U.S. patent application number 16/931268 was filed with the patent office on 2020-11-05 for hovering aircraft belly bar clasp.
The applicant listed for this patent is Quanta Associates, LP. Invention is credited to Mike Patton, Gordon Brent Winfree.
Application Number | 20200346754 16/931268 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004959932 |
Filed Date | 2020-11-05 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200346754 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Winfree; Gordon Brent ; et
al. |
November 5, 2020 |
Hovering Aircraft Belly Bar Clasp
Abstract
A belly bar method and apparatus use to attach, carry and
release external cargo from a hovering aircraft. The belly bar
apparatus has articulated tubing tool connected to an airframe of
the hovering aircraft at a first mounting end and at a second
mounting end. The articulated tubing tool has a first external
catch and a second external catch mounted on the articulated tubing
tool. The first external catch is manually configured for optional
attach, carry and release of the external cargo via the cyclic. The
second external catch is electronically configured for optional
attach, carry and release of the external cargo proximate the
collective.
Inventors: |
Winfree; Gordon Brent;
(Naples, FL) ; Patton; Mike; (Aurora, OR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Quanta Associates, LP |
Houston |
TX |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004959932 |
Appl. No.: |
16/931268 |
Filed: |
July 16, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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16597630 |
Oct 9, 2019 |
10717530 |
|
|
16931268 |
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15152785 |
May 12, 2016 |
10472065 |
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16597630 |
|
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62160107 |
May 12, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B64D 1/22 20130101; B64C
27/04 20130101; H02G 1/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B64D 1/22 20060101
B64D001/22 |
Claims
1. A belly bar clasping apparatus for use to attach, carry and
release an external cargo from a hovering aircraft, the apparatus
comprising: an articulated tubing tool connected to an airframe of
the hovering aircraft at a first mounting end and at a second
mounting end; wherein said articulated tubing tool comprises a
first external catch on said articulated tubing tool and a second
external catch on said articulated tubing tool; and wherein said
first external catch and said second external catch are
respectively configured for optional attach, carry and release of
the external cargo.
2. The belly bar clasping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
said articulated tubing tool further comprises a bent shaft
component continuing to a connector shaft component; and wherein
said first external catch and said second external catch are
mounted to the connector shaft component.
3. The belly bar clasping apparatus according to claim 2, further
comprising a manually actuated cable connecting said first external
catch to a cyclic located in the hovering aircraft; wherein said
first external catch is configured for manual release activated by
a manually actuated lever located on the cyclic; and a
communication line for connecting an electronic hook actuator on
said second external catch to a button proximate a collective
located in the hovering aircraft.
4. The belly bar clasping apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
the external cargo is connected via a plurality of straps to said
first external catch and said second external catch.
5. The belly bar clasping apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
the connector shaft component comprises: a pin for attaching to a
first external catch mount proximate the first mounting end; a
mid-shaft component continuing to said pin; a hook swivel adjacent
the mid-shaft component; and a lock collar for securing said hook
swivel to the mid-shaft component.
6. The belly bar clasping apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
the connector shaft component further comprises a swivel stop
collar attached to said bent shaft component and mounted in
interfering relationship with said hook swivel.
7. The belly bar clasping apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
said hook swivel comprises: a journal which rotates on said bent
shaft component; a secondary hook attachment flange positioned on
the journal; and a first travel stop on the journal and in
interfering relationship with said swivel stop collar.
8. The belly bar clasping apparatus according to claim 7, further
comprising a hinge connected to a mounting end of said bent shaft
component via a hinge pin; and a jackpoint pin for connecting the
hinge to the hovering aircraft.
9. The belly bar clasping apparatus according to claim 7, further
comprising a spacer for connection to said pin; and wherein the
spacer is for connecting the articulated tubing tool to the
hovering aircraft.
10. The belly bar clasping apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
the connector shaft component comprises: a pin continuing from the
connector shaft component for attaching to a first external catch
mount proximate the first mounting end; wherein said second
external catch is adjacent the connector shaft component; a lock
collar for securing said second external catch to the connector
shaft component; and wherein said first external catch is adjacent
to the first external catch mount.
11. The belly bar clasping apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
the connector shaft component comprises: a connection for attaching
to a first external catch mount proximate the first mounting end; a
mid-shaft component continuing to said connection; a hook swivel
adjacent the mid-shaft component; and a lock collar for securing
said hook swivel to the mid-shaft component.
