U.S. patent number 3,830,452 [Application Number 05/372,670] was granted by the patent office on 1974-08-20 for monorail traverse system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Kaman Aerospace Corporation. Invention is credited to Samuel D. Seay.
United States Patent |
3,830,452 |
Seay |
August 20, 1974 |
MONORAIL TRAVERSE SYSTEM
Abstract
A system, apparatus and method for traversing a helicopter from
a landing area to a hangar area and vice versa with a box beam
which is secured between the front wheels of a helicopter, a track
extending from the hangar area to the landing area so that a hauled
down and secured helicopter straddles the track, a shuttle engaging
the track for movement along the track and engaging the box beam
for pulling the helicopter along the track, a pawl on the shuttle
for engaging a number of the teeth extending along the front of the
box beam, and side winches for providing cables for attachment to
opposite sides of the rear helicopter wheel.
Inventors: |
Seay; Samuel D. (Windsor,
CT) |
Assignee: |
Kaman Aerospace Corporation
(Bloomfield, CT)
|
Family
ID: |
23469169 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/372,670 |
Filed: |
June 22, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
244/116;
114/261 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B64F
1/125 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B64F
1/00 (20060101); B64F 1/12 (20060101); B64f
001/22 () |
Field of
Search: |
;244/116,115,114,17.17
;114/43.5 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Blix; Trygve M.
Assistant Examiner: Sauberer; Paul E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cushman, Darby and Cushman
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Apparatus for traversing a helicopter on a ship comprising:
a box beam member having means at each end for securing said beam
member to a front wheel of a helicopter and a plurality of teeth
extending along one side from one end to the other,
a track for extending from a hangar area to a deck area on a ship
and
a shuttle including means for engaging said track for movement
along said track, means coupling said engaging means to said beam
member for permitting movement of said beam member along the length
thereof and for exerting a force on said beam member to urge said
beam member along said track and latching means for engaging said
teeth and permitting relative movement of said beam member along
the length thereof.
2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said engaging means includes a
car having a plurality of wheels with a vertical axis and a
plurality of wheels with a horizontal axis extending transverse to
the direction of extension of said truck for permitting movement of
said car along said track and means at one end of said car for
attaching said car to a winch.
3. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said coupling means includes
means for receiving said box beam member so as to permit movement
of said box beam member along its length when said latching means
is not engaging said teeth and means for permitting said box beam
member to pivot about a vertical axis.
4. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said securing means includes an
extension bar mounted in an end of said beam member, a spring
mounted in said end for urging said bar outwards, a pin handle
connected to said bar, and movable in a groove extending along the
length of said beam member at said end, for manually pushing said
bar inwards against said spring and an eye at the end of said bar
extending from said beam member for attaching said extension bar to
a lug on a helicopter front wheel.
5. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said beam member is hollow and
square in cross section.
6. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said latching means includes a
pawl for engaging a plurality of teeth of said beam member and
solenoid means for operating said pawl.
7. Apparatus as in claim 1 further including a pair of side winches
for each providing a cable for attachment to either side of the
helicopter tail wheel.
8. A system for traversing a helicopter on a ship comprising:
means defining a landing area,
adjacent means defining a hangar area,
a track extending from said hangar area into said landing area,
means associated with said landing area for hauling down and
securing a helicopter with the front wheels thereof straddling said
track,
winch means on either sides of said landing area, for providing a
cable to be attached to respective sides of a rear helicopter
wheel,
a box beam member having means for securing said beam member
between the front wheels of a helicopter and
shuttle means engaging said track and said beam member for pulling
said helicopter along said track from landing to said hangar
area.
9. A system as in claim 8 wherein said shuttle means includes means
for engaging said track for movement along said track, means
coupling said engaging means to said beam member for permitting
movement of said beam member along the length thereof and for
exerting a force on said beam member to urge said beam member along
said track and latching means for engaging said beam member and
permitting relative movement of said beam member along the length
thereof.
10. A system as in claim 9 wherein said box beam member has a
plurality of teeth extending along one side from one end to the
other and said latching means engages a plurality of said
teeth.
11. A system as in claim 10 wherein said engaging means includes a
car having a plurality of wheels with a vertical axis and a
plurality of wheels with a horizontal axis extending transverse to
the direction of extension of said track for permitting movement of
said car along said track and means at one end of said car for
attaching said car to a winch.
12. Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said coupling means includes
means for receiving said box beam member so as to permit movement
of said box beam member along its length when said latching means
is not engaging said teeth and means for permitting said box beam
member to pivot about a vertical axis.
13. Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said securing means includes
an extension bar mounted in an end of said beam member, a spring
mounted on said end for urging said bar outwards, a pin handle
connected to said bar, and movable in a groove extending along the
length of said beam member at said end, for manually pushing said
bar inwards against said spring and an eye at the end of said bar
extending from said beam member for attaching said extension bar to
a lug on a helicopter front wheel.
14. Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said beam member is hollow and
square in cross section.
15. Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said latching means includes a
pawl for engaging a plurality of teeth of said beam member and
solenoid means for operating said pawl.
