in FIG. 10. The tether elements 
70 and boom extension elements 55 are connected to each other and to other 
members of the system by the type of turnbuckle and bolt connection 35 
shown in FIG. 10. 
The final component of the invention hanger 20 comprises a former element 
80, two of which are shown in use in FIG. 1 at connect points of the 
fabric membrane 60 and are used to distribute the stress and also to shape 
the fabric membrane 60 at the points of connection. The former is made of 
sheet rigid aluminum plate, and each former fits into a pre-formed slot on 
the underside of the fabric membrane in the manner of a sail batten, see 
FIG. 14. 
In summary, it can be appreciated that the present invention provides an 
extremely versatile aircraft hanger suited for essentially any type 
aircraft, large or small, having a fuselage and using high wing or low 
wing, conventional wing or swept wing, single or multi-engine. The system 
geometry of the invention also is especially advantageous in allowing 
aircraft to be parked and covered in a minimum amount of parking area. 
Thus, there is provided a covered space system utilizing minimum 
individual aircraft parking space or a minimum of combined parking spaces 
when used to cover any multiple of aircraft in a contiguous area. So far 
as applicant is aware, the invention system adapts to any known aircraft 
configuration and also offers the advantage of being adapted to an 
essentially portable form of construction.