Abstract:
A system for transporting and storing a variety of airplane seats comprises a portable base pallet and a pair of adjustable seat supports for securely mounting a seat on the base pallet. The base pallet is adapted to either fit into a secondary tray installed in a pallet rack or into a complememtary support structure provided on a mobile cart, thereby respectively allowing the seat to be stored or repaired without having to be removed from the pallet.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the transportation and storage of articles and, more particularly, to a system and a method for transporting and storing a variety of airplane seats. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Sometimes a seat must be removed from an airplane and transported to a selected location, such as a repair shop. This is typically done by installing the seat to be transported on a standard wooden pallet and carrying the latter with the seat thereon to the repair shop. During the handling of the pallet by the forklift, the feet of the seat can be damaged if they accidentally come in contact with the prongs of the forklift. Furthermore, once the seat has been transported to the repair shop, the seat must be removed from the pallet and mounted on an appropriate support structure to subsequently allow a technician to repair the seat. Additional damages can be made to the seat during its transfer from the pallet to the support structure. 
     Various seat carrying pallets have been develop as alternatives to conventional wooden pallets. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,708 which issued on Mar. 12, 1996 to Jeruzal discloses a transportation pallet suited for mounting, transporting and handling an automobile seat. The pallet is provided with adjustable article attachment brackets. More particularly, the transportation pallet includes a primary pallet seated in a lower shell defining a pair of laterally spaced-apart openings for receiving the prongs of a forklift. Front and rear L-shaped elongated mounting brackets are secured to the topside of the primary pallet by means of bolts. A number of transversal brackets can be adjusted and fixed at various positions along the extent of the front and rear brackets. 
     Although the pallet disclosed in the above mentioned patent is effective to transport a variety of automobile seats or the like, it has been found that there is a need for a new seat transport and storage system wherein the seat does not need to be removed from the pallet for storing or repairing purposes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a method for transporting and storing an airplane seat adapted to reduce the risks of damaging the seat while transporting the same to a destination. 
     It is also an aim of the present invention to provide a seat transport and storage system which is adapted to accommodate various types of airplane seats. 
     Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for transporting and storing seats removed from an airplane, comprising the steps of a) providing a pan adapted to support a variety of airplane seats, b) securely mounting a seat unfastened from an airplane body on said pan, c) transporting said pan with said seat thereon to a selected location, and d) installing said pan on a complementary support structure provided at said selected location. 
     In accordance with a further general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for transporting and storing a variety of airplane seats, comprising a portable base pallet, first and second parallel seat supports for supporting a seat on said base pallet, wherein at least one of said first and second supports is slidably displaceable along a pair of parallel channels provided on said base pallet for selectively adjusting said first and second seat supports relative to one another, said pair of parallel channels slidably receiving opposed end portions of said first and second seat supports, and fasteners for rigidly fixing the seat on said first and second supports once the spacing therebetween has been adjusted in accordance with a foot spacing of the seat. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of an adjustable pallet suited for transporting and storing a variety of airplane seats in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the adjustable pallet installed on a mobile cart which can be used to transport and support the airplane seat while the same is securely mounted on the pallet; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the adjustable pallet fitted in a secondary tray installed in a pallet rack for storage purposes; and 
     FIG. 4 is an elevational cross-sectional view of the adjustable pallet taken along line  4 — 4  in FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Now referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, an airplane seat transport and storage system embodying the elements of the present invention and generally designated by numeral  10  will be described. 
     The system  10  generally includes a transportable seat carrying pallet  12  which is configured to either fit in a storage tray  14  (FIG. 3) adapted to be installed in pallet racks R or on a mobile cart C (FIG. 2) having a pallet receiving structure  16  adapted to slidably receive the pallet  12  while an airplane seat S is securely mounted thereon, thereby eliminating handling of the seat S itself once the same has been fixed on the pallet  12 . This significantly reduces the risks of the seat S be damaged while the same is being transported to a selected destination, such as a storage area or a repair shop. 
     As seen in FIG. 1, the seat carrying pallet  12  includes a pan  18  and a pair of parallel seat supports  20  and  22  mounted for sliding movement on the pan  18  in a longitudinal direction thereof between various fixed positions selected in accordance with the spacing between the right and left feet F r  and F 1 , of the airplane seat S to be securely mounted on the pan  18 . The seat supports  20  and  22  extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pan  18  and are slidably received at opposed ends thereof in respective channels  24  and  26  formed on opposed longitudinal sides of the pan  18 . 
     As best seen in FIG. 4, the pan  18  has a bottom wall  27  having a pair of opposed longitudinal side edges from which a pair of sidewalls  28  and  30  extend upwardly at right angles. Two shoulders  32  and  34  extend laterally outwardly from respective top ends of the sidewalls  28  and  30 . A pair of rim-like members  36  and  38  extend upwardly at right angles from respective longitudinally extending outer edges of the shoulders  32 . A pair of opposed lips  40  and  42  project laterally inwardly from respective top edges of the rim-like members  36  and  38  in a plane parallel to the plane of the shoulders  32  and  34  and the bottom wall  27 . The lip  40 , the rim-like member  36  and the shoulder  32  form the channel  24 , whereas the lip  42 , the rim-like member  38  and the shoulder  34  form the other channel  26 . A pair of opposed end walls  44  and  46  extend at right angles from the bottom wall  27  between the side walls  28  and  30  to prevent the seat supports  20  and  22  from sliding out of the channels  24  and  26 . 
