The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 17, 1990
Filed:
Sep. 28, 1988
Krauss-Maffei AG, Munich, DE;
Abstract
An aircraft towing vehicle has a frame with a rearwardly opening, U-shaped recess for receiving the nose wheel of an aircraft. A lifting and securing mechanism is disposed within the recess and includes a ramp and a stop plate carried by the frame, a lifter which pushes the nose wheel from behind up the ramp into abutment with the stop plate, and a pivotable hold-down mechanism mounted above the ramp. In its rest position the hold-down mechanism is set at a distance from the ground which is less than the diameter of the smallest nose wheel of the types of aircraft that can be towed. It contacts the periphery of the nose wheel being engaged at an upper forward guadrant of the wheel's periphery and passively moves in tandem with the nose wheel as it is being pushed up the ramp into its secured position. At the end of the engaging operation, the hold-down mechanism applied a downwardly directed force of a predetermined magnitude against the nose wheel, which is generated by a hydraulic actuator. The pressure remains sealed in the hydraulic actuator so that the clamping force is applied to the nose wheel throughout the towing operation. A sensor is provided for detecting any pressure drop in the hydraulic actuator and triggering a corresponding alarm signal.