Abstract:
A helicopter transport apparatus comprising a multi-wheel trailer comprising a platform, a torsion bar axle and suspension system, a hydraulic power unit, hydraulic lift cylinders, a winch, and a means of adjusting the height of the trailer over the range of elevations required for loading, unloading, and transporting a helicopter.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Provisional Application for Patent No. 60/618,338, filed Oct. 13, 2004, with the same title, “Helicopter Transport Apparatus” which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     Provisional Application for Patent No. 60/725,886, filed Oct. 11, 2005, with the same title, “Helicopter Transport Apparatus” which is hereby incorporated by reference. Applicants claim priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. Par. 119(e)(1). 
     STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a transport apparatus enabling loading, transport, and unloading an aircraft such as, but not restricted to, a rotary wing aircraft, commonly known as a helicopter. 
     2. Background Information 
     Helicopter transport trailers for moving helicopters relatively short distances at relatively low speeds, i.e. walking speeds, on an airfield are known to the trade. As the purchased costs of helicopters has increased over the years, better helicopter transport trailers are needed. Also, existing helicopter transport trailers are not suited for highway transport. The current method of transporting a multimillion dollar military helicopter is to use a flatbed truck. The helicopter is loaded by a crane. 
     To recover a helicopter from the field currently requires a crane and specialized sting and rigging. The operation using a sling requires several people to guide the helicopter onto a flatbed trailer to avoid damage and to release the sling. 
     As will be seen in the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention overcomes shortcomings of prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention in the preferred embodiment is an aircraft transport apparatus such as is usable for, but not restricted to, loading, transporting, and unloading a helicopter comprising a multi-wheel trailer comprising a platform, a torsion bar suspension assembly, a hydraulic power unit, hydraulic rams, a winch, and a means of adjusting the height or the trailer over the range of elevations required for loading, unloading, and transporting a helicopter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a helicopter transport apparatus. 
         FIG. 2  is an inboard view of wheels of the helicopter transport apparatus locked in place for the proper elevation of the apparatus for transporting a helicopter. 
         FIG. 3  is a closer view of details from  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is an outboard view of wheels locked in place at elevation for transporting a helicopter. 
         FIG. 5  illustrated the helicopter transport apparatus in the lowered elevation for loading a helicopter. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates wheels positioned for loading a helicopter. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an application of the helicopter transport apparatus. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a helicopter transport apparatus  10  comprises a trailer jack  101 , a hydraulic control  102 , a front guard  103 , a winch clearance  103 A, a tongue  104 , a frame  105 , a hydraulic pump  106 , bumpers  107 , lift cylinders  108 , wheels  110 , pivot links  111 , latches  112 , lock cylinders  113 , brake lights  114 , vertical rollers  115 , rocker roller assemblies  116 , ground rollers  117 , deck plate  118 , helicopter skid rollers  119 , battery containment assembly  120 C, and winch  121 . 
     The winch  121  serves to load a helicopter onto the helicopter skid rollers  119 . 
     The vertical rollers  115  serve for location of the skids of a helicopter to be loaded onto the skid rollers  119 . 
     The rocker roller assemblies  116  each pivot about a central axis, perpendicular to a helicopter skid in the loading of a helicopter. 
     Refer to  FIG. 4  or an outside view and to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , for a view inside a pair of wheels  110  locked into position required for transporting a helicopter, and to  FIGS. 5 and 6  for the wheels  110  unlocked for loading a helicopter, where one pivot link  111  connects to each of two axle pivots  122  as well as one of the lift cylinders  108  and also one of the lock cylinders  113  and also to two axle pivots  122 . 
     Also shown, in  FIG. 4  are a pair of the wheels/brakes/axle assemblies  110 A with the wheels  110  (shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 ) removed. 
     Referring also back to  FIG. 1 , as well as  FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, 5, and 6 , the axles  109  connect to links  126  which link to the wheels  110 . Each axle  109  pivots a pair of axle pivots  122 . Each pair of axle pivots  122  are pivotably connected to either of a rear axle pivot  124  or a front axle pivot  125 , each pair of which said pivots,  124  or  125 , is connected to the wheels  110  connected to a given axle  109 . This arrangement causes the axle pivots  122  on each side of the trailer  10  to rotate at the same speed such that the platform  118  of the trailer is maintained in a level orientation as the trailer is raised and lowered. 
     The axle pivots  122 , when unlocked by action of the lock cylinders  113 , can be rotated in either direction, clockwise or counterclockwise by action of the lift cylinders  108  on the pivot links  111  which rotate the links  126  which raises or lowers the wheels  110 , which in turn control the elevation of the helicopter transport apparatus  10  for loading, unloading, or transport. 
