Cargo handling

Claim 1

In an aircraft terminus system wherein cargo pallets are transported across the terminal floor by means of dollies to an aircraft cargo loader positioned at the aircraft entrance hatch, and whereby the pallets are thus transferred from the low level of the dollies to the high level of the aircraft entrance hatch, and vice versa, and wherein said dollies have an unpowered interconnected roller assembly forming a pallet supporting surface, with said rollers extending transversely of the longitudinal axial direction of the dolly, a loader which comprises, a. a self-powered wheeled vehicular frame structure stationed with its front end adjacent to said aircraft entrance hatch, b. an elevatable transfer loading platform mounted on said frame structure, adapted to receive across one side thereof pallets from said dollies when positioned adjacent to said one side, and the said platform is in its lower level position, c. and a pallet extractor wheel provided upon said one side of the frame structure, power driven from the loader for rotation about an axis parallel to said one side of the frame structure, and adapted to drivingly engage the end roller of said interconnected assembly of rollers on the dolly, when the respective end thereof is positioned adjacent and substantially parallel to said one side of the frame structure, permitting transfer of a pallet between such dolly and said transfer platform of the loader when power is applied to the extractor wheel from the loader.