     In accordance with the illustrated embodiment, the pan  18  is made from a single sheet of bendable material, such as metal, which has been bent so as to form the bottom wall  27 , the sidewalls  28  and  30 , the end walls  44  and  46 , the shoulders  32  and  34 , the rim like-members  36  and  38 , and the lips  40  and  42  of the pan  18 . 
     As seen in FIG. 1, a cutout portion  48  is defined in the lip  40  to allow the seat supports  20  and  22  to be inserted in the channels  24  and  26 , i.e. between the lips  40  and  42  and the shoulders  32  and  34 . 
     A series of longitudinally spaced-apart adjustment holes  50  are defined in the lips  40  and  42 . Corresponding terminal holes  52  are defined at opposed ends of the seat supports  20  and  22 . Accordingly, the seat supports  20  and  22  can be slidably displaced and fixed at any of a wide range of positions by placing respective terminal holes  52  thereof in registry with a selected pair of transversally aligned adjustment holes  50  of the lips  40  and  42  and then by inserting appropriate fasteners  54 , such as bolts, therethrough. The seat supports  20  and  22  can thus be fixed at a distance from each other corresponding to the distance separating the left and right feet F r  and F 1  of the seat S to be transported or stored. 
     A longitudinally-extending slot  56  is defined in a top surface of each of the seat supports  20  and  22 . The number of circular enlarged seat portions  57  are distributed along each slot  56  for receiving two pairs of cylinders  58   a  and  58   b  depending respectively from the forward and aft ends of the feet F r  and F 1 . Each of the cylinders  58   a  and  58   b  has a slot  61  on each side thereof for allowing the seat S to be axially slid along the seat supports  20  and  22  after the cylinders  58   a  and  58   b  have been lowered into corresponding circular enlarged seat portions  57 . 
     An intermediate actuable cylinder (not shown) is provided between each pair of cylinders  58   a  and  58   b.  Each intermediate actuable cylinder is axially displaceable between the corresponding pair of cylinders  58   a  and  58   b  between a retracted position in which the cylinders  58   a  and  58   b  can be inserted in the slot  56  with the intermediate cylinder lying over the top surface of the corresponding seat support  20  or  22 , and an extended position in which the intermediate cylinder is lowered for engagement within one of the circular enlarged seat portions  57  after the cylinders  58   a  and  58   b  have been slid between two adjacent circular enlarged seat portions  57 . 
     Each intermediate cylinder is actuable by means of a set screw (not shown) or the like. 
     When it is desired to secure the seat S on the seat supports  20  and  22 , one has first to align the cylinders  58   a  and  58   b  with some of the underlying circular enlarged seat portions  57 , lower the seat S onto the seat supports  20  and  22  so as to insert the cylinders  58   a  and  58   b  into the slots  56 , slide the seat S in the slots  56  to align the intermediate cylinders with corresponding circular enlarged seat portions  57 , and actuate the set screws to press the intermediate actuable cylinders against the bottom of the slots  56 , thereby preventing further sliding motion of the seat S relative to the seat supports  20  and  22 . The cylinders  58   a  and  58   b ,  which are out of phase relative to the enlarged seat supports  57 , prevent the chair from being lifted out of the seat supports  20  and  22 . 
     The plurality of enlarged seat portions  57  on the seat supports  20  and  22  allows airplane seats having different foot lengths to be secured thereto. 
     The pallet  12  can be transported, for instance, by a forklift (not shown) with the prongs thereof extending laterally outwardly of the side walls  28  and  30  of the pan  18  and the undersurface of the shoulders  32  and  34  resting on the prongs of the forklift. 
     When it is desired to remove a seat from an airplane and transport it to a selected location, such as a repair shop or a storage area, the pallet  12  is carried into the airplane to receive the unfastened seat S. On site, the relative position of the seat supports  20  and  22  is adjusted in accordance with the spacing between the left and right feet F r  and F 1 . of the seat S. Then, the seat S is lowered onto the pan  18  so that the feet F r  and F 1  thereof rest against the top surface of the seat supports  20  and  22 . Thereafter, the seat S is secured to the seat supports  20  and  22 . Once the seat S has been secured on the pallet  12 , the same is carried out of the airplane and then transported to the selected destination. 
     If the seat S has to be repaired, the pallet  12  with the seat S thereon can be slidably inserted between a pair of open ended C-shaped guides  60  forming part of the pallet receiving structure  16  illustrated in FIG.  2 . The guides  60  are secured on a plate  62  pivotally mounted, such as at  64 , to the mobile cart C. A stopper (not shown) is provided to maintain the plate  62  at various angles relative to the frame of the mobile cart C. Accordingly, various reparations can be made to the seat S without having to remove the seat S from the pallet  12 . This contributes to reduce the risks that the seat S be inadvertently damaged. 
     Once the seat S has been repaired, the pallet  12  can be readily slid out of the guides  60  and transported into the storage tray  14  illustrated in FIG.  3 . The storage tray  14  is provided on each side thereof with a pair of downwardly depending transversal members  68  adapted to receive therebetween one horizontal side member  70  of the pallet rack R in order to prevent the tray  14  from falling off the pallet rack R. The storage tray  14  has a bottom wall  72 , a pair of longitudinal sidewalls  74  projecting upwardly at right angles from the bottom wall  72 , and one end wall  76  extending upwardly at right angle from the bottom wall  72  between the sidewalls  74 . The opposite end of the tray  14  is open to allow the pallet  12  to be slid therein while the storage tray  14  is installed in the pallet rack R. The complementarity of the storage tray  14  and the pallet  12  further contributes to reduce the risks that the seat S be damaged while being handled to be stored.