The Boeing Company

Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation

Rosario Simon Saggio

Karlton Kazumi Okamoto

Behrooz Afghani

Frank James Caldwell, Jr

Isidor Lenoil

Daniel Roger Gilhuys

John J Jones

William N Korb

Alonzo Royal

James Gabauer

Miguel A Medina

Pallet adapters configured to attach to a selected pallet type in order to render it compatible with a cargo restraint system that is configured for a larger pallet type. The pallet adapters may include two side rails and two end rails, each rail having a slotted inner face to receive the flanges at the sides and ends of the selected pallet type. Each end of the side rails has a connector that can be coupled by a single fastener to a connector on each end of the end rails so that when connected, the side rails and end rails form a rectangular-shaped pallet adapter with inner slots that secure the flanged side edges of the selected pallet type.

Pallet adapter

A cargo handling system for a narrow body freighter aircraft employs caster rollers. The cargo handling system includes a horizontal panel disposed along a deck surface of the aircraft, and a plurality of caster rollers having a narrow body roller plane height. Each caster roller includes a roller bearing assembly for providing horizontal movement to a load along an axis of motion. A thrust bearing assembly aligns the roller bearing assembly with the axis of motion. A roller bearing support structure suspends the roller bearing assembly at an offset position at the narrow body roller plane height. The thrust bearing assembly includes a plurality of radially positioned needle bearings, and the roller bearing assembly uses roller bearings having a torus-like structure. The bearing assemblies are made of stainless steel to resist foreign object damage.

Caster roller for cargo handling system

A cargo handling system for cargo compartments utilizes a cargo container which rides along restraining guide rails and on top of rollers situated within and projecting slightly above structural members which are attached to roller possessing cross tracks. The cargo handling system utilizes an omni directional panel just inside the cargo door to facilitate loading, unloading, and rotational alignment of the cargo containers with the guide rails and rollers. Cargo locks situated within the roller channels and the omni directional panel secure the cargo containers in a longitudinal direction of the aircraft fuselage while a side latch within the omni directional panel secures cargo containers vertically, and in a lateral direction. An automatic anti-rollout restraint prevents the cargo container from rolling out of the aircraft while the cargo containers are being loaded or unloaded. Optionally, a power drive unit automatically moves the cargo containers along the rollers.

Cargo handling system for aircraft compartments

A cargo restraint system for retaining a cargo pallet. The cargo restraint system comprising a frame having a receiving channel and a pallet latching member. The pallet latching member is rotatably coupled at a first end to the frame for pivotal movement between a stowed position and a retaining position. The latch member includes a pair of camming surfaces that are engageable with the cargo pallet during an overriding movement of the cargo pallet, which forces the pallet latching member into the stowed position. The pallet latching member has an overall maximum width that is less than a width of the receiving channel of the frame to eliminate any wing-like feature and minimize the potential for damage to the pallet latching member caused by inadvertent snagging of the pallet latching member by the cargo pallet.

Overrideable vertical restraint for cargo handling systems

A cargo restraint device including a base having an outer pawl and an inner pawl pivotally connected to the base. The outer pawl has a generally horizontal locking surface that cooperates with a generally horizontal locking surface on the inner pawl to provide a cargo restraint device capable of resisting vibration and downward forces applied to the inner pawl to prevent inadvertent disengagement of the cargo restraint device. During an unlocking movement, foot pressure is applied generally downward upon the outer pawl to enable the inner pawl to rotate to an unlocked position. The foot pressure is then released from the outer pawl to enable the outer pawl to rotate to an unlatched position.

Cargo restraint device

A cargo restraint includes a support, a housing which is rotatable relative to the support about a first rotation axis, and a plunger which is slidable within the housing along a second axis normal to the first axis, the plunger having a portion serving as a restraint for cargo. A torsion spring connects the housing to the support such that the housing is automatically rotatably urged into a predetermined deployed or cargo-engaging position, and a compression spring automatically urges the plunger into an extended cargo-engaging position. The restraint is thus self-deploying, and can resiliently yield to both direct and indirect impacts.

Impact-resistant restraint for cargo

A device for guiding movement of cargo items during loading and unloading from a cargo compartment of an aircraft includes a housing defining a recessed well below an upper surface of the housing, a slider which slides within the recessed well, a pawl pivotally connected to the slider and pivotal from a stowed position in the well to a deployed position projecting above the upper surface of the housing, and compression springs connected to the slider for absorbing impact loads imposed on the pawl in the longitudinal direction along which the slider and pawl slide as a unit. The cargo-engaging end of the pawl includes chamfered surfaces which cause the pawl to be depressed down into the well when the pawl is subjected to transverse impacts.

Growing community of inventors

Arcadia, CA, United States of America

Rosario Simon Saggio