Ground transport vehicle for aircraft passengers

Abstract

Abstract A BUS OR SIMILAR VEHICLE FOR CARRYING PASSENGERS BETWEEN AN AIRPORT TERMINAL AND LARGE AIRCRAFT PARKED AT A DISTANCE FROM THE TERMINAL WITH MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE BUS TO PERMIT THE PASSENGERS TO LOAD AND UNLOAD DIRECTLY BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT AND THE VEHICLE. A PLURALITY OF EXTENDABLE AND RETRACTABLE JACK ASSEMBLIES ARE CARRIED BY THE BODY FOR ELEVATING THE BODY TO A SELECTED HEIGHT ABOVE THE SURFACE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED ADJACENT TO AN AIRCRAFT. THE JACK ASSEMBLIES EACH INCLUDE AN EXTENDABLE AND RETRACTABLE MAIN LIFTING JACK HAVING A FREE END MOVABLE RELATIVE TO THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE UPON EXTENSION AND RETRACTION OF THE MAIN LIFTING JACK WITH A SURFACE ENGAGING MEMBER SECURED TO THE FREE END OF THE MAIN LIFTING JACK, AND EXTENDABLE AND RETRACTABLE STABILIZING JACKS. THE STABILIZING JACKS EXTEND AT AN ANGLE FROM THE SURFACE ENGAGING MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO THE MAIN LIFTING JACK WHEN THE JACK ASSEMBLIES ARE EXTENDED TO PROVIDE DIAGONAL BRACING OF THE MAIN LIFTING JACK. ALL OF THE JACK ASSEMBLIES ARE ACTUATED SIMULTANEOUSLY BETWEEN THEIR EXTENDED AND RETRACTED POSITIONS BY A POWER SYSTEM INCLUDING PROPORTIONING MEANS OPERABLE TO PROPORTION THE FLOW OF HYDRAULIC FLUID TO AND FROM THE INDIVIDUAL JACK ASSEMBLIES TO CONTROL THE RATE OF EXTENSION AND RETRACTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL JACKS AND MAINTAIN THE BODY IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE.

Inventors

• 👤 Clarence A Sherman

Bibliographic Details