A LATERAL MOVEMENT DEVICE FOR THE ROLLER OF AN AIRCRAFT TRANSFER DEVICE

Abstract: The object of the invention is a lateral movement device for the roller (3) of a transfer device, which transfer device is intended to move an aircraft (1) or other wheeled device over a base by rotating one or more friction rollers (3, 4) that are pressed against a wheel (6), which roller (3) may be purely a pressure roller or a friction roller and which is arranged to be able to be moved away from the track of the wheel (6) and brought back to the track and which transfer device includes a frame (2) to which the roller (3) is attached, and in which lateral movement device the carrier of the roller (3) is located on a transverse guide (11), which is arranged to move in a slide (10) attached to the frame, and which includes lateral movement devices (15, 16, 17, 18) to move the roller (3) laterally. The intention of the invention is to create a lateral movement device for a roller by means of which the roller can also be placed between bogie wheels and which takes up only little space. The guide (11) in accordance with the invention is part of the carrier of the roller (3) and it extends for at least the greatest part of the length of the roller (3), when the essentially shorter slide (10) is attached to the frame (2). Most advantageously the roller (3) is located in a tube (11) that forms the guide, which has an opening made in it at the point of the roller (3).

Description: A LATERAL MOVEMENT DEVICE FOR THE ROLLER OF AN AIRCRAFT TRANSFER DEVICE The object of the invention is a lateral movement device for the roller of a transfer device, which transfer device is intended to move an aircraft or other wheeled device over a base by rotating one or more friction rollers that are pressed against a wheel, which roller may be either simply a pressure roller or a friction roller and which is arranged to be moved away from the track of the wheel and back to the track, and which transfer device includes a frame, to which, the roller is attached, and in which the lateral movement device is attached by means of a transverse guide, which is arranged to move in a slide attached to the frame, and which includes lateral movement devices to move the roller laterally. The construction of a transfer device can be substantially lightened, if the rotational force is transferred to the air¬ craft's own wheel from a drive wheel or friction roller belonging to the transfer device. The construction for a completely general purpose light transfer device is shown in Finnish Patent Application FI 833275 (partly corresponding to 085/ 01265) . This does not require any contact with the air¬ craft in order to press the drive wheel against the aircraft wheel. The pressure is created by means of the mutual movement of pressure rollers that are connected by an intermediate member and placed around the aircraft wheel. Other transfer devices belonging to the field of the invention are shown in Finnish Patent Applications FI8661714, FI870313, FI870710, and FI873578. The problem with the transfer devices shown in these publications is the placing of the friction rollers before moving the aircraft and their removal afterwards. In practice it attempted to grip at least both double wheels with the transfer device, so that the load can be distributed into as many parts as possible. On account of this the transfer device is equipped with a U-shaped frame, the rollers being attached to both forks of which by means of suitable slide members. It must naturally be possible to remove the rollers that are now in front from the track of the aircraft wheels when the transfer device is driven around these. After this the front rollers are returned to the track of the wheels and the corresponding rollers can be pressed against the wheels using mutual traction. In the aforementioned publications the most common solution shown is one in which the friction roller is turned away from the track either forwards or upwards. A transfer device intended for double wheels cannot them be used with bogie wheels, because there is no room for the roller to turn between the in-line bogie wheels. When the roller is installed on a slide in accordance with application FI873578, which travels along a transverse guide, the roller can then be placed between bogie wheels. In this, however, the transverse guide broadens the transfer device unreasonably. It is difficult to locate a lateral movement device itself, especially when using hydraulic cylinders, so that it does not broaden the transfer device still further. The intention of this invention is to create a transfer device roller lateral movement apparatus, by means of which the roller can also be placed between bogie wheels, and which takes up only a little space. The characteristics of the invention appear in the accompanying Patent Claim 1. The main principle of the invention is to form a guide at the roller, when it does not cause additional breadth. The form of application in accordance with Patent Claim 2 is the simplest solution to the creation of the aforementioned guide. The lateral movement device in Patent Claim 3 is put advanta¬ geously inside the frame, in which case the hydraulic cylinder does not, however, increase the Overall width of the transfer device. The lateral movement device in accordance with Patent Claim 4, there again, can be easily implemented also in connec¬ tion with a roller installed on a longitudinal slide. In what follows the invention is illustrated by means of examples with reference to the accompanying figures, which show various forms of application of the invention. Figure 1 shows the transfer device being driven around the double wheel of an aircraft Figure 2 shows the transfer device in the operating position, seen from above and in partial cross-section Figure 3 shows the transfer device seen from the end 5 Figure 4 shows a friction roller installed in a guide tube seen from in front Figure 5 shows a cross-section of the guide tube in Figure 4 Figure 6 shows a partial cross-section of Figure 2 at VI n - VI Figure 7 shows a partial cross-section of Figure 2 at VII - VII Figure 8 shows another form of application of the guide tube In Figures 1 - 3 only part of the undercarriage and wheels 6 of the aircraft 1 are shown. The transfer device travels supported on its wheels 7 and 8. The front friction rollers 3 are located on a guide 11 that moves laterally and the rear friction rollers 4 on slide member 12, which is arranged to move along longitu¬ dinal guides 13 that are welded to the frame 2. The rear friction rollers 4 rotate alternatively either the wheel 6 of the aircraft 1 or the transfer device's own rear wheels 8. The slides 12 of the rear friction rollers are moved by means of hydraulic cylinder 14, by means of which the necessary pressure for the friction drive is also created. When the transfer device is driven away, the rear friction rollers 4 turn the rear wheels 8 of the transfer device straight ahead and steering takes place by turning the front wheels 7 by means of a cable mechanism 9. When the transfer device is attached to the double wheel 6 of an aircraft 1, the transfer device's own support wheels 7 and 8 both in front and behind are able to turn freely when the double wheel 6 of the aircraft 1 turns. In Figure 3 the wheel 6 of the aircraft is shown in broken lines. The rear friction roller 4 is shown in alternative positions 4 and 4' , in the former of which it rotates the transfer device's own rear wheels 8 and in the latter the wheel 6 of the aircraft 1. The rear friction rollers 4 are driven by hydraulic motors, which are not shown separately in the illustration. The frame 2 of the transfer device includes side tubes, which are attached to rear section 5. The slide members of friction rollers 3 and 4 and their moving members are located in these side tubes. A diesel motor is installed in rear section 5 together with the hydraulic pump and control devices driven by it. In addition the other necessary control and adjustment equipment is located in the rear section 5. Figure 4 shows the installation unit of the friction roller 3, which is formed of a tube guide 11. This has an opening formed in it to make contact possible between the wheel 6 of the aircraft 1 and the friction roller 3. The tube guide 11 naturally forms a sturdy support for friction roller 3. The guide 11 is moved laterally by means of the cable 15, which is wound around pulley wheels located in the frame. Two of these pulley wheels, i.e. pulley wheels 16, are shown in Figure 4. Auxilliary guides 19 are welded to the upper and lower surfaces of tube guide 11 and prevent it twisting. The lateral movement mechanism of the tube guide 11 appears in Figures 2 and 4. Cable 15 is attached to the ends of the tube guide 11, and is led around three pulley wheels 16, 17 that are attached to the frame by bearings. By means of the hydraulic cylinder 18 the cable 15 can be pulled in both directions and thus moved laterally. Friction roller 3 is attached by bearings at both ends to tube guide 11, which creates a firm support, Figure 5. A hydraulic motor with high revolutions and a planet gearbox 21 are advan¬ tageously also located in tube guide 11. Figure 6 shows the contact of the friction roller 3 with wheel 6 in detail. Figure 7 shows a corresponding cross-section at the point of the side tube of the frame 2. The guide tube 11 is arranged to slide in slide 10 attached to the frame 2, and which is formed of a tube that is nearly as wide as the side tubes, and which has grooves corresponding to the auxilliary guides 19. In addition a separate groove is machined for cable 15 and the pulley wheels are located in an opening made in this slide tube 10. Figure 8 shows one other form of application of the guide tube. In this the guide tube 25 also contains the motor 28 and the planet gearbox 29, which, however, are here located on opposite sides of the friction roller 26. The friction roller 26 is supported by means of bearings on the axle between the motor 28 and the gearbox. Otherwise the guide tube 25 is intended to be realized in the same way as guide tube 11.

