US3571990A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Air terminal and related apparatus
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1968-10-18
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Granted: 1971-03-23
•
Expires: 1988-10-18
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus and structures for facilitating the loading and unloading of parked aircraft at an airport are disclosed. The structures include a radial shaped air terminal building having upper and lower above ground concourse levels, and an intermediate main passenger receiving and check-in level and a plurality of subterranean levels. Each of the concourse levels includes passenger concourses with appropriate passageway gates interconnecting the passenger concourses with the exterior of the building. The lower level of the two concourse levels has gangways projecting from its passageway gates at an elevated height corresponding to the height of passenger doors of ground level parked aircraft that may be parked adjacent the gangways to facilitate loading the aircraft from the lower concourse level and unloading it thereto. Apparatus is provided to park aircraft at an elevated height adjacent the upper concourse level of the two concourse levels and gangways extend from the passageway gates of the upper concourse level to the passenger doors of the adjacent elevated parked aircraft to facilitate loading from the upper concourse level and unloading of the aircraft thereto. The apparatus includes a lift sled which can lift a parked aircraft to an elevated position adjacent the terminal building''s upper concourse level in two stages, insuring that the aircraft will not interfere with ground level parked aircraft adjacent the terminal building. The air terminal building''s subterranean levels may be used for parking areas and mass transportation depots and are connected to the concourse levels and the main passenger receiving and check-in level by appropriate elevating means.
Inventors
- 👤 Wendell E Rossman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 18:23
CPC Classifications
B; B64; B64F; B64F1/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
134 words
An air terminal building for loading and unloading of aircraft comprising; a building structure having an outer wall, the structure having at least two vertically disposed aboveground levels enclosed in part within said wall, a plurality of gate means located in said wall communicating with the interior of each said level, boarding bridges projecting exteriorly from said wall from at least some of said gate means and being disposed in alternating communication with said levels to communicate the interior of each said level with aircraft parked exteriorly of said structure adjacent each said level to enable passengers to move between aircraft parked adjacent each said level exteriorly of said structure and said levels, and means for elevating an aircraft to the level of the uppermost of said aboveground levels adjacent the boarding bridge thereat.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
134 words
An air terminal building for loading and unloading of aircraft comprising; a building structure having an outer wall, the structure having at least two vertically disposed aboveground levels enclosed in part within said wall, a plurality of gate means located in said wall communicating with the interior of each said level, boarding bridges projecting exteriorly from said wall from at least some of said gate means and being disposed in alternating communication with said levels to communicate the interior of each said level with aircraft parked exteriorly of said structure adjacent each said level to enable passengers to move between aircraft parked adjacent each said level exteriorly of said structure and said levels, and means for elevating an aircraft to the level of the uppermost of said aboveground levels adjacent the boarding bridge thereat.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
An air terminal in accordance with claim 1 wherein said structure has at least said one subterranean level and a parking area located on said subterranean level.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
An air terminal in accordance with a claim 2, wherein a mass transportation depot is located on said subterranean level and which further comprises means interconnecting each of said levels for facilitating transportation therebetween.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
74 words
An air terminal in accordance with claim 2, wherein said structure includes a middle level located between said two aboveground levels and the uppermost subterranean level, said middle level including an area in which passengers arriving at the air terminal by vehicle may be deposited at and picked-up from, said structure including a roof, at least one helicopter landing pad located on said roof and means connecting said roof with said level immediately therebelow.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
An air terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said structure is circular in shape and has a passenger concourse area located on the peripheral portion of each of said aboveground levels.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
266 words
An air terminal building for loading and unloading of aircraft comprising a building structure having an outer wall, the structure having at least two vertically disposed aboveground levels enclosed in part by said wall, a plurality of passage means located in said wall for communicating the interior of each of said levels with aircraft that may be parked exterior of said structure adjacent each of said levels, and boarding bridges projecting exteriorly of saId wall from at least some of said passage means of said levels and flanking the passage means that are in said wall for the next highest of said aboveground levels to enable passengers to move between aircraft that may be parked adjacent each level exteriorly of said structure and said levels themselves, and means for elevating aircraft to a position adjacent the upper of said two levels, said elevating means including a lift sled upon which an aircraft may be positioned and means for lifting said lift sled from a ground location a substantial distance from said air terminal to a position immediately adjacent the upper level of said two levels in two stages in which said first stage rapidly elevates said sled to a sufficient height so that aircraft that may be parked adjacent said air terminal building at ground level are not hit as the aircraft on the sled is moved from the ground location to the position adjacent the upper level and said second stage gradually elevates and moves said sled from said first stage to a position adjacent said boarding bridges of said upper of said two levels.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
266 words