16. A method for traversing a helicopter from a landing to a hangar
area comprising the steps of:
hauling down and securing said helicopter onto said deck area so
that the front wheels straddle a track extending from the hangar
area,
attaching a box beam member having a plurality of teeth extending
along one side thereof between said front wheels,
attaching cables from side winches to opposing sides of said
helicopter at the rear,
pivoting the helicopter with the side winches until the helicopter
center line converges with the direction of extent of the
track,
applying a force to a shuttle having a bar catch connected to said
box beam member to permit movement along the length thereof so as
to pull said helicopter toward said hangar area and permit said box
beam member to slide along said bar catch,
engaging the teeth of said box beam member with a pawl, to prevent
further relative movement between said box beam member and said bar
catch, when said center line is over said track,
removing said cables from said side winches and
pulling said helicopter to said hangar area with said shuttle.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus for traversing a helicopter
on a ship from a landing deck to a hangar area after the helicopter
has been hauled down and secured and to a method of such
traversal.
Many ships today, particularly naval vessels, are provided with
facilities for landing and storing helicopters. Especially on
smaller ships such as destroyers, such facilities usually include a
small landing deck which is only slightly larger than the
helicopter itself and a hangar which is used for storing the
helicopter while it is not in use. Landing a helicopter on a small
deck, particularly on a small ship, can be a difficult and tricky
operation. To minimize accidents, landing is usually accomplished
with the aid of a securing system in which a haul-down cable is
attached to the hovering helicopter, usually after being obtained
from the deck by a messenger cable lowered by the helicopter. A
deck mounted winch is then used to haul down the helicopter to the
landing deck level and to secure it. The patent to Ring, U.S. Pat.
No. 2,471,544, illustrates a securing system of this general
type.
A patent application entitled HELICOPTER HAUL-DOWN SYSTEM AND
SECURING SYSTEM, Ser. No. 335,110, filed Feb. 23, 1973 describes a
simple and improved haul-down and securing system in which a cable
loop is employed to haul down the helicopter, the loop passing
through the deck at two separated locations and attaching to a
winch below deck level. The disclosure of this application is
incorporated herein by reference.
After the helicopter is safely hauled down to the deck, it must be
traversed to a hangar area where it is stored. Since there is
considerable resulting variation of the hauled down helicopter
position on the landing deck, pulling and aligning the helicopter
for traversal is a difficult and time-consuming chore. Accordingly,
many techniques have been developed using tracks and shuttles to
effect traversal. The patent to Stewart U.S. Pat. No. 3,303,807
typifies such arrangements. The present invention relates to a
particularly simple and effective method and apparatus for
traversing the helicopter from the landing deck, after it has been
hauled down and secured, to an adjacent hangar area without
scrubbing the landing gear.
As discussed in detail below, the apparatus and system of this
invention includes a box beam provided on one side thereof with a
plurality of teeth and adapted for connection between the two front
wheels of the helicopter. A shuttle, movable in a track extending
between the hangar area and the landing deck, attaches to the box
beam and includes a pawl which is preferably operated by a solenoid
to engage ratchet teeth on the forward side of the beam. This
shuttle pulls the helicopter from the landing deck to the hangar
area after it has been aligned with the track. To assist in
alignment, a pair of winches located on either side of the landing
area attach cables respectively to opposite sides of the tail wheel
of the helicopter.
After the helicopter has been pulled down and secured onto the
landing area, for example, by the two wire system described in the
above-mentioned application Ser. No. 335,110, with its wheels
straddling the track, the box beam is attached between the two
front wheels and the wires from the side winches attached
respectively to opposite sides of the rear wheel. The helicopter is
then pivoted by the side winches until its center line converges
with the track. Next, the shuttle and the attached box beam pull
the helicopter over with the pawl disengaged so that the shuttle
slides along the box beam as the helicopter is moved toward the
hangar area. When the helicopter center axis is aligned with the
track, the solenoid is actuated to engage the pawl with the teeth
of the box beam. The wires attaching the side winches to the rear
wheel are now removed and the helicopter is traversed into the
hangar area by the shuttle. The process is reversed to bring the
helicopter from the hangar area to the landing deck for take
off.
This particular technique has been found to be especially simple
and effective. Since the box beam is attached along the actual line
of the helicopter, the helicopter can be rotated without scrubbing
the landing gear. By sequentially moving the helicopter as
described above, it can be very quickly and simply moved into the
desired position for movement to the hangar area.
Many other objects and purposes of the invention will become clear
from the following detailed description of the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a landing area and hangar area on a ship for receiving
a helicopter.
FIG. 2 shows a helicopter pulled down and secured on the landing
area.
FIG. 3 shows the helicopter after being pulled by a side winch into
a position with its center axis converging on the track.
FIG. 4 shows a helicopter on the landing deck with the helicopter
center line and box beam centered over the track.
FIG. 5 shows the helicopter moving along the track toward the
hangar area.
FIG. 6 shows the helicopter fully in the hangar area.
FIG. 7 shows a front view of the box beam fastened between the
helicopter front wheels.
