Cargo handling

Claim 1

In an aircraft terminus system for handling cargo pallets, wherein an aircraft loader is employed, adapted to be positioned with its front end adjacent an aircraft cargo hatch, having an elevatable transfer loading platform adapted at low level to receive pallets at the rear end in longitudinal direction, and at high level to deliver said pallets from the front end into said cargo hatch, and vice versa for unloading the aircraft, said loader further being provided at the rear end thereof, with a reversibly power driven non-elevating extractor wheel for rotation about an axis perpendicular to said longitudinal direction, a dolly for transporting loads or pallets across the terminal floor to the elevatable platform of the aircraft loader, which dolly comprises a. a generally rectangular frame having ground engaging wheels supporting it, whereby said frame is movable in the direction of its longitudinal horizontal axis, b. an assembly of parallel load supporting rollers mounted on said frame in a horizontal plane, said rollers extending transversely of said longitudinal axis, so as to provide a pallet supporting surface, the roller at one end of said surface being positioned so as to be exposed for driving contact with said extractor, and so as to be driven thereby, when the axis of said end roller is placed in substantially parallel relationship to the axis of said extractor wheel, c. and motion transmitting means effective between said end roller and other parallel rollers of said assembly, whereby such rollers are rotated in the direction of said end roller, simultaneously and at the same speed, and thereby effective to move a pallet from the dolly onto said platform of the loader, while in its low levEl position.