Cargo handling apparatus

Claim 1

A BAGGAGE HANDLING APPARATUS FOR LOADING BAGGAGE INTO AND UNLOADING BAGGAGE FROM THE FLOOR OF AN AIRCRAFT HAVING A CARGO OPENING COMPRISING, AN ADAPTOR ARRANGED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE AIRCRAFT AND ALIGNED IN THE CARGO OPENING SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE LEVEL OF THE AIRCRAFT FLOOR, A MOBILE CARRIER MOVABLE INTO ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ADAPTOR, AN ELEVATOR ON SAID CARRIER FOR RAISING A CONTAINER TO A POSITION IN WHICH THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER IS SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE FLOOR OF THE AIRCRAFT, A BRIDGE FOR CONNECTING THE ADAPTOR TO SAID ELEVATOR, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID BRIDGE TO SAID ADAPTOR, AND MEANS SUPPORTING THE OTHER END OF SAID BRIDGE ON SAID CARRIER FOR UNRESTRICTED LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID CARRIER IN ALL PIVOTED POSITIONS OF SAID BRIDGE AND IN THE PATH OF UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEVATOR FOR ENGAGEMENT AND MOVEMENT THEREBY TO THE ELEVATION OF THE FLOOR OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE UNRESTRICTED MOVEMENT OF SAID BRIDGE RELATIVE TO SAID CARRIER PERMITTING MOVEMENT OF SAID BRIDGE RELATIVE TO SAID CARRIER INCIDENT TO MOVEMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT WHEN SAID BRIDGE IS AT THE ELEVATION OF THE AIRCRAFT FLOOR.