A lifting tool 100 form part of a lifting apparatus associated with an aircraft handler 10 for applying a lifting load to an undercarriage of an aircraft. The lifting apparatus comprise a pair of opposed lifting tools 100 which engage end portions of an undercarriage wheel axle 300 for lifting. Each
A lifting tool 100 form part of a lifting apparatus associated with an aircraft handler 10 for applying a lifting load to an undercarriage of an aircraft. The lifting apparatus comprise a pair of opposed lifting tools 100 which engage end portions of an undercarriage wheel axle 300 for lifting. Each lifting tool 100 has a body 101 with a cavity 103 therein filled with a plurality of axially displaceable closely packed pins 105 which permit insertion of a portion of the axle or adaptor means into the cavity, and other pins, in use, surrounding said portion provide support and transfer the lift load to the surrounding body 101.
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1. An aircraft handler for applying a lifting load to an undercarriage of an aircraft, the handler comprising: a moveable ground standing body;first and second opposed pairs of lifting arms which are movable up and down and towards and away from each other, each arm pair pivotably mounted to the bod
1. An aircraft handler for applying a lifting load to an undercarriage of an aircraft, the handler comprising: a moveable ground standing body;first and second opposed pairs of lifting arms which are movable up and down and towards and away from each other, each arm pair pivotably mounted to the body to rotate about a substantially horizontal pivot axis to thereby lower or raise the distal ends of the arms with respect to the Earth, the first and second pairs of lifting arms each having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of the first pair of lifting arms pivotably connected to the ground standing body to pivot about a first pivot axis, the proximal end of the second pair of lifting arms having a proximal end pivotably connected to the ground standing body to pivot about a second pivot axis, the first and second pivot axes oriented at a right angle with respect to the horizontal pivot axis, the first and second pairs of opposed lifting arms pivotable about their respective first and second pivot axis to thereby cause the distal ends of the arms to move closer or further from each other to thereby contact or move away from the undercarriage of the aircraft, the first and second opposed lifting arms rotatable about the horizontal pivot axis to thereby lift or lower the undercarriage of the aircraft when the undercarriage is contacted by the distal ends of the first and second opposed lifting arms;a lifting tool mounted at the distal end of each pair of lifting arms, the first and second pairs of lifting arms cooperative to maintain respective lifting tools parallel with respect to each other as the first and second pairs of lifting arms are pivoted about their respective first and second axes, each of said lifting tools having a body with a cavity;a plurality of closely packed pins moveably retained within said cavity, the pins biased outwardly of said body and individually axially displaceable within the cavity, said pins pressable against portions of the aircraft by rotation of the lifting arms about their respective first and second pivot axes, the pins movable axially to assume a complementary shape to receive portions of the aircraft undercarriage, and to thereby transmit a lifting load to raise said portions as the lifting arms are pivoted about said horizontal pivot axis. 2. An aircraft handler for applying a lifting load to an undercarriage of an aircraft, the handler comprising: a moveable ground standing body;a pair of lifting arms, a proximal end of each arm pivotably mounted to the moveable ground standing body to rotate about a substantially horizontal first pivot axis to thereby lower or raise the distal ends of the arms with respect to the Earth;the proximal end of each lifting arm also pivotable about a second pivot axis which is at right angles to the horizontal first pivot axis to thereby cause the distal ends of the arms to move closer or further from each other to thereby contact or move away from the undercarriage of the aircraft, the lifting arms rotatable about the horizontal first pivot axis to thereby lift or lower the undercarriage of the aircraft when the undercarriage is contacted by the distal ends of the first and second opposed lifting arms being moved towards each other;a lifting tool mounted at the distal end of each lifting arm, each said lifting tool having: a body with a cavity;a plurality of closely packed pins moveably retained within said cavity, the pins biased outwardly of said body and individually axially displaceable within the cavity, said pins pressable against portions of the undercarriage by rotation of the lifting arms about the second axis, the pins movable axially to assume a complementary shape to receive said portions, and to thereby transmit a lifting load to raise said portions as the lifting arms are pivoted about said first axis. 3. The handler of claim 2, wherein the pins have outer end faces which together form a substantially continuous planar surface when all the pins are at their maximum axial outer displacement. 4. The handler of claim 2, wherein the pins have a circular cross section. 5. The handler of claim 2, wherein any one pin when at maximum inward displacement is supported at least in part by adjacent pins. 6. The handler of claim 2, wherein the cavity is provided with a base attached to the body and the inner ends of the pins are slidably mounted to the base. 7. The handler of claim 6, wherein the base of the cavity is detachable from the body allowing the pins and base to be removed and attached as a single sub-assembly. 8. The handler of claim 2, wherein the cavity is hexagonal in section, having six sides, with the pins being cylindrical. 9. The handler of claim 8, wherein in use, two of said six sides of said hexagonal section cavity are substantially horizontal. 10. The handler of claim 9, wherein at least the other four sides of said sides of the hexagonal section cavity are provided with arcuate concave recesses, each of which accommodates an adjacent pin. 11. The handler of claim 2, which is self-propelled and wherein the ground standing body is generally “U” shaped to form two body arms, each body arm having a wheel located on a free end, the first and second lifting arms located between the wheels at the arm ends. 12. The handler of claim 2, wherein the lifting arms are mounted on a pair of coaxial stub axles rotatable about the horizontal axis, said stub axles having outer end portions provided with radial lugs and actuators configured to act between each respective arm of the body and lug to rotate the stub axles to raise or lower the lifting arms. 13. The handler of claim 2, further including at least one actuator connected between the lifting arms, thereby configured to move the arms towards or away from each other. 14. The handler of claim 2, wherein the lifting arms each comprise a pair of substantially parallel struts each of which is pivoted at the proximal end to a stub axle pivotable about the horizontal axis, and the distal end to one of said pair of lifting tools, thereby forming a four bar parallelogram linkage configured to maintain the pair of lifting tools in mutually aligned relationship as the lifting arms are pivoted about their respective first and second axis. 15. The handler of claim 2, further including an adaptor having a disc, a first spigot to one side of the disc and coaxial therewith, engageable within the cavity of a lifting tool, and a second spigot on the other side of the disc, also coaxial with the disc and configured for engaging a cavity within a tow point on the undercarriage. 16. The handler of claim 2, further including a pair of adaptor means each connected to one of the distal ends of a lifting arm, each adaptor configured to engage an opposite side of the undercarriage, each of the adaptors having a spigot thereon which is engagable with a respective lifting tool, whereby when said pins are pressed against said opposed spigots, the pins assume a complementary shape to receive said spigots and a lifting load applied to said lifting tools is transferred by some of said pins to said adaptor means and to the undercarriage. 17. The handler of claim 16, wherein the adaptor is a disc including a stud on one side of the disc and the spigot is positioned on an opposed side of the disc, the stud securable to a tow point of the undercarriage. 18. An aircraft handler which is maneuverable by an operator using a remote hand set and for applying a lifting load to an undercarriage of an aircraft, the handler comprising: a moveable ground standing body having at least one drive wheel and a steerable wheel;a pair of lifting arms, a proximal end of each arm pivotably mounted to the moveable ground standing body to rotate about a substantially horizontal first pivot axis to thereby lower or raise the distal ends of the arms with respect to the Earth,the proximal end of each lifting arm also pivotable about a second pivot axis which is at right angles to the horizontal first pivot axis to thereby cause the distal ends of the arms to move closer or further from each other to thereby contact or move away from the undercarriage of the aircraft, the lifting arms rotatable about the horizontal first pivot axis to thereby lift or lower the undercarriage of the aircraft when the undercarriage is contacted by the distal ends of the first and second opposed lifting arms being moved towards each other;a lifting tool mounted at the distal end of each lifting arm, each said lifting tool having:a body with a cavity;a plurality of closely packed pins moveably retained within said cavity, the pins biased outwardly of said body and individually axially displaceable within the cavity, said pins pressable against portions of the undercarriage by rotation of the lifting arms about the second axis, the pins movable axially to assume a complementary shape to receive said portions, and to thereby transmit a lifting load to raise said portions as the lifting arms are pivoted about said first axis;microprocessors which control a speed of the wheels, angle of the steerable wheel, and operation of the lifting arms; anda remote hand set which is usable by an operator to maneuver the handler around the undercarriage and to operate the lifting arms to close and lift the undercarriage via the lifting tools.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (19)
Cipolla Thomas M. (Ballston Lake NY), Adaptive gripping device.
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