Patent GB-1099271-A (GB)
Title: Extensible gangway
IPC: B64F1/305
Filed: 1965-01-22
Abstract: 1,099,271. Passenger gangways. WOLLARD AIRCRAFT SERVICE EQUIPMENT Inc. Jan. 22, 1965 [April 29, 1964], No. 2929/65. Heading B7J [Also in Divsions F1 and G3] A telescopic elevated passenger gangway 1 for vehicles such as aircraft comprises a terminal portion 3 suspended by hangers (27), Fig. 3 (not shown), from the side of a building (13), Fig. 2 (not shown), adjacent a doorway (15) and extending into a mid-portion 5 mounted so as to swing up and down about pivots 37, to extend and retract relative to the terminal portion 3 and to compensate automatically for height changes of the vehicle, a ramp (75), Figs. 2, 5 (not shown), piano-hinged at (77) to the horizontal forward edge of the floor (23) of the portion 3, having sidewalls 79, and slidable on the floor (69) of the extensible midportion 5, and a vestibule 7 mounted on the midportion 5 for rotation about a vertical axis by a turntable fluid motor (89), Fig. 11 (not shown), acting offcentre between the vestibule and the midportion. The midportion 5 is suspended from a trackway 31 by means of trolleys 33, hangers 35 and the pivots 37, and by trolleys 41, hangers 43, pivots 47 and extensible fluid motors 49 for swinging the midportion up and down, the midportion being extensible by means of a fluid motor 39. The vestibule 7 includes a hood 91 pivoted at 95 and raised or lowered by a fluid motor 93, and a plurality of folding doors (9), Fig. 2 (not shown). The end portions of the gangway 1 that touch the aircraft 11 are of rubber, plastic, organic fibre or asbestos. The fluid motors 49 are disposed on either side of the midportion 5 and are each pivoted at the lower end (51) of a motor cylinder (53), Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 (not shown), to an enclosing housing (45) suspended from the pivots (47), and the motor piston rod (55) is pivoted to a head (57) pivoted by a shaft (59) to the midportion and vertically reciprocable in the housing (45). A common shaft (61) is journalled in both the heads (57), and carries pinions (63) meshing with vertical racks (65) fixed to the housings (45), the heads (57) having rollers (67) bearing against the frames of the housings (45), so that the motors 49 act in synchronism. Pressure fluid circuit (Fig. 11, not shown).- Pressure fluid is supplied by a pump (101) through a conduit (103) to the motors via a pressure relief valve (109), and on the intake side of the pump is a manual valve (111) controlling the entire system, a check valve (113) preventing backflow if the pump fails, and a filter (115). A solenoid spool valve (117) permits the flow to either end of the motor 39 or bypasses it. A hand pump (121) and valve (119) are provided in shunt across the supply lines from the valve (117) to retract the gangway. A pressure relief valve (123) is provided in the return line to the reservoir. Solenoid spool valves (125), (129) control the flow to the motors 49, 93 and a manual spool valve (127) controls the flow to the turntable motor 89. Electric circuit (Fig. 12, not shown).-The pump (101) is driven by a three-phase motor (131) controlled by a starter (133) energized only when any of the parts are actuated. The gangway is initially positioned and finally removed by manual control, and the gangway is maintained automatically at the same level as the vehicle, by the means described and claimed in co-pending Specification 1,099,272. A manual/automatic operation switch (135) is manually selected initially for manual operation. Switches (137), (143) control the valve (117) but a hood switch (139) over-rides the switch (137) so that the gangway may only be extended when the hood 91 is raised. A forward travel limit switch (141) is either carried by the vestibule 7 and actuated by pressure between the vestibule 7 and the vehicle, or carried by the building and actuated by contact between the gangway and the switch. Switches (145), (147) control the valve (125) but a limit switch (149) over-rides the switch (147) to prevent the gangway being raised too high. Switches (151), (155) control the valve (129). When the switch (151) is operated, the hood 91 is lowered until the pressure between the hood and the vehicle is sufficient to open the limit switch (153). When the gangway has been suitably orientated relative to the vehicle by means of switches (137), (143), (145), (147), (151), (155), the switch 135 is manually selected for automatic operation so that leveller switches 157, 159 are rendered operable, the switches (157), (159) remaining open until the vehicle sinks or rises by an amount greater than a threshold amount when the switch (157) or (159) closes to energize the valve (125).