FIG. 8 shows a detailed front view of the shuttle track and box
beam.
FIG. 9 shows a partial section view of the box beam and pawl
mechanism for latching the box beam to the shuttle.
FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of the shuttle with a portion of
the track removed.
FIG. 11 shows a partially cut-away view showing the attachment of
the box beam to the front wheel of the helicopter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference is made first to FIGS. 7-10 which illustrate a portion of
the unique traverse system of this invention. As indicated above,
the system includes a box beam 20 which is attached between the
front wheels 22 and 24 of the helicopter as can be seen in FIG. 7.
Box beam 20 which is preferably square in cross-section and hollow,
includes a number of teeth extending along the front side thereof
between the two front wheels 22 and 24. As can be seen best in
FIGS. 10 and 11, box beam 20 includes at both ends an extension bar
26 which is urged outward by spring 28. A handle pin 30 moving in
groove 32 in the top of box beam 20 permits extension bar 26 to be
manually pushed into box beam 20 against spring 28.
Extension bar 26 is further provided with eye 34 with a central
recess 36 for receiving a lug 38 on wheel 22. This lug is normally
provided with a tie-down ring bolted to the lug. For use with the
system of this invention the tie-down ring is removed. To fasten
box beam 20 to the helicopter, extension bar 26 is manually drawn
into beam 20 by means of handle pin 30. Extension bar 26 is then
slipped over lug 30 and pip pin 40 inserted through eye 34 to
securely fasten box beam 20 to front wheel 22. Similar structure is
provided in conjunction with wheel 24 at the opposite end of box
beam 20.
The system of this invention further includes a shuttle 50 which is
mounted for movement within and along a track 54 having an A shaped
cross-section which extends from the hangar area into the landing
area to a position adjacent the haul-down mechanism so that the
helicopter will land with track 54 extending between the two front
wheels 22 and 24. Shuttle 50 includes a bar catch 52 through which
box beam 20 extends as can be seen in FIG. 10. An electrically
operated solenoid mechanism 56 operates a pawl 58 comprising a
number of teeth which engage a plurality of ratchet teeth of the
box beam as can be seen in FIG. 9 for preventing movement of bar
catch 52 and box beam 20 with respect to each other.
Bar catch 52 is coupled to a small car 60 which is mounted within
track 54 for movement along track 54 as can be seen in FIG. 10. Bar
catch 52 is coupled to car 60 in a fashion permitting at least
limited rotation with respect to car 60 about the axes indicated by
arrows 62 and 64.
Car 60 includes four vertical and four horizontal wheels.
Horizontal wheels 66 and 68 and vertical wheels 70, 72 and 74 can
be seen in the perspective of FIG. 10. These wheels are mounted
within a frame 75 which may be constructed and assembled in any
suitable fashion. Car 60 is attached at one end to a line 76 which
is connected to a winch (not shown) for pulling car 60, bar catch
52, box beam 20 and the helicopter along track 54 as discussed in
detail below.
Reference is now made to FIGS. 1-6 which illustrate how the
mechanism shown in FIGS. 7-10, together with the two side winches
80 and 82, can be employed to very simply and easily align and
traverse a helicopter which has been pulled down and secured on
landing area 84 into hangar area 86. As indicated above, track 54
extends from hangar area 86 into landing area 84 adjacent haul-down
mechanism 88 which is preferably of the type disclosed in Ser. No.
335,110 discussed above so that the helicopter as it is pulled down
will land with track 54 extending between wheels 22 and 24 as
illustrated in FIG. 2. At this point, box beam 20 is attached
between two front wheels 24 and 26 as can be seen in FIGS. 7-10,
with bar catch 52 securing box beam 20 to car 60. The haul-down and
securing system can now be released since the helicopter will be
secured by box beam 20 and associated shuttle 50.
Next, the wire cables from side winches 80 and 82 are attached to
opposite sides of the rear wheel of the helicopter, and, the
helicopter pivoted by means of side winches 80 and 82 to a
position, for example, as shown in FIG. 3 with the center line 90
of the helicopter converging with the track. The winch (not shown)
connected to line 76 can now be operated to move car 60 and box
beam 20 coupled to it toward hangar area 86, pulling the helicopter
along with it, without, however, engaging the ratchet teeth of box
beam 20 so that box beam 20 slides along bar catch 52 until the
center line 90 of the helicopter is over track 54 as illustrated in
FIG. 4. At this time the helicopter is again pivoted using side
winches 80 and 82 until the center line 90 of the helicopter
coincides exactly with the direction of the extention of track 54.
The wires to the rear wheel from side winches 80 and 82 can now be
released and the helicopter traversed into hangar area 86 to the
position shown in FIG. 6. The above procedure is simply reversed to
bring the helicopter back to the landing deck for take off.
If desired, the shuttle mechanism may also include a second car
also movable along the track and means for attachment of the second
car to the rear wheels to prevent yaw during movement of the
helicopter. Many other changes and modifications in the above
described embodiment of the invention can, of course, be carried
out without departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, that
scope is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *