초록 ▼

Disclosed is a steerable, articulated landing gear particularly useful on cargo aircraft and providing a capability to selectively raise and lower the aircraft fuselage, and hence the cargo deck, to a height convenient for loading and unloading of cargo therefrom. The gear includes a shock strut, an

Disclosed is a steerable, articulated landing gear particularly useful on cargo aircraft and providing a capability to selectively raise and lower the aircraft fuselage, and hence the cargo deck, to a height convenient for loading and unloading of cargo therefrom. The gear includes a shock strut, and a wheel lever on one end of which are mounted two wheels. The wheel lever is pivotably connected to the lower end of the strut at an articulation point remote from the rotational axes of the truck wheels. An extendable-retractable shock absorber mounted within the strut is connected to the lever at a point between the strut-lever articulation and the rotational axes of the wheels. Retraction of the shock absorber lowers the strut-lever articulation relative to the axes of the wheels. A ground-engaging member or “kneeler”depending downwardly from the lower end of the strut at the strut-lever articulation defines a flat, horizontally orientable, ground engaging surface. When the truck wheels are contacting the ground, lowering the strut-lever articulation causes the flat surface on the kneeler to engage the ground and the kneeler to assume at least part of the load borne by the gear. In one embodiment, the strut is extendable and retractable independently of the shock absorber and in another the effective height of the kneeler is adjustable.

대표청구항 ▼

An articulated, variable-height aircraft landing gear assembly selectively providing eitheR impact-absorbing support to an aircraft while stationary or moving along the ground or rigid, unsprung support for the aircraft when stationary, comprising: a shock strut comprising a rigid, tubular housing a

An articulated, variable-height aircraft landing gear assembly selectively providing eitheR impact-absorbing support to an aircraft while stationary or moving along the ground or rigid, unsprung support for the aircraft when stationary, comprising: a shock strut comprising a rigid, tubular housing and a shock absorbing means mounted in the housing for absorbing shock applied to the assembly; a wheel lever having first and second ends; means pivotably connecting the lever to the strut housing near the first end such that the lever is pivotable in a vertical plane about its first end between an extended position and a retracted position; a wheel mounted on the lever near its second end; means operatively connecting the shock absorbing means to the lever between its first and second ends; power means for selectively varying the effective length of the shock absorbing means to thereby move the lever between its extended and retracted positions and thereby vary the effective height of the landing gear assembly; rigid, aircraft support means for supporting at least a portion of the load borne by the landing gear assembly, the support means being mounted on the housing near the first end of the lever and defining a flat, ground engaging surface on the underside thereof, the support means extending downwardly from the housing a distance such that when the wheel is in contact with the ground and the lever is moved from its extended position toward its retracted position, the flat surface of the support means contacts the ground and at least a portion of the load borne by the landing gear assembly is transferred from the wheel to the support member, the support means and the housing together defining a rigid, unsprung load path through the strut.