An air terminal building for loading and unloading of aircraft comprising a building structure having an outer wall, the structure having at least two vertically disposed aboveground levels enclosed in part by said wall, a plurality of passage means located in said wall for communicating the interior of each of said levels with aircraft that may be parked exterior of said structure adjacent each of said levels, and boarding bridges projecting exteriorly of saId wall from at least some of said passage means of said levels and flanking the passage means that are in said wall for the next highest of said aboveground levels to enable passengers to move between aircraft that may be parked adjacent each level exteriorly of said structure and said levels themselves, and means for elevating aircraft to a position adjacent the upper of said two levels, said elevating means including a lift sled upon which an aircraft may be positioned and means for lifting said lift sled from a ground location a substantial distance from said air terminal to a position immediately adjacent the upper level of said two levels in two stages in which said first stage rapidly elevates said sled to a sufficient height so that aircraft that may be parked adjacent said air terminal building at ground level are not hit as the aircraft on the sled is moved from the ground location to the position adjacent the upper level and said second stage gradually elevates and moves said sled from said first stage to a position adjacent said boarding bridges of said upper of said two levels.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
170 words
An air terminal in accordance with claim 6, wherein at least three parallel rails upon which said lift sled rides extend from said ground location to a position adjacent said upper of said two levels, at least one center rail rapidly rising for a first distance from said ground location towards said upper of said two levels so as to be able to rapidly elevate said sled in said first stage to avoid aircraft that may be parked on ground level immediately adjacent said air terminal building, said center rail thereafter rising at a more gradual rate for the distance to the position and elevation immediately adjacent said upper of said two levels, a pair of rails flanking said center rail and extending from said ground location in a straight path to a location adjacent said structure and intermediate the elevation of said lower of said two levels, the straight path of said pair of flanking rails being continually at a lower elevation than the elevation of said center rail.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
198 words
An air terminal building in accordance with claim 7, further including a first ramp extending in a straight path from said ground location to a position adjacent to said lower of said two upper levels and intermediate the elevation thereof, a second ramp located on said first ramp and extending on said first ramp from said ground location and having a defined slope for said first distance, a third ramp located on said first ramp and continuous with said second ramp and having a defined slope smaller than said slope of said second ramp and extending from said second ramp to said position and elevation immediately adjacent said upper of said two levels, said center rail mounted on said second and third ramps and said flanking rails mounted on said second and third ramps and said flanking rails mounted on said first ramp, said third ramp sufficiently above ground level to avoid having any airplane parked on the lift sled from colliding with a ground level parked aircraft whereby the lift sled may return from an elevated position adjacent the building structure to said ground level by gravity due to the slope of the second and third ramps.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
97 words
An air terminal in accordance with claim 8, wherein a pit of the approximate area of said sled is located at said ground location, an inclined side in said pit, said rails extending on to said inclined side, said sled including a front strut and rear struts which ride on said center rail and said flanking rails, respectively, said rear struts of greater height than said front struts and said ground from said structure sloping downwards toward said pit whereby said pit may be used as a catch basin for water and spilled fuel adjacent said structure.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
216 words
Lifting apparatus for lifting an aircraft from a first location to a second distant location that is elevated relative to said first location in two stages with the first stage elevating the aircraft very rapidly so as to allOw the aircraft to be elevated sufficiently to be lifted over aircraft that are a parked adjacent the second location at ground level comprising a sled upon which the aircraft may be placed, at least one center rail and two flanking rails extending from said first location to said second location, said center rail at a higher elevation than said flanking rails and said sled riding on said center and flanking rails, said center rail extending from said first location to said second location in two stages with the first stage extending from the first location with the slope of said rail greater in said first stage than said second stage and said flanking rails extending from said first location to said second location in a single straight path and means for moving said sled along said rails from said first location to said second location whereby the sled may be returned to said first location from said second location by the force of gravity when said means are not in moving or locking relation with said sled.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
216 words
Lifting apparatus for lifting an aircraft from a first location to a second distant location that is elevated relative to said first location in two stages with the first stage elevating the aircraft very rapidly so as to allOw the aircraft to be elevated sufficiently to be lifted over aircraft that are a parked adjacent the second location at ground level comprising a sled upon which the aircraft may be placed, at least one center rail and two flanking rails extending from said first location to said second location, said center rail at a higher elevation than said flanking rails and said sled riding on said center and flanking rails, said center rail extending from said first location to said second location in two stages with the first stage extending from the first location with the slope of said rail greater in said first stage than said second stage and said flanking rails extending from said first location to said second location in a single straight path and means for moving said sled along said rails from said first location to said second location whereby the sled may be returned to said first location from said second location by the force of gravity when said means are not in moving or locking relation with said sled.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
96 words
Lifting apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein a first ramp extends from said first location to a position at least adjacent said second location, a second ramp located on said first ramp and extending from said first location to a distance intermediate the length of said first ramp, a third ramp located on said first ramp extending from said second ramp to said second location, said first, second and third ramps each having a different slope and said center rail located on said second and third ramps and said flanking rails on said first ramp.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said sled has a front central strut which rides on said center rail and rear struts that ride on said flanking rails, said rear struts of a greater height than said front strut.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-03-22 | 1974-09-21 | 1975-03-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-03-22 | 1978-09-21 | 1979-03-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-03-22 | 1982-09-21 | 1983-03-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |