Brooks & Perkins, Incorporated

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Aar Corp.

Faisal A Naffa

Rudolph Messerschmidt

A lock for a pallet to be discharged from aircraft in flight by deploying a parachute connected to the pallet behind the aircraft. The loaded pallet or container is locked in place by one or more abutments until the tension applied by the opened parachute reaches a predetermined value. Each abutment is maintained in locked position by pressure responsive lock mechanism. This lock mechanism may be in the form of a punch and penetrable fuse plate, or a compressible or deformable fuse adapted upon predetermined loading to yield a predetermined amount. The lock mechanism is carried by a rail extended longitudinally of the aircraft which is adapted to move between an upright operating position in which it overlies an edge of a pallet, and a lowered position in which it is beneath the pallet supporting surface.

Shear or compression release lock

A punch type release lock intended for use primarily in retaining load supports such as pallets in locked position in an aircraft. The lock comprises a detent mechanism which is inserted into a recess preferably at the side of the load support. A preferred form of detent mechanism comprises a pair of relatively movable elements, at least one of which is pivoted. The elements include abutments which are movable apart as the elements are inserted into the recess. When a load is applied to the pivoted detent, as for example, by a parachute extracting system, movement of the element in a direction to withdraw the element to release the load support is prevented by a load cell comprising a fuse plate and punch, in which the punch is prevented from movement by the fuse plate until attainment of a predetermined load on the pivoted detent element. At the predetermined load, the punch penetrates the fuse plate and upon penetration of the fuse plate, the punch is relatively freely movable to effectively permit the load support to move the pivoted detent element to completely release the load support.

Punch type release lock

Cargo loading and unloading systems, particularly for military aircraft such as helicopters, including right and lefthand restraint rail assemblies having longitudinally spaced lock mechanisms which are adapted to provide lateral and forward and aft restraint of load-supporting pallets. Operating controls for each lock to enable the locks to be closed individually, and further include control rod assemblies to permit all such lock mechanisms to be closed simultaneously or to be opened either sequentially or simultaneously. Other lock mechanisms are operable to secure non-palletized types of cargo and are closed and opened sequentially by one of the control rod assemblies. A ramp structure is also provided, including guide structure for proper guidance of the pallets as they are loaded into or unloaded from the aircraft, and pallet supporting rollers facilitating the loading and unloading of vehicles.

Cargo handling apparatus

A cargo container having opposed horizontally elongated vertically extend side walls, a floor, and a roof, and pre-assembled panel constructions comprising vertically corrugated sheet metal walls surrounded at top, bottom and both ends with extruded edge caps. The ends of the top and bottom caps carry adjustable corner abutment bolts which are advanced into contact with corner posts present on the container and are welded in place. The corrugated walls of the panel are bolted to the walls of the container to provide a substantially unitary wall-panel combination. The panels are provided with a multiplicity of openings for receiving the ends of removable restraint bars.

Growing community of inventors

Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Faisal A Naffa