Claims: Patent Claims 1. A lateral movement device for the roller (3) of a transfer device, which transfer device is intended to move an aircraft (1) or other wheeled device on a base by rotating a friction roller (3, 4) pressed against one or more wheels (6), which roller (3) may be purely a pressure roller or a friction roller, and which is arranged to be able to be moved out of the track of the wheel (6) and back into the track, and which transfer device includes a frame (2) , to which the roller (3) is attached, and in which lateral movement device the support of the roller (3) is located on a transverse guide (11), which is arranged to move in a slide (10) located in the frame, and which includes lateral movement devices (15, 16, 17, 18) to move the roller (3) laterally, characterized in that the guide (10) forms part of the support of the roller (3) and that it extends for at least the greatest part of the length of the roller (3) , in which case an essentially shorter slide (10) is located in the frame (2) . 2. A lateral movement device for the roller (3) of a transfer device in accordance with Patent Claim 1, characterized in that the roller (3) and the bearings supporting it are located in a tube, which forms the aforementioned guide (11) , and that an opening is formed in the tube (11) at the point of contact of the roller (3) and the wheel (6). 3. A lateral movement device for the roller (3) of a transfer device in accordance with Patent Claims 1 or 2, in which the slide (10) is permanently attached to the frame (2) , characterized in that the lateral transfer devices (15, 16, 17, 18) include a chain or cable member (15), attached to two points on the guide (11) between the ends in the direction of the lateral movement, or to the carrier of the roller (3) , at least three pulley wheels (16, 17) and an operating device (18), two of which pulley wheels (16) are located close to the slide (10) to change the direction of the chain or cable member from the guide (11) towards and round a third (17) pulley wheel located at the end between the others, and that the operating device, e.g. a hydraulic cylinder (18) is arranged to pull the chain or cable member (15) between these others. 4. A lateral movement device for the roller (3) of a transfer device in accordance with Patent Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the lateral movement device includes a toothed bar or chain attached to the guide (11) or carrier of the roller and a toothwheel that moves the toothed bar or chain and which is attached to the slide by bearings. 5. A lateral movement device for the roller (3) of a transfer device in accordance with Patent Claims 2, 3, or 4, characterized in that the motor (-20) and possible gearbox (21) is located in a tube forming a guide (11) . 6. A lateral movement device for the roller (3) of a transfer device in accordance with Patent Claim 5, characterized in that the motor (28) and gearbox, most advantageously a planet gearbox (29) , are located on opposite sides of the roller (26) in such a way that the axle (30) between the motor (28) and the gearbox (29) is arranged to run through the roller (26) .

Inventors: SINKKONEN MATTI, SINKKONEN, MATTI
Applicants: TANA JYRAE KY, TANA-JYRAE KY
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B60S13
IPC codes: B64F1