     The axles  109  are Henschen DURA-FLEX™ torsion axles known to the trade. Applicants could not find any application reference to use of Henschen DURA-FLEX™ torsion axles on transport trailers at the web site, www.henschenaxles.com, so believes this application is unique. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an application of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     In operation the trailer  10  is backed up such that the vertical rollers  115  are on either side of the helicopter skids and the trailer  10  is generally aligned with the helicopter. The cable (not shown) is released from the winch  121  and can be attached to the helicopter. Latch cylinder  113  can be powered to release the latches  112 . Cylinder  108  can then be powered to move the pivot link  111  from the transport position shown in  FIG. 2  to the loading position shown in  FIG. 6 . The pivot link  111  is then free to move. Power from battery box  120 C can then be applied to power a hydraulic pump  106  to power winch  102  to wind the cable and drag the helicopter. The plate  118  and tops of horizontal rollers  109  form a horizontal platform surface. As the winch  121  tightens the cable the helicopter will move toward the trailer. The person loading the helicopter can use a remote control to control winch  121 , this allows the operator to stand at a safe distance and walk around the helicopter as it loads. Vertical rollers  115  on the trailer corners help to guide the helicopter skids onto the trailer  10 . The winch  102  pulls the helicopter forward toward the front of the trailer  10  until the skids contact bumpers  107 . 
     The helicopter can then be secured to the trailer  10  and the cylinder  108  reverses direction moving the pivot link  111  back to pivot the axle pivots  122  to raise the trailer deck platform  118  and helicopter from the load position back to the transport position. When the platform  118  is fully raised the link  111  can be locked against motion by cylinder  113  controlled latch  112 . The remote control can control operation of just the winch  121  or of the winch  121  and cylinders  108 ,  113 . 
     As shown the winch  121 , latch cylinders  113  and ram cylinders  108  are all powered by hydraulic fluid from pump  106  which in turn is powered by battery  120  C. It will be understood that the cylinders and/or winch could be electrically powered directly from the battery  120 C. 
     Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. 
     It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims in the formal applications and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given. 
     HyVee HATTrailer 
     Why Choose the HATTrailer to Move or Recover Skid Aircraft? 
     The HyVee HATTrailer Saves Flight Hours by eliminating the need for aerial recovery of downed aircraft where the situation permits ground recovery. 
     The HyVee HATTrailer Trims Manpower requirements because the trailer is designed where one person, with virtually any type of tow vehicle capable of the load, can physically recover downed aircraft. 
     The HyVee HATTrailer Enhances Safety by reducing the man work required for recovery. 
     The HyVee HATTrailer Reduces Risk by eliminating the need to rig and lift aircraft by crane or helicopter. 
     The HyVee HATTrailer Decreases Vehicle Requirements by eliminating the need for cranes, lowboy trailers, or flat bed transport trucks.
         HyVee HATTrailers will accomplish all these objectives where it has been assessed that a helicopter can be safely moved by ground transport, whether for simple administrative or maintenance moves across the airfield, or in off-site recovery where terrain and mission permit ground recovery.   HATTrailer movement and recovery of skid helicopters can be especially advantageous in Saving allocated Flight Hours or Flight Hour Costs of the aircraft to be moved, or by eliminating aerial recovery in situations where aerial movement can be replaced by cost and mission effective ground transport. Approximate flight hour costs can be as much as: OH 58—$1,600.00/hour; UH I—$1,600; UH 60—$2,600/hour; CH 47—$2,700/hour.   HATTrailers can Trim Manpower requirements. One person can prepare a helicopter for movement, load and tow a helicopter where safety requirements allow. The hydraulic trailer bed and the loading winch can be operated remotely from a stand off position where the operator can watch the entire length of the aircraft throughout the loading process.   HATTrailers Enhance Safety by reducing manpower handling requirements of the aircraft for recovery, whether replacing specialized skid wheels or specialized lift equipment, rigging and handling. In most skid aircraft recovery operations the aircraft must be prepared for sling loading using specialized sting loading procedures, equipment and rigging personnel even when it is to be loaded onto conventional ground transport due to crane lift requirements. Specialized sling loading procedures, equipment and personnel must be utilized in aerial recovery operations.   HATTrailers Reduce Risk by eliminating many aerial recovery operations where risk assessment must take into account all aspects of aerial movement to the recovery site, over flight of possible built up sites and in hook up and unhooking procedures. Additionally HATTrailer movement can reduce the risk of noise complaint processing costs which can be as much as $1,500.00 per incident even if there is no over flight damage due to personal investigative and administrative costs.   HATTrailers used in skid aircraft recovery and movement operations Reduce Ground Vehicle Requirements. Standard ground recovery requires the use of specialized cranes to lift, after specialized rigging using specially trained personnel, the skid aircraft on to a transport platform. Heavy lift ground recovery vehicles are then saved for other missions. In addition, the HATTrailer has a self-contained electrical and hydraulic system eliminating the need for tow vehicle power hook-up to the HATTrailer.   The HATTrailer bottom line is that it saves money, time and equipment while enhancing safety and reducing risk.