Other

Ancra Corporation

Transequip Inc.

Arnold B Nordstrom

Horace J Buttner

Frank Owen

Henry P Mayer

A foot operated restraint apparatus for use in restraining cargo carriers such as pallets and containers within aircraft cargo bays. The apparatus includes a pair of cooperating, spring-loaded, fully retractable, carrier restraining elements which can be depressed and erected by the foot of the cargo handler.

Aircraft cargo restraint apparatus

A compact aircraft door sill protector of simple design for use in protecting door sills and door locking spools of the character found in a typical aircraft cargo bay. The apparatus includes a sill protector plate that, in its deployed position, covers the door sill and in its stowed position folds conveniently into the area immediately adjacent the cargo bay door opening. In its deployed position, the sill protector plate is rigidly supported by novel support arms that swing into protective engagement with the door locking spools.

Aircraft door sill guard

A self-erecting guide for centering and for vertically restraining smaller than full width pallets in a transport vehicle, such as an airplane, having a floor structure and rollers connected to the floor structure and defining a roller plane for rollingly supporting pallets above the floor structure such that the pallets may roll longitudinally includes a plurality of rollers such that pallets contacting the guide contact a rotatable surface resulting in less galling and wear to guide and pallets. The guide generally includes a hinge assembly, fore and aft pivots, a frame, and erection springs. In an erect position, the hinge assembly forms a shallow inverted V in side view with hinge axis at the apex such that a moving full size pallet contacting hinge assembly top forces the hinge assembly into a retracted position below the roller plane. The hinge assembly includes: overhanging rollers for vertically restraining half size pallets; side rollers for guidance; and retraction rollers on top for rolling under a full width pallet such that the hinge assembly is forced to a retracted position below the roller plane.

Retractable centerline guide and vertical restraint device

The invention generally comprises a rail assembly attached to an airplane floor structure and a latch assembly in a seat pallet. The rail assembly generally includes a rail attached to a floor channel, and rollers and cargo restraining assemblies attached to the rail. The top of the rail has left and right facing teeth for engaging a seat pallet latch. Rollers connected to the rail define a roller plane above the rail for rollingly supporting a pallet. A seat pallet is supported by the rollers and includes a latch assembly for selectively engaging the rail teeth and thus restraining the seat pallet from movement relative to the rail. The cargo pallet restraining assemblies include a plurality of pairs of housings connected to opposite sides of the rail. The housings include fore and aft facing lock heads movable between a stowed position beneath the roller plane and an erect position wherein a lip portion of the lock heads extends above the roller plane for restraining cargo pallets fore and aft on said roller plane. Preferably, the fore and aft lock heads in each housing are linked such that movement of either lock head to the erected or stowed position simultaneously moves the other lock head to the similar position.

Seat pallet and cargo pallet restraining system

A cargo handling system has a main drive panel and fore and aft end panels for driving cargo in one direction or the other in the cargo compartment of a vehicle such as an aircraft. The main drive panel is driven in either direction on a plurality of toothed belts which are anchored to the system floor panels, the teeth of such belts engaging the teeth of trolley wheels which are rotatably driven by the motor. The main panel is thus driven in trolly-like fashion along the drive belts in loading cargo. Each end panel is attached to a separate endless chain drive. The chain drives are selectively attached to the main drive panel and one or the other of the end panels drawn along with the main drive panel in the unloading of cargo.

Cargo handling system

A cargo handling system for use in combination with an airplane cargo compartment having a floor structure and a door opening moves cargo placed in the loading area inside the compartment at the door opening to the further recesses of the compartment and returns the cargo to the loading area for unloading. The system generally comprises fore and aft end panels, each attached to its own looped cable and movable from a position adjacent its respective end of the compartment to a position adjacent its respective side of the door opening; a movable main panel attached to a power cable; a drive means, such as a hydraulic cylinder, is attached to the power cable and drives the main panel in the door area between the door positions of the end panels; and indexing plungers which selectively couple the main panel with a cable of an end panel such that, when coupled, the end panel is driven simultaneously with and in the same direction as the main panel. The cables and rolling supports for the panels move in passageways in drive strips which extend the length of the compartment. Roller strips, lining the compartment floor, reduce friction. Exemplary embodiments include a removable door adapter and ball mat which aid in loading bulk or containerized cargo. In the preferred embodiment, the hydraulic cylinder is in a power pack which is removably attached to the main panel.

Airplane cargo handling system

An end stop for restraining the motion of a pallet in a cargo loading system, such as might be employed in an aircraft. A pair of similar left and right-hand pieces are removably mounted in a track or mounting channel having alternate lip and cutout portions. Each of these members has a main body portion having an elongated tension lug extending normally along the bottom edge thereof and a plurality of shear lugs directly above the tension lugs and extending substantially parallel thereto, such lugs being spaced from each other along the longitudinal extent of the main body. Each body portion further includes an overhanging restraining arm extending along the top edge of the body in a direction substantially normal to that in which the shear and tension lugs extend, a stop plate extending downwardly from the inner edge of the restraining arm in a direction normal thereto and a sloped shoulder which extends outwardly from the bottom edge of the stop plate towards the bottom edge of the body portion. The paired body portions are locked into the track with the tension lugs inserted in the track under opposing lip portions thereof with the shear lugs abutting against cutout portions of the track; the tops of the paired body members being joined together by suitable means such as a nut and bolt.

End stop for cargo loading system

A side guide for a cargo loading system for use in loading cargo-loaded pallets into a vehicle, such as an aircraft. The side guide assembly is removably mounted in a track or channel assembly having alternate cutout portions and lip portions. The side guide assembly includes a frame on which rollers are mounted and a side guide portion suitable for receiving the edge of a pallet, a plurality of such assemblies being employed for restraining such pallet against other than slidable motion on the rollers. The frame assembly has tension lug means extending outwardly and normally from the bottom edge thereof, and shear lug means extending therefrom normally and in an opposite direction to the tension lug means. The frame further has an opening formed on the end of an arm extending therefrom. The assembly is removably installed in the vehicle by sliding the tension lug means into the track underneath the lip portions thereof while tilting the entire assembly upwardly and then lowering the assembly so that the shear lug means fits into the cutout portions of the track against the walls of said portions; with the opening in the end of the arm fitted over a stud member installed in a keyhole adapter in the vehicle floor, this opening portion fitting over the stud member and being retained thereto by means of a fastener member such as a nut.

Side guide for cargo loading system

A roller rail assembly for a cargo loading system for loading cargo-loaded pallets into a vehicle, such as an aircraft. The roller rail assembly is removably mounted in a track or channel assembly having alternate cutout portions and lip portions. The roller rail assembly includes an elongated rail member which has a tension stud extending substantially normally from the main body of the assembly along the bottom edge thereof, and a support shoulder extending from the main body of the assembly substantially normally thereto above the tension stud and in a substantially opposite direction thereto. Mounting blocks and axles are provided for rotatably mounting pairs of rollers on the main body of the assembly, the rollers being positioned on opposite sides of the track for rotation on an axis substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the track. The rail is removably supported in the track with the tension stud fitted underneath the lip portions of the track. A retainer member has a tension lug extending normally therefrom along the bottom edge thereof and a shear lug spaced above and running in substantially the same direction as the tension lug. With the tension stud of the rail installed under the lips along one side of the track, the retainer member is rotated to bring the tension lug thereof under the lip portions of the opposite side of the track and the shear lug thereof into one of the cutout portions of the track, the retainer member being bolted to the rail in this installed position.

Roller rail assembly for cargo loading system

There is herein described an electrical switch which is manually or mechanically moved from one position to another in order to change the electrical conductivity between one or more of its terminals and one or more of the other of its terminals, the invention including a unique member that is deformed by the manipulation of an actuation member and that toggles into a stable and less deformed configuration to make the desired electrical contacts.

Electrical toggle switch

A component, versatile pushbutton actuated electrical switch capable of breaking one electrical circuit prior to establishing a further, different electrical circuit on successive actuators of a plunger ratchet mechanism, wherein a pair of spaced contact terminals are supported on opposite sides of a moveable contact. One of the contact terminals includes a plurality of attached portions defining a generally dog-leg configuration, wherein the portions extend in at least one plane lying generally across the line of travel of said moveable contact, with the portions having longitudinal axes forming a sufficient angle to one another with respect to the plane or planes whereby one of the portions, while bending causes torsional strain in at least one of the remaining portions of the contact terminal.

Multi-circuit switch assembly

An automobile carrier is disclosed for use on two standard air cargo pallets to carry four automobiles. The carrier for two automobiles is affixed across two pallets with one automobile over the other, and the carrier for the other two automobiles is affixed across the pallets beside the first. The carrrier can be dismantled for shipping back to the starting point. Upon erecting the carrier for reuse, a variety of adjustments can be made for mixing automobile sizes on the top and bottom. These adjustments also keep the combination of any four automobiles within the dimensional limits of the pallets, the aircraft door opening and the ground equipment.

Automobile carrier for use on air cargo pallets

A weatherproof cover for an opening in a cargo container comprising a flexible curtain secured across the top of the opening by a header, rails secured to the sides and bottom of the opening with flanges extending away from the opening, and a cable in a tunnel sewed into the periphery of the curtain which overhangs the rail flanges. One end of the cable is secured to the header on one side, and the other end is secured to a sheave in a ratchet assembly on the other side of the header. The ratchet assembly is used to pull the cable tight against the rails under their flanges. A fitting on the curtain comprised of a hub and a sheave is provided at each lower corner for the cable. The hubs of the curtain fittings are placed over posts on gussets at the lower corners of the container opening. Diagonal cables in tunnels sewn in back of the curtain reinforce the curtain and the container itself.

Cargo container opening cover

A cargo pallet lock for use in vehicles such as aircraft, trucks, ships and the like, as a means to secure load supporting members or pallets to accommodating floor structures in the vehicles and includes a pallet restraint member with a T-shaped head which is pivotally mounted in a lock housing structure detachably positioned on a vehicle's floor structure, the restraint member being biased in a pallet-engaging elevated position and including a unitary latch-release mechanism for releasably and automatically locking the restraint member in either its elevated or retracted configurations.

Growing community of inventors

Torrance, CA, United States of America

Arnold B Nordstrom