12. The belly bar clasping apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
the connector shaft component comprises: a connection continuing
from the connector shaft component for attaching to a first
external catch mount proximate the first mounting end; wherein said
second external catch is adjacent the connector shaft component; a
lock collar for securing said second external catch to the
connector shaft component; and wherein said first external catch is
adjacent to the first external catch mount.
13. A belly bar clasping apparatus for use to attach, carry and
release an external cargo from a hovering aircraft, the apparatus
comprising: an articulated tubing tool connected to an airframe of
the hovering aircraft at a first mounting end and at a second
mounting end; wherein said articulated tubing tool comprises a
first external catch on said articulated tubing tool and a second
external catch on said articulated tubing tool; wherein said first
external catch and said second external catch are respectively
configured for optional attach, carry and release of the external
cargo; wherein said articulated tubing tool further comprises a
bent shaft component continuing to a connector shaft component;
wherein said first external catch and said second external catch
are mounted to the connector shaft component; wherein the connector
shaft component comprises a pin continuing from the connector shaft
component for attaching to a first external catch mount proximate
the first mounting end; wherein said second external catch is
adjacent the connector shaft component; a lock collar for securing
said second external catch to the connector shaft component; and
wherein said first external catch is adjacent to the first external
catch mount.
14. The belly bar clasping apparatus according to claim 13, further
comprising a manually actuated cable connecting said first external
catch to a cyclic located in the hovering aircraft; wherein said
first external catch is configured for manual release activated by
a manually actuated lever located on the cyclic; and a
communication line for connecting an electronic hook actuator on
said second external catch to a button proximate a collective
located in the hovering aircraft.
15. The belly bar clasping apparatus according to claim 13, wherein
the external cargo is connected via a plurality of straps to said
first external catch and said second external catch.
16. A method of releasing an external cargo from a hovering
aircraft, comprising the steps of: attaching a first external catch
to the external cargo; attaching a second external catch to the
external cargo; releasing a first external catch via a cyclic
mounted controls in the hovering aircraft; and releasing a second
external catch via collective mounted controls of the hovering
aircraft.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of
releasing the first external catch is performed manually or
electrically; and wherein said step of releasing the second
external catch is performed electrically and/or manually.
18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said steps of
attaching the first external catch and attaching the second
external catch are accomplished via mounting a belly bar clasp
below an airframe belly of the hovering aircraft.
Description
STATEMENTS REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR
DEVELOPMENT
[0001] Not Applicable.
NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT
[0002] Not Applicable.
REFERENCE TO A "SEQUENCE LISTING", A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER
PROGRAM
[0003] Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND
Technical Field
[0004] The disclosure relates to devices and techniques for
attaching, releasing and carrying external loads from a helicopter
or other hovering flight vehicle. Such helicopters are used, for
example, in techniques to install, repair and maintain electric
transmission lines (a high voltage environment).
[0005] Current or conventional helicopter operations which utilize
human external cargo to install, repair and/or maintain, for
example, remote utility lines do so by the way a "belly band" (a
strap which is fitted through the cabin of the helicopter
encircling the helicopter that provides a secondary point of
attachment and release outside of and below the helicopter).
Release is achieved with an integrated release mechanism. The
release mechanism requires the pilot to release the flight controls
in order to activate the release mechanism for the human external
cargo. Within the context of the foregoing consider that the
reaction time of the operator is critical to successful operation
of the release mechanism in an emergency situation while piloting
or maneuvering the helicopter. Further one must also be concerned
with the inadvertent release of the cargo load (human or
otherwise).
SUMMARY
[0006] A belly bar method and apparatus used to catch human
external cargo in the event of a failure or unintended release from
the primary attachment (i.e. cargo hook, etc.) and provide the
temporary emergency carriage and provide a system of release of the
human external cargo from a hovering aircraft. The belly bar
apparatus has articulated tubing tool connected to an airframe of
the hovering aircraft at a first mounting end and at a second
mounting end. The articulated tubing tool has a secondary external
catch mounted on the articulated tubing tool. The primary external
catch (aircraft mounted cargo hook) is configured for attachment,
carriage and manual or electronic release of the external cargo via
the cyclic mounted controls. The secondary external catch is
configured for temporary emergency carriage and electronic and/or
manual release of the external cargo via the collective mounted
controls.
[0007] All pins described herein may take various forms as known to
one having ordinary skill in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The embodiments may be better understood, and numerous
objects, features, and advantages made apparent to those skilled in
the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. These drawings
are used to illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention,
and are not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the
invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The
figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features and
certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or
in schematic in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
[0009] FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of a hovering aircraft
with a belly bar clasping system according to one embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 1A depicts another embodiment showing other external
cargo which may be carried by the hovering aircraft with a belly
bar clasping system of FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 2 depicts an elevation view of a belly bar clasp
according to one embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of a portion of the belly
bar clasping system mounted to the hovering aircraft according to
one embodiment.
[0013] FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of a portion of the belly
bar clasping system mounted below the hovering aircraft according
to one embodiment.
[0014] FIG. 5 depicts a top view of one embodiment of a fork.
[0015] FIG. 6 depicts a side view of the fork embodiment shown in
FIG. 5.
[0016] FIG. 7 depicts an end view of the fork embodiment shown in
FIG. 5.
[0017] FIG. 8 depicts a side view of one embodiment of a
connector/jam nut.
[0018] FIG. 9 depicts an end view of the connector/jam nut
embodiment shown in FIG. 8.
[0019] FIG. 10 depicts a side view of one embodiment of a
mid-shaft.
[0020] FIG. 11 depicts a side view of one embodiment of a hook
swivel.
[0021] FIG. 12 depicts an end view of the hook swivel embodiment
shown in FIG. 11.
[0022] FIG. 13 depicts a side view of one embodiment of a
hinge.
[0023] FIG. 14 depicts an end view of the hinge embodiment shown in
FIG. 13.
[0024] FIGS. 15A & 15B depict elevation views of an embodiment
of a primary external catch mount with spacer block, saddle and a
pivot link.
[0025] FIG. 16 depicts a bottom view of an embodiment of a fork
connected to a spacer.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S)
[0026] The description that follows includes exemplary apparatus,
methods, techniques, and instruction sequences that embody
techniques of the inventive subject matter. However, it is
understood that the described embodiments may be practiced without
these specific details.
[0027] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram depicting a hovering
aircraft belly bar clasping system 10. In an exemplary embodiment
the hovering aircraft belly bar clasping system 10 generally
includes a hovering aircraft or helicopter 12 and a belly bar
clasping system 30. The helicopter 12 totes the belly bar clasp 30
(which may also be referred to as a "BELLY BAR") which may be used
to catch and temporarily carry and provide a release for external
cargo 14. Such external cargo 14 includes human external cargo
(e.g. workers) 14a and/or other external cargo 14b (FIG. 1A). Human
external cargo workers 14a may be, for example, linemen, pilots,
emergency rescue workers, and the like. The workers 14a may, for
example, work with, near, repair, maintain and/or install electric
transmission lines.
[0028] The exemplary helicopter 12 has a control center 13 and as
shown has a cyclic 16, a collective 18 including a throttle 20,
pedals 22, and an airframe 23 including an airframe belly (i.e.
underside) 24 which merges into airframe sidewalls 26. The belly
bar clasping system 30 mounts to the helicopter 12. The external
cargo 14 may be attached to, carried by and/or released from the
belly bar clasping system 30 via straps 19 or the like.
[0029] Now referring to FIGS. 1-4, the belly bar clasping system 30
in an exemplary embodiment generally has an articulated tubing tool
32, a second or secondary external catch 72, a first mounting end
80 and a second mounting end 90. The belly bar clasping system 30
mounts under the airframe belly 24 at the first mounting end 80 and
at the second mounting end 90 proximate the airframe sidewall 26 or
region where the airframe belly 24 merges into the airframe
sidewall 26.
[0030] The articulated tubing tool 32 in the exemplary embodiment
shown generally has bent shaft (tubing or bar) 34, a connector
shaft (tube or bar) 36 and a second or secondary external catch
mount 70. The entire articulated tubing tool 32 or various
components may be made of metal (preferably steel or an alternative
lighter weight metal) or be filament wound, compression molded,
transfer molded, cast, machined from a plastic, composite, metal,
elastomer, `3D printed` or any combination thereof.
[0031] In the embodiment shown the connector shaft 36 has a fork
38, a connector/jam nut 40, a mid-shaft (tube or rod) 41, a lock
collar/connector 42 and a hook swivel 50. The fork 38 (shown in
FIGS. 5-7) is attached via, for example, a pin 46, to the first
external catch mount 60 proximate the first mounting end 80. The
connector/jam nut 40 (shown in FIGS. 8-9) secures the mid-shaft or
rod 41 (shown in FIG. 10) to the fork 38. The lock collar/connector
42 secures the hook swivel 50 (shown in FIGS. 11-12) around the
mid-shaft 41. The mid-shaft 41 extends through the inside of the
hook swivel 50 and connects to the bent shaft 34. The hook swivel
50 pivots around the bent shaft 34. The journal 52 includes a first
travel stop 53 and the swivel stop collar 58 includes a second
travel stop 55 that limits rotation of the journal 52 about
mid-shaft 41. In one exemplary embodiment the rotation is limited
to about thirty degrees although other angles desirable to one
using second external catch mount 70 may be implemented. The hook
swivel 50 includes two secondary hook attachments/mounting flanges
56a & 56b for connecting the journal 52 to the second external
catch mount 70 via pin(s) 74.
[0032] The bent shaft 34 connects to the second mounting end 90.
The second mounting end 90 includes a jackpoint pin 92 (see FIG.
2). A hinge 94 (shown in FIGS. 13-14) is joined over the jackpoint
pin 92 and sidewalls 96 of the hinge 94 are connected to the bent
shaft 34 via a hinge pin 98 (see FIG. 2).
[0033] Referring to FIGS. 2, 4, & 15-16, the first external
catch mount 60 includes a spacer 64 (pinned to fork 38) joined by
bolts 65 via a mounting plate 28 to the airframe belly 24 at first
end 80. Saddles 66 are attached to the spacer 64 via bolts 65. The
saddles 66 hold a pivot link or pin 68 joining the spacer 64 to the
first external catch 62.
[0034] First external catch 62 is generally a hooking device and
has a hook actuator 63 in communication with the control center 13
via manually actuated cable 17 (alternatively communication lines
15, hard wired as shown The first external catch 62 may be an off
the shelf commercially available catch such as, for example, those
available from Breeze-Eastern Corporation of Whippany, N.J.,
USA.
[0035] Second external catch 72 is generally a back-up hooking
device and has a hook actuator 73 in communication with the control
center 13 via communication lines 15 (hard wired as shown but may
also be wireless including transmitter(s)/receiver(s)). The second
external catch 72 may also be an off the shelf commercially
available catch such as, for example, those available from
Mechanical Specialties of Olympia, Wash., USA.
[0036] In alternative embodiments the human external cargo workers
14a may have a controller 100 linked (e.g. via wireless or the
like) to the control center 13 and or hook actuator 63 to allow the
human external cargo workers 14a to activate open or release the
first external catch 62 and/or second external catch 72 in an
emergency situation.
[0037] In one working example for use of the hovering aircraft
belly bar clasping system 10, the first external catch 62 may be
the primary catch and the second external catch 72 may be a back-up
catch (both must be released for release of the external cargo 14).
The first external catch 62 is a manual release system activated by
a manually actuated handle, lever, button (or the like) 61 located
on the cyclic 16 and a control cable (manually actuated cable 17)
connecting the handle, lever, button (or the like) 61 to the first
external catch 62 by way of the hook actuator 63. A pull safety pin
61a may also be implemented into the manually actuated handle,
button (or the like) located on the cyclic 16. The second external
catch 72 (in this case a back-up system) is an electronically
activated release system with a protected (recessed) button 76
proximate the collective 18, relay lines (communication wire 15),
an electronic hook actuator 73 to actuate release of second
external catch 72. The electronic circuit may normally be
de-energized requiring power to actuate the electronic hook
actuator 73 for release of the second external catch 72.
[0038] While the embodiments are described with reference to
various implementations and exploitations, it will be understood
that these embodiments are illustrative and that the scope of the
inventive subject matter is not limited to them. Many variations,
modifications, additions and improvements are possible.
[0039] Plural instances may be provided for components, operations
or structures described herein as a single instance. In general,
structures and functionality presented as separate components in
the exemplary configurations may be implemented as a combined
structure or component. Similarly, structures and functionality
presented as a single component may be implemented as separate
components. These and other variations, modifications, additions,
and improvements may fall within the scope of the inventive subject
matter.
* * * * *